It is a common practice among the indigenous tribal communities of North East India to prepare and consume traditionally prepared rice beer (rice wine) from different varieties of rice with plants, medicinal herbs, fruits and flowers. The art of preparing household liquor varies slightly from tribe to tribe though the fundamental steps are almost the... Continue Reading →
The vibrant saffron hue and sinfully sweet taste of the Gir Kesar mango puts it on the list of much loved and sought-after mangoes of India. Titled by the locals as the 'Queen of Mangoes', this delightfully bright and delicious mango finds its place among the country's five best indigenous varieties. Gir Kesar mango... Continue Reading →
Though there were constant skirmishes between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Mughals, the former's relationship with Bijapur was relatively peaceful. His power was acknowledged by all the southern states. The chief minister of Bijapur, Abdul Muhammad paid chauth to Maharaj to prevent him from plundering Bijapur. Even Qutub Shah of Golkonda was in awe of him... Continue Reading →
The ancient city of Bharuch (Broach) located at the mouth of the holy Rewa River (Narmada River) derives its name from the exemplary tapasvi Bhirgu Maharshi. Not many are aware that the Rewa River is in fact older than the Ganga and deemed to be immensely sacrosanct. The spiritual potency of this river is discernible... Continue Reading →
"The place of Baji Rao I in India's history comes home to us with unmistakable force and vividness when we compare the political situation of this country in 1740 with that in 1720. These twenty years of his active career witnessed a complete revolution in the character of the Maratha national state and an entire... Continue Reading →
It is perhaps not known to many that Mizoram has a rich diversity of exotic flora and fauna, rare aromatic and medicinal plants and bamboo and an assorted variety of fruit crops like grapes (higher productivity than the national average as well as that of Maharashtra), papaya, mandarin, orange, pineapple, passion fruit and banana and... Continue Reading →
The North Eastern state of Mizoram is a treasure trove of ginger diversity with as many as eight native varieties cultivated here since the ancient times. Ginger along with turmeric and chillies are important cash crops and widely used to prepare local delicacies as well as medicines. Mizo ginger is grown in Aizawl, Serchhip,... Continue Reading →
The Second Sack of Surat paved the way for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to make preparations for his ambitious missions by land and sea. The raid into Khandesh and Berar followed by Baglana and Karinja led to the bloody toil of Salher. The spirit of the Marathas was greatly roused by their comprehensive victory over Ikhlas... Continue Reading →
An exquisite 19th century terracotta temple commonly known as the ‘temple in the bazaar’ holds its own in the busy marketplace of Hath-tala (Hathtala) in Illambazaar. This temple draws the interest of visitors from across states for its unusual octagonal shape and stunning terracotta carvings. Hath-tala Gauranga Mahaprabhu Temple is one of the many temples... Continue Reading →
The charming village of Ghurisha, once an important seat of Sanskrit and literature is dotted with many fine examples of terracotta temples built in the traditional Bengali style of chala and ratna. The temples of Ghurisha and surrounding villages have been documented at length by Mukul Dey of Shantiniketan and David McCutchion. One of the most interesting... Continue Reading →
The most famous chilli of Goa is the bright red Khola chilli that grows exclusively on the hill slopes of Canacona taluka in the district of South Goa. Also known as Canacona chilli, this variety derives its name from the mountain village Khola where it is grown. According to historians, chillies were introduced in... Continue Reading →
While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Marathas raided Berar and Khandesh, Moropant Peshwa made his way through North Konkan into Baglana wresting the forts of Trimbak, Aundha, Patta and Ramnagar from the Mughals and passed through Mulher into West Khandesh levying contributions wherever he went. He reached Salher Fort on the border of Khandesh and... Continue Reading →
The Durga Temple in the quaint village of Bali Deewanganj (widely believed to be two villages – Bali and Deewanganj) is one of a kind temple harmoniously incorporating two distinctive styles of Bengali temple architecture namely the chala (hut type roof) and the ratna (pinnacle). This temple has captured the interest of architects, historians and heritage enthusiasts for two reasons... Continue Reading →
Undivided Bengal, often considered to be the richest province in Akhanda Bharat thrived under the patronage of the invaders namely the Delhi Sultanate, Mughals and the British. This province gradually imbibed the culture, language and religious norms of the invaders. Though the Mughals were less than pleased with Hindus and Hindu kings and went out of... Continue Reading →
The state of Karnataka is known for its rich mango diversity and one of the most unique type of mango grown exclusively in Sagar, Ripponpet and Hosanagara taluka of Shimoga district, river valleys of Aghanashini, Kali, Bedthi, Sharavati and Varada of Uttara Kannada district, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, Malenadu region of Chikmagalur district and... Continue Reading →
The history of the famed Udupi Mattu Gulla brinjal can be traced back to the time of the great saint and philosopher, Sri Vadirajatirtharu of Sode Matha. It is said that in the early 1500s, Sri Vadirajatirtharu had the practice of making the daily offering of a sweet dish called hoorana or hoorana kadabu to... Continue Reading →
The news of the desecration and demolition of the sacrosanct shrine of Shree Kashi Vishwanath at Benares on 4 September 1669 spread like wildfire and caused extreme consternation throughout the country. The construction of a mosque on its site only added fuel to the growing anger against Aurangzeb's fanaticism to please the Mahomedan orthodoxy. Chhatrapati... Continue Reading →
Two groups of brick temples, Kalpa Devi and Astika Baba located close to each other in Nasirabad village in the historical district of Sitapur bearing striking similarities to the brick temples built during the Gupta period have captured the interest of architects, archaeologists and historians for decades. There are remains of as many as six... Continue Reading →
The quaint town of Bhiwapur in Nagpur district is famous for its bright red chillies. This crop has been cultivated for decades in Bhiwapur, Kuhi and Umred. Locals say that Bhiwapur has been the largest chilli market in the district since the 1960s. Bhiwapur derives its name from the presiding deity Goddess Bhima and... Continue Reading →
The cat and mouse game continued between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb with the former keeping the latter on his toes with raids on his territory at an alarming regularity. It started with a surprise entry into the Deccan controlled by the Mughals. Maharaj made quick work of Junnar, Ahmednagar and Parenda advancing quickly as... Continue Reading →
Karnal named after Daanveer Karna is one of the most historically, culturally and spiritually important cities of India. Karnal has been at the centre of many great battles and wars that have determined the course of Indian history. Karnal district is home to many archaeological sites predating the Harappan civilization, tirthas and ancient temples of... Continue Reading →
One of the most famous produce of Kerala is its indigenous Palakkadan Matta rice that has been grown in the lush green belt of Palakkad for centuries. According to historians, Matta rice was partaken only by the members of the royal family of the Cholas and Cheras. This rice was exclusively cultivated for the royals... Continue Reading →
Navara rice is one of the rarest indigenous rice varieties grown exclusively in Kerala with immense curative and medicinal properties. Navara or Njvara has been mentioned extensively in the ancient texts of Ayurveda like Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Kṣemakutūhala of Kṣemaśarman, Bhojanakutūhala of Raghunātha Sūrin and Pākadarpaṇa of King Naḷa and other treatises. Navara rice... Continue Reading →
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's dramatic return to Raigad on 20 November 1666 was followed by widespread rejoicings among his family, citizens and the Maratha army. Each fort fired its feu de joie unceasingly and though the celebrations were appreciated by Maharaj, he decided to issue standing orders on the exact number of gunfire for specified occasions... Continue Reading →
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