Delhi, known locally as Dilli, and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), is the second-largest metropolis in India. With over 15.9 million residents, it is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population. The name Delhi is often also used to include some urban areas near the NCT, as well as to refer to New Delhi, the capital of India, which lies within the NCT. The NCT is a federally administered union territory.

Located on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BC. After the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, Delhi emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Indo-Gangetic plains. It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.

Fatehpur Sikri is a UNESCO world heritage site. Built in the the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for about 10 years. Then it was abandonded for reasons that are still something of a mystery. It includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid. Fatehpur Sikri is regarded as Emperor Akbar’s crowning architectural legacy. Indeed, its numerous palaces, halls, and masjids satisfy his creative and aesthetic impulses, typical of Mughals.

The Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, otherwise known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, is one of the world most resound bird feeding and breeding grounds. The park is over 29 square kilometers and boasts of 364 species of bird, including some threatened migratory birds from centeral asia. It is also a major tourist centre with scores of ornithologists arriving here in the hibernal season. It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. It is also a declared World Heritage Site.

Khajuraho is a small town located in the Bundelkhand region (Chhatarpur District) of Madhya Pradesh and is famous for groups of Hindu and Jain temples. These temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their beautiful and erotic rock carvings. Khajuraho has the Vindhya range of mountains as its beautiful backdrop. The name Khajuraho, ancient “Kharjuravahaka”, is derived from the Sanskrit word kharjur meaning date palm.

Mathura is a holy city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and 150 km south of Delhi; about twenty kilometers from holy Vrindavan. It is the administrative centre of Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient period, Mathura was an economic hub, located at the junction of important caravan routes. Mathura is reputed to be the birthplace of Krishna at the centre of Vraja, called Krishnajanmabhoomi, literary ‘Krishna’s birth place’. The Keshav Dev temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna’s legendary birthplace (an underground prison). As per epic Mahabharata and per Bhagavata Purana, Mathura was the capital of the Surasena Kingdom, ruled by Kansa the maternal uncle of Krishna.

Pushkar is a town in the state of Rajasthan in India. Pushkar means born due to a flower. Hindus believe that the gods released a swan with a lotus in its beak and let it fall on earth where Brahma would perform a grand yagna. The place where the lotus fell was called Pushkar. It is situated at 14 km North West from Ajmer and is one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites for devout Hindus.) It is often called “Tirth Raj” – the king of pilgrimage sites – and has in recent years become a popular destination for foreign tourists.

Varanasi, once known as Benares, Banaras, Banarasi and Kashi, is a historical city in northern India. The city is sacred to Hindus and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In many ways Varanasi epitomizes the very best and worst aspects of India, and it can be a little overwhelming. Varanasi is home to these four universities: Banaras Hindu University, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies and Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. Residents mainly speak Kashika Bhojpuri, which is closely related to the Hindi language. People often refer to Varanasi as “the city of temples”, “the holy city of India”, “the religious capital of India”, “the city of lights”, and “the city of learning.”

Ahmedabad (also spelled Ahmadabad) is the sixth largest city (pop. 6.5 millions) of India. It is the commercial hub of the state of Gujarat, though it is not the capital, which is Gandhinagar, 30 km to the north. Although it is not very well known as a ‘tourist’ place, it is certainly worth a visit. Actually, the fact that there are fewer tourists, will often get you a nicer welcome here.

The Ajanta Caves near Aurangabad depict the stories of Buddhism spanning from the period from 200 B.C. and 650 A.D. These caves were discovered in the 19th century by some British Officers who had been on a tiger hunt.These 29 caves were built by Buddhist monks using simple tools like hammer & chisel. These caves were the retreats of Buddhist monks who taught and performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas, the ancient seats of learning. The elaborate and exquisite sculptures and paintings depict stories from Jataka tales. The caves also house images of nymphs and princesses.The Ajanta caves and the treasures they house are a landmark in the overall development of Buddhism as such.

Aurangabad is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India. It sees a lot of international tourist traffic due to world heritage sites, Ajanta & Ellora caves. Aurangabad, a dream destination of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, founded in 1610, is known today, as one of the four important cities in Maharashtra. The city is heading towards rapid industrial growth, but retains its past glory and charms, heritage and traditions. Conspicuously seen on the Deccan plateau, it has a rich culture and a thousand  of magnificent arts on display.

Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India’s third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. Today, as a large and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to some of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its preeminent position as the nation’s leading IT employer and exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India.

Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is a good mix of the old and the new with a lot of old portions of Bhopal reminiscent of the Mughal influence and the new showcasing the planned development of a modern Indian city. Bhopal is the seat of the Madhya Pradesh Government and is a beautiful mid-sized city in the heart of India. It is said that Bhopal was originally called “Bhoj-pal” after Raja Bhoj, who is attributed with founding the city. It was an important part of the “Bhoj” kingdom with Ujjaini (a city close to Bhopal) being the seat of the kingdom.

Chandigarh is a very beautiful city in India. It is the capital of both  Punjab and Haryana, but the city itself is not part of either state, being a union territory, i.e. administered directly by the Central government. Known internationally for its architecture and urban planning, It is the first planned city of India. Chandigarh is home to numerous architectural projects of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki, and Albert Mayer. The city tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories with the highest per capita income in the country.

Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India, and is the country’s fourth-largest city. It is located on the Coromandel coast of the Bay of Bengal. With an estimated population of 7.45 million (2005), the 367 year old city is the 34th largest metropolitan area in the world. It has the 2nd longest seashore in the world.

The Ellora (Verul) Caves have been carved during 350 A.D. to 700 A.D. these structures represent the three faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. These caves 34 in number are located 29 km. from Aurangabad. They are fascinating and the finest example of cave temple architecture housing elaborate facades and exquisite interiors. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain.

Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India, located on the banks of the Musi River and on the Deccan Plateau. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are “twin cities” near Hussain Sagar Lake (also known as Tank Bund in local parlance) but both cities have grown so much that now they have become one big metropolis. The city and district of Hyderabad are coterminous. Hyderabad district is entirely contained within the Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh. Many of the suburbs of Hyderabad were recently merged into the city, now called Greater Hyderabad.

Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the capital of West Bengal and the second largest city in India (after Mumbai). If Bangalore is the Seattle of India, than Kolkata is the sub-contintent’s New York. It is an ‘in your face’ city that shocks and charms the unsuspecting visitor. Long known as the cultural capital of India, Kolkata continues to spawn generations of poets, writers, film producers and Nobel Prize winners. Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the centre of modern education, industry, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata has witnessed intense political violence, clashes and economic stagnation since 1954. Since the year 2000, economic rejuvenation has spurred on the city’s growth.

Mumbai, earlier known as Bombay, is the largest city in India and the capital of Maharashtra state. Mumbai was originally a conglomeration of seven islands on the Konkan coastline which over time were joined to form the island city of Bombay. The island was in turn joined with the neighbouring island of Salsette to form Greater Bombay. The city has an estimated metropolitan population of 17 million (2005), making it one of the largest cities in the world. It is also home to India’s largest slum population. Mumbai looms large as the commercial capital as it is one of the India’s predominant port cities. Mumbai’s nature as the most eclectic and cosmopolitan Indian city is symbolized in the presence of Bollywood within the city, the centre of the globally-influential Hindi film and TV industries.

Amber Fort is situated 11 km from central Jaipur. This massive fort-palace complex built in hybrid Hindu-Muslim style dates back to Raja Man Singh and was the royal palace of the Kachwahas from c. 1600 to 1727. The name has nothing to do with the rather pretty pastel yellow colour; instead, the fort is named after the town of Amber, in turn named after the goddess Amba. The main sights within the fort include the Sheesh Mahal, adorned with thousands on thousands of mirror tiles on the walls and ceiling.

Bodh Gaya is a village in the state of Bihar. As the site of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s enlightenment, Bodh Gaya is the most revered of all Buddhist sacred sites. The main complex houses the famous Mahabodhi temple/stupa and a descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment.

Agra is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, some 201 km from the Indian capital city of New Delhi.

Agra has the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings and tourist destinations in the world, and two other UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Agra Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri nearby.

Jaipur is the largest city in Rajasthan and was built in the eighteenth century by Sawai Jai Singh as India’s first planned city. Although Jaipur serves mainly as a stepping stone for travelers heading to the desert cities of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, it is not without its own attractions, such as several massive Rajput forts. Now Jaipur is growing fast and various development projects are being done by the government and private enterprises. Jaipur is often called the Pink City in reference to its distinctly colored buildings, which were originally painted this color to imitate the red sandstone architecture of Mughal cities. The present earthy red color originates from repainting of the buildings undertaken for a visit by the Prince of Wales in 1876.