Top 10 Attractions to Visit in India
As one of the oldest ancient civilizations, India is rich in diversified cultural heritage as well as gorgeous tourism resources. When you take a trip to India, your travel concept will always be refreshed. From the snow-capped mountains in the far north to the sunny, humid, and hot beaches in the south, the vast land covers more than 20 world cultural heritages. In addition to its overwhelming natural landscape, magnificent temples and palaces, ancient towering castles overlooking deep valleys and numerous sacred attractions are waiting for your exploration.
Taj Mahal
Situated in Agra City in Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983, and is distinguished as "the treasure of Indian Muslim art" and "one of the classic masterpieces in the world heritage". Taj Mahal is a huge mausoleum built by Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor to immortalize his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The masterpiece, which took 22 years to finish is inlaid with pure white marble, gems, and agates. The staggering beauty of the carvings and inlay work of the Taj Mahal has been well maintained for more than 300 years. The magnificent complex consists of the main mausoleum, Persian garden, mosque, bell towers, minarets, and pools. The most stunning architecture is the intricately carved marble domed structure, which houses Shah Jahan and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Although the Taj Mahal displays abundant levels of colors with a delicate touch at different times of the day, the golden hour is just after sunrise when the first wave of tourists enters the park. Another excellent option is to reach the other side of the Yamuna River and enjoy the Taj Mahal before sunset. One glance at the Taj Mahal and you instantly know why it is one of the most photographed places on Earth.
Taj Mahal
Amber Fort
Situated on the outskirts of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, Amber Fort was once the capital of the princely Jaipur state and the fort's residence of its Rajput rulers. Amber Fort is a must-visit for all tourists, due to its profound history, architecture, artistic skills, and amazing scenery. Located on a hill, this magnificent palace is made of red sandstone and marble. It is divided into four floors, each with a courtyard. During the awesome 2-3 hours visit, you can get a full view of the Lion Gate of the palace, stunning marble carving techniques, exquisite windows, unique Indian courtyards, as well as rooms displaying the life scenes of kings and nobles in the past.
But I guess the best part is sheesh mahal. Countless small mirrors on the palace wall are fabulous shining in the sun. These all well explained why Amber Castle is famous worldwide for its artistic elements. It is really hard to imagine how much manpower and resources have been required to complete such a huge complex.
Hawa Mahal
As a landmark in Jaipur, Hawa Mahal built from red and pink sandstone in 1799, is located on the main road of Jaipur. The unique five-story building looks like a huge pink "wall", which is densely covered with 953 honeycomb windows, hollowed out with red sandstone. The design intends to allow the royal ladies by then who had to abide by the strict "purdah" rule, to be able to watch the daily life, the local market as well as festival activities on the street without being seen by the public. This structure also allows wind to blow into any part of the palace, which makes summer visits a cool thing. During windy days, the wind will blow through the front and rear windows without blowing down the building as long as the windows keep being opened, so it is named the "Palace of Wind".
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
Agra Red Fort
The world-famous love shrine, the Taj Mahal, is located in Agra. But the Taj Mahal is not the only attraction in Agra. Agra Fort is located on the hill beside the Yamuna River, about 1.5 km away from the Taj Mahal. It was all built of red sandstone over 400 years ago, so it is also called the Red Fort. The palace castle with an area of 380000 square meters is very magnificent in appearance. This castle has experienced Mughal Akbar, Shah Jahan, Jahangir, Aurangzeb, and many other emperors. Although the palaces in the city have been in disrepair for many years, the exquisite carvings and designs on the painted beams and walls still vaguely preserve the former magnificent style. There are about 500 buildings in the whole castle, which is a grand and magnificent collection of Hindu and Islamic architectural art. Various mosques in Agra Fort are quite well-known, such as Jehangir's palace, and Moti Masjid. Octagonal Tower, the place where Shah Jahan had been imprisoned for eight years.
