india travel book pdf

• South Africa
• Turkmenistan
• South Korea
• Philippines
• Timor Leste
• Afghanistan
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Northern Ireland
• Isle Of Man
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• North Macedonia
• Liechtenstein
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Czech Republic
• Antigua And Barbuda
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico
• Saint Barthelemy
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin & Sint Maarten
• Trinidad And Tobago
• Turks And Caicos
• US Virgin Islands
• Falkland Islands
• French Guiana
• El Salvador
• United States
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Cook Islands
• French Polynesia
• Accessories
• Bags & Backpacks
• Horseback Riding
• Photography
• Maintenance
• Airport Hotels
• Bed & Breakfast
• Budget Hotels
• Business Hotels
• Family Friendly Hotels
• Gay Friendly Hotels
• Luxury Hotels
• Pet Friendly Hotels
• Pool Hotels
• Romantic Hotels

13 Best India Travel Guide Books

• Travel Gear
• 13 Best India Travel Guide…

India is a vast country with diverse and awe-inspiring landscapes. From sandy shores of the Keralan coast, barren deserts of Rajasthan, the majestic snow-capped Himalayas, ancient temples, to buzzing modern cities, the country has it all. The stunning country also offers a rich mix of traditions, festivals, and spiritual beliefs. All these reasons make India a must-visit! For a memorable trip to India, what’s a better way to understand and learn more about the country than by getting yourself “lost” in the best India travel guide books? These guidebooks are more than helpful in planning your trip. Whatever you want to explore in this ancient country, these travel guide books India will help you make the most of your time in this exotic part of the world.

How To Choose The Best India Travel Guide Books?

Travel guidelines to India are all you need to arrange the perfect trip to India . With travel guidebooks, it’s easier to travel safely. That said, choosing travel guide books India also can be overwhelming. To get the best one, there are some basic things that you can consider before deciding to buy a travel guide book India. Let’s take a look at them one by one!

What’s Included In The Book

A travel guidebook to India should contain information about sights, accommodation, transportation, activities, and restaurants. Detailed maps and historical cultural information also make a good guidebook. Some India travel guide books even include phrases and glossary to help you interact with the locals. Colorful photos in the book would be a great feature for travelers’ inspiration.

Published Date

To avoid misinformation about the places you’re going to visit, we recommend getting the latest edition which published date is no later than a year apart. Hotels, restaurants, sights, and shops are ever-changing, so it’s important to get the updated information.

While traveling, you may not want to be weighed down by a thick travel guide book India. If so, a digital version is the best option for you. Meanwhile, some travelers may want to have a printed edition. This version can be useful along the way, such as for taking notes or using the maps without the need for GPS or gadgets.

Is India easy to travel around?

Well, since India is a huge country, getting around can be slow and require a bit of patience. However, it also offers extensive interesting and fascinating places. You’ll never get bored of traveling in India. If anything, your trip may turn into a fascinating adventure!

Is India dangerous for tourists?

You may have heard infamous rumors about India, but generally, India is considered a safe destination for tourists. That said, you should be aware of certain things like scams and pickpockets. So, don’t forget to bring your underclothing travel pouch for safety. Reading travel guidelines to India before you go, like The Essential Safety & Security Guide to Visiting India and Travel Fearlessly in India is also useful. These books provide useful tips, advice, and strategies on how to travel safely in India.

Is India expensive to visit?

Actually, India is commonly known as one of the best budget destinations for travelers in the world. You’ll find plenty of budget hotels and affordable transportation to get around. It’s a perfect destination for budget travelers.

Essential India Travel Guide

Essential India Travel Guide is

written by Mohan Kapoor. He’s a native Indian who was born in Bikaner, Rajasthan. When he was young, he left the country. But, he returned to India for work. His jobs required him to travel extensively through India. So, he shares his knowledge about the country, life, historical sights, and culture into a useful travel guide. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to travel to India.

Unlike other India travel guide books we have on this list, this book only covers cities and states with the most popular and important tourist attractions. But you’ll get an in-depth look and some fun facts of each city. It includes where to eat, what to see, where to go, and what to expect. It also gives you information about how to be respectful to each of the six main religions,, plus, how to be aware of the pickpockets, and more.

The thing we like the most about this book is that the author provides essential tips. These include what to expect, what type of travel agencies you can trust, important cultural aspects, what food choices are safe, and so much more. Plus, he also shares his own story. In a way, by reading this book you travel virtually to cities and states like Delhi, Goa, and Kolkata even before you arrive in the beautiful and colorful country!

Any type of travelers, including business travelers, backpackers, and party-goers.

The Essential Safety & Security Guide to Visiting India

Are you a solo traveler who yearns to travel to India, but has been disheartened by rumors or publicity about violence there? The Essential Safety & Security Guide to Visiting India will show you how to have a happy and safe trip. So, you’ll know how to survive and enjoy your stay in the great land of India. The author is a native-born Indian diplomat with extensive experience and knowledge of his native country.

The book contains general information, like geography and weather. Before you go, some chapters will help you prepare. Getting started, financial planning , and before you travel are some of them. Information about health, insurance, and getting local connections are also provided. Besides, it covers insightful cultural and historical narratives. You’ll find all this info in the chapter: An Introduction to India .

The author talks about safety and security during your time in India. He guides you on how to act, what to do, and how to handle unique situations to make sure you enjoy your stay. You’ll figure out how to travel safely within India by air and train. He also gives tips on how to obtain travel passage to restricted or protected regions. What’s more, there’s a piece of specific advice for female travelers, making it the best travel guide books India for female travelers.

Backpackers, adventurers, female travelers, and solo travelers.

India – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Whether you’re traveling for work or planning a long-term trip to India, you’ll need travel guidelines to India. It will help you to understand the local culture. India – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture is indeed a useful book. It helps you to learn important stuff about the country, whether it’s land and people, customs and traditions, or values and attitudes. Also, there are some tips on dos and don’ts and taboos. You’ll even get info about business in India!

This travel guide book India is written by Becky Stephen. She enjoys traveling and learning about cultures. Also, she studied Hindi at Banaras Hindu University and lived in Varanasi for years. The author shares her meaningful experience through a better understanding of the local culture. With this book, you’ll be aware of the essential values and behavioral norms, plus knowing how to make new friends and build relationships with the locals.

The book starts with the introduction and key facts about India. Meanwhile, the Land and People chapter contains several topics. These include a brief history of India, as well as its geography and climate. You’ll also find some information about places to eat, shops, and cultural activities. Besides, there’s a section for top places to visit and a map of India.

Long-term travelers, temporary residents, and business travelers.

Lonely Planet South India & Kerala (Regional Guide)

You’ll love Lonely Planet South India & Kerala . It’s perfect as your travel guidelines to India when visiting that particular region. The information on history and culture is very informative. Plus, there’s up-to-date advice on what to see and what not to see. So, you can discover both popular and off-beaten-path experiences. This makes the book the most comprehensive guide to South India and Kerala. It covers Goa, Kerala, Mumbai, Andaman Islands, Bengaluru, and more.

