Culture

Culture, History, People

The Last Great Queen of Travancore

It was because of the system of matrilineal succession in Kerala that Sethu Lakshmi Bayi became the queen, even though she wasn’t born into the ruling dynasty. But as fate would have it, she was the one who paved the way for the end of the practice. This is the fascinating story of one of the most dynamic rulers of the Travancore kingdom.

Culture, History, Places

Ancient Burial Practices in Tamil Nadu | Keeladi

Burial sites are among the most important sources of information for archaeologists. The excavations at Keeladi, Adichanallur, Korkai and other places in Tamil Nadu have thrown up a host of burial urns, skeletal remains and other grave goods. These finds reveal much about the oldest settlements in south India through the ways in which they dealt with death. This video, the latest in our series around the Keeladi excavations, explores the different burial rites and practices of ancient Tamils and how they help us understand our history and cultures of the past better.

Culture, History, Places

Of Grave Matters and Buried Treasures

According to archaeologists, grave goods are practically buried treasures that can offer valuable information about life in ancient civilisations, strange as it may seem. This story dives deep into the world of grave goods and the fascinating secrets that have been unearthed from various burial sites in India.

Culture, History, Places

The Oldest Settlements in South India: The Keeladi Excavations

How old are the oldest settlements in south India? This video explores the story of the recent excavations at Keeladi, which revealed the existence of a sophisticated Tamil civilisation dating back at least to the 6th century BCE. But did you know that archaeological digs carried out over a 100 years earlier at sites like Adichanallur and Pallavaram had already hinted at human habitation sites in Tamil Nadu dating back thousands of years? How have these path-breaking excavations changed our understanding of ancient south Indian history?

Culture, History, Places

The Story of Indian Scripts – Part 2 | The Potshard Inscriptions of Keeladi

What can a few fragments of pottery tell us about how people wrote 5000 years ago? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The Keeladi excavations of 2015 pointed to the existence of a literate ancient Tamil civilisation that could go as far back as 800 BCE. Among the most significant finds was a series of potshards with different inscriptions, which offered many fascinating insights about the evolution of scripts in India.

Culture, History

The Story of Indian Scripts – Part 1 | The cave inscriptions of Mamallapuram

Which are the oldest languages and scripts in India? Is there a mother of all scripts, in a land that is as diverse and variegated as India? What similarities or differences exist between the south Indian scripts, and do they have anything in common with the ones used in north India? The first of this two-part video story explores these fascinating questions and more as it traces the evolution of Indian scripts over the last 2500 years.

Culture, History, Religions

Makar Sankranti: A Chronicle of Calendars

Was Makar Sankranti always celebrated on the 14th of January? Why are some festivals celebrated on different dates every year while others have fixed dates? Different cultures have used different calendar systems to map time and consequently, significant events like festivals. What methods did they use, and how accurate were they? And what exactly is the Hindu calendar? This fascinating article explores all this and more!

Culture, History, Places

Sankranti: A Sky Full of Kites

Kite flying is an inseparable part of the Makar Sankranti celebrations, a festival that is celebrated all over India in some form or the other. How old is the tradition of kite flying in the country? And why is it connected to the spring festival of Sankranti?

Culture, Religions

Mariamman: The Village Goddess Who Travelled

The worship of village gods in rural India is older than the Vedic tradition. Did you know that the most powerful of these deities is actually a goddess of rain, who is said to cure diseases? Read on for an interesting peek into the evolution of religious traditions in the villages of south India.

Culture, Mythology, Places

Dancing with Deities: Five Unique Folk Traditions of India

India is a land where folk traditions thrive in abundance and are practised with zeal and devotion. Spirit possession rituals are often an integral part of these colourful traditions and are celebrated in grand festivals. Read on to know more about 5 spectacular spirit possession rituals from across India.

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