India, Oct. 5 -- Think of colonial India, and the usual suspects emerge - Kolkata's mansions, Mumbai's forts, Chennai's boulevards, and Pondicherry's French Quarter. These cities were epicentres of European ambition from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Yet, the story stretches far beyond the capitals, into riverside settlements, coastal hamlets, and misty hill stations, where Dutch, French, and British influences have woven seamlessly into India's own. Crumbling forts cling to rocky cliffs along the Malabar coast, keeping vigil over the restless Arabian Sea. Moss-draped cemeteries nestle beneath tamarind trees, whispering tales of sailors long gone. Riverside towns hide gabled houses and shuttered chapels, where trade once threaded throug...