The authors have also packed the book with sights and experiences. It includes South India & Kerala’s Top 12. With this one of the best travel guide books India, you can choose activities that suit you. Do you prefer relaxing on a yoga retreat by the beach in Goa ? Or, floating along Kerala’s backwaters? This book has it covered. Meanwhile, the itineraries section helps customize your trip to your interests.

Get information on recommended accommodation, like hotels in Mumbai , and also places to eat, drinking & nightlife, entertainment, and shopping. There’s a section about how to travel with children for your next family trip. It gives you info about customs regulations, embassies, and consulates. Plus, full-color maps and images are also provided.

Family travelers, solo travelers, backpackers, business travelers, and long-term travelers.

Insight Guides India

You need to plan your trip to experience the best of India. Both paperback or digital editions of Insight Guide India can help you on your next adventure. It’s one of the best travel guide books India for travelers looking for a cultural experience. The book is written by local authors who have extensive historical and cultural backgrounds. Besides, they provide hundreds of stunning photos that capture the essence of India. Not to forget the detailed maps!

There’s a section that features India’s Top 10 Attractions. Also, it covers several regions, from Delhi in the north, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Goa, to Kerala. The information on independence, art, and architecture let you know more about the country.

You’ll find the editor’s choice for the most memorable India experiences. From seeing Hindu festivals, tasting the Indian food, to visiting Rajasthan fort. What’s more, the book includes practical information and travel tips. You’ll find about when to go and transportation. Moreover, this user-friendly travel guide book India provides invaluable maps. So, you could venture off the beaten track.

Any type of travelers, from backpackers, adventurers, business travelers, to photographers.

DK Eyewitness Delhi, Agra and Jaipur

Are you traveling to India for the first time or relocating temporarily to the capital city Delhi? Gear up with some information about the Golden Triangle for your adventures. It includes Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, India’s most visited cities. These cities are famed for their iconic monuments and frenetic energy. Also, these regions have much to offer, including plenty of things to do in Jaipur .

For all those reasons, DK Eyewitness Delhi, Agra and Jaipur can be your best India travel guide books. Unlike most travel guide books, it’s lightweight. So, you can take it wherever you go on your trip. Also, the book is available on Kindle. The information from the book makes traveling across the three cities easy.  Whether you want to glimpse the pretty pink Hawa Mahal or get the perfect shot of the Taj Mahal, the book includes all. Not only you’ll discover reasons to love Delhi , Agra, and Jaipur, but the book also makes you know about the cities.

Like other DK Eyewitness travel guide books India, this book comes with trademark illustrations. Besides, the book provides the best places to eat, drink, and shop. Recommended accommodation is also provided. Meanwhile, the selection of itineraries allows you to make your own. What’s more, get expert advice on how to stay safe, get around, and get ready. Like all DK Eyewitness guide, the book has plenty of beautiful pictures and diagrams. Plus, it includes detailed maps and a pull-out map of Delhi.

Long-term travelers, business travelers, backpackers, and adventurers.

Travel Fearlessly in India: What Every Woman Should Know About Personal Safety

Women who are traveling to India should have the best India travel guide books. Travel Fearlessly in India written by J D Viharini is important for your first or fifth trip to the beautiful country. The author is an American woman who has made India her home. She has traveled across India since 1980, mostly alone. From the tropical south to the remote Himalayas, visit ancient temples, and attend great festivals.

With her 30 years of familiarity with India, she shares important things in travel guidelines to India. She includes the issues ladies may come across in the country. Here, you’ll find out about the mindset of Indian men and how to have safe interactions with them. She also talks about how to understand the Indian perspective on non-Indian women.

The book gives uncommon sights into how to travel and live safely in India. These include cultural factors relating to women’s safety. You’ll find comprehensive information like finding safe places to stay and how to travel safely; how to deal with potential problems and what you need to do if you have to go to the police are also provided. Her many years’ experiences make the book a great read for every female traveler before traveling to India.

Female travelers, solo travelers, and family.

Chennai & Tamil Nadu Focus Guide, 2nd Edition

Looking for specific India travel guide books to Chennai and Tamil Nadu area may be a bit difficult. That’s why the second edition of the Chennai & Tamil Nadu Focus Guide is very useful for your next trip. The book provides you with the insightful and up-to-date information you need. Are you planning to visit and explore many grand Hindu temples? Maybe you want to stop and savor the smell of jasmine garlands piled up before the carved granite gods? The book covers them all.

Also, you don’t want to miss enjoying nature in the blue Nilgiri Mountains. The book also includes information on the region’s unique history, culture, and cuisine for a richer experience along the way. Another section features practical tips on getting there and around.

Besides, you’ll get recommended and comprehensive listings of hotels, a list of restaurants and activities, including horse riding and festivals. This travel guide book India is only available in a printed edition but is slim enough to fit in your pocket. It helps you get the most out of Tamil Nadu without weighing you down. What’s more, the book provides detailed street maps for important towns and cities.

Photographers, long-term travelers, temporary residents, and backpackers.

Bradt Travel Guide: Ladakh, Jammu & the Kashmir Valley

Having the right travel guide books India is essential for the best adventures in Ladakh, Jammu, and Kashmir. Bradt Travel Guide Ladakh, Jammu & the Kashmir Valley can be your best option. Though Ladakh is becoming a more popular destination for its epic Himalayan beauty, some other areas are still off the beaten path, like Kashmir Valley & Jammu, plus Zanskar. There are so many wonders to be discovered and so many  things to do in Ladakh . So, this book is essential for travel guide book India for that specific region.

This fully updated edition helps you explore the whole area. These include Leh, Srinagar, Gulmarg, Zanskar, The Kashmir Valley, and Jammu amongst others. There are plenty of activities you can do. You may want to relax on a houseboat or take a shikara ride in Srinagar. How about exploring Buddhist culture in Ladakhi monasteries? Or, traveling in a jeep along nerve-wracking mountains roads become your choice? You can also enjoy the views from the roof of the world at the breathless Khardung La mountain pass. For adventurers, you don’t want to miss hiking to the Himalayan!

From the book, you’ll find information about these regions. Plus, trekking information, trekking maps, and new travel routes. Other highlights, like the Mughal Road, the Buddhist monks at Thiksey Monastery, and the Buddhas of Kargil are included. Also, we love the color photographs and maps. On top of that, there are Urdu and Ladakhi phrases. Get this one of the best India travel guide books in paperback or Kindle edition.

Adventurers, backpackers, climbers, hikers, and trekkers.

The Rough Guide to India

Make the most of your traveling with The Rough Guide to India ! Whether you’re visiting the world’s greatest building Taj Mahal or visiting the dramatic landscape of home to glaciers in Sikkim, it has it all. Also, the book provides very detailed and extensive information. It makes the book a perfect travel guide book India, especially if you’re preparing for the first trip to India and traveling on a budget.

The book may be a bit thick, but the e-book included is a brilliant bonus. Plus, it’s easy to use. These travel guidelines to India cover India’s cities and states north, south, and east. These include Uttar Pradesh, The Andaman Islands, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, and more. From this book, you’ll find extensive listings of the best sights and top experiences.

