The first thing that comes to mind when you mention Rajasthan is its opulent palaces. The Udaipur Lake Palace, Umaid Bhavan, and Amer Fort, among others, have put Rajasthan firmly on the tourist map. But Rajasthan is also an extremely important religious destination, with many significant places of worship. In India, as also in Rajasthan, religious places take pride of place, often over any other destination. And there are quite a few of them here.
Here are some places of worship in Rajasthan which you can visit to help you experience the spiritual side of the country.
On the way to Jodhpur, you must visit the Ranakpur Temples (Photo Credit – Volker Glätsch)
Brahmaji Temple, Pushkar
The Mughals – Emperor Aurangzeb in particular, wasn’t kind to the temples in Pushkar, destroying them in the late 17th century. Hence, the temples here are relatively recent, including the most famous of them all, the Brahma Temple.
Originally dating back to the 14th century, it is one of the few Brahma temples anywhere in the world. Even so, with an estimated 500 temples, Pushkar remains one of the most important Hindu places of worship in Rajasthan.
Everyone’s welcomed at the Pushkar Lake (Photo Credit – Max Art)
Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Ajmer
The shrine of revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti is perhaps the most important religious place for Sunni Muslims in India. History tells us that Emperor Akbar visited the shrine 14 times. The daily footfall here is around 150,000 people. This makes it one of the most popular places of worship in Rajasthan.
The Sufi shrine that attracts crowds in millions (Photo Credit – Zakir Naqvi)
Dilwara Temples, Mount Abu
Located near Mount Abu, the only hill station in the state of Rajasthan. Many find the Dilwara temples as one of the most beautiful Jain temples in the world. No Jain pilgrimage in Rajasthan is complete without a visit here. Built between the 11th and 15th century, they are popular for the extensive use of marble. Each one is dedicated to a Tirthankara or spiritual leader of the Jain community.
Dilwara Temple, Mount Abu (Photo Credit – Rakhee @Flickr)
Karni Mata Temple, Bikaner
The Karni Mata Temple, near Bikaner, is popular among Hindu pilgrimage places in Rajasthan for quite a peculiar reason. There are an estimated 25,000 rats here. Revered by the devout, they are reincarnations of the male children or Karni Mata, a Hindu warrior sage. Karni Mata herself appears to be a reincarnation of the warrior Goddess Durga. If by chance, someone inflicts harm on the rats, they will have to replace the loss with one made entirely out of silver.
Rats being offered milk (Photo Credit – Fulvio Spada)
Shrinathji Temple, Nathdwara
The principal shrine of Shrinathji, a form of the Hindu God Krishna, this temple in Nathdwara is among the important Hindu pilgrimage places in Rajasthan, especially the Vaishnavs. Nathdwara is also popular for its distinctive style of painting, and acquiring paintings of Shrinathji created by local artists is an important part of the devotees’ pilgrimage here.
Although January is the coldest month in the northern part of India, winter is actually starting to make its way out in the better part of the subcontinent, making the weather in India in January just about perfect to plan your trip. And, if you’re not averse to the cold, that leaves you with even more options to choose from. Here are some of our top picks for things to do in India in January.
Cabin on a hill (Photo Credit – Sreehari Devadas)
Walk on a river of ice
Despite its incredibly harsh climate, Ladakh is home to a number of indigenous people. Over centuries, they have adapted to this unique cold desert environment. The landscape is dotted with numerous, far-flung villages deep within the Himalayas. Many of these are cut off from the rest of civilisation during the winter months. One such place is Zanskar. But the locals, driven by practical considerations, have devised a novel way of commuting when the snow has cut off the passes. They simply walk on the frozen river. And thrill seekers from around the world now emulate them. Late January, being the coldest time of the year, is when the Zanskar river has frozen solid, making it the safest time to traverse. So, if you like adventure, the Chadar, as the frozen Zanskar is called, is arguably the best place to visit in India in January.
Phuktal, Zanskar Valley, India (Photo Credit – sandeepachetan.com travel photography)
Go skiing
Although India is not really known to be a winter sports destination, the weather in India in January makes the snow-covered slopes of the Himalayan ranges great for a skiing holiday. Places like Gulmarg and Auli have well-developed facilities to cater to powder snow enthusiasts and definitely warrant consideration. For more information on skiing in India, check out our blog!
