Places to VisitNear Ranthambore

A tenth-century hill fort inside the reserve, with the Ganesh temple that still receives wedding invitations by post from across India, Jain temples, tanks and long ramparts. Deer and langur move through it. No safari permit is needed and most visitors never go.

A shallow seasonal lake north of the park that fills after the monsoon and draws flamingo, painted stork, spoonbill and large numbers of waders through the winter. Best in the first hour of light. It dries out by late spring.

A Chauth Mata temple on a hill above the town of the same name, reached by a stepped climb of a few hundred metres. Local pilgrimage rather than a tourist site, with a long view over the Banas country from the top.

A ruined hill fort east of the park with Jain and Hindu temples inside the walls and almost no visitors at all. The last stretch of road is rough and the climb is unshaded, which is most of why it stays empty.

A major Shakti temple in a narrow valley south-east of Karauli, drawing very large numbers during its spring fair and quiet for much of the rest of the year. The drive through the ravines is a genuine part of the trip.

A small princely capital with a red sandstone City Palace, the Madan Mohan Ji temple at the centre of its religious life, and painted interiors in better condition than the visitor numbers would suggest.

The Garh Palace with the Chitrashala murals — the finest surviving Rajput wall paintings anywhere — Taragarh fort above it, and the step-wells of the old town. Possible in a long day, but the murals need morning light, which is the argument for the overnight on the weekend page.