Also, you can get practical advice about what to see and do. The essential pre-departure information is also provided. It includes getting around, food and drink, and accommodation. You’ll also get info about festivals, culture and etiquette, and more. The itinerary section helps you prepare your own routes, from popular tourist areas to off-the-beaten-track adventures. Besides, there’s a section that provides history, ethnic groups, religion, and wildlife. You’ll love the amazing full-color photography and practical full-color maps.

Backpackers, adventurers, and temporary travelers living in India.

Fodor’s Essential India

Get Fodor’s Essential India as your travel guide books India. It helps you plan the perfect adventure in India to be a trip of a lifetime. This guidebook is written by local writers and expert travel advisors who know the destinations better than anyone else. It’s perfect for travelers who want to travel in India but feel intimidated by the vastness of India. The travel guidelines to India are available in Kindle for a guidebook on the go. Meanwhile, the paperback is small enough to fit in your handbag and backpack.

The book starts with Experience India. This section provides the ultimate experiences you should try in India . Is it taking a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges or entering through the world’s largest door at Fatehpur Sikri? Maybe you want to wander the sprawling City Palace in Udaipur and party the night away at Goa? Meanwhile, you can have an overview of what to expect and where to go in the Travel Smart India section. It helps you with what you need to know before visit India. Also, it includes getting here and around and sample itineraries. Plus, you’ll get an explanation about history, culture, and travel tips.

This guidebook provides up-to-date coverage. From the capital city Delhi, home to Mother House Kolkata, to a financial center Mumbai . It also covers the largest Indian states Rajasthan and the coastlines of Kerala and Goa. It also includes information for side trips from Delhi. Each major city features planning, where to stay, what to do, etc. What’s more, the book provides lots of maps and illustrations to help maximize your time.

Adventurers, backpackers, photographers, and family.

Lonely Planet India

If you’re traveling to India quite often, Lonely Planet India is worth owning. It contains a lot of information about many corners of the country. Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Chennai, are among them. Plus, it provides full-color maps and images. So, the book is perfect for a quick skimming before you do detailed planning and begin your journey in India. Do you want to listen to monks chanting in the shadow of the mighty Himalaya in Ladakh? Or, visiting top attractions in Agra , like the Taj Mahal? It has you covered!

The book may a little be thick, but it provides 4-easy use sections. So, you’ll find the most relevant and up-to-date advice and recommendations easily. It contains three main chapters: Plan Your Trip, On the Road, Understand, and Survival Guide. The Plan Your Trip is your planning tool kit to create the perfect trip. It provides useful information. From what you need to know, suggested itineraries, how to travel with children, to regions at a glance.

The book covers plenty of places in the country. You’ll find Agra, Goa, Bangalore, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Kerala, in the On the Road section. Plus, you’ll find expert reviews, insider tips, and easy-to-use maps. Get recommended accommodation, restaurants, and shops with honest reviews. Also, there’s a special section about tips for women and solo travelers, plus scams. What’s more, you’ll find information about transportation and cultural insights. It helps you get a more rewarding travel experience.

Family travelers, business travelers, adventurers, and backpackers.

DK Eyewitness India

DK Eyewitness India can be your right choice for India travel guide books. It’s filled with information. Either you choose the printed edition or e-book, you can take this guidebook wherever you go. The design will make the most of your travels to discover and experience India. Also, the book has several main sections, including Discover India. This section is divided into some parts: Welcome, Reasons to Love India, and Exploring/getting to know India. Itineraries/India your way, and the Indian year and a Brief History.

The introduction gives an overview of India as a country. Its history, food, culture, nature, architectures are amongst others. Meanwhile, the section Experience India features cities, states, and unions. Also, this travel guide book India includes highlights of what you could experience. It’s whether you prefer to drink tea in Darjeeling or visit the unmissable Taj Mahal. Perhaps you want to escape to the beautiful Andaman Islands or hike the heights of the Himalayas?

You’ll also find 22 sightseeing areas, which contains some information. These include addresses, phone numbers, websites, and opening times. Stuck for inspiration for your schedules while in India? Worry not! There are recommended easy-to-follow itineraries. So, you could set up your plan, whether you’re staying for just a few days or few weeks. Also, there is info about the best places to eat, sleep, and transport information. Even before you’re arriving in India, you can imagine yourself there through its colorful maps and amazing pictures. What’s more, you’ll get expert advice on how to get ready and stay safe.

Backpackers, adventurers, and temporary business travelers.

Author:  John P

As a blogger, I have had the pleasure of exploring some of the most exclusive destinations, indulging in the finest cuisine, accommodations, and experiences that the world has to offer. From the chic streets Paris to the scenic beauty of the Amalfi Coast, readers luxury. my, tips on the most exclusive hotels restaurants, and activities, giving you a glimpse into the world of high-end travel. But luxury travel is not just about extravagance - it's also about immersing yourself in the local culture and experiencing the true essence of a destination. With a passion for art, history, and architecture, I seek out the hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path experiences that make each destination truly unique. So whether you're planning a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a solo adventure, my blog is your guide to the ultimate European luxury travel experience. Join me on my journey as we explore the best that Europe has to offer, one luxurious destination at a time.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

15% off with code APRIL15

• North America
• South America
• Middle East
• Australia & Pacific

New Releases

Trending Destinations

Experience Guides

• Outdoor Travels & Adventures
• Epic Guides
• Food & Drink
• Gifts & Inspiration
• Language Guides
• Lonely Planet Kids

Country Guides

Pocket Guides

All Guides & eBooks

• Lonely Planet Insider

Your cart is empty

Get this book for free by becoming a Lonely Planet Insider:

• 3 eBook downloads every year
• Exclusive offers and discounts
• Free shipping on all orders

$2.99 USD/month (charged annually) Learn more

Inside  Lonely Planet’s  India  Travel Guide:

Up-to-date information -  all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak

Top experiences feature  - a visually inspiring collection of India’s best experiences and where to have them

What's new feature  taps into cultural trends and helps you find fresh ideas and cool new areas

Pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card  with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel

Planning tools for family travellers  - where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for kids

Colour  maps and images throughout

Highlights   and itineraries  help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips  to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential info   at your fingertips  - hours of operation, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets  - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Cultural insights  give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics

Over   200 maps

Covers  Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, West Bengal, Sikkim, Northeast States, Gujarat, Odisha, Mumbai, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu

eBook is available in ePub, MOBI and PDF.

ISBN: 9781788683876

Edition: 19th

Publication Date: April 2022

Writers: Joe Bindloss, Michael Benanav, Lindsay Brown, Stuart Butler, Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Trent Holden, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan, Isabella Noble, John Noble, Kevin Raub, Sarina Singh, Iain Stewart

1256 pages, 1256pp color, 203 maps | Dimensions: 128mm × 197mm

Next edition due: November 2024

Which guidebook is right for me?

Country, city & regional guides.

• Top experience collections
• Regional itineraries recommended by experts (from a couple of days to multi-week)
• 3D illustrations and guided tours of key sights
• Extensive coverage of history and culture
• Detailed maps throughout - includes walking maps and a pull-out planning map

EXPERIENCE guides

(country, city & regional).

