Ram Janam Bhumi

Uttar Pradesh


This is the highly contentious spot said to be the site of Lord Rama's birth. Security here is staggering (think crossing from West Bank into Israel!). You must first show your passport to a member of the intelligence services, then leave all belongings apart from your passport and money (including sim cards, medicines and pens) in nearby lockers. You are then searched several times before being accompanied through a long, caged corridor that leads to a spot 20m away from a makeshift tent shrine, which marks Rama’s birthplace.

You get about 10 seconds to look at it before being hustled away. Go for the surreal experience, not the unremarkable tent shrine (and if lines are very long, skip it). To get there, turn left at the colourful gate of the Dashrath Bhavan, when coming from Hanumanghari.