Description
Our fourth anniversary issue covers the National Museum in New Delhi. We take you back to the early days of Kolkata, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Saraswati Pooja. This issue also includes articles on the sun temple at Modhera and the fabulous finds at Kandhar. This issue has features on the Nilgiri biosphere, the Indo-Bactrian coins, the Sharada script all written by experts in the field. From the subtleties of Kuchipudi dances, to the intricacies of Bidri ware to a deeper understanding of the story behind the Indian national anthem, we give you a glimpse into Indian heritage!
To understand the true magic and complexity of nature in the wild, it is worth exploring the dynamics that keep alive the southern Indian safari circuit of the Nilgiri biosphere, which spreads across three southern states and is centred around Nagarhole, Kabini and Bandipur.
Samir Madhani
Celebrating a centenary, the Indian National Anthem- Jana Gana Mana… has a special history that went into its making.
Lopamudra Maitra
The Indo-Bactrian Greeks were the first to introduce written inscriptions on coins. This has helped not only in the reconstruction of their history but also influenced later indigenous traditions that adopted the metrology and coin manufacturing techniques from them.
Amiteshwar Jha
A hundred and five kilometres away from Ahmedabad lies Modhera, home to an exquisitely crafted Sun Temple that delights the aesthetic senses, stimulates historical curiosity and inspires feelings for the divine.
Atula Gupta
An art form that evolved from the basic human need to tell stories, Kuchipudi is now renowned around the world for its grace and inventiveness.
Madhavi Puranam
A brief history of the work of Sir William Jones and the foundation of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta.
Suchira Roychoudhury
The famous Bengali saying ‘Banglir baro mashe tero parbon’, which literally translates to ‘12 months in a year of a Bengali brings 13 festivals’, aptly describes the cultural ethos of Bengal where year round festivals have become a part and parcel of a Bengali’s life.
Ranadeep Bhattacharyya & Judhajit Bagchi
Sharada is one of the oldest scripts used for written communication, and texts written in it explain much about the civilisations of north India.
Malhar Kulkarni
An ancient art, using techniques that still baffle scientists, Bidriware has emerged as a distinctive craft that is famed for its intricacy and exclusiveness.
Meera Iyer
Was Kolkata just a colonial city founded by Job Charnok, out of the fusion of three insignificant villages of Kolikata, Sutanati and Govindapur in the late 19th century? Or does the story of this vibrant city go back even further into the past? Here is piecing together of its story…
Kaushik Gangopadhyay
Though Kandhar today is a small town in the district of Nanded, Maharashtra, long ago it was one of the capitals of the Rashtrakutas and among its ruins lie the remains of a colossal image and a unique shrine.
M K Dhavlikar
This is a language we share with out closest neighbours. The very soil it flourished on was divided in the partition, yet it thrives. It is Punjabi, the sonorous language of the land of five rivers.
Lakshmi Subramaniam
As told by Prof. Chaman Lal (Professor in Hindi translation and Chairperson at Centre of Indian Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi)
The leaders of newborn India established the National Museum in 1949 with a view to encourage an awareness of the country’s rich Heritage among both Indians and foreigners. It began with a display of only a few hundred artefacts and today, after more than three score years, that number has risen to more than two lakh.
Shashi Kant Pathak
The Tamil Brahmin wedding is a strictly vedic tradition, that still bears marked similarity to the traditions of up to five centuries ago. As in all weddings, the food is the most important aspect of one.
Nithya Subramaniam
The socio-cultural and religious influences of India upon Thailand through history are reflected in myriad hues even in the present times.
Lopamudra Maitra
