Indian History

With such a great number of archaeological sites dotting the landscape of India, it is not easy task to pinpoint top ten places to visit in the country. Here are 10 of the best medieval archaeological sites in India worth visiting, selected for their historical importance, architectural splendour and archaeological significance. Hampi, Karnataka   Virupaksha Temple in Hampi | Photo Credit: John Gollings If you are in a need to improve your mind in the contemplation of old stones, Hampi, capital of the powerful Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagara("City of Victory") on the Tungabhadra River, is well endowed to satisfy to the grosser appetites. Hampi was the focal point of the golden age of the Vijayanagara Empire. Any traveler visiting India will be blown away by Hampi history. Thought the city was mercilessly sacked by the marauding armies of the Muslim Sultanates of Deccan after their coalition defeated the de facto ruler of Vijayanagara, Ram Raja, in the famous battle of Talikot...

Here are ten ancient archaeological sites in India that deserve a place on every history enthusiast's travel list. Ajanta Caves — Maharashtra Located approximately 100 km northeast of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad ) in Maharashtra, the world-famous Ajanta Caves comprise 30 numbered rock-cut Buddhist caves excavated into the steep rock face of a horseshoe-shaped gorge overlooking the Waghora River. The caves include chaityas (prayer halls) and viharas (monasteries). Their excavation began around the 2nd century BCE and continued in a later phase, mainly during the 5th century CE. The magnificent sculptures and exquisite paintings that adorn the Ajanta Caves make them among the most remarkable monuments of ancient Indian art. The murals depict episodes from the life of the Buddha and stories from the Jatakas, which recount his previous births. They also provide valuable insights into the religious beliefs, social life and artistic achievements of ancient India. Amon...

Bagh Caves are one of the five new additions to UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage for India. The Bagh caves comprise a group of 9 rock-cut Buddhist caves located on the southern slope of the Vindhyan range at the banks of the Baghni river in western Madhya Pradesh.  Painting was a highly developed art in ancient India, as testified by the celebrated cave paintings of Ajanta. The murals at the Bagh Caves provide further evidence of the high artistic achievements of ancient Indian painters. Located in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, the Bagh Caves are renowned for their remarkable wall paintings. These caves were developed around the 4th and 6th century CE. Among the notable works of art at Bagh is a painting depicting a procession of elephants. Some experts have considered this painting particularly impressive, even comparing it favourably with the paintings at Ajanta. Bagh caves are the only outcrop of sandstone in an otherwise basaltic region, a significant factor which...

A ninth-century CE sculpture depicting Gajalakshmi , associated with the Rashtrakuta period, has been found at Yanagandla village in Kulcharam mandal of Medak district in Telangana. Gajalakshmi is a form of Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess associated with wealth, prosperity, fertility and good fortune. The word combines gaja (elephant) and Lakshmi. The Rashtrakuta dynasty ruled large parts of southern India for more than two centuries.  The black granite sculpture is particularly significant because it combines the image of Goddess Lakshmi with a depiction of scene of Samudra Manthan (the churning of the ocean by gods and demons) above the goddess, while its reverse side features a 12-armed Shiva-Nataraja, performing the Ananda Tandava, or the dance of bliss, with Brahma and Vishnu seated on either side, with their hands folded. Goddess Gajalakshmi is depicted seated in Padmasana (the lotus posture), holding lotus flowers in both hands, while elephants on either side anoint her....

  Ratnagiri, Odisha Q.1. Which of the following foreign travellers was the first to visit India? (a) Fa-Hien  (b) Hiuen Tsang (c) Megasthenes (d) I-Tsing Q.2. The third Buddhist council was held under whose patronage? (a) Kanishka (b) Ashoka (c) Bimbisar (d) Ajatashatru  Q.3. The capital of Kanishka was : (a) Purushapura (b) Benares (c) Pataliputra (d) Sarnath Q.4. The official court language of the Guptas was (a) Pali (b) Magdhi (c) Prakrit (d) Sanskrit Q.5. Buddhism was introduced in Nepal during the reign of  (a) Kanishka (b) Ashoka (c) Chandragupta (d) Harshavardhana Answers 1. c Megasthenes came to India between 302 BCE and 288 BCE, during the reign of the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya as an ambassador of Seleucus Nicator.  Fa-Hien (Faxian) came to India between 399 CE and 414 CE, during the reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II . Hiuen Tsang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, and traveler who visited India in the first half of the 7th ...

