10 Weird Tourist Attractions in India

Image by Simon from Pixabay

10 Weird Tourist Attractions in India

India is full of historical and natural attractions that have made it a tourist hotspot in the world. The country is lined with weird places that will amaze you. 

If you’ve photographed the Taj Mahal in Agra, gawped at the Red Fort in Delhi, and chilled on the beaches of Goa. Now you want to explore some of the more unique things to do in India.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of quirky attractions here. So if you’re looking to see a different side of the country, here are some of the most unusual places in India to visit.

Being a country with a rich past, India is a land that showcases a melting pot of culture, people, traditions, and religions. However, a rich past also means that one can never truly hope to explain or understand each and every secret that the land beholds. 

From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and far across to Changlang and Kutch, you get myriad encounters that may astound you. Here are 10  weird tourist attractions in India

1.  Toilet Museum – New Delhi

Image by Tim Evanson from Wikimedia

Designated as one of the weirdest museums in the world by Time magazine, the Sulabh International Toilet Museum in Delhi is truly unique and one of its kind.

Located in Dwarka in west Delhi, this Toilet museum showcases varied styles of toilets from over 50 countries. You will find various different styles of toilets here from carved and jewelled to the Victorian toilet to books and space toilet.

The museum portrays a history of toilets and sewage systems from 3000 BC to the modern-day and will surely leave you awestruck.

2. Living Root Bridge – Meghalaya

Image by Triszx from Wikimedia

If you want to witness something naturally bizarre, this is it. Nestled in the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Cherrapunji Meghalaya, you can find this bridge formed of living plant roots!

The bridge has formed naturally by tree shaping and connecting the forest. Also known as the Umshiang Double Decker Living Root Bridge, this magnificent bridge is made of India Rubber Tree.

The bridge is located at an elevation of 2400 feet and almost 3km in length and a remarkable mix of nature’s engineering and artistic skills. This living roots bridge is indeed one of the mysterious places in India.

3. Karni Mata Rat Temple – Rajasthan

Image by Volker Glätsch from Pixabay

there is a temple built in Deshnoke, Rajasthan that does exactly that! The temple is filled with over 20,000 rats that lap at bowls of milk laid out just for them.

Many people offer sweets and candy to these rats. If you happen to step on a rat and hurt it, you have to purchase a silver or gold rat statue and offer it to the temple, as penance for your sin.

The devotees believe that rats are reincarnations of the Goddess Karni Mata. It does make for a strange experience and if you visit this place, you’re not going to forget it very soon.

4.  Roopkund – Uttarakhand

Human Skeletons in Roopkund Lake. Image by Schwiki from Wikimedia

Roopkund is a glacial lake that sits 5,029m (16,500ft) above sea level in the Indian Himalayas, circled by snowy mountains and rocky glaciers.

The real attraction here is what lies beneath the surface – around 600 to 800 human skeletons. Legend has it these are the remains of a Kannauj king and his entourage who perished in the 9th century.

Now, when the lake melts, you can see their bones. To get there, trek from the Lohajang Pass, through several villages, glacial valleys and mountain passes – it’s one of the most challenging treks in India.

5.  The Town of Twins –Kodinhi, Kerala

Photo by Dynamic Wang on Unsplash

Sometimes you don’t need curses and hauntings to make a mystery place in India. Many curiosities are simply hiding in plain sight, waiting to be discovered.

A small village in Kerala, Kodinhi is home to 2000 families. But the strange part is that the village is quite well-known for the number of twin births. About three generations ago, the women of the village started giving birth to twins, a lot of twins, and almost always identical.

In fact, some women who married far away from the village have also been reported to have given birth to twins. The village has more than 300 pairs of twins, with no explanation as to why this suddenly started happening.

So, if you head out to explore the natural beauty of Kerala, maybe a detour to one of India’s most mysterious places can be considered.

6. Baba Mandir – Sikkim

Image by Indrajit Das from Wikimedia

Baba Mandir is a temple which is run by the soldiers of the Indian army. It is situated near the Kupup Village in Sikkim. So what makes this temple unique? This built-in the name of Baba Harbhajan Singh, a serviceman in the 23 Sikh Regiment.

In October 1986, he was posted near the China border and while carrying provisions on the mules, up the mountain, he fell down and drownded in the stream below.

But that very night, he appeared in the dreams of his army colleagues and requested a memorial to be built for him.

To date, it’s believed that his spirit lies in the temple and in that area. The army maintains this temple, and his belongings are kept there in the shrine. People believe his spirit will protect and guard the army and residents in this tough territory.

7.  Snake Village – Uttar Pradesh

Image by Penny from Pixabay

You might know that snakes are worshipped by Hindus in our country, as it’s considered to be close to Lord Shiva. 

In the Sholapur district of Uttar Pradesh, lies a tiny village called Shetpal which is popularly known as the Snake Village. Snakes are welcome here, and villagers also have small shrines in their homes for the snakes to enter and cool off.

These are not any ordinary snakes, but cobras. Kids are left free to play with these cobras and they even enter the schools.

In spite of all this, to date, there hasn’t been a single person bitten by a snake or a single snake killed here. Both the creature and the villagers live fearlessly. If you’re in Uttar Pradesh,

8.  New Lucky Restaurant – Gujarat

New Lucky Restaurant is located in the Lal Darwaza area of Ahmedabad that features an exquisite experience of dining beside coffins.

Locals call it a place to dine with the dead and it features delicious food at an affordable price! The restaurant is there for more than 60 years now, and the tables are placed right next to coffins.

 Krishnan Kutti, the restaurant owner decided to bank on the fact that his new restaurant site was an old burial ground for Muslims. Therefore, instead of removing or covering the tombs, he built the restaurant around it.

 Today not only is it famous for tea and snacks but as a unique place in India.

9.  Loktak Lake – Manipur

Image by Sharada Prasad CS from Wikimedia

Nestled in the magical lands of Manipur in the northeast, Loktak Lake is nature’s architecture at its best.

Known as the ‘world’s floating lake’, it is the largest freshwater lake in the northeast and one of the naturally existing mysterious places in India. The lake spreads over 300 sq meters and is an ecologically diverse hotspot for organic matter, vegetation, and soil and serves as a source of livelihood for the local inhabitants.

It is also awarded the ‘wetland of International importance. The north zone of the lake has 5 streams. The central zone comprises islands and is also good for fishing.

The southern zone is the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the world’s only floating national park and home to almost 424 animal species and around 100 species of birds.

10. Magnetic Hill – Ladakh

Image by Toprohan from Wikimedia

The Magnetic Hill is located 11000 ft above sea level in Ladakh, one of the most sought-after bikers’ destinations.

If you are planning a trip to Leh-Ladakh, don’t miss a visit to one of the most unique places in India. The hill is believed to have an anti-gravitational effect that will pull your vehicle towards it even if the engine is off.

As such it is advised that you place your vehicle in neutral gear on the spot marked in white.  Watch and be amazed by this peculiar attraction as your car moves uphill on its own due to gravitational pull.

There are plenty of reasons to visit India – be it mountains or plains, beaches or backwaters, wildlife tours or adventure activities, secluded islands or bustling metropolitan, culinary delights or local drinks, spiritual holidays or romantic vacations.