Apart from the North, winter in the rest of India is largely pleasant. This means that birds migrating South for the winters find the weather in India in January just about perfect. Come January, national parks like Jim Corbett, Keoladeo Ghana, Nameri, and Kaziranga are a paradise for birders from all over the world.
The most popular beaches on the west coast of India can get quite balmy in summer. But the weather in India in January is just perfect. Additionally, the rush of tourists leading to new year’s has abated considerably by then, making this one of the best places to visit in India in January. Goa, Gokarna, and Diu are good options to explore.
Goa, India
Explore the Rann of Kutch
The great and little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat are vast expanses of almost completely flat land that are inundated by saline water every monsoon. By mid-winter, this water has either receded or evaporated, leaving vast tracts that have an astounding number of species inhabiting them. Additionally, summers can get quite harsh here. So, the weather in India in January makes it the perfect time to visit. And then there’s the Rann Utsav, an annual cultural festival attracting visitors from around the globe.
Thinking of heading to India soon? Get in touch with us, and we’ll help you chart out your holiday!
India is known to be a particularly hospitable country. Visitors are welcomed with open arms, and by and large, the general public will go out of their way to help tourists in all sorts of ways. But like they say, it takes an exception to prove the rule. Especially in the big cities, where tourism is a booming business, there will always be the occasional unscrupulous tout or scammer waiting to take advantage of the unsuspecting traveller. To avoid falling a victim to scams, it is best to be forearmed. Here are some of the more common tourist scams in India.
Crowded Market (Photo Credit – Yuan Thirdy)
The fake ‘tourist office’
This is a tricky one to deal with and seems most prevalent in the North of the country. You will be led to an ‘official tourism office’ where they will tell you that the plans and reservations you’ve made are fake, and that they will help you make new bookings. As they pose as government officials, it is easy to fall prey for this common tourist scam.
The best thing to do, of course, is to immediately contact your operator and let them know if you find yourself in this situation, and also contact the hotels you’ve been booked at. We share our contact information with you – use it! Do also be aware of where the actual Tourism Information Offices are; the one in Delhi, for example, is at 88 Janpath Road. If you’re on a trip with India Someday, rest assured, all it takes is a phone call for us to direct you to the established offices.
Always verify the credibility of tourist information centres
The hotel switch
One of the most common tourist scams in India to be aware of is the hotel switch. Again, it is important to remember that if you ask a stranger off the road for assistance, he or she is most likely to help out as much as possible. Most taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers also tend to be the same. But there are those who wouldn’t be as nice. And preying on visitors’ lack of on-ground knowledge is an easy way to fool them.
On the way to a hotel of your choice, you will be gently told that it isn’t such a great place, and that they know of one that is much better and cheaper, too. In some cases, they will tell you that the place you chose has shut down. The best way to get out of this situation without creating a fuss is to tell the driver that you’ve already paid an advance.
They may then even try and take you to a different place with the same name, so it’s best to call the hotel and ask for a nearby landmark. In addition, you can also ask the hotel to arrange a pick up, or hire a private car for the ride, both of which we can help you with. Of the scams in India to avoid, this one’s quite easy to get out of.
Also cross-check your direction (Photo Credit – Mohit Tomar)
Inflated taxi/auto fare
This also makes its way to the list of some of the most common tourist scams in India. Here, the driver will ask where you want to go and then quote an arbitrary number as fare. The reason given for not plying by the meter is that it is difficult for them to get a customer on the way back. This is far more common later at night. Threatening to call a cop can be an effective deterrent, but this could be time-consuming.
A better option would be to simply use an aggregator service, which has become fairly common in all big cities in India. A Government-authorized prepaid counter is another workaround. We can also help you with transport options so you have a car and driver at your disposal! Get in touch and we’ll sort things out for you.
Navigating through local transport can be tricky, but if you know your way through the scams, it can be a very eventful experience (Photo Credit – Dion Hinchcliffe)
An ‘honest’ billing mistake
Sometimes, Hotels and Bars perpetrate sophisticated tourist scams in India. When you find additional items on your bill, the person in question will quickly acknowledge the mistake and take the said items off the bill. But, the service charge and luxury tax (if applicable) which is calculated on the previously inflated amount will remain. Asking for a new bill is the easiest way to avoid prolonged discussion on the matter.
