Unknown India: 15 Amazing Photos From Places Few Tourists Travel

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

It seems to many that almost everything has been written about India. Numerous essays on religion, festivals, ascetics of sadhus, sacred cows and the history of this country give reason to believe this. And travel to India is sometimes associated with crowds of local beggars and tourists. But in fact, in India today you can find amazingly beautiful places for seclusion, if you deviate somewhat from the traditional tourist routes.

1. Sacred pool of Pushkarani in Hampi

In India, in many ancient temples in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, you can find Pushkarani - sacred reservoirs. Near the village of Hampi are the ruins of Vijayanagar, the former capital of the Vijayanagar Empire. It was here that a photo was taken, which captured one of these stepped pools at the former temple.

2. Ayyankere, Karnataka

When people first see a photo of this serene lake surrounded by lush greenery with a footbridge over it, they often do not believe that this is India. But in fact, this lake is located in the Chikmagalur region of Karnataka. At sunset, Ayyankere looks just like something otherworldly.

3. Chitrakot Falls, Chhattisgarh

In India, there are many waterfalls, which are often called "Indian Niagara" by the people. One of the most beautiful is Chitrakot Falls in Chhattisgarh state, which is 300 meters wide (only a third smaller than Niagara). The spectacle of water falling from a height of more than 30 meters is impossible to forget once you see it.

4. White Rann, Gujarat

One of the world's largest salt marshes can be found in the state of Gujarat. This saline desert is spread over as much as 30,000 square kilometers.

5. Maguri Bil, Assam

Maguri Bil is a wetland teeming with birds. This swampy lake is located right behind the local national park. Getting to Maguri Bil is not easy, you need to negotiate with the guides on the boats. Also, this lake is very popular among bird watchers all over the world.

6. Kolukkumalai tea plantation, Tamil Nadu

Usually tea plantations look unattractive, but this particular place is unique due to its location. It is rare where you can find tea bushes growing on the slopes of the mountains, over the valleys, seemingly tiny from such a height. The plantation, located at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level, is the highest in the world. To taste the local tea, which has a special taste and freshness, you need to drive an SUV about 32 kilometers from Munnar.

7. Hullongapar Monkey Sanctuary, Assam

In the northeastern state of Assam, you can find a small patch of dense forest (about 20 square kilometers), which is home to one of the rarest monkey species in India. This forest is perhaps the only accessible place where you can observe hula gibbons in their natural habitat. Today this species is under the threat of complete extinction and was listed in the Red Book.

8. Dolmens Marayur, Kerala

Dolmens are prehistoric burial chambers that usually look like four standing stones with a fifth stone placed on top. Similar structures are found all over the world. Several dozen dolmens can be found in Marayura, which were built in 10,000 BC.

9. Siju Cave, Meghalaya

During the rainy season, it is almost impossible to get into one of the longest caves in India, as it is flooded. Locals call the giant Siju cave the word "Dabakhol" (which translates as the cave of bats). The guides say that the maximum you can go inside for a kilometer, since the further the cave has not been explored.

10. Tirumala Nayak Palace, Tamil Nadu

The New York Times recently published an article about 50 places in the world to visit in 2016. This list also includes a 17th century palace in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In fact, 300 years ago, this palace was four times larger than it is today.

11. Kugti Nature Reserve, Himachal Pradesh

The Kugti Nature Reserve in the Chamba area looks almost untouched - there are practically no hiking trails in the lush jungle. Therefore, if you manage to negotiate with local shepherds, you can get to deserted, unaffected by human activity places.

12. Village on the international border, Nagaland

Straight from the mountain village of Longwa, there are stunning views of the valleys and mountains around the Indo-Burmese border. Curiously, the house of the local headman is located right on the border between the two countries. People in Longwa like to joke that the headman dines in India and sleeps in Myanmar.

13. Cala Pattar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Although the Andaman Islands have been visited by many people, almost no one made it to this very remote island. Kala Pattar, often referred to as the Andaman Little Treasure, looks exactly the same as it did thousands of years ago.

14. Shekhawati Open Air Art Gallery, Rajasthan

The artistic traditions of the Shekhawati region have continued to amaze people for 200 years. It was once a thriving region as many trade routes passed through it. Now Rajasthan is a semi-desert place, the former greatness of which can only be seen in the paintings of Shekhawati.

15. Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh

The Eastern Ghats mountain range, which stretches along the Indian coast of the Bay of Bengal, for some reason does not enjoy the attention of tourists. In fact, this is quite understandable, since these mountains are mostly deserted. But in the Ghats you need to go down into the gorges through which the mountain rivers flow. You will not see places like this anywhere else in India.

And further 25 photographs that awaken the desire to visit this country … Seeing them, many will definitely choose India as the route of their next trip.