www.artciti.com
A well-designed, visually appealing site, artciti is a virtual gallery, where you can peruse relatively rare objects d'art. The site invites you to take "a magical mystery tour into a wonderland of precious and fascinating art of exquisite enchantment and beauty, some going back centuries in time; all with eons of heritage".From gem stone Buddhas to dainty Nepalese deities, the site showcases many good (and also very expensive) pieces of traditional Indian, Nepalese, Chinese, and European art, which are also offered for sale. There is also a very interesting section on precious stones, and the effect they are supposed to have on a person who wears them.

www.carstreet.com
This one is strictly for car lovers. Sure, it is not a patch on sites like the BBC TopGear site, but hey, you will probably be buying a Matiz or a Santro, not a Mercedes or a Ferrari, right? All Indian cars are mentioned and there are some comparison tests too. A list of car dealers in different cities has been provided and you can fill a form to request a test drive (keep in mind though that no one ever said that all requests are fulfilled ...) Those who are looking for some facts and figures on car finance will find them here. Clean graphics and good use of animated GIF files made the browsing more interesting. In the chat room usually vacant, unfortunately) you can voice your opinions on anything and everything related to cars.

www.carnaticmusic.com
A good site for Carnatic music lovers. The graphics and the general ambience evoke just the right mood, and the pages are quite informative. There is comprehensive information on the different instruments used in Carnatic music (wind, percussion, and others), as well as about musicians skilled in playing these instruments used in Carnatic music (wind, percussion, and others), as well as about musicians skilled in playing these instruments.A list of Carnatic music concerts has been provided and in the Carnatic Hall of Fame you can get to know great Carnatic composers of the past. Like - minded enthusiasts can share their views in the Chat area, and finally, you can play RealAudio clips of your favourite Carnatic music

www.kode.net.
Okay, how many of you still listen to, er... well.., Radio The question may not actually be as incongruous as it seems. With the coming of FM, a lot of people who earlier turned up their noses at the mere mention of the word 'radio', are returning to this pre-war form of entertainment. The All India Radio site is good example of how technology adapts to the requirements of changing time.

www.indiatimes.com
A wannabe - portal from the Times of India group, this site is toted as "your gateway to India". What you do get in this 'gateway' are comprehensively updated news (news headlines can be customised to your preferences), and links to all TOI publications' sites.

www.kamat.com
This is the kind of site that would be probably never make it to any 'popularity list', and yet we say it is one of the Top 25 Indian sites. Why? Because it is simply, a very good sitye, that contains an eclectic mix of informative, thought-provoking, and well-written articles on a variety of subjects.

www.cry.org
This site put up by Child Relief & You is a visually pleasing site, with classy, understated graphics. The distinctive visual aspect has, in fact, been carried over from CRY's greeting card. The purpose of this site's existence is noble - to educate people on how they can be help to millions of under- privileged children on this country. There is a rare quality about CRY - a certain fierce hope and dogged determination, and it shines through even on the Web. CRY says "You can make a difference. Just Try". We think this web site is trying and with your help, it can make a difference. Do pay a visit.

www.indiatravelog.com
What do you do when the travelbug bites you? Before you rush to the nearest Railway station or the Airport to book your tickets, log on to Indiatravelog. Of all the sites reviewed, this one really comes up trumps as far as content goes. Though average on design and graphics, the site contains comprehensive information which is invaluable when travelling in India. There is detailed factual information on hotels, modes of travelling, and costs. Some very well written articles highlight various individual travelling 'experiences' and are quite interesting. Many of these articles are also accompanied by nice pictures. Finally, the site contains some excellent hyperlinks to other related sites. Definitely recommended.

www.feminaindia.com
One for the ladies. The Femina Web site has, presumably, been designed to cater to feminine whims and vagaries, and does so, admirably well. If you think this site would be about the usual chit-chat on beauty, clothes, and cuisine, you are, well, right!Jokes apart, there is more to the site than idle socialite musings. Thoughtful profiles on women achievers and some well-written features make for interesting reading. A section on Indian authors (female ones only, of course...) and profiles of their work, makes for interesting reading. The graphics are good, and so are some of the pictures. Hey, men's magazines and could learn a thing or more from this one!

www.cyberastro.com
Bill Clinton has bad 'Karma' alright, but how good is yours? What does future have in store for you? The site that purports to provide you with a 'karmic index' can also help predict your future ("all predictions personalised by professional astrologers") and analyse your relationships with a view to improving them - a rather distressing, if noble, aim in most cases! You can questions (yes, even the "how rich will be tomorrow?" kind) and there is a section that provides "astrological healing" for free.

www.nse-india.com
Money has gone digital, and has taken up residence on the Web. The world over, there is a gravitation towards dematerialised, digital stock trading, and that is what is happening in India too. The National Stock Exchange Web site points to the fact that in future all big-time transactions will be conducted online.

www.indiabookshop.com
E-commerce is finally here. Or is it? Well, a step in this direction has been taken by the India Bookshop which allows you to order books and magazines online. The site affords a wide selection of publications and the prices are reasonable. You can search for bestsellers. There are special sections for kids and corporate users, with an appropriate selection of publications for these reader segments. Another thing notable about the site is that percent of the proceeds from the sale of books through the site are donated to CRY. As a bonus, the site is visually very pleasant, with simple, yet eye-catching graphics.

www.shopperstop.com
Shop till you drop? Now you can continue shopping even after you have dropped (on to your couch , that is). Why should only Mumbai/Bangalore/Chennai residents have the pleasure of shopping from the Shopper's stop? Today, regardless of where you stay in India, you can make a stop at the Shopper at the Shoppers. The online version of this famous shopping chain brings you the "finest collection of knitwear from the exclusive international lines of Monte Carlo, Casablanca, Elson, [and] blues bazar" amongst others. Even if buying clothes online is not your scene, you might want to visit this site for its rather unusual Purple/Black colour scheme. The graphics are used to good effect, and the site manages to stand out somewhat.

www.timepass.com
What! A site called 'timepass'? How trivial can you get? Well, amazing though it might seem, we found this site pretty good. An undercurrent of completely wacky humour makes this site a 'must-visit'. Though sections like 'Brain-damage' and 'Ghost Post' sound bizarre, they provide links to some very unusual and interesting pages. Among other things there are links to eccentric MTV and Channel V (unofficial) sites, and a 'special' section on our great film-industry. This is the site you go to, when you are sitting at home on a rainy day, with nothing to do (netizens don't read books, remember ...).

www.rediff.com
The 'F-word' that is so attractive to most people, can be used rather freely when describing this site. Yes, it gives you free e-mail, and free space to put up your personal home page on the web.There is wealth of information on books, news, business, sports, information technology, and the latest movies. There is a chat room and you can buy anything from Lindt chocolates to the The Dorling Kindersley Illustrated Facttopedia in the gift shop. You name it, the site has it. Definitely, the pick of the lot.