HERITAGE SITES IN INDIA 

AJANTA CAVES: In the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra are some astonishing cave paintings and sculptures the date back to 1 and 2 BC, among the oldest example of Buddhist religious art in the world. The 29 caves are located in a ravine, and the murals depict the Buddha, tales from the Jataka, animals, warriors and various scenes from courtly life in fine detail. The paintings use natural pigments derived from plants and minerals.

ELLORA CAVES: An icon to religious tolerance, the 34 monasteries and temples of the Ellora caves in Maharashtra house Hindu, jain and basalt cliff (600-100 AD) are 12 Buddhist 17 Hindu and five jain temples. Among the Buddhist caves is carpenter's Cave, its ceiling carved to look like wooden beams. The Kailashnath temple is a stunning monolith. The Jain temples have some very intricate cavings.

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK: This park in Assam is the site of a remarkable conservation effort undertaken for the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros. Located here include the indian elephant, Indian Bison, swamp deer, hog deer, sloth bear, tiger, otter and the Hoolock gibbon. The park is also a birdwatcher's dream come true, home to hundreds of species.

KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK: Possibly one of india's best bird sanctuaries, Bharatpur, as it is popularly known, came under grave threat in 2004 when the Rajasthan goverment blocked its water source. A former royal duck -shoooting range, the park was declared a sanctuary in 1971. Winter home to a wide range of migratory birds its is amarvellous oasis of peace with only cycle rickshaws and walk ers allowed inside the grounds.
 

MANAS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: This Project Tiger reserve is the foothills of Assam is an unspoilt sweep of sal forests and grasslands. It was designated a World Heritage i danger site in 1985. Home to India's second largest tiger poplation, the park also boasts the one-horned rhino and rare species such as the clouded leopard, pngolin and pygmy hog. It also has more than 450 species of birds, including the great pied hornbill and the bengal florican.

TAJ MAHAL: Despite the innumerable kitschy previews, your first reaction to the monument is a sharp, desbelieving intake of breath. Up close, the intricacy of workmanship on this mausoleus is dazzling emperor hah Jahan had this marble tomb built on the banks of the Yamuna river between 1631 and 1648 in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz. It represents possibly the pinnacle of Mughal archtecture in India.

MAHABALIPURAM: Predating the famous Cholas was the Pallava dynasty in South India. Between the 7th and 9th centuries, they created a fantastic port city at Mahabalipuram, 60km south of Chennai. This ancient city was once known as the 'city of sever pagodas', in reference possibly to seven temples. Now, there exists only the Shore Temple along the sea, the famous Five Rathas, and world's largest bas relief-Arjuna's Penance.
 

SUN TEMPLE, KONARAK: The 13th-century Sun Temple made of black granite (thus also called the black Pagoda) was built by King Narasimhadeva I on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. The massive, ornate and fabulous pile depicts the sun god Surya's chariot drawn by seven house and 24 wheels. A lot of the original structure has been destroyed, and is delieved that the idol was hidden by priets to prevent its desecration by invaders, and was never found.

CHURCHES OF OLD GOA: Old Goa's skyline is dotted with the most elegant spires and belfries, built by the Portuguese between the 16th and 17th ceturies. The Se Cathedral is Asia's largest church. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, with the relics of st Francis Xavier, was built in 1594 but the mansoleum was constructed by the Duke of Tuscany in 1670 in exchange for St Francis's pillow. St Francis' Church was built by Franciscan monks who came to Goa in 1517.

FATEHPUR SIKRI: In many ways, this city, 40km from Agra, leaves the visitor more stunned than its more famous neighbour. Mughal capital for a decade, the 'city of victory' was built by Akbar in the 16th century. Created mostly with red sandstone, the city's palaces, halls and mosques have a gracious uniformity of style and a lightness of touch. Panch Mahal, Buland Darwaza and Jama Masjid are some of the most famous buildings here.

HAMPI: The Vijayanagar kingdom, between the 14th and 16th centuries, built a city in Hampi Karnataka, which rivals the best among ancient cities in planning and grace. Caved out of the same rock that makes up the landscape, the ruins are a magnificent sight. The intricately carved Krishna temple, the towering Nandi and Ganesha statues, the outstanding Vitthala temple and the beautifully laid-out markets linger in the memory.
 

KHAJURAHO: Capital of the Chandelas, who ruled what is modern MP between 950 and 1050, Khajuraho once had 85 temples. The city went into decline and was lost in the jungle, which possibly saved it from destruction by Muslim conquerors, and was rediscovered in 1838. Today, aout 20 temples remain, each masterpiece. The temples are unique in their explicit depiction of sexuality and the sensuous, affectionate portrayal of women.

ELEPHANTA CAVES: Hewn out of rock between the 5th and 8th centuries, these caves off the coast near Mumbai represent some outstanding Hindu art, most of it devoted to Shiva, The complex has a main chamber with the famous image of Trimurti, along with other painstakingly detailed relief work. besides this, there are various subsidiary shrines, halls, courtyards and porticos, each filled with beautiful sculptures carved in relief.
 

