Attractions of India

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar is a red sandstone tower, 72 metres high, that was constructed in the 13th century. It is surrounded by funerary buildings, including the Alai-Darwaza Gate built in 1311, and two mosques including the Quwwatu'l-Islam (Might of Islam), the oldest in northern India.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi

The city of Varanasi, located on the banks of the Ganges River, is the holiest Hindu site in India. Hindu pilgrims flock here from all over India to bathe in the Ganges, along the 4km of ghats, or steps, that lead down to the river. A boat ride on the river, especially at dawn, to watch this religious ritual is an extraordinary experience. There are also a number of burning ghats where cremations take place. The city itself, supposedly one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, is a chaotic and crowded place, but fascinating to wander its winding streets amongst temples and bazaars, which specialise in selling silk.

Sarnath, located just 10km from Varanasi, is the site where Buddha preached his first sermon after attaining enlightenment 2,500 years ago and is therefore an important site of pilgrimage for Buddhists. The Dharmarajka and the Dhamekh Stupas lie on the spot where he first espoused the Buddhist teachings. The nearby Ashoka Pillar and monastery housed some 1,500 monks at its height before destruction by Muslim armies. Rediscovered by British archaeologists in the 19th century, it has been restored and is now one of Buddhism's holiest sites.

Located in Bihar Province on the plains of the Ganges, Bodh Gaya is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world as the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment in 531 BC. Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims flock to the Mahabodhi temple, built in the 6th century AD on the site of the original temple built in the 3rd century BC. One of the oldest Buddhist brick temples in India, Mahabodhi is topped by a 50 metre spire. Other items of interest here are 25 metre high statue of Buddha and the giant Bodhi tree which is supposed to be the direct descendant of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha achieved supreme insight.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

Ranakpur

Ranakpur is home to the largest and most important Jain temple complex in India. Located in a secluded wooded valley, the temples date back to the 15th century when they were built by the Jains who served in the courts of the rulers of Udaipur. The Adinath Temple is the main temple in the complex, carved from marble and comprising 29 halls supported by 1444 columns, each intricately carved with different designs.

The lakeside oasis town of Pushkar is a quiet and peaceful place for most of the year, visited by pilgrims attracted to its sacred lake and the temple to the Hindu god Brahma, one of the few in India. The temples and bazaars on the lakeside are worthy of exploration and the views over the lake, with the temples reflected in the waters, are stunning. Every year during the November Full Moon, Pushkar comes alive when thousands of people visit for its famous Camel Fair.

Leh is the capital of the Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas and is situated at an altitude of 3,500 metres on the banks of the Indus River. Leh is a small town inhabited mostly by Lamaistic Buddhists and the Buddhist monasteries, or gompas, are its main attraction. Hemis Gompa is located 48km south of Leh and is the largest and most important monastery in Ladakh, containing golden statues, gem-studded stupas, rare books and fine paintings of the Buddha. Tikse monastery is 12 stories high and perched on a hill, while Shey Gompa, previously the summer palace of the Ladakhi kings, has a magnificent 350 year old and 12 metre high gold-plated copper statue of Buddha. Further west lie Likir Gompa, a beautiful building reminiscent of the Potala Palace in Lhasa and guarded by a 10 metre statue of Buddha, and Alchi Gompa, the most important cultural site in Ladakh which dates to the 11th century and has magnificent Kashmiri Buddhist artwork, quite distinct from the Tibetan art found elsewhere in Ladakh.

Dharamsala

The old British hill station of Dharamsala was a quiet and anonymous town until 1959 when the Dalai Lama settled here after the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The town has a strong Tibetan influence, especially in its upper part of McLeodganj, located 500 metres above Lower Dharamsala. It's possible to catch a public audience of the Dalai Lama here while Tibetan buildings of note include the Namgyal Monastery with its Kalachakra Temple, the Thekchen Choling temple, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Nechung Monastery and the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute. The ridge of Triund above town at 2827 metres offers a pleasant trek and spectacular views of the town and the Dhaula Dhar Mountains to the north-east and the Kangra Valley to the south-west.

Amritsar in Punjab Province is Sikh's holiest city with its main attraction, the magnificent and serene Golden Temple, being their main shrine. The temple, which was built in 1803, is made from marble, copper and pure gold leaf and is surrounded by tanks of holy water in which the Sikh pilgrims bathe. The temple fuses Hindu and Islamic influences, with its main dome covered in over 700kg of pure gold. While there, you will hear the continuous recital from the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, known as the Akhand Path. Close to Amritsar is the only land border crossing with Pakistan at Wagah where a ceremonial changing of the guards and lowering of the flags takes place each day at sunset, with the Indian and Pakistani guards trying to out-do each other.

The sun temple at Konârak is one of India's most famous Brahmin sanctuaries, constructed in the 13th century as a representation of the chariot of the Sun God Surya. The chariot has 24 wheels with symbolic designs referring to the cycle of seasons and the months and is led by seven horses. The temple is located on the Bay of Bengal to capture the rays of the rising sun.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sun Temple, Konârak

Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim, located between Nepal and Bhutan, which was annexed by India in 1975. Steeped in Tibetan culture, the town offers spectacular views of the Himalayan peaks. Its attractions include the Drodul Chorten surrounded by 108 prayer wheels which commemorates the victory of good over evil, the Institute of Tibetology which contains numerous priceless religious paintings (thangkas), statues and Buddhist books and manuscripts and the Rumtek Monastery outside of town, the largest in Sikkim and the headquarters of the Kagyupa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Pemayangste Monastery is the principal monastery of Sikkim, founded in the 17th century, and the centre of the Nyingmapa sect. This is a mystical type of Tantric Buddhism derived from Tibetan Lamaism, whose monks are characterised by the red caps they wear. Nearby lies Kecheopelri or the Wishing Lake, the holiest lake in Sikkim and a place of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus.

