survival guide - Administracja SGH
Transcription
survival guide - Administracja SGH
AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE STUDENT'S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO IMT GHAZIABAD Contents 1. Welcome to India ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Welcome! ............................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 How to reach IMT Ghaziabad ......................................................................................... 4 1.3 On reaching your new home .......................................................................................... 5 1.4 Currency Exchange ............................................................................................................ 5 1.5 Telephone Facilities .......................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Climate and Clothing ........................................................................................................ 6 2. Campus Life ...................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Your IMT Buddy .................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Accommodation ................................................................................................................. 7 2.3 Housekeeping and Laundry ............................................................................................ 7 2.4 Drinking Water ................................................................................................................... 8 2.5 Food ....................................................................................................................................... 8 2.6 Internet and IT Lab ............................................................................................................ 8 2.8 Medical Insurance and Medical Facilities ................................................................. 11 2.9 Study Material .................................................................................................................. 12 2.10 The NEEDZ Store .......................................................................................................... 12 2.11 Sports at IMT Ghaziabad ................................................................................................... 12 2.12 Smoking Zone ............................................................................................................... 13 3.1 Banks and ATMs ............................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Fruit, Vegetables, and Groceries ................................................................................. 14 3.3 Shopping and Recreation .............................................................................................. 14 3.4 Transport ............................................................................................................................ 17 You can book cabs through GetMeCab.com ................................................................... 18 24X7 BOOKING: +91 901515 4545........................................................................................... 18 4. Delhi at a Glance ............................................................................................................................ 19 4.1 Monuments ........................................................................................................................ 19 4.2 Shopping and Eating Out .............................................................................................. 19 4.3 Places of Worship ............................................................................................................ 20 4.5 Nightlife .............................................................................................................................. 20 2 5. Moving within Delhi ...................................................................................................................... 21 5.1 Local Buses ........................................................................................................................ 21 5.2 Auto-Rickshaws ................................................................................................................ 21 5.3 Metro ................................................................................................................................... 21 5.4 Cabs ..................................................................................................................................... 