The Nandi at Le Pakshi is known as Basavanna. It is not in the temple complex but about 200 mts from it. It faces the temple. It is 27 feet in length and is the largest monolith Nandi in India. It is renowned for perfect proportions and fine decorations and jewellery.

Devprayag is the first Prayag from Rishikesh on the way to Badrinath. At Devprayag, Alaknanda and Baghirathi merge to form Ganga. A temple of Raghunathji is at the confluence and is believed to be under worship for 2000 years.

Kala Ram temple is located at Nashik in Maharashtra. The name derives from the colour of the stone used to carve the deities, pitch black. The deity is believed to be 2000 years old. An old temple, estimated between 7th and 11th centuries was destroyed by muslim invaders. The deity had been left in the Godavari river by the priests to save it from destruction. After the deity was salvaged a new temple was built in late 18th century. The temple marked one of the places where Ambedkar protested for entry of Dalits into temples.

Moodibidri is about 35 kms northeast of Mangalore. It was a Jain centre of importance and several Jain temples, known as bastis were constructed. The largest and most elaborate monument at Moodibadri is the Chandranatha Basti of 1429. This is also called the thousand pillared Basadi capturing the innumerable granite pillars with which it is built.

The Tiruchendur shore temple dedicated to Lord Karthikeya is one among the oldest temples in Tamil Nadu with references dating to the 9th century, It is one of the six abodes of Lord Karthikeya and is set on a small rock on the sea shore. It has an impressive temple tower that is 45 mts high. The site marks the place where Lord Karthikeya slayed demon Surapadma in an intense six day war.

Beas Kund is tiny and is almost like a private bath that has been chiselled for Ved Vyas. It is hard to believe how much wisdom poured out of this lake to narrate the humungous Mahabharata. But one look at the Hanuman Tibba and Pir Panjal range clears those doubts. They are massive and rise up vertically from the Beas Kund valley.

Renukaji is set in the secluded Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. Renukaji is the birthplace of Lord Parashurama. His mother, Renukaji, took permanent refuge in the lake and is said to rise from the lake once a year to fulfil Parashurama’s request. The large Renuka lake is named after her and there is a smaller lake for Parashuram. The overflow of Renuka lake feeds Parashuram lake.

Sarahan marks the killing of King Banasur by Lord Krishna and the kingdom that Krishna’s son, Pradyumna, started. It is deemed to have had an uninterrupted reign till modern times. The Bhimkali temple is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths (as per local belief though it is not formally recognised as one) and Sati’s ear is supposed to have fallen here. The temple also has a fearsome reputation of human sacrifice until 17th century, which travellers have written about. The temple is mix of stone, wood and slate, it both stands out and blends into the landscape.

Nandaprayag marks the confluence of Nandakini with Alaknanda. It is the fourth prayag on the way to Badrinath from Rishikesh. Unlike other Prayags, the two rivers flow gentle and wide, the confluence is broader.

The Nandi at Chamundeswari is about 16 feet in height and 24 feet long and is the third largest in India. It is not a part of the temple complex but is in its vicinity. The Nandi is more than 350 years old and was built by the then Maharaja of Mysore.Originally white in colour, repeated offering of oil and its oxidation resulted in the Nandi looking pitch black. The Nandi was cleaned by the ASI and was restored to its original white colour recently.