Worshipful Places

1938: Tourist Propaganda

Norway's medieval stave churches always look as though they are part of a fairy tale and this one at Borgund is no exception, considered the best preserved (but not the oldest) it dates from 1150. 

1961: Tourist Publicity

Built on a far grander scale but one could say with the same stacking instinct Borabudur Temple in Java  has nine stacking platforms topped with a central dome which is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues.  The world's largest Buddhist temple it was built during the 9th Century and is a UNESCO  World Heritage Site.  Indonesia's most visited tourist attraction it is also a site of pilgrimage once a year at Vesak (Buddha's birthday and enlightenment).

1946: Views

Another pilgrimage site is Roc-Amadour in the Lot area of France where it sits above a gorge of a tributary of the Dordogne River, the churches and cathedral being at the top of the hill above the town.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site it is also part of the St James' Pilgrimage Way.

1949-52: Archaeology Definitives

For pure scale travel to the ancient capital of the Kallinga Empire, Bhubaneswar where there are a myriad of Hindu temples spanning the centuries.  The one portrayed on the stamp is the 11th Century Lingaraj temple, the most prominent landmark of the city at 180 ft (55m) tall and a major tourist attraction.  The largest festival celebrated here is Maha Shivaratri, which unusually is celebrated at night, the translation of the name is  "The Great Night of Shiva".  The stamp is from one of India's first set of definitives issued after independence which featured archaeological monuments from the country's historical and cultural history.  This particular denomination would have been used on air mail postcards.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Worshipful Places - visit them At See It On A Postcard