BIHAR’S BOROBUDUR
If an average person in Patna were asked about the Kesariya stupa, chances are that the person would be entirely unaware of it or at best would have a vague idea of it being located in the state. Unless they were history buffs. By rights, the gigantic
BOLLYWOOD IN A MUGHAL SARAI
The glitzy world of Indian film-making, especially of the Bollywood variety is far removed from the Mughal empire. No, never mind the peculiar portrayals of emperors and their lives in movies, but the real thing. Where the Mughals set best into movies is in a less active
THE TEMPLES OF MORENA – iii: HIDDEN GEMS
When I first visited the Morena region nearly fifteen years ago, with a focus on the sites of Mitaoli, Padhawali, Bateshwar and Kakanmath, those sites were little-known. Today, while those four see plenty of visitors, not just from nearby Gwalior but also from the national capital, it
THE TEMPLES OF MORENA – ii: PADHAWALI, KAKANMATH
The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Morena is a picture of heavily armed dacoits galloping through the Chambal badlands. Given the area’s past history of dacoit infestation, that picture is natural. But as seen in Mitaoli, there another face to the district
the temples of morena – I: mitaoli
It was in the monsoon of 2006 that I first made the journey to Mitaoli. Back then, the drive from Gwalior took longer, parts of the road’s last stretch resembled Balakot after an IAF visit, the destination could not be found on GPS and few locals had
Memories of a Forgotten History
Readers may wonder how the heritage of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, a favoured family destination just outside Bhubaneshwar can qualify as ‘hidden’? Sadly, while hundreds of people converge on these stunning sites over a weekend, few recognize their value and importance in being able to trace a most
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 'khatarnak’ (dangerous) was his view. As a
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 begins each morning with him pumping water
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, the artist would himself turn curate for
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 Lord where I could not. A moment