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The Atlas Obscura Guide To India

250 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in India

Updated June 7, 2023

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Cities

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  1. Agra
  2. Ahmedabad
  3. Chamoli
  4. Chennai
  5. Cherrapunjee
  6. Chittorgarh
  7. Darjeeling
  8. Hampi
  9. Hyderabad
  10. Jaipur
  11. Jodhpur
  12. Kanyakumari
  13. Kolkata
  14. Lucknow
  15. Mahabalipuram
  16. Mandu
  17. Mumbai
  18. Murshidabad
  19. Mysore
  20. New Delhi
  21. Pune
  22. Varanasi
  23. Velha Goa

Unusual Attractions in India

See All 250 Things To Do in India

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in India

See all 10 Places to Eat in India
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Temples 42
History & Culture 38
Sacred Spaces 35
Religion 29
History 25
Ruins 22
Forts 21
Hinduism 21

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Stories About India

To reduce the risk of conflict between humans and elephants, scientists are looking at the situation from the animals' perspective.

To Reduce Conflicts With Humans, Get Inside an Elephant's Head

Understanding how the giant mammals weigh risk and reward could help prevent clashes with people.
by Mridula Chari
Hally War, a 68-year-old farmer from Siej village, learned the art of creating a jingkieng jri—as the living root bridges are locally known—from his grandfather.

The Artisans Behind India's Living Root Bridges

For half a century, Hally War has been growing a bridge across a local river—and between past and present.
by Dania Rodrigues
Bene Israel Jews prepare malida platters for thanksgiving ceremonies for the Prophet Elijah.

The Woman Preserving the Endangered Cuisine of Indian Jews

Esther David traveled from the spice port of Cochin to the mountains of Mizoram to record this culinary culture.
by Sam Lin-Sommer
Photographer Aakash Selvan used a drone to to capture this "Floating Islands" image of living phumdis on northeastern India's Loktak Lake.

Can Loktak Lake's Wondrous Floating Islands Bounce Back?

A photographer's drone's-eye image of the famous phumdis of northeastern India shows a unique environment undergoing change.
by Gemma Tarlach
Tana Luciya Joji practices a wheelie on a quiet stretch of asphalt in Kerala, India.

In India, These Trailblazing Female Stunt Bikers Rule the Road

For decades, these women have fought (and won) the right to stunt.
by Shubha Menon
Buland Darwaza (Door of Victory) at Fatehpur Sikri, the one-time capital of the Mughal Empire.

Clues in Caves Suggest Drought May Have Brought Down India's Mughal Empire

Patterns in 1,000-year-old stalagmite formation connect the fall of empires, kingdoms, and industries to long and deadly dry periods.
by Gayatri Kathayat

The Mughal Women Who Wouldn’t Stay in the Harem

From musket-wielding empress Nur Jahan to writer Gulbadan Begum, meet the influential women of the early-modern Muslim empire.
by Sarah Durn
A community mango event in Kannapuram.

One Indian Village, More Than 100 Varieties of Mangoes

Kannapuram locals are documenting and conserving the many kinds of their favorite fruit.
by Rashmi Gopal Rao

Lists Featuring India

Fierce little cat.
Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.
Oh, hello!
Little Spotted Kiwi

10 Ethical Animal Places to Visit in 2019

Unique experiences from Nairobi to Chiang Mai.

12

Including Cat Island, Elephant Nature Park , and India's Giant Technicolor Squirrels

Rats of Karni Mata Temple
Paxton Gate Exterior
Albino Squirrels of Olney, Illinois

A Rat Lover's Tour of the World

15 places where rodents are celebrated, feared, preserved, and studied.

15

Including Karni Mata Temple, Nutty Narrows Bridge, and Paxton Gate

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