Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a testimony of the high standards seen in medieval Indian art

November 14, 2022

Around 25-30 km away from the Sariska National Park is a Shiva temple complex, which dates back to the 7th- 10th century CE, and was built by Maharajadhiraja Mathanadeva, a Pratihara feudatory ruler. Known as the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, the complex sits on a small isolated plateau top surrounded by ruinous...

Varadharaja Perumal Temple is one of the most sacred teerths for the Vaishnavites

November 7, 2022

Situated on the banks of the Vegavathy river, Kanchipuram, the city of temples, has seen the coming and going of the Pallavas, Cholas, later Pandyas, the Vijayanagara dynasty, the Carnatic kingdom, and lastly the British. Historically, the city was once a great centre of religion and education; a ghatikasthanam, which means a place for learning. The...

Sri Someswara temple reflects Chalukyan and Kakatiyan style of architecture

October 31, 2022

The beautifully sculpted Kakatiyan temples seen in Telengana are predominantly dedicated to Shiva, and they generally follow the Ekakuta, Trikuta, or Panchakuta plan. The sculptural art on the temple walls of this time gives us an idea of the socio-religious atmosphere of that era. A favourite theme in Kakatiyan temple...

Siddhesvara temple at barakar gives glimpses of early medieval Bengal temple architecture

October 24, 2022

Various murtis found from different parts of West Bengal, temples illustrations in manuscripts, and mentions of temples in 2 inscriptions (ref: Akshaykumar Maitreya, ed., Gauralekhamala, 1919) show beyond any doubts that once the landscape of West Bengal was dotted with a large number of temples that were dated from the...

Trilokinath temple in Himachal Pradesh

October 17, 2022

Trilokinath Temple is situated in Udaipur district, in Lahaul of Himachal Pradesh, and is around 45 km from Keylong, the district Headquarter of Lahaul and Spiti. The uniqueness of this beautiful early medieval temple is that the deity inside the sanctum is revered by both the Hindus and Buddhists. Hindus...

Airavestwara temple : The Chola marvel

October 10, 2022

The Imperial Cholas of South India hold the record for being the longest ruling dynasty in Indian history, and is one of the grandest empires that the country has ever seen. Historically their rule goes back into the pre-Christian era, and while there is no exact date of their origin,...

ALEXANDER NOT SO GREAT: WHEN HE MET THE FEARLESS INDIC WARRIORS OF INDIA

May 6, 2022

In terms of historical documentation or records, India acquires a more or less clear shape from the end of the seventh century BCE. At this time there was no single dominant ruling dynasty in north India, with some independent States holding sway. While the existing literature gives names of 16...

MATTER OF DEMOCRACY: ANCIENT INDIA HAD FUNCTIONING REPUBLICS

March 21, 2022

One topic that keeps coming into the limelight and is always followed by heated discussions is whether ancient India had a republican political system of administration or not. A deeper look into this topic brings forth some interesting facts. Ancient Indian political system was a mix of monarchial States, and...

Celebrating Sakti, The Feminine Principle

February 14, 2022

Worship of the feminine principle or Sakti, also variously termed as the Devi, Matrikas or Mother Goddesses, is considered as the oldest religion in the history of human civilization, and the worshippers are known as Saktas. Here the Devi is not limited to being just a consort of a male...

SWASTIKA: OUR CONTINUING LEGACY

September 28, 2021

Existence (asti) cannot be produced by non-existence (nasti). “Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.” - Carl Sagan The antiquity of swastika goes long back into history where it started its journey from the prehistoric era. It is a universal symbol seen in...