Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
This giant 38m statue of a seated Buddha is located on the edge of town, on the site where the Dalai Lama spoke in 2006. Its base is hollow, and when you…
Must-see attractions in South India
Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple
Mumbai (Bombay)
This temple is renowned among Jains for its beauty – given how beautiful Jain temples are, that’s saying a lot. Check out the paintings and especially the…
Gokarna
Small, attractive cove with a lovely sweep of powdery sand and basic hut accommodation. There's no road to this beach, only a path. It's about a 20-minute…
Panaji
Worth a look while walking around the district of Fontainhas, this spacious gallery in the beautiful Panjim Peoples displays works by local and…
Maharashtra
Cave 9 is one of the earliest chaityas at Ajanta. Although it dates from the early Buddhist period, the two figures flanking the entrance door were…
Hyderabad
The Birla Science Centre comprises a museum of science, dolls and archaeology, plus a planetarium. Displays are somewhat dated, but the Dinosaurium has…
Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technical Museum
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
One mainly for kids, this hands-on science museum makes you feel a bit like you’re on a school excursion, but there are some cool electrical and…
Hyderabad
This large dargah (Sufi shrine), dedicated to Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Khamosh, dates from the late 19th century and is an unusual blend of Islamic and…
North Goa
The beach here is wide and whiter than those further south. An unusual feature of Mandrem is the narrow river inlet separating the white-sand beach from…
Varkala
Ringed by rust-red cliffs, Varkala's main beach is a holy spot for Hindus, who for centuries have made offerings for passed loves ones and washed away…
Tamil Nadu
The relics of Chettinadu's bygone days are on display at this wonderful museum, 4km north of Pudukkottai train station. Its eclectic collection includes…
Karnataka
Built by Mohammed Adil Shah in about 1646 to serve as a hall of justice, the graceful Asar Mahal once housed two hairs from Prophet Mohammed’s beard. The…
Andaman Islands
North from Aerial Bay, Excelsior has beautiful, creamy white beaches, good snorkelling and resident spotted deer. Six-person boats from Aerial Bay cost…
Hyderabad
This museum exhibits photographs, dioramas of village life, musical instruments and some exquisite Naikpod masks. It’s basic, but you’ll get a glimpse…
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
Adrenaline seekers should look no further than this huge amusement park, which has more than 60 well-maintained rides, a wave pool, water slides and a …
Maharashtra
In the heart of the old town this palace was once the ruling Chatrapati’s main residence and is still occupied by some of the family. You can enter the…
Pune
You can peer into the room where the Mahatma Ghandi used to stay as well as gawk at photos and paintings representing moments in his extraordinary life at…
Karnataka
Perched upon a platform is this beast of a cannon – over 4m long, almost 1.5m in diameter and estimated to weigh 55 tonnes. Cast in 1549, it was…
Andaman Islands
Loved for its fiery sunsets and wonderfully natural setting, this powdery silver-sand beach is popular with day trippers, although swimming was prohibited…
Maharashtra
Cave 6 is the only two-storey vihara at Ajanta, but parts of the lower storey have collapsed. Inside is a seated Buddha figure and an intricately carved…
Mangaluru (Mangalore)
Catholicism’s roots in Mangaluru date back to the arrival of the Portuguese in the early 1500s. One impressive legacy is the 1880 Sistine Chapel–like St…
Hampi
Built in 1513, Krishna Temple is fronted by an apsara (celestial nymph) and 10 incarnations of Vishnu. It’s on the road to Virupaksha Temple near Lakshimi…
Andaman Islands
Little Andaman's 41m-tall lighthouse makes for a worthwhile excursion, around 10km south of Hut Bay. Its 200 steps spiral up to magnificent views over the…
Andaman Islands
Fringed by lush jungle and sparkling cerulean waves, the brown-sand beach at Kalipur, 17km east of Diglipur by road, is famous for its turtle nesting from…
Kovalam
Kovalam's most distinguishing feature is the working candy-striped lighthouse at the southern end of Lighthouse Beach. Climb the spiral staircase – or zip…
Palolem
Hire a local boatman from Palolem Beach to ferry you up to Butterfly Beach and back (₹2000 for the boat), relishing the views of untouched coastline along…
Kodaikanal (Kodai)
Visiting forest-fringed Berijam Lake, 21km southwest of Kodaikanal, requires a Forest Department permit (₹250). Taxi drivers will organise this, if asked…
Mumbai (Bombay)
Little tykes with energy to burn will love this Gorai Island amusement park and its rides and slides – Asia's largest theme water park. It’s a ₹50 ferry…
Mahatma Ghandi Photo Art Gallery
Maharashtra
This once small museum across the street from Sevagram Ashram was undergoing a major renovation and expansion at time of writing and is expected to reopen…
Tamil Nadu
Backed by the typical succession of pillar-lined courtyards, the impressive reception hall of this 'twin house' is shared by two branches of the same…
Karnataka
Badami’s cave temples overlook the 5th-century Agastyatirtha Tank, a huge reservoir that was once the settlement's main water supply. On its banks are…
Mangaluru (Mangalore)
This stretch of golden sand is a good destination to escape the city heat. It’s 12km south of Mangaluru, across the Netravathi estuary. An Uber…
Hampi
At the eastern end of Hampi Bazaar is a Nandi statue, around which stand some of the colonnaded blocks of the ancient marketplace. This is the main…
Kannur
Framed by low palm-sprinkled headlands and a shallow lagoon, this beautiful powdery gold-sand expanse, 8km southeast of Kannur centre, is home to the area…
Karnataka
A well-presented archaeological museum set in the Golgumbaz lawns. Skip the ground floor and head upstairs; there you’ll find an excellent collection of…
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
Just south of the Arjuna's Penance relief carving, the Krisha Mandapa has a fine 16th-century colonnade and contains a famous carving of Krishna…
Karnataka
Making for a spectacular photo opportunity, the epic seashore statue of Lord Shiva, which sits looking over the Arabian Sea, is a worthwhile stop for…
Maharashtra
Cave 12, the huge Tin Thal (Three Storey) Cave, is entered through a courtyard. The locked shrine on the top floor contains a large Buddha figure flanked…
North Goa
The quiet Aswem sands are popular with long-staying foreigners and play host to an annually changing parade of beach-hut accommodation and beach-shack…
Hampi
To the south, overlooking Virupaksha Temple, Hemakuta Hill has a scattering of early ruins, including monolithic sculptures of Narasimha (Vishnu in his…
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