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?

What makes Pondicherry 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”!

India is dotted with many old British buildings – some grand and iconic like the Gateway of India, and some odd and quirky like the current Vivekananda memorial in Chennai that was once a British Ice House! 

If you visit the famous Vaikunta Perumal temple in Kanchipuram, you will see some wall panels depicting people with unmistakably oriental features. They may seem out of place at the temple, but these sculptures could very well be pointing to our Cambodian heritage! How? Read on to find out.  Between the 6th and 8th centuries CE, two dynasties were engrossed in a struggle for supremacy in South India: the Pallavas of Kanchipuram, who ruled most of Tamilnadu with parts of Andhra and Karnataka, and the Chalukyas of Vatapi who ruled most of Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra. Initially, it looked […]