India - The Land

Few, among those who visit India, describe it in the same terms. The reason is that the real character of the country is masked by its continental dimensions. Not many have the time, opportunity or patience to see the country in its entirety. Here, it is easy to mistake the part for the whole, and the trivial for the vital. Consider the country's vastness and you will readily appreciate its great diversity. It spreads 2,000 miles from the icy heights of the Himalayas in the north to the tip of Gape Comorin, perpetually washed by the waves of the Indian Ocean, in the south. It covers the same distance from the Rann of Kutch in the west to Assam in the east. The country's 3,500 miles of coastline, 8,200 miles of land frontier and 12,69,000 sq. miles of area encompass geographical conditions, climate, scenery and people as diverse as those in Europe or the Americas. Here are some of the highest peaks, the longest plains and the wettest, the hottest and the coldest regions in the world. In the dense forests of the country are a variety of rare animals such as the rhino, the Asian lion, the sinewy tiger and the colourful peacock. Nature has made India a distinct geographical entity. Marked off from Asia by the Himalayas and with the sea on all other sides, it possesses a unity of its own which has left its impress on the people's mode of life and thought. Thus we have a picture of both the country's diversity and unity. It is important to keep this in mind for it is the key to the understanding of much that you will observe in India.

The great land mass of India falls into three natural regions: the Himalayas in the north, the Deccan Plateau in the south and the Indo-Gangetic Plain in between. In the Himalayas rise some of the tallest peaks in the world. The beautiful vales of Kashmir and Kulu and the sources of India's mightiest rivers lie here. The Himalayas shield the country from the freezing winds which sweep across Asia from the north. They intercept the moisture-laden monsoons from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal in June and July and make them part with their precious rain.

South of the Himalayas lies the vast 1500-mile Indo-Gangetic Plain watered by the Sutlej, the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Brahmaputra. This fertile tract has been the cradle of Aryan civilisation, a seat of great empires and the scene of remarkable achievements. In its northwest on the Yamuna lies Delhi, the capital of India. On the Ganga is the picturesque city of Banaras, a great centre of Hindu faith and learning. Here in the Deer Park at Sarnath, the Buddha gave his message of compassion to suffering humanity. Farther to the east is Patna, formerly Pataliputra, the capital of Asoka the Great. Between Patna and Calcutta, the largest city of India, lies India's Ruhr, a great manufacturing area rich in coal, iron and many other minerals. The triangular peninsula in the south has the Vindhya hills for its base and the craggy Ghats lapped by the waves of the sea on either side. With the exception of the Narmada and the Tapti which flow westwards, its great rivers, viz., the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rise in the Western Ghats and flow eastwards into the Bay of Bengal. The hill ranges of the Ghats converge on the blue mountains of the Nilgiris on which nestles Ootacamund, the prime hill resort of the South. In the north-west of the peninsula lies Bombay, India's chief emporium for trade with the West. About 250 miles to the north-east of Bombay are the renowned cave painting and sculpture of Ajanta and Ellora. Down south along the narrow stretch of the west coast are the luxuriant tropical forests of Kerala with peaceful lagoons. The peninsula is a great seat of Indian culture which finds expression in great temples and in dance, drama and music. They remain an integral part of life in South India. Climatic conditions vary greatly in India. Broadly speaking, the country experiences five seasons: summer, the monsoon or rainy season, autumn, winter and spring. In summer, April to June, the climate is generally hot, though the many hill resorts in the country are delightfully cool. The monsoon rains, between June and September, convert the dry thirsty land into a vast expanse of glistening verdure. Between September and November the country has a brief spell of autumn, neither too warm nor too cold. Winter, November to January, and spring, February to March, are pleasant indeed. North India is at times very cold during these months and there is snowfall in the hills.