• Led by local experts that reveal their favorite experiences and hidden gems
• Personal itinerary building tools
• Seasonal planning calendars
• QR codes unlock additional online content

POCKET guides

(city & regional).

• Special features cover most popular sights
• Content organized by neighborhhod
• Recommended 1, 2, 3 and 4-day itineraries
• Guided walking tours

© Sylwia Bartyzel

Check out this year's Best in Travel winners

With its sumptuous mix of traditions, spiritual beliefs, festivals, architecture and landscapes, India will set your memories ablaze long after you've left its shores.

Best Time to Visit

Best places to visit, leave the planning to a local expert.

Experience the real India. Let a local expert handle the planning for you.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Rising perpendicular and impregnable from a rocky hill that itself stands 120m above Jodhpur’s skyline, Mehrangarh is one of the most magnificent forts in…

Poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as 'a teardrop on the cheek of eternity'; Rudyard Kipling as 'the embodiment of all things pure'; while its creator,…

City Palace

A complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings, the impressive City Palace is right in the centre of the Old City. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh…

Eastern Rajasthan

This magnificent fort comprises an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, and is divided into four main…

Conceived as the cosmic chariot of the sun god Surya, this massive, breathtakingly splendid temple was constructed in the mid-13th century, probably by…

Brihadeeshwara Temple

Thanjavur (Tanjore)

Come here twice: in the morning, when the honey-hued granite begins to assert its dominance over the white dawn sunshine, and in the evening, when the…

Golden Temple

The legendary Golden Temple is actually just a small part of this huge gurdwara complex, known to Sikhs as Harmandir Sahib. Spiritually, the focus of…

Mehrauli Archaeological Park

There are extraordinary riches scattered around Mehrauli, with more than 440 monuments – from the 10th century to the British era – dotting a forest and…

Top picks from our travel experts

The 22 best things to do in india.

Dashashwamedh Ghat

Varanasi’s liveliest and most colourful ghat. The name indicates that Brahma sacrificed (medh) 10 (das) horses (aswa) here. In spite of the persistent…

Chandni Chowk

Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

Old Delhi’s main drag is lined by Jain, Hindu and Sikh temples, plus a church, with the Fatehpuri Masjid at one end. Tree-lined and elegant in Mughal…

Kaziranga National Park

The park’s 2400 one-horned rhinos represent about two-thirds of the world’s total population (in 1904, there were only 200). Kaziranga offers popular 4WD…

Sundarbans Tiger Reserve

West Bengal

The 2585-sq-km Sundarbans Tiger Reserve has 100-plus Royal Bengal tigers lurking in its impenetrable mangrove forests and sometimes swimming its delta…

Amrit Sarovar

Spiritually, the focus of attention within the Golden Temple Complex is the tank that surrounds the gleaming central shrine. Known as the Amrit Sarovar,…

Bandipur National Park

This park covers 880 sq km and was once the Mysore maharajas’ private wildlife reserve. It's noted for herds of gaurs (Indian bison), chitals (spotted…

Devaraja Market

Mysuru (Mysore)

Dating from Tipu Sultan’s reign, this huge and very lively bazaar has local traders selling traditional items such as flower garlands, incense, spices and…

Vittala Temple

Hampi's most exquisite structure, the 16th-century Vittala Temple stands amid boulders 2.5km from Hampi Bazaar. Work possibly started on the temple during…

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

The Western Ghats

In the foothills of the Nilgiris, this newly enlarged 765-sq-km wildlife reserve is like a classical Indian landscape painting given life, with chital…

Dudhsagar Falls

Panaji & Central Goa

Situated in the far southeastern corner of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa’s most impressive waterfall splashes down just west of the border…

The furthest south of the main ghats and one of the biggest, Assi Ghat is particularly important as the River Assi meets the Ganges near here and pilgrims…

Manikarnika Ghat

Manikarnika Ghat, the main burning ghat, is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Dead bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms, and…

Nagarhole National Park

West of the Kabini River is the 643-sq-km wildlife sanctuary of Nagarhole National Park (pronounced nag-ar-hole-eh). The lush forests here are home to…

Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary

The entrance to Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary is easily accessible from Molem and, with an area of 240 sq km, this is the largest of Goa’s four…

Airavatesvara Temple

Three kilometres west of Kumbakonam, this late-Chola Shiva temple was constructed by Raja Raja II (1146–73). The steps of Rajagambhira Hall are carved…

Hemis National Park

Hemis National Park covers the roadless villages of Rumbak and Yurutse, the whole Markha Valley, and the passes and access trails to Stok trekking point…

Virupaksha Temple

The focal point of Hampi Bazaar is this temple, one of the city’s oldest structures, and Hampi’s only remaining working temple. The main gopuram (gateway)…

Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple

The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram ('City of the Chola who Conquered the Ganges'), 35km north of Kumbakonam, is dedicated to Shiva. It was built by…

Pench Tiger Reserve

Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh

Pench is made up mostly of teak-tree forest rather than sal, and so has a different flavour from nearby Kanha or Bandhavgarh. It also sees fewer tourists …

Kanha Tiger Reserve

Madhya Pradesh is the king of the jungle when it comes to tiger parks, and Kanha is its most famous. The forests are vast, and while your chances of…

Itimad-ud-Daulah

Nicknamed the Baby Taj, the exquisite tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg should not be missed. This Persian nobleman was Mumtaz Mahal’s grandfather and Emperor…

Corbett Tiger Reserve

Uttarakhand

This famous reserve was established in 1936 as India’s first national park. Originally called Hailey National Park, then Ramganga National Park, it was…

Around 2km south of the palace, Stok's small monastery has some crumbling old stupas, but the dominant feature, 200m above, is its huge 21m-tall gilded…

Hemis Gompa

This expansive, 17th-century monastery is the spiritual centre of Ladakh’s Drukpa Buddhists; it was the fifth Gyaling Drukpa who founded Hemis after…

Thiksey Gompa

Glorious Thiksey Gompa is one of Ladakh’s biggest and most recognisable monasteries, photogenically cascading down a raised rocky promontory. At its heart…

Panna Tiger Reserve

Tigers are making a comeback after being reintroduced in 2009 to Panna Tiger Reserve from other Madhya Pradesh reserves; there are now thought to be more…

Kuldhara Village

This abandoned village is 19km west of Jaisalmer, 6km south of the Sam road. It was abandoned by its Paliwal Brahmin inhabitants – just like the area’s 83…

Sam Sand Dunes

The silky Sam dunes, 41km west of Jaisalmer along a good sealed road, are one of the most popular excursions from the city. About 2km long, the dunes are…

Jagannath Mandir

This mighty temple is home to Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), an incarnation of Vishnu. Built in its present form in 1198, the temple – closed to non…

Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

If your only reason for visiting a tiger reserve in India is to see a tiger, look no further. A couple of days at Bandhavgarh should net you a tiger…

Wah Tea Estate

Himachal Pradesh

One of the Kangra Valley's oldest tea estates, Wah has been continuously cultivating since 1857. Half-hour visits let you walk through tea and herb…

Gir National Park

Gujarat & Diu

Early-morning sunlight filters through the leaves and shadows skittle through the undergrowth. Suddenly, the silence is broken by the high-pitched alarm…

