North India: The Land of Aryan Culture and Hill Stations

North India is a land known for its age old culture and civilization over the past several centuries. In the Ancient Times, North India consisted of the existing North Indian States & the regions of today’s Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Indus Valley Civilization was set up over a stretch of these regions, which was later replaced by the people of the Aryan Community which had entered from the North Western Province of India. Today, post India’s Partition and then Independence in 1947, North India consists of about Eight Indian States which are Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttrakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. All these states of North India can be seen in India’s Political Map and are also well connected by Rail, Road and Air.

A Collage Map of North India [ Courtesy : rrindia.com ]

Jammu & Kashmir consists of interesting places for Traveling be it Pilgrimage Destinations like Vaisnodevi & Amarnath Shrines or Hill Stations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Punjab consists of cities citing Historical Importance like Amritsar where locations like the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh Memorial are situated. Himachal Pradesh is famous for its Hill Stations like Shimla(Or Simla) and Manali. On the other hand, Uttrakhand is famous for its own Hill Stations like Mussoorie and also for its Pilgrimage Destinations like Haridwar. Haryana consists of important Industrial Cities like Ambala and Chandigarh which is also the Joint State Capital of Punjab and Haryana. Delhi State consists of places like National Capital New Delhi, Old Delhi & Tughlakabad. Uttar Pradesh consists of destinations famous for Industrial Importance as well as for Pilgrimage like Varanasi, Allahabad and Agra. Rajasthan is famous for its Deserts and Holiday Destinations of Historical Importance like Jaipur, Ajmer and Udaipur.

Grand Trunk Road of India which connects Kolkata and Amritsar [ Courtesy : calcuttanow.blogspot.com ]

Various cities of North India including the State Capitals are well connected with Flights. The Civil Aviation gives good focus on cities making a good travel destination in North India, be it a Holiday Spot or Pilgrimage Destination or both. Even the Road Network in North India has developed over the years. World Class Indian National Highways like the Grand Trunk Road and Yamuna Expressway are a delight to look out for.

Shimla - Kalka Toy Train [ Courtesy : gaatours.com ]

 The Railway Network in North India is also well connected spanning all the Eight North Indian States. Northern Railways, North Western Railway and North Central Railway are the Three Zonal Railways which span the entire of North India. The Kalka - Shimla Narrow Gauge Train and the Palace on Wheels Train are two such interesting trains run by the Indian Railways for Tourism Purpose in North India. The Jammu – Udhampur Section and the Qazigund – Baramulla Section will be joined to each other in a few years time, completing the Kashmir Rail Link Project of India. Now starting with New Delhi, other places of North India can also be visited by help of various reputed Travel Agencies. North India is surely here to offer the colors of its culture and history.