The British came to Madras (modern Chennai) in 1639. By the 18th century, they controlled large parts of the South Eastern coast of India. The Carnatic region, though was ruled independently by the Nawab of Arcot, Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah. He became great friends with the British in the 1750s, after they helped him acquire larger territories by defeating his rivals during the Siege of Arcot in 1751. But everything has a price: the British demanded exorbitant rates for their ‘protection’. £160,000 per year to be exact.

he Marakkars were a community of Muslims that mostly lived in the kingdom of Cochin. They dominated the trade between the Coromandel and Malabar coasts (what would now be the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala). They owned ships and traded in spices and other goods, mostly destined for Europe.

The Indian nose is a connoisseur of scents. Just a whiff from a sizzling pan, tells it what’s cooking and whether it’s going to be any good. But what is the secret behind India’s fragrant, and often pungent cuisine? The answer of course, is spice. Several of them together and in just the right amounts. Spices today are kitchen mainstays around the world but there

“♬Let’s go fly a kite Up to the highest height! Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring ♫” This song from Disney’s Mary Poppins, to me, best describes what kite flying can feel like. If you’ve ever flown one, you know. But this euphoric piece of paper wasn’t always a sport. In fact, old records suggest that kites were developed for very serious