Devotees throng the holy city of Deogarh for two reasons namely to have darshan of Lord Bholenath at Baba Baidyanath Mandir and to sample their world-famous prasad, the delectable peda. The temple of Baba Baidyanath, a Jyotirlinga is said to have been built by the Pala Empire (Pala Dynasty of Orissa) and the tradition of offering peda to Lord Shiva... Continue Reading →
Mayurbhanj Honey (Honey Based Products)
The Similipal biosphere reserve in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district is renowned for its rich diversity of flora and fauna. This thickly forested area is blessed with many rare medicinal plants, trees, orchids, wildlife and honey. It is estimated that over 70 percent of the population of Mayurbhanj are semi-nomadic tribes who have a deep connection with... Continue Reading →
Cuddalore Cashew Processing
It is perhaps not known to many that Panruti taluka in Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu produces one of the finest variety of cashew nut in the world. Such is the demand for the Panruti cashew across the globe, that it has been titled as the 'goldmine' of Cuddalore. Cashew nut cultivation and cashew... Continue Reading →
Prachin Shiv Mandir, Salwan Village, Karnal District, Haryana
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 →
Rasika Raya Brick Temple, Haripur Gada, Baripada Subdivision, Mayurbhanj District, Odisha
Mayurbhanj in the northern corner of Odisha was the seat of power of the erstwhile Bhanja dynasty. During the late 14th century, the Delhi Sultanate invaded Odisha and ravaged the historical city of Khiching desecrating temples on their way. The Bhanjas were forced to abandon their ancestral capital of Khiching and flee to safety. An... Continue Reading →
ओडिशा का रशोगुल्ला (Rasagola of Odisha)
जिसे देखते ही मुंह में पानी आ जाए, वो है, "ओडिशा का रशोगुल्ला" इसकी उत्पत्ति का इतिहास आठ सौ साल पुराना है। भगवान जगन्नाथ को रशोगुल्ला भोग के रूप में अर्पण करने की परंपरा सदियों से चली आ रही है। ऐसी मान्यता है की १२वी शताब्दी से यह अद्भुत मिष्ठान्न, जगन्नाथ मंदिर में नीलाद्री बिजे... Continue Reading →
भागलपुरी जर्दालू आम (Bhagalpuri Zardalu Mango, Bihar)
हालांकि भागलपुर के जर्दालू आम का उल्लेख भारत की उच्च कोटि की आम की श्रेणियों जैसे: दशहरी, लंगड़ा, हापुज में कहीं नहीं पाया जाता, परंतु इस सौंधी खुशबू वाले आम को अब धीरे धीरे वह पहचान मिल रही है, जिसका यह अधिकारी है। असल में, जर्दालू आम का अपना रोचक इतिहास है, कहा जाता है... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Nadir Shah invited to invade India by the Mughal Invaders
If ever awards for stupidity were to be handed out, it is highly likely that Aurangzeb would confer one for himself and award the rest to his incompetent descendants. By the end of his reign, Aurangzeb who had waged war with the Marathas for twenty-five years and had only pyrrhic victories to his credit undid... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Tulja Bhavani and The Battle of Pratapgad
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 →
Kurumbera Fort, Gaganeshwar Village, Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal
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 →
Santipore Saree of West Bengal
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 →
Eathamozhy Tall Coconut of Tamil Nadu
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 →
महाराष्ट्र का लासलगाव प्याज़ (Lasalgaon Onion, Maharashtra)
नाशिक जिले के निफाड तालुक में स्थित लासलगाव न केवल भारत अपितु समस्त एशिया में प्याज का सबसे बड़ा बाज़ार है। कई लोगों को इस बात का पता ही नहीं होगा कि महाराष्ट्र देश में प्याज का सबसे बड़ा उत्पादक है। प्रसिध्द लासलगाव प्याज़ जिसे लाल निफाड या नाशिक प्याज के नाम से भी जाना... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Chandashoka and The Kalinga War
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 →
Nibiya Khera Temple, Bhadwara, Kanpur Dehat District, Uttar Pradesh
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 →
Karnagarh Rani Shiromani Fort, Karnagarh Village, Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal
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 →
Dhaniakhali Saree of West Bengal
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 Manjal (Erode Turmeric)
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 →
On the history trail: Veer Baji Prabhu Deshpande and The Battle of Pavan Khind
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 →
Indralath Temple, Ranipur Jharial, Balangir District, Odisha
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 →
Kachari Fort, Khaspur Village, Cachar District, Assam
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 →
Madur kathi, West Bengal
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 →
Kaji Nemu, Assam
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 →
आसाम की तेज़पुर लीची (Tezpur Litchi of Assam)
पूर्वोत्तर राज्य आसाम के बारे में शायद बहुत से लोग इस बात से अनजान हैं कि यह राज्य जैविक विविधता, विभिन्न वनस्पतियों और जीव जंतुओं से समृद्ध राज्य है। आसाम अपनी उष्णकटिबंधीय वर्षा वनों, बांस के बगीचों, राष्ट्रीय उद्यानों साथ ही विभिन्न प्रकार की स्थानीय खेती और फलों के उत्पादन के लिए भी जाना जाता... Continue Reading →