Photographs: Courtesy Varun Gupta/Travelling Lens
We are asking you, our readers to vote for the best travel destination in the country. Tell us!
A country as varied as ours is a paradise for local as well as international travellers. After much debate (and difficulty), we've drawn up a short list of the places in India you absolutely must visit.
We haven't included religious destinations in this list, so you won't find temples, mosques, monasteries and even the Ganga aarti here. As far as possible, we have tried to get a healthy mix of slightly off-the-beaten-track and popular destinations.
To vote for a particular destination, click the thumbs up icon next to the description. The final list will be drawn from the destinations that receive the maximum votes from you, our readers!
So without much ado, we start out with...
Pangong Lake
Leh
Perhaps the most beautiful of the lakes in the country the Pangong Lake covers over 604 sq km. Thanks to Bollywood -- important sequences in Dil Se and 3 Idiots were shot here -- the picturesque lake has also become the most recognisable lake in the country.
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Bada Imambara
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
One of the grandest buildings of Lucknow, the Bada Imambara is perhaps best known for its central chamber that houses the tomb of Asaf-ud-Daula. Visit it if only to get lost in the maze of structures that helps support the hall measuring 50mx16m and standing over 15 meters tall with no beams supporting the ceiling.
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The Cellular Jail
Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The cellular jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was perhaps the most infamous of the prisons of the British Raj where rebels and dissidents of the Raj were packed off it. It's most famous inmates included Batukeshwar Dutt and Veer Savarkar among others.
Today, the jail complex is a national memorial monument.
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Photographs: Uday Kuckian/Rediff.com
Roopkund Lake
Chamoli, Uttarakhand
Also known as the Skeleton Lake, the Roopkund is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand that is best-known because of the more than five hundred human skeletons found at its edge. For most part of the year, the Roopkund is covered with ice however the journey itself is an enjoyable experience.
while on a hunting expedition in 1819.
Today Ajanta and Ellora attract hundreds of thousands of tourists and are also part of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
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Photographs: Adrian Sulc/Wikimedia Creative Commons
The Living Root Bridges of Cherrapunji
Cherrapunji, Meghalaya
In the wettest place on earth, bridges are not constructed. They grow by themselves! Cherrapunji is home to the Indian rubber tree that produces secondary roots from its trunk forming bridges over rivers. Some of these root bridges are over 500 years old and are therefore quite safe to walk on. While here don't miss the Umshiang double-decker root bridge, one of its kind in the world!
Two of our readers visited it and returned with these pictures!
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Sabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati, Gujarat
Soon after he returned from South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi established his first ashram in the Kochrab area of Ahmedabad on 25 May 1915.
A little over two years later, it was shifted to the current site, along the banks of the river Sabarmati on June 17, 1917 since the Mahatma wanted to experiment with farming, animal husbandry, cow breeding and Khadi.
The Sabarmati Ashram remained Gandhi's home until 1930 and was one of the major centres of the Indian freedom struggle. It also became home to the ideology of Satyagraha that would eventually set India free.
Visit it, if only to soak in the history and find inner peace.
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Little Rann of Kutch
Kutch, Gujarat
Barren, arid and not the kind of place you'd like to visit if you're faint-hearted, the Little Rann of Kutch best known for the last refuge population and conservation of Khur or the Asiatic wild ass as well as one of the few places in India where flamingos breed naturally. Visit it, if not to be enthralled by the Rann's unique beauty at least to tell people that you visited the 'Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary'!
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The city of Jaisalmer
Rajasthan
Known best for its proximity to the Thar Desert and home to one of the few living forts, the city of Jaisalmer offers you a slice of Rajasthani culture in a way that few other cities do.
Take a boat ride in the Gadisar Lake, visit the fort that offers breathtaking views of the city and the desert, the Jain temples within the fort walls and the many havelis that promise to leave you speechless.
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Photographs: Wikimedia Creative Commons
Auroville
Viluppuram, Tamil Nadu
Designed as an experimental township near Pondicherry, Auroville is supposed to be a universal town where people from all nationalities can live in peace. As of July 2010 people from 43 countries have made Auroville their home. Visit it if only to witness how people from diverse cultural backgrounds can indeed live as one.
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Marari Beach
Mararikulam, Kerala
Chances are you've never heard of this quiet little beach less than 11km from Alappuzha town in Kerala. The sleepy village of Mararikulam offers everything you're looking at from a quiet vacation. Even though there are few resorts in the area, the beach itself visited by celebrities such supermodel Kate Moss and musician Paul McCartney among others, is idyllic to say the least.
