Best Places to Visit in India Guide –

We are breaking down this guide into various categories of travellers’ interests which would be fruitful for travelers to decide on their next India travel and enhance their experience of travelling through India. You guys can even thank me later when you are back home.

• Golden Triangle Circuit – If you want to experience the heritage, culture, and tradition of the country in a short span of time the Golden Triangle tour is meant for you, starting at the capital of the country New Delhi which is witness to the rise and fall of many empires including the Rajputs, Mughals, Britishers and the National Parties. Then heading to the wonder of love – Taj Mahal Agra a breathtaking site and the most visited place in India. Moving to the vibrant markets of the Pink City Jaipur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Forts & Palaces – If you are fascinated by architecture and royal tales, then Rajasthan tops the list of places to visit in India. The state was formerly home to Rajput rulers who held their independent kingdoms post-independence which are testimony to the grandeur of the Kings who ruled the region. These are heaven for design and art lovers who have a fascination for vintage and heritage. Preserved in their perfect form you will come across palaces and forts in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and many smaller estates that are small yet beautiful places. Also, the state is rich in its culture and traditions.
• Mountains – If one wishes to explore the mountains then Northern India and some of the eastern region are the place to be. These are peaceful and serene for nature lovers who want to wade away from the hustle-bustle of cities and towns. The environment is clean with fewer vehicles, smiling people long stretches of mountain ranges, and clean water rivers. The mountains are serene and beautiful, from green mountains to snow-capped you get a diversity of places to visit.
• Beaches – For beach lovers, India is a paradise with its southern parts surrounded by the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal on both sides which makes the coastal line to be around 4600 miles. So for those who enjoy peace amid the sea, India is the place to be. Goa the most famous beach destination in the country is loved by tourists from all over the world, for this Portuguese colony has colonial vibes and a cool culture unmatched anywhere else in the country.
• Wildlife – India is home to a few of the majestic species, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Tiger, Rhino, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, and a lot more to see in the Indian Jungles. There are lots of wildlife centuries across the country some of the states and their famous national parks are –
  • Jim Corbett National Park – Uttrakhand
  • Kanha Tiger Reserve – Madhya Pradesh
  • Ranthambore National Park – Rajasthan
  • Kaziranga National Park – Assam
  • Gir National Park – Gujrat
  • Sundarban National Park – West Bengal

A more detailed destination-wise list can be found here.

When is the Pushkar Fair & Mela?

It begins with the start of Kartik month as per the Hindu calendar and typically falls in the month of October or November. The weather is perfect during this time and winters begin in the region which is perfect weather for foreign tourists.

What to expect in Pushkar Fair & Mela?

One can expect to see livestock, men, and women dressed in the traditional attire of Rajasthan, you can experience cultural events and animal competitions. Along with this one can explore the colorful markets of Pushkar come alive during the fair. Experience the traditions and culture of Rajasthan along with the livestock and cattle of the region. One can see horses, buffalos, cows, goats, sheep, and other livestock from the Rajasthan and surrounding region being traded in the Pushkar Mela.

A large number of pilgrims take a dip in the holy lake of Pushkar during the Pushkar Fair, which is believed to wash away the sins of people. One can see the priests on the lake side performing rituals and customs which is a common sight in Pushkar.

Come experience the best of Pushkar Mela with the experts of Rajasthan with Vijay India Tours, our expert professionals make sure you experience the Pushkar fair while understanding the culture and tradition of the region.

So fret not thinking ‘What if there is a snake in my hotel room?!’ Indian hotels are as good and safe as the ones back home. You might be hanging around with a fly or two in the cheaper ones. But when it comes to luxury hotels they are well maintained and the hotel staff is very particular about hygiene and cleanliness. They work diligently to keep the premises free from even the smallest insects. The places that tourists visit are all filled with homo sapiens barely giving the wildlife a chance to step in. So spotting a snake is a blue moon affair because it’s there but still very rare( rhyming intended). As much as the hypnotic eyes of the snakes send shivers down our spine likewise the snakes too aren’t a fan of the human race. They are equally scared in our presence. So unless we decide to step into each others’ territory. We’ll be just fine.

