Alamgir Mosque

The most commanding silhouette on the northern riverfront, and one of the most layered. The 17th-century mosque was built for Aurangzeb on the high plinth of the Bindu Madhav temple, which was demolished in 1673; the massive substructure of the older shrine still carries the building today. Domes and the stumps of minarets rise over the ghats, and the view that does them justice is from a boat on the river rather than from the lanes. Interior access is restricted, so treat this as a walk: the streets around it and the steps below hold three and a half centuries in one frame.

The northern riverfront's boldest outline, and three and a half centuries in one frame