Dehli and the north

Kashmir: capital: Srinagar - in the 16^th century centre of moslemish mongol - rulers

food: "nature yoghurt" , mustardoil, aniseed => hottest food

famous: Rogan Josh, Biriyani, Red Muttonpot

Punjab and Haryana 5- river- land, fertile region, a lot of mustard- fields

capital: Chandigarh - planned by Le Corbusier

Dehli: 8,3 mio inhabitants; south called New-Dehli - since 1947 capital of India

sight: Red Fort

food: most famous food of India, often prepared in the tandoor (= loemoven); a lot of dried beans and lentils

Holi: "springcelebration" in february/ march - coloured water (often red )

Centralindia

Rajastan: dessert, during raintime (june/ july) Teej- celebration = womenīs celebration

capital: Jaipur => Pink City

sight: Hawa - Palace od the Winds

Uttar Pradesh famous city: Agra => Taj Mahal

food: Petha = sweet made of pumpkin; Dalmoth = baked chik- pea

Lucknow: food: Korma = mutton in amlondsauce

Benares (Varansi): holy place for hindus => Ganges

" road of the fried breads"

Sarnath: holy place for buddhists

Madhya Pradesh biggest Federal state; Mahadeo- Hills => Junglebook by Rudyard Kipling

food: Sabzi Chop = vegetablechops; Mooli = roasted radish

Calcutta and the east

Bihar: "buddhaīs land" (=> in Gantama enlightment )

very fertile region

capital: Patna

West- Bengals from Himalaya till Golf of Bengal

food: famous fish in mustardsauce

Calcutta: 11 mio inhabitants; most important port; biggest jute-factory on earth; teastockmarket

food: Rosogolla= cheeseballs; Gulab Jamun = milkpowderballs (both in syrup )

Orissa in the south

capital: Buhbaneshwar - "templetown" => in the past 7000 temples

Puri holy place for hindus

Rath-Yatra- celabration in june/ july for Vishnu

Union Territories 8 small provincials; excluded from advance and tourism - tourist must not go there

Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Assam;

Madras and the south

Andrah Pradesh: capital: Hyderabad

food: aromatic seasoned, opulent

Karnataka: central hilly; home of the Indian elephant

Kerala a lot of rice, 3 times a year harvest; a lot of herbs: black pepper, cinnomon-bark, Kasadamon, mace, nutmeg, curryleavetree, cocontupalm, tea, coffee

Tamil Nadu food: Dosas= filled pancakes; Idil= steamed spacy cake made of rice and lentil-flour

capital: Madras => old-town = George Town; Kathawal chavadi = big fruit- and vegetablemarket

Bombay and the west

Gujarat capital: Ahemdabad - important trade-metropole

food: fish, seafood, bananas, peanuts, Okra in coconutmilk

Maharashtra: "rocktemple" of Ajanta and Ellora (hindus and buddhists )

capital: Bombay , 12,5 mio inhabitants

food:   Bhel Pooris= crunchy, spacy round flat dough-cake made of lentils, vegetables, onions, and herbs

celebration: august / september for Ganesh

Goa: Poruguese provincial

food:   Vindaloocurry (very hot)

Dehli and the north

Kashmir is a Federal state in the north of India. Itīs a very varied region. There are mountains, which are 8000 meters high. Between them there are green valleys and lush meadows. The capital of Kashmir is Srinagar. In the 16^th century it was the centre of the moslemish mongolian rulers. Also nowaday most of the people there are Moslems. The food in Kashmir constits often of "nature yoghurt", mustardoil and aniseed. Itīs the hottest food in India. Famous dishes are Rogan Josh, Biriyani and Red Muttonpot.

Southern of Kashmir there are Punjab and Haryana, they shape the "5 river land" . Itīs a very fertile region which is also called the granary of India. There are a lot of mustardfields. The people who live there are in the main farmers, who plant wheat, barley, rice, corn and millet. The common capital of these two Federalsstates is Chandigarh. Itīs a geometricly  lain out town, which was planned by the Frenchman Le Corbusier.

In Dehli there live about 8,3 mio. people. Itīs the third greatest city of India. The southpart is called New-Dehli, which initially was planned as a "gardencity". Since the independence in 1947 itīs the capital of India. Sights are Chandi-Chauk, translated it means "silverstreet", because there are a lot of gold- and silversmithies, and the Red Fort which was built in the 17^th century. Inside of the fortress there are pavillions, gardens, mosque and baths of the mongolianrulers. The food in Dehli is the most famous one. A lot of dishes are prepared in the tandoor. Thatīs a loamoven. The food often consits of dried beans and lentils. To all dishes you eat selfbaked bread or basmatirice. Holi is a "springcelebration" during february and march. The people pour coloured water over each other, often itīs red, which is a lucky colour. Thatīs a expression of the fusion of your soul with the totality.

Centralindia:

Rajstan is a desert landscape. During the raintime, which is in june and july, the people celebrate Teej. Itīs the

womenīs celebration. In this time they wear all of the jewellery they have and colourful clothes. And there are processions to honour the goddness  Paravati, Shivaīs wife. The capital of Rajastan is Jaipur. A lot of buildings there are biult of light red sandstone. Therefore itīs called the "Pink City". A sight in Jaipur is Hawa. Thatīs the Palace of the Winds. Itīs a beautiful facade with five floor and 953 windows.

