There’s something about the night that awakens you. It’s beautiful to see lights cut through the overpowering darkness of night. Day visits to monuments are too hackneyed for us now. See how these remains of history embrace the night.

1. Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas Palace), Mysore:

Calling it the most splendid palace won’t be wrong at all. This palace of the Wodeyars or Maharajas of Mysore is at its glorious best in the month of September. It is illuminated with over 96,000 lights for about 2 months on the occasion of Dussehra.

Palace light illumination: Days- Sundays and public holidays    Time: 7:00 PM to 7:45 PM

Light and sound shows: Days- All days except Sundays and public holidays    Time: 7:00 PM to 7:45 PM

2. Golden Temple, Amritsar:

Echoes of holy prayers, air full of spirituality and liveliness like this place never sleeps. The place is none other than the Golden Temple. One of the best times to visit this temple is early in the morning. Even before dawn. Temple doors have different opening time according to the month but the usual time is between 2:00AM to 3:00AM.

3. Victoria Memorial, Kolkata:

Massive white building, widespread lush gardens and the air of British India when witnessed during the night with crepuscular lights is not a spectacle these eyes see everyday. It played a show called ‘Pride&Glory – the Story of Calcutta’ until January 6, 2015 in the evenings.

4. Somnath Temple, Somnath, Gujarat:

One of the 12 jyotirlings of India, Somnath Temple makes an excellent outing at night apart from being a religious epicenter. The evening aarti is followed by a light and sound show called ‘Jay Somnath’ which narrates the history of this unassailable temple’s journey from desecration to resurrection in the hands of Persian invaders.

5. Amber Fort, Jaipur:

Sitting majestically on the hills of a forgotten city called Amber is this manifestation of Rajputana. Apart from the usual attractions like museum, sheesh mahal and rich historic facts, it also hosts a light and sound show at night. The show is written by bollywood scriptwriter and lyricist Gulzar. It takes near Maota Lake offering an unmatched blend of pleasure that awakens all senses.

Timings: Summer: 7.30 p.m (English), 8.30 p.m. (Hindi)

                    Winter: 6.30 p.m. (English), 7.30 p.m. (Hindi)

6. Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer:

As glorified as it is during the day with tourists from far off lands, this landmark of Jaisalmer looks even better when it shines with yellow lights under the clearest night sky.

Timings: 6:00AM-5:00PM

7. Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad:

Are you a photographer?

Have you not found the perfect picturesque scenery to be captured by your new camera?

It’s time to pay Hussain Sagar a visit. The lake is at its aesthetic best when it absorbs colourful lights of the city and gives its visitors a view that goes down the memory lane. A huge statue of Lord Buddha is located right at the centre of this lake.

Timings: 8:00AM-10:00PM

8. Purana Qila, Delhi:

Spirit of the oldest city of Delhi, Indraprastha, this fort is the oldest historic site in the present day city. It conducts a light and sound show in the evenings called ‘Ishq-e-Dilli’. The show depicts how Delhi won the heart of every emperor that ever sat on its throne.

Timings: Varies with season.

Ticket Cost: INR 80 per person.

9. Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari

Cool breezes from the sea, sounds of splashing waves, a clear dark sky and losing yourself to the moment. Could it get any better? The memorial stands on one of two rocks located about 500 metres east off mainland of Vavathurai, India’s southernmost point. 

10. Ambedkar Memorial Park, Lucknow:

It’s a huge park which houses many attractions like the Ambedkar Stupa, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sangrahalay and Pratibimb Sthal among the others. Wait for night here, when the whole park is irradiated with numerous lights.

Timings: 11:00AM-9:00PM (summer) 11:00AM-8:00PM (winter)

Written by - Evita Lopes