Visitors to the three-day exhibition of photographs on Unesco World Heritage Sites in India and abroad, at the Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, went through a world tour of spectacular monuments.

From Pattadakal to the Darjeeling Mountain Railway and from Uzbekistan to Spain, the pictures were truely breathtaking from across 20 countries.

The exhibition, inaugurated here on Friday, displays a collection of 125 photographs by 32 travel photographers, till January 11.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Susheela Nair, travel writer, photographer and director of Essen Communications, who put together the exhibition, said she had given a list of heritage sites for photographers to send entries. “The basic idea was to create an awareness about the heritage sites,” she said.

The photographs were sorted into - cultural (heritage) sites, natural sites and looking beyond India - and also included photographs from Spain and Indonesia Tourism Boards.
Prizes were also given to the best entries. Bengaluru-based  Shivu K was awarded the third prize for his photograph ‘Divine Aura Pattadakal.’

Rahul Gajjar from Baroda, bagged the first prize for a photograph titled ‘Moon Rise at Saat Kaman in Champaner- Pavgadh, Gujarat,’ the second prize went to Spain Tourism Board entry for ‘Between Walls in Caceres.’ A jury’s special award was also given to NP Jayan for the photograph ‘Misty Valley,’ Silent Valley.