India is a spiritual country with a rich history dating back thousands of years and a population that has already surpassed 1.4 billion people. There will be a new surprise around every corner as one walks down the streets of Mumbai, Jaipur, Agra, New Delhi, Kerala, or Varanasi. India has something for everyone, whether it’s one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, ‘blood rain,’ a floating lake, or one of its 2,000,000+ Hindu temples. There isn’t enough time in the world to visit them all, but let’s have a look at some of the weird, pricey, and oddly bizarre things India has to offer.
Things You Can Only Find In India That Are Bizarre, Unique, And Expensive
Face Masks in Gold
Found in: Prune
Est. Cost: $4,000*
The world was attempting to deal with an invisible enemy in the summer of 2020, and vaccines were hardly a blip on the radar. However, a man from the western Indian city of Prune took matters into his own hands in terms of self-defense. Shankar Kurhade, a businessman, commissioned a craftsman to create a Covid mask out of two ounces of gold, the most valuable metal available. Shankar claims that the mask is very thin and has extremely small pores, allowing him to breathe comfortably while wearing his personalized mask in public.
Face Masks in Gold
Red Rain
Found in: Idukki, Kerala
Est. Cost: N/A
Kerala’s southwestern district is noted for its gorgeous beaches with stunning blue waters, black sands, and the red rains that have fallen from the sky at random during the last two centuries. Since it was originally documented in 1818, there have been numerous ideas as to what caused the ‘blood rain.’ One notion that was floated was the aftermath from a supposed meteor blast. Another is the Hindu belief that when it rains blood, individuals who have not committed sin perish. Since then, the Indian government has proposed a less out-of-this-world explanation: airborne spores from a local strain of algae.
Red Rain
Mannequins that look real
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: $200-$1,000
One of the finest methods to market a product is to put it on display for all to see, which is exactly what retailers do when they outfit mannequins in clothing and place them in all of the best vantage points throughout the store. The issue is that relatively few clients are the same size as the display dummy. In several big Indian towns, businesses have begun to use mannequins that are considerably more akin to the typical person’s form than what you’d expect to see at Abercrombie & Fitch. The dummies feature curves, contours, and ‘dad-bods’ to help determine how well a piece of clothing will fit.
Mannequins that look real
Extreme Electrical Lines
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
As more people move to a city, the demand for extra electric lines grows. Because of the unfathomable number of people who live in India’s most densely populated areas, the power lines are a complete mess. There are cables upon cables upon cables, each of which is linked to a half dozen (or more) others. Untangling headphone cables no longer seems so difficult after viewing this. Given the continual possibility of impending danger, it’s surprising that electricians aren’t one of India’s most revered occupations.
Extreme Electrical Lines
2 Million Hindu Temples
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
The spectacular mosques, temples, and tombs that have become emblems of the nation over the years are among the many historical wonders that India is recognized for. In India, there are about two million Hindu temples (and another 300,000 Muslim mosques), with 23,000 Hindu temples in the riverfront city of Varanasi alone. To put things into perspective, India has more Hindu temples than the countries of Bahrain, Estonia, and Latvia combined. However, given that India’s Hindu population accounts for about 80% of the country’s 1.4 billion people, two million temples appear feasible, if not excessive.
2 Million Hindu Temples
The World’s Highest Rail Bridge
Found in: Jammu and Kashmir
Est. Cost: $195,120*
Millions of historical constructions have existed in India for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. However, the current achievements of this magnificent nation have been lost in all of this history. For example, the tallest rail bridge in the world is located in the country’s extreme north. The bridge’s construction began in 2004, and if all goes well, commuters will be able to cross the Chenab River (by rail) from 1,178 feet above. The vistas of the Chenab Range from the Chenab Bridge will take your breath away.
