India attractions

South Mumbai is full of beautiful Gothic-revival architecture, and the Bombay High Court is one of the city's best examples. Dating to the 1870s, the courthouse features two octagonal towers. Visitors are allowed inside and may even sit in on court cases, but most just come to view the architecture from the outside.

Chhatarpur Temple (Chhatarpur Mandir) is one of the largest such complexes in India, and it’s also relatively new by Indian standards, having been built in 1974. It’s dedicated to the goddess Katyayani, one of the nine forms of the warrior goddess Durga. The Hindu temple is made entirely of marble, and its intricately carved screens are especially impressive.

Set against the rugged backdrop of the Aravali Mountains, Royal Gaitor is a beautiful funerary complex that houses the intricately carved cenotaphs of many of Jaipur's former rulers, including Jai Singh II, who founded Jaipur. One of the quieter places in town, Royal Gaitor is a great spot to escape the noise of the Pink City.

Located in the heart of Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk area, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib is an important gurudwara (Sikh temple) that was built in honor of the guru Tegh Bahadur, who was beheaded here by Emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to convert to Islam. The trunk of the tree under which Bahadur was beheaded remains in the complex to this day.

Sajjangarh Palace (known as the Monsoon Palace) is set on a hilltop with fantastic city views. It was originally built as a getaway during the monsoon season and as an astrological center, but the latter project was never finished. The palace has also been used as a royal hunting lodge, and even appeared in the James Bond film Octopussy.

Gandhi Smriti is a memorial and museum located where Gandhi spent the last few months of his life, before his assassination in January 1948. The spot where the Mahatma was killed is nearby and is marked by a small memorial, while related artifacts and ephemera are housed inside, including Gandhi's glasses and walking stick.

One of the most important Shaivite sites in Rajasthan, this temple attracts devotees from across the state who come to pay their respects to the gargantuan four-faced idol of the god housed within its interiors. It’s also a popular side-trip from Udaipur, particularly suited to those interested in local spiritual customs.

India’s holiest river, the Ganges (Ganga) runs east for 1,560 miles (2,510 kilometers) from the western Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. A lifeline for north India’s plains and towns, the river is also a place of Hindu pilgrimage at cities such as Rishikesh and Varanasi—drawing visitors with humbling scenes of religious devotion.

Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple is also called the Golden Temple, thanks to its pure gold spire and dome. The current building dates from 1780, but temples stood in the same place for centuries. Dedicated to the Hindu Lord Shiva—one of the most significant deities in the Hindu pantheon—Kashi Vishwanath is a major pilgrimage site.

Delhi’s National Rail Museum teaches visitors about all aspects of Indian trains and the rail network, which is one of the largest in the world. It’s a spacious museum with both indoor and outdoor exhibits, the outdoor areas designed to look like a railway yard. It displays many real locomotives from around the country, railway simulators, toy train rides, and documents, maps, books, and other items related to railway history.

Jallianwala Bagh is a public garden in the northern city of Amritsar. It’s best known as the site of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 at the hands of the British Indian Army, which claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians celebrating the religious festival of Baisakhi.

Kumbhalgarh Fort is an enormous citadel situated deep in the desert outside of Udaipur. It was built in the 15th century and took over a decade to complete—unsurprising given that its walls stretch some 22 miles (35.4 kilometers) in total. Second in length only to the Great Wall of China, it is sometimes dubbed the "Great Wall of India."

One of the largest museums in the world, this Hyderabad institution is celebrated for its massive collection of art and artifacts from across Asia, Europe, and North America. Most of the objects here were collected by Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III, a nobleman who served as Prime Minister of the Hyderabad Deccan from 1912-1914.

Churchgate is a pedestrian-friendly, seaside neighborhood in South Mumbai. It occupies a narrow patch of land that stretches from just north of Nariman Point to just south of the Marine Lines commuter railway station. It's best-known for its art deco and neo-Gothic architecture, and visitors enjoy its ample dining opportunities.

