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MIYAN TANSEN – The Singer who could start a Fire with his Music

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Tansen, a man who is now remembered as one of the most popular figures of the musical world. Ramtanu, or Miyan Tansen was a part of the ‘Nine Gems’ or the ‘Navratnas’ of Akbar’s court. He was one of Akbar’s most beloved ministers, despite the fact that entered the Mughal chambers when he was almost 60-years-old. Tansen is said to have had a voice so beautiful and pure that it could evoke rain and fire. While we have heard this name many times in history, we don’t know much about who he really was. 
In this article, I present to you all the stories and legends associated with this name as I attempt to uncover this enigma of a man. Click on the picture above to read more! … Continue readingMIYAN TANSEN – The Singer who could start a Fire with his Music

BRITAIN’S WORST FAILURE – The Bengal Famine of 1943

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During the course of the 150 years that the British ruled over the Indian subcontinent, they were accused of committing several atrocities against Indians – racial discrimination, lathi charges, and the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919.
However, we tend to forget one of the worst of the lot – The Bengal Famine of 1943 which consumed the lives of around 3 million people. What is unique about this famine, is that unlike the 6 other major famines that had struck India during the reign of the British, the one in 1943, was a result of policy failure on part of Winston Churchill’s War Time Cabinet, and not natural factors.
Click on the picture above to read more about the shocking conditions that prevailed in Bengal in 1943 … Continue readingBRITAIN’S WORST FAILURE – The Bengal Famine of 1943

SPECIAL ISSUE: KASHMIR – The Scarred Beauty

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Kashmir – probably the most
beautiful yet the most disturbed region in the Indian subcontinent.

Why? Well, the answer to that question has a lot of variations.

Even before the Partition of India in 1947, the state of Jammu and Kashmir continued to remain a centre of conflict.

This article will explore Kashmir’s history right from 304 BCE, when Ashoka came to power, till the 1949 UN resolution. 

Click on the title above to delve into the rich, yet lesser-known history of Kashmir … Continue readingSPECIAL ISSUE: KASHMIR – The Scarred Beauty

THE EMERGENCY OF 1975 – India’s Darkest Era

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The 21-month span between 1975 to 1977, is widely hailed as the ‘Darkest Period in Indian History’. The reason? A sudden proclamation of Emergency by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. During these months anybody who spoke against the government was jailed, mass forced sterilization campaigns were carried out and the freedom of the press was curbed. These 21 months saw a dictatorial-like regime in India. But that is not it. India was a witness to many more such atrocities, during this period. Click above to know more! … Continue readingTHE EMERGENCY OF 1975 – India’s Darkest Era

Anandi Gopal Joshi: India’s 1st Female Doctor

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Anandibai Joshi – a woman who was, in every sense, a brilliant one. Of all the women whom I have written about till now, the one string of familiarity that binds them all together is the fact that they were all empowered self-made women, who made a name for themselves in an otherwise male-dominated world. And so, as a part of my series – Women of the Past: Rediscovered, I bring to you a story of yet another woman who broke through the barriers of a patriarchal society and became a beacon of hope for all other women who had dreams that needed to be fulfilled – Dr. Anandi Gopal Joshi. … Continue readingAnandi Gopal Joshi: India’s 1st Female Doctor

UNHEARD: THE MISSING PAGES OF HISTORY: ADOLF HITLER’S PURGE – The Night of the Long Knives

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Hundreds of people, some completely innocent, murdered in a matter of 3 days, and no one held accountable. This was the reality of life in Nazi Germany. On 2nd July, 1934, exactly 86 years ago, ended the Night of the Long Knives, a purge carried out by the Nazi Party, after 3 long days. It commenced on 30th June, on Hitler’s orders, and was carried out to eliminate any person or political organization that could pose a threat to Hitler’s dictatorial regime in Germany. Click on the title above to unfold the events that transpired that fateful weekend. … Continue readingUNHEARD: THE MISSING PAGES OF HISTORY: ADOLF HITLER’S PURGE – The Night of the Long Knives

UNHEARD: THE MISSING PAGES OF HISTORY – The Black Hole Horror of Calcutta

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The late 16th and early 17th century clearly showed the development of British and French control in India. During this time, the roles were slightly reversed with the Indians in much more control than the British. On one such day in the year 1756, a horrendous event took place, which is now infamously known as the Black Hole Horror of Calcutta. This event took place exactly 264 years ago on the sinister night of 20th June, 1756. Click on the title above to unfold the events that transpired that eerie night.
This is the very first article which is a part of my new series – UNHEARD: The Missing Pages of History. … Continue readingUNHEARD: THE MISSING PAGES OF HISTORY – The Black Hole Horror of Calcutta

Unheard: The Missing Pages of History -Queerness in Indian Mythology

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Queerness, the word itself means “strange or odd from a conventional viewpoint”. Even though the world today considers homosexuals and transgender as ‘abnormal’, stories dated thousands of years back, explain queerness as a very natural phenomenon. To justify this argument, I present to you, a few stories from Indian Mythology itself. Specifically from epics like the Mahabharata and sacred texts like the Bhagvata Purana. Click on the title above to read tales from Indian mythology, that they never told us about. … Continue readingUnheard: The Missing Pages of History -Queerness in Indian Mythology

UNHEARD: THE MISSING PAGES OF HISTORY – SANGHA TENZIN: The 500-year-old Mummified Monk

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What if I told you that Mummies don’t just exist in Egypt, but also in India? What if I told you that these kind of Mummies are unlike the ones that are found in Egypt, and are one-of-a-kind?
In the small, remote village of ‘Gue’ in Himachal Pradesh, lies yet another piece of undiscovered history. A 15th century Buddhist monk, who underwent a very baffling and obscure method of Mummification.
Curious yet? Click on the title above to reveal the mystery behind the monk that is – Sangha Tenzin! … Continue readingUNHEARD: THE MISSING PAGES OF HISTORY – SANGHA TENZIN: The 500-year-old Mummified Monk

Noor Inayat Khan – Princess Turned Spy

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As the Second World War ended in 1945, all the secret missions deployed by the Allied and Axis powers were exposed. One such unique organization that deployed several such missions
was the British-set up – Special Operations Executive (SOE). Very few were aware about the existence of this organization and even fewer knew about the agents that were part of the missions. Noor Inayat Khan, was one such lady who was a part of one of the missions deployed by the SOE. A woman, who as a young girl was described as ‘quiet’, ‘shy’, and ‘dreamy’, went on to become the first woman radio operator to operate from an enemy territory. So how did this girl transform from a ‘sensitive dreamer’ to a trained SOE wireless operator? Presenting you, the story of another extraordinary woman – Noor Inayat Khan. Click on the title above to know more! … Continue readingNoor Inayat Khan – Princess Turned Spy