The Ultimate Travel Guide to India: History & Attractions

A land of breathtaking contrasts — ancient temples, colourful festivals, spicy cuisine, Himalayan peaks and golden beaches create an unforgettable tapestry.

A Glimpse into History

India's civilisation is among humanity's oldest and most continuous — a story stretching back 5,000 years that encompasses Bronze Age cities, Sanskrit mathematics, the world's first religions, Islamic empires, and the largest non-violent independence movement in history. The Indus Valley Civilisation (2600–1900 BC) built sophisticated planned cities like Mohenjo-daro with advanced sewage systems before its mysterious collapse. The Vedic period produced Hinduism, Buddhism (founded by Siddhartha Gautama in modern Nepal around 500 BC), and Jainism. The Maurya Empire under Ashoka in the 3rd century BC briefly unified most of the subcontinent and spread Buddhism across Asia. Medieval India saw a series of powerful empires: the Gupta Empire's golden age of mathematics, astronomy, and art; the Delhi Sultanate; and the Mughal Empire (1526–1857) under emperors like Akbar, Shah Jahan (who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife), and Aurangzeb, which created an Islamic civilisation of extraordinary refinement. European traders arrived in the 16th century — Portuguese, Dutch, French, and finally British — with the British East India Company gradually dominating the subcontinent. The 1857 Uprising (First War of Independence) transferred power to the British Crown, making India the jewel of the British Empire until 1947. Gandhi and Nehru's non-violent independence movement culminated in Independence on 15 August 1947 and the painful Partition creating Pakistan. Today India is the world's most populous democracy and fifth-largest economy.

Top Attractions in India

Taj Mahal, Agra

Shah Jahan built this white marble mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal between 1631–1653, employing 20,000 artisans to create what is widely considered the world's most beautiful building. The perfectly symmetrical complex — with its reflecting pool, minarets, mosque, and garden laid out according to Quranic principles of paradise — looks different at every hour of the day as the light plays across the inlaid precious stones.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Perched on a ridge above Maota Lake, the golden amber-stone Amber Fort is the finest Rajput palace-fort in India — a complex of four courtyards with the Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace) whose intricate glass-tile ceiling reflects a single candle into a thousand stars. Elephants still carry visitors up the cobbled ramp that once brought maharajas to their palace.

Kerala Backwaters

Kerala's 900 km network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes, and lagoons running parallel to the Arabian Sea coast is one of Asia's most serene and unique landscapes. Houseboat cruises through the palm-fringed channels past toddy-tapper coconut trees, rice paddies, Chinese fishing nets, and village life untouched by modernity offer an India completely different from the Rajasthan forts or Himalayan peaks.

Varanasi Ghats on the Ganges

Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities (at least 3,000 years) and Hinduism's most sacred city, where pilgrims bathe in the Ganges to wash away sins and the devout bring their dead to be cremated on the 88 riverside ghats. The pre-dawn boat ride past the glowing ghats and the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony at sunset are among India's most profound spiritual experiences.

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

The Palace of the Winds — built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh — has 953 small windows (jharokhas) arranged in a honeycomb facade to allow royal women to observe street life unseen, while its latticed screen design created a wind-cooling system 200 years before air conditioning. The five-storey pink sandstone structure is Jaipur's most recognised landmark.