Did you know, History, Places

The Indian Standard Time (IST)

Did you know that until 1948, India had three official time-zones? Today we have one time-zone for the entire country, aligned with a Meridian that passes through the city of Mirzapur. The beautifully crafted Ghanta-Ghar in Mirzapur tells the story of Indian standard time.

Image Attributes

Image attributions:

1. Physical map of India

Vigneshdm1990, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Physical_Map_of_India.jpg

2. Gori Chen Mountain Ranges, Mandala, Arunachal Pradesh

Koshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunrise_in_the_Himalayas_(11096205714).jpg

3. The White Rann of Kutch

Rahul Zota, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_Rann_of_Kutch.jpg

4. Worldwide time zones Map

UnaitxuGV, Heitordp and others, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_Time_Zones_Map.png

5. Great Indian Peninsula Railway – Climbing the Ghaut Inclines

Pechristener – The Locomotive Magazine, July 15, 1924, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Indian_Peninsula_Railway_-_Climbing_the_Ghaut_Inclines.jpg#/media/File:Great_Indian_Peninsula_Railway_-_Climbing_the_Ghaut_Inclines.jpg

6. Railway map of India in 1871

Saunders Geographers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IndianRailways1871b.jpg

7. Madras Central Station View From General Hospital, 1890 Photo

From the collection- Vintage Raja Ravi Varma “Laxmi” Oleograph by Past India.com

https://www.past-india.com/photos-items/madras-central-station-view-from-general-hospital-1890-photo/

8. Mirzapur railway station

Anup Sadi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mirzapur_RS_nameplate.JPG

9. The central train station in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India

Arian Zwegersderivative work: MrPanyGoff, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chennai_train_station.jpg

10. Historical building of the University in Mumbai, India

A.Savin, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mumbai_03-2016_38_University.jpg

11. The Clock Tower in the old city centre of Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Ramesh Thadani, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jodhpur_Clock_Tower.jpg

12. Aligarh clock house, Aligarh

Whispyhistory, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aligarh_clock_house.jpg

13. Clock Tower of Murshidabad

Prabhakar1996, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clock_Tower_of_Murshidabad.jpg

Tags: Clock Tower, Indian Standard Time, IST, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh

The Great Wall of Thorns

Tax on salt was the third largest source of revenue for the British Raj. But with the alarming numbers of salt smugglers on the prowl, the British had to find a way to protect their revenue. So what did they do? They built a giant wall of thorns that went all the way from Punjab to Odisha! Read on to know more.

History, People, Religions

The Truth Behind the Ashokan Edicts

You are probably familiar with the story of Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor, who laid down his weapons and took to Buddhism after a gruesome battle at Kalinga. The real story is far more complex than this simple chain of events. Did you know that he executed all his stepbrothers to seize the throne, and that his early reign was marked by high-handed cruelty? What kind of a man was Ashoka? And why did he commission edicts across India?

History, Places, Religions

The Satavahanas at Sanchi

History textbooks teach us that the Sanchi Stupa was built by emperor Ashoka. However, the credit doesn't entirely go to him. Who built the stupa that stands in Sanchi today?

History, People, Places

The Taj Doppelgangers

The Taj Mahal, one of the Wonders of the World is considered the pinnacle of Mughal architecture. It has a beautiful facade that is immediately recognisable and it tells many poignant stories. But there are some lesser known monuments that bear a resemblance to the Taj, with equally intriguing stories behind them.

History, Places

Marking History Through British Buildings

India is dotted with many old British buildings - some grand and iconic and some odd and quirky. Each of these buildings that the British left behind tells us something about their colonial journey in India.