India is an otherworldly country with millennia of rich history and a steadily developing populace that has now bested 1.4 billion individuals. With each contort and each turn that one brings down the roads of Mumbai, Jaipur, Agra, New Delhi, Kerala, or Varanasi, there will be another unexpected pausing.
India Whether it’s one of the world’s most conspicuous designs, ‘blood downpour,’ a drifting lake, or one of its 2,000,000+ Hindu sanctuaries, India isn’t missing so that things could see. There’s insufficient time on the planet to see them all, however we should get some margin to look at a portion of the surprising, costly, and strangely odd things that India brings to the table.
1. Gold Face Masks
Found in: Prune
Est. Cost: $4,000*
Vaccines weren’t even a blip on the radar when the world was attempting to deal with an invisible threat in the summer of 2020. However, a man from the city of Prune in western India decided to take matters into his own hands.
A craftsman was engaged by businessman Shankar Kurhade to create a Covid mask for him out of two ounces of the most valuable metal available: gold. Shankar claims that the mask’s incredibly thin design and minuscule pores allow him to breathe freely when donning his personalized mask in public.
2. Red Rain
Found in: Idukki, Kerala
Est. Cost: N/A
Kerala’s southwest region is renowned for its magnificent beaches and azure waters, its dark sands, and the odd red showers that have occurred there during the past 200 years. There have been various speculations regarding what might be producing the “blood rain” since its first mention in 1818.
One theory that was floated for a while was the aftermath of a fictitious meteor blast. Another is the Hindu notion that when blood showers from the sky, individuals without sin have perished. Since then, the Indian government has proposed an explanation that is less fantastical: airborne spores from a native strain of algae.
3. Realistic Mannequins
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: $200-$1,000
Putting a product on display for everyone to see is one of the finest ways to market it, and that is precisely what shops are doing when they outfit mannequins in clothing and position them in all of the store’s prime viewing locations. The issue is that not many buyers match the size of the display dummy.
Shops have started using mannequins that are significantly more similar to the ordinary person’s form than what you might be used to seeing at Abercrombie & Fitch in a number of major cities throughout India. The dummies’ shapes, curves, and “dad-bods” help determine how well a piece of clothing will fit in reality.
4. Extreme Electrical Lines
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
The requirement for extra electric lines grows as more people move into a city. The electricity cables are as much of a tangle as you could imagine due to the unfathomable number of people who reside in India’s densestly populated locations.
Each cable is entangled with at least 12 other wires as there are cables upon cables upon cables. Untangling headphone cables doesn’t seem that difficult after viewing this. It’s amazing that electricians aren’t one of India’s most revered occupations given the continual threat of serious peril they face.
5. 2 Million Hindu Temples
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
The magnificent mosques, temples, and tombs that India is renowned for are among the many historical wonders that have come to represent the country over time. In India, there are more than two million Hindu temples (and additional 300,000 Muslim mosques), with 23,000 of them located in Varanasi, a riverfront city.
In order to put things into perspective, consider that India has more Hindu temples than Bahrain, Estonia, or Latvia combined. However, two million temples really seem acceptable, if not too few, given that India’s Hindu population accounts up approximately 80% of the nation’s 1.4 billion inhabitants.
6. Highest Rail Bridge in the World
Found in: Jammu and Kashmir
Est. Cost: $195,120*
India has millions of ancient buildings that date back hundreds of years or even thousands of years. The achievements of this great country in the present day, nevertheless, are obscured by all of this past. For instance, the tallest rail bridge in the world is located in the country’s extreme north.
If everything goes according to plan, commuters will be able to travel by train 1,178 feet above the Chenab River, which runs between Bakkal and Kauri, once construction on the bridge was completed in 2004. Anyone will be in awe of the Chenab Bridge’s views of the surrounding countryside.
7. The Amritsar Golden Temple
Found in: Punjab
Est. Cost: $17-$20 Million*
Sri Harmandir Sahib (the Amritsar Golden Temple), the most important spiritual site in the Sikh religion, was constructed in the middle of the sixteenth century on top of 67 square feet of marble. Although people from all over the world come to the temple, not everyone does so for religious reasons.
People of all faiths, or none at all, are welcome in the Amritsar Golden Temple. The temple is open for visitors to tour, and they are encouraged to marvel at the 880 lbs of 24-carat gold leaf that gave it its regal aspect. Additionally, the temple serves free vegetarian food to more than 50,000 guests each day.
8. Nuisance Detectors
Found in: Several Major Cities
Est. Cost: 6 Months in Prison
You haven’t seen anything yet if you thought the hall monitors at school were annoying. A number of India’s biggest cities have hired Nuisance Detectors, whose job it is to issue tickets to individuals who, you guessed it, are making a nuisance. The attention is concentrated on a few annoyances more than the rest. They are the ones who blatantly upset the ordinary populace.
