The Sun Temple of Konark was built in the 13th century. It was conceived as a gigantic solar chariot with 12 pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels dragged by seven horses. It originally consisted of a Shikhara and Jagmohana. The Shikara is now collapsed and only the Jagmohana is intact though with severe damage.

The Lingaraja temple dated to 11th century is the loftiest temple with the Vimana reaching upto 36.5 mts height and a Jagmohana which itself reaches to 29 mts in height. The complex has a number of other temples.

This is the Ganga flowing along Varanasi. It is one of the most recognised riverfronts of India. Since 2014, these ghats have undergone a major clean-up and rehabilitation along with control of pollution along the river Ganga.

Kumbakonam is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and came into prominence during the Chola period from the 9th century. The Mahamakam Tank serves as the ritual core of Kumbakonam, the site of a great festival held here every 12 years. The waters of all the sacred rivers of India are believed to unite here.

Le Pakshi is about 120 kms from Bangalore and is believed to be the site where Jatayu fell after its wings were clipped by Ravana. When Rama reached the site, he is believed to have uttered the words Le Pakshi meaning “rise bird” in Telugu language. The earliest inscriptions in the temple date to 1583 CE. The temple is renowned for its pillared corridors, sculptures, murals and a hanging pillar. The temple also has the sculpture of a seven hooded Naga within the complex.

The Thrissur Vadakkunathan temple is a unique and ancient temple of Kerala. It is set on circular ground called Tekkinkadu referring to the teak forests in the ground in the past. It is spread over 9 acres and has three shrines dedicated to Shiva, Rama and Shankaranarayana. Two of the shrines are circular in shape. The deities are believed to have been installed by Parasurama. The Shiv Ling is covered with ghee from time immemorial and the ghee does not melt or decay in spite of the hot tropical temperature.

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.

Baijnath in Himachal Pradesh is set against the backdrop of Dauladhar mountains. It is a stone temple built in 1204 at a site where worship was already being practiced. It is built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. It has wonderful carvings on the periphery and two delightful balconies on either side of the main temple. It is close to Dharamshala, the paragliding hotspot of Bir Biling and the tea gardens of Palampur.

Tabo is the oldest and continuously functioning Buddhist Monastery in the Himalayan region. The history of this Monastery goes back to 10th century A.D. In this period the most of the monasteries in the Himalayan region were founded by the members of the dynasty of the kings of western Tibet. They were called Purang by the Historians of ancient India and Tibet, as their political centre was in Purang and the religious centre was in Guge. Among these many establishments were of the great Lotsaba Rinchen Sangapo. Tabo Monastery was founded in A.D. 996.

The Raja Rani temple is in Bhubaneswar is dated to the 11th century AD. It has a number of pillars and is profuse with decoration. The Jagmohana consists of a pair of pillars entwined with Nagas resting on a base of gaj-simhas. It is a unique entrance torana. The red and yellow stones with which the temple is constructed is called RajaRani locally.