Recently, I had the good fortune to revisit Siem Reap after 15 years! The city has changed and expanded, many new hotels and resorts have come up, and it has a brand-new Airport. However, when I visited the Angkor, it Read More …
Category: History & Heritage
The temple architecture of ancient Kalinga
Going back to roots Whenever I go back to the town I grew up in, a sense of bewilderment envelops me. The tentacles of modernisation and commercialisation have turned my sleepy town in to a city of bustle and busy, Read More …
How to create a Heritage Corner in your home
Want to create a heritage corner in your home? Here are a few tips. We spent a few years in South Africa. When we came back to India, we created a small corner which we named as our ‘Africa corner’. Read More …
Ancient temples – home to demigods and celestial beings
Ancient temples – Tales of ancient society sculpted in stone The ancient temples of India are no less than a history book. The intricate stone carving and sculptures tell us about the social customs that existed a thousand or more Read More …
The Wild Trees of India – Inseparable part of our identity
Knowing our trees – knowing our roots Recently I read Independence, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, a wonderful novel about three sisters. The story is set at the time of partition, in rural Bengal. Apart from the beautiful characters of the Read More …
Mural and Fresco painting of Madhya Pradesh
A recent trip to Gwalior, Jhansi and Orchha in the heartland of India was enriching in many ways. It is a land of forts and palaces, that gives testimony of our glorious history. However, while visiting the forts and listening Read More …
Bengal and it’s ever evolving fashion
সময়টা উনবিনশ শতাব্দী, ঘটে গেছে তুমুল আমূল পরিবর্তন সর্বস্তরে। রাজনৈতিক স্তরে ভারতীয় জাতীয়তাবোধের জন্ম । National Congressএর প্রতিষ্ঠা ১৮৮৫। সামাজিক স্তরে ইয়ং বেঙ্গল আন্দোলন, যুগান্তকারি আইনসমূহ, নারীশিক্ষার অগ্রগতি ও বিকাশ।সাহিত্যগত স্তরে একটা আলালের ঘরের দুলাল বা একটা হুতোম প্যাঁচার নকশা Read More …
A Glimpse of Bengal – A melting pot of humanity
The amazing landscape Crowned by the Himalayas, criss-crossed by the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta and caressed by the sea, the geography of Bengal spans an expanse, two-thirds of which forms Bangladesh and one-third is West Bengal in India. The advancement of civilisation Read More …
Nandi – The disciple of Shiva
Nandi, the Bull shaped disciple of Lord Shiva is the head of Ganas and is a symbol of strength and virility. The Vayu Purana states that Nandi is the son of Kasyapa and Surabhi. Other Vedic texts point to Nandi Read More …
In a village of artists – Dokra from Odisha
The winter chill was in the air and we had set off from Bhubaneswar, after a heavy Indian breakfast, for a tribal village near Dhenkanal, called Sadei Berani, famous for Dokra creations. The journey had tugged at my heart strings Read More …