India - the magical and exotic land of striking contrasts is rising phenomenally to be the hottest (literally too) vacation spot for Hollywood celeb’s. Everyone has a different view and reason to make this place a must visit for you, pleading to be on your to-do list. India is not for the faint hearted and the sights here are touted as and balance on extremes. Although most celebrities visit because of professional reasons, they are soon are mesmerized enough for a second visit.

Celebrities who have made a marked appearance here are Ashley Judd who came here for a noble HIV/AIDS cause. Julia Roberts visited Jaipur where she mixed business with pleasure while shooting for her film ‘The Eighth Wonder’. Madonna too is a regular Jaipur- Rajasthan visitor. Matt Damon was in Delhi and Chennai for his H2O Africa Foundation, which seeks to raise awareness about clean water. Will Smith came to India to launch Sony Television’s movie channel – Pix. He went sightseeing and spent quality time with Indian film stars. Hilary Swank made a visit to Himachal Pradesh along with trips to Dharmshala (the seat of Dalai Lama in India), McLeodganj and Baijnath. Brad Pitt visited India his partner Angelina Jolie and their three kids. They flew down to shoot for A Mighty Heart. During their month-long stay in India, Jolie was busy with her shooting but enjoyed the ride in Mumbai trains. Pitt visited Jaipur and Varanasi and also helped building new houses in Lonavala. Adrien Brody was in Rajasthan to shoot for ‘The Darjeeling Limited’. He was supposedly accompanied by Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman.

These celeb visits have glossed out the idea of India as a charming vacation spot for many foreigners. I think they need to visit this place ASAP because of the stark and gross misconceptions they have in their heads about this place. Usually a result of lack of knowledge or first hand experience, these misconceptions can be washed out with a single, even short trip to India. India is bittersweet. Something meant to be seen in person, first hand.