The experience of traveling the world on can vary greatly depending on a traveler’s passport. A lot of Americans and Europeans assume they have the most powerful passports in the world, but that honor falls to Japan, where passport-holders can visit 190 countries without a visa. Many people in the world, however, are not so …
About 350 km away from the tech-city of Bengaluru lies the hippie land of Hampi. The underdeveloped villages leading to the ruins at Hampi makes it difficult to believe that once upon a time this used to be one of the most prosperous cities in the world. A trip to Hampi is like stepping into …
In the southwestern state of Karnataka in India, nestled deep within the semi-arid region of Bagalkot, lies the beautiful ensemble of Chalukya Temples, part of the Group of Monuments at Pattadakal—a lesser-known UNESCO World Heritage Site in India. Not many know about Pattadakal. And that’s why it still remains a pretty offbeat destination in India. …
From the World Heritage Inscription: The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, …
From the World Heritage inscription: Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and …
From the World Heritage inscription: This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. Humayun’s Tomb is the burial site of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun. It was commissioned by …
From the World Heritage inscription: Built in the early 13th century a few kilometers south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and alternating angular and rounded flutings. The surrounding archaeological area contains funerary …
From the World Heritage inscription: Built during the second half of the 16th century by Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, …
India is one of the largest and most diverse countries in the world. It is home to over 1.6 billion people and over 23 major languages. Several of the largest religions in the world were founded in India as well. Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism were all founded in India. Many other major world religions …