But no matter how much energy you put into building a sandcastle, it's unlikely to be as impressive as the structures produced by Stone Spray, a solar-powered, robotic 3D printer that can create entire buildings out of sand.

ENGADGET: Inhabitat's Week in Green: Eindhoven's Evoluon Center, folding compact cars and the best of 3D printing

But whatever Britain's misgivings about granting independence to this sandcastle, with all the privileges and status of a sovereign state, it had no doubt that Vere Bird was its natural leader.

ECONOMIST: Vere Bird

There is magnificent Mehrangarh looming large over sea-blue Jodhpur, the golden sandcastle at Jaisalmer, the palaces of Udaipur, Pushkar's reverent yet carnival charm, the storybook whimsy of Bundi and the painted havelis (ornately decorated residences) sprinkled through Shekhawati.

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