Investigations on the spatial, spectral and temporal characteristics of atmospheric aerosols are carried over Arabian Sea, Tropical Indian Ocean and Coastal India during the northern hemispheric winter (the Asian dry season of January to March) with focus on Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), based on the extensive measurements of spectral aerosol optical depths over the oceanic regions and a network of ground-based Sunphotometers over Coastal India. The measured spectral optical depths are used for retrieving the aerosol columnar size distribution, characterize and parameterize the spatial gradients, and examine their inter-annual variability. The study demonstrates the significance of continental proximity, advection by the prevailing winds, and long-range transport by air trajectories from distant source regions in controlling the spatial in-homogeneity in the distribution of aerosols over the Arabian Sea and Tropical Indian Ocean. This study also exhibits that aerosol characteristics over coastal India during winter season is significantly influenced by the large-scale atmospheric dynamics associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and its location due south of equator.