Often referred to as the 'poor man's apple', the humble guava (Psidium guajava) is one of the five divine fruits mentioned as Deva phala in the Hindu scriptures. This hardy fruit is available throughout the year and is hugely popular in the monsoon and winter seasons across the country. The guava fruit, seeds and... Continue Reading →
The decisive defeat of the combined forces of Trimbakrao Dabhade and Nizam-ul-Mulk at Dabhoi made the Nizam rethink his attitude towards the astute Peshwa Bajirao. The Nizam suggested a personal meeting to put an end to the frequent clashes between them that had always been instigated by the former for reasons better known to him. The Peshwa... Continue Reading →
The sacred city of Sirohi known earlier as Devnagari (Devanagari) is a treasure trove for geologists, archaeologists, architects, historians, theoretical linguistics and philologists. This district has several structures of great antiquity dating back to the Vedic Period of immense spiritual and religious significance. One such temple is the Vastaneshwar Mahadev Temple located in the... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that India is the second largest producer of tomatoes in the world with the states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Odisha being the top five producers in India. In fact, the state of Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under tomato cultivation and contributes... Continue Reading →
The utter decimation of the Mughal forces in Malwa and Bundelkhand created a major crisis for the ruler of Delhi. A clear division of opinion emerged in the counsel with one party headed by Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur and the Mir Bakshi Khan Dowran VII (Khan-i-Dauran) who were in favour of peace and conciliation... Continue Reading →
Madhusudhan Temple on Abu Road in Mungthala is a lesser - known ancient temple of immense spiritual and religious significance. It is however unclear when the temple was built and by whom but the weathering of the stones, layout of the temple and some carvings and panels suggests that this temple is of great antiquity.... Continue Reading →
Pomegranate, a high - value fruit crop with immense economic, religious and medicinal importance is cultivated across the country with the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh producing the best fruit. Indian pomegranate is revered for its therapeutic properties and is rich in sodium, phosphorous and calcium and Vitamin C, B1,... Continue Reading →
The sudden demise of Sarkhel Sekhoji Angre on 28 August 1733 proved to be a serious impediment to the war preparations. Sekhoji Angre possessed remarkable foresight and patience and exercised a considerable hold over his three brothers namely Sambhaji, Manaji and Tulaji. His unfortunate demise at the prime of his youth signalled the end of... Continue Reading →
Sarneshwar Mahadev Temple located on the western slope of the Siranwa Hills in the midst of stunning natural beauty is a magnificent edifice of the mighty Paramaras. Legend has it that Maharajadhiraja Vikramaditya of Ujjain had darshan of this ancient Shiva Linga and spent time in tapas (penance and austerities) here. The original temple is said... Continue Reading →
The desecration of the Parashuram Temple at Chiplun was viewed by the Marathas as a serious attack on their Motherland and Hinduism. It became imperative to curb the activities of the Muslim mercenaries at Janjira. The main point discussed by the Marathas was to free the capital of Raigad from the Siddi's control. This fort... Continue Reading →
Rajasthan is dotted with innumerable stepwells that offer a glimpse into the religious and social practices, cultural traditions and customs and art and architecture of that period. Though a fair number of these have either fallen into a state of disrepair or disuse, there is a spirited movement across the state by several heritage enthusiasts... Continue Reading →
India is the largest producer of coriander and coriander seeds in the world and exports more than 45,000 tonnes annually to Europe, UK, The Middle East, South Africa, Malaysia and others. Interestingly, the district of Guna contributes about 20 - 25 percent to the total production in India and is in great demand abroad. ... Continue Reading →
The Siddis of Janjira, Muslims of Abyssinian descent had invaded the Deccan and the western coast in the late 16th century - early 17th century forming their own colony of mercenaries formally trained by Malik Ambar in the impregnable Janjira Fort. This independent principality was under the protection of Aurangzeb and had managed to thwart... Continue Reading →
Vijay Stambha is a glorious edifice built by Maharana Kumbha to commemorate his victories against the Muslim barbarian, Mahmud Khilji in the Battle of Sarangpur in 1437, the Battle of Mandavgad in 1440, the Battle of Mandalgarh in 1442 and the Battle of Banas in 1446. Mahmud Khilji faced the ignominy of defeat in the... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that India is the largest producer of chillies in the world. Indian chillies are famous for their diversity, colour, unique taste and pungency level. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha are the top chilli producers in the country with a sizeable portion of... Continue Reading →
Peshwa Bajirao had set up camp at Savli when he learned about the plans of Trimbakrao Dabhade and Gaikwad. The two had decided for an open attack on the plain of Dabhoi and Bhilapur with a force of 40 thousand while the Peshwa had managed to gather just about 25 thousand for this armed conflict. ... Continue Reading →
The Kalika Mata Temple located within the legendary Chittorgarh Fort is a 8th century edifice of immense historical importance. This is one of the many structures within the famed fort that was desecrated by the Muslim barbarian, Alauddin Khilji in the infamous Sack of Chittor in 1303. The Chittorgarh Fort was ruled by the... Continue Reading →
Burhanpur in recent times has developed a formidable reputation in the domestic and overseas market for its excellent native banana. Perhaps, the most famous fruit crop cultivated in around 25,000 hectares of land by small and marginal farmers, the humble banana has seen record production of over 17.5 lakh tonnes with a sizeable portion exported... Continue Reading →
Peshwa Bajirao and Chimaji Appa left Poona on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, 10 October 1730 on the instructions of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. They had been given a clear assignment to dissuade Trimbakrao Dabhade from aligning with Nizam-ul-Mulk and instead to return to Satara to resolve the situation. As they made their preparations and... Continue Reading →
The Kumbha Shyam Temple inside the legendary Chittorgarh Fort built in the 8th century by possibly the Guhilas of Medapata with some work put in by the mighty Paramaras and finally, renovated by Maharana Kumbha in 1448, the master builder dominates the surroundings with its grandeur, rich ornamentation and magnificent carvings and detailing. Maharana... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that India is the world's largest producer of guava with the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar having the highest area under cultivation and average annual production. Madhya Pradesh is recognized as one of the thriving agricultural and food processing hubs of India. It is... Continue Reading →
The Baleshwara Temple reputed to have the largest Shiva Linga in the three districts of Gadag, Dharwad and Haveri is a beautiful 9th century temple built by perhaps the Western Chalukyas. This edifice built on a raised platform has a mukhamandapa, a navaranga, an antarala and a garbha griha. Interestingly, the external facades are richly embellished with... Continue Reading →
It became clear to Peshwa Bajirao and Chimaji Appa that the strong chiefs who espoused the Peshwa's leadership would affect the prospects of Nizam-ul-Mulk as their territory was intermixed with his. The Nizam began to use powerful artillery to crush them into submission to protect his interests. By the end of 1730, the Peshwa and Chimaji Appa began... Continue Reading →
Amargol or Ambaragola as referred to in the inscriptions found was once a part of the Kampana of Unakal - 30 of Halasige - 12000 (Halasi was the secondary capital of the Kadambas of Banavasi). Unfortunately, not only have a sizeable number of inscriptions gone missing but a fair number of temples have been looted,... Continue Reading →
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