Places ephemeral epiphany Wants to Go

Nineteen ancient rock-cut Buddhist caves can be found on the outskirts of Mumbai.

The painted and decorated towers of this Hindu shrine were once the tallest structures in one of the oldest cities in India.

Deep in the Thar desert, a temple crawling with thousands of holy rats.

A nearly unconquerable island-fort in the Indian Ocean.

The oldest still-inhabited hill fort in India looks like a magnificent golden sandcastle.

An eclectic mix of influences rot together in harmony in this India necropolis.

A centuries-old lookout post still sits atop a natural stone spire.

This ancient Hindu temple is covered in thousands of colorful statues and has a long mythological history.

An extraordinary "City of Caves" carved from solid stone.

This abandoned fort is said to be the most haunted place in India, so much so that entry is prohibited after sunset.

Rock-cut cave complex filled with ancient Buddhist artwork.

The remains of what was, not so long ago, the world's largest city.

Sacred Indian temple that’s all monkey business.

The second-longest continuous wall on the planet protects a hidden secret in the deserts of India.

Centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots.

The 953 windows undoubtedly make this the world's most beautiful screened porch.

A lake with hundreds of ancient skeletons surrounding it. The surprise is what killed them.

More than half of this Indian palace is drowned but it looks all the more spectacular for it.

Once an indicator of social class, the color blue has come to define this city on the edge of the Thar Desert.

This complex of vertically-excavated Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu monolithic temples in India's Maharashtra providence illustrates a spirit of tolerance characteristic of ancient India.

Unique Armenian monastery from the 13th century, reclaimed by nature but still welcoming visitors.

Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.

This ancient monastery complex was transformed from an island to a peninsula when the lake was partially drained.

This Armenian monastery was carved out of cliffs and named after the spear used to stab Jesus.