Ashoka

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, 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

History, People

The Unforgettable Legacy of James Prinsep

Meet James Prinsep, a gifted English scholar who produced a remarkable body of work across a diverse range of fields in the arts and sciences. But perhaps his greatest achievement as far as Indian history is concerned was his work on Brahmi, the ancient Indian script that unlocked the story of Emperor Ashoka.

History, Places, Religions

Mackenzie: The Man Who Found Amaravati

Buddhism, during its golden age, inspired several unique contributions to art and architecture in India. But by the 13th century, there was almost no trace of the religion left in the country, and many of the creations inspired by Buddhism too had vanished, buried deep under layers of earth, where they lay forgotten for centuries…. Until one man named Colin Mackenzie made a spectacular discovery - the relics of Amaravati.

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?

Culture, History, Places, Religions

The Buddhist Relics of Amaravati | Egmore Museum, Chennai

The 2000 year old Amaravati marbles at the Egmore Museum in Chennai are the remnants of a Buddhist stupa built by the mighty Satavahana kings. Who were these Hindu kings that created such beautiful Buddhist art? What does a small statue of Hercules sitting amidst Buddhist relics at the Museum tell us about the evolution of Buddhism? Watch this video to know all this and more!

History, People, Places

Brahmi script: Decoding ancient Indian history | James Prinsep

What is the connection between an Englishman and the oldest Indian script in India? This is the story of how the determination of one Englishman to read the Brahmi script added volumes to Indian history. It is through this 2000-year old Indian script that India learnt about the greatest kings of India - Emperor Ashoka.

History, Places, Religions

Ancient stone caskets that stored Buddha’s relics | Sanchi Stupa, India

Buddha died around 483 BCE. His remains were stored in 8 stone caskets. Emperor Ashoka had an idea – a vision to spread Buddhism through these relics. How did he do it? This story explores the journey of Buddha’s cremated remains from nearly 2500 years ago to locations that have become important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, one of which is the Sanchi Stupa.

Ashoka

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