The World’s Highest Rail Bridge
The Amritsar Golden Temple
Found in: Punjab
Est. Cost: $17-$20 Million*
Sri Harmandir Sahib (the Amritsar Golden Temple) is the main spiritual sanctuary in the Sikh religion, built on top of 67 square feet of marble in the mid-1500s. The temple attracts tourists from all around the world, but not everyone comes for religious reasons. The Amritsar Golden Temple welcomes visitors of all faiths (or lack thereof). Visitors are welcome to visit the temple and marvel at the 880 pounds of 24-carat gold leaf that adorns it. Furthermore, the temple serves free vegetarian food to approximately 50,000 guests each day.
The Amritsar Golden Temple
Nuisance Detectors
Found in: Several Major Cities
Est. Cost: 6 Months in Prison
If you thought school hall monitors were annoying, you haven’t seen nothing yet. Several large Indian cities have hired Nuisance Detectors, whose mission it is to ticket people for, you guessed it, making a nuisance. A few annoyances are more prevalent than others. They are the ones who clearly cause a nuisance to the general public. Urinating and defecating in public, as well as fornication (of any form), are all punishable nuisances. Spitting in public, as made famous by the Singapore government, is also deemed a nuisance in India.
Nuisance Detectors
The Taj Mahal
Found in: Agra
Est. Cost: $1 Billion* (2020)
The Taj Mahal, built between 1632 and 1653 as a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal (Shah Jahan’s favored bride), has become not only one of India’s most iconic structures, but also a monument that reflects the beauty and majesty of the Shah and his Queen’s love. The Taj Mahal’s design is at its most magnificent during sunrise and dusk. Depending on where one is looking, the sun’s rays will reflect off the ivory-white marble of the tomb, creating a multicolored display of splendor. The Moonlight Garden, which faces the Taj’s northern walls from across the Yamuna River, is the greatest site to view the sunset spectacle.
The Taj Mahal
Fish Swallowing Asthma “Cure”
Found in: Hyderabad
Est. Cost: $0.20 – $0.66* / Treatment
The Hyderabad-based Goud family claims to have developed a home medicine “miracle cure” for asthma. They won’t tell doctors what’s in it, and they won’t let it be tested, but they claim a 100% success rate provided the “treatment” is followed exactly. All you have to do is show up for treatment at the start of the monsoon season every year (for seven years) and swallow a little live fish linked to a ball of yellow paste (containing unidentified components). Then for 45 days, you must consume nothing but dried mango, rice, sugar, spinach, lamb, and 20 other extremely specific items. Doesn’t it sound simple?
Fish Swallowing Asthma “Cure”
A Dog Temple
Found in: Channaptna, Karnataka
Est. Cost: Unknown
In the southern central town of Channapatna, a temple was built close to the Goddess Kempamma’s temple (the deity most revered by the inhabitants) in 2010, after the Goddess is reported to have visited a man in his dream and commanded him to do so. The new temple was erected in memory of two local dogs who had gone without a trace. Statues of the missing dogs now stand proudly within the temple’s walls, and Channapatna hosts an annual festival commemorating the life of the lost canines.
A Dog Temple
Monsoon Season
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
Northern Australia experiences cyclone season, the southeastern United States experiences hurricane season, and India experiences monsoonal rains. The primary distinction between the three is that most dwellings in India are not built well enough or in safe enough locations to withstand annual flooding. Locals have gotten accustomed to the monsoon season and the flooded living room that it brings. It appears around May/June and stays until September/October, so get a decent pair of beach shorts and a comfy pair of Crocs because you’re going to get wet.
Monsoon Season
Elephants on Small Boats
Found in: Various Rivers and Lakes Across the Country
Est. Cost: N/A
When an elephant is involved, there is always the possibility that things would go horribly wrong, and elephants are abundant in India. Surprisingly, there aren’t quite as many elephant accidents as one might assume, but this isn’t due to a lack of risky practices. Transporting an elephant cannot be easy, yet India appears to have mastered the art. The people of India have devised innovative ways to transport the world’s largest land mammal from point A to point B, whether by truck, train, or even water.
