Places in India which never changed with time

Old is gold but shouldnt these places change with modern times. The views above are collated from opinions expressed by travellers on www.holidayiq.com

10 Places In India That Still Look Like They Did Hundreds Of Years Ago!

1.       Ambar Fort, Jaipur

Amber Fort, also known as Amber Palace, is said to have played a key role in the history of Medieval India. This fort depicts true royal lifestyle of the Rajputs, who are known for their decadent, radical and volatile behaviour. The Amber Palace is a perfect fusion of Hindu and Muslim architecture.

HolidayIQ Traveller Nikhil says, "Nice place to be with your family, very clean and neat place. Offers you a great and nice knowledge about our history and how kings and queens used to live."

2.       Hampi

Hampi is a village located in the north of Karnataka, amongst the ruins of the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, Vijayanagara. The town lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, 74 km away from Bellary. It is located atop a rugged terrain, 467 m above sea level. The place is a significant religious centre of the Vijayanagara Empire due to the presence of the historic Virupaksha Temple along with many other monuments of the old city. UNESCO has listed the Vittal Temple and other ruins of the town of Hampi as a World Heritage Site.

HolidayIQ Traveller Priya says, "We should visit hampi at least once, as we should see our ancient civilization and how beautiful india was in its ancient days. You will see what actual architectural beauty lies there that too during that time when there was no such technology."

3.       Goa

For 450 years Goa was a Portuguese colony until taken over by India in 1961. This heritage is still apparent in the architecture of its churches and old houses, and the culture of its towns, which is very distinct from the rest of India. In the Catholic world Goa is important as the place where St Francis Xavier is buried (in the Basilica de Bom Jesus at Old Goa). Apart from Christmas and New Year celebrations, the 3-day long Goa Carnival (February, Panaji) and the Feast of St Francis (3 Dec, Old Goa) are famous attractions.

HolidayIQ Traveller Jagmohan says, "Whenever Goa comes to my mind, I would say lets go and have some fun. It does not matter how many times you have been in Goa. As many times you visit Goa memory gets better. Specially I like the places Anjuna Beach, Candolim Beach, UV Bar and Hill Top Resort."

4.       Sanchi

Sanchi, located in Raisen District, is a small village, which is renowned for its Buddha stupas and monuments. It is located at the footsteps of a hill and recognised for several Buddhist monuments. The destination has numerous monasteries, stupas, pillars, holy shrines that are here from the 3rd century BC to the 12th century AD. The carvings on monuments reflect Buddhist myths and the culture of Sanchi at the time.

HolidayIQ Traveller Gaurav says, "Only 40 km(approx) from Bhopal by road. Lush green, beautiful trees situated on the top of the hills and 1.5 km from the entrance. Sanchi is under the UNESCO world heritage site and maintained by them. Important site for Buddhists and ancient history lovers. Stupa no. 2 is the most important stupa. This stupa has four entrance gates and each gates has beautifully designed about to Mahatma Buddha's life. Stupas designed by the great emperor Ashok Maurya and later Pushyamitra Shunga. Udaygiri caves is just 10 km from Sanchi built by Emperor Ashok."

5.       Pondicherry

The unique location of Pondicherry captured the attention of Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the English and the French. Pondicherry came under the rule of the French in 1673 and since then it became the site for the battle between the British and the French. Pondicherry remained as the capital of French India for about 300 years, before it attained its independence in 1954. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Medha says, "Pondicherry is a one shot place for all. Name it, and it's there. From traditional home food to french delicacies, lazy bum beaches to adventurous scuba diving (contact- temple adventures), spiritual auroville to modern cafes, nationalities to internationalites. In addition to all above, DO TRY the seafood, and an evening stroll in the french town - it's a must!"

6.       Lepakshi

Lepakshi, a historical and archaeological village, is situated in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh. It is 15 km east of Hindupur. Ruled by Vijayanagar kings in the years of yore, there are several heritage sites and temples of the empire. Other than Vijayanagar rulers, the region was also ruled by Qutub Shahis, Mughals and the Nawabs of Cuddapah. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan also took over the territory, which was later occupied by the British. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Shyamala says, "Worth a visit, especially on a cool or a monsoon day. Lovely road all the way from Bangalore. Can cover the distance in less than 3 hours on a Sunday city traffic. Lovely temple, serene, good sculptures. Great clean maintenance by ASI. Suggest using a guide to explain. Makes the visit richer. Food at AP Tourism is simple, clean and tasty."

7.       Thanjavur

The place is one of the oldest cities in India and existed since the times of the Chola Kings. It was being ruled by Nayaks and Maratta kings who integrated the art and culture into the monuments like Grand Anaicut, The Big Temple, The Serfoji Mahal Library etc. The place has a mythological background attached to it making it a divine place. It is popularly known as Mother Cauvery which is clearly evident from 'Kaviri-Thala-Puranam'. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Udhayakumar, "Must visit as it is a temple town. People there are good at treating the visitors. Food part also is good for those who like south Indian dishes but travelling is difficult and this was the negative part especially when it comes to city buses. The bus stops are to be maintained."

8.       Kolkata

For geeks or history lovers, must-visit sightseeing places in Kolkata are Birla Planetarium, Indian Museum, which houses a varied collection of unique fossils, Buddhist Gandhara art and an Egyptian mummy, Tagore House at Jorasanko and Science City. In Science City, travellers must see the time machine, space theatre and the space flight simulator.

HolidayIQ Traveller Saurabh says, "See the modern co-exist with a bygone era with ease. People are friendly and helpful. Yellow taxis were available everywhere except when there is an ad hoc strike for a whimsical reason. Radio cabs were also available. Metro work were going on for many years but still to come up. Enjoy a ride in a tram, the only city in India where you may."

9.       Khajuraho

Khajuraho, located in the district of Chhatarpur in the state of Madhya Pradesh is an ancient city. The word Khajuraho is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘kharjur’ which means ‘date palms’. Today, Khajuraho is known all over the world for its temples, which belong to the medieval Hindu and Jain period.The temples were built by the Chandel monarchs who were originally called Bargujar Rajputs of Rajasthan. The Rajputs moved here when the northern part of India was attacked by the Mlechcha invaders. Khajuraho is known as the cultural capital of the Chandel Rajputs who ruled over this part of India for almost two centuries from 10 AD to 12 AD. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Kamlashank says, "In my view khajuraho is the world famous name of Indian places. It is very nice place to visit with your female partner. The architecture of the temple is wonderful. I think the the mind of the ancient people was so good so they used it in such a mind blowing way."

10.    Jodhpur

This city is often referred to as the ‘Gateway to Thar’ because it is located right on the border of the Thar Desert.  It is also popularly called the ‘Sun City’ because it experiences bright and sunny days throughout the year. Another name for this city is ‘Blue City’ because the houses around the Mehrangarh Fort are all painted blue.