The Khajuraho Temples were built by the Chandela dynasty between 950 and 1050 and were lost in the forest for many centuries before being rediscovered by a British officer in the 19th century. Only about 20 of the original 85 temples remain but they are considered to be amongst the finest temples in India and masterpieces of Indian art. Belonging to both Hinduism and Jainism, each temple is dedicated to a specific god and are renowned for the eroticism of their intricate carvings. Temples of note include the Lakshmana Temple dedicated to Vishnu, the Shiva temple of Kandariya-Mahadev (both in the Western Complex) and the Jain Temple of Parsvanath in the Eastern Complex.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Khajuraho Group of Monuments

The Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC and it is the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in existence. The complex comprises monuments, monolithic pillars, palaces, temples and a monastery. The principal monument, Stupa 1, is a 36 metre high mound of sandstone, surrounded by porticoes with stone railings and richly decorated gateways.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi

The town of Bijapur is famous for the Gol Gumbaz, the vast mausoleum of its 17th century ruler Mohammed Adil Shah. The mausoleum has a vast dome 38 metres in diameter, second only to St. Peter's in Rome, which has a famous whispering gallery. The Jami Masjid Mosque with graceful, slender minarets is regarded as one of the most beautiful in India.

The Elephanta Caves are located on the island on Elephanta in the Arabian Sea close to Mumbai. There are seven caves, each with decorated temples and images from Hindu mythology, which date from the 5th to the 8th centuries AD.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Elephanta Caves

Ajanta Caves

The Ajanta Caves are a series of 29 cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BC to the 7th century AD. Cut from hillside rock, there are 5 temples and 24 monasteries which contain carvings that depict the life of Buddha. In AD 650 they were abandoned in favour of the Ellora Caves 100km to the south-west but were rediscovered by a British tiger hunting party in 1819.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ajanta Caves

Ellora Caves

The Ellora Caves comprise 34 monasteries and temples which were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Dating from 600-1000 AD, there are Buddhist, Jain and Brahmin temples, each peacefully co-existing side by side. The caves have remarkable reliefs and sculptures. The Kailasa Temple in particular is a rock-cut masterpiece - 3 million cubic metres of rock were removed to create the temple which is carved with intricate detail.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ellora Caves

Mahabalipuram is famous for rock-carved monuments created by the Pallava dynasty between the 6th and 8th centuries AD. These are located on a rocky outcrop along the Coromandel coast. They include the Shore Temple overlooking the beachfront with shrines dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, the temple of Rivage with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva, giant open-air reliefs such as Arjuna's Penance, the world's largest, which tell the story of the 'Descent of the Ganges', five ratha temples in the form of chariots and mandapa rock sanctuaries covered in bas-reliefs. Amidst the historic monuments, Mahabalipuram is a coastal retreat famed for its sandy beaches and delicious seafood.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

Dedicated to the 'fish-eyed goddess' and consort of Shiva, Meenakshi Temple is an extraordinary complex at the heart of the city of Madurai. Built between the 16th and 18th centuries, the temple is one of the finest examples of Dravidian architecture and is a constant hive of activity. The temple has nine towering gopurams (monumental gates) with colourful stucco images of gods, goddesses and animals. Inside are numerous temple halls and 12 huge sikaras or towers surrounding the Golden Lotus Tank where worshippers bathe before entering the shrines. The 16th century Thousand Pillared Hall has exquisitely carved columns and a sculptured ceiling which depicts a wheel showing the 60 Tamil years. Each evening there is a closing ceremony which returns an image of Shiva to his resting place and comprises chanting priests, drummers and torch-bearers.

Kochi is set on a cluster of peninsulas and islands in the Indian Ocean, forming an excellent natural harbour. Fort Kochi is the historical part of the city, the site of the first European colonisation in 1500 and a mix of English, Dutch and Portuguese influences. The Mattancherry Palace was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century but later renovated by the Dutch - it has well preserved murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana. The Mattancherry Jewish synagogue, dating from the 16th century, is a reminder of the Jewish population which first arrived in the 6th century BC, with a small group remaining today. St Francis Church is the oldest Christian church in India, built by Portuguese Franciscans in 1503. Elsewhere, the famous cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, dating from the 14th century, line the entrance to the harbour and are a reminder of Kochi's trade links with the rest of the world. Kochi is also famous for its Kathakali dancers with their elaborately painted faces, who portray events from the Indian epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Old Goa

Goa was a Portuguese colony from 1510 until 1961 when India regained control. The Portuguese influence is still strongly felt however, particularly in the Catholic churches of Old Goa. The Church of Bom Jesus contains the tomb of the Catholic missionary St Francis Xavier. Other notable churches are the Church of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anne's Church.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Churches and Convents of Goa