150 million humans from across social strata conglomerate in Alllahabad over a 8-week mega event. Everyone is there, from business honchos, families, foreign backpackers, orange-robed priests and naked dreadlocked holy men. Zap your senses with the sight of millions of devotees bathing at the confluence of three holy rivers at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. Spirituality or tourism, both cut it.

Stay in the tent city of Dhordo village, buy exquisite mirror-work handicrafts, enjoy ATV rides and adventure activities and relish authentic Kutchi food, away from the slick city life. Then scale to heights of divinity with a camel ride over endless oceans of pure white sand, at the salt pans on a full moon night.

Kolkata’s Durga Puja has always been an institution in itself, but now it also stands a chance in the UNESCO’s 2020 list of cultural institutions. Don a Bengali avatar and indulge in the favourite activity at the festival, pandal hopping. Jump into the huge street party in all your finery, admire public art installations, participate in religious rituals and hog at all the glorious food stalls. All 10 days.

The famous Vembanad Lake in the backwaters of Alleppey, Kerala comes alive on the second Saturday every year with ceremonial water processions, floats and decorated boats. Celebrate Vallam Kali in Kerala with locals by cheering 100-120 feet long snake boats, each of which can carry upto 100 rowers. Would you miss an immersive opportunity of this scale in God’s own country?

Miss the flight to regular Olympics and rethink sports by heading to Kila Raipur, a village in Punjab near Ludhiana. The four-day tournament features all sorts of unconventional games like bullock cart racing, tractor tyre racing, gilli danda, tug-of-war, balancing cycles with teeth and even sports for differently abled. Offbeat, original and rustic. See it to believe it.