If you are fond of history and love to travel off the beaten track, then Odisha's Diamond Triangle—Lalitgiri, Udaygiri and Ratnagiri—should be on your must-see list. These centres of Buddhist learning are only 100 kms from Odisha's capital, Bhubaneswar.
Odisha, or Kalinga as it was then known, is where Emperor Ashoka of Magadh had a change of heart. Renouncing war and violence, he not only converted to Buddhism but ensured it spread far and wide. Dhauli, near Bhubaneswar, marks the spot where the emperor went through the transformation after seeing the river Daya turn red with the blood of slain soldiers.