Best List: 25 Unsung Indian Heritage Gems

At Many Of These Historically Significant Spots, You Might Be The Only Tourist In Sight. But That’s Just The Way This Author Prefers It 

- Zac O’Yeah

DHOLAVIRA, GUJARAT 217 km east of Bhuj airport

A vast site from the Harappan era, set on a spectacular island far out in the salt marshes of the Rann of Kutch, Dholavira provides a rare opportunity to stroll alone through one of civilisation’s greatest ancient cities, abandoned four millennia ago. See how our ancestors lived, with well-engineered sewage tunnels, tiled bath cubicles, and kitchens with grinding stones. Prehistoric mixies, anyone?

AIHOLE, KARNATAKA

40 km east from Badami railway station; buses run to Aihole village; Nearest airport: Belgaum (157 km)

This village adjoining the stunning hillside cave temples of Badami and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pattadakal is easily overlooked, but Aihole’s intriguing experimental rock-cut temples suggest that this was a laboratory of sacred architecture. Referred to as the cradle of Indian temple design, in its heydey the village had hundreds of arts teachers.

KAUSAMBI, UTTAR PRADESH

51 km west of Allahabad railway station; Nearest airport: Varanasi (175 km)

The wondrous KauÅ›ÄmbÄ« is mentioned in the Ramayana, and the Buddha lectured here post-enlightenment. It was born as a Vedic capital, rose to glory over a thousand years, then vanished. It was rediscovered, replete with ruins of palaces, monasteries and city walls. There’s no signposting—the finds are in the museums of Allahabad.

GANGAIKONDACHOLAPURAM, TAMIL NADU

35 km north from Kumbakonam railway station; Nearest airport: Tiruchirappalli (144 km)