  Q.1. Which ruler is mentioned in the Hathigumpha inscription? (a) Yasovarman (b) Pulakeshin II  (c) Kharavela (d) Gautamiputra Satakarni Q.2. St. Thomas is believed to have come to India to spread Christianity during the reign of which ruler? (a) Cheras (b) Parthians (c) Pandyas (d) Cholas Q.3. During the reign of which Gupta ruler did the Chinese traveller Fa-Hien visit India? (a) Chandra Gupta I (b) Chandra Gupta II (c) Samudra Gupta (d) Kumara Gupta Q.4. Who was the author of Kadambari? (a) Banabhatta (b) Harshavardhana (c) Bhavabhuti (d) Vakpati  Q.5. Pulakesin II was the greatest ruler of which dynasty? (a) Cholas  (b) Pallavas of Kanchi  (c) Chalukyas of Kalyani (d) Chalukyas of Badami Q.6. To which clan did Gautama Buddha belong? (a) Gnathrika (b) Maurya (c) Sakya (d) Licchavi Q.7. The Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram bear witness to the art patronised by which dynasty? (a) Pandyas (b) Pallavas (c) Cholas (d) Chalukyas Q.8. The caves and rock-cut temples ...

Samprati Q.1. Who among the following Mughal emperors was known as "Rangila"? (a) Jahangir  (b) Shah Jahan (c) Muhammad Shah (d) Alamgir II Q.2. Which Mughal ruler’s naked corpse was thrown onto the banks of the Yamuna River by his wazir, Imad-ul-Mulk? (a) Alamgir II (b) Jahandar Shah  (c) Farrukhsiyar (d) Muhammad Shah Q.3. Which Mughal ruler was put to death by his successor Farrukhsiyar in 1713? (a) Jahandar Shah (b) Ahmad Shah Bahadur (c) Alamgir II (d) Shah Alam II  Q.4. Who was the first Mauryan ruler to convert to Jainism? (a) Chandragupta Maurya (b) Bimbisara (c) Ashoka (d) Sampriti Q.5. Which Chola ruler conquered northern Sri Lanka and made it a Chola province? (a) Parantaka Chola II (b) Rajaraja Chola I  (c) Rajendra Chola I (d) Uttam Chola Answers: 1. c 2. a Alamgir II (reign 1754–1759), the Mughal emperor, was assassinated in 1759 on the orders of his powerful minister, Imad-ul-Mulk. His naked corpse was reportedly thrown dawn the banks of the Yamuna Riv...

  Name of Birendra Krishna Bhadra is inseparably linked with Mahalaya which marks the transition from Pitru Paksha , traditionally devoted to remembering ancestors, to Devi Paksha , associated with the worship of the Goddess Durga.  The dawn programme Mahishasuramardini, broadcast on Mahalaya morning, and the recitation of the Chandi in Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s voice have become virtually synonymous with each other. For many Bengali households, listening to Mahishasuramardini before dawn is an annual ritual. Birendra Krishna Bhadra was born in 1905 in Ahiritola, in what is now North Kolkata. His father, Rai Bahadur Kalikrishna Bhadra, was a linguist by profession, and his mother was Sarala Devi. Birendra Krishna Bhadra received his early education in Sanskrit from his grandmother, Yogamaya Devi. Blessed with an exceptional memory, Birendra Krishna astonished everyone by reciting the Chandi at just eight years of age. He attended Scottish Church College but completed his Ba...

Image credit Contesting Candidates for Rejinagar Bye Election 2026    Party Candidates Votes   BJP Shankharavh Sarkar  129914   Won AJUP Golam Nabi Azad 54098   Congress Abdullahil Kafi 6168   Mamata All India Trinamool Congress Rabiul Alam Chowdhury  3847   CPI(M) Md Sayeed  3797   Background  Rejinagar is one of the 22 Assembly constituencies in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. It comprises the entire Beldanga-II Community Development Block and the Kapasdanga, Begunbari and Mirjapur-I gram panchayats of Beldanga-I Community Development Block. Established in 2011 following delimitation, Rejinagar is one of the seven Assembly segments of the Baharampur (Berhampore) Lok Sabha constitu...