21 7. Important Contacts ....................................................................................................................... 23 8. Campus Map ................................................................................................................................... 25 9. Other Tourist Destinations in India ............................................................................................ 26 3 1. Welcome to India 1.1 Welcome! Unity in diversity has been the distinctive feature of India. We are home for diverse cultures, religion and communities. Being one of the oldest civilizations of the world, Indian history spans more than 4,500 years. Indian socio-economic development has been centred on its rich cultural history and strong familial bonds.Its pristine mountains, sprawling landscape and rivers is a much sought after tourist destination and the large consumer base and talent pool makes it a hub for IT, trade and commerce. Urban India portrays a beautiful amalgamation of the old and the new. It still has its roots deep dug into traditional Indian family setups and value systems but at the same time is also developing and globalizing at a blinding speed. It is a mix of ideas, people, modernity and heritage that makes India so unique. So here’s hoping that you have a wonderful time exploring this truly incredible country and have a very pleasant stay. 1.2 How to reach IMT Ghaziabad IMT Ghaziabad campus is 45 Km or 90 minutes’ drive from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. The nearest Delhi Metro Railway station is Vaishali at a distance of around 12 Km from the college.On prior notification, a taxi can be arranged to pick you from airport and to reach college. 4 1.3 On reaching your new home You need to report at the International Relations Office (IRC). If your stay is for more than 180 days and/or is mentioned in your VISA, please register yourself at the Foreigner’s Registration Office at Ghaziabad within 14 days of your arrival in India to avoid fine and hassles. In case of any assistance, we are of course available to help you feel at ease in your new home. 1.4 Currency Exchange You can exchange all major foreign currencies at Delhi Airport after clearing immigration. You can find numerous foreign exchange counters (such as the Thomas Cook counter) available at the airport. Currently there are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency (notes, coins, travellers’ cheque and draftsdrawn on Indian banks) that you may carry to India. However, if the total amount of Indian currency is equivalent to or exceeds USD 10,000 then you need to declare it to the Indian custom authorities at the airport. Various foreign exchange dealers are available in and around Ghaziabad and Delhi.The closest counter is at 5-7 minutes walking distance from Campus.The working hours are between 10 am and 6 pm (Monday to Friday). Contact of currency exchange near Campus: Muthoot Finance Limited, Shop Number- B- 4, Ground Floor, Collectorate Road, Raj Nagar Ghaziabad, Ghaziabad Phone: +(91)-9999325250 1.5 Telephone Facilities The Indian Cellular Telephony System uses GSM technology, which is incompatible with cell phones in North America. While Europe also uses GSM technology, please confirm the compatibility of your cell phone with Indian Standards as different frequencies are used in India. In most cases there is a software lock that needs to be opened by the cell phone operator. 5 You may buy cheap basic cell phones (Price range: INR 1200-1500/-) and get a local GSM connection to go with it. Some local service providers are Airtel, Idea, Vodafone, TataDoCoMo and Reliance Communications. The closest cell phone shops are inKavi Nagar Market, located less than a kilometre from the campus. NOTE: While providing the local contact number to the local service provider, kindly provide the contact details of the student representatives of IRC or your‘buddy’. Also please ensure that you save the contact details of the vendor from whom you are obtaining the connection. Contact details of the student representatives of IRC are listed on the last page of the guide. 1.6 Climate and Clothing From September to end of November, the temperature is about 85F (30ºC) during the day and around 60F (15ºC) during the night;whereas from December to January, the temperature ranges from 70F(21ºC) during daytime to 45F (7ºC) during the night. In India the summer season spans from April to August and the temperaturepeaks around June when it will be 113F (45ºC). In order to ensure that you feel at ease during various seasons, it will be advisable to carry clothes in line with the temperature. It is preferable to carry light weight cotton clothes for the summer seasons and till October. As November to January the climate is cold, you can carry woollen clothes and jackets. 