Ajanta Caves, India - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Ajanta Caves, India

Weather: Sunny skies, 75/105F.

Route: From Ellora caves 104 km NE on NH 752H.

Significance: These are Buddhist caves from two different periods, the first the 2nd and 1st centuries BC and the second in the 5th and 6th centuries of the common era.  The first period are very plain and the stupa was the object of worship. The caves from the 5th and 6th centuries are much more complex and include paintings - the Buddha was the object of worship.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The exterior of the caves (from whc.unesco.org)

The Buddha in one of the caves from the 5th and 6th centuries (from whc.unesco.org)

Ellora Caves, India - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Ellora Caves, India

Weather: Mainly sunny, 72/102F.

Route: From Mumbai 343 km ENE on NH160.

Significance: These caves include 34 monasteries and temples from the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.  Most of the buildings are carved from large rocks in situ.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The Hindu God Shiva (from whc.unesco.org)

The Buddha (from thecavesofindia.org)

Mumbai, India

 Place: Mumbai, India

Weather: A mainly sunny sky, 81/90F.

Route: From Goa 585 km North on NH 48.

Population: 12,478,447

Places to visit: Gateway of India, Kanheri Caves, Global Vipassana Pagoda, Shree Siddhivinayak, Elephanta Caves (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mahalakshmi Temple, Mount Mary Basilica, Babulnath Temple.

Images:

Mumbai skyline (from whc.unesco.org)

The Gateway of India (from handluggageonly.co.uk)

Goa, India - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Goa, India

Weather: Sunny, 68/98F.

Route: From Pattadakal 263 km WSW on Raichur Highway.

Significance: Goa was a 16th century Portuguese colonial city. St. Frances-Xavier, who spread Christianity as far a Japan, is buried here. The area was controlled by the Portuguese until 1961.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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The churches of Goa (from whc.unesco.org)

Church of Bom Jesus (from whc.unesco.org)

Pattadakal, India - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Pattadakal, India

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 78/101F.

Route: From Hampi 151 km NNW on NH50.

Significance: There are nine Hindu Temples and one Jain sanctuary. The height of Pattadakal was in the 7th and 8th centuries. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The temple complex (from worldhistory.org)

Detail to exterior of temple at Pattadakal (from whc.unesc.org)

Hampi, India - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Hampi, India

Weather: Plenty of sunshine, 77/102F.

Route: From Colombo 1,707 km north on ferry, NH44.

Significance: Hampi was the last capital of the Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. It's zenith was in the 14th to 16th centuries. It was conquered by a Muslim confederacy in 1565 and destroyed.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Virupaksha Temple (from whc.unesco.org)

Yoga-Narasimha (from whc.unesco.org)

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Place: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Weather: Generally sunny, 74/91F.

Route: From Galle 145 km north on E01.

Population: 752,993

Places to visit: Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, Colombo National Museum, Viharamahadevi Park, Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil, Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple, Colombo Fort, Seema Malakaya Temple, St. Lucia's Cathedral.

The skyline of Colombo (from whc.unesco.org)

Jami Ul-Afar Mosque (from whc.unesco.org)

Galle, Sri Lanka - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Galle, Sri Lanka

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 78/87F.

Route: From Kandy 242 km SSE on E04 and E01.

Population: 93,118

Significance: Galle was established by the Portuguese in the 16th century. It was then taken over by the British in the 18th century.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Fortifications of Galle (from whc.unesco.org)

Dutch Reformed Church of Galle (from whc.unesco.org)

Kandy, Sri Lanka - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Kandy, Sri Lanka

Weather: Partly cloudy early with thunderstorms later, 69/89F.

Route: From Rangiri Dambulu Cavern Temple 70 km south on A9.

Population: 125,400

Significance: Kandy is home to one of the most important relics of the Buddha - his tooth.  It's not an exaggeration to say that wars were fought over this tooth, because legend stated that whoever held the tooth was ruler of the land.  There is still a week long parade of the tooth each year.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site 

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Images:

Temple of the Tooth (from whc.unesco.org)

Esala Perahera or the Parade of the Tooth (from conciousjourneys.com)

Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka

Weather: Generally sunny, 72/96F.

