12 Historical Places In India To Travel Back In Time
How many historical places in India have you been to? 2, 3, or 5? Did you know that our country has plenty of historical sites, and with them lies the remarkable stories behind the monuments?
Some of these stories take you back in time; on the other hand, some of them have ghost stories associated with them to give you a chill down the spine, but all of them have been a part of history and have been fascinating people who visit these monuments.
These historical sites are of great significance in shaping India’s culture and history, and the exciting part is that some monuments built by women are quite popular, but up till now, you didn’t know that an empress made it. Impressive, isn’t it?
Let’s dig in and see some of the most historical monuments of India and find out the mysterious stories behind them.
Some of the popular historical places in India include:
- Taj Mahal- The Epitome Of Love and Beauty
- Agra Fort- Monumental Marvel of Red Sand Stone
- Red Fort- Where The President gives his Independence Day Speech
- Qutub Minar- Finest Examples Of Indo-Muslim Architecture
- Humayun’s Tomb- Beautiful Blend Of Indian and Persian Architecture
- Fatehpur Sikri- The Royal City Of Uttar Pradesh
- Hawa Mahal- The Palace Of Winds
- Maha Bodhi Temple- Where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment
- Victoria Memorial- Taking Back To The Britishers Rule
- Jallianwala Bagh- The Tragedy That Led To Independence
- Golden Temple- The Most Famous Gurudwara
- India Gate- The Memorial Of The War Heroes
1. Taj Mahal, Agra
The Taj Mahal in Agra is one of the most famous historical places in India, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the loving memory of her wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It falls in the top India historical sites list and has been an epitome of beauty and love.
The monument was built in 1632 and took almost 22 years to complete and is still standing tall in all its glory and charm, attracting hundreds of tourists every week to witness the historical marvel.
It is the best option for a weekend getaway from Delhi, contributing largely to historical tourism in India. It is one of the seven wonders of the world. As per the legend, it is believed that after the completion of the monument, the Mughal emperor cut off the hands of all the workers so that no one could build anything like that ever again.
Entry Fee:
Indians: INR 40
Foreigners: INR 1000
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2. Agra Fort, Agra
If you want to witness the history of the Mughals a little more closely, then visit the Agra Fort, which is among the famous historical places in India, built entirely from red sandstone in the year 1665 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
This historical site has two gates; one is the Amar Singh Gate, and the other is the Delhi Gate. If you want to uncover the ancient city filled with mosques, gateways, courts, and passages, you should enter from the Amar Singh gate.
The Agra Fort is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Agra and was used at the time of shooting the popular movie Jodha Akbar, featuring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.
Entry Fees:
Indians: 40
Foreigners: 550
Opening Time: 6 am
Closing Time: 6 pm
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3. Red Fort
The construction of the Red Fort started in the year 1638 and took almost ten years to complete in the year 1648. The fort was constructed when Shah Jahan shifted the capital from Agra to Delhi, and during that time, the fort was known as Qila-e-Mubarak.
The Red Fort is one the most famous historical places in India, contributing largely to historical tourism in India, and it is also one of the places where the president of India gives his annual speech on Independence Day.
Initially, the colour of Red Fort was white, but during the reign of the British, they painted it red when the white limestone started coming off. It falls under the top India Historical Sites.
You can witness the Rang Mahal, where all the wives, mistresses and maids of the Mughal emperor resided.
Entry Fees:
Indians: INR 10
Foreigners: INR 250
Opening Time: 9:30 am
Closing Time: 4:30 pm
The monument remains closed on Mondays, so plan your visit accordingly.
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4. Qutub Minar, Delhi
Qutub Minar, built by the Mughal Emperor Qutub Uddin Aibak, is believed to be the finest example of Indo-Muslim architecture. You can see the intricate detailing of the storeys made with red sandstone.
The detailing are mostly in Nagari and Arabic language, and mostly the verses of the Quran are written on the walls.
The name of the Qutub Minar came from the Mughal ruler Qutub Ud-din Aibak, who built this stunning monument in 1193. Quwattul Islam, the first mosque in India, is also at the foot of the Qutub Minar, making it one of the popular historical places in India.
The interesting part about this monument is that the minar has iron pillars which, even after 2000 years, haven’t rusted, which is quite surprising.
You can watch the light show every evening in October and November during the Qutub Minar Festival. The light show starts at 6:30 pm lasting till 8 pm.
Entry Fees:
Indians: INR 10
Foreigners: INR 250
Opening Time: 7 am
Closing Time: 5 pm
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5. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
The most fascinating thing about Humayun’s Tomb is that the building has been commissioned by Humayun’s wife Hamida Banu Begum for her husband in the 15th century.
Humayun’s Tomb is said to be a grandeur of Indian architecture, and you will find eleborate corridors and kiosks, beautiful domes, and fine detailings, all make Humayun’s Tomb a part of the India Historical Sites list, contributing to historical tourism in India, attracting hundreds of tourists.
It is believed that Humayun’s tomb served as an inspiration for The Taj Mahal, which is undoubtedly one of the most popular historical places in India, contributing largely to historical tourism in India
Entry Fees:
Indians: INR 40
Foreigners: INR 510
Opening Time: 7 am
Closing Time: 7 pm
The monument remains closed on Fridays.
6. Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh
Fatehpur Sikri was is a Royal City of Uttar Pradesh used to be the capital of the Mughal Era during the reign of Emperor Akbar.
