Shiva Mandapika Temple, an early example of Shaiva Siddhanta in Central India is located in the historical city of Mahua, formerly known as Madhumati. This 7th century temple known locally as Small Siva Temple is the oldest surviving temple of this village. The temple stands on a low platform and is built as a... Continue Reading →
A lesser-known 12th century fort dotted with exquisite architectural detailing, sculptures and temples reminiscent of Khajuraho is Lanjigarh located in Lanji in Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh. This fort according to an inscription found in Bilaspur dated 1114 CE is said to have been built by Raja Malukoma, grandfather of Rajkumari Hasla, a martyr, who... Continue Reading →
The Kashi Sapta Rishi Yatra is considered to be as sacrosanct as the Kashi Panchkroshi Yatra. According to the Kashi Khanda in the Skanda Purana, the exemplary Sapta Rishis descended on the ancient city of Kashi after the Supreme Being manifested Itself as the dazzling Jyotirlinga of Kashi Vishwanath. The eternal Sapta Rishis are Atri, Marichi, Pulaha,... Continue Reading →
A high point of a road trip to Mysuru is a slight deviation to Melkote to sample their divine butter and delicious puliyogare and a must-have Maddur vada with a piping hot cup of filter coffee at Maddur. Maddur, formerly known as Marudhur during the glorious reign of the Hoysala kings lies on the banks of... Continue Reading →
Dharwad, popularly known as the Mango City of Karnataka and South India is famous for its sinfully sweet and delectable Alphonso mango. Besides Alphonso, Pairi, Totapuri and Dasheri is also grown in this belt in North Karnataka. It is estimated that over 25,000 hectares of land is under mango cultivation in this district. Small and... Continue Reading →
Dharmarajeshwara Temple (Dharmarajeshwar Temple) is a structural and architectural ingenuity carved entirely out of natural rock. This 8th to 9th century monolithic rock-cut temple was built by either the Gurjara-Pratiharas or the Rashtrakutas, as at first glance, this temple looks a lot like the marvellous Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora Caves. The temple also known... Continue Reading →
A little-known architectural gem built towards the end of the 7th century is the ancient Shiva Temple located in the historically important Mahua village in Shivpuri district. Mahua, formerly known as Madhumati as per a Ranod inscription has many temples (though now in ruins) of great antiquity. There is very little information available about... Continue Reading →
The fifth and final paṛāva (halt) of the divine Kashi Panchkroshi Yatra is the Kapildhara Temple also known as Kapileshwar Mahadev Mandir. After offering prayers at Kardameshwar Mahadev Mandir, Bhimchandi Mandir, Rameshwar Mandir and Shivpur Mandir, devotees take a dip in the three ancient ponds of Sona Talab, Saranga Talab and Kapildhara Talab that are at the final... Continue Reading →
The North Bank Plain Zone (NBPZ) of Assam comprising of Darrang, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur districts is renowned for its high-quality tea, native rice varieties, pulses, maize, oilseeds and rich and diverse horticultural crops. The indigenous pineapple, jackfruit, banana, papaya, cabbage, Assam lemon, black pepper and others grown here are much sought-after in domestic and... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that India is the largest producer of guava in the world with an average annual production of around 21 MT. Though a fair portion of the annual produce is consumed as a table fruit, Indian guava varieties are ideally suited for manufacturing fruit pulp, puree, juice, syrup, flavoured... Continue Reading →
Nohleshwar Shiv Mandir is a lesser-known architectural masterpiece built by the Kalachuris of Tripuri (also known as Kalachuris of Chedi) in the mid to late 10th century. Though locals opine that this temple was built by Yuvarajadeva I in honour of his wife Nohla Devi (Nohala according to some), the architectural style and detailing suggests... Continue Reading →
The fourth paṛāva (halt) of the sacrosanct Kashi Panchkroshi Yatra is the Pancho Pandava Mandir (Pancha Pandeshwar Mandir) located in the bustling Shivpur village. After having darshan at Kardameshwar Mahadev Mandir, Bhimchandi Mandir and Rameshwar Mandir, pilgrims head to Draupadi Kund that is located near a huge tank known as Manasarovar tirth. According to the... Continue Reading →
Lotus seeds, commonly known as makhana is mainly cultivated in Bihar, Assam and West Bengal with Bihar accounting for more than 85 percent of the total production in India. Also known as gorgon nut or foxnut, this superfood thrives in the agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the districts of Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, Katihar, Purnia, Supaul,... Continue Reading →
Shimoga (Shivamogga), popularly called the 'Rice Bowl of Karnataka' is a picture-perfect lush green landscape dotted with waterfalls, paddy fields and palm groves. The waters of the Tungabhadra, Sharavati, Varada and Kumudavathi rivers and fertile alluvial soil contribute largely to the excellent agricultural produce of this district. Shimoga district is famous for its paddy,... Continue Reading →
A stunning example of 10th century temple architecture of the Kalachuris of Tripuri also known as Kalachuris of Chedi is the Kodal Shiva Temple located in the remote Kodal village in Damoh district. This east-facing temple has the most exquisite sculptures of that period adorning the external façade. This centuries-old temple is built on... Continue Reading →
A fine example of the Bhumija style of architecture that made its mark during the reign of the Paramara dynasty (Paramaras of Malwa) is the Shiva Mandir located in the sleepy village of Bari Kanoda in Damoh district. This west-facing temple has likely been built towards the end of the 12th century by a local... Continue Reading →
The next stop on the sacrosanct Kashi Panchkroshi Yatra after Kardameshwar Mahadev Mandir and Bhimchandi Mandir is the ancient Rameshwar Mandir situated on the bank of the Varuna River in Rameshwar village. This temple of great antiquity is considered by many to be the most important kshetra or tirthasthala in the Panchkroshi Yatra. According to the Kashi Khanda... Continue Reading →
The North Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh has earned well deserved accolades in the last five years for its excellent agri-horticultural produce, thriving food processing sector and strides in organic farming and certification that has changed the fortunes of small and marginal farmers in the state. As Arunachal is largely an agrarian economy, age-old... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that Chintamani in the newly created Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka has some of the best agricultural produce of South India. Mangoes, bananas, peanuts, dairy products, bitter gourd, avarekai, sarsaparilla juice (nannari sharbat) and tomatoes are transported to the markets of nearby Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu as... Continue Reading →
One of the lesser-known architectural masterpieces of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty is the Maladevi Temple located on the eastern edge of a steep slope overlooking the Manosarovar Talab in Gyaraspur. As this late 9th century temple is hardly a kilometre away from Hindola Torana, one can question if these two temples though built at different times... Continue Reading →
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