  Set amid the spectacular landscapes of the Garhwal Himalayas, Kedarnath is a destination of immense religious significance for Hindu pilgrims and spiritual seekers. Surrounded by towering Himalayan peaks, the sacred town is home to the Kedarnath Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva. Located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand at an altitude of approximately 3,580 metres above sea level, Kedarnath forms one of the four pilgrimage destinations of Uttarakhand's Char Dham circuit, along with Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.  The temple at Badrinath enshrines a black stone image of Lord Vishnu, worshipped as Badrinath. Located at an elevation of about 3,133 metres (10,279 ft) on the banks of the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand, Badrinath is one of the four major pilgrimage sites of the Char Dham, attracting large numbers of pilgrims every year. The other three sites are Rameswaram in the south, Dwarka in the west and Puri in the east. Dhari Devi...

Kuruma Archaeological Site / Image Credit About 8 km from the famed Sun Temple at Konark, the ancient Buddhist archaeological site of Kuruma  in the Puri district is located in the sleepy village of Jama Dharma in Odisha.  Kuruma Archaeological Site 1 / Image credit Among the most interesting discoveries from Kuruma is an image of a crowned Buddha seated in the Bhumisparsha Mudra, known as the " Earth Witness Gesture ".  In this famous gesture, the Buddha touches the ground with his right hand, calling upon the Earth to witness his triumph over the temptations and distractions of the supernatural Mara , the demon of illusion. Mara is best known for his temptation of the historical Buddha.

  Manasa Devi / Image credit One of the distinctive traditional festivals of Bishnupur in the Bankura district of West Bengal is Jhapan , a festival associated with the worship of Goddess Manasa , the serpent deity. Traditionally regarded in Bengal as the goddess of snakes, Manasa is also associated with protection from snakebites, fertility, rainfall and agricultural prosperity. Jhapan therefore reflects both the religious traditions surrounding Manasa worship and the agrarian culture of western Bengal. Observed during the month of Shravan, the festival features prayers and songs in praise of Manasa as well as performances by traditional snake handlers. They display live snakes, including cobras and pythons, often carrying them in traditional bamboo baskets known as jhapis . The festival is particularly noted for its snake-handling demonstrations and attracts visitors to Bishnupur. Jhapan has a long association with the cultural traditions of the former Malla kingdom of Mallab...

Madhukeshwar temple at  Banavasi / Image Credit   1. Who was the founder of the Kadamba dynasty? A. Mayurasharma B. Krishnavarma I C. Kakusthavarma D. Ravivarma 2. Which of the following was the capital of Kadambas? A. Badami B. Banavasi C. Kalyani D. Talakad 3. Which inscription is important for information about Mayurasharma and the early Kadamba dynasty? A. Talagunda inscription B. Aihole inscription C. Hathigumpha inscription D. Besanagar inscription 4. Which of the following is home to the famous Madhukeshwara temple? A. Banavasi  B. Badami C. Manyakheta D. Kalyani 5. The Gudnapur inscription, mentioning a temple for Manmatha, is associated with which Kadamba ruler? A. Mayurasharma B. Krishnavarma I C. Kakusthavarma D. Ravivarma Satavahana Empire Quiz Satavahana Empire Quiz

During the British colonial period, English acquired an increasingly important position in India, particularly in administration, education and public life. Even after India attained independence in 1947, the question of the status of Hindi and its place among the country’s official languages remained a contentious issue. Against this backdrop, Purushottam Das Tandon, popularly known as Rajarshi, is remembered for his prominent role in advocating Hindi and promoting its use in public life. Tandon’s strong advocacy of Hindi and the Devanagari script sometimes drew criticism from his opponents, some of whom accused him of being communal and chauvinistic. However, his contribution to the promotion of Hindi was significant. He was a leading advocate of Hindi in the debates over India’s language policy during the freedom struggle and the early years of independence. During his student days he joined Indian National congress in 1899. After being expelled from Muir Central College of the Alla...