No place like home!
Discover India’s lesser known unique destinations with RAUL DIAS
This Independence week, we urge you to forget about planning that next international getaway and look inwards. Confused? Here’s a quartet of India’s lesser known destinations, each offering a unique experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Shani Shingnapur, Maharashtra
Where honesty is alive and kicking Imagine an idyllic little place somewhere in rural Maharashtra where the houses are totally devoid of any doors whatsoever. In their place you only find door frames. A village that has never seen crime and where not a single incident of theft has ever been officially reported. Now, before you begin to disregard this as pure fiction, let us assure that such a place truly exists. Yes, the village of Shani Shingnapur that’s situated in the state’s Ahmednagar district is not just known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god associated with the planet Saturn, but also for the above-mentioned lack of doors. Apparently, the villagers believe that due to the fear of Lord Shani, none of the structures, be it dwelling houses, huts, shops, even the local post office, situated within a one-kilometre radius of his temple have either doors or locks. It is believed that anyone attempting to steal will be prevented from doing so by the god who will send his wrath down upon any such person who will be immediately struck down. So popular is this temple that it is visited daily — and specially on Saturdays — by thousands of devotees praying for Lord Shani’s favour.
Getting There: Shani Shingnapur is a short 35km away by road from Ahmednagar city.
Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh
Where fragrance is everywhere
Though it is one of the oldest cities in Uttar Pradesh (UP), very little is known about Kannauj by most. Travellers often give it a miss in favour of the ‘Golden Triangle’ of the famed trio of Lucknow, Varanasi and the hallowed Agra! But the next time you find yourself in UP, treat your olfactory senses to a virtual celebration and visit Kannauj — India’s perfume capital. A small town on the banks of the river Ganga that has been guarding the secret of traditional Indian perfumes for centuries, Kannauj is the place where the lost art of ittar making is very much practised almost everywhere. Situated on the once historical scent trade route that brought perfumes from India to the Middle East, Kannauj’s perfumeries were famed for their magnificent ittars, specially the petrichor fragrant of the geeli mitti or wet earth, giving this town the moniker of ‘Grasse of the East’. The perfumers of Kannauj also made the scented oils Mughal Emperors were so obsessed with. But thankfully, you can still find an entire range of perfumers here ready to customise for you your very own little vial of fragrance.
Getting There: Kannauj is 125km away by road from UP’s capital Lucknow via Agra.