Top 10 Tourist Places In India

Every country in the world has beautiful places, historic cities, and nature's gifted site that attracts a lot of tourists every year. India, in this sense, is being blessed with massive diversity as our country has got innumerable hotspots as a tourist destination. India is a country rich in heritage and culture as a result of centuries of different traditions, cultures, and religions leaving their mark. India has a range of tourist places to explore and experience that include sacred sites, ancient monuments, natural sites, sun-washed beaches, lush national parks, hilly areas, and whatnot. But there are some tourists spots that are very famous and popular not only in India but around the world and attract millions of tourists every year. Though the list is about the top 10 places, we all know we need a list longer than this one to include every wonderful place India has. So here is the list of the top 10 tourist places in India:

1) Taj Mahal, Agra

It is one of the most recognized buildings in India and is one of the most famous testimonies to the power of love in the world. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan constructed the seventh wonder of the world in the loving memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The construction of this beautiful mausoleum started in 1631 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and was completed in 1648 with the help of 20,000 workers. The architect of this building incorporates many Islamic elements like minarets, arches, an onion-shaped dome, and black calligraphy. Taj Mahal is constructed of white marble, and the floral design and patterns are inlaid with semi-precious and precious stones like Lapis Lazuli, Mother of Pearl, Jade, and Diamonds. Apart from the Taj Mahal, there are a lot many places in and near Agra that one can visit, like Taj Museum, Mehtab Bagh, Anguri Bagh, Agra Fort, Akbar's Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, etc. The best time to visit is either during dawn or dusk.

2) Holy City Varanasi

It is one of the oldest and ancient cities in the world, dating back to the 8^th century BC that is still inhabited and was never abandoned in history. The spiritual and holy city of Varanasi is also known as Kashi and is a major Pilgrimage Centre for the Hindus and also attracts many foreigners to visit this place. This city has been associated with Lord Shiva and the mighty Ganges River. This city offers you a lot of tourists spot that you can experience like the Ghats that are very old yet beautiful; sone of the famous ghats are Assi ghat, Dashashvamedh ghat and Rajendra ghat where you can also see Ganga Aarti in the evening, which is a major tourist attraction among foreigners other than this there is one of the 12 JyotiLing in Kashi Vishwanath Temple built by Ahilya Bai. There are many other places like Banaras Hindu University, established in 1916, and Sarnath, where Buddha gave his first preaching ceremony to his five pupils. There are many museums which you can visit if you have an interest in knowing the history of your country. You will also love to enjoy the street foods and different deserts.

3) The Golden City: Jaisalmer

If you are someone who loves to spend a vacation in Arabian Nights style, Jaisalmer during the peak winter season is the ideal destination. The small city of Jaisalmer fringed with the popular Thar Desert is breathtaking land lush with culture. The sandy plains of the land of this city stand as the reminder of the bygone luxury era of India. It is known as Golden City as most of the buildings are constructed using yellow sandstone, including the famous massive Jaisalmer Fort known as the Golden Fort that was built in the 12^th century. This city is an oasis of splendid architecture that rises from the sand dunes and is filled with magnificent gateways and beautiful old mansions. There are many temples fine old homes. The fortress also has 99 bastions massive gates that lead to the main courtyard with a seven-story tall Maharaja's Palace. It is decorated with beautiful tiles from China and Italy and intricately carved stone doors. There are many tourists spot to visit like Gadisar Lake, Desert National Park, Thar Heritage Museum, Bada Bagh, Jain temples, and a 1000-year-old library. You can also enjoy many desert infused activities like camping, puppet dance, Camel safari, moonlit romantic dinner, etc.

4) Ladakh

Ladakh is a beautiful tourist destination of the Himalayan landscape. It is an incredibly beautiful mountain kingdom that has a spectrum of Colors from its Buddhist culture. There is a number of stupas Buddhist monasteries where you will find calmness and peace. There are also many beautiful mountain passes and various lakes that will take you closer to untouched and raw nature, where you will feel rejuvenated within the embrace of nature. Ladakh is a place where culture and nature go hand in hand that gives you an unforgettable vacation. Some of the major tourist attractions in Ladakh are Thiksay Monastery, Nubra Valley, Tso Pangong, Tso Moriri, Hemisphere National Park, Leh City, Zanskar Valley, Kharcung La, Drass, Chadar Trek Route, etc.