Jama Masjid Mosque
In front of the Red Fort is another landmark of Old Delhi, the Jama Masjid Mosque, as well as one of the largest mosques in India, with a huge white marble dome and red sandstone walls, decorated with golden topping and delicate reliefs. As you take off your shoes and walk through the marvel northern gate, you will get to the large courtyard with a pool and a large flock of pigeons. If you are lucky, you can capture a sacred image against the backdrop of the Jama Masjid, with the blue sky and the cloud-like pigeons hovering above. If your trip happens to coincide with the day around the Feast of Sacrifice, you can see thousands of people performing the Salah to show their devotion. Inside the main building is the prayer hall with inlaid details of its interior arches, a good place to visit as well as a holy state to join in the prayers.
The Ganges River
The Ganges River, the sacred river and mother river of Indians, is regarded as the most sacred symbol by Hindus. This longest and widest river in South Asia passes through many cities in India. Varanasi is the largest holy city on the bank of the Ganges River, and the riverside scenery is even more spectacular. Numerous myths and religious legends constitute the unique customs on both sides of the Ganges River. Even after thousands of years of civilization, people on both sides of the Ganges River still maintain ancient customs. Therefore, the scenery along the Ganges River is always the most distinctive and attractive charm of this country. By the Ganges River, devout Hindus can be seen from morning to night, such as morning bathing, worship, holy water bathing, and sometimes even water burial. When some great festivals happen, believers will flock to the Ganges River for the grand sacrifice ceremony, which is very spectacular.
Amritsar Golden Temple
Amritsar Golden Temple is the largest temple of Sikhism in India. It is located in the center of Amritsar, the border city of India. The construction of the whole Golden Temple costs 750 kg of gold. This building, known as the "gem on the crown of Sikhism", is a combination of Islamic and Hindu architecture. This two-story building is covered with pure gold and surrounded by a man-made lake which is 5.1 meters in depth. This legendary religious temple is not only a tourist attraction but also one of the most sacred places for Sikh believers. Many of them make pilgrimages to the temple at least once in their lives.
Amritsar Golden Temple
Kerala Back Waters
While traveling in Kerala state in southern India, the boat cruise is ranked as one of India's most highly recommended experiences. Riding a houseboat is a fabulous way to discover the Kerala backwaters. It is an experience you will remember for life while immersed in nature with such greenery, blue lakes, diverse wildlife, and villages along these waters. No wonder tourists are impressed by the view of Kerala backwaters while relaxing in a fancy boat with well-designed windows, nice facilities, high-quality service, and open-air space to enjoy the breathtaking scenery from multiple spots, which feels like a heavenly form in the bosom of cosmic nature.
Backwaters de Kerala, Alleppey
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Located in Tamil Nadu, India, Meenakshi Amman Temple(Also named Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam) is the most famous temple in South India. With a history of more than 1000 years, Meenakshi Amman Temple attracts people from all over the world with its lifelike and exquisite statues. It is an outstanding representative of architecture, sculpture, painting, and other arts in South India, and pilgrims come here from all directions every day. Meenakshi Amman Temple boasts 14 towers covered with 33,000 colorful sculptures. Its various minor quadrangular complexes, outstanding vimanas, hall of 1000 pillars, musical pillars, golden lotus tank, and parrot cage are some fascinating highlights of the temple.
Ajanta and Ellora Caves
Situated in Maharashtra, Ajanta and Ellora Caves are both masterpieces with magnificent historical and archaeological values. These rock-cut Buddhist caves can be traced back to the 2nd century BC to 800 AD. Every year tourists from all over the world come here to witness the exquisite carvings. The 34 rock-cut caves of Ellora and the 24 caves in Ajanta are worth an explore.
The caves in Ajanta, which are mainly composed of stone-carved monuments are mainly devoted to Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhists, meanwhile, the Ellora caves contain monuments built by India, Buddhism, and Jainism during the Rashtra Kuta Empire.
Ajanta Caves
India may not be a well-developed country with high-quality facilities. However, you will surely be deeply attracted by her rich cultural heritage and religious features. With a variety of mysterious cultural and historic sites, India has become one of the most visited countries in Asia. No wonder people say that the charm of India can only be realized after a few days of staying in this country by immersing in those fabulous sites.
If you're planning to travel to India and explore its unique charm with your own eyes, please don't hesitate to contact us, just simply tell us your interests and needs, and one of our travel experts will create a tailor-made itinerary for you within 24hrs.
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