6 2. Campus Life 2.1 Your IMT Buddy To ensure that you settle down in campus without any hassle, IRC will assign you a buddy who will be a student volunteer from IMT -G. He/ She will help you get familiarised with the day to day activities in IMT, about course selection procedures, academics and address all your queries/problems that you may face before and after reaching campus. 2.2 Accommodation IMT Ghaziabad is a fully residential campus and therefore exchange students are accommodated at the student hostels within the campus. Your hostel room will be furnished with basic furniture and amenities (namely bed, mattress, study table, and chair). However you should carry your own bed sheets, blankets and pillow covers. The rooms have bathroom and attached/separate hot water facility is available. It is advisable repellents. to Mosquito carry mosquito repellents like liquid repellents, mats, coils and body creams are available in NEEDZ store in the campus and local stores near the campus. 2.3 Housekeeping and Laundry The hostel rooms are cleaned on a regular basis by the house keeping department at free of cost. Laundry service is available in the campus. Your clothes will be collected and delivered back to your room twice a week. The laundry service includes cleaning and ironing at a nominal charge (per piece). Dry cleaning service is also available. 7 2.4 Drinking Water As a precautionary step, we would advise you to use bottled mineral water during the initial days of settling down in the campus. The water dispensers in campus RO treated filtered water. You can ask for mineral water brands likeBisleri, Bailey, Aquafina and Kinley. Please note, that tap water in the bathrooms is not potable. 2.5 Food The IMT Mess is controlled by the student body called Messcom. The mess serves hygienic and nutritious authentic Indian food 4 times a day at fixed timings. Self-service is practiced in the Mess. The working hours of the Mess are: • Breakfast from 08:00 a.m. to 09:15 a.m. • Lunch from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. • Snacks from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. • Dinner from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. In addition, there is a canteen by the name ARCUS and a cafe in the campus. The food at the mess is primarily north Indian, which might be a little spicy for the exchange students. (Think Mexican food). Television sets with cable connection are available in the mess. For all those late night lovers, the Canteen and cafe remain open around the clock. The food fee includes only the mess fees and the canteen & café won’t be covered. The Canteen serves tea, coffee, soft drinks, packaged items such as juices; chips etc.; Chinese and North Indian fast foods are available in addition tosandwiches and a variety of Indian snacks. There are no dearth for restaurants serving exquisite cuisine within close proximity to the campus and also in Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noidaand New Delhi. Any day you miss the food back home you have an option to get food delivered on campus by various Indian and international fast food joints. 2.6 Internet and IT Lab The Computer Centre is accessible from 6AM-9PM, and is equipped with state-of-the art technology. IMT has 75 Mbps Internet link for free Wi8 Fiinternet access on the entire. An Ethernet node is also provided in every hostel room. You will need to get your laptop or smart-phone configured at the Computer Centre to connect to the in-house Wi-Fi network. IMT is among the few Institutes in India to have a campus agreement with Microsoft for their latest licensed software. There is also an Information Technology Lab equipped with state of the art hardware and software. We also have an academic partnership with CISCO, which enables us to offer their certified courses in our curriculum.The Computer Lab resources are used for academic research, study, and conducting class assignments. Lab users have the right to expect a quiet, clean, academic lab environment. 2.7 Library The Library at IMT, Ghaziabad is open to all Students, exchange students, Faculty, Visiting Faculty, Research Scholars and Research Associates, Officers and Staff of the Institute. Library shall remain open on all the days except the National and Gazetted holidays (as declaredby IMT/GOI every year) and shall observe the time schedule as given hereunder for users: Monday to Friday 09.00 a.m. - 06.00 a.m. Saturday & Sunday 09.