Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and the grandest in the state of Rajasthan. It was ruled initially by Guhilot and later by Sisodias, the Suryavanshi clans of Chattari Rajputs, from 7th century, until it was finally abandoned in 1568 after the siege by Emperor Akbar in 1567.
Virupaksha Temple, Karnataka, southern India. The 7th Century temple sits on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the ruins of the ancient city of Vijayanagar, capital of the Vijayanagara empire. It is fully intact among the surrounding ruins and is still used in worship to Lord Shiva.
The Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan province, China, was built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world.
The Aiguille du Midi is a 3,842m mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. The summit contains a panoramic viewing platform, a cafe and a gift shop. The cable car to the summit was built in 1955 and still holds the record as the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world
The Longmen Grottoes are one of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples, they are located 7.5 miles south of present day Luòyáng in Hénán province, China. Photo by Flickr’s Yoshimai.
Tianmen Mountain Winding Road, China. At just under 7 miles in length and with a total of 99 turns, the narrow road has been chiselled out of the landscape, rising up 1,500 metres above sea level.
Seated Buddha at Toganji Temple, Nagoya, Japan. Toganji Temple dates from the sixteenth century and includes an impressive 15m high statue of the seated Buddha. Toganji has many links to India as one of the high priests completed his studies there. Photo by Flickr’s EugeniusD80.
Khajuraho temples. Situated in the state of Madhya Pradesh in the heart of Central India, Khajuraho is a fascinating village with a quaint rural charm. The Hindu and Jain temples of Khajuraho represent the expression of a highly matured civilization. They were constructed between 950 and 1050 AD during the reign of Chandel Empire.
Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It is regarded as the finest surviving example of Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems. Himeji Castle dates to 1333 AD, when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. Photo by Flickr’s EugeniusD80.
Rajasthan, India. A traditional thatched-roof mud hut in the Thar Desert in Khuri.
