Indian History

  The 13th century Ananta Vasudeva Temple in Bhubaneswar was built by Eastern Ganga princess Chandrika who was the daughter of Anangabhima III and sister of Narasimha I, the last great ruler of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.   View of Ananta Vasudeva Temple from Bindu Sagar Lake / Image Credit:  Sarba

Located on a beautiful hill top on the northern outskirts of Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, the Enchey monastery commands spectacular views of the town and the Kanchenjunga peak. Established in 1909, it is the seat of the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Tradition has it that the famous tantric and lama Lama Druptob Karpo who had acquired flying power actually flew here from Maenam hill in South Sikkim and built a hermitage here for performing meditation. Enchey monastery's prayer hall is adorned with beautiful murals and houses a statue of Buddha as well as other Tantric statues.  You can see the monks performing prayers and traditional rituals. The Enchey monastery is at its exuberant best during its Chaam dance also known as the mask dance usually held in December.  Only lamas can participate in Chaam.  How to reach Enchey monastery Air: Bagdogra, 9 km west of Siliguri in West Bengal, is the nearest airport to Enchey monastery and is some 124 km away from Enchey monastery. F

Located in the Gaya district of Bihar and close to Rajgir, Jethian occupies a place of great prominence among the spots associated with the life of the Buddha.  Known as Lathivana in Pali and Yasthivana in Sanskrit in ancient times, Jethian is the place where the Buddha met the ruler of Magadh, Bimbisara, after the former became enlightened at Bodh Gaya in the 6th century BC.  The Buddhist texts say that Gautama Buddha was heading towards Rajgir from Gayasisa (Brhmayoni) to share his experience with Bimbisara as promised by the former before his enlightenment. As soon as the Magadhan ruler got the news of Buddha’s coming, he along with his retinue of ministers and people of Rajgir left his capital to welcome Buddha at Jethian. Here Buddha delivered a sermon to Bimbisara on the non-existence of soul and the transience of worldly objects.  It was from Jethian that the Buddha and his followers were escorted by King Bimbisara through Jethian-Rajgir Valley to Rajgir, where the King offered

B India’s greatest contribution to the world is Buddhism. With over 5,000 years of history encompassing the most wonderful ancient history in the world, few countries boast as much as India for historical sites, peerless treasures, and mystical intrigue.   Attractions in Kolkata, Capital of West Bengal India’s capital until 1911, Kolkata comes lauded as the self proclaimed intellectual capital of the country. Teeming with the relics of the colonial past, this once showpiece capital of the British is one of the largest cities in India and fiercely loved by its inhabitants. Those visiting the city are highly rewarded thanks to the some of the fine attractions including Victoria Memorial, St. Paul Cathedral Church and Indian Museum . Victoria Memorial Your lasting impression of Kolkata will be of the impressive the Victoria Memorial. A perfect example of Indo-Sarsenic architecture, this iconic landmark of white marble houses several galleries displaying Raj memorabilia as well a

Every year on April 18th, International Day for Monuments and Sites (IDMS), popularly known as World Heritage Day, is celebrated. ‘ Heritage Changes ’ is the  theme of World Heritage Day 2023.   In  1982 , the  International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)  announced  18 April  as World Heritage Day.  This was approved by the  General Assembly of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1983 , to enhance awareness about the importance of cultural heritage, and monuments and conserving them. World Heritage sites The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)  has a total of 1,154 monuments designated as world heritage sites from all over the world. Apart from  India  only  Italy, Spain, Germany, China  and  France  have  40  or more World Heritage sites. Telangana's  13th-century Ramappa Temple  and the Harappan city of  Dholavira  in the Bhachau

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 public wells and tanks. In  1928  he organized temple entry movement named   Parvati temple sat

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 when the Mughal empire was trying to exterminate the Sikhs. The Sarbat Kh