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. Lunch Time - 01.00 p.m. - 01.30 p.m. This time schedule is subject to change by the Librarian, IMT. It operates in a fully automated environment and is equipped with 3M Library Security System which provides excellent protection against loss of books and other reading documents. In addition to nearly 50000 books, the library also provides access to a vast collection of online resources - ranging from e-journals to company research databases. Some of the resources available include: 9 E-Books E-Journals Databases E-library Emerald Management Blackwell Reference Online EBSCO Business Source Complete INFORMS Journals Company Research Databases International Research Databases BLOOMBERG Database World Bank E-Library CMIE-I Databases IMD World Competitiveness Online SAS - Education Analytical Suit India Stat.Com SAGE Journals World Bank Journals India Quarterly World Bank Research Observer Intl. Jr. of Cross Cultural Management World Bank Economic Review Jr. of Entrepreneurship Development Outreach Jr. of Leadership & Organizational Studies Jr. of Management Personality and Social Psychology Review *This list is indicative. For an exhaustive list of all e-resources available at IMT Ghaziabad, please visit our library page: http://www.imt.edu/Library/Onlineresoruces.aspx In addition to the above, the library also has institutional membership of the American Information Resource Centre (AIRC), British Council Library (BCL), and Management Libraries Network (MANLIBNET) among others. Also available in the library is a Bloomberg Terminal. This can be used to access the Bloomberg Professional Service through which you can access real-time financial market data, news, price quotes, and more across the proprietary Bloomberg network. Points to be noted while using library: Mobile phones must be set to vibrate or silent ring mode in the Library. Users are requested to follow a decent dress code inside the Library. Wearing shorts, half knickers and the like is not allowed inside the Library. 10 2.8 Medical Insurance and Medical Facilities Although it isn’t mandatory, it is highly recommended that you get a complete medical and accident cover before coming to India. The following doctor on the panel of IMT can be contacted by the students when the need arises. For this purpose a recommendatory note has to be obtained from the office of the Chairperson-Students Affairs or Administrative Officer or Administrative Superintendent: Dr. K. G. Dhingra KD-26, Kavi Nagar Ghaziabad,Ph.: 9818231678 There is a consulting doctor available on campus on all working days from 3:30PM to 5:30PM. The consultation is free on campus. However, you will have to pay for medicines and tests if any. Apart from this, there are clinics, pharmacists, and hospitals located within close proximity of the campus. Details can be obtained on arrival from the IRC office. We suggest you get yourself adequately vaccinated before you arrive in India. Some suggested vaccines are Typhoid, Malaria, Chicken Pox, Hepatitis A and Hepa titis B.Details of certain hospitals around the campus are as follows: Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre – +91(0)120 2701694, +91(0)120 2800400-499, +91(0)120 2701695, +91(0)120 2700427, +91 9811085835, +91 8860074646 B.R. Hospital– +91(0)120 2713485, +91(0)120 2714279 Shyam Hospital – +91(0)120 2720071, +91(0)120 2720081 Brij Medical Center – +91(0)120 2782255 Yashoda Hospital – +91(0)120 4182000 Heera Lal Hospital – +91(0)120 2757403 Columbia Asia Hospital - +91 (0)120 616 5666 11 2.9 Study Material All study material, hand-outs and other electronic study materials are provided by the institute. However stationery needs, calculators and other personal study materials need to be purchased separately. Photocopying is made available in the Institute from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Students can avail this facility by paying @ 1.00paise per page (single side). 2.10 The NEEDZ Store ‚NEEDZ‛ is a cooperative store, run by the ‘Make a Difference Foundation’ (MADF) student body. Here you can purchase items of daily use such as stationery, toiletries, cosmetics, as well as miscellaneous articles, including mosquito repellent creams and vaporizing liquid machines. The timings are as per below: Afternoon – 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM Evening – 8:00PM to 10:45 PM Note that the NEEDZ store remains closed on weekends. Venue: Block A, Room No 25, Ground Floor, Near DLP/Canteen The profit made from all sales is used by MADF for its various social initiatives. 