Top 4 Places to Visit in India

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India has traditions, culture and history that goes back thousands of years in the past, unfortunately most of the itineraries to this country focus on visiting the same places, the famous golden triangle, leaving aside many attractions that show part of this past.

These places are a sample of the unique and spectacular that this country is. Personally, each of them impressed me much more than the Taj Mahal.

1. Ranakpur Temple in Udaipur

One of the places to visit in the golden triangle route is Jaipur but in my opinion Udaipur is better. This small town is located on the banks of an artificial lake built in 1362 AD.

At the center of the lake is an old imperial summer residence, The Lake Palace, which today has been transformed into a luxury hotel . If your budget forces you to stay in a cheaper hotel in Udaipur , you can still visit this hotel and have a drink in the bar, while paying attention in the surroundings of the place.

If visiting a thousand-year-old city with a palace in the middle of an artificial lake does not call you at all, then it will. During your stay in the city, reserve a day to take a short excursion to the Ranakpur Temple or the temple of a thousand columns.

This temple is built entirely in marble and has 1444 columns engraved with spectacular detail.

To enter you will have to follow certain rules because it is a Jain temple. Jainism is a religion that professes nonviolence towards all living beings, some people who profess religion reach certain extremes like wearing masks to avoid swallowing by mistake some insect or walking they use a fan to move any living being that might be in the path.

No, it will not be so extreme for tourists but you are forbidden to enter wearing anything that is leather, you will have to go barefoot, not climb the altars and not take pictures of the statues of the gods.

Being inside the temple you will realize that it was worth considering visiting this place on your next trip to India with Palace on Wheels train .

2. Kamasutra Temples in Khajuraho

One of the most recognized texts in India is the Kamasutra book, it is so well known that I do not think it is necessary to explain what it is about.
This book is based on a series of religious beliefs and since most religions have their temples in Khajuraho you will find the temples dedicated to the Kamasutra.
Perhaps this is one of the most controversial places in India or the world and you can appreciate it in his sculptures.

They are in a small town called Khajuraho. This town only has one or two paved streets and in one of them, the main avenue, you will find hotels for all budgets , including recognized luxury chains.

See the general picture of the temples, in case alone they are amazing but the detail of the engraving on their walls are what makes them controversial.

3. Backwaters in Kerala

Kerala is also known as the "God's own country". The backwaters are a series of lagoons and channels in the middle of the jungle that you can walk enjoying the landscapes and appreciating local life.

You can enjoy this tour on a day trip but my recommendation is that you book to spend a night in one of their houseboats.

Traveling in a houseboat for the backwaters will be those moments where you feel that life goes by slowly and an immense tranquility fills you because the only thing you can do is admire the landscape and nothing else.

The disadvantage of visiting the Backwaters is that they are located in the south of the country , if you have limited time, my suggestion is to find a cheap flight from New Delhi or Mumbai .

By itself the region of Kerala is very different from the rest of India and an additional recommendation to travel to India for the first time is to start your trip in an area not as touristy as this, it will help you adapt to the way of life of the country.

4. Ellora Caves in Aurangabad

Aurangabad is the city that you have to arrive to start your excursion. In this city you can also find the famous "Bibi Ka Maqbara" which is an almost exact replica of the Taj Mahal but on a much smaller scale, however the main attraction are the Ellora caves.

This is a complex of temples of different religions (Hindu, Jain and Buddhist) carved in the mountain.

To explain better what it means to be carved on the mountain I'll give you a somewhat simplistic example. Normally when a building is built, in this case a temple, it is a matter of taking several rocks and placing them one on top of the other following the designed plans. To build the temples of the Ellora Caves you take a mountain and start digging from top to bottom, giving the shape of the temple in the process.

Today this might seem like a not-so-impressive feat to perform but these caves were built between the 6th and 9th century with basic tools such as chisels, shovels and picks. To put it in perspective, we are talking about about 1000 years before what is known as the discovery of America.

This place is without doubt one of the places to visit in India that most impressed me and that few people talk about it.

Finally, I recommend that you include any of these places on your next trip to India. They require a little extra effort as it is not part of the traditional route of the country but it will be worth it, you will have a more complete and different vision of how incredible India can become.

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