Fatehpur city is now a Royal city, for it has plenty of palaces, mosques, and other historical sites that are of great historical value and cultural significance of the era, making it one of the popular historical places in India.
This well-planned city is said to have been established somewhere between 1571 to 1573 AD, but later the city was abandoned because of the water shortage.
It is believed that many women who were declared barren came to the tomb of the then-popular Sufi Saint Salim Chisti to pray to have children.
Entry Fees:
Indians: INR 40
Foreigners: INR 510
Opening Time: 6 am
Closing Time: 6 pm
The monument is closed on Fridays.
7. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
We all know about the pink city and the popular Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, but how much do you know about its history, and how it became one of the India historical sites responsible for promoting Jaipur?
There are plenty of historical places in India, but this India historical site is quite different from others. The name of Hawa Mahal, which stands for Palace of the Winds, has been given because of the number of windows present in the Mahal, including 953 intricate windows, allowing plenty of ventilation.
The Hawa Mahal was built by the ruler Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and the upper part of the monument was shaped like that a crown because the ruler was a devotee of Lord Krishna.
Hawa Mahal is said to be the tallest building in the world without a foundation. The whole palace is a little curved but stands still due to its pyramidical shape.
As per legends, it is also believed that the reason for making several windows was for the ladies so that they looked outside as they were under constant ‘purdah’.
Entry Fees:
Indians: INR 10
Foreigners: INR 50
Opening Time: 9:30 am
Closing Time: 4:30 pm
8. Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
Maha Bodhi temple is believed to be built on the spot where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating under the Bodhi Tree. The Bodhi Tree still stands near the temple where Buddha attained enlightenment and is one of the historical places in India.
The place where the Bodhi Tree stands is believed to be the last place to disappear from the world when the world ends. The Mahabodhi temple is one of the four holy grounds of Buddhism, contributing largely to historical tourism in India.
Entry Fees:
Indians: None
Foreigners: None
Opening Time: 5 am
Closing Time: 9 pm
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9. Victoria Memorial, Kolkata
One of the most popular India Historical sites include the Victoria Memorial, which was built during the peak time of British rule. Lord Curzon gave the idea of the monument, but the monument’s design was done by Sir William Emerson, making it one of the best historical places in India.
A lush garden surrounds the memorial, and as you enter the museum, you can see that the place is filled with old weapons, ornaments, dresses, and paintings of the era when the britishers ruled India.
The best painting that you will come across in the memorial is that of Prince of Wales in 1876 in Jaipur, painted by Russian artist Vasili Verestchagen.
Entry Fees:
Indians: INR 20
Foreigners: INR 200
Opening Time: 5: 30 am
Closing Time: 6:15 pm
10. Jallianwala Bagh, Punjab
We are all aware of one of the most tragic historical places in India, the Jallianwala Bagh, and the tragedy that took place here.
The Jallianwala Bagh is located next to other historical sites in India the Golden Temple, and has left a scar in the history of our country, for the massacre was a blood bath.
The monument covers approximately 6.5 acres of land, where General Dyer ordered mass shooting of the people, where thousands of people succumbed to death, all innocent people lost their lives.
After the incident, people revolted, and the fire of Independence was ignited from that moment onwards. The memorial was built by Benjamin Polk in the year 1961.
Entry Fees:
Indians: None
Foreigners: None
Opening Time: 6:30 am
Closing Time: 7:30 pm
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11. Golden Temple, Punjab
The Golden Temple in Punjab is one of the most popular Gurudwaras in the world. The Harminder Sahib Gurudwara is undoubtedly one of the most spiritual historical places in India, and witnesses hundreds and thousands of pilgrims every year who pay a visit, irrespective of their religious beliefs.
The temple was built in 1599 by Guru Ram Das and later rebuilt in 1830 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh with marble and pure gold. It surely ranks among the top India historical sites, which gives you inner peace.
Entry Fees:
Indians: None
Foreigners: None
Opening Time: Changes Every Month
Closing Time: Changes Every Month
12. India Gate, Delhi
India Gate is the most favourite historical places in India for the locals as well as for foreigners. This monument has been compared with the famous Arch of Constantine in Rome, and Arch de Triomphe in Paris.
The monument was designed by Edwin Lutyens and was built in 1931 to honour the 82000 soldiers of India and Britishers who fought World War One, and also in the memory of 13300 who were martyred in the third Anglo-Afghan war.
Every year on Republic Day, you can see the parade which takes place here, and hundreds of people gather here to watch the republic day parade.
India Gate looks stunning at night, and most people visit one of the calmest historical places in India in the evening and have a nice time with their friends and family.
Entry Fees:
Indians: None
Foreigners: None
Frequently Asked Questions About Historical Places In India
1. What are the most famous historical places in India?
The most famous historical places in India include India Gate, The Golden Temple, The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, etc.
2. What are the most popular historical places in India according?
Out of all the historical places in India, India Gate, The Taj Mahal, Jallianwala Bagh Memorial, Victoria Memorial are some of the popular ones.
3. What are the best times to visit famous historical places in India?
It totally depends on which particular historical place you are planning to visit and in which city it lies. It is advisable that you visit the monument during the pleasant weather, somewhere in the months of September or October.
4. What are the most Instagrammable historical places in India?
India’s most Instagrammable historical places are the Taj Mahal, India Gate, The Golden Temple, Qutub Minar, and Hawa Mahal.
