India is not a country. It is an idea. A very, very complex idea. And to get your mind around an idea as complex as this, you have no option but to travel to some of its best and greatest cities and towns and find out for yourself what exactly it is that makes India tick. This is by no means a definitive list. Just a round of cities and towns I have visited and lived in.

Delhi

How can you understand India if you haven’t visited it’s thriving, beating heart? Delhi is the seat of power and the national capital of the Union of India. It is a melting pot of different cultures, ethnicities and influences from across the country. If India is an epic, then Delhi is its imperfect summary.

Mumbai

It’s called many things. “The city of dreams.” “The city that never sleeps.” “Maximum City.” Whatever you call it, if Delhi is the heart of India, then Mumbai is its soul. Choked for space yet big on ambition, this coastal capital of Maharashtra is the biggest hub of business and entertainment in the entire nation. People from different parts of India come there to make their living, in search of a better life and maybe someday, stardom.