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The Sunderbans National Park
West Bengal
Visit the world's largest littoral mangrove belt in the world and home to an estimated 400 Royal Bengal Tigers and thousands of spotted dear. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sunderbans National Park is best accessed through a tour operator who will organise your transport as well as the necessary permits needed to enter the park.
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Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve
Andhra Pradesh
The largest in India, the Nagarunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve spreads across five districts -- Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Kurnool, Prakasam and Guntur -- of Andhra Pradesh.
Even as the total area of the tiger reserve is 3,568 sq km its core area is about 1,200 sq km and by a recent estimation in 2010 had a population of 60 tigers. The reported presence of around 20 tiger cubs is also a good indication of the number of tigers going up.
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Photographs: Wikimedia Creative Commons
Valley of Flowers
West Himalaya, Uttaranchal
Located in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, the Valley of Flowers in Uttaranchal is, well just that -- a diverse area rich in flora and fauna. It also happens to be home to rare and endangered animals such as the snow leopard, brown bear, blue sheep and the Asiatic black bear as well as rare and exotic flowers such as the Brahmakamal, the Blue Poppy and the Cobra.
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Victoria Memorial
Kolkata, West Bengal
The building of Victoria Memorial was envisioned by Lord Curzon. It has various paintings, photographs and sculptures that shed light on the British Raj in India. During the evenings one can enjoy a light show.
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Anjuna Flea Market
Anjuna Beach, Goa
The Anjuna Flea Market is perhaps the most well-known of the weekly bazaars in Goa. Held every Wednesday, the market is the place to head to for pretty much everything you want – from electronics to quirky trinkets and even a haircut!
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Charminar
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Chances are you'll find a lot of similarities between Chandni Chowk and the area from which the Charminar in Hyderabad rises for both localities boast of busy, bustling markets selling all kinds of wares and at least one sprawling mosque each.
Hyderabad's best-known icon, the Charminar is in fact a structure built at the spot where Quli Qutb Shah prayed for the end to the plague epidemic. Even though graffiti on its walls have spoilt the beauty of the structure, the Charminar does offer stupendous views of the city of Hyderabad. Carry a camera, even if it means having to pay a little extra on the ticket.
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Photographs: Wikimedia Creative Commons
Gateway of India
Mumbai, India
What do you say about the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai? Built to mark the visit of King George and Queen Mary the Gateway of India also saw the Mahatma walking from under its arch when he returned to India from South Africa the Gateway was also the very spot from where the British finally left India as the last of the British troops marched out on February 28, 1948.
selves.
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Photographs: Wikimedia Creative Commons
Dal Lake
Srinagar, Kashmir
The crown jewel of Kashmir, the Dal Lake has found its way into our collective consciousness thanks largely to the many films to which it forms a backdrop. Take a trip in a shikara or spend a night in the house boat and shop in the floating flower and vegetable markets or simply witness the beauty of the floating gardens -- Dal Lake of Srinagar has indeed much to offer
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Backwaters of Kerala
Kerala
What is the USP of Kerala Tourism today was once the primary transportation alley of the state. Kerala Backwaters is essentially a network of 1500 km of canals, rivers and lakes that are one of the largest fresh-water sources in the country that also boast of a rich and varied marine life.
Among the three backwater regions, the Vembanad stretch is said to be the most beautiful with the Vembanadu Lake being the longest lake in South Asia and finds a mention in the prestigious Ramsar sites, with rich bio-diversity.
The best way to explore the backwaters is by hiring a boat that usually comes with a cook, a navigator and a considerably large hole in your pocket. Alternatively you can rent out the boat for a night and spend the rest of the days in one of the many resorts and hotels that dot the banks.
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Qutub Minar
Mehrauli, Delhi
The tallest minaret in India, the Qutub Minar is inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan its construction was started by Qutu-ud-in Aibak and completed by Iltutmish. Made out of fluted red sandstone and being covered with carvings and verses from the Qur'an the Minar was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The Minar is also the first Indian monument to have an e-ticketing facility.
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Mehrangarh Fort
Jodhpur, Rajastan
The largest of all forts in Rajasthan, Mehrangarh was founded in 1458 around which the city of Jodhpur grew. In the 500-odd years that it has stood atop the 150m high hill with 360 degree views from its three-km long ramparts around its edges, the fort has never once been captured. The fort recently hosted the 50th birthday celebrations of supermodel Naomi Campbell's boyfriend and found a place in celluloid history courtesy Christopher Nolan who shot parts of The Dark Knight Rises here.
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Photographs: Wikimedia Creative Commons
Taj Mahal
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Inarguably India's most recognisable monument to the world, the Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Regarded as the finest example of Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal is essentially an integrated complex of structures that took 21 years and thousands of artisans and craftsmen to complete. The Taj Mahal also appears on the new listing of the New Seven Wonders of the World
.
