Visitors explore the Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) inside the Ellora Caves complex.

©Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock

South India

Like a giant wedge plunging into the ocean, South India is the subcontinent's steamy heartland – a lush contrast to the peaks and plains up north.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Thanjavur (Tanjore) - Brihadishwara Temple, Tamil Nadu, India - stock photo

    Brihadeeshwara Temple

    Thanjavur (Tanjore)

    Come here twice: in the morning, when the honey-hued granite begins to assert its dominance over the white dawn sunshine, and in the evening, when the…

  • Kailas Temple, Ellora

    Kailasa Temple

    Maharashtra

    One of India’s greatest monuments, this astonishing temple, carved from solid rock, was built by King Krishna I in AD 760 to represent Mt Kailasa (Kailash…

  • Ellora caves, Aurangabad

    Ajanta Caves

    Maharashtra

    Ajanta’s caves line a steep face of a horseshoe-shaped gorge bordering the Waghore River. Five of the caves are chaityas (assembly or prayer halls) while…

  • MUMBAI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 21: The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on Febuary 21, 2014 in Mumbai, India; Shutterstock ID 214733773; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    Mumbai’s most famous landmark, this stunning hotel is a fairy-tale blend of Islamic and Renaissance styles, and India’s second-most-photographed monument…

  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

    Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    Imposing, exuberant and overflowing with people, this monumental train station is the city’s most extravagant Gothic building and an aphorism of colonial…

  • Mysuru Palace

    Mysuru Palace

    Mysuru (Mysore)

    The second-most-visited sight in India (after the Taj Mahal), this palace is among the very grandest of India’s royal buildings and was the seat of the…

  • Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

    Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

    Maharashtra

    One of the best places to see tigers in India, the seldom-visited Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, 150km south of Nagpur, is now much more accessible thanks…

  • Vittala Temple

    Vittala Temple

    Hampi

    Hampi's most exquisite structure, the 16th-century Vittala Temple stands amid boulders 2.5km from Hampi Bazaar. Work possibly started on the temple during…

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History

From cow painting to boat racing: the 8 best festivals in South India

Oct 24, 2019 • 4 min read

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