Fornication (of any form) and urinating and defecating in public are both punishable nuisances. Spitting in public, made famous by the Singaporean government, is likewise frowned upon in India.
9. Fish Swallowing Asthma “Cure”
Found in: Hyderabad
Est. Cost: $0.20 – $0.66* / Treatment
Vaccines weren’t even a blip on the radar when the world was attempting to deal with an invisible threat in the summer of 2020. However, a man from the city of Prune in western India decided to take matters into his own hands.
The only requirement is that you attend your appointment at the beginning of the monsoon season every year for seven years and consume a little live fish that has been linked to a ball of yellow paste that contains unspecified components. Then, for 45 days, you must only consume dried mango, rice, sugar, spinach, lamb, and 20 other extremely restricted foods. It seems simple, doesn’t it?
10. A Dog Temple
Found in: Channaptna, Karnataka
Est. Cost: Unknown
A temple was erected next to the temple dedicated to the Goddess Kempamma in the southern central village of Channapatna in 2010 because the Goddess is reputed to have visited a man in his dream and commanded him to have it done.
The new temple was created in memory of two local dogs that had mysteriously disappeared. Within the walls of the temple, statues of the lost canines now proudly stand, and Channapatna hosts an annual celebration to honor their life.
11. Monsoon Season
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
Cyclone season affects northern Australia, hurricane season affects Americans from the Southeast, and monsoonal rains affect India. The primary distinction between the three is that the majority of homes in India are not constructed adequately or situated in locations that are secure enough to shield them from yearly flooding.
The inhabitants have become accustomed to the monsoon season and the flooded living room that goes along with it. Get a decent pair of beach shorts and a comfy pair of Crocs since it will get wet because it appears every May/June and stays until September/October.
12. Elephants on Small Boats
Found in: Various Rivers and Lakes Across the Country
Est. Cost: N/A
Elephants are frequently present in India, and whenever they are, there is always a potential that something could go horribly wrong. Amazingly, there aren’t quite as many elephant accidents as one might anticipate, but there are still risky techniques in use.
Although moving an elephant can’t be simple, India seems to have mastered the art. The people of India have devised inventive ways to transport the world’s largest land mammal from point A to point B in the most effective way, whether by truck, train, or even water.
13. The ‘Mini Taj
Found in: Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Est. Cost: $500,000* (2022)
Possibly the most famous building in India and one of the most identifiable in the entire globe is the Taj Mahal. A few time after the Taj was constructed, a rival spectacular building 615 miles to the southwest of the first was built. It is referred to as the “Mini Taj” or Bibi Ka Maqbara.
In reality, the “Mini Taj” was ordered by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the son of Mumtaz Mahal, the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was constructed. Like his father before him, he also constructed a shrine in honor of Diras Banu Begum, his wife and the love of his life. A shrine constructed in 1660 for about $8,700.
14. Camel Art
Found in: Bikaner
Est. Cost: N/A
CAMELS have been essential to human survival since the beginning of documented history (and even earlier). They have been the supporting arms that have literally transported civilizations through hostile landscapes and climes. They have occasionally been the only travel companion for a lonesome traveler. The people of Bikaner, Rajasthan, have discovered a way to honor all that these “Ships of the Desert” have accomplished for us.
Every January, they hold an annual International Camel Festival to ring in the new year. The festival’s high point? Obviously, the magnificently ornamented camels. Their own folks outfitted them, and they also had amazing haircuts.
15. Mustache For Pay
Found in: Madhya Pradesh
Est. Cost: Unknown
In Madhya Pradesh, at least among some of the power players, it is now “Movember” every day. Then why? because the local police chief opted to promote mustache growth. Yes, all police officers who choose to grow out their mustaches receive a wage increase.
The police chief thought that his officers with mouth brows were getting more respect than those with bare top lips. Make sure to bring enough of Old Spice mustache wax if you’re aiming for a career in the Madhya Pradesh police department. Always keep in mind that style commands respect when it comes to mustaches.
16. ‘Star of India’: Worlds Most Expensive Rolls Royce
Found in: Rajkot, Gujarat
Est. Cost:$8.5 Million*
The 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II known as “Star of India” was expressly built for the Maharaja of Rajkot, Gujarat. The seven-seat “Star” was sold by the Maharaja’s grandson 34 years after it was built, and the family appeared to have lost it forever.
The same grandson of the Maharajah who had sold the ‘Star’ in 1968 bought the same Rolls Royce with fourteen headlights and a saffron interior 42 years later at an auction in Monaco. The Phantom II had a book worth of about $500,000, but because of the Maharaja’s family’s value placed on it, the repurchase price was more like $8.5 million.
17. The Exotica
Found in: Lucknow
Est. Cost: $1,437 / Pound*
India’s most costly dessert, Exotica, as well as wonderful street food can be found in the northern Indian city of Lucknow. A variety of international ingredients, including American blueberries, Australian and South African macadamia nuts, European hazelnuts, and a few others, are used to make the dry mithai.
