Historic sites
Ajanta and Ellora Caves
Khuldabad, Maharashtra
Two UNESCO-listed groups of rock-cut caves near Aurangabad.
Historic sites in India
Historic sites
Amber Fort, Jaipur
Jaipur, Rajasthan
A hilltop palace fortress overlooking Lake Maota, built of pale yellow and pink sandstone from 1592, with courtyards, gardens and the dazzling Sheesh…
Historic sites
Golden Temple, Amritsar
Amritsar, Punjab
The holiest shrine of Sikhism, a gold-covered temple in the middle of a sacred pool, open to all.
Historic sites
Hampi
Hampi, Karnataka
The ruins of Vijayanagara, once one of the world's richest cities, scattered among giant boulders, banana plantations and the Tungabhadra River, a UN…
Historic sites
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
Delhi
The tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun, built in the 1560s, the first garden tomb in India and an inspiration for the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Herit…
Historic sites
Jaisalmer Fort and Thar Desert
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
A golden sandstone fort rising out of the Thar Desert, one of the few 'living forts' in the world, with about a quarter of the town's people living i…
Historic sites
Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
A vast Hindu temple complex in the heart of Madurai, dedicated to Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareswarar (Shiva), with 14 towering gateways (gopurams)…
Historic sites
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Rajasthan
One of the largest forts in India, rising sheer from a rocky hill above the 'Blue City' of Jodhpur, with ornate palaces, an excellent museum and view…
Historic sites
Taj Mahal, Agra
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
The white marble mausoleum built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, completed around 1653, one of the most beautiful buildin…
Historic sites
Varanasi Ghats
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
One of the oldest living cities in the world and Hinduism's holiest city, on the Ganges, where pilgrims bathe on stone steps (ghats) and cremations t…
Historic sites
Agra Fort
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
A massive red sandstone fortress, the main residence of the Mughal emperors until 1638, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Historic sites
Gateway of India and Elephanta Caves, Mumbai
Mumbai, Maharashtra
A great basalt arch on Mumbai's waterfront, built to commemorate the visit of King George V in 1911, opposite the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
Historic sites
Khajuraho Temples
Madhya Pradesh
A group of Hindu and Jain temples built by the Chandela dynasty around 950 to 1050 AD, covered with exquisitely carved sculptures of gods, dancers, a…
Historic sites
Konark Sun Temple
Konarka, Odisha
A 13th-century temple to the sun god Surya, built in the shape of a giant stone chariot with 24 carved wheels drawn by seven horses, a UNESCO World H…
Historic sites
Mahabalipuram Shore Temple
Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu
A group of 7th and 8th-century Pallava monuments by the sea south of Chennai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the granite Shore Temple, the Five Rathas…
Historic sites
Red Fort and Old Delhi
Delhi
The Mughal emperors' palace fortress, with red sandstone walls, built by Shah Jahan in the 1640s, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.