India

hockey
Hockey

Despite the craze for cricket and football, the national game of India , hockey retains a prominent position in the hearts of many Indians. Although the viewership has dwindled significantly , as compared to the golden era before cricket came to the fore in the mid 80's, it hasn't vanished off. Specially in North India, some eastern parts like Jharkhand, Orissa and the north-eastern states still have a significant base. The introduction of the PREMIER HOCKEY LEAGUE and the Bollywood film Chak De! Indiastarring Shahrukh Khan has boosted its popularity. The Gachi-Bowli stadium in Hyderabad has arguably the best facilities in the country.

taj mahal

A strong representation of Islamic architecture and a symbol of eternal love, the Taj Mahal is in Agra, India.Constructed by Shah Jahan, Taj Mahal is the mausoleum in memory of his favorite wife Arjumand Banu Begam, popularly known by her title Mumtaz Mahal, from which the name of the monument is taken. It is open every day from sunrise to 19 hours, entry fee for those above 12 years locals Rs. 15.00 and Free entry on Fridays. Entry fee for foreigners: Rs. 750.

football
Football

Other than cricket, you can come across young boys playing around with a ball on any open space which is available. The club soccer is more favorite to the Indians than the international games and you will find people getting into heated arguments in public places over their favorite team .Also , many large restaurants and bars offer a view of important European club matches and the World Cup matches.

cricket

India is a cricket-obsessed country and cricket is in the blood of most Indians. Seeing kids playing cricket in parks and alleys with rubber balls and makeshift wickets is an extremely common sight. Until 2008, Indian cricket was all about the national team playing against other countries in one-day matches or epic five-day Test marathons, but the advent of the Indian Premier League IPL (http://www.iplt20.com/) has, for better or worse, brought fast-paced, commercialized "Twenty20" cricket to the fore, complete with cheerleaders and massive salaries.

In international matches, while Australia and South Africa make viable opposition, the biggest rivalry by far is with neighbouring Pakistan, and matches between the two sides are often a very charged affair.

About half-a dozen Indian stadiums have a capacity of over 45,000 and watching a cricket match can be quite an experience. Eden Gardens cricket stadium at Kolkata is Asia's highest capacity stadium with over 60,000 seating capacity. The atmosphere of most matches is electrifying. Nearly all international matches have sellout crowds, and it is quite normal for fans to bribe officials and make their way in. Starting ticket prices are quite cheap; they can be as low as Rs 250 to 300. India and Pakistan are all-time arch rivals, and cricket matches between the two nations attract up to a billion TV viewers.