North Indian Cuisine

India has rich and varied culinary traditions, many deeply enmeshed with spiritual traditions that are thousands of years old. Other culinary styles arrived throughout India's long history with those who wandered into the land from afar and settled here and there, as well as with those who invaded its territories, subjugating native populations. Still others have been shaped by the natural forces of climate and geography. These many culinary styles can be generally divided into four regional cuisines, with north Indian flavors and style standing out distinctly from the rest. The northern part of India is said to be part of the India in which the influence of the early light-skinned Aryan invaders can still be seen, in the cuisine, culture, and language. This is the part of the world in which Sanskrit is believed to have evolved. North Indian cuisine

encompasses the culinary traditions of the various northern countries, including Punjabi, Awadh, Kashmiri, Marwari, Rajasthani, Gharwal, and Pahari. Due to climate and growing conditions, wheat plays a stronger role in northern Indian cuisine than in other areas of the country. Also Tandoori cuisine comes from the north. Spices are an essential element to Indian cuisine, and they employ some of the most aromatic and beautiful spices on earth. Historically, however, in addition to adding delectable flavors and attractive aromas, the spices were chosen for their food preservation and medicinal properties. While many spices are common throughout most Indian cuisines, the methods and ratios of usage differ in each region, with some spices being much more common in some areas and other flavors being more specific. North Indian cooks tend to use their spices in freshly ground powder form. Chili peppers are common to Indian cuisine, and in the north, the Degchi Mirchi, or Kashmiri chili pepper are especially popular. Ground red chili powder is important northern Indian flavor, as is turmeric, sweet bay or laurel leaves, cumin, black and green cardamom, coriander, cassia tree bark -- for which cinnamon is often substituted -- cloves, saffron, nutmeg, black and yellow mustard seeds, fennel, asafetida, curry leaves, fenugreek, tamarind, fresh cilantro leaves, and mint. Garam masala is a spice mixture used extensively in northern Indian cuisine. This is a blend of spices, which is loosely built upon a set of common spices, but varies widely from region to region, even from family to family. In the north, a basic garam masala would consist of raw cardamom seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Ghee, or clarified butter, is particularly important to the flavor of northern cuisine. Flat breads of various types, including chapattis, roti, puri, different types of parantha, and tandoori baked breads like nan are a part of most north Indian meals. Showing the religious influence of the Vaishnava Hindus, the northern states -- Uttar Pradesh in particular -- have created some of the finest vegetarian cuisine in the world, built upon a wide variety of pulses, or legumes and fragrant Basmati rice. North Indian flavors have become an important part of international cuisine, spreading through the world's metropolitan centers and into the food cultures of many countries. Beloved especially for its specialized tandoori dishes and vegetarian creations, North Indian c

Geography of North India

The geography of North India is something that can surprise many. From lofty hills to low lying plains, north India is truly a surprising amalgamation of varied geographical features. As we describe the geography of North India, it must be pointed out at the very outset that this region consists of 12 different states. They are Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan. It also needs to be known that Bihar and Jharkhand are considered to be parts of Eastern India as well. The Vindhya Mountains form the southern boundary of North India, while the line made by the Son and Kosi rivers form the eastern boundary of the region. Besides, the Indo Gangetic Plain covers a major part of North India. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand along with some of the eastern parts of

Rajasthan fall in this region. The Indo Gangetic Plain is a major farming area apart from being one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The northern part of India is also home to many lofty mountain ranges like the Himalayas, Aravallis, Vindhyas and Satpuras. Meanwhile, the Thar Desert makes its presence felt in some north Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. When it comes to the geography of North India, special mention needs to be made of the major rivers of this region. They include the Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Jhelum, Sutlej, Chambal and Son.

Hill Stations in North India

Find yourself serenaded by lush greenery, snow capped hills and a salubrious climate as you tour the hill stations in North India. This part of India is indeed home to some of the most beautiful hill stations you can ever come across during your India tour. Be it a beautiful but crowded hill station like Shimla or the serene Dhanauti Hills, you have lots of options to choose from as you go visiting the hill stations in North India. So as you go planning a hill station tour in India, you can pick up anything from 2-day getaway tours to month long sojourns. There are many beautiful hill stations to speak of in North India. In fact, tourists are often left spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a hill station to visit. However some of the most beautiful hill stations in North India include Almora, Bhimtal, Dehradun, Gulmarg, Kasauni, Nainital, Pahalgam, Srinagar, Patnitop and Mussoorie. Even the desert state of Rajasthan boasts of a beautiful hill station called Mount Abu. Hill Station tours in North India are a wonderful way to escape the bustling life of the cities. You are simply transported to a whole new world where you are at peace with yourself. Indeed, a hill station tour is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with nature and enjoy its varied bounty. You will be pleasantly surprised to note the wonders a North India hill station tour would do to your health and state of mind. Be sure to return back refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.

