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Namaste! We are When In India. Join us as we discover the colorful culture of India.

12/03/2022

Namaste! Indian culture is full of unique customs and traditions that are waiting to be explored. These cultural aspects differ widely across India’s 28 states and seven territories, and many of them stem from ancient Indian scriptures and texts, which paved the way of life in India for centuries.

Our guide is here to show you some of India’s most popular customs and traditions, to give you a feel for this amazing country and to learn a little more if you’re planning to visit.

12/03/2022

Meet the people behind When In India!

11/03/2022

VALLEY OF FLOWERS

Marvel at the wondrous nature of the Valley of Flowers 🌹

DISCLAIMER:
No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners.

Video taken by: Etravelfly com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tomm_9gAWbM

11/03/2022

TAJ MAHAL

Let us take a walk along the majestic place of Taj Mahal!

DISCLAIMER:
No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners.

Video taken by: Kara and Nate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjG8zHgfz0

11/03/2022

When In: India 📌

Namaste! Welcome to this joyously colorful festival of India. Join us as we spread our colors!

Holi is considered as one of the most revered and celebrated festivals of India and it is celebrated in almost every part of the country. It is also sometimes called as the “festival of love” as on this day people get to unite together forgetting all resentments and all types of bad feeling towards each other. The great Indian festival lasts for a day and a night, which starts in the evening of Purnima or the Full Moon Day in the month of Falgun. It is celebrated with the name Holika Dahan or Choti Holi on first evening of the festival and the following day is called Holi. In different parts of the country it is known with different names.
The vibrancy of colors is something that brings in a lot of positivity in our lives and Holi being the festival of colours is actually a day worth rejoicing. Holi is a famous Hindu festival that is celebrated in every part of India with utmost joy and enthusiasm. The ritual starts by lighting up the bonfire one day before the day of Holi and this process symbolizes the triumph of good over the bad. On the day of Holi people play with colours with their friends and families and in evening they show love and respect to their close ones with Abeer.

For more information, visit:
https://www.holifestival.org/

For bookings and tickets, click here:
https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/the-biggest-holi-festival/ET00321493

11/03/2022

When In: Uttarakhand, India 📌

Namaste! Come with us as we visit the mighty Himalayan ranges, visiting this stunning Valley of Flowers.

With a stunning backdrop of the mighty Himalayan ranges, the Valley of Flowers National Park presents an ethereal view and an unforgettable experience for visitors. Spread over an area of 87 sq km in the Chamoli district, the Valley of Flowers National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and forms one of the two core zones (the other being the Nanda Devi National Park) of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.
The valley is believed to have been discovered in 1931, when three British mountaineers – led by Frank S Smythe – lost their way and chanced upon this spectacular valley. Attracted by the beauty of this place they named it the “Valley of Flowers”.
As the name suggests, Valley of Flowers is a destination where nature blooms in full glory offering a breathtaking experience. Exotic flowers (over 600 species) like orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies and anemones are an eye-catching spectacle. Sub-alpine forests birch and rhododendron cover parts of the park's area. The trek to the valley offers eye-catching spectacles like cascading waterfalls and wild streams. Situated at an altitude of around 3,600 m above the sea level, the valley is also home to such rare and amazing wildlife species like the gray langur, the flying squirrel, the Himalayan weasel, and black bear, the red fox, the lime butterfly, the snow leopard and Himalayan monal, to name a few.
The flowers here can be best viewed between the months of May and October, a time when the area turns into a botanical wonderland although maximum abundance of flowers is during July to September.

For more information, visit:
https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/valley-of-flowers

For tickets and bookings, click here:
https://insider.in/valley-of-flowers-magical-land-2017/event

10/03/2022

When In: Uttar Pradesh, India 📌

Namaste! Let’s have a look to this majestic wonder of the world, equipped with a truly amazing story.