But what if you really wish to see snakes in India sans all the worry? There are snake charmers at some of the tourist places who ask for a small amount of money, between INR 50-200(approx US $1-4) to let you capture a picture with the king cobra and you may also get to touch one. Why would any sane person want to step into a devil’s mouth? Because the snakes aren’t poisonous as their venom glands are removed prior to taking making them public. But still always be vary about asking the snake charmer before handling one, as the old saying goes ‘A stitch in time saves nine’.

I once was wandering around the streets of Pushkar and saw a group of travelers standing on the side street, talking to a snake charmer. They were negotiating the prices and since there was a big crowd, I happened to walk across the gathering when the snake charmer suddenly opened the box. It was a round wooden basket. The snake rose frustratedly from the box with his fangs out. It was just beside me, a few inches away. It was a terrifying moment and I could sense chills down my body. The feeling of threat was so strong that I instantly became numb and so were the people around me as it was a sudden event. It was my very first time being so close to a snake. In retrospect, I like the experience of being so close to a fascinating creation of nature but at that very moment, it was scary.

Explore Our Tiger Trail India Tour

What kind of a blogger who wishes the world to see ‘The Incredible India’ would try to convince his readers to do otherwise? I still want you all to see the wonderful country. So the next time you think of India, think of all the beautiful things this country has on display and forget about the snakes. India is equally safe, all of us in our respective countries encounter animals unexpectedly. That’s the same here, it’s not a common event so one should not worry about these issues. Usually, we tend to have a generalized idea about a country from what we hear and read. There’s a lot more to India than food, IT, snakes, and traffic( some of the positive and negative generalized notions). We have a population of 1.3 billion people living in this country, in harmony with the snakes and other wild animals, just like it happens around the world. It has much more to offer than the presumed risks. And don’t forget you wouldn’t get an opportunity to see a king cobra back home. So if you get a chance to see it, avail yourself the opportunity and you might have mixed feelings about encountering one. Jokes apart, you won’t encounter one without spending some money either outside the monuments or if you decide to explore the lush green forests.

The most poisonous snakes in India are –

1. Indian Cobra – The holy Indian Cobra is worshipped in the Hindu religion. It is a highly venomous snake with a convex head and is found throughout India in various colors black, olive-green, and white-grey. These are commonly found in forests open grounds and fields.

What to do if you are exploring a forest and get bit by one?

Call for medical attention immediately. If possible, try to keep the affected limb at a lower than the heart area. Tightly tie a bandage or cloth around the area extending to the last of the limb to keep it rigid and unmoving. Antivenom should be induced in the body as soon as possible.

2. Common krait – This lethal snake is neurotoxic and can induce muscle paralysis. It can be identified from its cylindrical body tapered towards the tail, generally black or bluish-black with crossbars.

3. Russel Viper – It has lunar marks all over the body. The head is flattened, triangular, and distinct from the neck. Mostly brownish-grey or dark brown in color with a length of 4ft. One of the most lethal killers of humans.

4. Saw-scaled Viper – They produce “sizzling” warning sounds and are fierce to attack and move towards the victim. Its rough scales, wider head with a stacked body, makes it unique among the rest. Mostly found in sand, soft soil, and rocks.

Snakes in India

As per Hindu mythology and religion, snakes are common animals as dear to gods as other animals around and there are various gods who are seen sitting on a snake, like God Vishnu – the Hindu god who is responsible for running the world and Lord Shiva the destroyer who flaunts a king cobra across his neck in the same fashion as a lady would flaunt her precious necklace made of the rarest of the stones.

Some more deities are worshipped under different names, in different regions. They are known to protect the devotees from snakes and there are special days belonging to the deities when people offer prayers just after the monsoon season ends. With a surge in devotee numbers, an environment is set up for the kids similar to that of a fair. There are stalls to eat at and other amusements. One of the most followed deities in Rajasthan is Teja Ji – who is said to have saved a cow from getting bit by a snake. He got bitten to save the cow. Touched by his willingness to save the cow, Gods gave him the strength to survive the poison of the cobra and blessed him with powers to cure snake bites, as per the folklore. With a firm belief in his legend, people visit the temples of Teja Ji and ask the priest to offer blessings and pray for the cure. Indians are free to believe in any idea, whether it’s religious or scientific, or both. If you belong to either of the latter categories, here are few medical procedures listed below.

