Storytrails

The Udayagiri Ganesha: Why Historians Consider It Among the Earliest Ganesha Images

In the rock-cut shrines of the Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh sits a sculpture often described as the earliest datable image of Ganesha in

Culture, History, Mythology, Places, Religions

The Lalitgiri Relic Discovery: What were These 2000-Year-Old Caskets Protecting?

A casket within a casket… within another. Buried beneath centuries of earth at Lalitgiri, archaeologists uncovered a remarkable series of nested caskets in 1985.

Culture, History, Places

Lakshmi Vilas Palace

He pioneered the Indo-Saracenic style or architecture and built grand landmarks across India. And yet, he did not trust his own designs and never

Culture, History, Places, Religions

What Do Japan’s Torii, China’s Paifang & Korea’s Hongsalmun Have in Common?

What’s common to the Torii of Japan, China’s Paifang and Korea’s Honsalmun? All these ceremonial gates have a shared inspiration – the toranas of

History, People, Places

The Prison That Secured Aurangzeb’s Throne | Gwalior Fort

Beneath the palaces of Gwalior Fort lies one of the most dreaded prisons of medieval India. Here, princes vanished and rivals were erased from

Culture, History, Mythology, Places, Religions

Why the Original Sanchi Stupa Had No Images of Buddha | Sanchi

Did you know the first human images of the Buddha appeared nearly 500 years after his death? Before that, artists used symbols to represent

History, People, Places

Gangaikonda Cholapuram |The story of the Chola king who conquered the Gangetic plains

A long time ago, the mighty king of South India, Rajendra Chola, had conquered much of India's southern peninsula. And to celebrate his conquests, he wanted to build a new capital. To anoint this new city, he wanted nothing less than the sacred waters from the Ganges. So he set on a long expedition with his army to bring back the holy water from the river. But the expedition was not without danger. How did the Chola king not only conquer the kingdoms along the way but also go on to make the largest manmade lakes in India?

Culture, History

The temple of treasures | Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram

In 2011, the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala made headlines when vast treasures were discovered in the secret vaults under the temple. Gold, silver, gems and jewels on a scale that boggles the mind were stored in them. How did the treasure get there? How much wealth is there? And who does it all belong to? This is the story of the richest temple in the world