Travel
Youngsters ditch restaurants, boost roadside stalls in Matheran
Young tourists on shoestring budgets skip restaurants and eat at roadside stalls or buy fresh fruits and berries sold by people living in the valley below Matheran.
Visit these lesser-known heritage sites of rural India
There are close to 40 UNESCO World Heritage sites in India, but have you heard about these hidden gems?
Get weather predictions at Jharkhand’s Sarhul festival
Celebrated to mark the new year by the tribal groups of Jharkhand, Sarhul is a three-day event observed after the new moon during the Hindu month of Chaitra (March 22 to April 20 this year). What essentially marks the arrival of spring also sees the prediction of rain by the pahan (tribal priest) only after which the people plant their crops. To mark the celebrations, members of the tribal communities in villages and towns wear traditional clothes and dance as they take out processions.
FTLO art, visit this West Bengal village
Country folks from a rugged, tree-lined rural corner of West Bengal that only a handful had ever heard of have transformed their village into one giant art project.
Immerse yourself in a sea of tulips this summer
Sitting pretty on a strip between Srinagar’s Dal Lake and the snow-capped Zabarwan mountains, Asia’s largest tulip garden is set to witness 1.6 million tulips blossom.
Tribal heritage and fashion at Hijla fair
The Hijla fair in Jharkhand’s Dumka district has been annually showcasing tribal talents and a lot more for over 130 years.
Assam’s wildest jungle safari
Nature lives in its full glory in Dehing Patkai, but illegal logging and coal mining are pushing the virgin jungle to the brink.
Festival of colour and courage – Hola Mohalla 2023
Color and courage are on display in Punjab at the annual three-day Sikh festival, Hola Mohalla. Celebrated at the religious site of Anandpur Sahib, the festival coincides with the Hindu festival of Holi.
Holi moly: Here’s a look at Tharu tribe’s celebrations
It takes a village to celebrate Holi for several days in a row, and the Tharu tribe of southern Uttarakhand leaves no stone unturned to do so.
In Kashmir’s ‘Antarctica’
Snowy mountains full of majestic icicles and swathes of fluffy, silvery carpet covering the ground for miles around – that's how Kashmir's Tangmarg transforms into Antarctica. Well, minus the penguins, alas.
What’s a tiger reserve without a safari?
The tiny, off-grid destination in North Bengal’s Buxa tiger reserve is a paradise for nature lovers, but its tourism-dependent residents are plagued by a mountain of problems.
Add Jaisalmer’s desert festival to your bucket list
Good food, great music and frenzied camel racing pull crowds from across India to Rajasthan’s four-day desert festival.
Sip on hot kahwa inside world’s largest igloo cafe in Kashmir’s Gulmarg
Literally India’s coolest tourist spot, Gulmarg offers visitors a warm cup of kahwa in a cafe where almost everything is made of packed snow.
Discover the hidden gems of Manipur
The northeastern state is known for its natural beauty with many places that should not be missed.
Once a ‘burden’, double-humped camel is a prized animal in Ladakh today
Once regarded as a burden and used exclusively to carry loads in the remote parts of Ladakh, the double-humped camel is now a main source of livelihood for scores of families in the region.
City of light celebrates Dev Deepawali
Dev Deepawali is a visual spectacle of millions of diyas or earthen lamps lighting the ghats of Banaras (Varanasi), celebrated on the first full moon night of Kartik Purnima. After two years of lockdown, the streets of Benaras were filled with devotees and tourists to celebrate the day that marks the victory of Lord Shiva over the demon trio Tripurasura.
Festivals in India: What’s behind the masks in Leh’s Hemis Festival?
This festival season we look back at Ladakh’s Hemis Festival that showcases the rich culture of dances and masks that are steeped in meaning.
Win-win for women working in eco-tourism camp
While five eco-tourism camps in Odisha’s picturesque Satkosia Tiger Reserve offer a nature retreat for tourists, they also boost both the confidence and income of the women workers.
Scenic Bastar’s instagrammable art cafe
Situated in Jagdalpur, Bastar, this art cafe is famous for its delicious regional cuisine such as chillla (made of rice), tribal wall-art, and gorgeous sunset visible from its terrace.
Offbeat rural destinations in India
At Village Square we love delving into the more unknown and vibrant regions of rural India, so for World Tourism Day we offer up some of our favourite stories and places to add to your “must see” list.