2.11 Sports at IMT Ghaziabad IMT Ghaziabad prides itself on being the mecca for sports activities in the Indian B-School fraternity. The sports facilities include: Basketball court Football field Cricket field Badminton courts Volleyball courts Table Tennis tables These facilities are available to all students free of cost all day long. Thereis also a fully equipped gymnasium on campus. 12 2.12 Smoking Zone Our campus is a ‘No Smoking Zone’ and hence smoking is prohibited in all public areas in thecampus except for certain designated and marked areas for the same. Students found smokingexcept in Smoking Zones will be fined Rs. 500/- each time. The smoking zone is the parking lot area near the basketball court. 13 3. Around the Campus 3.1 Banks and ATMs There are several state and private sector banks in the vicinity of the campus. All IMT Ghaziabad students usually have accounts with one or more of these. Major international banks such as Citibank, HDFC, Standard Chartered, IDBI, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, AxisBank and ICICI Bank have their ATMs and branches in Ghaziabad. Your international ATMs can be operated from the Citibank ATM in RDC, Raj Nagar,near the college campus.Since most international ATM cards have a maximum withdrawal limit of INR10,000 per week, it is advisable that you carry 500 – 600 USD/Euro/GBP in cash when you arrive in India. 3.2 Fruit, Vegetables, and Groceries Fresh fruit, vegetables, and groceries are available in the local Sector -10 market (5 – 7 minutes walking distance from campus). Feel free to contact the IRC members and your buddy to help you in locate stores that will cater to your requirements. 3.3 Shopping and Recreation For your daily needs, there are various markets and shops within walking distance from the campus. Gaur Central Mall(10 minutes walking distance from campus) SHOPPING OUTLETS: Shopper’s Stop(multiple brand are available under one roof), Van Heusen (men), Allen Solly, United Colours of Benetton, Adidas, Reebok, Woodlands etc FOOD: McDonald’s, Pizza Hut,Tibb’s Frankie,Gianis’s ice cream parlour (famous for Belgian chocolate ice cream). AUCHAN: A hypermarket chain, the store is a one stop shopping destination. It meets all the daily needs of a consumer, from groceries, fruits & vegetables, meat & fish, kitchenware, electronics, apparel, health & beauty, furniture & much more, under one roof. 14 WAVE cinema: A multiplex theatre providing a comfortable ambience to watch a movie. CROMA: It is India’s one of the largest Electronics megastore. From home appliances to mobile phones, numerous products are available. You can also enjoy its online shopping website. At RDC (Market area, 5 to 7 minutes walking distance from campus) Fast food and Coffee Shops: Pizza Hut, Dominos, Café Coffee Day, Subway, VIP Pizza, Drumsticks Continental: Cinch, Ministry of Café, The Bridge Indian Cuisine: ADR, MotiMahal, Bikanerwala, Sankalp (South Indian food), Vantalu Bars/Pubs: Champions, Sapphires The Blue ATMs: ICICI, Citibank, HDFC, Oriental Bank,Axis Bank, State Bank of India,Bank of Baroda etc. Apparel and Sports Goods: Adidas, Reebok, Levi’s, Octave, Colorplus Mobile Service Providers: Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone, Tata DoCoMo and Reliance Communications Sector-10 Market(5 – 7 minutes of walking distance) Bookstores Medical Stores: Apollo Pharmacy Fresh fruit juice shops Restaurants: 2000 Milestone, Not Just Kebabs Besides these, many other restaurants, pubs, and stores can be found in and around Ghaziabad to suit your needs, budget, and taste. 15 Map: IMT vicinity Ghaziabad being a small town has its own charm. However,cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida are at 30-60 minutes’ driving distance from the campus. Here you can sample some of the country’s finest nightlife, shopping, and recreational activities. A few of the malls near IMT Ghaziabad: Pacific Mall, Kaushambi(14 kilometres from campus) BIG Cinemas Multiplex (+91 011 39894040) Restaurants: Pizza Hut, Moti Mahal Deluxe, KFC etc. Major apparel outlets, Multi cuisine food court Eastend Mall, Kaushambi(14 kilometres from campus) Wave Cinema Multiplex(+91 9891417584, +91 0120 2894796) Ansal Plaza, Vaishali(12 kilometres from campus) Big Cinemas Multiplex (+91 931 069 2199) Factory Outlets of Lacoste, Provogue, UCB etc. 16 Hyper market: Vishal Mega Mart Restaurants: Melting Pot, Bercos, Sagar Ratna Opulent Mall, Ghaziabad(12 kilometres from campus) PVR Cinemas (+91 965 019 4355) Hyper Markets: Easy Day, Reliance Trends Apparel Stores: US Polo, Adidas,Wrangler etc. Restaurants: US Pizza, Subway etc. Gaming Zone Shipra