Elephants On Small Boats
The ‘Mini Taj
Found in: Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Est. Cost: $500,000* (2022)
The Taj Mahal is perhaps India’s most famous structure and one of the most recognizable in the world. Soon after the Taj Mahal was completed, a smaller, less stunning, but nevertheless lavish edifice was built 615 kilometers southwest of the original. It’s known as Bibi Ka Maqbara, or ‘Mini Taj.’ The ‘Mini Taj’ was actually commissioned by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the son of Mumtaz Mahal (the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was built). Following in his father’s traditions, he also constructed a shrine for his wife, Diras Banu Begum. In 1660, it cost about $8,700 to create a shrine.
The ‘Mini Taj
Camel Art
Found in: Bikaner
Est. Cost: N/A
Camel have been essential to human life for as long as written records exist (and even further back). They have been the helping hands that have literally carried civilizations over hard climates and terrains. They’ve been a lone traveler’s only companion at times. People in Bikaner, Rajasthan, have discovered a way to honor all that these “Ships of the Desert” have done for us. Every January, they celebrate the new year by hosting the International Camel Festival. The festival’s high point? Of course, the magnificently decked camels. Their people have dressed them and given them artistically wonderful haircuts.
Camel Art
Mustache For Pay
Found in: Madhya Pradesh
Est. Cost: Unknown
It’s now ‘Movember’ every day in Madhya Pradesh, or so some authority figures believe. And why is this so? Because the region’s police chief has decided to reward mustache growth. Yes, all police officers who choose to grow out their whiskers will receive a salary raise. The chief of police believed that personnel with brows earned more respect than those with exposed upper lips. If you want to join the Madhya Pradesh police force, bring plenty of Old Spice mustache wax with you. Remember that style commands respect when it comes to a’stache.
Mustache For Pay
‘Star of India’: The Most Expensive Rolls Royce in the World
Found in: Rajkot, Gujarat
Est. Cost:$8.5 Million*
The ‘Star of India’ is a specifically commissioned 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II built for the Maharaja of Rajkot, Gujarat. Thirty-four years after its creation, the seven-seat ‘Star’ was sold by the Maharaja’s grandson and appeared to be lost forever to the family. 42 years later, the same fourteen headlight, saffron-colored interior Rolls Royce appeared at a Monaco auction and was repurchased by the Maharajah’s grandson who had sold the ‘Star’ in 1968. The Phantom II has a book value of around $500,000, but due to its importance to the Maharaja’s family, the buyout price was closer to $8.5 million.
‘Star of India’: The Most Expensive Rolls Royce in the World
The Exotica
Found in: Lucknow
Est. Cost: $1,437 / Pound*
Lucknow, in northern India, is home to beautifully constructed temples, delectable street food, and Exotica, India’s most expensive dessert. The dry mithai is made out of ingredients from all over the world, such as American blueberries, Australian and South African macadamia nuts, European hazelnuts, and a few others. The most crucial (and most expensive) of the sweet’s ingredients are the 100% edible gold leaf that encase the internationally sourced ingredients. The pricey confections have been wrapped in a specially constructed box “that increases the shelf life by 20-30 days.”
The Exotica
Bheem’ India’s Most Expensive Buffalo
Found in: Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Est. Cost: $3.12 Million*
Bheem, of the Murrah breed, is the Andre the Giant of Buffalos, weighing little more than 3,300 pounds and standing 6-feet from hoof to head and 14-feet long. This gigantic bull consumes roughly 25 liters of milk per day, as well as 2.2 pounds of clarified butter (ghee) and a mix of cashews and almonds. Arvind Jangid, the man who nurtured Bheem, demonstrated at a cattle fair that not everything has a price when he turned down a bid of 24 crores ($3.12 million) for his finest buffalo. Jangid and Bheem go to cow shows together to raise awareness about Bheem’s dwindling breed and encourage conservation efforts.