Route: From Sigiriya 19 km SW on A6.

Significance: This cave temple complex was first used in the 3rd century BC. It's current configuration was completed in the 18th century. There are five sanctuaries and 157 Buddha statues.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Exterior of the temples (from whc.unesc.org)

Interior of one of the temples (From whc.unesco.org)

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 73/96F.

Route: From Polonnaruwa 56km west on A11.

Significance: Sigiriya was a large palace complex built on a granite peak by King Kassapa I in the late 5th century. King Kassapa was the son of a harem, who killed his father to attain power. The palace complex was seen as either the King attempting to be a god, a defensive palace at at time of instability, or a place for the King to express his guilt at killing his father by different groups. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The granite rock on which the palace was built (from whc.unesco.org)

The foundations of buildings on top of the granite rock (from whc.unesco.org)

Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Weather: Mainly sunny, 73/97F.

Route: From Anuradhapura 103 km ESE on A11.

Significance: Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka after Anuradhapura. The ruins contain many statues of the Buddha and Buddhist temples.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Polonnaruwa Vatadage (from whc.unesc.org)

The reclining Buddha of Polonnaruwa (from whc.unesco.org)

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Weather: Sun and a few passing clouds, 77/92F.

Route: From Mahabalipuram 1,335 km south on NH32, Colombo ferry, and B111.

Population: 50,595

Significance: In 300 BC a sapling was brought from India that was supposed to be from the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. That tree is still alive and is a object of worship even today. There are many other places of Buddhist veneration in the city as well.  Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The Bodhi tree and temple (from whc.unesco.org)

Ruwanwelisaya, a stupa built in the 2nd century BC, it contains one of the largest collections of relics of the Buddha anywhere in the world (from whc.unesco.org)

Monuments of Mahabalipuram, India - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Mahabalipuram, India

Weather: Partly cloudy, 80/94F.

Route: From Chennai 58 km south on East Coast Rd.

Significance: These Hindu temples and sanctuaries were carved out of granite in the 7th and 8th centuries. There are many chariot temples and representations of Shiva.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Shore Temple (from whc.unesco.org)

Descent of the Ganges relief (from whc.unesco.org)

Chennai, India

 Place: Chennai, India

Weather: Partly cloudy, 77/94F.

Route: From Hyderabad 626 km SSE on NH16.

Population: 7,088,000

Places to visit: Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, St. Thomas Mount National Shrine, Parthasarathy Temple, Vadapalani Murugan Temple, Ashtalakshmi Temple, Kalikambal Temple, Matsya Narayana Temple, Vivekananda House, Mahalingapuram Sree Ayyappa Temple, San Thome Church.

Images:

Hindu Temples of central Chennai (from oceandecadeheritage.org)

Ripon building (from navrangindia.blogspot.com)

Hyderabad, India

 Place: Hyderabad, India

Weather: Mainly sunny, 73/100F.

Route: From Ramappa Temple 211 km WSW on NH163.

Population: 6,809,970

Places to visit: Ramoji Film City, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum, Chowmahalla Palace, Taj Falaknuma Palace, Chilkur Balaji Temple, Birla Mandir, Shri Jaannath Temple, Charminar, KBR National Park, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Peddama Temple, ISKCON Hyderabd Sri Sri Radha Madanmohan Mandir, Sudha Cars Museum, NTR Garden, Shilparamam Cultural Society, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Karmanghat Hanuman Temple, Lumbini Park.

Images:

Charminar (from matadornetwork.com)

Golconda Fort (from historicaltimeofindia.blogspot.com)

Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple, Telangana, India - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple, India

Weather: Sunny skies, 70/100F.

Route: From Konark 972 km WSW on NH16.

Significance: A Hindu temple, commonly known Ramappa Temple, dedicated to Shiva. It was built in the 13th century of granite and sandstone. It is highly decorated with dancing figures representative of the Kakatiyan culture that existed from the 12th to 14th centuries.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Entrance to the Ramappa Temple (from whc.unesco.org)

Decorated granite columns of dancing figures (from whc.unesco.org)