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The Indra Sabha, a part of the Jain caves at Ellora - Wikimedia Commons There is something about historical perspectives – they seldom cease to awe or intrigue us. As we talk of perspectives, the monuments across the world, from the pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall of China, ancient cities of Rome and Athens, the mystique of Petra, are awe inspiring all. And then there is India, enriched and embedded in a civilization that is more than 4,000 years old, the length and breadth of the country is embedded with jewels of architecture, each with its unique characteristics and each having a story to relate. Ellora – home to a set of monasteries and temples, extending over more than two kilometres, is a far cry from the urban landscape of the city that never sleeps, India’s financial capital, Mumbai. It is encased in serenity and tells stories of three religions: Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. Ellora Caves were carved out of massive rocks and mountain faces between 600 and 1100 AD. The site...

Odantapuribs - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0: Temple No.- 3 at Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara This is perhaps one of the oldest hubs of learning and knowledge known to mankind – with the distinction of being “one of the first great universities in recorded history” and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nalanda University, an hour’s drive from Patna, the capital of Bihar, according to historical accounts, was a centre of learning where scholars from far and wide came to enhance their knowledge. The long and illustrious life of the university lasted for 800 years – from the fifth to the 12th century CE. It is said that in the seventh century CE, the university accommodated more than 10,000 students and had 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an architectural marvel and had eight separate compounds with many classrooms. Built from red bricks, the university compound also had numerous lakes and parks. In the seventh century CE, Chinese monk Xuanzang gave a first-hand account of ...

Photo Courtesy JTB Media Creation: A panoramic view of the metropolis of Tokyo with the Tokyo Sky Tree standing tall. TOKYO, Japan: Tokyo Sky Tree literally kisses the stratosphere, rising 634 metres above the ground, and the view of the vast expanse of one of the world's most vibrant cities from Tembo Galleria, the observation deck that culminates at 451.2 metres, is awe-inspiring. This towering marvel of engineering is the transmission hub for major television and radio channels in Tokyo, and, of course, a tourist hotspot. "The need to construct this tower arose to facilitate smooth and uninterrupted radio transmission as a lot of buildings in Tokyo were 200 metres high," informed Hiroyuki Ami from Secretariat of Public Relations, Tobu Tower Skytree Co Ltd. Sky Tree, rising above the expanse of a city inhabited by more than 13 million people, has been recognised by the Guinness World Records Company as the tallest tower in the world. Tokyo Sky Tree rises tall The prist...