The following is a guest post of a country that is on my mind a lot these days: India. Fellow travel blogger Rohit Agarwal is here to show us what places to visit to experience the very best of this incredibly diverse country.
As the birthplace of some of the world’s major cultures and religions, India is a major tourist destination, drawing millions of visitors each year. Its ancient literature, art, crafts, architecture, food and customs are too many to count. Here’s a list of must-visit places if you wish to get the best out of this culturally rich and flamboyant country.
1) Kolkata
There are many “barber shops” like these in the streets of Kolkata. (Image Credits @ Tapas Ghosh)
The region that is now Kolkata was formerly 3 villages that were under Mughal Rule, who handled this region under the control of the Nawabs of Bengal. Its real breakthrough came in 1690. The British controlled East India Company arrived and set up shop as per the trading license granted by the Nawab of Bengal and built Kolkata into a fortified port town. The city had various run-ins with the Nawabs which led it to become the capital of the East India company before it was shifted to the more strategic location of Delhi. The city, being the first British capital in India, underwent rapid industrial growth and is the oldest operating port of India. Bengali is the primary language spoken here and the town is known to be the birthplace of urban Indian culture and literary thought, with a majority of India’s notable literary figures stemming from here. This place deserves a definitive visit by those who want to experience the roots of modern Indian sub-culture.