A stunning fragment of the glorious reign of Maharaja Yuvarajadeva I of the Kalachuris of Tripuri (also known as Kalachuris of Chedi) that has largely remained in obscurity owing to its dilapidated state is the ancient building of Kamakandla. Though it is called as Kamakandla Fort, the typical architectural styling of a fort is missing.... Continue Reading →
Someshwar Mahadev Mandir (also known as Someshwar Nath Mandir) situated across the holy Yamuna River in Arail village is one of the eight important tirthsthalas of Prayagraj. This sacrosanct temple finds mention in the Padma Purana and Shiva Purana and is worshipped by all the devotees who participate in the Kumbha, Ardha Kumbha and Magha Mela. According to the... Continue Reading →
Belgaum, known as the 'sugar bowl of Karnataka' is famous for its karadantu, 'cycle' khova, mandige and of course, kunda! In fact, the city is also called Kundagiri after this delectable sweet made from fresh milk, sugar and spices. According to the locals, the origin of this sweet can be traced back to Gajanan Mithaiwala of Vitthal... Continue Reading →
Pollachi, known in Tamil as Pozhil Vaitchi meaning land blessed with stunning natural beauty, wealth and prosperity is famous for its innumerable cocoa plantations and delicious world-famous bar chocolates. Owing to its proximity to the Western Ghats, Pollachi has the ideal climate (hot summers, cool winters and adequate annual rainfall) to grow cocoa. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao... Continue Reading →
A conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia soon led to the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand and spiralled into a full-blown bloody crisis in Europe. Clear divisions arose with Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey forming the Central Powers and France, Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan and the United States of America the Allies. Mid - 1914 to... Continue Reading →
Joda Temple, as the name suggests is a pair of temples located in the vibrant town of Baihar in Balaghat district. The 12th century temples face each other and are located by the side of an ancient tank. The temples are in a state of disrepair with a large section of architectural elements and... Continue Reading →
Takshakeshwar Nath Mandir situated on the bank of the Yamuna River is one of the oldest temples in Prayagraj. The temple is believed to be at least 5000 years old if not more and historical and archaeological evidence found at the site suggests that this temple has been in existence since the ancient times. ... Continue Reading →
Belagavi has a wide range of scrumptious sweets and lip-smacking savouries that will surely tantalize your taste buds. Kunda, karadantu, mandige and 'cycle' khova are a must try for one visiting this historical city. 'Cycle' khova as the name suggests is khova that is sold by vendors on bicycles! This sinfully delicious sweet is surprisingly light on the stomach and... Continue Reading →
Swami Shraddhanand was actively engaged in the shuddhi movement across North India. The purpose of this movement was to bring back various sections of Hindus who had converted to Islam and Christianity by force and with the promise of rice and shelter. The derogatory term 'rice bag convert' came into existence when poor Hindus deprived of... Continue Reading →
Samudra Koop that literally translates to ocean well is one of the most sacrosanct tirths of Prayagraj. Located in the archaeologically important town of Jhusi, this ancient well was established during the reign of the Chandravamsa dynasty (Lunar dynasty) roughly around 7100 BCE. Jhusi used to be known as Pratisthan Pur during the reign of... Continue Reading →
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 spices. 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 yet to make his appearance in the world 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... 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 →
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