The gang at HolidayIQ has been busy discovering little-known tourism destinations across India. Amazingly, we have almost 500 Indian tourism destinations now and most of the small, new ones have been discovered by travellers who have asked us to add these destinations to the site.
Consequently, I have now discovered a new game for myself. Everyday I give myself an unlikely alphabet and find destinations I never knew about. It is a lot of fun actually.
My alphabet for today was ‘L’ and discovered ‘Legship’, which is quite an intriguing name anywhere & in India, is pretty crazy. Evidently, it is a small village near Pelling in Sikkim and you go there for the Kirateshwara Mahadev mandir, Phur Cha Chu sulphur baths & the Rangit Water World.
However, there is no word on how it acquired such a fancy name for itself.
The Long Hol 
Irresistible as the idea is, I too decided to revisit India from A to Z, off the beaten path. And, I daresay, it turned out to be as exhilarating, as much fun as the real thing! With a resolve to cover most states and UTs (of course, I ran out of alphabets to accommodate some!), and to ensure that they were mostly (at least for me) unheard of, the result was pleasantly surprising. These places may not have sprung out of the map and grabbed our attention, but they have a lot going for them. Maybe it’s time that they got their due…
A – Anaji, Karnataka
20kms from Davangere, this small town is a treasure trove of ancient structures including the ruins of a mud fort, a Yoganarasimha shrine and temples with Kadamba inscriptions dating back to the 5th century AD.
B – Barog, Himachal Pradesh
On the Kalka-Shimla route, this town is near a thick pine forest overlooking the Choor Chandni mountains; a mini-hill station with the charms and minus the hustle-bustle of the big ones.
C – Champhai, Mizoram
192kms from Aizawal, the this is a busy town on the Indo-Burma border, overlooking the Myanmar hills. Besides the picturesque Champhai valley, there are plenty of heritage monuments scattered all across.
D – Darap, Sikkim
Just 8kms from Pelling in West Sikkim, picturesque Darap is either a short drive past cardamom groves and paddy fields, or a pleasant walk through village paths and countryside. Either way, you are assured of splendid views of the Kanchengjunga, both in the journey and the destination!
E – Elappara, Kerala
Surrounded by lush, green tea plantations, this town is in the Idukki district and the site of the Ulakkayurutty Falls. The Chinar wildlife sanctuary is nearby, and the Eravikulam and Annamalai sanctuaries are also easily accessible from here.
F – Fazilka, Punjab
In district Ferozepur, this is a historic town, just 11kms from the Pakistan border. Claim to fame include an imposing clocktower built by the British, being home to the second biggest TV tower in Asia, and being a major cotton and paddy cultivating centre.
G – Ghughri, Madhya Pradesh
120kms south east of Jabalpur, this small town has as its nearby attractions the Ramnagar Fort overlooking the Narmada, Kapildhara falls, the temple that was supposedly built in one night – Kalchuri Kali mandir, and every wildlife lover’s favourite – Kanha National park.
H – Hasimara, West Bengal
The last town on the Indo-Bhutan border, Hasimara is in Jalpaiguri district, and surrounded by tea gardens. The Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary, the Buxa national park and the Kharbandi monastery in Phuntsholing are the nearby attractions.
I – Ichak, Jharkhand
83kms from Ranchi, this town is near the Hazaribagh National Park and lake. Nearby Barkatha is also popular for its hot and cold water springs, including the Suraj Kund hot water spring, besides the four kunds – Ram, Sita, Laxman and Bramh.
J – Jhajha, Bihar
In Jamui district, 160kms from Patna, this town is in a forest zone with Mirkasim’s fort, the hot springs at Sitakund and the Nagi Dam sanctuary as its chief attractions.
K – Kaikalur, Andhra Pradesh
In the Krishna district, besides the Kaikaluru Ashram and the Dattatreya temple, there are also the Kolleru Bird Sanctuary and lake which warrant a visit here.
L – Lakhpat, Gujarat
150kms from Bhuj, this town in the Kutch district, is the last town before the Pakistan border. Situated at the junction of the Kori creek and the Rann of Kutch, its fortified environs are now a ghost of its glorious past with a thriving maritime trade till the Sindhu river changed its course. Old temples and tombs also can be found here.
