Panoramic photographer Amit Pasricha’s images of India’s sprawling temple complexes, and majestic palaces, monasteries, Mughal gardens, caves and forts in their dramatic interactions with nature, have been published in books like Monumental India, Mughal Architecture and Gardens and Dome over India: Rashtrapati Bhavan. About three-and-a-half years ago, while pursuing the idea of bringing a larger perspective to the edifices he photographed, by focusing not only on the structures and where they stood, but also how they connected to their surroundings, he started India Lost and Found (ILF).

“As a visual person, it was important for me to find clues that helped me interact with a building, with the possibility of learning its story the way lithographs have been able to sometimes interpose humanity with heritage sites,” says Pasricha. Since heritage is so firmly ingrained in history and architecture, it is sometimes difficult to relate to it, he feels. “How do I connect the dots vis-à-vis culture? How do I get a whiff of the food that was cooked in these structures then? How do I get a sense of the clothes people wore? How do I integrate them into a time and perspective and develop a little more attachment?” says the Delhi-based photographer about some of the concerns that led him to initiate the project.