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Botanical Gardens
Established by the French in 1826, the botanical gardens form a green, if somewhat litter-strewn, oasis on the southwest side of town.
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Central Tibetan Secretariat
Inside the government-in-exile compound, nearly 2km downhill from the Tsuglakhang Complex, the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives began life as a collection of sacred manuscripts saved from the Cultural Revolution. Today it has over 100,000 manuscripts, books and documents in
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Umaid Bhawan Palace
Take an autorickshaw to this hilltop palace, 3km southeast of the old city. The current royal incumbent, Gaj Singh II, still lives in part of the building. Built in 1929, the 365-room edifice was designed by the British architect Henry Lanchester for Maharaja Umaid Singh. It took m
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Church & Convent of St Monica
Work on this three-storey laterite church and convent commenced in 1606 and was completed in 1627, only to burn down nine years later. Reconstruction began the following year and it’s from this time that the current buildings date. Once known as the ‘Royal Monastery’ because of the
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Lake Pichola
Limpid and large, Lake Pichola reflects the cool grey-blue mountains on its rippling mirror-like surface. It was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II, following his foundation of the city, by flooding Picholi village, which gave the lake its name. The lake is now 4km long and 3km wid
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Amaravathi Stupa
Amaravathi, 43km west of Vijayawada, was the earliest centre of Buddhism in the southern half of India. India’s biggest stupa, measuring 27m high and 49m across, was constructed here in the 3rd century BC, when emperor Ashoka sent monks south to spread Buddhist teaching. All that r
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Kesariya Stupa
Rising high out of the earth from where the dying Buddha donated his begging bowl, the enormous Kesariya Stupa is an enthralling example of how nature can reclaim a deserted monument. Excavated from under a grassy and wooded veil is what is thought to be the world’s tallest (38m) B
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Kumari Amman Temple
The legends say the kanya (virgin) goddess Kumari, a manifestation of the Great Goddess Devi, single-handedly conquered demons and secured freedom for the world. At this temple at the tip of the subcontinent, pilgrims give her thanks in an intimately spaced, beautifully decorated t
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Eklingji Temple Complex
In the village of Kailashpuri – only 22km and a short bus ride north of Udaipur – the fascinating Eklingji Temple Complex, with its 108 temples, attracts lots of pilgrims but few tourists. The main temple’s present form dates from the 15th-century rule of Maharana Raimal, although
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Ramnagar Fort & Museum
This crumbling 17th-century fort and palace, on the eastern bank of the Ganges, isnt worth coming out to if you only have a few days in Varanasi, but it is a beautiful place to watch the sun set over the river. It also houses an eccentric museum . There are vintage American cars, j
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Vellore Fort
A circuit of the moat-surrounded ramparts (nearly 2km) of Vellores splendid fort is the most peaceful experience in town. The fort was built in the 16th century and passed through Maratha and Mughal hands before the British occupied it in 1760. These days it houses, among other thi
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Rajpath
The focal point of Edwin Lutyens’ plan for New Delhi was Rajpath (Kingsway), a grand parade linking India Gate to the offices of the Indian government. Constructed between 1914 and 1931, these grand civic buildings, reminiscent of Imperial Rome, were intended to spell out in stone
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Caves of Khandepar
In the village of Khandepar, 5km northeast of Ponda, and set back in the dense forest behind the Mandovi River, are four small (well-hidden) rock-cut caves believed to have been carved into the laterite stone around the 12th century, though some archaeologists date their origin bac
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Old Town
Kolhapur’s atmospheric old town is built around the lively and colourful Mahalaxmi Temple dedicated to Amba Bai, or the Mother Goddess. The temple’s origins date back to AD 10, and it’s one of the most important Amba Bai temples in India. Non-Hindus are welcome. Nearby, past a foye
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Dakshineswar
The heart of this vibrant riverside complex is a cream-and-red 1847 Kali Temple shaped like an Indian Sacré-Coeur. The site is where Ramakrishna started his remarkable spiritual journey, and his small room in the outer northwest corner of the temple precinct is now a place of speci
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Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary
The entrance to Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary lies a stone’s throw from Molem and, with an area of 240 sq km, this is the largest of Goa’s four protected wildlife areas; it also encompasses the 107-sq-km Molem National Park . Unless you’re on a guided tour, however, you might
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Temples
Barring a few that date back to the 3rd century AD, most of Pattadakals World Heritage–listed temples were built during the 7th and 8th centuries AD. he main Virupaksha Temple is a massive structure, its columns covered with intricate carvings depicting episodes from the Ramayana a
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Galta
Perched between the cliff faces of a rocky valley, Galta is a desolate, if evocative, place. It is also known as the Monkey Temple and you will find hundreds of monkeys living here – bold and aggressive macaques and more graceful and tolerable langurs. You can purchase peanuts at t
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Church of the Holy Spirit
Margao’s whitewashed main church was first built in 1565, on the site of an important Hindu temple. Before demolition started on the temple, local Hindus managed to rescue the statue of the god Damodara, to whom the building was dedicated. It was secretly moved to a new site in the
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Ekambareshwara Temple
Of the five South Indian Shiva temples associated with the five elements, this 12-hectare precinct is the shrine of earth. You enter beneath the 59m-high, unpainted south gopuram, whose lively carvings were chiselled in 1509 under Vijayanagar rule. Inside, a columned hall leads lef
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