It’s been said that a strongly-marked personality influences generations to come. Well, the August issue is our offering towards posterity. Sampling places with persistent character, as well as those who’ve freshly shaken off the dust, we visit three heritage locations in West Bengal, the Chettinads peppery repertoire, and the haunting Kolar Gold Fields of Karnataka. If short on time, leaf through Telangana’s royal past, in pictures. Ex situ, there’s the vibrant Peranakans of Singapore, Istanbul’s cultural confluence, Beijing’s Summer Palace, and quaint Uzès in France