Inside the Qutub Minar Complex is a very ornate doorway leading to the Qutub Minar – the Alai Darwaza. Did you know that it is believed to be the first true dome built in India?  First, a quick introduction to the man who built this structure – Alaudin Khilji. You may have heard of him – a heartless human, a ruthless king, an evil fanatic… There are many stories about his terrible doings. Some say these acts were political necessities, and others swear they were the product of a deranged mind. How much of it is true? This short video […]

Every building that the British left behind tells us something about their colonial journey in India.

The Pallavas were a powerful dynasty who ruled huge parts of South India between the 3rd and 9th centuries CE. They commissioned monumental works of art during the 7th and 8th centuries CE. It was then that the much celebrated Mamallapuram monuments  came up along the coast, about 60 kms from Chennai.  Mamallapuram attracts huge tourist crowds every day. Atiranachanda Cave Temple, 5 kms to the north of Mamallapuram, attracts far less. But it is this cave temple that excites Epigraphists, archaeologists who study ancient scripts. There are 2 stone inscriptions on either side of its entrance. They contain verses […]

If you visit the famous Vaikunta Perumal temple in Kanchipuram, you will see some wall panels depicting people with unmistakably oriental features. They may seem out of place at the temple, but these sculptures could very well be pointing to our Cambodian heritage! How? Read on to find out.