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.
The Taj Mahal is located on the right bank of the Yamuna River in a vast Mughal Garden that encompasses nearly 17 hectares, in the Agra District in Uttar Pradesh. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal with construction starting in 1632 AD and completed in 1648 AD, with the mosque, the guest house and the main gateway on the south, the outer courtyard and its cloisters were added subsequently and completed in 1653 AD. The existence of several historical and Qur’anic inscriptions in Arabic script have facilitated setting the chronology of Taj Mahal. For its construction, masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from the Central Asia and Iran. Ustad-Ahmad Lahori was the main architect of the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture. Its recognized architectonic beauty has a rhythmic combination of solids and voids, concave and convex and light shadow; such as arches and domes further increases the aesthetic aspect. The color combination of lush green scape reddish pathway and blue sky over it show cases the monument in ever changing tints and moods. The relief work in marble and inlay with precious and semi-precious stones make it a monument apart.
The uniqueness of Taj Mahal lies in some truly remarkable innovations carried out by the horticulture planners and architects of Shah Jahan. One such genius planning is the placing of tomb at one end of the quadripartite garden rather than in the exact center, which added rich depth and perspective to the distant view of the monument. It is also, one of the best examples of raised tomb variety. The tomb is further raised on a square platform with the four sides of the octagonal base of the minarets extended beyond the square at the corners. The top of the platform is reached through a lateral flight of steps provided in the center of the southern side. The ground plan of the Taj Mahal is in perfect balance of composition, the octagonal tomb chamber in the center, encompassed by the portal halls and the four corner rooms. The plan is repeated on the upper floor. The exterior of the tomb is square in plan, with chamfered corners. The large double storied domed chamber, which houses the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, is a perfect octagon in plan. The exquisite octagonal marble lattice screen encircling both cenotaphs is a piece of superb workmanship. It is highly polished and richly decorated with inlay work. The borders of the frames are inlaid with precious stones representing flowers executed with wonderful perfection. The hues and the shades of the stones used to make the leaves and the flowers appear almost real. The cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal is in perfect center of the tomb chamber, placed on a rectangular platform decorated with inlaid flower plant motifs. The cenotaph of Shah Jahan is greater than Mumtaz Mahal and installed more than thirty years later by the side of the latter on its west. The upper cenotaphs are only illusory and the real graves are in the lower tomb chamber (crypt), a practice adopted in the imperial Mughal tombs.

The four free-standing minarets at the corners of the platform added a hitherto unknown dimension to the Mughal architecture. The four minarets provide not only a kind of spatial reference to the monument but also give a three-dimensional effect to the edifice.
The most impressive in the Taj Mahal complex next to the tomb, is the main gate which stands majestically in the center of the southern wall of the forecourt. The gate is flanked on the north front by double arcade galleries. The garden in front of the galleries is subdivided into four quarters by two main walkways and each quarters in turn subdivided by the narrower cross-axial walkways, on the Timurid-Persian scheme of the walled in garden. The enclosure walls on the east and west have a pavilion at the center.

For more information, visit:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252/

For bookings and tickets, click here:
https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/ticketing.aspx

10/03/2022

Let us take a relaxing hike along Shola Forest and Grassland! 🍃

DISCLAIMER:
No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners.

Video taken by:
Environment and Climate Change, Kerala
https://youtube.com/watch?v=4wle7YlEqiA&feature=share

07/03/2022

When In: Southern India 📌

Namaste! For peaceful and mind relaxing environment that guarantees a connection with nature, we offer you the Shola Forest!

Sholas are the local name for patches of stunted tropical montane forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India, largely in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Shola forests are tropical Montane forest patches found within the valleys separated by grasslands only at elevations above 1600. meters. It is found exclusively in South India, especially within the Southern Western Ghats. The shola forests are patches of forests that occur within the valleys where there's less fog and mist to damage the plants. Grasslands cover the other parts of the mountains. The trees never grow on the open, exposed mountain tops. This is a really unique landscape formation that is found only in the southern Western Ghats. The word "Shola" comes from the Tamil word côlai which means "grove". This origin of these forests, however, is still under debate. Some suggest that these resulted from the indigenous folks that lived here. controlling and maintaining the growth of grasslands by constantly burning them. But samples from the soil of the mountains proved that the forests existed way before humans evolved. In 1984, deep bore samples were taken from the mountains of the shola forests and were analyzed. The result was that they contained the identical material that the soil was made today (which was a result of dead. grass) and hence it remained grassland thousands of years prior to the humans!

https://www.happybotanist.com/shola-forests/

📌For more information, visit: https://keralaforestecotourism.com/shola

07/03/2022

When In: Odisha, India 📌

Namaste! Join us as we have a look at this majestic architectural scenery. The magic of engineering!