Mall, Indirapuram(15 kilometres from campus) JAM Cinemas(+91 120 2689610) Pubs: 9 Mars Restaurants: Cinch, McDonald’s, Papa Jones Pizza, etc. 3.4 Transport The easiest way to travel around Ghaziabad is bythree wheeler cabs commonly known as Auto-Rickshaws (autos). There is an auto stand right outside the college. The most efficient way to reach Delhi/Noida is by taking the metro from Dilshad Garden or Vaishali stations. You may have to take a private auto from outside the campus which may charge INR 120-150 to any of the stations. You can also catch the intercity train from New Delhi or Old Delhi Railway Station for Ghaziabad Railway Station. From there, you can hire a private auto which may charge INR 80-100 till the campus. You can also use the radio cab services. These cabs can b e called anywhere by booking over the phone or online. Some popular ones are: 17 Name of Phone Number the Service Website Charge per Km.* OLA Cabs +91 11 33553355 https://www.olacabs.com/fares /delhi INR 20 MERU Cabs +91 11 44224422 http://www.merucabs.com/ INR 20 Easy Cabs +91 11 43434343 http://www.easycabs.com/ INR 23 *Convenience, parking, waiting and night charges are extra You can book cabs through GetMeCab.com 24X7 BOOKING: +91 901515 4545 You can use the following links to help you calculate the distance and fares. These sites have an exhaustive list of taxi and auto services that you can avail. http://www.taxiautofare.com/Default.aspx http://www.getmecab.com/ghaziabad/taxi-in-ghaziabad.php There are options for self-driven cars available on a daily basis for a nominal rent. One such facility is offered by Zoom car. Please find more details in the following link: http://www.zoomcar.com/delhi 18 4. Delhi at a Glance Delhi, the National Capital Territory, is the largest metropolis by area and the second largest by population in India. Located on the banks of River Yamuna, Delhi epitomizes India’s diverse cultures, historical landmarks and monuments, ancient temples and stylist art-deco buildings. It is filled a plethora of experiences and places to explore. 4.1 Monuments Delhi has many archaeological heritage to offer to all those interested in history and architecture. Some famous monuments are: 4.2 India Gate Red Fort QutabMinar Old Fort Humayun’s Tomb Shopping and Eating Out Some major recreation and shopping centres in Delhi and NCRinclude: Connaught Place Khan Market HauzKhas Greater Kailash VasantKunj DilliHaat Saket ChandniChowk Gurgaon 19 4.3 Places of Worship There are several beautiful places of worship belonging to various eras, religious groups and ethnicities. Some of the famous ones are: 4.5 Lotus Temple Sacred Heart Cathedral Akshardham Temple Iskcon Temple Bangla Sahib Gurudwara Jama Masjid Nightlife Delhi and the adjoining regions boast of some of the best and most vibrant nightlife in northern India. Some places we recommend include: Kitty Su - Connaught Place, Delhi Shiro and Skooter- Hotel Samrat, Delhi Blue Frog - Mehrauli, Delhi Underdoggs–VasantKunj, Delhi Monkey Bar- VasantKunj, Delhi Warehouse Café- Connaught Place, Delhi 1440 – Hotel Vikram, New Delhi Club Reverb - Noida Hard Rock Café –Saket, Select City Walk, Delhi Of course, the list goes on and you can always ask around for more places once you reach the campus. 20 5. Moving within Delhi There are several ways to travel in and around Delhi. 5.1 Local Buses These are the cheapest and the most efficient ways to get around the city. The Red DTC buses are air conditional whereas the Green ones are not. Bus routes and fares can be found at: www.delhihelp.com/DTC-Bus-Routes.aspx 5.2 Auto-Rickshaws These are very popular in the city as they ply all over the city. The auto drivers may haggle a lot for the prices but do insist on paying by the electronic meters installed in each auto. 5.3 Metro The details regarding Delhi Metro can be found at:www.delhimetrorail.com 5.4 Cabs Refer to Section 3.4 21 6.Things to keep in mind Keep all your travel documents, passport, money, credit cards and travellers’ cheques carefully Make a note of the numbers of your travellers’ cheques and keep them separately from the others While providing the local contact number to get local SIM, kindly provide the contact details of the student representatives of IRC or your official buddy. Also please ensure that you save the contact details of the vendor from whom you are obtaining the connection. Contact details of the student representatives of IRC are listed in the next section of the guide. Keep the telephone numbers of IMT Ghaziabad and IRC members handy in case of emergency Always keep copies of your documents handy with you Kindly