Indian History

Mehrangarh Fort / Image credit: Pexels Your lasting impression of Jodhpur is likely to be of the impressive Mehrangarh Fort, whose massive ramparts rise from a sheer-sided sandstone outcrop. As you pass through its arched gateways and imposing crenellated walls, it feels like stepping back into the medieval period. Jodhpur, the second-largest city in Rajasthan, was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, the Rathore ruler of Marwar. The city became the new capital of Marwar, replacing Mandore, the former capital of the Rathore rulers. Several places of interest around Jodhpur can be visited on a day trip. Among the most famous are the Hindu and Jain temples at Osian, about an hour's drive from Jodhpur. Mandore, located on the northern outskirts of the city, is another important attraction. It served as the capital of Marwar before Rao Jodha founded Jodhpur. Places of attractions  Mehrangarh Fort The quintessential medieval fort of Mehrangarh has stood tall for centuries in Jodhpur, epitomisi...

Qutb Minar Located in the Mehrauli area of Delhi, Qutb Minar stands within the Qutb complex which is a World Heritage Site. The complex brims with mosques, tombs, gateways and gardens.  Qutub-ud-din Aibak, founder of the Slave dynasty and the first Sultan of Delhi had initiated the construction of Qutb Minar. This massive 72.5 metre tower is named after him.  However, according to another school of thought, the monument gets its name from the famous Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, a disciple of Moinuddin Chisti who was the founder of the Chisti order in India. Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, popularly known as Qutub Sahib, is credited with the popularization of the Chisti order of Sufism in Delhi. His tomb is in Mehrauli.  The soaring Qutb Minar consists of five distinct storeys of which only the first level was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak before his death of a sudden fall from a horse while playing polo (chaugan). The structure was completed by later Muslim rulers includin...

Tirukkural (also known as the Kural ) is one of the Tamil literature’s greatest ethical works. The text consists of 1,330 couplets of seven words each arranged across 133 chapters. It is traditionally attributed to the poet-saint Tiruvalluvar , commonly known as Valluvar, who is thought to have lived in South India between fourth and sixth century. Composed nearly 2,000 years ago, Thirukkural is widely regarded as a secular tome that does not refer to any nation, society, language, race, religion or caste in the entire book. Hence, it is also called Ulaga Podhu Marai (the universal scripture). The three parts that the Thirukkural is divided into are aṟam (virtue), poruḷ (wealth) and inbam (love), aiming at attaining veedu ((liberation or moksha), Tirukkural is categorised under Pathinenkeezh Kanakku ‘ nools ’ (Eighteen Literary Works). Pathinenkeezh Kanakku is a collection of eighteen poetic works mostly created during the post Sangam period (between 100 and 500 CE).

Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir   is the most well known   Jain   temple in  New Delhi. It is located directly opposite the   Red Fort, at the intersection of Chandni Chowk and Netaji Subhas Marg.  Situted just near the Lal Quila Metro Station, t he temple is famed for an avian (Bird)   veterinary hospital which is situated   in a second structure behind the primary temple. It has come to be known as the Jain Birds Hospital.

Coins of Coin of Muiz ud din Qaiqabad / image credit Before his death in 1287, Delhi Sultanate ruler Balban of Slave Dynasty had nominated his grandson Kai Khusrav as his successor after his son Bughra Khan declined the offer (Bughra Khan  instead became an independent ruler of Bengal).  Kai Khusrav was the son of Muhammad (another son of Balban), who was killed in the fight with Mongols in 1285. But disregarding Balban’s wish, the nobles of the Slave dynasty (Mamluk dynasty) placed Kaiqubad (Qaiqabad), son of Bughra Khan, on the throne. Kaiqubad (Muiz-ud-din Qaiqabad), brought up under the watchful eyes of Balban, himself a strict disciplinarian, was seventeen when he became Sultan. He soon plunged himself into debauchery. Real power of the kingdom came into the hands of Nizam-ud-din, son-in-law of Fakhr-ud-din, the Kotwal of Delhi. Confusion and chaos reigned supreme. Nizam-ud-din was poisoned by Kaiqubad when the former hesitated to obey the latter's diktat to transf...

M uhammad Iqbal was an Urdu poet and lawyer. Born in Sialkot (now in Pakistan) on November 9, 1877, he was a great nationalist during early years of career writing the famous nationalist song: Sare Jahan se Accha, Hindositan hamara, but later on he voiced the idea of a separate Muslim state in the north-west India in his presidential address to the annual session of the Muslim League at Allahabad in 1930. It was this idea which later fructified and culminated in the creation of a separate Muslim state of Pakistan on August 14, 1947. Naturally enough, he is acclaimed as the father of the idea of Pakistan.  Muhammad Iqbal, also known as Allama Iqbal, died in Lahore in 1938.

January brings some of India’s most vibrant celebrations, as winter gives way to the first signs of a new agricultural and cultural cycle. From camel fairs and kite-filled skies to harvest festivals, classical dance and national celebrations, the month offers a remarkable glimpse into India's diverse traditions. Here are some of the festivals and fairs that make January an especially rewarding time to explore the country.  These festivals do not have definite dates and are moveable or flexible. Bikaner Camel Festival, Rajasthan image credit Celebrating the camel, the indispensable “ship of the desert” , the Bikaner Camel Festival opens with a spectacular procession of elaborately decorated camels. Adorned with colourful textiles, ornaments and traditional embellishments, the animals provide a striking spectacle against the historic landscape of Bikaner. The two-day celebration brings together camel competitions, folk music, dance and other traditional performances, showcasing the ...