The modern name means "virgin Kumari" since this is the site of temple where the legendary goddess Kumari is worshipped. Even the ancient Greeks had heard of her ability to conquer demons single-handedly and came here to visit a couple of millennia ago. Men must remove their shirts to enter this temple which is full of the sacred glow of oil fires, the smoke from which the men are keen to waft over their heads and bodies. This also happens in the street of an eve...

The main attraction here is the palace of Amba Vilas; which is the former seat of the Wodeyer maharajas, giving a glimpse into Indian royal life before independence in 1947. The original palace was wooden, and was destroyed by fire in 1897. The modern version was completed in 1912, and with help from a British architect, the interior is something to be believed with its stained glass roofs, mirrors and gold/turquoise iron pillars. It's unfortunate that I couldn't...

All of the northbound travellers I met over the last couple of months advised me not to miss Hampi. So here I am. And they were right. The ruins of this ancient city lie scattered over many miles of mesmerizing boulder-strewn terrain, which looks like it's from another world, especially at dawn and dusk. The ruins are scattered across both sides of the river, and since there is no bridge (apart from the remains of an ancient one), coracles are available for takin...

I was sitting at the side of the road waiting for a bus, chewing paan and spitting out long jets of red juice into a silver spittoon. At least that was the image I had in mind when they asked me at the spice farm if I wanted to try some. It's a mixture of betel nuts, spices and tobacco wrapped in a banana leaf. But whilst Indian men might look make it look right (disgusting, but right), all I was managing to do was dribble dark brown goo into the gutter. This is ...

After travelling almost 1000km south, I emerged almost next to the huge Dharavi slum area, the one featured in the film Slum Dog Millionaire. I got a glimpse of life there on the way past in the taxi, but it looks like many areas that I saw in North India. This is not typical Mumbai though. On my journey through the North I was wondering when I would see any evidence of India's recent economic boom. I saw no evidence at all until I arrived here. This is ...