The 25 wonders of India
On 10 November, British Airways celebrates 100 years of flying to India. As the airline goes all out to mark this special milestone, Sachin Rao picks 25 of the country’s most unmissable attractions on the route network for you to add to your list
01/11/2024
1. Mumbai’s iconic food scene
The city that never sleeps is the city that always eats. Mumbai, India’s 24/7 financial capital, is a foodie’s paradise. Stand on a street corner with taxi drivers and fuel up with a hot, newspaper-wrapped vada pav (fried ball of potato in a small bread roll). Lunch on a pav bhaji – spicy mashed vegetables mopped up with butter-soaked buns – in a spartan café full of college students. Or line up at Mumbai’s trendiest restaurants for distinctively regional world-class dining: Masque and The Bombay Canteen rank among Asia’s best.
2. The world’s tallest statue
See the big picture at the Statue of Unity, an absolutely colossal rendering of independence-era statesman Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Standing 182m tall, Patelji can peek over the BT Tower – even without his 59m base.
Getting there: Kevadia is 55 miles (a two-hour drive) from Vadodara, served by British Airways’ codeshare partner IndiGo.
3. Film sets that are larger than life
Bollywood (the film industry of Mumbai, formerly Bombay) isn’t the only ‘ollywood’ in India. There are at least ten other regional powerhouses. For instance, Hyderabad, as a centre of Telugu cinema, is Tollywood. Keep it reel at Ramoji Film City, an hour outside the city. The 2.5 square-mile extravaganza is the world’s largest studio complex, with a staggering variety of sets, as well as an amusement and theme park.
4. The ode to eternal love
Millions of words have been written about India’s greatest monument, so why not a few more? The Taj Mahal – a gleaming white marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as an ode to his wife Mumtaz – is an undebatable wonder. Pro tip: avoid the crowds and see it from the rear, with a boat ride on the River Yamuna.
Getting there: Agra is 150 miles (a four-hour drive) from New Delhi.
5. Bengaluru bar crawl
With its laidback, permissive vibe, Bengaluru was India’s ‘pub capital’ even before the infotech boom supercharged the city’s nightlife. Get your party on hopping from 1990s OG Pecos to pioneering microbrewery Toit to the speakeasy-style ZLB23, ranked India’s best bar in 2024.
6. The big city lights
There’s something inimitably heady about a glittering skyline. Marvel at Mumbai’s expanse of twinkling towers from swish rooftop bar Aer – or even from one of the city’s famous black-and-yellow cabs when driving across the Coastal Motorway.
7. Rajasthan’s palatial splendour
With a rich history of royalty, India is dotted with grand palaces, and Rajasthan especially so. Experience a bygone age with the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur’s 225-year-old Hawa Mahal, and a rather more modern interpretation of sumptuous luxury at the brand-new Raffles hotel.
Getting there: Jaipur is 200 miles (a five-hour drive) from New Delhi.
8. Watch India’s longest-running film
Catch a screening of beloved 1995 film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, or DDLJ, at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir cinema – it has been playing there ever since its debut!
9. Goa’s artisanal spirit
A cold beer by the beach is great. A foray into feni is even better. Enjoy Goa’s local liquor – made from fermenting cashew fruit or coconut – at little bars like Joseph’s, then sample its recent artisanal revival with a bottle of Goenchi or a plantation tour at Cazulo. Vidi, vici, feni!
Getting there: Goa is served by BA’s codeshare partner IndiGo.
10. A taste of historic Delhi
With 700 years of history, Delhi’s old town is full of heavy hitters. From the Red Fort to the Jama Masjid, there are grand reminders of empires past, each worthy of a traveller’s time. But to elevate it to full wonder status, just add flavour. Amidst the spice and flower markets, the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk are an adventure in gastronomy: from flaky parathas and thick lassi to tangy chaat and crisp, sticky jalebis, this is culinary legacy.
11. Dine like a Nizam
Biryani is an institution across India, but Hyderabad’s version is arguably one of its finest expressions. Layers of aromatic basmati rice and tender, deeply marinated goat meat are slow cooked with whole spices and fried onions in a sealed cauldron over a wood fire. Each spoonful is a portal into its origins in the royal kitchens of the nizams, the fabulously wealthy historic rulers of the region.
12. Silk-sari shopping
The bustling commercial hub of T Nagar is home to some of Chennai’s most renowned sari shops, where thousands of rolls of vivid, shimmering fabric are stacked and unfurled across the counter tops for your judgment. Drape yourself in these hand-woven silks – the most intricate of which can cost thousands of pounds – for a true immersion in timeless Indian fashion.
