Konark Sun Temple, on the coast of Odisha in India, was built in the 13th century and dedicated to the sun god Surya. It is attributed to King Narasingha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty around 1250 CE. The surviving complex looks like a huge stone chariot, with carved wheels and horses about 30 metres high. The temple was once over 61 metres tall, but its large main tower has largely fallen, and sailors in the Bay of Bengal called it the Black Pagoda because it looked dark from the sea.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.