Kachchh (Kutch)

This beautiful palace, built in 1752 and part of the Darbargadh palace complex, lost its top storey in the 2001 earthquake, but the lower floor is open,…

Jaisalmer Fort

Jaisalmer’s fort is a living urban centre, with about 3000 people residing within its walls. It is honeycombed with narrow winding lanes, lined with…

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

Maharashtra

One of the best places to see tigers in India, the seldom-visited Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, 150km south of Nagpur, is now much more accessible thanks…

Guru-Ka-Langar

At the southeast end of the Golden Temple Complex is the Guru-Ka-Langar, an enormous dining room where an estimated 100,000 pilgrims come to eat every day…

Kumbhalgarh

One of the many forts built by Rana Kumbha (r 1433–68), under whom Mewar reached its greatest extents, this isolated fort with a derelict palace is…

Yungdrung Gompa

Lamayuru's gompa is one of the most photogenic Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh. Behind glass within the gompa’s main prayer hall is a tiny cave-niche in…

Mehtab Bagh

This park, originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna’s east bank (long before the Taj was conceived), fell into…

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip.

Best Things to Do

The scale of India is staggering – where to begin in this magical country? Don't worry, we've done the planning for you with our list of top things to do.

Things to Know

India's overwhelming size and diversity can be a lot for first-time visitors. Make it easier with our tips on what you need to know before you go.

Transportation

The sheer scale of India can be overwhelming. Find your way around with our tips on train tickets, bus services and accessible transportation.

Visa Requirements

India is an incredible country with so much to offer travelers. Ensure you breeze across the border with our guide to its visa requirements.

Money and Costs

India is one of the most affordable countries in the world to visit. Make your money go even further with these budget friendly tips.

Traveling with Kids

The incredible sights, sounds and smells in India mean your little ones will never be bored for long. Here's how best to visit India with tots in tow.

Best Road Trips

The vast expanse of India has infinite incredible experiences awaiting you. See this beautiful nation on your schedule on one of our top road trips.

Accessibility

Led by India-based Planet Abled, people with various disabilities and those without disabilities travel side by side.

Plan with a local

Experience the real India

Let a local expert craft your dream trip.

Latest stories from India

Filter by interest:

• All Interests
• Adventure Travel
• Art & Culture
• Beaches, Coasts & Islands
• Food & Drink

Destination Practicalities

Dec 20, 2023 • 7 min read

Dec 20, 2023 • 11 min read

Dec 17, 2023 • 22 min read

Dec 16, 2023 • 12 min read

Dec 15, 2023 • 17 min read

Dec 15, 2023 • 14 min read

Dec 13, 2023 • 7 min read

Dec 12, 2023 • 12 min read

Dec 12, 2023 • 11 min read

Dec 11, 2023 • 14 min read

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in India

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks.

Get to the heart of India with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.

India and beyond

Top 10 Best Indian Travel Guide Books To Read in India

Best indian travel guide books.

Are you a travel lover? Do you love to read travel stories? Amazing! Through our years of travel experiences, we have come up with this content to explain to you in detail about top travel storybooks in India. So, the best Indian travel guide books are as follows:

List of Top 10 Best Travel Guide Books For India – 

• Enjoying India to the Fullest
• Rough Guide To India
• India (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
• India Bites You Somehow
• Frommer’s India
• Wanderlust and Lipstick
• DK Eyewitness Travel Guide
• India – Culture Smart
• Fodor’s Essential India

1. Enjoying India to the Fullest – Indian Travel Guide Book

 Author – Shalu Sharma 

This is one of the best books about travel in India . This book is essential if you plan to visit India. Many people travel to India without knowing what to do or what to eat. This book will help you to plan your trip to India. Enjoying India book will provide information to help travelers navigate India’s vast landscape and get the most out of India. 

2. Rough Guide To India

Author – Rough Guides

Rough Guide To India is among the best Indian travel guide books  and is the most comprehensive guide to India. These Rough Guide Books are actually comparable to the Lonely Planet guides.  Rough Guide To India books is bravely open about the places they cover. This book covers India’s history, language, and culture as well as its politics and culture. It also includes information about bribes and drug use and Bollywood movies. It is the best and most comprehensive guide to India.

3. India (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)

Author – Michael Benanav, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Lindsay Brown

Lonely Planet Travel Guides is among the best Indian travelogue books  and is essential if you’re planning to visit India for the first time. It includes traveler maps, a guide to places to stay and eat, and great information about India.

4. Holy Cow – India Travel Book

Author – Sarah Macdonald

Holy Cow is among the best travel guide books for India . This book describes a rollercoaster ride through a land full of contradictions and chaos with a woman who is on a mission for her soul, her love life, and her sanity. Sarah MacDonald, an ABC journalist, spent two years on the Indian sub-continent before preparing this book.

5. India Bites You Somehow – True Life Tales

Author – Kai Mayerfeld

This book features stories about westerners who have lived in India. This book contains 40 real-life stories from people who traveled to India from 19 different countries. Although it is not intended to be a guidebook, this book offers a glimpse into Indian spiritual life. 

India Bites You Somehow – True Life Tales is among the best books on Indian travel . This book will help you connect to India if you haven’t yet set foot in India. This collection of stories from travelers around the globe will open your eyes to India.

6. Frommer’s India – Travelling Books India

Author – Pippa De Bruyn

Frommer’s India is among the best Indian travel guide books . It is a guidebook that will help you plan your trip from the beginning. This book is handy if you’re looking for tips on traveling in India. Frommer’s India book covers everything you need to know about India: where to stay, what food to eat, driving there, how to avoid being scammed, and how to make the most of your time.

7. Wanderlust and Lipstick: A Guide for Women Travelling to India

Author – Beth Whitman

Wanderlust and Lipstick: A Guide For Women Travelling To India book was written with women in mind. This book focuses on India’s culture and offers travel tips, such as how safe to be, what to wear, how you can deal with poverty, how personal belongings are safe, and a list of Hindi words. Wanderlust and Lipstick: A Guide For Women Travelling To India is among the best Indian travel guide books . This book also includes advice from women who have traveled abroad.

8. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Best Indian Travel Book

Author – Anna Streiffert

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide will take you to India, where you can join thousands of people visiting India to see the Taj Mahal lit up in the morning light, or enjoy Goa’s golden shores. This book is among the best travel guide books for India .

India’s vast landscapes are as varied as they are inspiring. Modern skyscrapers meet centuries-old mosques in cities while tigers glide through lush jungles that separate the Himalayan heights from the beaches of the Keralan coast.

The updated guide to India transports you there like no other guide. It features expert-led advice and insights, photos on almost every page, and hand-drawn illustrations that place you in the iconic buildings and neighborhoods of the country.

9. India – Culture Smart: The Essential Guide To Customs & Culture

Author – Becky Stephen

India’s 1.2 billion inhabitants are as diverse and vibrant as Old Delhi’s spice markets. Every region, caste, and community has its own culture. Each one reflects unique history shaped by religion, creativity, conquest, and war. The Indians, a people steeped in old traditions and extremely fatalistic, are passionate about their culture and are world leaders in science and technology. If you show interest in their country, it will be repaid with warmth and friendship.

