153 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in India - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in India

Chand Baori

Thousands of exquisitely carved stone water storage wells, hundreds of stone steps fill this exquisite medieval stepwell.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Cherrapunjee, India

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji

Centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots.

bertieinindia

Added by bertieinindia

Palace of Winds

The 953 windows undoubtedly make this the world's most beautiful screened porch.

Skeleton Lake of Roopkund, India

A lake with hundreds of ancient skeletons surrounding it. The surprise is what killed them…

Dylan

Jal Mahal

More than half of this Indian palace is drowned but it looks all the more spectacular for it.

Chris White

Added by Chris White

Ellora Caves

This complex of vertically-excavated Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu monolithic temples in India's Maharashtra providence illustrates a spirit of tolerance characteristic of ancient India.

capvt

Shatrunjaya Hill

A mecca for India's Jains.

Alicia Bones

Added by Alicia Bones

Chandigarh, India

Nek Chand Saini

A palatial sculpture park, built illegally and in secret by a self-taught artist over a period of 36 years.

Added by mbison

See All 153 Things to Do in India See All 153 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in India

Szechuan Button

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Szechuan Button

This herb gives cocktails another kind of buzz.

Gastro Obscura

sarahcorsa

Added by sarahcorsa

Pista Burfi

Gastro Obscura

Pista Burfi

The pistachio fudge makes a vibrant accompaniment to celebrations in Northern India.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Chai at Sahu Tea Shop

Gastro Obscura

Chai at Sahu Tea Shop

In an unassuming shop in Jaipur, a family has been serving highly addictive chai for decades.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anita Squared

Kala Jamun

Gastro Obscura

Kala Jamun

These dark fried milk balls are flecked with gold and dipped in scented syrup.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

See all 33 things to eat in India See all 33 things to eat in India

Atlas Obscura Trips

Northern India’s Colorful Cities, Villages, and Celebrations

Oct 23—Nov 3, 2019

Visit towering forts and palaces, explore local villages, experience Diwali with an Indian family, wander centuries-old ruins, learn to cook in a family home, and witness the sunrise over the Taj Mahal and the River Ganges on this immersive tour of Delhi, Rajasthan, and Varanasi.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Northern India’s Colorful Cities, Villages, and Celebrations

Visit towering forts and palaces, explore local villages, experience Diwali with an Indian family, wander centuries-old ruins, learn to cook in a family home, and witness the sunrise over the Taj Mahal and the River Ganges on this immersive tour of Delhi, Rajasthan, and Varanasi.

Tao Tao Holmes / Atlas Obscura

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Stories
About India

A worker uses a gas cutter to dismantle a disused vessel at Alang Shipbreaking Yard.

A Unique Bric-a-Brac Market Sells Salvaged Goods From Broken Ships

At Alang on the western coast of India, you may find second-hand doors, lifebuoys, and light bulbs.

In the 1790 painting <em>Bhang Eaters Before Two Huts</em>, by Pemji, a group of men mix and consume bhang.

This British Colonial Report Offers a Rare Glimpse Into India's Historic Cannabis Cuisine

And a description of some very stoned canines.

by Reina Gattuso

Yes, it is very tall.

Nepal's Mounting an Expedition to Discover if Everest Has Shrunk

The long history of measuring the world’s highest point.

by Jonathan Carey

Mmm, curry.

The Subversive, Surprising History of Curry Powder

One of India’s most popular gastronomic exports tells a tale of empire.

by Rohini Chaki

An 18th-century portrait, likely of William Fullerton, a British East India Company official and mayor of Calcutta (Kolkata).

In India, the British Hyped Potatoes to Justify Colonialism

The British East India Company handed out seeds and bribes to farmers willing to grow the humble spud.

In an image from James Skinner's book on life in India, a surgeon works on the leg of a patient as he takes opium.

Centuries of Persian Manuscripts, Now at Your Fingertips

A deep, cosmopolitan archive appears online for the first time.

by Jonathan Carey

Thums Up's marketing enjoined consumers to "Taste the Thunder!'

When India Kicked Out Coca-Cola, Local Sodas Thrived

Some still reign today.

by Kylie Obermeier

February 15, 2019

Conservationists identified and reintroduced the garden's original foliage.

Two Centuries-Old Riverfront Gardens in India Return to Full Bloom

A new life for treasures just across the river from the Taj Mahal.

by Evan Nicole Brown

January 11, 2019

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