It is said that India is a continent more than a country. There is much merit to that, if all the components that go the making of history, as well as geography, are considered.

A vigorous civilisation that has spanned at least 4,500 years is bound to have left monumental marks in its march. And if UNESCO's list of 830 World Heritage Properties is any criteria to go by, the fact that 26 of these are in India – less than those of only six other countries – is tangible proof of the creative genius, and industry of this ancient land's people, and of the gifts bestowed on it by nature.

Man-made wonders in this book are selected from a vast matrix of religious and secular genres and styles of architecture and art, the one common denominator being that they are frozen in time and space, except for two unique train journeys. Thus the showcase, with the primaeval lines of Bhimbetka's prehistoric rock art at o ne end the stunning curves of the modern Lotus Temple at the other, includes palaces, paintings and public places, mosques, museums and mansions; citadels, cathedrals and carved caves, temples, tombs and towers; sprawling cities and solemn stupas.

In the natural section and wonders from the country's astoundingly varied landscapes. Rising from the white beach sands of Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea to the white Himalayan snows of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in world, these are scattered across a host of habitats including torrential streams and calm rivers, desolate deserts and teeming wetlands, rolling hills and misty mountains, coral reefs and jagged cliffs, and forests ranging from tropical to alpine, within live amazing creatures of the wild, including, of course, the majestic tiger.

Through the pages of this book, written inlucid language and splashed with lavish photographs, come take a journey into the wonder that is India.

Travellers in ancient times marvelled at seven man made wonders located in various countries bordering on the Mediterranean. Over hundreds of years since then, civilisations have risen and declined, the world has been built and rebuilt, and many more works of human genius lie scattered across geographies and eras. Exploration and discovery has revealed more of nature's wonders too, that stretch and humble human imagination.

India, with an area of well over three million square kilometers, is a continent within a continent. Within the folds of an astounding 5,000-year-old history and vast multitude of landscapes that include the world's highest mountains, great rivers, long coastlines, deserts and dense forests, is an awesome legacy of man-made and natural wonders-some legendary for long, others no less magnificent but not so well known.

Each is described with details of history and brought to life with vivid colour images. Also included is useful information for travelers, all of which blend to make this an attractive book for history buffs, art lovers, nature enthusiasts and all those who wants to be acquainted with India's magnificent wonders.

Beginning with the 12,000 year old cave paintings of Bhimbetka, up the Bah'ai House of worship, a blinding masterpiece of 20th century engineering and design, the wealth of creative genius, brilliant skill and endeavour of its people are evident in India's man-made wonders. Between the soaring medieval temples of the South and dramatically perched Buddhist monasteries of the North; the uniquely ornamented stepwells of the West and the grand Victoria Memorial, a symbol of British supremacy in the East, lie massive forts, fairy-tale palaces, tombs of Sultans, ruined ancient cities, statuesque cathedrals, and of course, the resplendent Taj Mahal.

Along with these are the wonders bestowed on India by nature. In a country blessed with astoundingly diverse ecology and terrain, these range from the mighty Himalayan peaks of Nanda Devi and Kanchenjunga to the elephant-inhabited lush tropical forests of Periyar, and from the pristine-white island beaches of Lakshadweep to the tiger-infested delta of two legendary rivers: the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.

Showcased in this book, in a feast of lavish colour photography and lucid text, are 100 fabulous destinations that evoke the wonder that is India.