GREAT LIVING CHOLA TEMPLES: In the 11th and 12th centuries, the chola dynasty that ruled over large parts of Tamil Nadu commissiones some of the most stunning temple art in the world. the world. The Brihadeeswara temples at Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram, and the Airavateswara temple at Darasuram are outstanding examples of Dravidian architecture, pointing to the degree to which the cholas had honed their skills in architecture and sculpture.

SANCHI: This group of monuments 40km from Bhopal, has the oldest and best preserved of buddist stupas in existence. The foundations for Sannchi were laid by Emperor Ashoka, with the Great Stupa built around 3BC. The was demolished and rebuilt in its present intricate form in 2BC by the Sunga kings. Sanchi also has beautiful monolithic pillars palaces and gateways, all added by subsequent bynasties till roughly 12AD.

HUMAYUN'S TOMB: This elegant tructure in red sandstone in Delhi is a landmark in mughal architecture, since not only did it make graden tombs fashionable, it was also the first expression of a distinct Mughal style. Built in 1570 by Hamida Begum, Humayun's widow, it is characterised by causeways, water channels, pavilions bath chambers and extensive formal gardens. The Aga Khan Foundation restored the watercourses in 2003.

QUTB MINAR COMPLEX: The landscape of Delhi is not all Mughal. The Qutb complex of buildings in Mehrauli was built by qutb-ud-din-aibak of the 'Slave Dynasty' in the 13th century, and added to by Alauddin Khilji. The complex includes the qutb Minar, the world's tallest brick minaret at 72.5m, the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, Alai Darwaza, Alai Minar and the Iron Pillar, the last erected by Chandragupta 11 vikramaditya (374-414AD).

CHAMPANER-PAVAGADH: Its importance is underlined by the fact that it is possibly india's only complete Islamic city that predates the maghals. Located about 45km from Vadodara, in Gujarat, it not only has the ruins of mehmud Begda's 16th-century capital city, it has remains that date back to the chalcolithic era. An impressive spread of fortifications streets, mosques, houses built between the 8th and 14th centuries, point to a thriving past.

CHHATAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS: Famously known as Vt, short for Victoria Terminus, in which famous female's reign it was constructed in 1888, Mumbai's chief station is one of India's most recognisable landmarks. The cathedral-like Venetian Gothic structure is the place frome where India's first train took off. Its vaulted roof, flying buttresses, exquisite stained glass and friezes make this an architectural masterpiece.

RED FORT COMPLEX: In many ways the defining image of the Indian capital, this ted sandsotne complex on the banks of the Yamuna is considered the apogee of Mughal architectural creativity. It was built By Shah Jehan (1628-58) as his palace in the new capital of shahjahanabad, and includes the older Salimgarh fort built by Islam Shah Sur in 1546. The famous water Channel, the 'Stream of Paradise', and the gardens are considered Shah Jehan's hallmark.

PATTADAKAL: In karnataka, a bunch of monuments built in Pattadakal by the Chalukyas in the 7th and 8th centuries managed a lovely harmony between the northern and southern styles of temple art. There are nine Hindu temples and one Jain temple here. The oldest is the Sangameswara emple, a simple but towering structure builtc. 697 AD, while the most impressive is the Virupaksha temple, which later inspired the Kailasa temple at Ellora.

SUNDARBANS NATIONAL PARK: The world's largest mangrove forest sprawls over 10,000 sq km of land and water across India's West Bengal and neighbouring bangladesh. The emerald green islands are interlaced by a network of small waterways on the mouth of the alluvial-rich Ganges delta, one of the world's largest. The forest is home to the famuos Bengal tigers who have become aquatic predators and skilled swimmers here.

NANDA DEVI AND VALLEY OF FLOWERS NATIONAL PARKS: The Nanda Davi National Park (620sq km) and the valley of Flowers National Park (88 Sq km) are the two core areas of the Nanda Davi Biosphere Reserve in ChamoliGarhwal. The Nanda Davi NP is home to rarespecies like the Himalayan musk deer, snow leopard, red fox and Himalayan blue sheep. Teh valley of flowers, 20km north-west, was declared a national park in 1982.

MOUNTAIN RAILWAYS: Two of India's mountain railway lines are on the world heritage list, and two more are in queue. tecognised for their technical brilliance and contribution to the socio-economic life of these inaccessible regions, they are among the most endearing sights in hills. The Darjeeling line passes through Ghum, India's hight railway station. The Nilgiri line is one of the earliest hill trains. Both chug through some very pretty landscape.

MAHABODHI TEMPLE: It was in bodh Gaya, Bihar that the buddha attained enlightenment and it is here that a great temple complex was built by the Emperor Ashoka originally in 3 BC, later added on to in the fifth and sixth centuries during the gupta reign. The temple is all in brick, and still intact, one of the few brick structures in India still standing. It is a great source of information on the life of the Buddha, Buddhism and Ashoka himself.
 

ROCK SHELTERS, BHIMBETKA: In Madhya Pradesh, some 45km from Bhopal, in the foothills of the Vindhyas, are a set of more than 400 caves covered with paintings that go as far back as the Mesolithic Period. That makes them about 9,000 years old, among the world's oldest. The Bhimbetka caves were discovered by W.S. Wakankar in 1957. Most of the paintings are in red and white, and depict vivid vignettes of everyday life.