Indian History

In ancient times Tibet was not an isolated region as it is today. It lay in the much frequented route from China and Nepal. Buddhism was introduced to Tibet by Srong-tsan Gampo, one of the most illustrious kings of Tibet in the seventh century AD.  Gampo was married to Princesses Wen Cheng from China and another Princess Bhrikuti from Nepal. It was under the influence of his two wives that he was attracted to Buddhism. In China and Nepal Buddhism had already made its mark. Gampo is credited with introducing in Tibet Indian alphabets. This was the beginning of a new culture and civilisation in that land. Many Buddhist from Tibet, as in the case of China, came to India. Buddhist monks from Tibet came to study at the universities of Nalanda, Vikramshila and Odantapuri. As a reciprocation, many Indian Buddhist visited Tibet. In the eighth century AD from Nalanda (a famous centre of learning in ancient Bihar) Buddhist monk Padmasambhava went to Tibet and succeeded in converting the land...

Talagirishwara temple at Panamalai / Image Credit Talagirishwara temple at Panamalai in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu was built by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II, popularly known as Rajasimha, who is also credited with   commisioning the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Kailasanatha Temple in Kanchipuram.  

Bamboo garden (Venuvana) at Rajagriha, the visit of Bimbisara / Image Credit Magadha was one of the 16 great kingdoms or mahajanapadas in India between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. Apart from Asmaka or Assaka , all the other fifteen mahajanpadas were located in Northern India.  Assaka was located in what is now present-day territory comprising Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.  The most remarkable king of the Haryanka dynasty of the Magadhan kingdom in the 6th century BC was Bimbisara , also known as Srenika . He ascended the throne in c 545 B.C. He was the first Indian ruler who conceived the idea of an extensive empire.  He embarked on a policy of imperialism by conquering the little kingdom of Anga which had its capital at Champa near modern Bhagalpur in Bihar. In ancient times, the port city of Champa was of substantial commercial significance. Though Anga was the only conquest of Bimbisara, he strengthened his position by matrimonial alliances with ot...

The Rath Yatra at famous Jagannath Temple began in Puri in Odisha today. This spectacular chariot festival (Rath Yatra) is celebrated for eight days at the temple. This revered annual event is held during Ashadh Shukla Paksha in the Hindu calendar month Asadh.  Images of Lord Jagannath, his sister Subhadra and brother Balbhadra are taken out in a procession in three immense chariots. Thousands of devotees pull these chariots to Gundicha Mandir, a temple 3 km away. After a week, the deities return to the main temple in a similar procession. The construction of the chariots begins in April.  The present Jagannatha Temple was built by Eastern Ganga ruler Anantavarman Chodagangadeva who had ruled for 72 years from 17 February 1078 to 1150. 

One of the most written-about and photographed of the monuments in the world, the Hawa Mahal ( Palace of Winds)  was built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh who was the grandson of Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur.  This iconic landmark is a five-storey ornamental facade of more than five hundred latticed-stone screened windows.

Buddhist Caves of Khambhalida / Image Credit Located in a spectacular landscape between Gondal and Virpur in the Rajkot district of Gujarat, Khambhalida is a famous archeological site containing 15 Buddhist caves dating to 4th-5th century AD. Out of these three are in good condition. The caves are cut in the limestone rock nestled in the both sides of a spring.   The main cave features a chaitya. Two large size sculptures of the Bodhisattvas on both sides of the chaitya are the masterpieces of Khambhalida. These Bodhisattvas are: Avalokitesvara (the Lord who Looks Down), also called Padmapani (the Lotus –Bearer) on right and Vajrapani on left. Vajrapani is considered the foe of evil and sin in Buddhism. Both the figures are surrounded by attendants. The Khambhalida caves were discovered by famous archeologist P. P. Pandya way back in 1958.    

Erradibba Buddhist Stupa Khammam, Telangana / Image Credit   22 km from Khammam town in the state of Telangana is situated the famous Buddhist destination of Nelakondapalli which boasts an imposing Maha Stupa. The place, where Buddhism was in a flourishing state in the bygone era, attracted scholars and philosophers from across South Asia in the ancient times. In the ancient times, Nelakondapalli was known for producing images of Buddha. Excavations at the site in 1970s, 80s and 90s have unearthed viharas, bronze idol of Buddha and other Buddhist relics dating back to 3rd and 4th century AD. A 3rd century Buddha statue from Nelakondapally was exhibited in Early Buddhist Art exhibition at The Met, New York, in 2023. This limestone Buddha statue in Abhaya Mudra  was unearthed during the 1977 excavation in a locality known as Erradibba between Nelakondapalli and Mujjigudem villages in Khammam district.