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica is notable for its Gothic architecture, with a whitewashed façade and beautiful interiors, with intricate pastel frescoes and paintings, and large stained glass windows. While it’s a popular attraction, it’s also a working church and the Sunday mass services here provide a great insight into local Catholic culture.

Officially called Galtaji but usually referred to as Temple of the Sun God or simply the Monkey Temple, this temple complex of many names was built in the 18th century. Multiple storied water tanks, known as kunds, lead up to the main temple, with rounded roofs and pavilions typical to Rajasthan’s architectural traditions.

One of the largest forts in India, Chittaurgarh Fort—sometimes spelled Chittorgarh—is said to date back to the 7th century. The hilltop complex, which reigns supreme over the desert city of Chittor, comprises a series of temples, towers, and palaces, many of which are adorned with intricate carvings.

Devaraja Market is a bustling open-air shopping area full of colorful stalls that are loaded to the brim with fruits, vegetables, and flowers, along with incense, coffee beans, and heaping piles of spices. Though it's a great place to shop, Devaraja Market is equally worth visiting just to take photos and people watch.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) is one of the most prestigious and extensive art and history museums in India. While the exhibits are the main attraction here, its exteriors alone make it worth a visit, as it's housed in a domed Grade I Heritage–listed building in the Indo-Saracenic architectural style.

The Vidhana Soudha houses the legislature of the state of Karnataka and is the biggest legislative building in India. This imposing building is made of granite in a neo-Dravidian style with a few Indo-Saracenic architectural elements thrown in, such as its golden dome.

The Varanasi Ghats are sets of stairs that descend from the city down the banks and into the waters of the holy Ganges River. There are just under 100 individual ghats lining the river’s edge in this region, their steep steps making access to the river possible during both the wet and dry seasons.

Deep in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the Kanheri Caves comprise 109 basalt grottos that were carved between the first century BC and the 10th century AD. The caves served as Buddhist monastic dwellings for many centuries, and some of the newer ones feature intricate carvings, pillars, and even rock-cut cisterns.

The Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, is dedicated to the Hindu Lord Jagganath, an eastern Indian incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It’s a major pilgrimage site and one of the four sites (dhams) in India that devotees believe will lead to liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It’s a must-visit destination while in Puri, a city south of Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneshwar.

Built in the late 18th century, Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace served as a retreat for Mysore’s ruler. This beautiful teak structure—once part of Bangalore Fort—attracts visitors with its beautiful Indo-Islamic architecture, interior frescoes, and selection of ephemera, including Tipu Sultan images along with his robes and a crown.

The Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata is a symbol of both the city and of the entire British Raj. A tribute to Queen Victoria by the viceroy of India, the giant, white-marble building was erected over a 15-year period, starting in 1906. Today it houses a museum covering the history of the Raj and is surrounded by English-style gardens.

Situated on the banks of Ourem Creek in Panaji, Goa's capital city, the charming neighborhood of Fountainhas is dotted with charming old homes dating back to the mid 19th century. Fontainhas occupies land that was reclaimed in the 18th century and gets its name from the natural springs situated at the edge of the area.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the destroyer in the Hindu trinity, Babulnath Temple (Babulnath Mandir) is a beautiful, intricately carved building made of limestone and marble, situated atop a small hill. The current temple dates to 1890, but people have been worshiping at the site for much longer, and a previous temple was built there in the 18th century.

Built at the turn of the 17th century by Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini, this red-stone church is one of the oldest in India. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While it's dedicated to the baby Jesus, many people choose to visit because the basilica holds the remains of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa.

Jaipur is one of the best places in India to shop for handicrafts items, and some of the optimal places to pick up great bargains are located right in the heart of the Pink City. Bapu Bazaar offers a particularly good selection, with everything from jewelry to traditional Rajasthani textiles displayed colorfully in this lively market street.

Spread across 240 acres (97 hectares) full of plants and flowers, not to mention dozens of types of birds, the sprawling Lalbagh Botanical Gardens is one of Bangalore's best green spaces and a big part of how the city got its nickname: the Garden City. It's as popular with locals and tourists alike and is a great place for a morning jog.