Spectacular Wonders

India is home to some of the most mystifying natural phenomena that surprise and spark our imagination.

1. The Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand

The Valley of Flowers is an eye-catching spectacle with around 600 species of exotic flowers, including orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies, and anemones. It is a place where nature blooms in its full glory offering an attractive view.

The trek to the valley offers spectacular views of beautiful waterfalls and wild streams. The valley is also home to rare wildlife species like the grey langur, flying squirrel, red fox, lime butterfly, and snow leopard, to name a few.

With a stunning backdrop of the mighty Himalayan ranges, the Valley of Flowers National Park presents an unforgettable experience for visitors. Spread over a huge area in the Chamoli district, the Valley of Flowers National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Between the months of May and October, this area turns into a botanical wonderland!

2. The Living Root Bridges, Meghalaya

Imagine building a bridge without the use of cement, stones, concrete, etc. Is it possible? The living root bridges are incredible feats of engineering built by the indigenous people of Meghalaya. The living root bridges are one of Meghalaya’s most beautiful tangible UNESCO world heritage sites.

Crossing the many waterways without bridges was difficult for people in the past, during monsoons.

Attempts to use bamboo or wooden bridges across these waterways proved futile as these bridges could not last long in the heavy rains and strong waters. Living root bridges are an innovative and indigenous solution to solve this age-old problem.

They are made of intertwined roots which are a sort of magic, but they aren’t imaginary. These bridges have been built for centuries by the indigenous people of the land. It is a naturally built ecosystem of local flora. It also symbolises the relationship and knowledge that the local people have over their region and the cultural significance that it holds for them.

Under ideal conditions, a root bridge is thought to be able to persist for hundreds of years. These bridges frequently rise 50 to 100 feet in the air. The state’s longest living root bridge is said to be a whopping 175 feet in length. There are approximately 100 or so known living root bridges across different villages.

3. The Lonar Crater Lake, Maharashtra

The Lonar Crater Lake is a geological wonder, nestled in the town of Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra. It is believed to have been formed thousands of years ago. This ancient landform, consisting of a giant hole, came into existence when a colossal meteorite, blazing at an extremely high speed, crashed into the Earth, leaving behind a stunning mark. It is the only crater in India formed in basaltic rock by a meteorite impact and ranks as the third largest in the world, placing it among the top five largest craters globally.

The crater’s perfectly circular depression cradles a unique saline lake at its core, creating a striking visual contrast against the surrounding rugged terrain. This site is a rare and extraordinary blend of celestial impact and terrestrial beauty. The rim of the meteor crater offers a breath-taking spectacle of nature’s power and the enduring allure of our planet’s ancient past.

4. Magnetic Hills in Leh District, Ladakh

In the travels around Leh-Ladakh, is a fascinating sight which arouses curiosity to no end — the Magnetic Hill, a place where gravity takes a backseat!

Lying at a distance of around 30 km from Leh, the Magnetic Hill is marked by a yellow signboard which reads ‘The Phenomenon That Defies Gravity’. It also instructs visitors to park vehicles in the box marked with a white point on the road, which is known as the Magnetic Road. When the vehicles are parked at the indicated spot, they begin moving forward at a speed of almost 20km/h. This unusual place creates an optical illusion where vehicles appear to roll uphill, a sight that has left tourists in disbelief for years, caused by the peculiar alignment of surrounding slopes and the horizon line.

5. Glowing Waters of Kerala

Situated 15 kms from Kerala’s Kochi town, Kumbalangi is a beautiful village with vast green vegetation. In the serene backwaters of Kumbalangi village, one can see magically glowing waters in the night.

This phenomenon is called bioluminescence, and is caused by a high concentration of micro-planktons in the sea, which are small organisms found in marine and freshwater. This beautiful sight has captured the attention of locals as well as tourists, making Kumbalangi an eco-tourism village in India. One can experience the village life in all its beauty and simplicity, and acquaint oneself to their cuisine and culture.

6. The Sunderbans

Can a forest exist in a coastal zone? Yes, they are called mangrove forests, where trees take root under water in the low-oxygen soil. The roots slow down the movement of tidal waters, stabilising the coastline and reducing erosion. The Sundarbans is one such mangrove forest spread over 1,400 kms in West Bengal, lying in the delta of rivers, such as the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, and the Meghna. The name is derived from sundari trees that are plentiful in the area.

The area is also populated by an extensive range of flora and fauna, including many bird species, the majestic Bengal tiger, and other threatened species, such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.

7. The Invisible Chandipur Beach, Odisha

Have you seen things disappearing in front of your eyes? Well, such things happen at times, when we keep things at some place, and just forget where we have kept them. But, what if there’s a sea that disappears?

This happens in Odisha. It is a beach in the Balasore district where one can witness the sea disappearing mysteriously — the Chandipur Beach which is known for its unique feature of playing hide-and-seek with its visitors.

The sea can actually be witnessed disappearing and reappearing. This is because the sea water moves. It retreats by 2–5 km during ebb tide, the duration between the high tide and low tide, and comes back to the shore at the time of high tide. This unusual natural phenomenon keeps on happening daily, where one can actually see the sea, and then watch it disappear in front of their eyes!