Top 10 Places to Visit in India

India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 65 years of its Independence. India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now one of the top industrialized countries in the world. India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which gives the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. As you travel, India offers a range of vast tourism choices, diverse in land and nature, people, tribes, cuisine, faiths, dance forms, music, arts, crafts, adventure, sport, spirituality, history; even these vary as you journey from one state to another. From historical cities to natural splendors, come see the best of India.

Taj Mahal:

Taj Mahal is the only one of its kind across the world. The Taj Mahal, the most prominent monument of India, stands as a timeless symbol of love. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the creator of the Taj Mahal, said it made “the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes”. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore described it as a “teardrop on the cheek of eternity.” The Taj was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the seven wonders of the world and is the pride of not just Agra but also of India. It is made up of White Marble. It took 22 years in its making. An estimated 20,000 people worked to complete the enchanting mausoleum, on the banks of the Yamuna. For a breathtakingly beautiful view of the Taj Mahal, one has to see it by moonlight.

Hawa Mahal:

Jaipur's signature building, the Hawa Mahal, a multi-layered palace, was built by Sawai Pratap Singh. the Hawa Mahal is an interplay of red and pink sandstone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. This five-story building, which looks out over the main street of the old city, is a stunning example of Rajput artistry, with its pink semi-octagonal and delicately honeycombed sandstone windows. It was originally built to enable ladies of the royal household, to watch the everyday life and processions of the city.

Golden Temple:

The Harmandar Sahib is called The Golden Temple because it is plated with gold. It is the preeminent pilgrimage site of Sikhism. Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib situated in Amritsar (Punjab), is the most sacred temple for Sikhs. Guru Arjan Sahib, the Fifth Nanak, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Unlike erecting the structure on the higher level, Guru Arjan Sahib got it built on the lower level and got it open from all four sides. Thus, he created a symbol of a new faith, Sikhism. Guru Sahib made it accessible to every person without any distinction based on caste, creed, sex, and religion.

Ajanta & Ellora Caves:

These Buddhist and Jain caves are ornately carved, yet seem quiet and meditative and exude divine energy and power. It is about 107 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. A set of 29 caves, Ajanta is among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, cave paintings, and sculptures. It is used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings. The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of Lord Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. The Kailasa temple was carved out of one single rock. Also known as ‘Cave 16’ of the Ellora Caves, it is notable for being the largest monolithic structure in the world carved out of a single piece of rock.

Meenakshi Temple:

The most beautiful buildings in the city including its most famous landmark, the Meenakshi temple, were built during the Nayak rule. It is located in the heart of the city of Madurai, the Meenakshi-Sundareshwarar temple is dedicated to goddess Meenakshi, the consort of Lord Shiva. It has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction as well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. For the people of Madurai, the temple is the very center of their cultural and religious life. The sculpted pillars are adorned with the exquisite murals that celebrate the ethereal beauty of princess Meenakshi and the scenes of her wedding with Lord Shiva.

Akshardham Temple:

'Akshardham' means the divine abode of God. It is hailed as an eternal place of devotion, purity, and peace. Holding the Guinness World Records as the world's largest comprehensive Hindu temple, the Akshardham temple complex is a stunning piece of architecture. It has been designed in the traditional Hindu style of architecture and follows Vaastu Shastra and Panchatantra Shastra. It explores Hinduism's values and traditions through a variety of media, from a large format of film to a multimedia Water show. An informative and inspiring journey through ancient culture, glorious art, values, and contributions for the progress, happiness, and harmony of all Humans.

India Gate:

Originally called the All India War Memorial, India Gate is a war memorial which stands tall at 42 meters, thereby, making it one of the largest war memorials in the county. It was built to commemorate 70,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who lost their lives in the First World War in the period 1914–21 and the Third Anglo-Afghan War.

Varanasi:

A visit to the Holy City of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state is very surreal. The temple of Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is listed as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas by Adi-Shankaracharya, the 8th century Vedanta scholar. The Ganga Aarti at Assi Ghat starts early morning around 4:30am and the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat starts at the sunset time. Witnessing the 45 minutes is absolutely magical.

Statue of Unity:

The Statue of Unity is built in dedication to Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who served as the first home minister of independent India. Sardar Patel is credited with uniting all 562 princely states in pre-independent India to build the Republic of India. It is the tallest statue in the world. It gives you entry to the valley of flower, memorial, museum and audio-visual gallery, the Statue of Unity site, and the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Victoria Memorial:

One of the landmarks of Kolkata, Victoria Memorial is a grand British-era structure built entirely of white marble. Dedicated to Queen Victoria of England, it was constructed between 1906 and 1921 by the then Prince of Wales. Today, the memorial has been turned into a museum that has 25 galleries. There are paintings of the queen and Prince Albert in the Royal Gallery, along with artworks depicting events from the queen’s life. The main building sits amidst over 64 acres of gardens. There is a national leaders’ gallery with paintings of Indian freedom fighters.