Move over Chefchaouen, India has Jodhpur. The huddle of houses spread across nearly 10 kilometers of the historic walled old city are washed in natural indigo dye for its cooling and bug-repelling property. Fascinating slices of everyday life are lying to be discovered in every tight alley of Brahmapuri neighbourhood. Its fun getting lost in the maze where no cars can squeeze through.

Tamil Nadu has a long list of temples worth seeing, but admirers of ancient architecture must pay homage to at least the trio of living Chola Temples. Brihadisvara at Thanjāvūr, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara, feature on the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites for their artistic finesse, unique carvings and sheer scale. Serious eye-popping is in order.

The 14h-century capital of the Vijayanagar Empire situated on the banks of Tungabhadra River in Karnataka may be a shadow of its former glory, but the magic of Hampi is timeless. Keep aside a few days if you plan to dig deep into the various temples, palaces, shrines, musical pillars and gateways. Do climb the huge boulders to view the sprawling site from up above. The sunsets are epic.

Imagine a meteorite traveling at about 11 miles per second, colliding into the Deccan Plateau to form one of the biggest impact craters on the planet. A stroll around the five miles circumference of the Lonar Lake is is pure delight for its vibrant colour. Give credit to all the thriving algae for the surreal scene.

Crawl into caves that hide the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent. Bhimbhetka Rock Shelters is blast from the past, a museum from the Stone Age with dozens of prehistoric cave paintings. Hunting scenes, war processions, dancing groups, even musical instruments, an easy couple of hours will slip by. So close to the capital city, Bhopal.