Bharat Mata Mandir

Eight storeys, one idea: the country itself held as the deity. In this 180-foot tower on the Rishikesh road every floor carries a theme rather than a separate shrine: a map-idol of Bharat Mata at the base, then halls of freedom fighters and of great Indian women, a floor of saints, dioramas of the regions, levels given to Shakti and to Vishnu, and a Shiva shrine under the roof. Swami Satyamitranand Giri built it and Indira Gandhi inaugurated it in 1983. A lift saves the climb; the upper galleries look out over the Ganga canal. Free entry, shoes off at the door.

Eight themed floors instead of one altar: an hour here doubles as a short course in Indian history