Hampi

The one temple in the ruins still in worship, a Shiva shrine whose 50-metre eastern gateway tower closes off Hampi Bazaar. Light through a small hole throws the tower upside down onto the wall of a dark chamber; look for it beside the inner cloister.

The temple of the stone chariot, the one pictured on the back of India's 50-rupee note. The great hall's pillars, said to ring when struck, are now roped off from touch to stop further damage.

The tallest boulder hill in central Hampi, climbed by rock-cut steps and scrambles to a small temple on top. At sunrise the temple towers surface one by one across the boulder field; the path is slippery in the dark, so bring a torch and proper shoes.

A 2-storey pavilion in the Zenana, the royal women's enclosure, its lotus-petal arches blending Islamic and Hindu building. Next door the elephant stables string 11 domes in a row, and both are entered on the same ticket as Vittala Temple.

A low boulder hill south of Virupaksha Temple, dotted with small shrines older than Vijayanagara itself. The easy climb brings people to sit on the rocks at sunset, and on its slopes two big Ganeshas are each hewn out of one boulder.

Plain and square from outside, this royal bath opens within onto arched galleries around a square pool. The moat that fed it still rings the building, and with the pool now dry, visitors walk the galleries.

A 3-tiered stone platform from which kings watched the Dasara festival, its sides carved with hunts, processions and dancers. The excavated stepped tank beside it has flights of stone steps fitted together in exact geometry.

A rock hill across the river near Anegundi, revered as the place where the monkey god Hanuman was born. Some 500 whitewashed steps climb to the temple on top, where evening light falls over the Tungabhadra and paddy fields; monkeys abound, so keep food hidden.

Round basket boats of bamboo frames covered in waterproof sheeting carry riders between the boulders of the Tungabhadra. Boatmen may set the craft spinning for fun, and rides stop when monsoon floods swell the river.

Narasimha, the lion-faced form of Vishnu, carved from a single rock in 1528 and 6.7 metres tall. Lakshmi, once seated on his knee, was smashed in the sack of 1565 and only her hand remains; the Badavilinga next door stands in water.

The royal family's private temple, set centrally within the palace area. Its outer wall carries tier upon tier of Mahanavami festival processions, horses, elephants and dancers, while inner walls tell the Ramayana. Circle it slowly to read the parade.

A long building of eleven domed chambers in a row, thought to have housed the royal elephants. The domes differ chamber by chamber, mixing Hindu and Islamic forms. It stands right beside the Zenana Enclosure and the Lotus Mahal, one visit covering both.

A temple consecrated in 1534, tucked in the hollow between Matanga Hill and the river. In front of it runs a long colonnade of stone pillars, once a market street. Far fewer people reach it than Virupaksha or Vittala, and at dusk you may walk it alone.

A sloth bear sanctuary among boulder hills, a half-hour drive out of Hampi. From the watchtower you scan the rock slope opposite and wait for bears. They leave their dens late in the day, so bring binoculars and arrive in the late afternoon.

A square tank excavated in the royal enclosure, dark green stone stacked in tiers like an upside-down pyramid. Each block still bears the mason's placement marks. A stone aqueduct that once fed it runs off to one side.