In case of emergency follow these first aid steps  –

• Keep calm and reassured.
• Keep your moments under control and move only if necessary.
• Get rid of tight rings and constricting clothing.
• Rest and be at ease.
• Have someone take you to the nearest medical center as early as possible.
• It’s good if you remember the shape and size, the color of the snake so appropriate measures can be taken for the treatment.

What should you not do?

• DO NOT move the limb and do not remove any of the bandages until medical help is received.
• DO NOT try to cut open or incise the affected area.
• DO NOT apply ice on the area.

Note that not all snake bites are lethal and a lot depends on the severity of the bite, patient and the amount of poison injected into the victim’s body. If you haven’t been bitten but are around someone who got bit. Then keep the patient at ease and stay with them until medical help arrives.

The helpline no. in India for a medical emergency is 102.

Know more about our tours of wildlife – Tiger Trail.

Baby Monkey at Monkey Temple

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Monkey Temple India is popular among foreign as well as domestic tourists for its beauty and the peaceful aura of the holy place. Home to macaque monkeys to the availability of trees in the nearby protected forest land, the clean water straight from the mountains and the comfy and cozy shelter provided by the Aravali mountains make it a perfect place for the monkeys of the pink city, which wander throughout the city during the days and return to Galtaji Temple by evening. The story of Jaipur monkeys is well documented in the National-Geographic series – Monkey Thieves the series which captured the activities of the macaque monkeys residing here at the temple. Mostly during the days, they can be found in the Pink City – Jaipur,  still on any other day, one can find decent numbers of human-friendly monkeys which are well taken care of at the premises by the visitors as well as the locals who feed them on regular basis providing enough food to the monkeys making Galta a perfect habitat for the macaques.

Dravidian-style tower at Monkey Temple

Galtaji Temple Jaipur has been the center of the Ramanadi sect since the 16th century and most of the temples at Galta date back to the 17th century. Decorated with colorful fresco paintings, pavilions, and round roofs making the place an architectural marvel. Some of the latest addition to the Galta Group of temples was done during the 18th century by Diwan Rao Kriparam one of the courtiers of Late King Sawai Jai Singh Second. To date, one can find saints, sadhus, and holy men clothed in Saffron colored dhoti’s or white Kurta Payjama, which are also the caretakers and ticket collectors and they can sometimes charge you some nominal fees ranging from 10-100 INR, as per my belief it is okay to pay for the holy men are maintaining the place by keeping it clean and managed and also sustaining the heritage of these heritage buildings from the past.

The coupled tanks at Monkey Temple India are fed by a natural stream originating through a crack in the mountains, covered with a marble sculpture of a cow’s head as if the water is being poured from the cow itself. The water is filled into two major ponds known as the bath Kunds, the one on the top is meant for the gents and the larger one beneath is for the ladies.

The Tanks

Certainly, the water is not so clean always to take a dip but during rains, the ponds are cleaned and refilled so one can take a bath after the pond is cleaned. The place is holy and said to have the power to take away your sins and cure one of the diseases as per the people’s belief. A large number of locals gather from nearby villages and cities on special occasions to bathe in the holy waters, one can witness the Hindu devotees as they throng the ponds in order to bathe, cleanse their sins, and attain a place in heaven. On regular days one can see local boys escaping the Indian summers by diving into the waters of Monkey Temple.

The drivable path to the temples via Jaipur – Agra Highway is an old and vacant street that remains deserted now. The old homes are designed and decorated by beautiful Jharokah/ Window with balconies which are painted with beautiful images of animals, humans, gods, and goddesses.

Decorated houses on the way

Some precautions while visiting Galtaji –

• Don’t carry small handbags rather use a backpack, as small bags are a signal of food for the monkeys which they might try to snatch.
• Keep calm when you are walking past a monkey or vice versa as sudden reactions can make them scared and
  you might end up getting hurt
• If you want to feed the monkeys it’s better to keep the edibles someplace where they can see and ultimately they will come and eat on their own instead of feeding them by hand it’s safer.
• Avoid getting any thread or powder on the forehead from priests cause once you get the priest can charge you as per their will.
• If possible be in the company of some locals who are daily visitors and have a good bond with the monkeys of Galta.

Also, learn about the common snakes in India from our blog post.

Feeding Monkeys at Monkey Temple