Indian History

T oday is the birth anniversary of   Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar   who was a leader of the depressed classes throughout his life. He worked for the moral and material progress of the 'untouchables'. B. R. Ambedkar was born on  14 April 1891  in  Mhow  (now officially known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar) in  Madhya Pradesh . He belonged to the 'untouchable'  Mahar  caste. Ambedkar was a great scholar who studied economics at  Columbia University  and  the London School of Economics.  In  1924  Ambedkar founded the  Depressed Classes Institute  ( Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha ) in  Bombay . Three years later in  1927  he established the  Samaj Samta Sangh  to propagate the gospel of social equality between caste Hindus and worked for the uplift of the 'untouchables'. In December  1927 , he led a satyagraha in  Mahad  to fight for the rights of the 'untouchables' to draw water from pub...

The  Sarbat Khalsa  is a term meaning “ all congregation. ” It refers to a traditional assembly of all factions of Sikhs to discuss social, political, and religious issues of great importance to the community.   The Sikh religion provides this gathering of believers in times of extreme crisis.  Sarbat Khalsa  was convened regularly in the  18th century , when the  Mughal  empire was trying to exterminate the Sikhs. The Sarbat Khalsa got discontinued in the beginning of the 19th century when the Sikh ruler  Ranjit Singh  officially abolished  Sarbat Khalsa  in 1805. Sarbat Khalsa was called just twice in the  20th  century.  Sarbat Khalsa literally means the 'entire Sikh nation'. Sarbat Khalsa - a congregation of the faithful, The Sikh religion provides for a gathering of the faithful, the Sarbat Khalsa, in times of great crisis. The Sarbat Khalsa was called on a number of occasions during the 18th century wh...

Sevalal Maharaj  For the first time the Indian Government is celebrating the birth anniversary of  Banjara  community leader  Santh Sevalal Maharaj  on a national scale. The yearlong celebrations are being organized under the aegis of  Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Santh Sevalal Maharaj  is the spiritual & religious leader of  Banjara Community . This year his  284th  birth anniversary is being celebrated. About Sevalal Maharaj Santh Sevalal Maharaj was born on  15 February 1739  at Surgondankoppa in  Shivamogga  district of Karnataka.  He is considered a social reformer and spiritual teacher of the Banjara community.  His final resting place or Samadhi is situated at Pohradevi in Maharashtra’s Washim district, also known as Banjara Kashi. Key Takeaways Santh Sevalal Maharaj  was born on  15 February 1739  at Surgondankoppa in  Shivamogga...

Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple /  Image Credit Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple is a shrine at Yaganti of Banaganapalle mandal in the Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh. Located in the Erramala hills, the Yaganti is one of the most sacred places in the state. This Vijayanagar era temple is dedicated to Shiva. The Yaganti Temple is perhaps the only famous shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, where he is worshipped in the form of an idol, instead of Shiva Linga.  Nandi at the Yaganti Temple / Image credit The fact that the Nandi idol at the Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple is growing in size is a matter of debate among the historians and archaeologists.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently unveiled the statue of   Basavanna  or  Basava i n the premises of the Karnataka State Assembly. Basava was the founder of  Veerashaivism  or  Lingayatism,  an important  Shaivite  sect. This sect is famous more for its cult and social doctrines than for its theology, which is a “ qualified monism” . Basava was a minister of  King Bijala Kalchuri  who had founded a new dynasty after usurping the throne of the  Chalukyas of Kalyani  in A. D.  1156 .  Basava opposed idolatry. In Lingayatism the only scared symbol is the linga of Shiva, a specimen of which is always carried on the person of the believer.  Radical in his view, Basava completely rejected the Vedas and authority of the Brahmin class, and priesthood.   Apart from opposing pilgrimage and sacrifice he instituted complete equality among his followers, even to the equality of women who were permitted to ...

Born in 1883 at Patti (now in Tarn Taran district) in Punjab, Sohan Lal Pathak was a revolutionary who was hanged at the Mandalay Jail in Burma on 10 February 1916 for organizing an uprising against the British.  In 1901, Sohan Lal Pathak got married to Laksmi Devi who died after giving birth to their son who also died with a week of his birth.   Sohan Lal Pathak came in contact with Lala Lajpat Rai under whom he became the editor of an Urdu journal, Bande Mataram. Bande Mataram was being run by Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore.  Sohan Lal Pathak went to the USA in 1913 to join the Ghadar Party in California. He was the first revolutionary of the Ghadar Party who went to gallows outside India.

                                                                           Se Cathedral / Iamge Credit Located in Old Goa, Se Cathedra is one of the earliest churches of Goa. It was built to commemorate the conquest of the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque over  Ismail Adil Shah,  the ruler of Adilshahi dynasty of Bijapu, resulting in the annexation of the city of Goa into the Portuguese dominions  in February 1510.  Located on  India's western coast,  Goa continued to remain under Portuguese colonial rule until 1961 when it was annexed into India.  One of the largest churches in Asia, Se Cathedral is one of the finest specimens of Portuguese-Gothic architecture. The church is dedicated to St. Catherine.  It is part of th...