Temples of South India, 2014

In 2005, the worldwide public nominated their top picks for the "New 7 Wonders of the World". The final seven were duly chosen after a selection round with a panel of internationally famous architects and then another round of internet voting (my vote was for the Hagia Sophia) and announced on 07/07/07.

It was a huge - but fun - publicity stunt, but I was more intrigued by the initial longlist of 77 assembled from the nominations (I append a link to the list, below, for those interested). Alongside the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, the Taj Mahal and Lucerne's Kapellbrücke were a few temple complexes I had never heard of, all (roughly) in the same region in South-East India.

Fascinated ever since, I finally took the opportunity to go in search of them nine years later ...

Links:
- New 7 Wonders of the World website:
world.new7wonders.com/new7wonders-of-the-world-page/new7w... and on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New7Wonders_of_the_World
- New 7 Wonders longlist of 77 from 2005: www.dropbox.com/sh/mx4466okey5my5v/AAAMFXcbAfz8vAoSPEPJgD...