Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Begun in 1779 but not completed until 1791, this splendid Jesuit church (in whites, blues and yellows) is reminiscent of Goa's Portuguese-style churches,…
Must-see attractions in South India
Chennai (Madras)
At the southern end of Marina Beach, the fourth-incarnation Madras Lighthouse is India's only one with a lift; it's ridiculously popular, but the…
Munnar
Constructed in neo-Gothic style in 1911, with granite imported from the UK, Munnar's oldest church contains a series of plaques commemorating prominent…
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
The Kakatiyas constructed a large lake, Ramappa Cheruvu, 1km south of the Ramappa Temple, to serve as a temple tank. It's popular with migrating birds.
Panaji
Panaji’s central square is the leafy Municipal Gardens, also called Church Square (Largo da Igreja). The Ashokan Pillar is at the gardens’ centre.
Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours
Kerala
Recognisable by its towering, pure-white spires and neo-Gothic splendour, this Catholic church was established in 1925. Its sweeping interior is said to…
Kannur
At this traditional-arts training academy overlooking Chirakkal Pond, 6km north of Kannur, you can see vibrantly coloured folklore costumes in the museum…
Tamil Nadu
This grand building with a golden roof houses an illustrated exhibit on the Ramayana, a room dedicated to Bharat Mata (India itself as the Mother Goddess)…
Kerala
Red-and-white stripes adorn Kollam's imposing 1902-built, 43m-tall barber-pole lighthouse. Take the lift or climb the 195 spiralling steps for wraparound…
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
Peaceful Anupu is 10km from the Nagarjuna island launch point. The remains of a stupa, university and amphitheatre were relocated piece by piece prior to…
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
Located at the northwestern end of Cubbon Park, the colossal neo-Dravidian-style Vidhana Soudha was built in 1954 and serves as the legislative chambers…
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
The lakeside Bhadrakali Temple, 2km southeast of the 1000-Pillared Temple, enshrines a striking idol of the mother goddess Kali sitting with a weapon in…
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
At the northern end of the Brihadishwara Temple compound, within the outer ramparts, stands 18th-century neoclassical Schwartz's Church.
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
This park contains the high rock Ekashila Gutta, which is topped by another Kakatiya temple overlooking a water tank. The park is almost opposite the…
Northern Kerala
The 13th-century Jain temple on the western edge of Sultanbatheri has splendid stone carvings and is an important monument to the region’s strong…
Hyderabad
This grand neoclassical landmark – a colossal construction of turrets, domes and arches – dates from 1913, in a design that fuses Persian and Rajasthani…
Andaman Islands
A pleasant place to stroll in a forested setting with natural enclosures for indigenous species, such as crab-eating macaques, Andaman wild pigs and…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
One of Trivandrum's major churches, the Roman Catholic St Joseph's is a whitewashed neo-Gothic creation from 1873, topped by a soaring bell tower added in…
Kerala
Just back from Ashtamudi Lake, 1.5km north of the jetty, this elegant 1810 building blending Keralan and European styling was once the home of the British…
Goa Science Centre & Planetarium
Panaji
Kids and families will enjoy the Goa Science Centre & Planetarium in Miramar, with an outdoor park, hands-on interactive displays, 3D movies and a…
Tamil Nadu
Dating back to 1620, this temple at the southernmost end of Kumbakonam's main bazaar street has beautiful Nayak horse and yali carvings and fine frescoes.
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
You can't miss this enormous boulder (and favourite photo spot), balancing precariously on Mamallapuram Hill, right opposite the compound's northernmost…
Hyderabad
This beautiful building, dating back to 1891, has 500,000 books in Urdu, Sanskrit, Telegu and English in reading rooms that are as atmospheric as they are…
Karnataka
The ruins of Mohammed Adil Shah’s seven-storey palace, the Sat Manzil is one of several evocative sites in the citadel.
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
A reasonably interesting museum of bronze and stone sculptures at the Chandragiri Fort complex. Worth a visit, but somewhat lacking in information and…
Hyderabad
Lumbini Park is a pleasant place to enjoy sunsets and the popular musical fountain (6.30-8pm). There's also a nightly laser show (₹50) at 7.15pm and 8…
Coonoor
About 10km west of town, this popular viewpoint exposes vast panoramas encompassing Catherine Falls across the valley.
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
At the fringes of Cubbon Park, this red-painted Gothic-style library is worth a look around. Its impressive reading room is a tranquil escape from the…
Tamil Nadu
Before visiting the Kumari Amman Temple, some worshippers immerse themselves in the bathing ghats that surround it.
Tamil Nadu
The shoreline around Kumari Amman Temple has a couple of bathing ghats where some worshippers immerse themselves.
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Dedicated to the goddess Bhuvaneshvari, this major Hindu temple in central Alleppey has a soaring, rainbow-coloured Tamil Nadu–style gopuram.
Karnataka
Within the citadel is the delicate Jala Manzil, once a water pavilion surrounded by secluded courts and gardens.
Hampi
These stepped bathing ghats (landings) are just north of Virupaksha Temple.They're still used by village women.
North Goa
Outside the Fort Aguada bastions, the new lighthouse, built in 1976, can usually be visited; climb to the top for good views along the coast.
Kodaikanal (Kodai)
Landscaped and stocked by the British officer after whom it’s named, pretty Bryant Park is usually full of tourists and canoodling couples.
Kodaikanal International School
Kodaikanal (Kodai)
Set up in 1901, the renowned Kodaikanal International School lends Kodai a bit of a cosmopolitan air, with students from around the globe.
Vizhinjam Marine Research Aquarium
Kovalam
About 500m northwest of Kovalam's lighthouse, this small series of tanks displays fish from Kerala's waters, including lionfish and eels.
Kozhikode (Calicut)
Dating back to the 14th century but restored in the 18th century, Calicut's major temple is dedicated to Shiva and open only to Hindus.
The Western Ghats
Catherine Falls is 8km south of Kotagiri off the Mettupalayam road; the last 2km or so are on foot, and the falls only flow after rain.
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Once home to Governor Dupleix, the neoclassical governor's residence looks out over Bharathi Park from the north. You can't go inside.
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