Climate in North India

India is a vast country and therefore it is not surprising to learn that it is characterized by many climate types. Speaking of the climate in North India, we are sure to come across many interesting variations while touring the region. Summers in North India last from March to July and are quite warm. The temperature starts rising rapidly as the vertical rays of the sun reach the Tropic of Cancer. May is the hottest month in north India when the maximum temperature rises up to more than 40 C. Monsoon in north India arrives around June and brings in the much-needed relief from the immense heat. However, the monsoon season is a very bad time to tour North India. Wildlife enthusiasts should be warned in advance that the most of the wildlife sanctuaries and parks remain closed during monsoons.

Speaking of winter in north India, the temperature gradually starts falling after September as the vertical rays of the sun move to the south of the equator. In fact, this is one of the best times to travel to North India. It really gets very cold during the months of December and January when the temperature hovers around freezing point in many parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the areas around Delhi. Meanwhile, states like Kashmir receive significant snowfall during the winter months.

Languages of North India

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Besides Hindi, India has 23 officially recognized languages, which are official languages of one or the other state in India. Some of these languages are quite popular outside their origin state and India as well. These languages are widely spoken and learnt by many foreign speakers with interest. We, at North India Tours are offering some exclusive language courses that help you to widen your knowledge of languages.

We can also arrange language classes for some other Indian languages, including, Assamese, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Sindhi and Urdu. Marathi, the official language of colorful state of Maharashtra is an Indic language. It is fourth most widely spoken language of India. Sindhi is one of the commonly spoken languages of Northwest region of India. It is also spoken in the Sindh state of Pakistan and by the Sindhi communities scattered throughout the world. Urdu, is the State language oh Jammu and Kashmir state of India but it is widely spoken by Muslims, residing in any part of India. There are more than 28 million Urdu speakers in India. Urdu is a common language of Shayari (poetry), Ghazals and popular Indian film songs. Our exclusive language courses are Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Sanskrit language course. Hindi Hindi is the national language of India and is spoken by almost half a billion people in India and rest of the world. Hindi is the second most spoken language in the world after Chinese. It allows one to communicate with a far wider variety of people in India than English which is only spoken by around five percent of the population. Hindi became the official language of India on 26th January, 1965. Hindi is an Indo-European language, of the Indo-Aryan subfamily. It derives much of its formal and technical vocabulary from Sanskrit. With independence, a common language had to be decided. The matter was put to vote and Hindi won by a single vote. Hindi, however, was only one of the many regional languages of India. Various famous epics and plays were written in the Hindi like Ramacharitamanas, Bhagvad Gita and the Mahabharata. Today, Hindi is widely spoken in almost all the states of India, especially in the states in northern and central India. Hindi is spoken exactly as it is written so it is very easy to learn and read. Hindi is normally spoken using a combination of 52 sounds, ten vowels and 40 consonants. There are 11 vowels and 36 consonants in Hindi. By the knowledge of Hindi, you can easily know about Indian culture, religion and current affairs. Gujarati Gujarati the native language of the Indian state of Gujarat is also called Gujerati, Gujarathi, and Guujaratee. It is the state language of Gujarat and widely spoken in the neighboring states, too. 46 million worldwide speakers of Gujarati make it 23 most spoken language of the world. It is extensively used language among the Gujarati groups residing in foreign countries. Our Gujarati Language Course provides you complete information about Gujarati along with writing and speaking practice of the language.

Punjabi Punjabi also known as Panjabi or Gurumukhi is the mother tongue of the Punjabi people and the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. Punjabi is the official language of the Indian state of Punjab and Chandigarh and second official languages of Delhi and Haryana. This Indo-European language is quite popular in foreign countries. There are about 104 million Punjabi speakers worldwide. It is tenth most widely spoken language in the world and fifth most widely spoken language in Canada. Our Punjabi Language Course provides you complete information about Punjabi along with writing and speaking practice of the language. Sanskrit Sanskrit popularly called "Dev Bhasha" or "Devavani" (the language of the Gods) is a classical Indian language still widely used in religious ceremonies by Indians. This classical language of Hindus is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. Sanskrit enjoys same status in India for literary and religious purposes as Latin in Europe and elsewhere. There are nearly 49,736 fluent speakers of the language worldwide. Our Sanskrit Language Course provides you complete information about Sanskrit along with writing and speaking practice of the language.

