Kurukshetra, India

Capital City

Kurukshetra may appeal to spiritual pilgrims, but day-to-day life here is a grind. Temperatures can soar to 47°C in summer and dip to just 1°C in winter, with heavy monsoon rains in July and August. The bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the city has changed hands between various empires over the centuries. Still, Kurukshetra remains an important Hindu pilgrimage site, drawing hundreds of thousands to bathe in the sacred Brahma Sarovar. For those seeking a religious retreat, the city's spiritual legacy may outweigh its practical challenges.