Tenduli village, a rather small and quiet village in Fatehpur district is a treasure trove of Gupta period temples. This village, perhaps not known to many is of great antiquity and has some of the finest examples of the earliest brick temples along the Rind River. The Baba Chatrubhuj Temple (Chaturbhuj Baba) also referred... Continue Reading →
The sacrosanct Braj Dham has four guardians namely Bhuteshwar Mahadev in Mathura, Chakleshwar Mahadev in Govardhan, Kameshwar Mahadev in Kaman and Gopeshwar Mahadev in Vrindavan. Gopeshwar Mahadev holds the distinction of being the only temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in his female form built in the ancient times. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, on the... Continue Reading →
Kameshwar Mahadev located in the sacrosanct Kaman village also known as Adi Vrindavan is one of the four important Shivalayas on the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra. Along with Bhuteshwar Mahadev in Mathura, Gopeshwar Mahadev in Vrindavan and Chakleshwar Mahadev in Govardhan, Kameshwar Mahadev is deemed to be the fourth guardian of the Braj Dham. According to... Continue Reading →
Madhya Bharat, the centre of Shaivism between the 9th to 10th century is dotted with beautiful Shiva Temples built in the Nagara as well as Rekha Deul style of architecture predominantly seen in Odisha and parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. One stunning example of the Rekha Deul style that has miraculously survived the ravages of the... Continue Reading →
The revered town of Govardhan is barely 20 km from Mathurapuri and draws lakhs of devotees every year especially on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima. This sacred tirthasthala is a part of the Braj Mandala Parikrama that starts at the Vishram Ghat in Mathurapuri. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, when Lord Krishna saw the elaborate preparations for... Continue Reading →
The fourth kotwal (guardian) of Mathurapuri located in the northern part is Gokarn Nath Mahadev. Gokarn Nath is considered to be the embodiment of Mahakal (Mahakaleshwar) and has existed since the Dwapura Yuga. According to the Hindu scriptures, a childless couple named Atmadev and Dhunduli were deeply troubled about the continuation of their lineage and... Continue Reading →
Ashta (Aashta or Asta) Kali Mata Mandir in the quaint village of Asta is another architectural gem of the Yadavas of Devagiri built in the 13th century in the Hemadpanthi style of architecture by Raja Mahadeva (though some believe that it was built by Raja Ramachandra). Hemadpanthi style of architecture derives its name from Hemadri... Continue Reading →
A stunning find of a fragmentary stone inscription in an old well near Kandhar in 1959 with a detailed description of the buildings in the ancient capital and the philanthropic activities of Raja Krishna III of the mighty Rashtrakuta dynasty threw light on one of the unknown capitals of the dynasty. The inscription mentions the... Continue Reading →
Archaeological excavations conducted in 1962 at Pandu Rajar Dhibi in Ausgram II block in the Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in West Bengal unearthed earthen pots using a mix of rice husk in the main mound. Based on scientific tests, archaeologists concluded that the ancient civilization that dates back to 2000 BCE... Continue Reading →
The ancient city of 'Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra' holds the key to understanding our glorious past dating back to the Vedic times. Every square inch of this city and its outskirts is both historically and archaeologically important. Kurukshetra has been at the helm of many significant events and has faced the brunt of successive Muslim invasions over... Continue Reading →
The capture of the hill forts of Purandar, Kalyan and Bhiwandi and the death, ruin and defection of feudatories like the Mores of Javli and the Sawants of Wadi respectively effected by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his able aides brought the crippling Bijapur kingdom to its knees. The construction of the new hill fort of... Continue Reading →
An interesting fort complex built during the glory days of Bengal relegated to obscurity is the Kurumbera Fort which is at a little distance from Kharagpur. Kurumbera Fort which derives its name from kurum which means stone and bera which means fence and collectively means an area fenced by stone in the local language is located in the historically... Continue Reading →
One of the most exquisite weaves in cotton and silk is found in the Bengal heartland of Shantipur - Phulia. Called as Shantipuri, this centuries-old tant (traditional Bengali saree) derives its name from Shantipur in Nadia district. The ancient handloom industry in Shantipur has been mentioned in manuscripts glorifying the life of Advaita Acharya as... Continue Reading →
A rare type of tall coconut variety with immense historical, religious and commercial importance known locally as Eathamozhy or Eathamozhi tall coconut thrives in Kanyakumari district. The unique morphological traits found in this variety are of a superior genetic constitution and it is unsurprising that there is great demand for the seedlings of Eathamozhy tall... Continue Reading →
Along with the wily Chanakya, Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya dynasty built one of the largest empires in Akanda Bharat. He abdicated the throne in favour of his son Bindusara who was equal to the task. Bindusara not only consolidated the control over the empire but also extended it further south. Travellers' documentation and... Continue Reading →
One of the best-preserved brick temple complexes of the 9th - 10th century is found in the sleepy village of Nibiya Khera in Bhadwara. Though no inscription has been found, it is likely that the Gurjara - Pratihara dynasty who ruled over a large part of Northern India built this temple. This temple complex... Continue Reading →
The historically important village of Karnagarh in Medinipur district which was once the seat of the Midnapore royal family is most famous for its Chuar Bidroha, a rebellion led by Rani Shiromani, who is called as the Rani Laxmibai of Medinipur against the highly exploitative land revenue policy of the British in 1798. The British were... Continue Reading →
One of the most beloved traditional handloom sarees of West Bengal is Dhaniakhali saree deriving its name from the place Dhaniakhali in Chinsurah subdivision in Hooghly district. Hooghly district is home to some of the oldest cottage industries like silk and cotton handloom weaving, brass and bell metal manufacturing, oil pressing, village tanning and others.... Continue Reading →
Erode, popularly called as the 'Turmeric City' is the third largest turmeric market in India after Nizamabad in Telangana and Sangli in Maharashtra. There are approximately 30,000 farmers in Erode alone and around 55,000 farmers in Tamil Nadu engaged in the cultivation of turmeric. According to historical records, turmeric was grown by peasants in... Continue Reading →
The resounding victories of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Pratapgarh and Panhala was very difficult for Ali Adil Shah II of Bijapur to stomach since he had been at the receiving end of many humiliating routs. He decided to join forces with the Mughals to either capture young Shivaji or if possible, even kill him in... Continue Reading →
The temple town of Ranipur Jharial in Balangir or Bolangir district is renowned for its prowess in Tantra Vidya. This historical town of inestimable importance was part of Dakshin Kosala where Lord Rama spent a great deal of his time. Ranipur Jharial is mentioned as Soma Tirtha in the scriptures and deemed to have many... Continue Reading →
Tucked away in the beautiful village of Khaspur in Cachar district are the ruins of the centuries-old fort of the Kachari kings. Cachar, derived from the Dimasa word kachari was originally a part of the ancient Tripura kingdom and then passed on to the Koch kingdom, the Dimasa kingdom and finally to the British. ... Continue Reading →
Medinipur or Midnapore, considered to be one of the largest districts of West Bengal after independence is rich with ancient history, archaeological sites, culture and heritage that is deeply influenced by the royal families. It is home to some of the oldest crafts that date back to the Indus Valley Civilization. One among them is... Continue Reading →
One of the most famous produce of the North eastern state of Assam is Kaji Nemu also called as Assam Lemon. Assam has as many as seventeen species, fifty-three varieties and probably seven if not more hybrids of citrus. Locals say that this variety originated as a chance seedling raised in a plantation, Burnihut... Continue Reading →
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