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The Atlas Obscura Guide To India

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

Updated February 1, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in India

Abhaneri, India

Chand Baori

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

Jaipur, India

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds)

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

Cherrapunjee, India

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji

Centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots.

Chamoli, India

Skeletons of Roopkund Lake

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

Jaipur, India

Jal Mahal

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

Verul, India

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.

Jodhpur, India

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.

Gheti, India

Shatrunjaya Hill

A mecca for India's Jains.

See All 231 Things To Do in India

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in India

Amritsar, India

Golden Temple

This peaceful Sikh gurudwara serves around 50,000 free meals every day within its gilded walls.

New Delhi, India

Cafe Lota

Nestled among the artifacts of the National Crafts Museum, this hidden gem offers hard-to-find regional foods from all over India.

Kolkata, India

Nahoum and Sons

This Jewish bakery, among the last in the region, sells legendary sweets from a century-old storefront.

Mysore, India

Guru Sweet Mart

At this sweet shop, the descendants of a royal chef serve up the fudge-like dessert his ancestor invented for a king.

See all 10 Places to Eat in India

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Temples 42

Sacred Spaces 35

History & Culture 30

Religion 27

History 22

Hinduism 21

Ruins 21

Architectural Oddities 20

Forts 20

Water 14

Animals 13

Buddhism 12

Unique Restaurants & Bars 4

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wants to go to Hijron ka Khanqah
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wants to go to Anjuna Flea Market

Stories About India

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

January 31, 2023

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

January 25, 2023

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

September 26, 2022

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.

August 31, 2022

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

What Should Be Done With India’s ‘Man-Eating’ Tigers?

As deadly encounters increase, farmers, urbanites, and authorities disagree on how to handle big cats gone bad.

by Niranjana Rajalakshmi

The Last Cheesemakers of the Eastern Himalayas

India and Bhutan's yak herders face steep challenges.

by Jitaditya Narzary

Strawberry Curry Is a Modern Twist on an Old Tradition

Fruit curries have a sweet and savory history.

by Sejal Sukhadwala

Lists Featuring India

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Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.

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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.

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

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