India is a land full of astonishing destinations and picture perfect natural sceneries. With shimmering beaches, pristine waterways, epic mountains, enchanting forests, lively cities, stunning temples and of course fabulous people and tasty food, makes India a forever loved tourist destination. If these things that compile the greatness of the nation and the beauty that is forever glorified already have been visited by you or you seek to go exploring into some off beat terrain, here is a list of 7 most offbeat and jaw dropping destinations in India that you can go exploring and believe me you simply cannot return without falling in love with these places. Have a look-
- Roopkund Lake, the Skeleton Lake
Located in the high altitude in the state of Uttarakhand in North India, the Roopkund Lake is a glacial lake. What makes this lake off beat is the human skeletal that remains visible at the bottom of the lake when the snow melts. Spine-chilling? This extreme area of the Himalayan Mountains is popular for the hundreds of corpses say some 300-600 skeletons that lay frozen there and can be traced back to 15th century AD. With no firm claim to the reasons of their deaths, the local folklore place it this way that the people who lay dead there faced the fury of the local deity, Latu. It is believed that they were caught in a hailstorm and thrown into the Roopkund Lake.
- Malana, little Greece of India
Located in the side of the Parvati Valley in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, this beautiful little village is a solitary paradise in its own merits. Popular for the ‘Malana Cream’ or Charas grown in the region, this ancient land is secluded from the rest of the world. What is interesting about this village is that they don’t follow the constitution of India and are considered to be one of the first democracies in the world. Quite an offbeat area to visit, the residents of the village with about 100 houses, considers themselves as the descendants of Alexander-the Great and therefore is considered as ‘Little Greece’!
- Gravity Defying Palace, Remains a Mystery
Located in Lucknow city, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the Gravity Defying Palace is known for its mysterious palace complex. Seemingly mind boggling to many as the hardcore science related to it which is ‘gravity’ related to the construction of the palace. This man made wonder is world’s largest arched construction and has a maze or ‘bhul bhulaiya’ of passage. Popularly known as the Bara Imambara, the construction dates back to 1784. Another mysterious thing that you might experience here is the whispering sounds near the balcony of the hall. Adding up, it is the largest unsupported construction in the world without using any metal or wood.
- Karni Mata Temple, an Unusual Shrine
Located in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan, the Karni Mata Temple is undoubtedly one of the unusual holy shrines in the country. What’s offbeat about this temple is that the temple has some over 25,0000 black rats living there and are respected and taken care of. There are several legends about the rats and there association to the temple. One of them is that the rats are considered as sons of Karni Mata. Out of the many black rats, if one spots a white rat it is considered holy as it is believed to be Goddess Karni herself. The legend of Karni Mata dates back somewhere in the 14th century where she lived and performed many miracles.
- New Lucky Restaurant, Eating Among the Deads
Now this one is odd in the list but offbeat undoubtedly. Located in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, the New Lucky Restaurant is really unusual. You ask why? Because it is a tea stall outside a century old Muslim cemetery. Rather than ripping out the graves to make his restaurant, the owner decided to preserve the coffins and place the tables around them. The place became an instant hit and attracts a good amount of young and elderly to hang out. It is believed that the graves belongs to a 16th century Sufi saints and the owner claims that the graves brings luck and so is the restaurant named accordingly.
- Mawlynnong, the Cleanest Village of Asia
Located in the East Khasi Hills district in the state of Meghalaya in North East India, the picturesque village of Mawlynnong is an epitome of cleanliness and it is amazing to see the purity the village had maintained which every city and village should adopt. The village has been awarded as the ‘cleanest village in Asia’, given the fact that the people here live with great harmony with nature and have taken active steps to avoid contaminating the surrounding. You can find cane stilt houses, pits for organic and inorganic wastes, ban on polythene bags are some of the modest steps.
- Talakadu, the Sand Dunes Curse
Located at the banks of Kaveri River Karnataka, the Talakadu is a historical site with once 30 temples that are today buried under the sand. Along with the temples thre were also five lingams which were believed to represent the five faces of Lord Shiva. However the mystery or the curse related to the place makes it off beat destination. The place is related with a threefold curse by a widow who was actually a queen and a faithful devotee of the Lord. Since then the once fertile land of Talakadu became barren covered with sand and the Kaveri River develops whirlpool and the rulers of Mysore still have problems with bearing a heirs to the throne.
So that was the list. Which among these offbeat destinations you plan to visit next?
