Perhaps no Indian artist’s work is as instantly recognisable as Raja Ravi Varma’s. Picture a Hindu goddess in your mind, and chances are that the image is in a Ravi Varma-esque style. Read on to find out more about his journey and legacy.
Most people believe Vasco da Gama to be the founder of Portuguese power in India. But did you know that there was another Portuguese captain who had a major role to play in India’s colonial history?
The concept of the "evil eye" has existed for thousands of years and in cultures around the world. And every society has, understandably, developed unique rituals to thwart the evil eye and the misfortunes it brings, some of which are practised even today. What does India do to deceive this malevolent glare? This light-hearted article explores some magic Indian fixes.
In the 17th century, Marthanda Varma, the king of Travancore, refused to trade with the then most powerful multinational in the world, the Dutch East India Company. It led to a war which Marthanda Varma won. But this was only a minor victory. Marthanda Varma, in fact, had bigger ambitions – to chase out the Dutch once and for all with the help of one Dutch military commander, De Lannoy. How did this king make it happen?
