Shahjahan, who ruled between the years 1628 and 1658, was the great Mughal Emperor who built the magnificent Red Fort of Delhi. But Shahjahan was neither the eldest son (he was the third) nor the son of the empress (his mother was one of the MANY wives of Emperor Jahangir). Not surprisingly, Shahjahan’s journey to the throne is a story of gory politics and intrigue. How exactly did he beat the odds to take over the Mughal throne?

Close your eyes and imagine a Hindu goddess. Any goddess. Parvathi, Lakshmi, Saraswathi... Did you see a beautiful, fair-skinned woman with a generous figure, dressed in a perfectly draped sari, and adorned with gorgeous jewellery? Who gave her this image? The credit for that goes to a painter from Kerala named Raja Ravi Varma, who lived in India between 1848 and 1906.

What makes Pondicherry (the modern Puducherry) special? The quaint French quarter? The nice beach? The well stocked bars? Yes, it has all of these. But it also has a special place in Indian history. Did you know that it was a refuge for Indian freedom fighters in the early 20th century? Pondicherry was French territory at that time, and patriots fighting for independence evaded the British police by quietly slipping into Pondicherry. The French and the British were never the greatest of friends. So, Pondicherry welcomed them in the spirit of “my enemy’s enemy is definitely  my friend”!