SOUTH ASIA
South Asia
The Taj Mahal, the evening rites on the Ganges, the Golden Temple and the Buddha’s birthplace: a subcontinent of many faiths, where you often take off your shoes or cover your head.
City guides
Start with a city
Every city guide has a timeline, stories of local figures, must-see sights, festivals and local etiquette.
आगरा Agra
Agra
2 places
The capital of the Mughal Empire: the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort
दिल्ली Delhi
Delhi
1 places
A capital built from seven ancient cities: Humayun's Tomb and New Delhi
जयपुर Jaipur
Jaipur
1 places
The 'Pink City': a planned city of the Rajput princes
वाराणसी Varanasi · Kashi
Varanasi
1 places
The holy city on the Ganges: ghats, evening rites, life and death
काठमाडौं Kathmandu
Kathmandu
3 places
The Newar valley: Durbar Square, the living goddess and the Buddha's eyes
මහනුවර Kandy
Kandy
3 places
The last capital of the Sinhalese kings: the Temple of the Tooth and Kandy Lake
Sri Lankan rice and curry
A plate of rice with several curries made from fish, meat, vegetables, lentils and fruit.
Agra petha
A translucent sweet at the foot of the Taj Mahal, with a widely told but doubtful legend.
Indian thali
One round platter holding all six tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy.
Nepali momo
Steamed dumplings from Nepal and Tibet, whose name may come from northwest China's 'momo'.
Galle Fort
Dutch charm on the Indian Ocean, where colonial history meets everyday street life.
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy
The sacred home of the tooth relic that guards the nation, the holiest temple of Theravada Buddhism.
Sigiriya (Lion Rock)
A sky palace on top of a giant rock, the pinnacle of ancient Sri Lankan engineering and art.
Phewa Lake, Pokhara
A lakeside town reflecting snowy peaks, Nepal's most relaxed blend of culture and scenery.
Lumbini
Birthplace of the Buddha, foremost of Buddhism's four great pilgrimage sites.
Boudhanath Stupa
A circuit under the Buddha's eyes, the spiritual centre of Tibetan Buddhism.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
A royal palace square of Newar woodcarving, a microcosm of Hindu–Buddhist fusion.
Kerala Backwaters
Slow life in a palm-fringed water world, living witness to a thousand years of spice trade.
Mysore Palace
A palace lit by nearly 100,000 lights, symbol of South Indian royal culture.
Khajuraho temples
Earthly joys in stone, the pinnacle of Chandela religious art.
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
Forerunner of the Taj Mahal, the first great garden tomb of the Indian subcontinent.
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Golden Temple, Amritsar
The golden heart of Sikhism, where the spirit of equality and service is palpable.
Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
A royal anthem in the Pink City, the pinnacle of Rajput palace architecture.
The Ganges at Varanasi
Life, death and rebirth on the Ganges, the holiest city of Hinduism.
Taj Mahal
An epic of love written in white marble, the pinnacle of Mughal architecture.