Besides the eponymous karadantu, Belagavi is known for mandige or mande which is essentially a wafer-thin roomali like roti folded like a dosa filled with sugar, ghee and khoa. According to historians, an inscription of 1121 CE of the Western Chalukya dynasty has mentioned that during the reign of Vikramaditya VI, Govinda-dandadhipa started the tradition of... Continue Reading →
Nathuram Godse was nine years old when Martyr Madan Lal Dhingra was sentenced to death in 1909 for assassinating Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, a man who took great pride and pleasure in denying several Indian students their right to earn an honest livelihood in England and instead marked them down for apparent "seditious activities".... Continue Reading →
Some of the finest examples of the mastery of the Paramara dynasty is seen in the vibrant village of Un in Khargone district. Un was an important seat of learning, art and architecture during the reign of the Paramaras especially Raja Udayaditya. An inscription found on the wall of one of the temples indicates that... Continue Reading →
Nag Vasuki, an ancient temple located on the bank of the holy Ganges to the north of the sacrosanct Triveni Sangam draws lakhs of devotees on the auspicious Kumbh, Ardha Kumba, Magha Mela, Naga Panchami and the month of Shravan. A trip to Prayagraj is deemed complete and successful only if a pilgrim has a dip in the... Continue Reading →
One of the healthiest and scrumptious sweets of North Karnataka is karadantu made in Gokak in Belgaum district and Aminagad in Bagalkot district. This teatime snack is made from dried fruits and nuts, jaggery (gur), a binder known locally as antu, spices and others. There are two versions on how this delightful sweet was created. Some... Continue Reading →
The surplus production of fruits, spices, vegetables, wild mushrooms, rare medicinal and aromatic herbs, paddy, wheat and others in the North Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is greatly attributed to the prevailing agro-climatic conditions. Arunachal can be divided into three regions climatically - temperate, subtropical and tropical with each zone cultivating certain crops. Changlang... Continue Reading →
Nathuram Godse, a name that elicits multitude of emotions ranging from pity to anger, pride to outrage, understanding to mob fury and so on and so forth, an enigma whose rationale has been termed inexplicable, traitorous and downright nationalist, has been called many things for assassinating Mr. Gandhi on 30 January 1948 but very few... Continue Reading →
The Sun Temple located in the sleepy village of Madkhera in Tikamgarh district is a beautiful example of 9th century temple architecture. Built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas in the typical Nagara style of architecture, this marvellous structure has some of the most exquisite carvings of its time. This east-facing temple is built on a high... Continue Reading →
The ancient city of Prayagraj is revered for its spiritual potency, deep connection to Maryada Purushottam Rama and the Ramayana and the repository of knowledge and wisdom, Bharadwaja Brahmarshi. Bharadwaja Brahmarshi, one of the Sapta Rishis of Kali Yuga (the others are Kasyapa, Atri, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vashistha) is venerated by scholars and those well-versed in the... Continue Reading →
Pal therattipal is a traditional milk sweet that is said to have been first offered by Periyalvar in Srivilliputhur. This delicious sweet derives its name from the Tamil words pal (also written as paal) meaning milk and therattipal meaning the product obtained by constantly stirring and reducing the milk. Tamilians especially Tamil Brahmins define palkova and pal therattipal... Continue Reading →
Kishanganj district, located on the foothills of the Himalayas is famous for its jute and paddy. In recent years, small and marginal farmers of this district have started cultivating tea and pineapple that are much sought-after in the markets of Delhi, Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi, West Bengal and others. Kishanganj has the ideal agro-climatic conditions... Continue Reading →
Chandreh Shiva Temple, situated on the right bank of the Son River is an outstanding example of a circular garbha griha. This ancient temple built in the 10th century (972 to 973 CE) by Raja Prabodh Shiva of Chedi is west-facing with a circular sanctum sanctorum preceded by an antarala and a mukha mandapa. Interestingly, this temple... Continue Reading →
One of the lesser-known architectural gems of the Gupta period is Garhwa Fort at Shankargarh that houses a group of ancient temples, halls, tanks as well as other structures within its pentagonal stone enclosure. According to historians, Garhwa used to be known as Bhattagram (Bhattapraya) during the Gupta reign and appears to have been an... Continue Reading →
Mankameshwar Temple is one of the oldest Shiva temples in Prayagraj and sits atop the Sheshnag Hill on the bank of the Yamuna River, a little distance away from the sacrosanct Saraswati Ghat. According to the Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana and Padma Purana, Mankameshwar is the place where Lord Shiva reduced Kamadeva to ashes. It is also... Continue Reading →
An iconic dish of South India known by its many names (saaru in Karnataka, rasam in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and chaaru in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) is the ultimate comfort food and a sure cure for all ailments known to the universe! A staple of every South Indian's diet enjoyed with hot steaming rice and a... Continue Reading →
Gopalganj district, located in the north-west corner of Bihar is one of the most important agricultural clusters of the state. Gopalganj, also known as Gannachal is blessed with the waters of the Gandak River and its tributaries, fertile alluvial soil and hot and dry climatic conditions that are ideal for the cultivation of sugarcane, wheat, rice,... Continue Reading →
Nau Toran Temple is a rare 11th century temple with some of the most exquisite toranas (gateway) of its time. The architectural styling and detailing seen on the carved toranas is reminiscent of Hindola Torana built by the Kachchhapaghata dynasty. This ancient temple has a porch, maha mandapa and garbha griha. The most striking feature... Continue Reading →
Udupi - Mangaluru is a food connoisseur's haven with a staggering variety of delicious, unusual and scrumptious local snacks. A trip to this stretch of Karnataka is deemed complete only if one samples the tasty Mangalore buns, goli baje, uppit shira, sajjige bajil, khara roti and biscuit roti. The origin of the Mangalore buns is a bit... Continue Reading →
sahasa.in 