Vijayanagar Empire – Political History
The Vijayanagara Empire was a medieval Indian empire that covered much of the region of South India, controlling the lands of the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra…
Jaina philosophy – Jaina darshan
The Jains do not believe in the Vedas, but they admit the existence of a soul. They also agree with the orthodox tradition that suffering (pain) can…
India in the eighth century
India in the eighth century was marked by the growth of three important political powers in India. These were Gurjara Pratiharas in north India, Palas in eastern…
Vattakirutal – fasting facing north
Tamils who lived 2000 years ago valued good reputation and family honour. They thought that it was better to die than to live in disgrace. The practice…
Ports of ancient India
Some of the important ports of ancient India were : Barygaza — Bharuch; Syrastrene — Saurashtra; Suppara — Soppara; Muziris — Pattanam; Colchi — Korkai; Camera –…
Stupa – origin and structure
What is a Stupa? Stupa (Sanskrit for heap) is a mound-like or hemispherical burial structure containing relics of Buddhist monks. Examples: Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh is…
Prominent Buddhist centres of ancient India
There are a number of Buddhist centres and pilgrimage sites in India. Most of them owe their origin to ancient India. Four primary sites of Buddhist pilgrimage…
Four primary sites of Buddhist pilgrimage
Buddhism offers four primary sites of pilgrimage: Lumbini , Bodh Gaya , Sarnath , and Kushinagar . All of these sites are located in India except Lumbini,…
Fire temple – the place of worship for Zoroastrians
What is a fire temple? A fire temple in Zoroastrianism is the place of worship for Zoroastrians, often called dar-e mehr (Persian) or agiyari (Gujarati). What are…
Guru Gobind Singh – The Tenth Nanak
Guru Govind Singh was born as Gobind Rai on December 22 in 1666, according to the Julian Calendar. However, according to the lunar calendar, the day of…