Indian Subcontinent

India – the land of high passes, beautiful Himalayan ranges, deep cut shorelines, Deccan Plateau, holy Gangetic Plains, Cultural & Linguistic Diversity and her tolerance makes it a continent in its own within Asia and so it is also referred to as the Indian Subcontinent. I am quite fascinated by the varied diversity and keen on exploring it so I call myself the Subcontinent Traveller.

Geographic Features

In the North, we have the mighty Himalayan ranges that have some of the world’s largest peaks. The South also has its own mountain ranges known as the Eastern and the Western Ghats. It runs parallel to the long shoreline of India. Due to its long shoreline, India has many beaches and ports.

In the West, we see the Thar desert and in the East, we can find the wettest place on Earth along with some fertile soil for tea and coffee plantations. In Central India, we find the fertile Gangetic Plains called the Deccan Plateau. Further down South runs a large coastline and is flooded with great history and temples.

It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea in the West, the Bay of Bengal in the East, and the Indian Ocean in the South. Away from the mainland, India also has a few islands called the Lakshwadeep and the Andaman & the Nicobar Islands.

India also houses 40 UNESCO World Heritage sites at the moment and many others are no less than wonders.

Cultural Diversity

Apart from all the natural beauty, if we turn towards humans, their beliefs, and practices, we see India as a very tolerant and peaceful country. In India, nearly 19500 languages and dialects are spoken by its people. If you are new to India, knowing the basics of Hindi & English will suffice in most parts of the country. India has 7 major religions and several other religions adhered to by several thousand. India is also known as the land of festivals since each religion has its own festivals and is celebrated throughout India.

India also houses a variety of Flora and Fauna species. There are over 18k Flora and 100k Fauna species which can be found in the biodiverse region. There are 106 National Parks in India which houses varieties of animals and plants in a protected habitat.

History of India

Indian history dates back to several millennia and is also regarded as one of the first civilized lands in the world. Most of the history is connected with ‘Hindustan‘ which was a term given to the combination of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. All of these countries were closely connected and were mostly ruled by the same dynasty.

One of the oldest known civilizations – the Indus Valley Civilization is known to have originated here around the present-day Punjab and Sindh of India and Pakistan. The archeological department has found remains of preserved bodies, art, and cities of those times in Mohenjadaro, Harappa, and other nearby regions.

Hindustan has also been ruled by so many different dynasties pertaining to different religions like the Gupta Dynasty, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Dynasty, Rajputs, Cheras, Cholas, Pandayas, Marathas, Europeans, and many Independent Rulers. After 1947, the land of Hindustan was separated into India and Pakistan and are then taken care of by the respective Government.

Apart from this, we have the famous epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata that are connected with the land of Hindustan. While there is no physical evidence that the archeologists have found about the epics, we have our beliefs which are laid down by our ancestors from centuries ago.

Travelling & Exploring

With all the diversities, exploring India is going to be so much fun and challenging. With diversity in both culture and dialects, each of the Indian States has its own tradition, customs, and practices. Further, India has been ruled & conquered numerous times by many rulers of different origins and religions that it has become the home of varied architectural styles and structures. Owing to this, each state and city of India has so many places that a lifetime is less to explore the subcontinent.

The Subcontinent Traveller

Some details about me –

I stay in the southern part of the country in a state called Tamil Nadu, in its capital – Chennai. I work as a full-time Computer Science Engineer and love the work I do. For traveling, I hardly find time during the weekdays to explore the country. But I do take off on some weekdays, use long weekends, and make short trips during the weekends. I try to utilize it by traveling during the nights and making the most of the daylight I get by exploring the city I am in. I plan a day’s trip or 2-3 days trip at a time and explore a city or two thoroughly and come back. Occasionally I also go on a week-long trip up North for a trek or explore North India.

Most of the time our plans get cancelled when we do it in groups – family/friends and it used to happen with me too. But now I’ve decided to go either solo or with a travel group or whoever wants to accompany me. Travelling solo or with a travel group helps you meet new people, know their experiences, culture first hand and helps you explore the place, the way you like. Also, I go by this one quote, If it makes you happy, it doesn’t have to make sense to anybody else.

My plan and schedule might sound hectic to you but, when there’s passion and interest in something, we always find a way to do it.

I am also a history nerd and love to know all the small details and history associated with the place and the city. I also try to capture all of those in my videos which I will soon start uploading as Vlogs. I’ll also be sharing travel guides, budget and how you can plan your next trip to the place you always wanted to visit!

While I am not the kind of guy who generally talks much or is an extrovert, I will try and put my maximum effort to walk you all through the beautiful landscape and take you back in time with the amazing history of India – the Subcontinent.

So, welcome to my space – the Subcontinent Traveller!