Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Trivandrum’s spiritual heart is this 18th-century temple (closed to non-Hindus) in the Fort area, which fuses Keralan and Dravidian architecture and whose…
Must-see attractions in India
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
The admirable NGO Saathi provides crafts training and marketing help (through fair-trade organisations), and assistance in fields like health, education…
Panaji
Miramar, 3km southwest of the city, is Panaji’s nearest beach. The couple of kilometres of exposed sand facing Aguada Bay are hardly inspiring compared to…
Himachal Pradesh
This sprawling monastic complex's extensive series of buildings and stupas lie semi-hidden in rolling pine woods, halfway along the pretty, narrow lane…
Church of Nossa Senhora de Penha de Franca
North Goa
Britona’s parish church, Nossa Senhora de Penha de Franca, is a grand old dame, occupying a fine location at the confluence of the Mandovi and Mapusa…
Meghalaya
Hilly Balpakram is traditionally considered by the Garo to be the ‘abode of souls’, where people temporarily go after they die, and is full of…
Rajasthan
The thickly forested, wildly beautiful, 250-sq-km Darrah National Park is about 50km south of Kota, accessed from the Jhalawar road. Once a royal hunting…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Used as a drinks factory and coffee shop by the British after the First War of Independence (Indian Uprising) of 1857, this 30m-high, 9th-century temple…
Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
Who knew that the humble toilet could be so interesting? Part of the Sanitation Institute, the Toilet Garden displays designs for new ecofriendly toilet…
Jaisalmer
This abandoned village is 19km west of Jaisalmer, 6km south of the Sam road. It was abandoned by its Paliwal Brahmin inhabitants – just like the area’s 83…
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
This marshy bird sanctuary, 55km southwest of Mamallapuram (an easy day trip), is a spectacular 30-hectare breeding ground for many kinds of waterbirds,…
North Goa
Reis Magos Church was built below the fortress walls in 1555, shortly after the construction of the fort itself. A Franciscan seminary was later added,…
North Goa
Around 5km north of Pomburpa, the large and picturesque village of Aldona is home to the Church of St Thomas, built in 1596, and a grand sight on the…
Gujarat & Diu
Twelve kilometres west of Sasan Gir village at Devalia, within the Gir National Park precincts, is the Gir Interpretation Zone, better known as simply…
Rajasthan
Menal, 19km beyond Bijolia, which itself lies 50km southwest of Bundi on the road to Chittorgarh, is a temple complex built in the Gupta period (4th to…
Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
This museum, 3km west of the river in Bhudarpura, displays a fascinating range of Gujarati folk arts – particularly from Kachchh – including woodcarvings,…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Secreted in a forest of teak atop craggy sandstone hills 45km south of Bhopal are more than 600 rock shelters. Over 400 of these World Heritage–listed…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
If you have time, this group of handsome buildings is worth a detour between Mandu village and Rewa Kund. The main ones are Malik Mughith's Mosque, built…
Kashmir & Ladakh
On a modest hilltop across the River Tawi from the main city, Bahu Fort's sturdy walls were reinforced in the early 19th century. Today they enclose a…
Bikaner
This museum houses well-displayed, interesting exhibits including terracotta ware from the Gupta period, Rajasthani traditional musical instruments, rich…
Chennai (Madras)
This 1976 memorial honours the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar and his classic work, the 133-chapter Thirukural. Its most striking element is a 31m-high stone…
South Goa
Approximately 12km southeast of Chandor and 22km from Margao, on the border of Quepem and Sanguem talukas, is the small village of Zambaulim, home to the…
Darjeeling
This 1854 estate on the northwest edge of town is a good place to learn about tea, especially when plucking and processing are in progress (March to…
Uttarakhand
A cable car runs up to popular Snow View at 2270m, which (on clear days) has panoramic Himalayan views, including of Nanda Devi. The ticket office is at…
Northeast States
An 18-sq-km patch of forest south of Agartala, Sepahijala contains a lake that is a popular weekend picnic and boating spot, and an open-air zoo (adult…
Kashmir & Ladakh
A large rock set above the Lungnak River bank, southeast of Padum, is inscribed with a row of five seated Buddha figures in Gandharan style, clumsily…
North Goa
This multilevel museum was created by well-known local architect Gerard da Cunha to illuminate the history of Goan architecture. Interesting displays on…
Gujarat & Diu
The archaeological museum at the Lothal site displays fragments of this well-ordered Indus Valley civilisation, such as intricate seals, weights and…
Rajasthan
The fort of Bala Qila was founded in 1737, but today its modern additions largely obscure the original building, and it houses a fruit-and-vegetable…
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
This ruined fortress, 25km northwest of Vijayawada, was built around 1360 by the Reddy kings, and passed through a succession of later rulers, including…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Ujjain has been India’s Greenwich since the 4th century BC, and this simple-looking but surprisingly complicated observatory was built by Maharaja Jai…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
On the way down from the palace to the ghats, a small doorway announces the NGO Rehwa Society, a craft cooperative where profits are ploughed back into…
Rajasthan
The still-inhabited Khedwal Bhavan features beautiful mirrorwork above the entrance to the inner courtyard, and fine blue tilework. A locomotive is…
Tocklai Tea Research Institute
Assam
To delve into the science and processes behind a good cuppa, visit the Tocklai Institute, the world's largest and oldest tea research centre (founded in…
Rajasthan
The enormous, multistorey Rani Sati Temple is notorious for commemorating an act of sati (self-immolation) by a merchant’s wife (after whom the temple is…
Sikkim
The Ngadak gompa's large 2014 prayer hall contains some of the richest new monastery paintings in Sikkim. Beside it is the ruinous, unpainted shell of a…
South Goa
Around 3km south of the village of Zambaulim, the road passes through Rivona, which consists of little more than a few houses spread out along the…
Himachal Pradesh
The tower-temple of Inner Seraj's most powerful deity honours a sage whose prayers are said to have brought about the birth of the god Rama. There's a…
Uttar Pradesh
Built in 1613 by Maharaja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha, Jhansi Fort still has impressive double walls (though the crocodile-infested moat has dried up) and…
Khajuraho
Raneh Falls, a series of waterfalls in a 30m-deep canyon carved by the Ken River, 21km east of Khajuraho, is a worthwhile nature excursion, especially…
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