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

Unusual
Attractions
in India

Chand Baori

Chand Baori

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

27.0073, 76.6065

Added by Annetta Black

Root Bridges of Cherrapunji

Cherrapunjee, India

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji

Centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots.

25.2186, 91.6626

Added by bertieinindia

Palace of the Winds.

Palace of Winds

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

26.9124, 75.7873

Human Skeletons in Skeleton Lake in Roopkund

Skeleton Lake of Roopkund, India

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

30.2620, 79.7320

Jal Mahal

Jal Mahal

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

26.9537, 75.8463

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.

20.0229, 75.1792

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.

30.7529, 76.8065

Added by mbison

Shatrunjaya Hill

A mecca for India's Jains.

21.4830, 71.7947

Added by Alicia Bones

See All 109 Things to Do in India See All 109 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
from India

Feni

Gastro Obscura

Feni

This triple-distilled cashew fruit liquor is a source of Goan pride.

Gastro Obscura

Added by JamesRUDD

Doodh Soda

Gastro Obscura

Doodh Soda

Soda mixed with milk creates this frosty, creamy drink.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anne Ewbank

Kanji

Gastro Obscura

Kanji

This fermented purple carrot elixir practically makes itself.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Red Ant Chutney

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Red Ant Chutney

Indian harvesters endure painful bites to make an intensely spicy paste.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Gurvinder

See All 12 Must-Eats in India See All 12 Must-Eats

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OldEarlGreg wants to go to Agrasen ki Baoli

pbrahma wants to go to Skeleton Lake of Roopkund, India

sarmarcal wants to go to Stepped Tanks of Hampi

jacksonhotaling wants to go to Jal Mahal

jacksonhotaling wants to go to Hijron ka Khanqah

Stories
About India

$Demonstrating the mirror's zero-refraction characteristics.$

See Yourself As You Truly Are in This Mysterious Metal Mirror

Made in Kerala, the "Aranmula kannadi" won't distort your reflection.

by Savera John and Susan Paul

Through the whole of its existence, the Great Hedge of India was beset by difficulties and never quite accomplished its purpose.

The British Once Built a 1,100-Mile Hedge Through the Middle of India

This quixotic colonial barrier was meant to enforce taxes.

by Sarah Laskow

January 09, 2018

<em>Babur Being Entertained in Ghazni</em>, from the
<em>Baburnama</em>, the memoirs of Ẓahīr al-din Muhammad.

The Conqueror Who Longed for Melons

Many Indian dishes can be traced back, indirectly, to a 16th-century, food-obsessed ruler named Babur.

November 15, 2017

Dr. Sri. Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, the founder of Shuka Vana.

Inside India's Record-Breaking Aviary

Shuka Vana is home to 468 bird species, more than any similar collection in the world.

by Deepa Padmanaban

September 29, 2017

The moves in kushti never feel hurried or awkward.

Inside the Muddy Wrestling Rings of Varanasi

In these gyms, known as akhadas, men of all ages practice a traditional form of wrestling known as kushti or pehlwani.

by Charukesi Ramadurai

<em>Tiger on a Tree</em>.

This 'Indian Dr. Seuss' Is Very Fond of Nonsense

Her name is Anushka Ravishankar and she specializes in silliness.

by Saritha Rao Rayachoti

Rocking horses are one of the most popular purchases at Channapatna.

India's 'Land of Toys' Has an Uncertain Future

Channapatna's wooden creations are on the brink of fading out in the next couple of decades.

by Charukesi Ramadurai

Deaf commuters converse in a Mumbai railway car.

Inside the Mumbai Deaf Community's Unique Public Transit Culture

The city's rail system offers deaf riders special compartments that double as bustling meet-up spots.

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