5) The Ellora Caves, Aurangabad

The famous and magnificent Ellora Caves is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO that was built in the 5^th and 10^th centuries in the region of Aurangabad, Maharashtra. These caves were built for the Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu monks. There are 100 caves in Charanandri Hills, out of which 34 are open to the public. These caves are carved out of rocks for making monasteries, temples, and chapels. There are 17 Hindu caves, 5 Jain, and 12 Buddhist all of them are built in very close proximity showing the religious harmony that existed during this period of Indian history. The Ellora caves have beautiful carvings that were painted at one time, some of which still survive. Buddhist caves include a number of shrines that have a carving of Buddha and different saints of that era and are considered one of the finest in India. The Hindu caves are comparatively complex as they were carved from top to down where scaffolding was not necessary; the best example is the largest rock-cut temple named Kailasha. You can also visit the nearby Ajanta caves, which are rock-cut Buddhist cave monument built in the 2nd century BCE to 480 CE and is one of the finest surviving examples of India's ancient art that includes cave paintings, rock-cut sculptures, etc. These caves are also the UNESCO World Heritage site.

6) The Beaches of Goa

For those who love to enjoy a beach holiday, Goa is the perfect go-to destination in India for Indian as well as foreign tourists. Goa is a western state in India that has a beautiful coastline of 60 miles that makes this state home to some of the world's fascinating beaches, and each of those beaches has its own appeal. If you are looking for peace and quiet beach, then isolated beach Agonda will be a perfect choice, but if you want completely opposite of this, then the most crowded and commercial Calangute Beach is the right choice. The beaches of Mandrem, Morjim, and Ashwem are fashionable among westerners and wealthy Indians alike for posh resorts, spa vacations, and yoga getaways. Similarly, Palolem is another beautiful and popular beach in Goa. Apart from the beautiful beaches to enjoy, you can also visit Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a superb attraction for nature lovers; it is home to plenty of flora and thick forests. The fauna of this sanctuary includes deer, leopards, elephants, black panthers, tigers, famous Indian king cobra, and 200 species of birds. Divar Island is also worth visiting. You can visit a typical Goan village Piedade which has a stunning view and a church with its interesting Baroque plaster decorations and stucco work.

7) Golden Temple of Amritsar

This temple is an important temple for Sikhs that Ram Das founded in 1577. Amritsar has always been an important hub of Sikh culture and history. Harmandir Sahab was opened in 1604 and is famous as Golden Temple for its beautiful decoration from gold. This place not only attracts Sikhs but people from other faith and Hindus too. The architecture of the temple is a blend of Islamic and Hindu styles. The lower section is built from marble that features ornate inlaid animal and floral motifs, and the large golden dome represents a lotus flower that signifies purity to Sikhs. In addition to the splendid design of the temple, you will be equally instilled with the spiritual atmosphere of the temple due to the continuous prayers that are chanted from the holy book. Visitors can also enjoy the free meal provided in the temple as a Langar prepared in a massive volunteer-run kitchen. You can also visit Wagah Border for Beating Retreat Ceremony, Partition Museum, Jallianwala Bagh, Ram Bagh Garden, Summer Palace, and can also enjoy the tasty Punjabi delicacies and shopping of Indian textiles.

8) Kashmir

It is one of the most famous and beautiful tourist destinations in India. You will be mesmerized by its beauty, due to which it is considered as heaven on earth. Kashmir has beautiful flower gardens, lush green mountain views, snow-clad peaks, and amazing waterfalls. The best time to visit Kashmir is during winters, where you can also enjoy winter snow-related activities along with other places to visit. You can enjoy a boat ride in Dal Lake with a beautiful scenic view and stall floating market. Kashmir is also famous for its flowers; you can enjoy the elegance of flowers such as Tulip and cherry blossoms in the Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden. Shankaracharya Hill has a breathtaking top view of the city of Srinagar. Other top tourist spots include Zojila Pass, Nigeen Lake, Nishat Garden, Aru Valley, Apharwat Peak, and Nubra Valley.

9) Mysore Palace

The city of Mysore is a delight to explore due to its eclectic mix of regal Indian palaces, lush green well-manicured garden, and old colonial architecture. Though it's also a delightful place for shopping lovers for its silk textiles and sandalwood bazaar, the main attraction of this city is the magnificent Mysore Palace. It was rebuilt in 1897 after a devastating fire. It is a three-story palace that has beautiful features like elegant square towers and domes, ornate pillars, and ceilings in Durbar Hall, glazed floor tiles, stunning stained glass, artworks, and jewelry display. Also, on some special and important occasions, Golden Thrown is exhibited. On every Sunday, you can catch the splendid light display during holidays where more than 90,000 lights illuminate the palace.

10) Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Madurai

It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. This national park and wildlife sanctuary is centered around the lake that Britishers built-in 1895 for irrigation of the city. This park was established in 1934 and is home to a variety of flora and fauna like Indian elephants, Bengal Tigers, long-tailed macaque, otters, different species of birds such as storks, kingfishers, darters, hornbills, etc. There are also many different varieties of butterflies. Apart from this there are other famous tourist attraction in Madurai such as Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Aayiram Kaal Mandapam, Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal, Gandhi Memorial Museum, Koodal Azhagar Temple, Samanar Hills, Kutladampatti Falls and Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam etc.