A famous city in Uttar Pradesh is Agra. There is the Taj Mahal. The ruler Sah Jahan let this mausoleum in the 17^th century build for his favourite wife. 20.000 workers needed more than 20 years to complete it. In Agra you also can get Petha, thatīs a sweet made of pumpkin, and Dalmoth, thatīs baked chik-pea. A famous food in Lucknow is Korma. Itīs mutton in almondsauce. Benares, the Indish name is Varansi, is a holy place for the hindus. There the pilgrims go on the westbank of the Gnges into the water. They pray and swim, because they believe that the water of the Ganges washes all your sins away. After that the pilgrims walk to a temple and sacrifice sweets and flowers and have their breakfast in "the road of the fried breads" . There specealities are Puri, thatīs fried wholemealbread , and Kotshuri, itīs filled fried unleavened bread. 10km away from Benares there is Sarnath, a holy place for the buddhists, because about 2500 years ago, Buddha prayed there for the first time his enlightment.

Madhya Pradesh is the biggest Federal state. There are the Mahadeo Hills, which are an area of protection of animals. In this jungle Rudyard Kiplingīs "Junglebook" takes place. Famous dishes in Madhya Pradesh are Sabzi Chop, that are vegetablechops, and Mooli, which is roasted radish.

Calcutta and the east

Bihar is in the east of the Gangesplain. Itīs also called "buddhaīs land", becaus 2500 years ago, Buddha had his enlightment under a tree in the small villageGautama . And in Vaishal he made his last adress. Every year thousand of buddhistsh pilgrims visite these places. Patna is the capital. Itīs one of the oldest cities on earth.

The West-Bengals extend from the Himalaya till the Golf of Bengal. This region is famous for fish in mustardsaue.

In Calcutta there live about 11mio people. In the 17^th century it was a tradingcentre for theBritons. It became bigger and in 1712 Calcutta was foritfied. Inside of the fortress there was the East- India-Company. Calcutta is also one of the most important tradeports in Asia and there is the biggest jute-factory on earth and the teastockmarket. The food there is famous for itīs sweets. Two of them are Rosogolla, that are cheeseballs, and Gulab Jamun, that are milkpowderballs. You eat both dishes in syrup.

Orissa is in the south and itīs a very various land. Beside big cities there are plantations of coconutpalms and cashwnuttrees. The capital of Orissa is Bhubaneshwar. Itīs called "temple-town". In the past there were about 7000 temples. Now there are still 500 ones. In Puri, thatīs a town at the coast, thereīs a holy place for the hindus. During the Rath-Yatra-celebration in june and july tenthsousands of pilgrims pull statues of the god Vishnu through the town. The Union Territories are 8 small provincials, which are excluded from advance and tourism, because as a tourist you must not go there. These provincials are Nagaland, Mizoram,a lot of mountain races live there, Sikkim,thatīs a buddhistish state with many monasteries, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, itīs a hilly hardly developed area and Assam, which is famous for the green tea.

Madras and the south

The south of India is near the equator and the monsunrain is two times a year. Therefore itīs a very fertile region.

The capital of Andrah Pradesh is Hyderbad, which is on a highland. The food there is because of the moslemish influence very opulent and aromatic seasoned.

Karnataka is to the west of Andrah Pradesh. Itīs a central hilly. A lot of bambus and Kardamon grows there. Itīs also the home of the Indish elephant.

In Kerala there is much rice plant. The farmers reap it three times a year. You can also get there a lot of herbs, like black pepper, cinnomon-bark, Kasadom, mace, nutmeg, curryleaves, cocnuts, tea and coffee. Many dishes are prepared with rice and vegetables, because most of the people are vegetarians.

The people in Tamil Nadu are masters of fine and dramatic arts and they celebrate many hinduistsh traditions very grandiose. Famous dishes of this region are Dosas, that are filled pancakes, and Idli, thatīs a steamed spacy cake made of rice and lentil-flour. The capital of Tamil Nadu is Madras. Itīs a quiet town with a lot of British buildings from the 17^th century. The old-town is called George Town. Itīs a lively business district. Thereīs also the Kothawal chavandi, which is a big fruit- and vegetablemarket.

The people of Southindia like celabrations. During one year they celebrate 5 months.

Bombay and the west

Gujarat is a peninsula-state. Because of that, in this area many cultures blended. Itīs a very fertile region, where wheat, peanuts, bananas and cotton grow. In Gujatra the textile industry is very important. The capital Ahemdabad is the most important trade- and textilemetroplole in Westindia. The food consists of fish and a lot of seafood. Nevertheless many people there are vegetarians, like the Gujaratis are. That are strict hindus. They only eat rice, wholemaelbread, proteincontaining, dried beans and pulses, and vegetables, which are often cooked with coconuts. For example Okra in coconutmilk. The food in Gujarat is a very mild one.

In Maharashtra there are the "rocktemples" of Ajanta and Ellora. These are places of worship for hindus and buddhists. Bombay is the capital. It is with 12,5 mio inhabitants the biggest city in Inida and the most important business and tradecentre. Many different peoples live in Bombay. Because of that the food is a mosaic of all traditional dishes of different culures. Bhel Pooris are crunchy, spacy round flat dough-cakes made of lentils, vegetables, onions, and herbs. During august and septemer there is a celebration for the elephantheaded god Ganesh. For 10 days the people sacrifice in front of statues, which are placed at the beach. After these 10 days, the statues are lowered in the sea.

Goa is a Portuguese provincial southern of Bombay. There the hinduistish and Christian culture blended. The food is very hot. A speciality of this region is Vindaloocurry. It is prepared with various meat.