Visit the border to witness first hand this amazing if somewhat strange ceremony unique perhaps only to India and Pakistan.
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Jallianwala Bagh
Amritsar, Punjab
The Jallianwala Bagh stands as a silent testimony to the atrocities of the British on their Indian subjects. It was the venue of the infamous 1919 when on April 13 the British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering and killed the people indiscriminately.
Even though firing is said to have lasted for about 10 minutes but it killed by some accounts over 1500 people. The bullet marks on the walls remain to this day even as thousands of visitors pay homage to those who died at a memorial that was inaugurated on April 13, 1961.
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Photographs: Wikimedia Creative Commons
Marina Beach
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Covering a distance of 13 km, Marina Beach is the longest natural urban beach in India. The Marina Beach in Chennai runs all the way from near Fort St George in the north to Besant Nagar in the south and is largely sandy unlike the famous Juhu Beach of Mumbai that has numerous rocky formations along its lengths.
Take a walk down Marina beach if only to admire the numerous colonial buildings that run along the shore or just to be part of the gathering of thousands of people (30,000 on weekdays and 50,000 on weekends) who throng there each day.
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Chandni Chowk
Delhi
Built by Emperor Shah Jahan and designed by his daughter Jahan Ara, the Chandni Chowk market was once the grandest bazaars in the country divided by canals to reflect moonlight from which it took its name.
While the market itself isn't exactly a place you'd like to go sightseeing if you're a tourist, a discerning traveller might just find it worthwhile spending time in its winding alleys.
Visit it if you want to get the real taste of what India is and while there don't forget to visit Karim's that sinfully delightful eatery that is simply unmissable.
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Old Goa
The former colonial capital of Goa, the historical city of Old Goa is home to some of the most stunning churches and convents including the Basilica of Bom Jesus that preserves the body of St Francis Xavier.
Ideally, hire a self-driven vehicle to reach this quaint little wonder, where history encounters you at every other turn, located just about 10 km from Panaji.
If you're lazing around, take a ferry (that also carries vehicles) to the island of Divar that draws you almost as soon as you step on its soil.
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Nandankanan Zoo
Bhubaneswar, Orissa
The 400-acre large zoo has over 101 enclosures with 202 sub-enclosures and is home to more than 1580 animals, including 634 mammals, 812 birds and 134 reptiles.
This also include 15 species of endangered mammals, 6 species of endangered birds and 10 of endangered reptiles and is also the only zoo in India that is home to the Patas monkey, Eastern Rosella and the open-billed stork. The Nandankanan Zoo is among only three other zoos in India that having green-winged Macaws, Cinereous Vulture and Nicobar Pigeon. Really, do you still need a reason to visit it?
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Photographs: Alex Furr/Wikimedia Commons
Junagarh Fort
Bikaner, Rajasthan
One of the few forts in Rajasthan that isn't constructed on a hilltop, the Junagarh is the fort around which the city of Bikaner grew and flourished. The fort was originally called Chintamani but got referred to as Junagarh or Old Fort when the ruling family moved to Lalgarh Palace that stands outside the fort limits.
The many palaces, temples and pavilions that dot the fort and reveal the fort's fascinating history as does the Junagarh Fort Museum that exhibits manuscripts in not just Sanskrit but also Persian, miniature paintings, jewels as well as farmans (or royal orders) and portrait costumes headgear galleries among other things.
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Red Fort
Delhi
The majestic Red Fort from where the Indian Prime Minister addresses the nation on Republic Day each year has been a silent witness to the many power struggles the country faced over the centuries. When it was first constructed in the 17th century, the fort complex served as the palace for Shah Jahan's new capital Shahjahanabad and remained the capital of the Mughal Empire till 1857 when the British Indian government exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Take a walk inside the Red Fort and soak in some history or on January 26 be part of the populace and witness the Prime Minister's speech about the state of the nation and his roadmap for the country's future.
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Kaziranga National Park
Golaghat and Nagaon, Assam
Home to the one-horned rhino that can be found nowhere else in the world the Kaziranga National Park is also a World Heritage Site that has the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world. The Park has been declared a Tiger reserve in 2006 and is also a breeding ground for elephants, swamp deer and wild water buffalo. Hire a cottage in the park to spend some time in the wild and take elephant rides in the park's lush green environs.
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Tiger Hill
Darjeeling, West Bengal
Tiger Hill is over 11km from Darjeeling town and can be accessed by a vehicle followed by a trek up an incline to the summit. The views however more than make up for all the huffing and puffing. Ensure you reach in time for what is arguable an incomparable site -- the splendour of the Mt Kanchenjunga as the sun rises over the majestic mountain range.
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