How Myth, Legend, And Historic Abandonment Is Shaping Tourism In India

Uncovering the rise in tourism to liminal spaces, why they must be preserved, and a guide to some abandoned spots in India.
When I moved to Delhi a few months ago, I began to notice history in every corner. Some of them we know about. A lot of it we don’t. Liminal spaces reveal themselves in these moments, often suspended between what was and what remains. Historian Eric Chopra, resident of the capital city, tells me, “One of the most fascinating examples for me is the tomb of Nasiruddin Muhammad, the son of Iltutmish, one of the most well-known rulers of the Delhi Sultanate,” he says.

This 13th-century structure, known as Sultan Ghari, is considered the earliest Islamic tomb in India and is situated in a forested area of Vasant Kunj. In terms of architecture, the actual grave is underground. Above it, an octagonal roof forms shelter. Visitors must descend into a cave-like space to see the grave. “It’s not widely recognised as a royal tomb but functions as a shrine. You have Hindu and Muslim families, newlyweds, and expecting mothers, all coming here to seek blessings from the saint they think is buried here, sometimes referred to as ‘Gudwale Baba,’ who is believed to love jaggery. People offer gud, and even take some back home to mix into their tea,” says Chopra.

And perhaps that is not even the most fascinating part. The idea that there are places deep within forests or hidden in plain sight right in front of us that we don’t know of. Across India, from the Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu, once thriving cultural hubs are now abandoned—cyclones, wars, supposed hauntings, and natural decay are often to blame. There is mystery, intrigue, and a sense of the uncanny in these places. They exist between memory and history and offer a glimpse into a lesser-known past.

A new wave of tourism is seeking to explore these abandoned spaces through luxury hospitality, camping experiences, heritage tours and more. We uncover the forces behind this rise, the layered cultural value of these spaces and what travellers should know, and the emergence of curated experiences shaped around them.

There’s Magic In Mystery
Travel data suggests a definitive rise in travelling to heritage spots and offbeat spaces in India. “We’ve seen a consistent rise in search interest around terms like ‘hidden places in India’ and ‘offbeat heritage,” says Mukul Jain, founder of Arcee Digital, a strategy platform for hospitality and lifestyle brands. Avrial Gupta, CEO of Zostel, Zo world points out a sustained shift in the way people are choosing to travel today. For many young Indian travellers today, heritage is not just a backdrop to their travel, it is the destination itself. “At Zostel, nearly 1 in 7 trips now heads to a heritage location like Hampi or Mehrangarh, the highest share we’ve seen in three years, and bookings at our heritage properties have grown from 67,788 to 83,235 in just one year,” he says.

The trend, therefore, begs a deeper question about what is driving this interest. According to Jain, this rise can be attributed to a number of reasons: social media content that thrives on promising something out of the ordinary, the rise of experiential travel and heritage trails, and a broader shift in travel mindsets. “People want something that feels personal and slightly unexplored,” he says. Abandoned spots most certainly fit the bill.

“The experience is always deeply contemplative. These are not merely ruins; they are archives of time,” notes Professor Pankaj Jain, Director, The India Centre, FLAME University. Living in Pune has given him access to the incredible cave heritage of the Deccan plateau. “I have visited smaller, lesser-documented spots in the Sahyadri range where you find inscriptions, votive niches, and water-harvesting structures that no tourism board acknowledges. There is a particular quality of silence in these places that you don’t encounter in crowded heritage sites. You are facing, quite directly, the intentionality of people who built for eternity,” he says, “That contrast between the grandeur of what was and the quietness of what remains is both unsettling and deeply thought-provoking.”

Visiting culturally abandoned spaces is not just a trend. It’s here to stay. “But ideally, that initial curiosity should lead to deeper engagement, questions about the actual history, the context, and also about preservation. Because increased visibility should also mean increased responsibility toward these spaces,” points out Chopra.

The Cultural Value Of These Spaces And Preservation Challenges
The truth is that these sites are not merely archaeological artefacts. They offer a glimpse into the layered, diverse, and ever-evolving fabric of the Indian civilisation. “Lesser-known heritage spots, remote forts, and ruins are a part of our cultural memory,” says Professor Jain, “The relationship between built form and landscape, between ritual and hydrology, offers an immense philosophical insight too. Besides being carriers of stories, ritual, and collective memory, these spaces also offer a lens into conversations about sustainability. “Many of these sites, such as Fatehpur Sikri and Dhanushkodi, were abandoned due to ecological reasons, making them deeply relevant to contemporary discussions about conservation,” explains Professor Jain. Ultimately, lesser-known sites and hidden ruins promise a form of multidisciplinary learning, combining lessons in history, anthropology, architecture, and ecology.

