Must See

Amritsar

Amritsar was founded in 1577, and is the spiritual home of the Sikh faith. Its focal point is the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines, built with a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles. It is decorated with marble on the lower half, with an inlaid floral and animal motif, whilst the upper half is copper covered with gold plating thus giving it its name. Its golden dome represents a lotus flower, which is a symbol in the Sikh faith to represent the aim to live a pure life.

Pilgrims and visitors must remove their shoes, wash their feet and cover their heads before entering the temple. Inside, there is a peaceful and spiritual atmosphere as priests continuously chant from the Sikh holy book, which is broadcast throughout the temple complex.

Chennai

Chennai (Madras) is the capital of Tamil Nadu and India's fourth-largest city, located at the southern tip of the country. It has few tall buildings and enjoys the ambience of a market town rather than a huge city. Attractions include Chennai Lighthouse and the city's many Christian churches.

Delhi

Delhi features two different sides with New Delhi and Old Delhi - Old Delhi is several centuries old, with narrow winding streets, temples and bazaars and served as the capital of Islamic India, whilst New Delhi is a modern city, built by the British to serve as the imperial capital.

The Yamuna River that flows through Delhi is one of the most sacred rivers in Hinduism. The majority of the city, including New Delhi, lies west of the river, whilst the Old City is located to its east.

Old Delhi was the ancient city of Shahjahanabad. It is predominantly Muslim and there are many mosques, monuments and forts within the area that relate to India's Muslim history. The notable attractions include Chandni Chowk, the main thoroughfare, with the temples and bird hospital; Red Fort, constructed in 1638; Jama Mosque (India's largest mosque) and Sunehri Masjid, with its three gold domes.

New Delhi was laid out south of the Old City by Shah Jahan. The British planned much of this part of the city, and the heart of this area is the traffic circle, Connaught Place - also known as Indira Chowk and Rajiv Chowk.

Some of the highlights of New Delhi include the Nehru Memorial Museum and Planetarium; Rashtrapati Bhawan, the lotus-shaped Baha'i House of Worship; the President's House; Tughlaqabad Fort, a ruined fort abandoned in 1327; the India Gate, erected in memory of soldiers who died during the Afghan wars; and the Qutub Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world.

Kerala

Kerala is a state on the southwestern coast of India. Its long coastline has always encouraged global maritime contact, which can be seen in its overseas cultural influences and diverse architecture. The area has maintained a unique cultural identity with customs, arts and festivals that continue to thrive today.

A network of backwaters may be found along the coastline of Kerala, which allows visitors to discover the villages and plantations by navigating these man-made canals.

Some of Kerala's attractions include the spice and tea plantations around Munnar, the Wayanad and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary for elephant spotting, along with its array of colourful temples, mosques, European churches, historic towns and beautiful beaches.

Kochi

The picturesque town of Kochi (or Cochin) lies at the coastal fringe of this verdant landscape of idyllic backwaters - lush streams, rivers, lagoons and canals. The whole stretch of the coast along Fort Kochi and Vypeen are dotted with Chinese fishing nets, which are unique to this area.

Kochi was settled by the Portuguese in the 16th century, where it became one of India's first European colonies. Evidence of this first settlement can be seen today with 500 year old Portuguese houses, a 16th century synagogue, the oldest church in India and a Portuguese palace.

Kolkata

Kolkata (Calcutta) is India's largest city and the capital of West Bengal, and is home to many colonial buildings. It is a major business centre with many bazaars and markets. Central Kolkata contains the Maidan, the central parkland.

Mumbai

Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, is a bustling port city and commercial centre, formerly known as Bombay. It's the home of the colourful Bollywood film industry, not to mention 18 million citizens, making it the most populous city in India.

Mumbai consists of seven islands that are connected to the mainland by bridges. Highlights of the city include the colourful bazaars, Elephanta Island, the Gateway of India and some of the best nightlife in India. There are also two international cricket stadiums in Mumbai, the Brabourne Stadium and the Wankhede Stadium.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan, the Land of the Kings, is the largest state in India, and was once home to the great Moghul rulers, who built fabulous cities and lasting monuments. It is probably the most colourful state with enchanting towns and cities such as white Udaipur (see below), pink Jaipur, blue Jodphur and golden Jaisalmer. Rajasthan has several national tiger reserves (Ranthambore and Sariska) as well as Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, which is famous for its bird life.

Geographical features of the area include the dust-dry landscapes of the Thar Desert in the west, which extends into Pakistan, and the Aravalli Range, one of the world's oldest mountain ranges. Mount Abu is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range and home to several Hindu temples and the Dilwara Temple complex.

Taj Mahal

The chaotic city of Agra is the somewhat unlikely location for one of the world's most beautiful buildings - the Taj Mahal. It was built as a mausoleum for the favourite wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal (Chosen One of the Palace), who died in 1631. Specialists were brought in from as far as Europe to work on this masterpiece and it includes many elements of Islamic design such as minarets, arches, an onion-shaped dome and black calligraphy inlaid around the entrance. The white marble used for its construction was brought in from Jodphur and the entire mausoleum is decorated with delicate inlaid floral patterns as well as precious and semi-precious stones including lapis lazuli, jade, mother of pearl and diamonds. It took 20,000 workmen and 22 years to complete.

Considered one of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal should be visited at dawn and sunset when the atmosphere is altered by the changes in lighting. Crossing over to the far bank of the Yamuna River can also give visitors the chance to see the reflection of the Taj Mahal.

Udaipur

Considered one of the most romantic cities in India, Udaipur is built around the lovely Lake Pichola and is dubbed the 'Venice of the East'. The city was the ancient Hindu capital, and is full of temples, the most famous of which is the Tripura Sundari Temple, which was built in 1501. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas - a place of worship consecrated to the Goddess 'Shakti', the main deity of the Shakta fellowship and the female principal of Hinduism.

Varanasi

Located on the banks of the sacred River Ganges, Varanasi is perhaps India's most holy city and a major pilgrimage centre for Hindus. The city is home to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, built in 1780 on the banks of the river. The temple is of great religious importance to the Hindus and bathing in the river Ganges is supposed to result in the remission of sin. The ghats (the steps leading down to the River Ganges) are the biggest attraction, which at dawn are thronged with pilgrims and holy men performing ritual ablutions and prayers.