Indian History

  Sati Burj Mathura Sati Burj  is a 17m high four-storey sandstone tower built in 1570 by Raja Bhagwan Das, the son of Jaipur ruler Behari Mal, to commemorate his mother’s sati (self-immolation on her husband’s funeral pyre). Mariam-uz-Zamani , sister of Bhagwan Das, was the chief consort of Mughal emperor Akbar and mother of Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor. In ancient India t he custom of Sati was   condemned by Banabhatta , also known as Bana, the court-poet of Harsha. During the Vijayanagar period, the Sati or Sahagaman was performed only by women belonging to higher strata of the society.  in 1821 Raja Ram Mohan had launched a Bengali weekly newspaper Sambad Kaumudi or “The Moon of the Intelligence” through which he started a campaign for the abolition of Sati.  The Bengal Sati Regulation which banned the Sati ( suttee ) practice in all jurisdictions of British India was passed on December 4, 1829 by the then Governor General of Fort Willim (Benga...

Chennakeshava temple of Aralaguppe / Image Credit Dedicated to Vishnu, the Chennakeshava temple of Aralaguppe is a Hoysala era shrine.  Located at the small town of Aralaguppe in the Tumkur district of Karnataka, the temple is located 60 km from the Hassan city. It was built in the middle of the 13th century by the Hoysala ruler Vira Someshwara (1235–1263 CE).  Dedicated to Vishnu, the Chennakeshava temple of Aralaguppe is a Hoysala era shrine.  Located at the small town of Aralaguppe in the Tumkur district of Karnataka, the temple is located 60 km from the Hassan city. It was built in the middle of the 13th century by the Hoysala ruler Vira Someshwara (1235–1263 CE). 

Yoga Narasimha Temple at Melukote / Image Credit Built during the Hoysala period, Yoga Narasimha Temple at Melukote in the Mandya district of Karnataka is a sacred shrine for the Hindus. Hoysalas were a powerful south Indian dynasty which ruled from 11th to 14th century AD. Standing on a hill at a height of 1777 metres above the sea level, the shrine  is dedicated to the Narasimha, incarnation of Vishnu. Tradition has it that the idol of Narsimha in this temple was installed by Prahalad, the pious son of the demon Hiranyakasipu.  Hiranyakasipu had obtained a boon from Brahma ensuring that he could not be killed either by day or night by god, man or beast. As Hiranyakasipu was now safeguarded he began persecuting gods and men, including Prahalad who called on Vishnu for help. Then Vishnu took the form of Narsimha (half man and half lion) and slewed the demon.  The ascent to the temple is by a flight of 300 steps. The panoramic views of surrounding landscape as well as reli...

The Twin Temples of Mosale  / Image Credit Built during the Hoysala reign in the 13th century AD, Nageshvara-Chennakeshava Temple complex of Mosale (10 km from the Hassan city) houses two nearly identical shrines dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva.  Nageshvara temple at Mosale / Image Credit Located on the Hassan-Mysore road in the Hassan district, the temples of Nageshvara and Chennakeshava are now under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and known for their sculptured decoration.  

Raja Mahal Orchha / Image Credit Founded in 1531 by the Bundela Chieftain, Rudra Pratap Singh, Orchha, which literary translates into ‘hidden place’, is one of Madhya Pradesh’s greatest treasures. This historic small town on the Betwa River boasts its assembly of magnificent monuments in the form of beautiful palaces, temples and royal chhatris (cenotaphs) built along the banks of the Betwa river in the memory of Bundela Kings.  History of Orchha Kingdom Orchha kingdom was ruled by the Bundela Rajputs. In 1531, Rudra Pratap Singh was succeeded by his son, Bharatichand, who died without leaving an heir in 1554 and was in turn succeeded by his younger brother, Madhukar Shah who considerably extended the limits of his kingdom.  During their reigns Bharatichand and Madhukar Shah (reigned 1554 A.D. – 1591 AD ) had to contend Afghan ruler and Sher Shah’s son Islam Shah Suri (r. 1545–53) and the Mughal emperor Akbar. Madhukar Shah was the patron of Hindi poet Keshavdas. Chaturbhuj T...

Zaibunissa Palace / Image Credit Mughal princess Zeb-un-Nisa was the eldest child of sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. She was a poetess of considerable merit and wrote under the pen name of Makhfi (meaning Hidden One in Persian). She produced a brilliant collection of beautiful poems which were published after her death in 1702 as Diwan-i-Makhfi. Born in 1738 in Daulatabad in Deccan, Zeb-un-Nisa seems to be antithetical to what Auranzeb stood for.  Strained relationship between Zeb-un-Nisa and Aurangzeb had led the father to imprison the daughter for the last 20 years of her life at Salimgarh Fort which lies adjacent to the Red Fort  in Delhi. Her grandfather, the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, had betrothed her to Sulaiman Shikoh, the eldest son of Dara Shikoh, elder brother of Aurangzeb. The marriage, however, did not take place. This is because as soon as Shah Jahan fell ill in September, 1657, it sparked a deadly war of succession among his four sons – Dara Shikoh, Shuja,...

Barabati Fort / Image Credit Steeped in history, Barabati Fort is one of the principal visitor attractions in Odisha.  Barabati Fort , Cuttack/ I mage Credit  Situated on the bank of Mahanadi river, this famous fort casts its historical shadow against the natural surroundings, and both history and nature blend into a rich, seamless harmony. Barabati Fort was built by King Anangabhima Deva III of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in 1229. Anangabhima III had dedicated his kingdom to Lord Purushottama Jagannath and proclaimed himself as the deputy (Routa) of the divinity of Puri. He had founded the city of Cuttack in the 13th century.