inform IRC when going on an excursion and provide a brief itinerary Don’t not go out of the campus after 10 PM Maintain a decent dress code inside and outside the campus When travelling by buses, inform the bus conductor about your destination and ask him to inform you at the arrival Always try to take an auto-rickshaw/taxi from the prepaid TSR/Taxi Stand. While going out, it is advisable to use IMT registered Taxis. Always have a rough idea about the distance and the time taken to reach your destination Always stay alert and avoid listening to music or talking over the phone while travelling. Keep a road map of Ghaziabad and its adjoining areas handy with you In case of emergency, contact the nearest Police Control Room (PCR) van or call 100 22 passport and other identification 7. Important Contacts IMT Ghaziabad Raj Nagar Post box No.137 Ghaziabad-201001, India mail: info@imt.edu Director director@imt.edu Executive Assistant to Director Mr. Akash Priyadarshi apriyadarshi@imt.edu Phone: +91 0120 302202 Dean (Academics) Dr. Surendra Batra DGM, Administration Mr.AnoopSareen +91 0120 3002203 Email: asareen@imt.edu Extn. 203 On-Campus Doctor Dr. K.G. Dhingra +91 9818231678 23 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OFFICE Dr.JayanthiRanjan Associate Dean, International Relations jranjan@imt.edu Phone: +91 120 3002219 Mr Krishna MurariSinha Assistant Superintendent Email: kmsinha@imt.edu Mobile: +91 9810287500 Phone: +91 120 3002 270 IRC Members: Name Email address Number PushkalaVenkiteswara n pushkalavenkiteswaran@gmail.com 8754401994 Ankit Kumar coolankit2@gmail.com 9953423644 Harsh Gulati harsh.gulati1990@gmail.com 9971038745 AyushSrivastava ayush59059@gmail.com 9650952298 Nipun Malik nipponmalik@gmail.com 9643553373 Manik Gupta m.gupta8690@gmail.com 8826532020 ManubhavGoel manubhavg@gmail.com 8826445959 KajalVerma kajal.eee12@gmail.com 9650503452 24 8. Campus Map 25 9. Other Tourist Destinations in India India is a culturally diverse country with a rich history and some truly remarkable tourist destinations. So if you ever get time, apart from Delhi, visit some of these awe-inspiring places. Agra Agra is the one of the most visited cities in India, since it is home to one of the greatest eternal symbols of love-Taj Mahal. This white domed marble mausoleum is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and has an epic love story behind it. FatehpurSikri, Agra Fort, Akbar's tomb, Ram Bagh and Sikandra fort are some of the must visit places in Agra, apart from Taj Mahal. Goa Goa, the smallest state of India is known for its exotic beaches with amazing sunset view, golden sand and coconut palms playing with the wind. Tasty seafood, parasailing, wind surfing and waterskiing facilities make the beaches of Goa a core fun place. Alorna Fort, Ancestral Goa Museum, Arvalam Waterfalls, Chapora Fort and Calangute beach are some of the popular destinations in Goa. Jaipur and Udaipur Jaipur and Udaipur, located in Rajasthan gives us an insight into the rich cultural and artistic traditions of the state. HawaMahal or 'Palace of Winds', located in Jaipur, designed in the form of the crown of Lord Krishna is a beautiful construction, which draws tourists from all over the country. This pyramid shaped monument with 953 small windows 26 stands as the entrance to the City Palace, Jaipur and is a notable sight here. The Lake Place of Udaipur is one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, which is now converted into a hotel equipped with 66 rooms and 17 suites. Kashmir The Paradise on Earth, Kashmir's major attraction lies in its scenic beauty, snow clad peaks, lush green valleys, Alpine villages, cascading waterfalls, flower gardens etc. Kashmir is a destination worth visiting, during winter season where you can enjoy the boat ride on picturesque Dal Lake. The other major attractions are Gulmarg, Srinagar, Sonmarg, Nagin Lake, PariMahal, Shankaracharya shrine and Pehalgam. Kerala The enchanting backwaters of Kerala, the mesmerizing waterfalls, the hill stations and the serene atmosphere make the state one of the most preferred tourist destinations. Kerala Backwaters comprises of a chain of lagoons and lakes which lies parallel to the Arabian Sea. A cruise in the House boats gives tourists a unique and exciting chance to experience the beauty of the surrounding greenery and nearby villages. Munnar, Thekkady, Wayanad, Athirapally waterfalls, Varkala beach and Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple are the most preferred tourist destinations in Kerala. 27 INSTITUTE of MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY Ghaziabad 28