Luscious Karimeen Fry garnished with onions and lemons adding beauty to the platter at a restaurant in Kumarakom, Kerala, India © Ajay Thomas

A River Kingfisher relaxing on a tree’s branch at Kumarakom, Kerala, India. © Manu M Nair

A Snake bird sitting on a branch ready to take off for its flight in the backwater at Kumarakom in Kerala, India. © ananth-tp

Pink Water Lily Flowers in its full glory in a pond in Kumarakom backwaters, Kerala, India. © Purple Art

The Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica at Fort Kochi is one of the nine Basilicas in Kerala. It is one of the finest and most impressive churches in India and visited by tourists the whole year round. Kochi, Kerala, India. © Vladimir Zhoga

Foreign tourists shopping for spices and seasonings in a conventional shop where the products are displayed on tables and floor, Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. © AjayTvm

The St. Francis Church is well-known for its beautiful structural design and ambience. It is here that the famous explorer, Vasco-da-Gama, was originally buried and it was built in the memory of him at Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. © Sandipan Dutta Images

The Jew Town is known for its old-world charm. Jew Town Road sells antiques, carvings, and vintage collectibles, along with Keralan crafts and aromatic spices, Mattancherry, Fort Kochi, Kerala, India © AjayTvm

A scene from Kochi where a Fisherman operates a Chinese fishing net. It’s an ingenious fishing technique that allows one single fisherman to operate a 20-metres-wide fishing net by himself. Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. © Daniel J. Rao

Mouth-watering spicy mutton gravy prepared in Indian Chettinad style cooking. It is the cuisine of a community called the Nattukottai Chettiars, or Nagarathars as they call themselves, from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. © ELAMARAN ELAAA

Luscious Chettinad style Indian Banana Leaf cuisine with servings of rice, buttermilk, pickles, papads and salads. Chettiars follow a specific protocol where each dish served should be at a designated space and order on the banana leaf. © sky52200

The grand old mansions of Chettinad which used to be called nattukottai or regional fort. Some of the mansions have so long rooms that run parallel to the courtyard; these can seat a thousand people. © Melting Spot

A Hindu priest standing in front of the idol at Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the South bank of Kaveri River in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. © CRS PHOTO

Brilliant paintings created on the ceiling of Brihadishwara Temple also known as the Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for a group of Chola dynasty era in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. © RealityImages

Street vendors selling raw green coconuts on their shop at the side of the road of Mahabalipuram, India. © CRS PHOTO

Hindu women posing at ancient Hindu monolithic Pancha Rathas. Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture at Mahabalipuram, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India. © Matias Planas

A gigantic view of the SeaShore Temple at Mahabalipuram. It is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a beautiful structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. Mahabalipuram, India. © Jayakumar

A man intricately carves stone statue with hammer in his street shop at Mahabalipuram. This is a well-known art and is very popular in India. © CRS PHOTO

Vittala temple is the most extravagant architectural showpiece of Hampi. It is dedicated to Lord Vitthal, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu at the epicenter of Hampi, Karnataka, India. © Waj

Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple is a huge statue of Lord Ganesha, carved out of a single block of rock. Inside the temple the Ganesha is seen in a half-lotus position with four arms, Karnataka, India. © AnilD

A beautiful portrait of Reachel Singh, Dutch professional singer gazing at the Hampi temple in southern India. © Jose HERNANDEZ Camera 51

The girl stands with her back on the top of the cliff and enjoys the sunset while welcoming the sun by raising her hands up and meditating alone with nature in Hampi, Karnataka, India. © Napoleonka

The royal Mysore Palace also known as Ambavilas Palace decorated with lights observed at the blue hour in Mysore, Karnataka, South India. © Catalin Lazar

Mysore Masala Dosa served stuffed with potato filling and served with spicy sambar and coconut chutney at Mysore, Karnataka, India. © vm2002

Royal Mysore Palace displaying Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, this sprawling building is a replacement of the old wooden building destroyed by fire in the late 19th century. It is indeed one of the best places to visit in India. © Sarath maroli

Vidhana Soudha also known as “Temple dedicated to the nation” stands tall against the purple sky. It happens to be one of the largest legislative buildings and is a must-see tourist attraction in Bangalore. The 46-metre tall imposing building reflects the impressive Dravidian style of architecture. Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. © Rajiv Mathew Cherian

The Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple is located in Nandi Hills Area, in Bangalore Rural district. It magnificently houses three temples – the Arunachaleshwara, the Uma Maheshwara and the Bhoga Nandeeshwara. It is a 1000 year old temple that bears the architectural stamps of around five different dynasties that ruled here. © Hema Narayanan

Bangalore fort situated in the heart of Bangalore was built by Kempe Gowda I and later further developed by Haider Ali. Tourists come to look at the remains, in particular, the marble plaques with interesting historical facts written on them, all round the year. Bangalore, India. © jishnu2602

A scenic view of thatch-roofed houseboat at the backwaters of Kerala. Traditional thatch-roofed houseboats called kettuvallams are made of materials tied together. Not a single nail is used in the construction and all the materials are local and eco friendly. © Paul Cowan

brilliantly designed this marvel of ancient engineering is a treat to watch. Chinese fishing nets are multiple nets being operated all day every day and the boardwalk offers a chance to eat fresh fish, buy souvenirs, and walk by the beach, Cochin, South India © Katarina S

A majestic view of the Brihadeeswara Temple, located in the centre of the city. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and an art of the work achieved by Cholas in Tamil architecture and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Great Living Chola Temples” © Natalia Davidovich

Tourists in front of Arjuna’s Penance which is a magnificent relief, carved in the mid-seventh century. It is a story from the Mahabharata and is a UNESCO Heritage site in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India © CRS PHOTO

A huge stall of Banana on the road side. The vendor stands and waits for the customers to come and buy the bananas, India © Ozphotoguy

Tourist taking a video of the ancients carvings on a wall in Hampi with his GoPro