All India

The Atlas Obscura Guide To India

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

Updated October 7, 2026
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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Agra
  2. Ahmedabad
  3. Bengaluru
  4. Candolim
  5. Chamoli
  6. Chennai
  7. Cherrapunjee
  8. Chittorgarh
  9. Darjeeling
  10. Hampi
  11. Hyderabad
  12. Jaipur
  13. Jodhpur
  14. Kanyakumari
  15. Kolkata
  16. Lucknow
  17. Mahabalipuram
  18. Mandu
  19. Menawali
  20. Mumbai
  21. Murshidabad
  22. Mysore
  23. New Delhi
  24. Panaji
  25. Pune
  26. Srinagar
  27. Varanasi
  28. Velha Goa

Unusual Attractions in India

Places

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See All 406 Things To Do in India

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in India

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore India

Architecture 101
History & Culture 72
Temples 59
Sacred Spaces 37
Religion 35
History 34
Hinduism 33
Forts 28

India Leaderboard

Recent India Activity

Stories About India

My homemade namkeen jave from North India, loaded with toppings.

What Kinds of Pasta Are There in India?

It's not just fusion.
by Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura
Left to right: green, black, Chinese, white, and Ethiopian cardamoms.

A Guide to the Cardamoms of the World

The Cardamom Expanded Universe is bigger than you think.
by Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura
At India’s oldest and largest chess manufacturing company, master craftsman Surinder Pal holds the exclusive title of knight carver. Known as the most tedious chess piece to work on, they must be done entirely by hand. Today, knight carvers are well respected and increasingly hard to come by.

Masters of the Knight: The Art of Chess Carving in India

In Amritsar, artisans have hand-carved the most complicated pieces in the game for generations.
by Roxanne Hoorn, Atlas Obscura
By scavenging from trash heaps, greater adjutants serve an important role as cleaners.

How an Army of 'Stork Sisters' Protects Assam's Endangered, Muppet-like Birds

Greater adjutants may look straight out of "The Dark Crystal," but they play an important role in cleaning their environment.
by Carla Rhodes, Atlas Obscura
A display at the Global Conference of Millets in 2023 featured a millet map of India.

In India, Music Helps Spread the Message of Millets

New and ancient songs show that there’s more to reviving a crop than planting seeds.
by Andrew Coletti, Atlas Obscura
A fresco from a mansion, or haveli, depicting the sharing of a drink. In Rajput culture, the munawwar piyala meaning “cup of request” is liquor offered to guests during gatherings, especially marriages.

The Resurrection of Rajasthan’s Royal Liquors

After fading away post-Independence, Heritage Liquors are back and, this time, everyone can sip them.
by N.C. Stevens, Atlas Obscura
A highway rest stop has become a gulab jamun hot spot.

The Indian Village That Revolves Around Gulab Jamuns

More than two dozen shops in Maigalganj sell this famous dessert.
by Teja Lele, Atlas Obscura

The Itinerant Princess Who Chronicled Akbar’s Mughal Empire

The daughter, sister, and aunt of emperors, Gulbadan Begum wrote of a Mughal Empire few witnessed.
by Ruby Lal, Atlas Obscura

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

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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