Consequently, there’s a lot we stand to lose when these sites fade away due to neglect, encroachment, or vandalism. “Preserving them is therefore not just rooted in nostalgia. It is a civilisational necessity. We owe it to both those who built these places and to the generations who will need them as anchors of identity in an increasingly homogenised world,” Professor Jain sums up perfectly.

The preservation of these spaces, however, is multifaceted, layered and comes with its own set of challenges. “Poor road connectivity, absence of trained local guides, no clean food and water facilities, and weak digital presence mean that these sites simply don’t appear in the itineraries that most tour operators build. There are also gaps in emergency services and sanitation that make access genuinely difficult for the average tourist,” notes Professor Jain. For example, while destinations such as Hampi are easily accessible, others, such as Ross Island, require permits and bring other logistical hurdles. Similarly, Unakoti, an ancient Shaivite place, demands travel into Tripura’s most remote parts.

Exacerbating this is the rise of hotels and heritage tours around the property. “The key challenge is making these experiences accessible without losing their authenticity. The more thoughtful approaches we’re seeing involve working with local communities, building guided experiences rather than leaving sites unregulated, and keeping any development minimal and sensitive to the environment,” says Jain.

The way forward perhaps is to be able to preserve these spots through development, visibility and tourism, while being conscious of rising footfall, and maintaining the authenticity of these places. “The way we think about solving for that is through intentional hospitality,” says Gupta, “When about 1 in 4 of our heritage guests return within 24 months, it tells us that depth of experience drives loyalty better than volume ever will. So the answer isn’t to scale footfall, it’s to deepen the experience so that fewer people do more, stay longer, and spend in ways that actually benefit the place.”

While acting on these concerns will require the joint effort of tourism boards, local communities, preservation bodies, and the hospitality industry, the exploration of abandoned cultural spots in India by travellers implies an added responsibility on tourists themselves.

What To Know Before You Plan a Trip To One Of India’s Abandoned Spots
For those already looking to plan their next vacation amidst temple ruins, ghost villages, or remote islands, it might be worthwhile to learn about being mindful, conscious, and intentional about your visit to these places.

Professor Jain notes that visitors often arrive seeking an aesthetic experience, without any curiosity about why a place was abandoned. It’s important to be aware of the histories of displacement, environmental change or conflict that led to the abandonment because without them, the site is confined to being a spectacle. Don’t be ignorant of the past—speak to local historians, take a deep dive into archives, or read up on a region’s history before you label a site as entirely unknown. Finally, be mindful of the heritage, stories, and cultural rituals that these spaces hold. Respect the local context, setting, and community for a truly immersive experience—we promise, you won’t regret it.

An Exhaustive List Of Abandoned Cultural Spots In India

Here’s a curated guide for some of the most enthralling and intriguing spots in India.

• Bhangargh and Ajabgarh Forts, Alwar: Bhangargh has become quite well-known, especially because of the story of Princess Ratnavati and the curse of the tantrik Singhia, while Ajabgarh remains a largely abandoned fortress, surrounded by the Aravallis.
• Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu: This coastal town near Rameshwaram was destroyed by a cyclone in 1964. Now, railway tracks, churches, and homes lie in ruins near the sea. It also sits at one of the more sacred geographies in the Ramayana tradition.
• Unakoti, Tripura: Thousands of Shaivite rock carvings from the 7th-9th century exist deep in the forests of Tripura. Its history is entwined with mythological stories and remains an enigmatic sight even today.
• Bedse Caves, Maharashtra: Tucked amidst the Sahyadris, these early Buddhist rock-cut architecture definitely warrant a closer look.
• Gandikota, Andhra Pradesh: Nestled on the banks of the Pennar River, Gandikota is home to a little fortress, mosque, temple, and granary, and boasts a tremendously rich history.

This article has valuable insights of Prof. Pankaj Jain, Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies, FLAME University.