Bheem’ India’s Most Expensive Buffalo
Land of Snakes
Found in: Shetpal, Maharashtra
Est. Cost: N/A
With his crippling fear of snakes and all, the village of Shetpal is surely not the type of place Indiana Jones would enjoy visiting. Indy’s dread is not shared by the more than 2,600 people of Shetpal. They coexist with the appendage-less creatures and incorporate ‘cobra houses’ into their homes. Just in case a snake decides to spend the night. Snakes are so revered in Shetpal that the inhabitants not only worship them, but also allow their children to handle them unaccompanied. Surprisingly, no (reported) cases of the poisonous snakes biting any of the locals.
Land Of Snakes
Gold Plated Dosa
Found in: Bangalore
Est. Cost: $19*
For generations, dosas have been a staple of southern Indian cuisine. They have few ingredients, take little time to cook, and are among the cheapest cuisines available, making them popular among people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The Raj Bhog restaurant in Bangalore, India’s southernmost metropolis, has given the iconic dosa a glitzy makeover. Or should we say a slick of glitz? A potato masala-stuffed rice and lentil pancake should cost around $0.50 per serving. Patrons of Raj Bhog, on the other hand, can choose from a variety of dosas with 24-carat gold leaf draped over the top for forty times the price.
Gold Plated Dosa
Stores that sell stolen brand-name knock-offs
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
In India, the retail industry is fiercely competitive. Businesspeople are not ashamed to exploit the fame of other companies for their own gain. There are knock-off brand stores all over the country, and few (if any) of them sell anything resembling the original. Just remember that no matter where you go in India, a sense of home is never far away. Google and WhatsApp have locations in every major city. They’re just a little different here than you’re used to.
Stores that sell stolen brand-name knock-offs
Onam Festival
Found in: Kerala
Est. Cost: Free
Keralites celebrate the annual Onam Festival in the month of Chingam, at the commencement of the Malayalam year. The event commemorates King Mahabali’s return, but it also marks Vishnu’s appearance in the guise of the avatar Vamana. The 10-day festival is all about happiness and prosperity, and the Malayalis have beautiful methods of expressing it. In the celebratory spirit, people create beautiful ‘Pookkalam’ (flower carpets) and place them as welcome mats for the King’s spiritual arrival. The much-anticipated Snake Boat Races and the performance of the traditional Keralite dance, the Kaikottikali, are also popular Onam Festival festivities.
Onam Festival
Gold and Diamond Contact Lens
Found in: Mumbai
Est. Cost: $15,000*
Dr. Chawan of Mumbai’s Shekhar Eye Research Center has redefined what it means to have ‘beautiful eyes.’ The doctor accomplished this by developing gold contact lenses with numerous tiny diamonds surrounding each eye. The gems’ positioning is meant to reduce ocular discomfort by allowing the maximum quantity of oxygen to pass through. If you want to bring attention to your eyes, this is the method to do it. Forget about Zale’s or Tiffany’s, since nothing will draw attention to your eyes more than a set of golden diamond-studded lenses. At $15,000 a pair, they’re a steal that will (literally) make your eyes glitter.
Gold And Diamond Contact Lens
Public Transportation Animals
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
Taking public transit is an ongoing game of chance. For starters, you don’t know if there will be enough space to board. If you do get to board, your odds of getting a seat are considerably slimmer. If a seat becomes available, the next gamble is choose who will sit next to you. In India, that journey companion could be anything from a local cow to a tiger. If one of the respected bovines decides to join you on a bus or train excursion, try not to be startled. It’s most likely on its way home.
Public Transportation Animals
Bus Hammocks
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: One Bed Sheet / Local Bus Fare
As a result of India’s massive population and a lack of seating on public transportation. People are crammed together on trains with little room to move, but on buses, things are a little different; some could say, “a little more chilled out.” When taking the bus, keep your head up when selecting a seat. It’s not uncommon to see people swaying on hammocks above them. Some buses will have hammocks left behind by other riders. If not, a Bed Bath & Beyond bedsheet should suffice.