Keep an eye out on those bills and ask for a new one in case you smell something fishy (Photo Credit – Oliver Menyhart from Pixabay)
The old switcheroo
When trying to get change for a larger currency bill, or while paying for something, the perpetrators will either palm a few notes and say you haven’t paid enough, or switch your currency note for a counterfeit one. Counting the notes while paying or declaring that you just withdrew them from an ATM are good ways of avoiding currency scams.
Be careful while you deal with cash and watch your notes
The road fee
Owing to its reputation of being a slightly unfriendly city, tourists often ask ‘is Delhi safe for foreigners?’. For the large part, it is, provided you take adequate precautions. But sometimes, the very people responsible for safeguarding the people’s interests exploit them.
Although this isn’t actually dangerous except for a little monetary loss, it is still one of the scams to be aware of in India. Officials, either designated or pretend, ask for arbitrary fees or taxes from unsuspecting tourists. Although, asking for proper identification and a clear explanation of the said demand is enough of a deterrent.
On the whole, India and her people love tourists, and we love sharing the wonders of our country with you. Don’t let these scams scare or deter you; now that you know about the common tourist scams in India, you’re well prepared to grab it by the horns. Planning your next holiday in India, or dreaming of visiting India someday? Get in touch, and we’ll help you put it together!
India has something for everybody. No matter what your age, interest level or budget, you’ll find more than enough options to make your trip to India memorable. And it’s especially great for kids. Bustling markets, colourful festivals, forts, palaces, beaches, forests… there’s enough and more in India for kids. What’s more, the experience will leave behind memories that last a lifetime. Here’s our pick of child-friendly destinations in India to visit with kids, and what to do there:
India is a very child-friendly destination!
Go on an elephant ride in Rajasthan
Rajasthan is known for its fabulous palaces and forts. But imagine visiting a fort atop an elephant! That’s definitely something the kids will love! And Jaipur is just the place to do it, making it a top pick among child-friendly holiday destinations in India. The Amer Fort offers elephant safaris that take you all the way to the main entrance of the fort. What a magnificent way to arrive! Apart from that, there are plenty of other places in Jaipur where you can interact with elephants quite closely, and of course, go on an elephant-back ride.
Goa, with its lovely beaches and calm seas, is one of the best places in India to visit with kids. Add to that some great water sports and you have yourself a sure-fire hit. Most of the beaches in North Goa, from Arambol all the way down to Aguada have these activities during tourist season. Kids can go jet skiing, parasailing, kneeboarding, or ride a banana boat. They can even try kayaking in the calm backwaters, making Goa a must-go destination in India for kids.
Off to Kayak in Indian waters (Photo Credit – Nevil Zaveri, Flickr)
Traverse the Ganges in Rishikesh
Of the four locations that Flying Fox operates ziplines in India, Rishikesh is probably the most scenic. Imagine traversing 400 meters across the Ganges river, suspended 70 meters in the air! Flying Fox has an impeccable safety record, so it’s a great adventure option in India for kids. Additionally, Rishikesh also has white water rafting of all grades, making it one of the great places in India to visit with kids.
Water rafting
Spend time on a houseboat In Kerala
Among child-friendly holiday destinations in India, God’s own country comes highly recommended. The extensive network of backwaters offers a wonderful opportunity for families to spend time together. Kids would love the idea of spending a whole day on the river, with the option of visiting some great restaurants along the banks. They can also take a smaller boat and traverse the narrower canals to observe villages whose sustenance depends on this lifeline.
Our guests in Eco trails houseboat (Photo Credit – Annika Kästle and family)
Go on a wildlife safari in Bandhavgarh
Spending time in the jungles of India can be a fantastic experience, especially for kids. This is especially true for Bandhavgarh, where, along with a wide variety of fauna, tiger sightings are almost guaranteed. Watching this big cat in the wild is in a league of its own, making this national park one of the choicest places in India to visit with kids.
Planning a trip to India with children can seem daunting – but we’re here to help! Get in touch, and we can put your holiday together for you.
Let India Someday handle it and plan your best trip.
