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.

Inside the Qutub Minar Complex is a very ornate doorway leading to the Qutub Minar – the Alai Darwaza. Did you know that it is believed to be the first true dome built in India?  First, a quick introduction to the man who built this structure – Alaudin Khilji. You may have heard of him – a heartless human, a ruthless king, an evil fanatic… There are many stories about his terrible doings. Some say these acts were political necessities, and others swear they were the product of a deranged mind. How much of it is true? This short video […]

Have you heard of Ashoka the Great? Of course you have. He was the powerful Mauryan King who ruled most of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, 2200 years ago. Ashoka  was also responsible for spreading Buddhism across large parts of Asia. Now, have you heard of James Prinsep? Perhaps not – unless you are a history buff. He is the man  who “discovered” Ashoka. You see, Ashoka left behind enormous information about his reign through inscriptions carved in stones, pillars and monuments. These inscriptions were in the Brahmi script, an ancient writing system which became obsolete by the 5th century CE. […]