 India – Culture Smart: The Essential Guide To Customs & Culture will teach you the fundamental values and behavior norms of India, help you navigate cultural differences, build relationships and provide invaluable insight into this fascinating, vast land. All this makes this book among the best Indian travel guide books .

10. Fodor’s Essential India – Best Travel Guide Books

Author – Fodor’s Travel Guides

If you are looking for an India travel book pdf , you can search for Fodor’s Essential India . Fodor’s Essential India was written by locals and is the ideal guidebook for anyone looking for tips on how to get the best out of their trip to Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities. This India travel guide includes detailed maps and brief descriptions that will make it easy to plan your trip.

India is a country full of exciting and intriguing contrasts. There are beautiful palaces juxtaposed with simple temples. Modern high-tech industry mixes well with traditional customs and rituals. This vast country is rich in attractions and activities. Fodor’s Essential India provides a comprehensive guide to the best sights and things to do.

There are many travel books by Indian authors for you to read. Indian travel writers such as Janhavi Acharekar, Anees Jung, Rosy Thomas, and Romola Butalia have written many amazing travel books. Make sure to read them all. Take care!

Read More – 

• 25+ Most Important Things To Carry While Travelling
• Top 10 Best Comfortable Cars For Travelling in India
• Top 10 Best Indian Hotel Booking Websites or Apps
• Top 10 Best Indian Travel Websites or Travel Apps
• Top 10 Best Indian Travel Vloggers On YouTube
• Top 5 Bengali Travel YouTubers In Kolkata 
• Top 12 Best Trekking Companies In India 
• Top 10 Best Travel Agency in Kolkata
• 10 Best Tourism Courses In India 
• 10 Best Travel and Tourism Management Colleges in India

Share This Article

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Best India Travel Guide Books: Planning a trip to India

So you’re planning your first trip to India!

It’s a daunting task.

India is a big country, and there is such diversity with so many things to do and so many places to visit!

With so much free information available online, where to even start planning your trip to India?!

Is it worth it to get a guidebook for India travel?

Planning a trip itinerary for India that’s several weeks long, or maybe even several months long, can turn into what feels like planning about 10 vacations! Not only do you need to make sure you know how to get an Indian tourist visa , but with each new city, there’s that much more to research!

For some people it might seem a bit lame to use a guidebook as a bible for travel to any destination. But when you’re short on time or you just don’t want to plan 10 vacations, it can be very helpful in making sure you visit the must-see places of any given region or city. (It just might be the cure for FOMO. ;))

And you can use a guidebook as just that — a guide. It can give you a very good start to planning your trip when you just have no idea where to start… or you’re looking to sort through the abundance of free travel guides online!

When you are short on time, flying can be a cost-effective way to travel long distances around India because of the budget airlines that are available in India.

Now, here’s what’s on this page of travel guidebooks to take a look at for planning your trip to India!

• Get this guidebook with PDF  so you can do some really specific India planning like where to stay and where to eat so you don’t get sick
• Get this guidebook so you can make a general plan based of your India itinerary of places to visit and what food to eat based on pretty pictures

So, which travel guidebooks might you use for planning a trip to India?

One of the best india guidebooks for planning each day’s itinerary, finding the best places to stay, and eating at the best restaurants.

Let’s start with the ultimate guidebook for travel to India .

So, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Lonely Planet travel guidebooks.

How is the Lonely Planet travel guide for India?

Well, once you get used to it, India is a country that can be easy to travel around because of the ease of being able to catch buses without advanced booking and the ease of being able to show up in a city without a guesthouse or hotel booking. (That said, sometimes advanced booking can be helpful!)

What makes that travel in India even easier?!

Lonely Planet India!

These are the top reasons to get Lonely Planet India:

• Getting sick is a common occurrence among foreigners. The restaurant recommendations in the book can minimize your chance of getting food poisoning! And in case you do get sick, here’s how to treat traveler’s diarrhea naturally .
• Getting ripped off is also a common occurrence among foreigners. The book will give a price range for guesthouses, activities, and rickshaw rides in a given city. This will make you feel more confident knowing that you’re not paying way too much!
• Sometimes it’s easier to just show up in a city and look for accommodation. The book can give you the best places to stay so you are not aimlessly wandering around. In the case that you want to pre-book your hotel, it can give you recommendations!
• And of course the book has a list of the best places to visit in any given city! It will give you ideas on nearby famous destinations. It also lists the best way to get to your next destination, as well as the best way to get around any city.

You can read some of the reviews here for using Lonely Planet India when traveling.

For easy planning when you’re on the road in India, here are some guidebooks to take a look at:

• Lonely Planet: India (best of the whole country)
• Lonely Planet: Rajasthan, Delhi, and Agra (includes best of the famous Golden Triangle)
• Lonely Planet: South India and Kerala
• Lonely Planet: Goa and Mumbai

These include the option of a pdf travel guide or e-book too, so be sure to have a look!

India is a big country, which means there’s a ton to cover. The Lonely Planet India book is over 1,000 pages which means it’s pretty bulky. Having the travel guide in pdf form on your phone can cut back on the weight of your backpack! It can also be helpful in finding a nearby place to eat when you’re out and about on an excursion.

Now, if you do still have a few weeks or months before your trip to India…

One of the best India guidebooks for figuring out the pretty places you want to visit

One of the negatives about Lonely Planet India is that aside from the city maps and information tables of buses and trains, it’s pretty much all text.

This text is incredibly helpful when trying to figure out where to stay and places to eat, in particular when you’re not planning too far ahead.

But if you’re wanting to figure out what the name of that temple you saw on Pinterest  😉 is called, Lonely Planet India won’t be able to really help you with that.

So it can be best used in conjunction with another resource.

Or once again, in order to have the best of India all in one place so you don’t have to sift through so much information, there’s an India guidebook for that! 😉

For planning your trip to India using pictures, take a look at:

• DK Eyewitness Travel: India
• DK Eyewitness Travel: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra

DK Eyewitness India isn’t necessarily the best for travel tips when it comes to things like specific ways of how to get around. But at the back of the book, there is a big list of recommendations for where to stay and places to eat, arranged mostly by state. Still, for practical travel tips when you’re on the road, Lonely Planet India is pretty good.

But DK Eyewitness India will give you the pictures, along with the descriptions of what makes each place significant. So instead of just listing a foreign name of a place that you are sure to forget, it gives you that image that your memory will likely better retain.

Or if you won’t be doing too much pre-planning of places to visit before your trip to India, you may like all the colorful images to help you decide where you want to go once you arrive in any given city. The street-by-street city maps also include pictures. This makes it so that when you look at the map, you will see what the market or palace looks like at a specific location.

Using DK Eyewitness India as your guidebook when traveling in India might turn you into a foodie! There are food sections that list the local dishes and specialties of a region. These come with pretty pictures of the food, and you just might end up wanting to try all the food when in India! 😉 So if you’re looking forward to trying the diversity of food options available in India, you might like this book too.

The tagline for DK Eyewitness is “the guides that show you what others only tell you”… and this is what the guidebook does through its abundance of colorful pictures!

