Heritage off the map
The first time I saw Sreedhar, he made a peculiar gesture – of sniffing at me. When I asked him the reason, he said he was making sure that I was not wearing any ‘scent’, in his parlance. It was
The Bundela Baolis of Datia
Medieval baolis – or stepwells – are so much a part of daily life in Datia that most people don’t think of them as heritage sites. For people like Bhanu, who lives on the outskirts of the town, the day
A chance encounter with medieval art
The ambience of art galleries is usually made up of sanitized halls, soft instrumental music and elegant flower arrangement. There is a person to walk you through the subtle features of each composition and if you are a special guest,
In a sanctuary of faith
The inner sanctum of the Narayana temple was cloaked in impenetrable darkness. That did not deter the elderly priest from walking swiftly past me, his eyes either better accustomed to the dark or his soul more enlightened to see the
Sufi island stands on an ancient site
Thanesar is a bit confusing to a first-time visitor. For one thing, it is quite impossible to understand when the temple town of Kurukshetra has gone past and when Thanesar has begun, so closely intertwined are the alleys and lanes
Dholavira: A monument to foresight
The drive from Bhuj to Dholavira takes a little over four hours. Gradually, the browns and greens of the countryside give way to the white sands of the Rann, broken occasionally by the colourful attire of passing Rabari or Ahir
A journey to Crow Hill
‘Kauwa Dol’ must be the most interesting name for a heritage site anywhere in the country. But beyond the name, the heritage tucked away at this site must rank alongside Bihar’s finest. Kauwa Dol is a study in contrasts –
Lasting Faith in Kanpur Temple
It is a curious observation that several villages in Uttar Pradesh have ‘Bujurg’ suffixed to their names? Kushinagar district has a Rampur Bujurg and a Pipra Bujurg, there exists a Bisanda Bujurg in Banda, a Bistauli Bujurg in Gorakhpur –
A Graveyard in Kalpi
A journey south-west from Lucknow towards Jhansi is a bit like going into a different universe. Once Lucknow and Kanpur are left behind, there are no more large cities, the greens and browns of the countryside become the dominating colours,
Hidden Heritage in Kanpur Rural
This Hidden heritage story will take readers beyond known sites, plunging deep into the Kanpur rural countryside. These sites are either a mystery to locals or are unprotected by the ASI. To make journeys safer and better planned, a series of