M – Mayang, Assam
Just 50kms from Guwahati, this town was shunned by most everyone given its infamy as the land of witchcraft and sorcery. It’s now resurfacing on the map – not so much for tourists as researchers and media teams. Pabitora wildlife sanctuary is the nearest point of general interest.
N – Nag Tibba, Uttarakhand
At 3050m, this charming spot in the Kumaon Himalayas is an exhilarating 21kms trek (after a 34km drive) from Mussoorie, with the rewards of excellent, panoramic snow-capped views.
O – Osiyan, Rajasthan
55kms from Jodhpur, in the Thar desert, this is an ancient town which is a premier Jain pilgrimage centre since the 8th century AD. Besides a sun temple, the old Jain temple has a statue of Lord Mahavira, said to be 2000 years old.
P – Panwari, Uttar Pradesh
A prominent town in the Mahoba district, which was ruled by the Chandella Rajputs from 9th to 14th century AD, this is a base for exploring the 1000 year old heritage spots like the Sun temple, Ram Kund and Seeta-Rasoi cave. Hindi for paan-seller, the place is also a hub for top quality betel leaf cultivation.
Q – Quepem, Goa
45kms from Panaji, in south Goa, besides the Quepem Dam, the other attractions nearby are the Rivona caves, Netravali wildlife sanctuary and lake at Sulcorna; and the Roman church at Tilamola.
R – Rushikulya, Orissa
A short drive from the seaside town of Gopalpur-on-sea, this is the place where the Olive Ridley turtles come to nest and hatch their eggs – truly a spectacle in the books of any wildlife lover.
S – Sampla, Haryana
Sample this! Sampla, 71kms from Delhi, is in Rohtak district which has roots going back to the Mahabharata and traces of Buddhist influence dating from 600BC. Attractions here are the Khokar Fort, Asthal Bohar, Gaokaran tank and Bhindawas lake.
T – Toto, Jharkhand
100kms west of Ranchi, this town has, surprisingly, enough attractions nearby. From the Bhutkuria Tongri caves and the Dewaki temple, the Mahadev Kona with its ruins of the old Shiva temple said to have been from the Mahabharata era, with a Durga temple and the Murhar Pahar and caves also in the vicinity.
U – Umko, Chattisgarh
In the Sarguja district, the main attraction nearby is Deepadih, which is a hotbed of archaelogical excavations dating to the 4th century AD; also the Semarsot Wildlife Sanctuary, Pawai waterfalls and the Samleswari and Mahamaya temples also grace the region.
V – Vattanam, Tamil Nadu
108 kms east of Madurai, in the Ramanathapuram district, this small coastal town boasts of the first marine biosphere reserve in the country comprising of 21 islands, and also the Chitrangudi bird sanctuary.
W – Wajri, Maharashtra
Located in east Maharashtra, near the Andhra border, this town works as a landing point for nature and wildlife holidays in the nearby wildlife sanctuaries of Painganga, Tipeshwar and Wan (part of the Melghat reserve). Ancient temples like Chintamani at Kalamb and Shri Ranganath Swami at Wani, and the Sahastrakund waterfalls are other points of interest in the area.
X – Xeldem, Goa
In South Goa, this is where you can find a church (Roman Church), a temple Shri Chandranath Temple) and a mosque (Jama Masjid), besides the sacred grove of Morpila and the Selaulim Dam.
Y – Yingkiong, Arunachal Pradesh
On the banks of the Siang river, 180kms from Along town, this is an ideal base for treks into the upper reaches of Arunachal’s undiscovered mountains. Also with plenty of angling options, the Mouling National Park is a 30km drive away.
Z – Zewan, Jammu & Kashmir
At 5160ft, near Srinagar, this town is not just beautiful but of great archaeological relevance. Fossils of various sea creatures have been discovered here. A popular summer destination with the British, remnants of their cottages can still be found here.
Hmm… Interesting name! Also, liked Rajesh’s trips into India by the aphabet.
A small note : The above-featured Rajesh then got in touch with me and we talked. He is now the Head of Content & Community at HolidayIQ now. Serendipity is alive and kicking!