India has a lot to offer, whether it is culture, food, people, religion, or unique places. The country never disappoints you as it is abundant with exceptional destinations and a unique experience that comes with it. A nation is known for its people, and with a population of more than 1 Billion, India has some surprising places. Here are a few of them:
- India’s Town of Twins (Kodinhi Village, Kerala)
Everyone believes that Science can explain everything. However, this statement is at odds whenever someone visits this tiny Kodinhi Village in Kerala’s Malappuram. There are a total of 2000 families living in the village, but what is different about this village is that more than 500 pairs of twins live in this village.
India as a country has one of the lowest rates of twin birth in the world. The current average stands at 9 per 1000 births, which is significantly lower than Kodinhi, where the rate is estimated to be around a whopping 45 per 1000 births; It is said to be the highest anywhere in the world.
Baffled by the fact that the villages have so many twins, in 2016, a team of researchers from various institutes, including the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean, and many foreign research groups, visited the village to find an answer.
The teams collected everything from the villagers beginning, from saliva to hair samples from the twins residing in the village.
2. The city without doors (Shani Shingnapur, Maharashtra)
In today’s world, with an increasing population and increasing crime rate, one city has managed to keep itself away from all this. This is the story of a small town in Maharashtra called Shani Shingnapur, as the name tells us that the city is named after Lord Shani (God of Saturn).
The city has an interesting back story to this bizarre reason for not having doors in the village. According to the villagers, 300 years back, the village witnessed heavy rainfall, which led to massive destruction and flooding in the city. However, a heavy slab of rock washed up on the Panasnala River due to this enormous flooding. When the curious villagers tried to move the rock with a stick or a shovel, which suddenly led to the rock bleeding, shocked by the phenomenon, the villagers went back, only to come back the following day as the head of the village saw Lord Shani in his dream in which he ordered the villagers to keep that slab of the rock in the village. So, on assurance from Lord Shani, the villagers put the slab in the city’s heart and later decided to give up on all doors and locks, as now the Lord would be watching over them.
The city’s houses have no doors, and even government buildings like the Police station do not have it either and, surprisingly, have not received complaints regarding any theft. Also, in 2011, the village opened its first branch of the Bank United Commercial Bank and became India’s first lockless branch.
3. The village that appears once a year (Kurdi Village, Goa)
This particular destination exists in one of the most popular tourist states in the country. Yes, it’s Goa. Besides the beautiful calm beaches, there is another bizarre spot in Goa. This tiny village named Kurdi used to be one of the most thriving villages in the community. Unfortunately, this village does not exist anymore, apparently not for 11 months.
Back in 1986, Goa got its first Dam which led to the complete submerging of the little townlet. After that, however, the people got relocated, yet they still have an emotional connection with their old place.
Some old village residents still visit these remote sites, as they are more visible around the second half of May as the water levels are relatively lower in the Selaulim Dam.
