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.

Lord Rama is supposed to have shot an arrow into the ground to make Ganga spring forth. Banganga was also the location of the hermitage of Sage Gautam. He advised Lord Rama to worship Lord Shiva to get back his wife. Accordingly Lord Rama made a shivling from the sand (Valuka in Sanskrit) and so the word Walkeshwar Mahadev of the Walkeshwar temple.

The Ranakpur temple is dedicated to the first Tirthankara – Adinatha. The temple is designated as Caumukha, with four faces. It was built in the early 15th century. It covers an area of 3716 square meters and contains twenty nine halls. It contains four hundred and twenty pillars and no two are alike. The temple is full of exquisitely carved marble sculptures. It inspired other Caumukha temples like the Dilwara Caumukha temple dedicated to Parsvnatha and Palitana.

Triloknath is small, but it is the primary temple in the Lahaul valley of Himachal. It is set along the Chenab river, which is called Chandrabagha in Himachal. Its original identity is claimed as both Hindu and Buddhist, 1000 or 2000 years old. The deity is worshipped as Shiva by Hindus and as Avalokiteswara by Buddhists. There are both Hindu and Buddhist priests sitting together. The pujas alternate between the traditions every few hours. The festivals also keep alternative between Hindu, Buddhist and common festivals.

The Rajagopala Swamy temple in Mannargudi is about 1000 years old and went through major expansion during the Nayak period in 17th century. The temple takes its name from the deity Rajagopala who is depicted holding a whip in the right hand and leaning on a cow with the left hand. The deity is considered as one of the most beautiful bronze sculptures of India. The temple has a 154 feet high, 11 tiered Gopuram and has seven enclosures. The temple tank covers an area of 25 acres and is considered one of the largest in India.

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.

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.

Kakanmath is at Sihoniya near Morena and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. The Shiv temple was constructed in early 11th century. The temple is in ruins now and is believed to have been damaged by an earthquake. But its dilapidated condition also reveals the intricacies of temple construction.

The Hateshwari temple is at Hatkoti between the Uttarkashi and the Shimla districts. There are five near identical stone temples that are called Pandavas’ toys. These are in the Nagara style. The temples of Hateshwari (Mahishasuramardini) and Shiva are in the pent roof style. The deity and inscriptions are dated around 1300 years old. The varying styles themselves indicate centuries of history around this temple complex.

Unakoti means less than a koti (or crore) in Bengali. The site is in Tripura along its eastern border with Bangladesh.