India is renowned all over the world as a country with a rich cultural heritage. Its history is of nearly five thousand years or more. The introduction of modern India is, therefore, can be made as an essential tourist destination. By touring across India, tourists can know about various civilizations. Various spiritual leaders were born in India and India is also a place of birth of founders of many religions. Various travel buffs, scholars and historians across the world get lured to tour India because of its wealthy culture and mystic atmosphere.
There are several places in India renowned for heritage tours. Some of the best places for heritage tours in India are discussed as follows:
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Bodhgaya, Bihar
Bodhgaya is a very famous religious destination in India. Gautam Buddha, the founder of the popular religion Buddhism, came to Bodhgaya in the sixth century B.C. to attain Nirvana. The most famous tourist attraction in Bodhgaya is the Mahabodhi Temple which was built in the memory of Lord Buddha and is the holiest destination of Buddhist tour India. Millions of people comprising of not only Buddhists but also people across other religions visit this temple and pay homage to Lord Buddha.
This temple was built in and around 260 B.C. Inside the premises of the temple; there is a sacred Bodhi tree. Lord Buddha used to meditate here. In the third century B.C., Emperor Ashoka built a Buddha statue of polished sandstone in Buddha’s place of meditation beside the Bodhi tree in the temple complex. It is believed that Buddha used to meditate in this temple premises almost continuously for a week without blinking his eyes.
Time & Entry Fee:
As per UNESCO, Mahabodhi Temple is a world heritage site. You can enter the temple premises without any fee. The visiting hours in the temple is from 5 A.M. till 9 P.M. You have permission for entry into the temple premises with a camera and Rs.20 will be charged for it and similarly if you enter with a video camera, Rs.300 will be charged. You can visit the meditation park inside temple premises from sunrise till sunset.
Also Read: Delight Your Spirits with Buddhist Circuit Train Tour
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Taj Mahal, Agra
The Crown Palace, Taj Mahal, is in Agra and is renowned as the seventh wonder of the world. This monument is the grave of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan built this magnificent monument in the memory of his love Mumtaz. There is a famous story associated with the Taj Mahal construction. It is believed that Shah Jahan chopped the hands of his laborers so that they cannot rebuild a monument like this for others. Just behind the Taj Mahal flows the Yamuna river. The scenic beauty and the architecture of the Taj Mahal are stupendous. It is beyond human imagination.
The historians, scholars, and archaeologists are mesmerized at its construction. They get highly impressed at the pattern of designing of the magnificent palace. A huge number of tourists daily visit this palatial heritage site. Taj Mahal is located in Agra which is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and it is approximately 200 kilometers from the capital city New Delhi.
Also, read: Craving for a Historic Trip? Here’s an Exclusive Taj Mahal Tour for You
Suggested Tour: Tajmahal Tour Package – ( 4 D / 3 Nights )
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Hampi, Karnataka
As a destination for your heritage tours in India, never miss out on exploring the group of monuments at Hampi, Karnataka. Many Dravidian architecture temples were built at Hampi during the fifteenth century. Scholars, historians as well as architects found lots of interest in these architectures. In the year 1986, UNESCO declared this site as a World Heritage Site.
Travelers from all around the world get a glimpse of vast statues of gods throughout all temples at Hampi. The tourists can visit these monuments at Hampi right from the sunrise till the sunset in their Heritage Sites of India Tour.
Entry Fee :
Children up to 15 years are given free entry, whereas citizens of India and visitors from SAARC countries has an entry fee of Rs.10. Others can visit these monuments at an entry fee of Rs.250.
Also, read: Top 20 Places to Visit in South India from October to March
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Khajuraho Temple, Madhya Pradesh
As a part of the heritage tours in India, tourists must visit the Khajuraho temple in Madhya Pradesh. During 1000 AD, the Khajuraho temples were built under the reigns of the Chandella dynasty. There are three prominent groups of temples in Khajuraho, and the divine interpretation of the Kamasutra carvings crafted in the temple walls are a treat for the eyes because of its artistic significance. The fantastic architecture and the beautiful temple art of the Khajuraho temple paved the way for UNESCO to name it a world heritage site.
The majority of the monuments in Khajuraho comprises of the usage of sandstone as the part of the monument construction. The monuments have huge windows through which fresh air and light can enter into the temples. There are entrance paths, halls, vestibule and a sanctum associated with each monument.
Khajuraho has three regions, namely, the eastern region, western region, and the southern region. Lakshmana Temple, Chitragupta temple, Vishwanath temple, etc. are found in the western region of Khajuraho. In the eastern part, Adinath temple, Brahma temple, etc. can be explored by the tourists. In the southern area of Khajuraho, the tourist can visit the Duladeo temple and the Chaturbhuj temple, etc.
In the first week of February, a dance festival is organized in Khajuraho every year, popularly known as the Khajuraho Dance Festival. The tourists can explore the various Indian traditions and cultures in these dance festivals through multiple forms of Indian classical dance.
Also read: Khajuraho Temples – A Catalogue of Desire, Sex & Spirituality
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Ajanta, Ellora & Elephanta Caves
Another heritage site the tourists can visit is by visiting Aurangabad in Maharashtra where they can find the fantastic Ajanta and Ellora caves. These caves are located in the Sahyadri hills. The Ajanta and Ellora caves shrines were created way back in second century B.C. by skilled artisans. The artisans crafted these shrines with their own hands.
Ellora has a total of 34 caves, and these caves comprise shrines depicting religions, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. There are 29 caves at Ajanta which symbolizes the religion Buddhism.
One more option is Elephanta Caves when it comes to caves in Maharashtra. Elephanta Caves have been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the caves are devoted to and the Hindu Lord Shiva. You have to go via ferry, to reach the Elephanta Island, in order to visit the spiritual site of the caves.
Suggested Tour: Ajanta Ellora and Golden Triangle Tour – (11 D / 10 Nights )
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Monuments at Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram is a place that you can visit, and it is famous for rock carvings and monolithic sculptures. UNESCO has also declared it as a World Heritage Site. The tourists can visit these heritage sites through the various well-known India Tour operator. There are many more India Tour operator which provides tour packages, group tours, luxury tours, car hiring facilities with the driver, etc.
Also Read: Top 20 Places to Visit in South India from October to March
Suggested Tour : Southern Circuit Tour – ( 4 D / 3 Nights )
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Rajasthan Heritage Sites
In addition to the above-discussed heritage sites, as a part of a heritage tour, the tourists can also visit Rajasthan. The last visit for tourists exploring the rich heritage of India can be the visit to the various famous heritage sites in Rajasthan.
To name a few, tourists can visit in Rajasthan, the Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Ranthambore Fort, Amer Fort, Jaipur, Jaisalmer Fort, Jantar Mantar, Keoladeo National Park, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort and the City Palace, Udaipur.
Hence, Indian Tourists as well as the International Tourists, when on a mission to explore the rich cultural heritage of India, should visit all these important heritage sites in India which have been discussed above.
Read More: Finally Jaipur Gets the UNESCO World Heritage Tag, The Pink City of India
You can enjoy the Indian Heritages with special Luxury Trains also, Know more: Luxury Trains India – Idea of Exploring India’s Heritage
