-Tanushree Wadodkar The political history of India is not just about empires, kingdoms, or dynasties. It is also about power- who had it? How was it exercised? How was it distributed? And who controlled the resources? One of the most defining aspects of this is the debate between centralisation and decentralisation. Centralisation is a system […]Read More
-Tanushree Wadodkar The Vijayanagara Empire was one of South India’s most glorious kingdoms and was famous for its art, architecture, and administration. It was founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336. It was ruled by four dynasties: Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu. The capital of the empire was Vijayanagara, which was located on the banks […]Read More
-Tanushree Wadodkar The Gupta Empire is remembered as the “golden age” because of the remarkable advancements in culture, art, and science that the period witnessed. After the decline of the Satvahanas and Kushanas, there were no powerful kingdoms in India until the emergence of the Guptas. The empire began as a small kingdom in Bihar-Uttar […]Read More
-Tanushree Wadodkar Ramayana is more than just a mythological epic. It is culture, dharma, and a story that taught us how good always wins over evil. Naturally, the story revolves around Lord Rama, who is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu. Ramayan mentions, in detail, Rama’s childhood, his marriage to Sita, his sacrifices, […]Read More
-Devashree Kulkarni Some heroes choose to be in shadow and remain silent over being celebrated loudly. One of the unsung hero of our nation is R. N. Kao. He was the kind of man whose work shaped history but whose name most people never heard. No interviews, no public speeches, no spotlight. And yet, he […]Read More
-Devashree Kulkarni What comes to your mind if I ask you to think about summer? Most of us will surely think about vacations and mangoes. The summer vacations we spend at granny’s place while eating mangoes, our sticky hands, little giggling faces and sweetness of mangoes. But do you know from where mangoes came into […]Read More
-Devashree Kulkarni We often think about kings with war, money, power, politics and throne but there were few kings who carried a royal responsibility with the sense of spirituality. One of them was Maharaja Rameshwar Singh. He was the king of Darbhanga and ruled in royalty but he was also an erudite scholar who practiced […]Read More
-Tanushree Wadodkar ‘In a land now called our enemy, once stood a house I only ever knew as home. I grew up there. Played in those streets. Sat on the school bench and learned. Spent my evenings playing in the verandah. But then, one day, I had to leave. Leave the only home I had […]Read More
~Tanushree Wadodkar The Panchakanyas are five women from the Hindu mythology who are remembered in hymns and verses for their resilience, strength, and purity. The term “Panchakanya” literally means “five maidens”. Ahalya Draupadi Kunti, Tara Mandodari tatha Panchakanya smaren nityam, mahapataka nashanam This verse literally means remembering the panchakanyas – Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara, and […]Read More
~Tanushree Wadodkar One of the darkest periods in Indian democracy was the Emergency period of 1975-77, imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi under Article 352. What followed was public backlash, the arrest of opposition leaders, press censorship, and suspension of Articles 19 (Right to speech), 14 (equality before law), 21 (right to life […]Read More