Lonely PlanetSep 24, 2026
A Book Lover’s Guide to India
Find the destinations where India’s literature comes alive, from Kolkata’s legendary bookshops to the hills of Landour.
25 things in this story
- Kerala Literature FestivalFestivalNesru Markmedia/Shutterstock
- Elsewhere
- Humayun’s TombAttractionDelhi, Indiagardens in Delhi
- The God of Small ThingsPlaceKolkata, Indianovel set in Kolkata
- Maximum CityPlaceMumbai, Indianovel about Mumbai's crowded streets and local trains
- Midnight's ChildrenPlaceMumbai, Indianovel about Mumbai's histories
- Sacred GamesPlaceMumbai, Indianovel about Mumbai's underworld
- ColabaSuburbMumbai, IndiaIt is one of the four peninsulas of Mumbai while the other three are Worli, Bandra and Malabar Hill.
- DharaviNeighborhoodMumbai, IndiaIt has often been considered one of the world's largest slums.
- BandraTrain stationMumbai, IndiaThe area is located to the immediate north of the Mithi River, which separates Bandra from the Mumbai City district.
- David Sassoon LibraryMuseumMumbai, IndiaVenetian Gothic library in Mumbai
- Asiatic Society of Mumbai’s libraryMuseumMumbai, Indialibrary in Mumbai
- AymanamNeighborhoodKottayam, Indiavillage that inspired Ayemenem in The God of Small Things
- Kottayam PushpanathPlaceKottayam, Indiawriter who translated Sherlock Holmes stories
- Ponkunnam VarkeyPlaceKottayam, Indiasocial realist writer from Kottayam
- CMS CollegeMuseumKottayam, India200-year-old college in Kottayam
- CMS PressPlaceKottayam, IndiaKerala's first printing press
- Delhi: A NovelPlaceDelhi, Indianovel moving through Delhi's many eras
- City of DjinnsPlaceDelhi, Indiabook digging into Delhi's ruins and history
- Twilight in DelhiPlaceDelhi, Indianovel focusing on Old Delhi at end of Mughal era
- Clear Light of DayPlaceDelhi, Indianovel where metropolis is landscape of family, memory, Partition
- ShahjahanabadSuburbDelhi, Indialanes in Delhi
- Marine DriveNeighborhoodMumbai, India
- BycullaTrain stationMumbai, India
- FictionaryRestaurantMumbai, India
- White Crow Books & CoffeeRestaurantMumbai, India