Believed to have been built in the 13th century CE the temple was built by the King Narasimhadeva I hailing from the Eastern Ganga dynasty between 1238-1250 CE. The temple was commissioned by the king while Samantaraya Mahapatra was the one in charge of its construction. ‘Konark’ means the sun and the four corners. The temple was called Black Pagoda attributing to its dark facade by the Europeans who used it for navigation for their ships. It is said that the temple could draw ships to the shore due to its magnetic powers.

The temple is known for its impressive Kalinga architecture that includes a depiction of a 100 ft high chariot being pulled by horses and wheels carved out of a single stone. The monument portrays the imposing chariot of the sun god. Built of Khondalite rocks, the original temple had 230 ft high sanctum which no longer exists, 128 ft high audience hall, dance hall, dining hall which survive still. There are 24 intricately designed wheels, 12 ft in diameter which are seen drawn by horses. These seven horses represent the week, the wheels stand for the 12 months while the day-cycle is symbolised by the eight spokes in the wheels. And this whole depiction tells how the time is controlled by the sun – being the very illustration of the Surya in the Hindu mythology travelling from the east in his chariot escorted by his charioteer, Aruna.

The entrance leads to the shrine of the deity of Surya made of chlorite stone. The walls of the temple are adorned with reliefs – intricate carvings of various figures including Hindu gods, images of the everyday mortal life, birds, animals and more. The temple also has erotic sculptures on its shikhara belonging to the ta**ra tradition. The wheels of the temple can be used as sundials and can very well predict the time.

https://www.yatra.com/indian-monuments/puri/konark-sun-temple
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/246/

📌For inquiries, tickets, and bookings, visit the following link:

https://www.yatra.com/indian-monuments/puri/konark-sun-temple

06/03/2022

First Stop Over! 📌

Namaste! Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. Here’s a food that would make you think you’re in love!

Dhokla is a vegetarian food item that originates from the Indian State of Gujarat. It is made with a fermented batter derived from rice and chickpea splits. Dhokla can be eaten for breakfast, as a main course, as a side dish or as a snack.
Dhokla is a savoury cake made out of Bengal gram flour and is steamed to get a fluffy texture. The dish occupies pride of place in its state of origin — Gujarat, and has become a favourite across the country. It’s a low-calorie, healthy and protein-packed snack. It’s cooked with little or no oil and takes very little time to prepare. The fermentation of the flour enhances its nutritive value. Dhokla has a low glycemic index which makes it good for diabetics.

To know more about this delicious food, visit the following sites:

https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/delicious-dhoklas/article5257572.ece
https://www.indianetzone.com/74/dhokla.htm

06/03/2022

When In: Goa, India 📌

Namaste! Life is an adventure that needs to be lived to the utmost. Travel far and wide not to escape life but to live it in all its glory…Travel is more than sightseeing. It is a transformation that goes deep and permanent in your very ideas of life!

Dudhsagar waterfall is one among tallest fall in India. The fall looks more beautiful as it is surrounded by lush green western ghat. Dudhsagar Falls of Goa is a majestic waterfall where the white water gushing through the steep and vertical face of the mountain portrays a cascading effect. Standing as tall as 310 metres, it makes sure to stand in the list of tallest waterfalls in India.
The cascading effect of this waterfall gives rise to the illusion of a milky white sea falling from such a great height. This is how the Falls acquired its name – Dudhsagar Falls. The four-tiered waterfall marks its presence along the Mandovi River in the Sanguem taluka (Goa).
The main river of Goa – Mandovi, originating from the Deccan Plateau winds its way through the twists and turns of the Western Ghats. As soon as the river plummets through the hilly cover lying along the borders of Karnataka and Goa, it transforms into Dudhsagar Falls.
The moment the water gushing out from the Falls flow towards its feet, it forms a green pool at its base. It is from here that the water of the Dudhsagar Falls starts flowing westwards to join and be a part of the mighty Arabian Sea.
The entire landmark in the backdrop of the falls is covered with a vastly stretched forest cover.
This is how the Dudhsagar Falls form a part of Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. Embark the wildlife researching skills within you as there this sanctuary shelters a plethora of wildlife.
In the past few years, the popularity of the Dudhsagar Falls has increased ten-fold as one of the most preferred weekend getaways from each of the cities of Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune.
If you’ve got a big group or a family, you surely must check-in the Dudhsagar Falls for a short family outing.