Now, is it really necessary to take 2 guidebooks with you to India?!

That does sound like overkill.

Plus, that’ll add weight to your backpack and take up more space than you probably want it to.

In which case, you might want to lean towards  Lonely Planet India . It really can be used as a bible for your trip to India. And showing up in a city and knowing where to stay and safe places to eat (so you don’t get sick!) can be superbly helpful.

Be sure to have a look at what might be able to speed up your recovery if you do get sick with traveler’s diarrhea.

Well, what if you want your India guidebooks to have the pictures of the best places to visit and  a bunch of useful travel tips when traveling around India?!

If you can commit to doing at least a little bit of planning ahead of time, DK Eyewitness India really can help you see India in pictures in a simple way.

Lonely Planet India can be even more helpful on the road when you’re in India, so consider using DK Eyewitness India for trip planning when you’re still at home. Then leave DK Eyewitness behind instead of taking it with you to India so you don’t have to lug around that extra weight.

And, if you’re not planning on taking it to India with you, you may even see if the guidebook is available at your local library.

One of the problems with borrowing travel books at libraries is that the only version that the library has might be one from 10 years ago. But with DK Eyewitness India, if your primary purpose is to look at the pictures, it generally shouldn’t really be a problem even if the book is a little outdated.

With Lonely Planet India on the other hand, if you’re using it mainly for hotel recommendations and restaurant recommendations, it’s probably best to get a book that’s been updated in the past couple of years. Here are the most recent versions.

What if you just really don’t want to make room in your backpack for a guidebook?! 😉

And then of course, if you don’t want to carry any extra weight in the form of an India guidebook, you always have the trusty Lonely Planet India PDF !

But do make sure you make room for that international first aid kit for India !

HAPPY INDIA TRIP PLANNING!

Best shoes for your active vacation, swimwear for snorkeling and beach.

Best Sellers in Indian Travel Guides

• ← Previous page
• Next page →

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

India Travel Guide

India travel guides, the top tourist attractions in india, the most beautiful forts of india, backpacking in rajasthan & benares.

• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions
• GET INSPIRED AND START PLANNING GET INSPIRED AND START PLANNING
• footer@item_discovertips_anchor
• PDF Travel Guides
• TOURISM INDUSTRY TOURISM INDUSTRY

1-16 of 172 results

Reader's Digest India - March 2024 - Women On The Move

India The Journey - A Travel Book on India

Temples of India - A Picture Book on Temples of India

Travel + Leisure India - April 2024 - Rakul Preet Singh - 20 Fabulous Family Trips

India Today - Temple Of India Special Issue - A Divine Odyssey

20 things to do in Ladakh (20 Things (Discover India) Book 7)

Heritage of India - A Picture Book on World Heritage Sites in India

Wildlife of India - A Picture Book on Wildlife in India

Awesome India: A Guide to States and Union Territories (Updated edition): A Children's Guide & Travel Companion

Festivals of India - A Picture Book on Festivals of India

LADAKH | A Journey through Snow, Sand and Stone Book I

Easy Hindi [Paperback] Labour India Publications

50 things to do in Ahmedabad (50 Things (Discover India) Book 5)

Sun Temple of Konark: Discover India | Photojournals (UNESCO World Heritage Site Book 3)

In the Footsteps of Rama: Travels with the Ramayana

Food & Faith: A Pilgrim's Journey Through India

• Get It Today
• Get It by Tomorrow
• Get It in 2 Days
• Travel & Tourism
• Specialty Travel
• Travel & Holiday Guides
• Travel Writing
• 4 Stars & Up & Up
• 3 Stars & Up & Up
• 2 Stars & Up & Up
• 1 Star & Up & Up
• ₹100 - ₹200
• ₹200 - ₹500
• ₹500 - ₹1,000
• Over ₹1,000
• All Discounts
• Last 90 days
• Kindle Unlimited Eligible
• North America
• Audible Audio Edition
• Kindle eBooks
• Eligible for Pay On Delivery
• 10% Off or more
• 25% Off or more
• 35% Off or more
• 50% Off or more
• 60% Off or more
• 70% Off or more
• Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
• Atlantic Publishers and Distributors
• justshopindiaonline
• Sunrise Book store
• BAY OF BOOKS
• Peacockbooks
• Repro Books-On-Demand
• Include Out of Stock
• Press Releases
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell under Amazon Accelerator
• Protect and Build Your Brand
• Amazon Global Selling
• Become an Affiliate
• Fulfilment by Amazon
• Advertise Your Products
• Amazon Pay on Merchants
• COVID-19 and Amazon
• Your Account
• Returns Centre
• 100% Purchase Protection
• Amazon App Download
• Conditions of Use & Sale
• Privacy Notice
• Interest-Based Ads

We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us!

Internet Archive Audio

• This Just In
• Grateful Dead
• Old Time Radio
• 78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings
• Audio Books & Poetry
• Computers, Technology and Science
• Music, Arts & Culture
• News & Public Affairs
• Spirituality & Religion
• Radio News Archive

• Flickr Commons
• Occupy Wall Street Flickr
• NASA Images
• Solar System Collection
• Ames Research Center

• All Software
• Old School Emulation
• MS-DOS Games
• Historical Software
• Classic PC Games
• Software Library
• Kodi Archive and Support File
• Vintage Software
• CD-ROM Software
• CD-ROM Software Library
• Software Sites
• Tucows Software Library
• Shareware CD-ROMs
• Software Capsules Compilation
• CD-ROM Images
• ZX Spectrum
• DOOM Level CD

• Smithsonian Libraries
• FEDLINK (US)
• Lincoln Collection
• American Libraries
• Canadian Libraries
• Universal Library
• Project Gutenberg
• Children's Library
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Books by Language
• Additional Collections

• Prelinger Archives
• Democracy Now!
• Occupy Wall Street
• TV NSA Clip Library
• Animation & Cartoons
• Arts & Music
• Computers & Technology
• Cultural & Academic Films
• Ephemeral Films
• Sports Videos
• Videogame Videos
• Youth Media

Search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet.

Mobile Apps

• Wayback Machine (iOS)
• Wayback Machine (Android)

Browser Extensions

Archive-it subscription.

• Explore the Collections
• Build Collections

Save Page Now

Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future.

Please enter a valid web address

• Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape

Essential India travel guide : travel tips and practical information

Bookreader item preview, share or embed this item, flag this item for.

• Graphic Violence
• Explicit Sexual Content
• Hate Speech
• Misinformation/Disinformation
• Marketing/Phishing/Advertising
• Misleading/Inaccurate/Missing Metadata

plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews

27 Previews

Better World Books

DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

No suitable files to display here.

PDF access not available for this item.