States of North India

Location: Lies in the upper part of India in the foothills of Himalayas

. Main attractions: Taj Mahal, Wild Life National Parks and Monuments.

Famous Places: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Chandigarh, Nanital etc.

StatesofNorthIndiaInformation
Northern part of India is enriched with different cultures religions, marvelous monuments, immense wildlife parks and sanctuaries, holy rivers, majestic Himalayas, and diversified climate conditions. The whole of north India borders countries like Delhi Delhi, the capital city of India is used as a gateway to reach other parts of the county. Being ruled by successive densities Delhi treasures some of the majestic monuments built from 12th century onward, the Red Fort, Qutab Minar, Humayun's Tomb, Jama Masjid, India Gate, Parliament House, Presidents House, Bahai Temple are worth visiting sight. It also houses number of gratifying museums. The most important ones are National Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, Rail Museum and Tourist Places: Red Fort, Gandhi India Gate, Jama Masjid and Museum. Museums. Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bhutan from northwest to northeast.

Jammu

&

Kashmir

The Kashmir, northernmost state of India, comprises of 3 main regions, their languages and their religions. Ladakh, located on a high altitude observes the temperatures decreasing to minus 40 degrees Celsius in winter. Kashmir is the romantic valley more known for its shikares, flower gardens and carpets is a unique paradox on the earth. It snows in winter and sunshine from April to November and the third region in the valley is Jammu, its climatic conditions are just like plains of northern Tourist Places: Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonemarg, Khilanmarg, Kargil and India. Leh.

Himachal

Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh another mountain state in north India have a kaleidoscope tableau of fortunes of vigorous snowy peaks and charming evergreen valleys, shinning streams and dense forests, rivers, meadows and cultivated land. Dharamsala, home to Dalai Lama a Buddhist monk lies on the foothills of Dhauladhar mountain which haunch the valley. Himachal valleys also abode of cities like Simla, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Kinnaur, know for their heritage, panorama, edification and art. Tourist Places: Dalhousie, Chamba , Dharamsala, Jwalamukhi Temple, Chamunda Devi, Palampur, Kullu-Manali, Kinnaur UtterPradesh Uttar Pradesh one of the densely populated states of India lies in the foothills of Himalaya. It treasures holy rivers of India, vast Ganges plain and powerful Himalayas. Some of the most sacred cities of Utter Pradesh are Varanasi, Allahabad where the sacred river flows. The state is also famous for Buddhist pilgrims in Sarnath where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon. Tourist Places: Mathura, Agra, Varanasi, Lucknow , Allahabad and Taj Mahal. and Simla.

Rajasthan Rajesthan, Indias Desert State is known for its princely kingdoms, forts and palace hotels. Northwest of the Aravallis ranges

lies Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner the most enchanting regions in the desert. It is also the home of desert plains and the shifting sand dunes of the great Thar Desert. Some of the popular crafts of Rajesthan are, Meenakari, Jewelry, Ivory, Lac and Glass, Sandalwood, Hand Printing fabrics, mirror work costumes etc. { Ask for travel info/ tour enquiry} Tourist Punjab Punjab is also known as the Land of the Five Rivers, is famous for its green flourishing fields watered by a network of canals. Punjab was one of the first places in India where Green Revolution took place. Much of Punjab came under Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. The most distinctive Punjabis are the Sikhs, who were given a combative identity by their worshiped only Tourist Uttaranchal Uttaranchal is the one of the new state of Indian that came into existence on 9th November 2000, when it got separated from the state of Uttar Pradesh. This bewitching hilly state consists of Garhwal and Kumaon regions. The state is adorned with shining snow capped peaks, which rank among the most majestic mountains of the India. The exquisite hill stations like Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet and Kausani have a charisma of their own. The Corbett National Park, one of the best wild reserves Kasauni Mode of the country and of is located near Nainital. Joshimath. Transport Tourist Places: Almora, Badrinath, Chamoli, Jim Corbett National Park, Gangotri, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Hem Kund, boast gurus of ancient Places: who structures Amritsar, counter but throbs the with Chandigarh, Mughal historical rule. epitome. Patiala. Punjab, with an integrated cultural heritage is a treasure trowel for an enthusiastic tourist. The land of the divine gurus not Places: Jaipur, Ajmer/Pushker, Udaipur and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

North India comprises of some of the major cities of India including capital state Delhi, therefore travelling is not at all a problem. In fact North India is very well connected by Air, Rail and Road transport.