Best Time To Visit Dudhsagar Falls
The monsoon period is by far the best season to plan your visit to the Dudhsagar Falls. The water levels will be above normal, thus giving rise to a splendid cascading effect as the water flows down through the verdant hills. The climatel will also be pleasant and joyous to plan on a family outing at the base of the magnificent waterfalls.

For tickets and bookings, visit:

https://in.bookmyshow.com/activities/dudsagara-waterfall-trek/ET00305948

05/03/2022

Let us take a closer look to Nalanda, Bihar!

🧡💚

DISCLAIMER:
No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners.

Video taken by: Pratik Singh Vlogs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkELYqJGw5M

05/03/2022

When In: Rajasthan, India 📌

Join us as we paint the town red today with Pushkar Mela, one of the biggest festivals of India.

Pushkar Mela or the Pushkar Camel Fair and Kartik Mela is an annual fair that is usually organized for five days. The Mela begins in the month of Kartik and ends on the Kartik Purnima, according to the Hindu calendar. Pushkar Mela, conducted in a town called Pushkar in Rajasthan over a period of five days, is the largest camel and livestock fair in the country. With around 50,000 camels being gathered in one place, this is the largest camel fair in the world. These animals are brought together to be bought and sold as well as exhibited. Although livestock trading is one of the primary purposes of this fare, religious pilgrimage is the other. Moreover, since the tourist value of this fair is really high, Rajasthani, as well as Gujarati traders (who come into town explicitly for this festival), bring with them a variety of items such as paintings, clothes, jewelry, shoes etc. to be sold at the fair.
According to Hindu mythology, the deities once released a swan with a flower in its beak. The place where the flower dropped from the swan’s beak was deemed sacred because Lord Brahma performed a huge yagna there. This place came to be known as Pushkar, which literally translated means ‘to be born due to a flower’. This site has since then, become a sacred place of worship for practicing Hindus. Although the fair at Pushkar begins as a trade for livestock, it culminates on a holy note wherein devotees take a dip in the lake of Pushkar and visit the numerous temples that are spread across the town.
Pushkar holds its roots back to 2000 years when humans co-existed with Gods. It is believed that the Pushkar lake, where Brahma used to bathe, is a holy lake where all your sins will be washed and you will be cured of any disease. It is believed that he performed some religious rituals at this lake on the day of Kartik Purnima. The lake surely shines like a pearl in the midst of the state of Rajasthan.
Today, thousands of devotees make their way to Pushkar from across the globe to participate in the festivities as well as observe their religious customs. While some tourists also observe the religious customs, others throng to this fair for the unique, Indian experience.

Facts and Trivia
• The Pushkar Mela starts off with a camel race.
• On the last day of the festival in a ceremony called the Deepdan, the visitors set off several lit clay lams on leaf boats at dusk.
• Herders with their camels and livestock start flooding into Pushkar and setting up residences at least a week before the actual commencement of the fair.
• The camels, in order to attract buyers, are bedecked and tattooed with paints as well as shaved in peculiar yet pretty designs.
• There are about 400 temples in the town of Pushkar.