IN COLLECTIONS

Uploaded by station65.cebu on October 1, 2021

SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Indian Travel Writing

2019, Nandini Das and Tim Youngs, ed. The Cambridge History of Travel Writing (Cambridge University Press)

Related Papers

Alberto Pelissero

Contemporary South Asia

Mahalakshmi Ramakrishnan

Book review:Religious journeys in India: pilgrims, tourists and travelers, edited by Andrea Marion Pinkney and John Whalen-Bridge, Albany, SUNY Press, 2018, $90.00 [Hardcover], xiii+323 pp., ISBN 978-1-4384-6603-3

Andrea Vecchione

In this paper I explore the relationship with pilgrimage from an emic perspective. Vindyachal, a holy shrine outside of Varanasi has been documented as pre-vedic in nature.

surabhi prasad

Bodhgaya is the most holy place for the followers of the Buddhist faith all over the world, the other three being kushinagar, Lumbini and Sarnath. Situated on the bank of river Neranjana the place was then known as Uruvela. There are four famous pilgrimage sites for Buddhists namely: Lumbini, where he was born; Bodhgaya, where he attained Supreme Enlightenment; Deer Park in Sarnath, where he preached the First Sermon; and Kusinara, where he passed into Mahaparinibbana. The pious disciple should visit these places reflecting on the particular event of the Buddha's life connected with each place. By the time of King Asoka, four more places, namely: Savatthi, Sankasia, Rajagraha and Vaishali, that were closely associated with the Buddha and scenes of his principal miracles, were added to the pilgrimage itinerary. Together they make the Eight Great Places of pilgrimage. The aim of this research paper is to discuss about the historical perspective of ancient pilgrimage, It also throw...

Yaroslav Vassilkov

S Chandni Bi

Rana P.B. SINGH

It is estimated that around 250 million people perform pilgrimage every year in India. Pilgrimage studies are dominated by studying or interpreting texts, and anthropological surveys. Through the emerging concerns for understanding cultural landscape and cultural tourism, pilgrimage has been given due consideration in multidisciplinary frames. The issues of circulation, typology and cosmic contexts are recent concerns in the international conferences. Among the theoretical contributions Turner’s communitas, Bhardwaj’s typology and Morinis’ semantic model have paved the path; however they need re-appraisal in the light of Eliade’s hierophonic approach and landscape ecology. Recently pilgrimage along with religious tourism is considered as heritage and cultural resource that may be used for sustainable regional and environmental development programmes. The Green Pilgrim Cities Initiative (GPCI) affiliated with interfaith Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) taking lead in this direction through promoting pilgrimage-tourist sites (sacred) and preserving the environment. Keywords: Bhardwaj’s typology, GPCI, literary sources, Morinis’ model, pilgrimage studies, Turner’s communitas, sacredscapes.

The merger of Hindu pilgrimages and pace of religious tourism in India are examined by appraising the reflection of radiant mythologies and also the on-going practices and happenings that flourish side-by-side in the gloomy way. The interacting and counteracting two sides of human life, sacred and profane, consequently turn into contestation and seduction; however they meet at different levels in the formation of ‘mosaicness’. In India the greater value accorded tourism as an avenue for development reflects a perception that the marketing of pilgrimage sites offers a means of preserving and enhancing the value and visibility of the endangered residues of the past, but having little consciousness of historical value and its transformed relevance today. The growth and importance of pilgrimage-tourism may be related to an increased desire among Hindus to assert their identity against an ever more visible Muslim population. This is exemplified with a case studies of Varanasi and other such sacred places as an insider’s exposures, and also other places of pilgrimage-tourism. Keywords: Allahabad, Ayodhya, Champaner, communitas, Kanvariya, pilgrimages, pilgrimage-tourism, sacred places, Turner, Varanasi.

Rana P.B. SINGH , Martin Haigh

A Tirtha yatra, Hindu pilgrimage, is a liminal process that establishes participation in the spiritual realm. It is also undertaken as a social duty, a right of passage, and mode of supplication. It engages with sacred landscapes that are partly defined by the material world but rather more strongly by sacred symbols, cosmographic and astrological alignments, traditions, festivals, and the belief that these places are spiritual crossing-places into the transcendent realms of the divine. There are very many tirthas. In fact, India’s geography may be conceived as a ‘faithscape’, a nested series of pilgrimage places and their hinterlands. Topographically, holy tirthas may be classified into three groups: (i) Water-sites usually associated with sacred immersion on auspicious occasions, (ii) Shrines dedicated to particular deities, which are visited by pilgrims of particular sects or with particular needs, and (iii) Kshetra, sacred lands, usually defined by a cosmic mandala, travelling along which brings special merit. This chapter explores the Hindu pilgrimage experience and, briefly, some key pilgrimage destinations including the Khumba Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, Varanasi’s Panchakroshi Yatra and the Vraj Parikrama. It also looks at the growth of new pilgrimage sites both in India and amongst the diaspora. Today, pilgrimage and religious tourism are expanding rapidly, in parallel with the growth of India’s middle class, creating new landscapes that blend the sacred and profane. Some three-fourths of travellers’ expenditures go into supporting tourist infrastructure and several ancient holy places are degrading into resorts, where spirituality is blended with leisure activities. Recognizing the growing complexity of Hindu pilgrimage motivations, this chapter proposes a five layer typology that recognizes: tourists, pilgrims of duty, pilgrims of need, pilgrims of hope and pilgrims of union. Keywords. Hindu Pilgrimage, Tirtha yatra, ‘faithscapes’, Pilgrimage mandala, Religious tourism, pilgrim typology.

Among the ancient epics, the Mahabharata, dated ca 5th century BCE, is the first source of Hindu pilgrimages (tirtha-yatra). The mythologies of medieval period eulogised the sacred places and their sacred spots. These works describe how the pilgrimage symbolises spiritual progress and how it would be beneficial in getting relief from sins and worldly affairs. Pilgrimage is prescribed as a duty for spiritual merit. The notion of Hindu pilgrimage symbolised different contexts like route, place, riverbank, and also sites associated to sages. The typology of sacred places is described in ancient texts on the scale of location, merit, associational context, and intensity of power. In general, a four-tier hierarchy of pilgrimage places is accepted. According to ancient mythology and the Hindu mind-set still the most popular sacred place is Kashi (Banaras), eulogised as one of the three ladders to the heaven; the others are Allahabad and Gaya. These three together form ‘bridge to the heaven’. Keywords: cosmic circuit, faithscape, ghostscape, Hindu belief system, Kumbha Mela, mandala, sacredscape, typology.

RELATED PAPERS

Syalala Lalala

carlos lemos

Eurasiatica

Diana Sokaeva

Dustin Zemel

Maryam Chorami

Journal of Neuropsychology

JRKT (Jurnal Rekayasa Komputasi Terapan)

maria cleopatra

Lauriane Zeni

Klever Vega

Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Ophthalmology

haluk hüseyin gürsoy

Journal of Perinatology

Alison Walsh

Nagarathna Amresh

IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems

Prashant Saxena

International Journal of Epidemiology

Robert Gilman

Acta Psychologica

Annals of Saudi Medicine

Faizan Kashoo

Maternal and Child Health Journal

Virginie Daguise

Dermatologic Surgery

Javier Ruíz-Esparza

Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry

Eleonore Fröhlich

Retratos de Assentamentos

Delma Pessanha Neves

Sabur Abdullaev

tufhfgd hfdfsd

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)

zaily Fuentes Diaz

Acta Scientiae Veterinariae

Samar Jarrah

Roberta Kariny Fernandes Souto

Vanja Lovrić

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024