Places Archives - Storytrails

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.

History, People, Places

Subramania Bharati: The Poet Who Sang of Freedom

Subramania Bharati was more than just a poet. He was a journalist, a linguist and a passionate freedom fighter. Above all, he lived life on his own terms.

History, Places

Muziris: The First Emporium of India

The ancient town of Muziris in southern India attracted traders from all around the world as far back as the first century BCE. Traders from Rome came with gold and left with something they considered even more precious – black pepper. The port thrived until a catastrophic flood wiped out all traces of it in the 1300s. For many years after, Muziris remained shrouded in mystery until recent excavations revealed some of its fascinating history.

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?

History, Places

Banking with the Gods

India is home to some of the richest temples in the world. Have you ever wondered how these temples came into such wealth? Here's where powerful Indian kings and their financial management skills played a significant role.

History, People, Places

Coja Petrus Uscan: The Pious Armenian of Madras

Armenians have been known to travel far and wide in pursuit of trading opportunities for centuries. And India happens to be one of the places that they share a special connection with. Coja Petrus Uscan was one of the prominent members of the Armenian community of Madras in colonial times. A rather remarkable personality, he was known for his fierce loyalty to the British in India. Read on to find out just what made him so extraordinary.

History, People, Places

Alai Minar and Alai Darwaza: Alauddin Khilji’s Grand Designs

Like most kings, Alauddin Khilji wanted everlasting fame, and that’s why he commissioned grand monuments like the Alai Darwaza and the Alai Minar, a tower that was meant to be even more magnificent than the Qutub Minar.

People, Places

Mark Twain in Mumbai

The city of Bombay (now Mumbai) has charmed visitors from all over the world, including a certain famous American author. And while he was enthralled by the city, the most interesting thing about his visit was his fascination with a common Indian bird!

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.

Places

Newsletter