Temples of Hampi – Vijayanagara Empire
Built between the 14th and the 16th centuries, they flaunt signature period workmanship. - Temples of Hampi - Vijayanagara Empire - Travelure ©
Ruins of Hampi – The Places of Worship
The key cluster here comprises the Kodandarama, Yantradharaka Anjaneya, Ranganatha, and Varaha temples. - Ruins of Hampi - The Places of Worship - Travelure ©
Hampi Group of Monuments – The Royal City of Vijayanagara
As we set out to explore, we discovered the monuments comprised two broad categories - temples and the royal township. - Hampi Group of Monuments - The Royal City of Vijayanagara - Travelure ©
Pashupatinath Temple Kathmandu – The Place to Die
Every year, hundreds of Hindus land here in search of death in the belief that if a person dies here, he’ll be reborn as a human. - Pashupatinath Temple Kathmandu - The Place to Die - Travelure ©
Boudhanath Kathmandu – The Largest Stupa in Nepal
The all-seeing eyes painted on the four sides on the base of the spire symbolise awareness, and their gaze follows you as you go around its perimeter soaking in the bustle and belief. - Boudhanath Kathmandu - The Largest Stupa in Nepal - Travelure ©
St Barbara Church, Kutna Hora – Central Europe’s Architectural Beacon
The bright reds, sparkling greens, hues of blues, and rich purples impart the stained glass windows, exquisite vibrance. - St Barbara Church, Kutna Hora - Central Europe’s Architectural Beacon - Travelure ©
Silk Exchange, Valencia – Medieval Hub of Power and Wealth
It was a simple reminder for the traders to be good christian and trade with honesty, so they remain prosperous. - Silk Exchange, Valencia - Medieval Hub of Power and Wealth - Travelure ©
Belvedere Palace, Vienna – World’s 7th Oldest Museum
Besides being the repository of outstanding works of art, the Belvedere Palace itself is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. - Belvedere Palace, Vienna - World’s 7th Oldest Museum - Travelure ©
Tam Coc, Ninh Binh – Vietnam’s Inland Ha Long Bay
About 20 minutes into the ride we found ourselves ducking under as our boat passed through a cave. - Tam Coc, Ninh Binh - Vietnam’s Inland Ha Long Bay - Travelure ©
Ha Long Bay – Nature’s Pillars in the Sea
Explorations around the place have revealed signs that human life existed here between 18,000 and 7,000 BCE. - Ha Long Bay - Nature’s Pillars in the Sea - Travelure ©
My 1503-Day Journey on Instagram
Over the years, the platform has evolved. It has become a veritable menu of places to see as you finalise your itinerary. And I decided to further bolster this menu. - My 1503-Day Journey on Instagram - Travelure ©
Topkapi Palace – The Sovereign Seat of the Ottomans
The Turkish phrase ‘to live in a golden cage’ originated from this practice of confining the princes. - Topkapi Palace - The Sovereign Seat of the Ottomans - Travelure ©
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul – A Byzantine Architecture Marvel
Hagia Sophia can brag to have the world’s first photoshopped artwork - the Empress Zoe mosaic on its first floor. The empress married at least three times, and the face of the person on the left has been repainted at least thrice to depict her then-husband. - Hagia Sophia, Istanbul - A Byzantine Architecture Marvel - Travelure ©
Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
The Victorian Neo-gothic style, and the adapted Art déco idiom acted as a foil to each other, not letting any style overpower the other. - Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai - Travelure ©
Elephanta Caves – Mumbai’s First UNESCO Site
A couple of British archeologists reassembled it in 1914, and now the grand pachyderm sits at Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Byculla, with its more famous neighbour, the Jijamata Udyan or the Byculla Zoo. - Elephanta Caves - Mumbai’s First UNESCO Site - Travelure ©
Flourishes of Faith in Goa Part-1
For a region inhabited since the Neolithic period, Goa ended up at a strange crossroad of peaceful coexistence of religions. - Flourishes of Faith in Goa Part-1 - Travelure ©
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC – Maverick Architecture
It faced bitter criticism when it opened its doors to the public in 1959. ‘The architecture dominates the paintings,’ was the sole pretext of its criticism. And it is true. - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC - Maverick Architecture - Travelure ©
Qutub Minar – Symbolic Axis of a Faith
His vision for Qutub Minar was to build a symbolic structure for muezzin’s call for prayer, not just for the neighbouring mosque, but for the entire Islamic world. - Qutub Minar - Symbolic Axis of a Faith - Travelure ©
Mumbai During COVID-19 Lockdown – Fresh as a Flower!
When I shared some of these images with Mumbaikars, their eyes glossed over with nostalgia as they remembered the Mumbai of earlier times - Mumbai During COVID-19 Lockdown - Fresh as a Flower! - Travelure ©
Palace and Park of Fontainebleau, France
Its steep sloping roofs, the turret-like chimneys, dimensional alcoves, symmetrical arches, rectangular windows, and circular ventilators provide a pleasing look to an otherwise routine facade. - Palace and Park of Fontainebleau, France - Travelure ©
Karnak Temple – A Shrine of Amun Ra
Singh is King, a Bollywood hit, used this temple complex with its beckoning architecture in a peppy song-and-dance sequence. And that is not the only film crew that shot there. Karnak temple has provided an attractive setting for some big banner Hollywood movies too. - Karnak Temple - A Shrine of Amun Ra - Travelure ©
Luxor West Bank – A Bumper Crop of Heritage
...many significant sites litter the west bank. Like the valleys of kings and queens, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, and the colossi of Memnon. UNESCO inscribed them on its World Heritage List in 1979. - Luxor West Bank - A Bumper Crop of Heritage - Travelure ©
Temple of Khnum, Esna, Egypt – The Ram-headed God
This temple is dedicated to Khnum, the ram-headed creator, who shaped humans on his potter’s wheel. Ancient Egyptian mythology considers Khnum androgynous, its male manifestation being Khnum, and the female, Neith. - Temple of Khnum, Esna, Egypt - The Ram-headed God - Travelure ©
Temple of Isis at Philae, Egypt
Isis is associated with funeral rites, but also as the giver of life, a healer, and a protector of kings. Little wonder they represent her with a throne on her head. - Temple of Isis at Philae, Egypt - Travelure ©