From forest bathing in the Western Ghats to culinary adventures along the Kerala Coast, from bathing in the silken waters of the holy Ganga at Varanasi in a body and soul cleansing ritual to gazing up at the stars in dark night skies in Ladakh—reimagine your connection with ‘Incredible India’, led by your senses.

Beauty lies in the Eye of the Beholder

Moonlit gazing of the Taj to witness the unique phenomenon of ‘chamki’ on Sharath Purnima in the erstwhile Mughal bastion of Agra. It’s a sight of such incredible splendour you will cherish it for years to come and urge friends and family to experience it. At this time of year, the moon’s rays fall on the Taj Mahal at such an angle on the white marble façade that the entire monument appears to be bathed in moonlight, and shines on in all its glory. One of the best places to enjoy this sensuous experience is the luxurious Kohinoor Suite with its all-around, floor-to-ceiling picture windows at the Oberoi Amar Vilas, where you can stay up all night enjoying a grandstand view even from your luxurious king-sized bed.

Garden of Five Senses

This unique verdant retreat in Delhi’s Said-ul-Aizab village lies close to the sprawling historic site of the Qutub Minar and Mehrauli Archeological Park. Spread across 20 acres of pristine land it was set up in the year 2003, and remains one of the city’s abiding attractions. An alluring landscape of flowering trees and plants punctuated by meandering pathways and lotus pools, it offers an idyllic respite from the frantic pace of the national capital.

The garden features 200 special varieties of plants and flowers. There are large areas which still maintain the original vegetation, consisting mostly of trees such as the local Kikar and thorny Ber bush. Visitors can linger in the Colour Gardens - beautiful compositions of flowering shrubs and ground covers that have you looking at familiar plants with new eyes. The Courts of Specimen Plants has on display vegetal species such as Kalpaka Vritch, Kadambaha, Bamboo, Cacti, Teak, Rudraksh, Camphor, Arjun and many herbs. The Khas Bagh, is a formal garden patterned on the lines of the Mughal Garden. You will love the slow-paced water channels along its length, edged by flowering and fragrant shrubs and trees. Also on display are 25 sculptures and murals created by master craftsmen. Majestic rocks stand silhouetted against the sky.  Visitors are encouraged to touch the rocks and displays; the fragrance of flower beds stimulates the olfactory senses; the landscaping appeals to the eyes, the ceramic bells and the waterfalls create a soothing sound and the food courts tempt your palate with a variety of cuisines.

Indian Music Experience Museum 

An unmissable sensory experience awaits visitors in Bangalore. The IME is India’s first interactive music museum. Located in JP Nagar, it is a non-profit initiative supported by the Brigade Group. The idea behind the museum was to introduce the youth to the diversity of Indian music and to preserve India’s rich musical heritage. Yet people of all age groups arrive here to immerse themselves in the wonderments of its hi-tech multimedia Exhibit Galleries, a Sound Garden, a Learning Centre for music education, and several performance spaces. Did you know that the IME is an institutional affiliate of the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles?

The musical sculptures such as reeds, chimes, tubular bells and even plate gongs introduce visitors to the principles of sound. At the SOUND GARDEN, each musical installation invites you to explore its distinct sound, material and vibration.  You will love your experience at the HUMMING STONE where you can stick your head in the cave and hum—adjusting your pitch up and down until you find full resonance. Feel how the vibrations pass through your entire body! At the SINGING STONE, discover how even stones can vibrate.  Wet your hands and massage the grooves in the stone to feel and hear the vibrations. The STORM DRUM offers another great experience. Listen to the sound of a storm. Linked to a special membrane, the steel spring’s when moved start transmitting low range frequencies which are amplified to create unexpected sounds of elemental power. At the SOUND WAVE discover different sounds to create your own music as you gently tap the bars with a mallet. At the mock Recording Studio, abandon yourself to the fun of karaoke-style singing!

Wine Tasting

Head out for the vineyards of Nasik for a memorable tasting experience of some potent beverages, sweetened by the sun and nourished by the healthy soil of the Nashik-Pune region in Maharashtra. Your destination is Soma Vine Village, India’s first vineyard resort. Somanda Vineyards, located in Village Gangavarhe, along the Gangapur-Gangavarhe Road, is the brainchild of Pradeep Pachpatil who earlier worked with Sula Vineyards as the senior Vice-president of Operations for over a decade. The boutique winery he set up in the Gangapur Dam area became a runaway success. You can enjoy tastings of five varieties of wines —Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet and Zinfande. Feeling like getting more immersive in the experience? Its Masterclass, conducted by certified sommeliers, now offers an exclusive experience with expert-led masterclasses.

The York Winery in the area was established by Nashik-based entrepreneur Lilo Gurnani. Refine your taste buds at the friendly family-owned winery while sampling award-winning expressions like York Estate Reserve Shiraz 2008, the Chenin Blanc and the Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz Viognier, and Rose. The Cuvee on offer is India's first sparkling wine made from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes.

Silken treasures

The tradition of silk weaving is one of the most enduring legacies of India. The touch, the look, the gorgeous colours and motifs provide a deeply sensuous experience as the storekeeper lovingly spreads out these heavenly cloths one after the other for your pleasure. India has rightly been a legend for the timeless beauty of her fabulous GI-tagged Kanjeevaram sarees made from heavy and pure mulberry silk in Tamil Nadu, and Banarasi tanchois and brocade wedding sarees from Uttar Pradesh. The city of Mysore in Karnataka too has made textile history with its incredible silks made out of pure crepe silk and often woven with gold zari. Since the saree zari contains 65% pure silver and 0.65% gold, it is also one of the most expensive silk sarees in India. 

As you finger these sensuous treasures of wonderment, it’s hard to choose what to take and what to leave behind! Head for Nalli, Pothys or Tulsi Silks in Chennai to lose yourself in the spellbinding world of sensuous silks.  In Mysore explore the stunning collection of silks at the KSIC showroom in the Silk Factory on Manantvadi Road. In Varanasi it has to be Vandana Silks Banaras, located near GirjaGhar Godowlia. JDS Banaras or Jagdish Das & Co is also a very old and reputed establishment.

Spice it up

Lose yourself in the clamour and chaos of the spice market near the Clock Tower in Jodhpur. Amidst the hectic hustle and bustle of vendors and patrons get set for a mind-blowing immersion in its aromas and colours, textures and sounds. Stacked up in neat colourful little piles and sacks lined up around the shops, the complete range of whole and powdered spices pulls visitors sneezing their way through the pungent air, towards them. Jalore and Barmer cumin, coriander, pepper, chillies, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves turmeric, kaachari powder, khatori powder and other aromatic offerings are irresistible for their exotic vibe.

Unmissable here are Jodhpur’s legendary red chillies. Grown around the village of Mathania, these red chillies are considered to be the best in the country. The temperature and soil conditions in the village environs give these chillies their distinct characteristics—the chilli pods are red and are slightly wrinkled, have a strong, slightly sweet aroma, mild heat, deep reddish colour, and powerful flavour.  The farming and stone grinding of Mathania Chillis is something you can venture out to explore more closely if you have the time to visit the village between the months of December and March. Mathania lal mirch gives the distinctive colour and flavour to three iconic Rajasthani dishes – laal maas, jungle maas and kair sangri. Though generally used in powder form in dishes, the chillis, when fresh, can be soaked in mustard oil and consumed as a pickle.

Experiences galore can be explored the length and breadth of India on this sensory odyssey…All you need is time—and a fat wallet to go all out to create some enduring memories to cherish long after you returned home.