Bus Hammocks
The Jewellery Car of Gold
Found in: Mumbai
Est. Cost: $4.57 Million*
The Tata Nano, manufactured in India, is the cheapest automobile in the world, as well as one of the smallest. To commemorate five millennia of Indian jewelry manufacture, Goldplus took the Nano and converted it into one of the most costly automobiles on the market. Although 175 pounds of 22-carat gold plating and 33 pounds of silver were used to coat the Nano’s structure, it’s the 10,000 jewels that were included into rethinking the vehicle’s outside look that have people talking. Tata Goldplus has essentially transformed a bicycle into a Harley-Davidson.
The Jewellery Car Of Gold
Holy Cows
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: N/A
Cows are so adored in India that Tuk Tuk drivers have been known to pull over in the middle of the road to buy flowers and food, but not for themselves, but for the cows they meet along the way. In India, bovines are absolutely everywhere. They are walking down the streets. They can be found running along the beaches. They even take the bus. This is, of course, since cows are revered as sacred emblems of Mother Earth in Hinduism. Depending on where you are in India, you may want to think twice before asking where you can obtain a Whopper.
Holy Cows
World’s Largest Family
Found in: Baktawng
Est. Cost: N/A
If you thought family reunions were difficult, consider being a member of Ziona Chana’s family, commonly known as the world’s largest family. Ziona Chana was the family patriarch till his death in 2021. He had 39 spouses (that are known) and 94 children with them. He lived to see 33 of his grandchildren born and was fortunate enough to meet one of his great-grandchildren as well. That corresponds to 181 family members (and counting), or the most costly family excursion to Disney ever recorded.
World’s Largest Family
Mysterious Skeleton Lake
Found in: Himalayas
Est. Cost: N/A
The Himalayan mountain range has the world’s tallest peaks as well as numerous of the world’s most distant lakes. One of these lakes, located 16,470 feet above sea level, has a sad history. More than 300 skeletons were unearthed near the shores of Roopkund (Skeleton Lake), and the remains belonged to three different groups. So, what became of them? Some scholars believe that individuals discovered beneath the surface of Skeleton Lake died during a terrible hailstorm in the 9th century. That doesn’t explain how the few hundred other human remains discovered in the lake’s shallow water died. This could be one of those mysteries that will never be solved.
Mysterious Skeleton Lake
Step Wells
Found in: Gujarat
Est. Cost: N/A
The ancient step wells of northern India are just another of the enormous South Asian country’s unanswered mysteries. These wells, which are said to have been erected in the sixth century, have served a variety of purposes over the years. Initially, step-wells were primarily used to obtain water. They evolved into storage and irrigation tanks over time. Villagers eventually began to use them to get to riverbeds and ponds to wash their clothes, bathe, and attend religious ceremonies. The largest is appropriately named Chand Baori. It descends about 100 feet below the surface via a set of 3,500 stairs divided across thirteen levels.
Step Wells
Makeshift Transportation
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: Varies
With an average monthly wage in India of $400-$450, it would take nearly fifty years to accumulate enough money to purchase a new, fairly priced compact automobile. Many villagers have taken to “Frankensteining” homemade autos rather than waiting till old age for their own vehicle. They’re not the most beautiful things in the world, and they’re certainly not the safest. Most vehicles built are far below the quality of a Ford Focus, yet they will get their drivers where they need to go.
Makeshift Transportation
Gold Encrusted Donuts
Found in: Various Locations
Est. Cost: $100*
Donuts have long been a popular breakfast snack in the United States. However, in other parts of the world, like as India (and perhaps Dubai), the ringed pastry that goes so well with a morning coffee is much more than a one-dollar sugary treat that provides that much-needed energy boost. These gold-encrusted donuts will not be available at any Dunkin’ Donuts or DNUT outlet. They are only available via special order and cost around $100 each. If you want to make your own gold rings at home, you may purchase a jar containing 17.6 ounces of gold flakes for 3000 rupees ($40*).
