Top 10 things to do and see in India

My roots are in India, and I would never want to change my roots. India has such a diverse culture, has the best snacks and food, and has lot's of great sites to visit. Here's a list of my favorite places to go and things to do.

(1) Go in an Auto Rickshaw

Auto Rickshaws in India are like taxis in New York! Auto Rickshaws act as ubers to get places. It's important to note that these Rickshaws don't hold many passengers. You can fit 3 people in a basic Auto Rickshaw. Fun fact: The Guinness World record holder for Longest Wheelie in Auto Rickshaw is Jagathish Mani.

(2) Go to a famous mall

Shopping is a huge deal when it comes to traveling. Especially when you want to shop for souvenirs! India is a great place to get lots of cool stuff back come. India has huge malls to get all the stuff you need. Some malls that I recommend are Lulu Mall in Kochi (Biggest Mall in India), Phoenix Mall in Bangalore, and Mantri Square Mall in Bangalore. I recommend buying Indian apparel, food/snacks, and some beautiful souvenirs.

(3) Do an Indian Snack taste test

Indian Snacks have got to be the best in the world, right? Find out for yourself if you don't believe me! If your planning on going to one of those malls, buy some snacks while your at it. Here's a (big) list of my all time favorite snacks:

Parle-G: These sweet biscuits are so addicting! Parle G is said to be the first biscuit in India. It started manufacturing in 1939! Classic favorite of everyone. Here's a little tip from all of India: Indian Tea goes hand in hand with this biscuit. Plus, this biscuit is a fraction of a dollar for a pack!

Gems: No, I don't mean crystals! Gems are like the M&Ms of India! (But they taste much better) Gems are also super cheap to buy and you can snack on them all day.

Dark Fantasy: No, not the genre! Dark fantasy is a chocolaty biscuit. There are different types of Dark Fantasy biscuits, I recommend getting the choco fills. Always a great snack to reward yourself, even if that reward was for eating all of your lunch when you were a toddler.

Chatpati Imli: This snack usually comes in a clear candy wrapper. They don't look very appetizing (kind of look like rabbit poops) but have intense flavor. Chatpati Imli is sweet, sour, and zingy. After eating a meal, eating one of these is great. No really! Eating one of these after a meal can aid in digestion. Imli has always been used in Ayurvedic medicine to cure digestion issues and India is known for it's Ayurvedic treatments.

Maggi: This one's not a snack, but you could totally make it one! Maggi is the Ramen of India. Don't get me wrong, I love Ramen, but this is a whole new level! Maggi is really simple to make, you can serve it soupy or what I like to call 'packed.' You can achieve the 'packed' consistency by cooking the Maggi for a longer amount of time. The noodles seems to absorb the flavor, it's delicious.

And now for the final stretch of Indian Snacks: 5 star (candy bar), Little Hearts (sweet cookies), 50 50 (flavored crackers), Mini Samosas, Aloo Bhujia, Frooti (mango juice box), Thums Up (soda), Pik Nik (chips), Milk Bikis (Sweet biscuits), Kaccha (Mango hard candy), and Limca (Lime and Lemon Soda, helps with digestion).

(4) Visit the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. It's a no brainer to go visit when you go to India. The Taj Mahal was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. He built the building in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, hence the name, who died after giving birth to their 13th child. Both are buried inside the building. Fun facts: The Taj Mahal is almost perfectly symmetrical, Taj took 20 years to build, and is made of white marble.

(5) Eat Indian Street food

You can find the best Indian street food practically anywhere. All I can tell you is: One, try the fried stuff (It's the best!). Two, eat the 'classics,' they seem to be better than in a Restaurant. Three, eat a lot and eat it hot! (That rhymes!)

(6) Visit the Adiyogi Shiva Statue

This statue was built to inspire people towards inner well being by doing yoga. Yoga is extremally popular in India. This statue was designed by one of the most well known Indian guru, Sadhguru. His foundation, the Isha Foundation owns the statue. The statue is of an Indian god, Shiva, who may represent benevolence and goodness.

(7) Go to a Beach

The Beaches in India are great. Lots of them being super colorful. One beaches that I recommend going to is Palolem beach, but, if you can find any beach near you, I would say spend a bit of time there. If your more of an island person, you should go to Radhanagar Island. The waters look clear and it's a great place for photography.

(8) Go to your favorite food brands

"But why? I could eat my favorite food back home! I want to eat Indian food while I'm in India," you might say. (I bet no one said that) Give me a moment to explain. When you're in India, us Indians like to... let's say...give a kick to brands. Here's an example, if you go to Domino's in India, you don't get 'peperoni' you get 'chicken tikka masala' or 'spicy paneer.' We like to incorporate spices to everything! The point is, check out your favorite brands in India, you'll find that we put a little twist on all of them. Here are some brands you should try: Lays, Domino's, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Subway, KFC, etc.

(9) Go to a temple

India is famous for it's diverse culture. India has many religions but most of them worship god in temples. It's important to be extremally respectful going into a temple. It's also important to do your research beforehand. Almost all temples let people who don't follow the religion inside, but, some temples are extremally religious and don't let people who follow other religions inside. I suggest searching up how to be respectful in a religious temple. Search based on religion as there are strict policies that, if broken, can be very offensive towards the belief. All in all, enter a temple with an open mind, be respectful, and do the appropriate research beforehand.

(10) Visit the Statue of Unity

The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world! It reaches a whopping 597 feet tall. If you thought the Statue of Liberty was big, get ready to be mind blown! According to gujarattourism.com, "The statue has been built as an ode to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel." Patel united all 562 states to make India.

This was a list of my favorite things to do and places to go in India. Make sure to check some of these ideas out if you plan on going. Hopefully this post sparked some interest, whether it's to plan a trip to India, or explore more into the rich culture of India.