"Unity in Diversity" was the slogan chosen when India celebrated fifty years of Independence in 1997, a declaration replete with as much optimism as pride. Stretching from the frozen barrier of the Himalayas to the tropical greenery of Kerala, and from the sacred Ganges to the sands of the Thar desert, the country's boundaries encompass incomparable variety.

Walk the streets of any Indian city and you'll rub shoulders with representatives of several of the world's great faiths, a multitude of castes and outcastes, fair-skinned, turbaned Punjabis and dark-skinned Tamils. You'll also encounter temple rituals that have been performed since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs, onion-domed mosques erected centuries before the Taj Mahal was ever dreamt of, and quirky echoes of the British Raj on virtually every corner.

India offers a world of variety in different areas such religion, language, customs, and art as it is in topography. Its vast landscape includes mountains, desert, foothills, valleys, rain forest, and sandy beaches. It consists of 26 states and lies in south Asia between China, Pakistan, and Nepal. India is a land of mythological and historical figures, religious pilgrimage, and savory cuisine. It is a country alive with colorful, vibrant festivals filled with dance and song.