Leh
Dominating Leh from a high, rocky ridge, this gigantic white spired pudding of a stupa was built between 1983 and 1991 by Japanese monks to promote world…
Must-see attractions in India
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Pondy is a seaside town, but that doesn’t make it a beach destination; the city’s sand is a thin strip of dirty brown that slurps into a seawall of jagged…
Jodhpur
Situated 9km north of the centre of Jodhpur, Mandore was the capital of Marwar prior to the founding of Jodhpur. Its gardens, complete with rock terraces…
North Goa
Standing on the headland overlooking the mouth of the Mandovi River, Fort Aguada occupies a magnificent and successful position, confirmed by the fact it…
South Goa
One of Goa’s least visited but most fascinating sights is deep in the countryside at Usgalimal: a series of prehistoric petroglyphs (rock art), carved…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Established in 1848, these pretty 22-hectare gardens are a living gallery of the Nilgiris' natural flora. Keep an eye out for a typical Toda mund (village…
Northern Kerala
The huge laterite-brick Bekal Fort, built between 1645 and 1660, is the largest in Kerala and sits on Bekal’s rocky headland with fine views. It passed…
Sikkim
Like Tashiding Gompa way, way below, Silnon (see-non) was founded by Ngadhak Sempo Chempo. Its fairly modest central temple has a spectacular backdrop of…
Kerala
A serene 25-sq-km park in the foothills of the Western Ghats, cut through by two rivers and two streams, Thattekkad shelters around 300 fluttering species…
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Muthanga)
Northern Kerala
The location of the eastern entry gate to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, accessible by two-hour jeep safari only.
Goa State Museum & Secretariat Building
Panaji
Currently housed in the Secretariat, the oldest colonial building in Goa, the state museum features an eclectic, if not extensive, collection of items…
Kashmir & Ladakh
One of Zanskar's most important monasteries, Stongdey Gompa doesn't look like much when viewed from below, but it crowns a bird’s-eye perch with…
Rajasthan
Don’t miss a trip to this spectacular fort, 7km north of Jhalawar. Almost 1km long, it’s set high above the confluence of the Kalisindh and Ahu rivers…
Manali
This much-revered wood-and-stone temple, constructed in 1553, has a three-tier pagoda-style roof plus conical top. The wooden doorway is richly carved…
Srinagar
On the strategically and spiritually significant Koh-e-Maran hill, north of the city centre, is this powerful qila (fort), which dates to the 6th century…
Sikkim
The ridge between Ralang and Yuksom ends with an upturned promontory (1450m) on which sits the multibuilding complex of Tashiding Gompa, an important…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
An enjoyable outing from Jagdalpur, this park covers 200 sq km in a thickly forested valley south of Jagdalpur, with a number of waterfalls and caves…
Darjeeling
The hill rising above Chowrasta is home to several much-visited temples, approached through a flurry of colourful prayer flags and hanging bells. The main…
Gangtok
If you're visiting the zoo, whose ticket booth is 50m away, it's well worth stopping at this viewpoint tower to survey a vast sweep of cityscape: notice…
Jodhpur
Gaj Singh II still lives in part of this hilltop palace, built in 1929 for Maharaja Umaid Singh. It was designed by the British architect Henry Lanchester…
Maharashtra
The ruined Sinhagad, about 24km southwest of Pune, was wrested by Maratha leader Shivaji from the Bijapur kings in 1670. In the epic battle (where he lost…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo and a French-born woman, ‘the Mother’, this famous spiritual community has about 2000 members in its many departments…
Rajasthan
Built in the 15th century in milk-white marble, the main temple of Ranakpur, Chaumukha Mandir (Four-Faced Temple), is dedicated to Adinath, the first…
Himachal Pradesh
Built by the rajas of Kullu around 1500, this fort-cum-mansion is a splendid example of the earthquake-resistant, Kathkuni (alternating stone-and-timber)…
Himachal Pradesh
At the top of the Banjar Valley, Hwy 305 climbs over the panoramic 3223m Jalori Pass, marked by a couple of dhabas and a Mahakali temple. In calm weather…
Ladakh
Spectacularly viewed across barley fields and buckthorn bushes, Chemrey village is dominated by the beautifully proportioned Thekchhok Gompa covering a…
Maharashtra
Emperor Aurangzeb, the last of the Mughal greats, is entombed in the courtyard of this simple (and somewhat unwelcoming) shrine. Despite matching the…
Rajasthan
The City Palace, and the fort that surrounds it, make up one of the largest such complexes in Rajasthan. This was the royal residence and centre of power,…
Maharashtra
Pratapgad Fort, built by Shivaji in 1656 (and still owned by his descendants), straddles a high mountain ridge 24km northwest of the town of Mahabaleshwar…
Gujarat & Diu
This 182m (240m including the base) statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) was the world's tallest…
Karnataka
Surrounded by fortified walls and a wide moat, the citadel once contained the palaces, pleasure gardens and durbar (royal court) of the Adil Shahi kings…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Built between 1886 and 1921, Lal Bagh is the finest building left by the Holkar dynasty. As was the fashion among many of the late-Raj-era Indian nobility…
Rajasthan
Beneath the eaves on the northern external wall of this haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), you’ll find a picture of a bird standing on an…
Eastern Rajasthan
This imposing fort stands 300m above Alwar, its fortifications hugging the steep hills that line the eastern edge of the city. Predating the time of…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Literally meaning 'House of God', this atmospheric synagogue's front facade looks a little like a 1930s cinema. Within the building (dating back to 1856),…
Palolem
About 9km southeast of Palolem, and a good day trip, is the beautiful, remote-feeling Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa’s second-largest sanctuary and…
Gujarat & Diu
Gandhinagar’s only real tourist attraction is this spectacular temple, belonging to the wealthy Hindu Swaminarayan group. Ornately carved and built by…
Uttarakhand
The region around Dehra Dun is home to a thriving Tibetan Buddhist community, mainly focused on this attractive monastery, about 10km south of the centre…
Ranthambhore National Park
From a distance, the magical 10th-century Ranthambhore Fort is almost indiscernible on its hilltop perch – as you get closer, it seems almost as if it is…
Sikkim
Said to be Sikkim’s oldest still-functioning monastery, this compact, peaceful gompa is beautifully set in tended gardens on the ridge above Yuksom, with…
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