174 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.

Cherrapunjee, India

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji

Centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots.

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.

Jal Mahal

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

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.

Shatrunjaya Hill

A mecca for India's Jains.

The Blue City of Jodhpur

Once an indicator of social class, the color blue has come to define this city on the edge of the Thar Desert.

See All 174 Things to Do in India See All 174 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in India

Szechuan Button

This herb gives cocktails another kind of buzz.

Pista Burfi

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

Falooda

A 2,500-year-old Persian dessert evolved into this Indian summertime favorite.

Chai at Sahu Tea Shop

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

See all 36 things to eat in India See all 36 things to eat in India

Atlas Obscura Trips

Food & Faith Along India's Southwestern Coast

Journey along the western coast of South India, exploring how the distinct cultures and cuisines of the Malabar region came to be—and continue to evolve.

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Stories
About India

The mango button lock opens only when you turn the key after pressing a hidden button.

The Devilishly Difficult Locks of Dindigul

These unique handcrafted mechanisms are designed to protect homes, confound cashiers, and outthink thieves.

by Kamala Thiagarajan

February 21, 2020

The living bridges are vital in the rainy season.

Toward a Better Understanding of South Asia's 'Living Bridges'

Human and plant, working together.

by Isaac Schultz

December 16, 2019

Grains of different varieties of rice that have broken away from their panicles.

The Conservationist Saving India's Heirloom Rice Varieties

A tiny plot of land in eastern India safeguards 1,420 kinds of rare indigenous rice.

by Rohini Chaki

November 25, 2019

Mononymous artist Mahalaxmi shows some of her Mithila paintings inside her home in Ranti, a small village in Bihar, India.

India and Nepal’s Mithila Art Is Having a Feminist Renaissance

As the region changes apace, so does an ancient style of painting.

by Tricia Taormina

November 20, 2019

At Dombo's food stall in Araku, bamboo biryani cooks over an open flame.

The Biryani Cooked Inside Bamboo

A tourism bureau's embrace of a tribal dish brings both promise and peril.

by Namrata Kolachalam

October 16, 2019

Smith in Alleppey, Kerala, where the backwater meets the sea.

On the Road in India With Atlas Obscura's First Journey Winner

Jenn Smith shares what it's been like so far to finally visit the country where she was born.

by Sommer Mathis

October 14, 2019

Jharkhand state government officials visit Ajam Emba's stall at the annual Dumka bamboo festival.

The Restaurant Putting India's Disappearing Tribal Cuisine Back on the Menu

In a Ranchi kitchen, local women fight to save indigenous food, one bowl of fish curry at a time.

by Reina Gattuso

October 3, 2019

Whatever happened here didn't just happen once.

The Bones at India's Mysterious 'Skeleton Lake' Came From All Over

New research reveals that the hundreds of anonymous dead spanned both continents and centuries.

by Matthew Taub

August 21, 2019

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