What to see
Architecture in India: what there is and when to go
Buildings that are the trip: lighthouses, towers, bridges, mills, obelisks and whatever you visit for how it was built. This site lists 31 such places in India, 28 of them with a Wikipedia article; the best known is Indira Point. The best time for this in India is October to March, and it is also possible April and September. Each place has its own season, which is not the country's: a high mountain hut and a valley in the same country are not open in the same months.
In a nutshell
- What this is
- The places in India people go to for architecture, each with its own season.
- How many
- 31 on this page, 28 with a Wikipedia article; you get them all on your trip map.
- Best known
- Indira Point.
- Best time
- October to March.
- Also possible
- April and September.
- Highest point
- Kadalur Point Lighthouse, at 57 m.
- Where they cluster
- Howrah (3), Aurangabad (2), Nagercoil (2) and Kollam (2).
- Ways in
- DEL New Delhi · BOM Mumbai · GOI Vasco da Gama · MAA Chennai
What counts as architecture
Buildings that are the trip: lighthouses, towers, bridges, mills, obelisks and whatever you visit for how it was built. Good all year round.
Each place is included because of how its source describes it, not because of what anyone says about it: that is why a castle that is now a museum appears under history and museums at the same time.
When to go
For architecture in India, the best time is October to March, and it is also possible April and September.
- JanBest time11:03
- FebBest time11:25
- MarBest time11:53
- AprPossible12:24
- MayBetter not12:50
- JunBetter not13:03
- JulBetter not12:58
- AugBetter not12:36
- SepPossible12:06
- OctBest time11:35
- NovBest time11:09
- DecBest time10:57
Best timePossibleBetter notHours of daylight
In June there are 13 h 03 of daylight, and in December, 10 h 57. Daylight hours are those at the average latitude of these places, on the 15th of each month.
Counting place by place, in January 31 of the 31 are at their best, and in April, 0.
Mind the altitude: above 1,800 m there is snow until June and it returns in October, so Kadalur Point Lighthouse (57 m) has quite a few weeks fewer than the rest. Each place gives its own.
When to visit India in general, with its festivals and high seasons, is on its page.
The best known
Ranked by how many Wikipedia editions have an article on them, which is the closest thing to measuring fame without asking anyone.
- Indira Point (23 Wikipedias)
- Shahi Bridge — bridge in India (11 Wikipedias)
- Bogibeel Bridge — bridge in India (10 Wikipedias)
- Mumbai Television Tower — steel lattice television tower in Mumbai (8 Wikipedias)
- Chand Minar — moon tower (7 Wikipedias)
- Nivedita Setu — multi-span extradosed bridge completed 2007 across Hooghly River linking the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata in West Bengal, India (7 Wikipedias)
- Pitampura TV Tower — television tower (7 Wikipedias)
- Saraighat Bridge — bridge across Brahmputra (7 Wikipedias)
What there is
Each one has its own page: what it is, where it lies, its altitude, its daylight hours and which months are worth it. Kadalur Point Lighthouse is the highest, at 57 m, and Chetwai Lighthouse the lowest, at 34 m. Most of them are in Howrah (3), Aurangabad (2), Nagercoil (2) and Kollam (2). Open whichever you like and have a look before you decide on the trip.
- Indira PointArchitecture
- Shahi BridgeBridge in India
- Bogibeel BridgeBridge in India
- Mumbai Television TowerSteel lattice television tower in MumbaiMumbai
- Chand MinarMoon towerAurangabad
- Nivedita SetuMulti-span extradosed bridge completed 2007 across Hooghly River linking the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata in West Bengal, IndiaHowrah
- Pitampura TV TowerTelevision towerDelhi
- Saraighat BridgeBridge across BrahmputraGuwahati
- New Yamuna BridgeBridge at Prayagraj over River Yamuna, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaPrayagraj
- Alappuzha LighthouseLighthouse in KeralaAlappuzha
- Rameswaram TV TowerTelevision broadcasting tower in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
- Vivekananda SetuSteel multi-span road and railway bridge opened 1930 across the Hooghly River linking the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata in West Bengal, IndiaHowrah
- Chetwai LighthouseLighthouse in India34 m
- Fazilka TV TowerLattice television tower in Punjab, India
- Kadalur Point LighthouseLighthouse in Keralam57 m
- Mathur AqueductAqueduct and footbridge in IndiaNagercoil
- Samatra TV towerTV and radio broadcasting tower in Bhuj, India
- Tangasseri LighthouseLighthouse in KeralamKollam
- Arrah–Chhapra BridgeLongest multi-span extradosed bridge in the world, completed 2017 across the Ganges River linking Arrah and Chhapra in Bihar, IndiaPatna
- White MinaretHistoric site in Punjab, India
- Azhikode LighthouseLighthouse in KeralamNADAVARAMBA
- Beypore LighthouseLighthouse in KeralaKozhikode
- Kovilthottam LighthouseLighthouse in Kerala, IndiaKollam
- Manakkodam LighthouseLighthouse in Kerala36 m
And the other 7:
More in India
Everything else listed for India, with how many places of each kind: Nature (561) · Mountains (176) · Hiking (543) · Beaches (25) · History (311) · Museums and art (48) · Temples (334) · Food and drink (34) · With kids (104) · Wildlife (373) · Stargazing (28) · Hot springs (14).
And if you are looking at it the other way round —I know when I can go, tell me where— that is where to travel.
Frequently asked questions
When should I go to India for architecture?
October to March, and it is also possible April and September. Each place above also gives its own, which changes with altitude: at three thousand metres the season is not the same as in the valley. In June there are 13 h 03 of daylight, and in December, 10 h 57.
What is the best-known place for architecture in India?
Indira Point, with an article in 23 Wikipedias. After it, Shahi Bridge and Bogibeel Bridge.
Where in India are most of the places for architecture?
Of the 31 on this site, they cluster most in Howrah (3), Aurangabad (2), Nagercoil (2) and Kollam (2).
Which one is the highest?
Kadalur Point Lighthouse is the highest, at 57 m, and Chetwai Lighthouse the lowest, at 34 m.
How do I add this to a trip?
Create a trip to India and you get them all on the map, with their category. The ones you like go into a day of the plan with one tap, and the app lets you know when you pass nearby.
I don't know where to go yet
That is what Find a trip is for: tick what you feel like and the months you can travel, and it suggests destinations among the 105 countries in Kokai, with the places that fit those dates.
Keep reading
- Where to travelPick what you fancy (mountains, beaches, museums…) and the months you have free, and Kokai tells you which countries to go to and what to see there.
- DestinationsVisas, vaccines, plugs, currency, when to go and how to get around, country by country: 105 destinations and 855 things to sort before you leave.
Data from OpenStreetMap, licensed under the ODbL, from Wikidata, CC0, and airports from OurAirports. Daylight hours are calculated from latitude. More in credits.