Lulu Mall

Kerala treats this mall as a destination in itself, and the numbers explain why: about two million square feet, more than 300 outlets and roughly 80,000 visitors a day since it opened in 2013. Beyond the global brands there is a large hypermarket worth a pass for packaged spices and Kerala foods, South India's biggest ice rink, bowling and a multiplex, so an afternoon disappears without anyone planning it. Next to Edappally metro station, it is the obvious fallback when the rain settles in or the family runs out of patience with monuments.

Rainy-day fallback with an ice rink, a multiplex and shelves of packaged spices