PROMOTION Living History From ancient temples to stoic urban architecture, India’s rich history is on full display in a range of intriguing Unesco-listed sites 2 1 Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Once known as Victoria Terminus, Mumbai‘s imposing, historic railway station is without a doubt one the city’s most impressive – and uniquely local – feats of architecture. Starting in the late nineteenth century, the 10-year project pooled influences from Victorian Gothic revival and traditional Indian design to striking effect: architect FW Stevens’s east-meetswest approach spans not only intricate buttresses, domes and kaleidoscopic stainedglass windows, but also an eccentric ground plan that mirrors India’s great Moghul palaces. 2 Hampi Once the buzzing capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom – the Viyangara Empire – the ruins of Hampi comprise lavish palaces, forts and mysterious Dravidian temples, which, set on the arid, craggy terrain of central Karnatka, form an utterly otherworldly setting unlike anywhere else on Earth. Among the thousands of surviving structures that still stand testament to the ancient civilisation multireligious and multiethnic ethos, the Vitthla temple’s ornate stone shrine, in form of towering chariot, is a sight not to be missed. 3 Khajuraho Majestic, austere, erotic – this cluster of dozens of Chandelladynasty temples have maintained their lustre for over a millennium, representing some of finest pieces of nagarastyle sculpture, and the Indian architecture at large. Set deep within the Vindhya mountains in central India, the Kandariya Mahadeva temple counts as the site’s most intriguing attraction, with its countless statues and lofty sikhara, or spire, a phallic symbol of the Hindu god Shiva. 1
