India is indeed incredible from the snowy mountains tops of Kashmir to the white sand beaches in Andaman, from the Golden Temple in Amritsar to the magnificent temples of Madurai, you definitely have a lot on your platter to explore and find yourself. Here is a detailed guide in helping you doing that.
North Or South India? The Big Question
One thing that always fascinates us about India is the diversity of the country: the culture, the food, the people, the tourists attractions. From the snowy mountains of Kashmir to the sunny beaches of Kerala, its as diverse as it gets. From the white water river rafting in Dandeli to the desert safaris of Rajasthan, we have a lot on the platter to choose from.
North VS South India: The Tourists Attractions
North India is more than the Kachoris and the Rickshaws! It’s about the glaciers, the snowy mountain tops, the magnificent mahals, the road trips and the never ending deserts. The blue city of Jodhpur, Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal, Amritsar’s majestic Golden temple awaits for you in the North Of India. From the serenity of the oldest city, City of Banaras to the snowy mountain tops of Manali, you are in for a treat. The picturesque Leh Ladakh awaits to make you fall in love with it.
South India welcomes you with open arms to bonfires on the beaches, national parks, water rappelling, and scuba diving. Madurai in the South is a home to many spectacular temples and will give you the most surreal experience. From the untouched beaches of Gokarna to the grandiose historic beauty of Hampi, South India will never disappoint you.
North VS South India: The Food
The Kachodis, the Kulchas, the Butter chicken, the Punjab di Lassi is the way to do North India. Imagine sitting in front of Taj Mahal and having your favorite Devi Ki Kachori, or having Sarso Da Saag underneath the stars in the famous fields of Punjab. One thing you cannot miss to eat in the North is the Langar at the Golden temple.
The food in the south can equally make you want to sit underneath the stars and enjoy it. The Rassam Wada, the perfectly round Dosas, the Sambhar Wada served in the South will make your day. The curries are often laden with chilies, tamarind, curry leaves, and spices, especially peppercorns, with delicate coconut milk offsetting the heat. Coconut is used in all its forms — desiccated, grated, chopped, milked — in savories as well as sweets. The food is served on a banana leaf, in its authentic way; and we wouldn’t want it anyway else.
North VS South India: The People & The Culture
The people in both the North and the South are welcoming and caring, if nothing else then that should be your reason to visit. The attires are slightly different, the residents of North wear more of salwar kameez and kurta pajamas however, sarees and dhotis are preferred in the South. While sitar, sarangi, santoor, and table are very popular in north, mridangam, gottuvadyam, violin, veena and jalatarangam are favored in the south, however different the instruments might be, the music is equally pleasant to the ears. More of hindi is spoken in the North and more of Telugu and Tamil is spoken in the south.
Now to the bigger question! Which part of India you should visit? Definitely depends on your personal choice. If you want to get lost in the mountains but discover yourself then the North awaits you. If laying on the sandy beaches and stargazing is your thing then the South is calling you! Be ready for those tan lines! India is incredible and it would be brutal to just pick one part of it to visit so back your bag and explore one city, one corner, one lane, one sea at a time.