The 100% edible gold leaf that have been used to encase the ingredients from different parts of the world are the sweet’s most crucial (and expensive) component. The pricey candies are contained in a unique box “that extends the shelf life by 20–30 days.”
18. Bheem’ India’s Most Expensive Buffalo
Found in: Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Est. Cost: $3.12 Million*
Bheem, a buffalo of the Murrah breed, is the Andre the Giant of buffaloes, weighing in at little under 3,300 lbs., measuring 6 feet from hoof to head and 14 feet long, and he has the appetite to prove it. This enormous bull consumes 2.2 pounds of clarified butter (ghee), a mixture of cashews and almonds, and almost 25 liters of milk per day.
Arvind Jangid, the man who nurtured Bheem, demonstrated at a cattle fair that not everything has a value when he declined a bid of 24 crores ($3.12 million) for his finest buffalo. Together, Jangid and Bheem visit cattle shows to spread the word about the endangered breed that Bheem belongs to.
19. Land of Snakes
Found in: Shetpal, Maharashtra
Est. Cost: N/A
Because of Indiana Jones’ crippling phobia of snakes and other factors, the village of Shetpal is probably not the kind of place he would enjoy visiting. Indy’s dread is not shared by Shetpal’s more than 2,600 residents.
They include “cobra huts” into each of their houses and coexist peacefully with the creatures lacking appendages. Just in case a snake decides to spend the night, you know. In Shetpal, snakes are so revered that the inhabitants not only worship them but also allow their kids to handle them unattended. Unbelievably, none of the people have ever experienced a (reported) snake bite due to these lethal snakes.
20. Gold Plated Dosa
Found in: Bangalore
Est. Cost: $19*
Dosas have long been a staple of southern Indian cuisine. They are among the easiest and simplest cuisines to cook, require few ingredients, and are fairly popular among people of all social classes. The Raj Bhog restaurant in Bangalore, a southern Indian city, has given the traditional dosa a glamorous makeover.
Or perhaps we could say a layer of glitz? Rice and lentil pancakes with potato masala filling should only cost about $0.50 per. But for forty times as much, Raj Bhog customers can select from a choice of dosas that have 24-carat gold leaf wrapped over the top of them.
21. Stolen Brand Name Knock-off Stores
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
In India, the realm of retail is fiercely competitive. People in business are not afraid to leverage the popularity of other companies for their own gain. Numerous (if any) of the country’s knock-off brand stores will sell products that are even vaguely similar to the original.
Just remember that a taste of home is never too far away no matter where you are in India. In every city, there are outlets for Google and WhatsApp. However, they differ slightly from what you might be accustomed to here.
22. Onam Festival
Found in: Kerala
Est. Cost: Free
At the beginning of the Malayalam calendar year, in the month of Chingam, Keralites celebrate the Onam Festival every year. In addition to honoring King Mahabali’s return, the event also recognizes Vishnu’s manifestation as the avatar Vamana. The Malayalis have lovely ways of expressing happiness and success throughout the 10-day festival.
People who are feeling festive create elaborate “Pookkalam” (flower carpets) and set them out as welcome mats for the King’s heavenly entrance. The eagerly awaited Snake Boat Races and the demonstration of the traditional Keralite dance, the Kaikottikali, are two additional frequent Onam Festival activities.
23. Gold and Diamond Contact Lens
Found in: Mumbai
Est. Cost: $15,000*
Dr. Chawan of the Shekhar Eye Research Center in Mumbai has revolutionized what it means to have ‘beautiful eyes.’ The doctor has done so by designing contact lenses made with gold with several small diamonds encircling each eye. The placement of the gems is intended to limit ocular irritation by allowing an optimum amount of oxygen to flow through.
If you’re looking for a way to draw attention to your eyes, this is it. Forget about whatever you might find at Zale’s or Tiffany’s, because nothing will bring attention to your eyes more than a pair of golden diamond-studded lenses. They’re a bargain at $15,000 a pair and will (literally) make your eyes sparkle.
24. Animals on Public Transportation
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
Public transit is a never-ending game of luck. First, you’re unsure of whether there will be space for you to board. Even if you do get to board, your odds of finding a seat are slim to none. The next wager is deciding who will sit down next to you, assuming there is a seat available.
In India, your traveling companion may be anything—even a cow from the area. Try not to be surprised if one of the revered cows decides to board a bus or travel on the train with you. It’s most likely just returning home.
25. Bus Hammocks
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: One Bed Sheet / Local Bus Fare
due to India’s astronomical population density and the paucity of seating on public transportation. People are closely packed on trains, leaving little room for movement. On buses, however, things are a little different—some may even say, “A little more chilled out.”
When selecting a seat on a bus, be cautious when looking up. It’s not unusual to observe individuals lounging peacefully in hammocks above. Hammocks that previous passengers have left behind may be found on some buses. If not, a Bed Bath & Beyond bedsheet ought to do the trick.