Over a century ago a young flamenco dancer caught the eye of a well traveled and intellectual young Indian prince and against all odds ended up marrying him. The fascinating story of Anita Delgado, a barely literate Spaniard and daughter of a cafe owner, is well documented, and is the stuff that fairy tales are…
Category: Architecture
Punjab’s Princely Past, Part I: Of Posh Palaces & The Patiala Peg
India is teeming with history, from the magnificent forts in Rajasthan and the ornate mansions in Chettinad, to the Mughal palaces in parts of the north, each one more royal than the other. When we think of royal history we largely think of UP and Rajasthan or Delhi and Hyderabad, and perhaps to the more…
Tripping on India: 5 Proposed UNESCO World Heritage Sites to Visit
A list of our favourite proposed Unesco World Heritage Sites. Check them out before the tours descend.
Khuldabad, Aurangzeb and the Ethiopian who tormented the Mughals
Our driving trip around Maharashtra found us exploring the UNESCO world heritage caves of Ajanta and Ellora, along with the towering Daulatabad Fort, one of the few forts in Maharashtra not attributed to the Marathas. Having climbed Daulatabad, we headed in search of Aurangzeb’s tomb, which was en route to the Ellora Caves. Tucked away…
9 Beautiful Doorways that will take you back in time
For as long as we can remember, doors and windows have always held a strange fascination for both of us. Something we discovered about each other early on. To us, they were always things of great beauty and mystery. Often times as you walked down a street, be it in an old city in India,…
A Glimpse into the history of Lucknow
As kids who grew up in India, we were taught about the importance of Lucknow during the struggle for independence. It was during the revolt of 1857, India’s first big war of independence, that Lucknow won a prominent place in the history books. As one grew older, many perhaps forgot about this fact, who really remembers…
Agra, Beyond the Taj
Any mention of Agra conjures up the famous Taj Mahal, and perhaps as an after thought, the impressive Red Fort where the Emperor who commissioned the Taj was imprisoned. The usual tourist jaunt and tour bus to Agra includes a visit to the Taj, the Red Fort and sometimes perhaps Fatehpur Sikri with the imposing…
The Sun Temple and the One that came before
Sun temples are fascinating in themselves. Most of them are built in alignment with the light of the sun, such that on specific days (usually the equinox) the rays from the sun create a straight line directly down the centre of the structure. This was true of the temples built by the ancient Pharaohs in Egypt as well as the Kings in the subcontinent, apart from elsewhere in the world. Added to this great feat of science thousands of years ago, is also the beauty and art that surround the temples. Keeping religion aside, sun temples are great places to visit to experience a wonderful coming together of science and art, especially at sunrise.
Gujarat’s Islamic roots
Gujarat, a state rooted in Hindu and Jain mythology and religious history, is home to some of the early forms of Islamic Architecture in India. Like other regions in India, it completely transcends the modern concept of a ‘state,’ reinforcing, once again, that this country is an amazing confluence of cultures and religions. Several buildings…
The Stepwells of Gujarat
Water has always held a central role in civilisations, and these magnificent structures make more explicit the ancient concept of the sanctity of water. Built with great thought and reason, these stepwells are akin to inverted temples, where you walk down to the water surrounded by beauty and tranquility.
Sultans of the South; The Deccan Sultanates of Bidar & Bijapur
Beautiful old monuments and ruins inhabit street corners and stand forlornly in the middle of overgrown fields, many forgotten in the bustle of everyday life. Questions as to their origins elicit vague responses and disinterested shrugs, the locals having lived besides these relics all their lives, simply consider them to be part of the topography of their little town. This however, only serves to enhance their wonder and mystery, and we can’t help but feel that we are exploring lost history, off the beaten path.
Hampi: The 5(ish) Minute Guide
Planning a Hampi trip? We tell you how to get there, where to stay & the top places to visit in Hampi in our comprehensive guide to this ancient city.