13. Follow your art
St+art Foundation has been brightening up Indian cities with public art for a decade now. Its crowning glory is New Delhi’s Lodhi Art District. Stroll the tree-lined streets of Lodhi Colony taking in 50 murals that have transformed the neighbourhood into an open-air art gallery with wonderfully striking visuals and thought-provoking messaging.
14. The rushiest hour
Watch peak hour unfold under the grand canopy of Mumbai’s Victorian-era Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) – India’s busiest station, which sees three million commuters pack into suburban trains each day.
15. A bat, a ball and a religious experience
It’s said cricket is a religion in India, and Kolkata’s hallowed Eden Gardens stadium is its Mecca. Watching a match at this 160-year-old, 68,000-seater ground is an act of worship for a sports fan. And also, with an erudite crowd and a thunderous atmosphere, it’s just great fun. (Psst: England plays India in a T20I match here on 22 January 2025.)
Getting there: Kolkata is served by British Airways’ codeshare partner IndiGo.
16. Dream a utopian dream
A self-funded international commune and artisanal village dedicated to the vision of the philosopher Sri Aurobindo, Auroville is still going strong after 56 years. Check out its wide variety of social and eco enterprises and local makers.
Getting there: Auroville is 100 miles (a three-hour drive) from Chennai.
17. Haat stuff
Hungry for a massive open-air market jammed full of vibrant ethnic art and craft from across India? Two words: Dilli Haat. From pots to paintings and fabrics to footwear, there’s enough to keep avid shoppers going for hours. Oh, did we mention there are Haats in three locations in New Delhi? Onward!
18. Grand designs
Celeb-spotting is a daily sport in Mumbai, and to boost their chances, fans hang out near the famous mansions of their favourite film and sports stars. Cast your peepers at Mannat – the home of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, in Bandra – or Antilla, billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s 27-storey tower in swanky Cumballa Hill.
19. Buzzing bazaars
The elegantly imposing bulk of the 433-year-old Charminar is Hyderabad’s venerable centre of gravity. While the nearby bazaars hum with activity all year round, it’s during Ramadan (next in March) that the area comes fully alive, when the famous Night Bazaar explodes with light, sound, colour and delicious aromas.
20. Become one with the universe
It may have shades of Sydney Opera House, but the arresting architecture of New Delhi’s Lotus Temple is symmetrically sublime, and inside it is silence as soothing as the surrounding lush green grounds. One of the world’s eight houses of worship of the Baha’i faith, the Lotus Temple symbolises the oneness of humankind under one god.
21. The subcontinent in a building
Mumbai’s CSMVS museum provides an excellent afternoon of soaking up local, Indian and South Asian history and culture. Paintings, sculpture, textiles, ornaments, maps, photographs – from B.C. to the Raj, it’s all there, and beautifully presented. You can’t fail to come away illuminated.
22. Tigerland
With more than 50 tiger reserves in India, it’s time to earn your stripes. The Corbett Tiger Reserve – Asia’s first national park – is home to more than 200 of these magnificent big cats roaming free – along with elephants, bears, deer and more. It’s proper bucket-list stuff.
Getting there: Corbett Reserve is 150 miles (a 4-5-hour drive) from New Delhi.
23. More palaces? Yes, please
Seen one palace and you’ve seen them all? Not in India! Mysuru Palace – the seat of the Wodeyars, who ruled the southern Kingdom of Mysore for centuries – is an architectural smorgasbord, and when lit up at night (on Sundays), nothing short of spectacular. Mysuru is 90 miles (a three-hour drive) from Bengaluru – which itself has another Wodeyar property, the Windsor Castle-inspired Bangalore Palace.
24. The Sikh heart of gold
Experience the essence of Sikhism at Amritsar’s soul-stirring Golden Temple – the holiest shrine of the main religion in Punjab. Anyone can enter, visit the sanctum, take a dip in the holy pool, or partake of the gurdwara’s free meal, the langar.
Getting there: Amritsar is served by British Airways’ codeshare partner IndiGo.
25. Do(sa) yourself a flavour
When in South India, start the day with a classic breakfast of idli (steamed rice cakes) and dosa (crisp savoury crepes). With their scores of legendary restaurants – usually small, cheap and cheerful – the battle between Bengaluru and Chennai for hearts, minds and tastebuds will never be definitively won. But, hey, you’re the winner!