Gold Encrusted Donuts
$2 Billion Mumbai Mansion
Found in: Mumbai
Est. Cost: $2 Billion*
Antilia is a 400,000-square-foot architectural monstrosity. It appears to be a gigantic building in the heart of Mumbai from a distance. Nonetheless, Antilia is a 27-story private house that is only second in property value to Buckingham Palace. This magnificent super-mansion (or whatever you want to call it) comes fully equipped with everything Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, and his family could ever think up, from three helipads to a 50-seat cinema. Why not, one area has been constructed to spit out snowflakes all year? After all, Ambani’s net wealth is close to $100 billion.
$2 Billion Mumbai Mansion
Black Diamond iPhone
Found in: Various Locations Via Special Order
Est. Cost: $15.3 Million*
The iPhone 5 Black Diamond is a 4.76 ounce, 24-carat gold hand-crafted masterpiece that only around half of India’s 1.4 billion people would ever be able to afford. If the phone’s gold features weren’t enough, the screen is composed of sapphire glass. Still not convinced, and curious as to how this iPhone earned its name? Its home button was replaced with a single 26-carat deep cut black diamond. As if that weren’t enough, the phone’s frame has been inlaid with 600 more diamonds – smaller ones, of course — bringing the total price to slightly more than $15 million.
Black Diamond IPhone
Shirt made entirely of pure gold
Found in: Datta Phuge’s Closet
Est. Cost: $230,888*
Have you ever wished to own a solid gold shirt? Of course, one of them exists, as one would expect. Its seven Swarovski buttons are from the collection, and its foundation is made up of 100,000 spangles and 14,000 flowerings (all gold) stitched to a velvet basis. Finding an identical garment like the one purchased by Indian entrepreneur Datta Phuge will be more difficult than simply searching the LVMH online catalog. These golden robes are handcrafted and cost somewhat less than a quarter million dollars.
Shirt made entirely of pure gold
Pre-Wedding Detectives
Found in: Nationwide
Est. Cost: $65-$200* / Day
Every bride and groom’s wedding is a monumental event in their lives. It is an event that brings two people together and bonds them together “in sickness and in health…until death do them part.” That said, it would be wonderful to know if the person you’re marrying is who they claim to be. This is where pre-marital private investigators may help. Private investigators who study potential spouses are in high demand in India. A one-day detective assignment for $200 may appear to be a steal, but it’s less than half the average monthly pay in India.
Pre Wedding Detectives
Temple of Rats
Found in: Deshnoke, Rajasthan
Est. Cost: N/A
When most people think of rats, one of two things spring to mind. They either imagine the nasty, repulsive rats from their dreams or Master Splinter from the Ninja Turtles. They are rarely (if ever) considered holy by Westerners. When visiting the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke, however, you have no choice but to regard them as such. Over 25,000 rats freely traverse the halls, chambers, and gardens of Karni Mata, unafraid of harm. If you come across a solid white rat in the crowd, consider it an honor. They are regarded as the holiest of the temple’s rodents.
Temple Of Rats
World’s Highest Road
Found in: Jammu and Kashmir
Est. Cost: Unknown
Roads have been created in India to provide access to some of the world’s most remote regions. One of them is located in Eastern Ladakh, right in the heart of the Himalayas. It’s a portion of the Ladakh Road that’s 19,300 feet above sea level, making it the highest road accessible by car on the earth. Tourists have been known to use hatchbacks and sedans on their Himalayan road adventures, but to have the best chance of avoiding vehicle troubles when traversing the Ladakh Road, it is recommended to rent something more like an STLA or other 4x4s of the sort.
World’s Highest Road