Indian History

                                                                 Gate entry to Adilabad Fort Situated southeast of the massive Tughlaqabad Fort, on the opposite side of the Badarpur -Mehrauli road, the relatively unknown Adilabad fort is referred to by historians as the fourth fort of Delhi, the others being Red Fort, Old Fort and Tughlaqabad Fort. Adilabad fort has for long been in the shadows of Tughlaqabad Fort which was built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq , the founder of the Tughluq dynasty, the third of the five dynasties, the combination of which went on to be called the Delhi Sultanate. Adilabad fort, on its part, was built by his son Juna Khan, better known as Muhammad bin Tughluq , who succeeded his father in 1325. 

Shah Jahan III / Image credit Born Muhi ul-Millat, Shah Jahan III was a Mughal Emperor for a brief period from December 1759 to October 1760. His father was Muhi us-Sunnat who was the son of Aurangzeb’s youngest son, Muhammad Kam Bakhsh.  Muhi ul-Millat was raised to the throne as Shah Jahan III by the Mughal Vizier Ghaziuddin Khan Feroz Jung III, popularly known as Imad-ul-Mulk on whose orders the previous Mughal emperor Alamgir II was put to death on 29th November 1759. Shah Jahan III was later deposed by the Marathas who now placed Shah Alam II on the throne. 

The power of the Chola dynasty reached its pinnacle during the reigns of Rajendra Chola (1014- 1042) and his father Rajaraja I (985-1014). Rajendra Chola was the worthy son and successor of his father. Though he succeeded to the Chola throne in 1014, his regal years are counted from 1012 AD when he was declared heir-apparent. By his military prowess and administrative skill, Rajendra Chola raised the Chola power to the zenith of glory. Probably in 1017 AD, he conquered the whole of Sri Lanka, the northern part of which was already annexed to the Chola empire during the reign of his father Rajaraja I. In the next year (1018 AD) Rajendra Chola forced the rulers of Kerala and the Pandyan country to accept the suzerainty of the Cholas. He defeated the Western Chalukya power under Jayasimha II Jagadekamalla (c. 1016-42). Rajendra also came in conflict with the Pala ruler of Bengal, Mahipala I, and his armies spread their victorious wings as far as the Ganges. To commemorate this daring vict

Map showing the greatest extent of the Chola empire c. 1030 under Rajendra Chola I / Image Source Cholas, one of the three major ruling dynasties of the Tamil Country during the Sangam period (between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D.), were reduced to the dustbin of obscurity by the Pallavas, only to rise once again in the mid 9th century AD and rule for some 300 years the Coromandel Coast and much of south India and as far as Sri Lanka and the Maldive Islands. During this period the Cholas came to be called Imperial Cholas because they managed to bring large swath of territory under their influence.  The founder of the Imperial Chola line was Vijayalaya who is credited to have restored the lost glory of ancient Cholas sometime before in 850 AD. A feudatory of the Pallava rulers, Vijayalaya captured Thanjavur from the Mutharaiyar chieftains who held sway in these parts of Tamil Nadu until the rise of the Chola power in the mid-9th century AD. He made Thanjavur his capital wher

image source Indasala Cave or Indrasala Cave in Bihar is identified with a cave set at the base of a cliff of sheer rocks in the Giriyek Mountain in the midst of a serene and tranquil landscape.  Located to the east of Rajgir,  Indasala Cave is a famed Buddhist site  where the Buddha is said to have delivered one of his most thought provoking sermons recorded in the Sakkapanha Sutta.  According to the Buddhist accounts, Sakka, an inquisitive person who was searching answers for his questions, came to the cave where the Buddha stayed for some time and asked his forty-two questions which were fittingly answered by the Buddha.   It was during his stay at Indasala Cave that the Buddha uttered verses 206, 207 and 208 of the beautiful Pali text, Dhammapada (Verses on the Virtues). Added to this, the Indasala Cave also played host to Buddhasrijnana, the famous commentator on the Guhyasamaja Tantra.  Another prime attraction of the area is the Hansa Stupa, located on the top of the Giriyak Mou

                                                       Pilak Buddhist Stupa / Image Source Pilak in South Tripura is an archeological site of immense significance to Buddhism which flourished here from the 8th to the 12th century AD. The excavations at the site have unearthed a fair amount of ancient Buddhist sculptures and artefacts including a stupa, statues of Buddha in meditation and Avalokiteśvara. Located close to the Bangladesh border, Pilak is an extension of Buddhist sites of Bangladesh and Burma and formed part of the Samatat kingdom in ancient Bengal. The area has been referred to the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang who visited this area during 637-39 AD.  Today Pilak attracts thousands of Buddhists from across the world and is fast emerging an important Buddhist pilgrimage site in India. You can also find a colossal image of Hindu god Surya in a standing posture holding lotus in Pilak.  How to Reach Pilak Air: The nearest airport to Pilak is at Tripura's capital Agartala wh

                                           Buddhist Monastery ruins, Poompuhar / Image Credit 40 km from Chidambram town in the state of Tamil Nadu, Kaveripattinam, now a fishing village in the Mayiladuthurai district, was a great city and the chief port of the Chola empire in ancient India. It had an artificial harbour which was built by soldiers captured by the great Chola ruler Karikala on a raid on Sri Lanka. The greatness of Kaveripattinam finds mention in the great ancient Tamil epics of Silappathikaram (Jewelled Anklet) and Manimekalai. Manimekalai was written by the poet Seethalai Saathanar, who was a Buddhist. The heroine of Manimekalai, Manimegalai, is the daughter of Kovalan, the son of a wealthy merchant of the city of Kaveripattinam. Her mother was Madavi, a dancer who became a Buddhist nun on hearing of Kovalan’s death. Manimegalai also became a Buddhist nun. Kaveripattinam (currently Poompuhar), also known as Puhar in ancient India, is home to the ruins of a 4th-5th