THINGS TO DO IN PUSHKAR MELA
• Indulge yourself in a relaxing hot air balloon ride where you can witness the aerial charm of the grand fair.
• Go to a live fusion band concert and get involved in some rock music!
• Gorge on the cuisines of the world which includes even Mexican and Italian food!
• Watch the holy bath and engage yourself in the same which is believed to purify your soul of all your sins.
• Rajasthan is considered to be one of the best states of craftsmen. Buy yourself some local handicrafts and items that you can take as souvenirs back to your native place!
• Day 5 marks the live ‘Lagaan scene at the fair where locals and foreigners play a cricket match!
• Witness the largest livestock trade in the country.
• Take part in the 14-km Harmony marathon at the Pushkar Mela which begins from Ajmer Sharif and ends at the Brahma temple.
• You can also participate in the kite flying competition.
• Stay back till the magnificent sunset and watch it in full glory.

📌For more info, visit the following sites:
https://traveltriangle.com/blog/pushkar-mela/
https://en.janbharattimes.com/life-style/pushkar-mela-check-out-all-the-details-of-this-grand-event
https://www.utsavpedia.com/ethnic-hubs/pushkar-mela/

✨For tickets, dates, and venues, visit:

https://www.carnifest.com/pushkar-camel-fair-in-rajasthan-2022/

05/03/2022

When In: Bihar, India 📌

Namaste! Let’s take a tour in the Ancient Nalanda University. A historically significant fountain of knowledge, truly one of a kind.

Nalanda, ancient university, and Buddhist monastic center southwest of Bihar Sharif in central Bihar state, northeastern India. Nalanda’s traditional history dates to the time of the Buddha (6th–5th centuries BCE) and Mahavira, the founder of the Jaina religion. According to a later Tibetan source, Nagarjuna (the 2nd–3rd-century CE Buddhist philosopher) began his studies there. Extensive excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India indicate, however, that the foundation of the monasteries belongs to the Gupta period (5th century CE). The powerful 7th-century ruler of Kanauj (Kannauj), Harshavardhana, is reported to have contributed to them. During his reign the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang stayed at Nalanda for some time and left a clear account of the subjects studied there and of the general features of the community. Yijing, another Chinese pilgrim a generation later, also provided a minute account of the life of the monks. Nalanda continued to flourish as a centre of learning under the Pala dynasty (8th–12th centuries), and it became a center of religious sculpture in stone and bronze. Nalanda was probably sacked during Muslim raids in Bihar (c. 1200) and never recovered.
According to pilgrims’ accounts, from Gupta times the monasteries of Nalanda were surrounded by a high wall. The excavations revealed a row of 10 monasteries of the traditional Indian design—oblong brick structures with cells opening onto four sides of a courtyard, with a main entrance on one side and a shrine facing the entrance across the courtyard. In front of the monasteries stood a row of larger shrines, or stupas, in brick and plaster. The entire complex is referred to on seals discovered there as Mahavihara (“Great Monastery”). A museum at Nalanda houses many of the treasures found in the excavations. In 2016 the ruins were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

📌To know more about Nalanda, visit these sites:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nalanda

https://www.tusktravel.com/blog/facts-about-nalanda-university-bihar/

https://www.yatra.com/indian-monuments/nalanda/archaeological-museum

04/03/2022

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are When In India!

Let's start your day with a trip to a one of a kind culture and a historic scenery. In behalf of the whole team, we hope that your day is as bright as your lovely smile. Welcome aboard and have a joyous trip!

04/03/2022

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VALLEY OF FLOWERS Marvel at the wondrous nature of the Valley of Flowers 🌹 #AtithiDevoBhava DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners. Video taken by: Etravelfly com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tomm_9gAWbM

TAJ MAHAL Let us take a walk along the majestic place of Taj Mahal! #AtithiDevoBhava DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners. Video taken by: Kara and Nate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjG8zHgfz0

Let us take a relaxing hike along Shola Forest and Grassland! 🍃 #AtithiDevoBhava DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners. Video taken by: Environment and Climate Change, Kerala https://youtube.com/watch?v=4wle7YlEqiA&feature=share

Let us take a closer look to Nalanda, Bihar! #AtithiDevoBhava🧡💚 DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended, song and pictures belong to the rightful owners. Video taken by: Pratik Singh Vlogs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkELYqJGw5M