Best travel books that capture the beauty and essence of the Indian subcontinent

Travel books or travelogues is a genre in literature that deals with books that follow a travel narrative. These books talk about a region or travelling around a country or city, about the language, culture, and people the author has encountered. There have been many travelogues written by Indian as well as International authors about India and its various cities. 

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Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta 

Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found is a novel written by Suketu Mehta. The book traces the life of people in the metropolitan city of Mumbai.

Suketu Mehta looks at the criminal underworld, follows the life of a poor bar dancer, and delves in the inner sanctums of the city and the life of people living on the sidewalks. The book was published in the year 2005 and was also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize under General Nonfiction.

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Nine Lives by William Dalrymple

The book Nine Lives by William Dalrymple was published in the year 2009. The book is a wonderful travelogue across India but through the way of its religious practices.

Instead of looking at famous religious places, Dalrymple looks at the different and even tabooed ways of worshipping and beliefs that are prevalent in the country. From Tantric witches to Jain nuns, from temple sex workers to idol makers, William wonderfully brings out nine stories across the country. 

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India: A Million Mutinies Now by V. S. Naipaul

V.S. Naipaul is one of the best writers of Indian heritage. The writer published his book India: A Million Mutinies Now in the year 1992. Naipaul traces the story of India as a culture, a society, and a country. He also looks at the various turmoils that India and its citizens face. 

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Following Fish: Travels Around the Indian Coast by Samanth Subramanian

Following Fish: Travels Around the Indian Coast takes a different way of writing travelogues. Samanth Subramanian's love for seafood takes him to the Indian coastline to know and understand fish. The writer traces the various types of fishes available through the Indian coastline and also looks at the practices that fishermen use in India for fishing.

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