Thousands of years of history and continuity of religion and culture resulted in the creation of countless temples, monasteries and other symbols of faith and religion in India. These temples were not just simple houses of prayer, but an eclectic mix of religion, history, culture and architecture - a complex geometry defined by faith, art and mandalas. The riches of Bharat, unfortunately, attracted hordes of invaders and plunderers who not only took away unimaginable quantities of wealth, but destroyed innumerable temples and monuments. But still many remained-broken as well as intact. "India has the most wonderful and varied collection of ancient monuments in the world." (Lord Curzon remarked in early 1900s) Bharat's soft power sailed along the "Golden Road" to countries in South East Asia and deep into China and Japan. In all these places grand monuments continue to remind the world of Bharat's influence. "Everywhere I could see India, yet I could not recognize it." (Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1927) This book is an attempt by a non-historian, non-archaeologist to familiarize the readers of the myriad remarkable but lesser-known heritage of Bharat in India and abroad.
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