India, one of the oldest civilizations around the world, is the country with a long history of almost 5000 years and extremely complex social structure. The country contains at least 15 major languages, hundreds of dialects, several major religions, and thousands of tribes, castes, and subcastes. With a large proportion of the population being located in rural areas, farming is the largest source of employment; for hundreds of millions of people, this means subsistence farming on tiny plots of land, whether owned or rented. In most parts of the country, some farmers produce cash crops for sale in urban markets, and in some areas, plantation crops such as tea, coffee, cardamom, and rubber are of great economic importance because they bring in foreign money.

Lady rolling dough

Selling fresh fish

Watching friendly the stranger

Stop for fruits

Welding pots

Ladder maker

Selling Bamboo

Fresh Banana delivery

Selling fruits

Young ladies rest and chat

The Sugar Juice Maker and his wife

Temple Elephant

Friends joking

Iron man

Making Tool Sticks

Rice Shop

Schoolgirls

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The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked country in Asia, and it is the smallest state located entirely within the Himalaya mountain range. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it is bordered by China and India. Bhutan is a democracy and constitutional monarchy. The Bhutanese monarchy was founded in 1907. It held its first democratic elections in 2008. Bhutanese call their home “Druk Yul,” which means “the Land of the Thunder Dragons,” because of the extremely powerful storms which constantly roar in from the Himalayas. Bhutan is the only country to outlaw tobacco and Plastic bags have been banned since 1999.

Paro, Taktsang Goemba (Tiger’s Nest)

Paro, Taktsang Goemba (Tiger’s Nest)

Paro, National Museum, Ta Dzong

Paro Dzong (aka Rinpung Dzong)

Thimphu, Buddha Dordenma

Paro, bridge, dzong and Ta Dzong

Punakha Dzong

Dochu La Pass, 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens

Chendebji Chorten

Phobjikha Valley, Gangteng Monastery

Around Jakar, Jambay Lhakhang

Lhuntse Dzong

Lhuntse Dzong

Tashi Yangtse, dzong

Tashi Yangtse, Chorten Kora

Tashigang Dzong, practising for a tshechu

Jakar tshechu, school girls washing their sins away

Jakar tshechu, thongdrel unfurling

Jakar tshechu, Guru Tshengye, atsara, Loden Chogse manifestation

Jakar tshechu, Guru Tshengye, Nyima Oezer manifestation

Jakar tshechu, Guru Tshengye, Guru Senge Dradog manifestation

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Ellora is a site of outstanding cave temples, datable between c. ad 575 and the end of the 9th century, 20 km north of Aurangabad in the Sahyadri Hills, Maharashtra, India. The cave temples and monasteries are excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment. The 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas or halls of worship, and Viharas, or monasteries, Hindu and Jai temples. The Caves not only bear witness to three great religions (Buddhism, Brahminism and Jainism) but they also illustrate the spirit of tolerance, characteristic of ancient India, which permitted these three religions to establish their sanctuaries and their communities in a single place, which thus served to reinforce its universal value.

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Agra Red Fort a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, India. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. The Red Fort has walls extending up to 2 km in length with the height varying from 18 m on the river side to 33 m on the city side. The Red Fort Delhi has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate. The fort was built by Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who had worked with the architect of the Taj Mahal. The fort takes its name from the massive wall of red sandstone that defines its eight sides. The Red Fort Complex took almost a decade to complete and covers a staggering 120 acres, at one time holding a population of 3,000 people. The Red Fort Complex consists of numerous impressive structures, including the Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience, once the home of the royal throne and the private apartments along the Stream of Paradise or Nahr-i-Behisht as well as several other palaces and even the Chhatta Chowk or palace market.

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The Maharajas Express is the finest Indian luxury train operated by IRCTC India from Bombay to Delhi that offers luxury tourism. Maharajas Express is considered to be the India’s answer to the Orient Express of the West. It could carry a total of 84 passengers in elegantly appointed cabins which include a lavish presidential suite spanning over an entire carriage. There are 2 restaurants, a lounge bar equipped with library and souvenir shop. It offers five types of journey consits of Heritage of India, Treasures of India, Gems of India Indian Panorama and Indian Splendor. The cheapest rate per person per day is a whopping US$ 800 for a Deluxe cabin. The next two slabs are US$ 900 and US$ 1,400. And the Presidential Suite comes for US$ 2,500.

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Acro-yoga is a playful form of partner yoga. It is a physical practice which combines elements of yoga, acrobatics, and healing arts. These three ancient practices form the foundation of a practice that cultivates trust, connection and playfulness between partners. The highest aim is to bring individuals into a state of union with themselves, with each other.

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Discover a new way to do yoga. You don’t need any tools but your body and your breath. Once you’ve learned, you can do it anywhere at desert, at home, at the office. Through the teaching and practice of asanas (poses), pranayama (breath), and yoga philosophy, Yoga strives to promote optimum physical health, clarity of mind and spiritual inspiration for all. Yoga is a term for a range of traditional systems of physical exercise and meditation in Hinduism.

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The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India (204 Km from Delhi ). Agra airport is 7 km from the city center and 3 km from Eidgah bus stand. Major airlines operate daily tourist shuttle flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Banglore. Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely recognized as \”the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage. Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles. Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in diameter and rises to a height of 213 feet. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed chambers. The four graceful, slender minarets are 162.5 feet each.

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