Book Review: Incredible India Bucket List by Aditya Sathe

India is a land of such diverse topography and natural beauty, of rich heritage and culture, of ancient history and mythology – that one need never step out of the country to explore and satisfy their travel lust. And that is what author Aditya Sathe describes with ample evidence in his book Incredible India Bucket List.

“At very beginning I want to thank my motherland, India for being so Incredible with such a variety of attractions that made the choice of these 26 places so difficult!” says Aditya at the beginning of his acknowledgment. So true is this!

What’s in the Book

The book enlists and elaborates on 26 places of attractions pan-India, covering places of historical importance, religious significance, architectural marvels, or natural wonders. Majority of the attractions are hidden gems which a lot of us are unaware of, of the fact that these deeply interesting and important places even exist in our own backyard sometimes! The list includes temples like Sun Temple and Airavatesvara Temple, monuments like Warangal Fort and India Gate, scenic destinations like Ziro Valley and Loktak Lake. The index of names itself whets up your appetite for forging ahead with your reading super quick. And, to immediately set out for that destination! Sigh, if only we could.

What I Love…

Each chapter is about one destination – beginning with each letter of the alphabet. What I love about this book is the way each chapter is broken up into 3 segments – a background story, the noteworthy features of the place and what we should check out or look for when we visit these attractions. Each segment contains a wealth of information about India’s past, her culture or about her inherent landscape and scenery. For example, how Vikramshila grew to be a prominent center of learning during the Pala Empire, at par with Nalanda is a very interesting read and a highly engaging chapter. The Edakkal caves have a connection dating back to The Ramayana.

There are detailed notes on each of the places which helps you form a picture of the places being described. The author gives you helpful tips about when to visit and why, for example: during the festivals of Ziro Valley; and which particular facet of the place you should definitely visit and take a note of. The pictures themselves are borrowed and Aditya gives the requisite credit wherever due.

Trivia

I have been to a few of the places detailed in Aditya’s book but I still did not a few of these very interesting trivia/facts. Did you know that Gir Forest has over 300 species of birds and 37 species of reptiles? Or, did you know that the Marina Beach emerged as a result of construction of wave breakers of the harbour? We all know about the change of guards ritual in London’s Buckingham Palace, but were you aware that you can witness a Change of Guards ceremony held every Saturday at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi? All these and much, much more can be found in Aditya Sathe’s book. Download the ebook here.

Minor criticism

There’s not much to dislike about this book. Only couple of extra things which I would have liked – references to where this information is gathered from and indication of the current location of each these sights because it’s not always clear where we have to head to. But these are minor, there’s a whole host of things to absolutely love about this book.

Fascinating Encyclopedia of Indian Heritage

Once this pandemic is over or atleast in control and it’s possible to travel again, when you are planning your next trip, do refer to this book to help influence and guide your travel plans. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. Aditya Sathe is a travel fanatic like me and hopes to visit these places himself soon.

This review was written as part of Blogchatter Book Review Program especially the Ebook Carnival series.