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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, Religions

The Strange Partnership that saved Bateshwar | Madhya Pradesh

In the ravines of Chambal in Madhya Pradesh, lies Bateshwar, a complex of 200 ancient temples. For centuries they lay in ruins, swallowed

Culture, History, Places

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Madhya Pradesh

The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in Madhya Pradesh are among the 10 oldest prehistoric cave painting sites in the world. Some of these paintings are

Culture, History, Mythology, Places

Chausath Yogini Temple | Mitaoli

The yoginis are at once, both alluring and fearsome. They had special, circular temples built for their worship, the nature of which remained esoteric.

History, People, Places

The Dutch Defector and the Kerala King

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?

History, People, Places

How Bombay Fought the Plague

In May 1894, Hong Kong was struck by the deadly bubonic plague. As it was a busy port city with ships travelling in and out carrying valuable cargo and many people every day, the seaborne plague soon arrived in Bombay (present-day Mumbai), which even in those days housed over 8,20,000 people. How did the city survive?

Culture, History, People

Ponniyin Selvan and a Thousand-Year-Old Murder Mystery

Kalki Krishnamurthy’s magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan, is a masterpiece in historical fiction. Based on the real events surrounding Raja Raja Chola's accession to the throne, the novel serves up an enticing concoction of espionage, deceit, desire and valour, topped with an ancient murder mystery. What is the real story? And can truth really be stranger than fiction?

History, People, Places

How Tej Singh Became Raja Desingu of Gingee

Raja Desingu is a popular local hero whose stories continue to be told in street performances like Therukoothu, Poi-Kal-Kuthirai, and even the Burra-Katha tradition of Andhra. But the true story of the king of Gingee Fort is quite different from the romantic folk versions. So what is the real story?

Culture, History, People

Rembrandt’s Mughals

The Dutch painter Rembrandt is considered one of the masters of the Dutch Golden Age of painting. Among his paintings is a portrait of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. But Rembrandt had never met Shah Jahan. So how did he paint him? Here's the story.

Culture, History, People, Places

Umayamma Rani: The Fierce Queen of Kerala

At a time when only men ruled, and women had little or no power, a queen, let alone a powerful one, was an exception. But in the late 1600s, the most formidable and respected ruler in Kerala was a queen.

History, People, Places

Chennai’s Own Grand Nawab: Wallajah

What is the connection between the Chepauk Cricket Stadium in Chennai and Nawab Wallajah of Arcot? Find out why this historical figure’s memory lives on in the various landmarks of Chennai.

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, People

How Shah Jahan Seized the Mughal Throne

Shah Jahan was a great Mughal emperor. But did you know that he was neither the rightful heir nor the favourite son? How did Shah Jahan become king? This is the story of gory power struggles that put Shah Jahan on the throne of the richest kingdom in the world at that time.

Culture, History, People

Unravelling the Mysteries of the Red Fort, Delhi

The story of the Red Fory is linked intimately with the rise and fall of the Mughal empire. Storytrails brings you this podcast which explores the Red Fort complex with Anisha Shekar Mukherjee, a conservation architect who will share her knowledge of this grand monument.

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