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The 1100 year old Brihadisvara temple built by Raja Raja Chola, was one of the tallest stone structures of its time in India if not Asia. Built of granite, one of the hardest stones, this temple hides within it many fascinating facts. This is the story of the Brihadisvara Temple.

The Secrets of the Brihadisvara Temple

The Arab invasions in India began with the Umayyad Caliphate, which attacked Sind in the 8th century CE, before marching south. Trace their early journey in the subcontinent, find out who their arch-rivals were, and how they influenced Indian Ocean trade.


Arab Invasions: The Caliphate Looks East (8th CE - 11th CE)

Though largely invisible in histories of the First World War, over 550,000 men in the ranks of the Indian army were non-combatants. From the porters, sweepers and construction workers in the Coolie Corps to those who maintained supply lines and removed the wounded from the battlefield.

Indian Labour in a Global Conflict (1914 - 1921)

Lost Cities

 From a money-spinner for great empires to an unremarkable railway halt today, it’s been a very long journey for the former port city of Saptagram. Catch the incredible story of its earlier avatar, Satgaon, whose fortunes rose and fell with Bengal’s shifting riverine geography

Saptagram: A Port that Ran Aground

After years of neglect and shoddy renovations, a restoration plan returns a Mumbai landmark to its lost glory

Flora Fountain: Looking To The Future

The Zamorins of Calicut lorded over the spice trade in Kerala for 500 years. But a certain Zamorin will always be remembered for snubbing one of the greatest European explorers of all time. Catch the saga of the Zamorins, the secret of their success, and their abrupt and dramatic end

The Rise and Fall of the Zamorins of Calicut

The island paradise of Andaman & Nicobar has a turbulent history of ownership, the most interesting chapter being written during India’s Independence. Here’s a glimpse into the hard ball played by Pakistan to acquire these islands during the Partition of India


When Pakistan Claimed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Girnar Rock Inscriptions are messages from three mighty kings, each from a different era – the Mauryas, Kshatrapas and Guptas. Here’s an exciting window into their times

Girnar Rock Inscriptions and The Stories They Tell

Did you know that just one museum, the Louvre in Paris, got over 7 million visitors last year? How do we revive our museums in India and take art to one and all?

Art - Breaking Barriers | Tales & Trails

Trails

The spectacular rock-cut cave temples at Badami are landmarks in the architectural tradition of the Deccan. Here’s a look at their fabulous sculptures, the Badami Chalukyas who built these caves and the ‘controversy’ they harbour

Badami: A Story in Stone

A quiet lake, south of Udaipur was once a hectic base for seaplanes making the long journey from London to Sydney. Here is why

A Seaplane Base in the Aravallis!

King Lalitaditya was one  of  Kashmir’s most famous rulers.  But did you know, that his capital Parihaspora, near Srinagar remains one of the most confounding sites in India. Why are there thousands of stones scattered all around, its once grand buildings? Find out 

Parihaspora: Unmapped Capital of Kashmir

Known as the Bateshwar temples, these spectacular temples surrounded by forests form one of the most interesting temples complexes in India. Located in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, around 34 kms north of Gwalior, this group of more than 200 temples are dedicated to the worship of Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti or Devi, the three main strands of Hinduism. Built between the 9th and the 11th centuries, during the rule of the Gujar Pratihara dynasty, these temples were completely razed to the ground during a great earthquake in the 14th centuries. It is hard to imagine that it was once just mounds of rubble that served as a lair of Chambal dacoits as late as 2005. It was only through the efforts of the Archeological Survey of India and especially Archeologist KK Mohammad that these temples were rebuilt stone by stone to their former glory.

The Secrets of Bateshwar Temples

The city that played a pivotal role in the history of India…Join us as we travel to Burhanpur and come across Mughal empress Mumtaz Mahal’s original tomb…which is a far cry from the Taj Mahal! Catch the story of this architectural treasure trove that few remember today.

Burhanpur: Gateway to the Deccan 

Shrouded in mystery and never opened is the only stupa that still holds the original relics of the Buddha. Or does it? Catch the story of the Ramagrama Stupa in Nepal and then travel all the way to Sri Lanka, to solve this fascinating enigma

Ramagrama Stupa: The One That Got Away!

 The Ajanta cave paintings in Maharashtra are billed as India’s finest picture gallery from ancient times but the drama behind their construction could make for a riveting potboiler. Catch the little-known but incredible story behind these world-famous Buddhist caves and the man who pieced it together

Ajanta Caves: Murder, Wars and Intrigue

The earliest mosque, church and synagogue - all can be found here! Kerala’s Malabar Coast may be a popular tourist destination today but it was once a melting pot of traders, travellers and pilgrims. Join us as we hunt down the ancient port of Muziris, the key to why this coastal strip was a confluence of many faiths

Kerala and the Gateway of Faiths

It is one of the most important Buddhist sites in India and it celebrates our country’s secular fabric. But why did it vanish for 800 years? We tell you this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s story as we explore its history and architecture.

Sanchi - A Canvas of Buddhist History

Journey with us to the ‘last village on the Indian frontier’ and immerse yourself in its myths, legends and staggering beauty. This is Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh, and we are near the Indo-Tibetan border

Chitkul: The Village on the Edge of India 

Long before the Silk Route, there was the Indian Ocean Trade route in which peninsular India acted as a pivot. We dip into Sangam literature & key sites, to take you back with Dr. V. Selvakumar in this episode...

India and the Ancient Ocean Trade - How the seas were the super highways of the past

India & the Ancient Ocean Trade World

Intersections

In a fascinating three-part series, culinary historian and author Colleen Taylor Sen traces the early history of food in the Indian subcontinent – from dals to the spices that garnish them and a lot more. 


Tracing India’s Food Journey - I

Tracing India’s Food Journey

Tucked away in the mountains of Jammu is an unusual treasure from an ancient past – a temple complex with a distinctly Greek influence. Who built the Krimchi shrines and how far back does their story go?

Krimchi Temples: Remnants of An Indo-Greek Past

While Shimla is a tourist hotspot known for its stunning views and cool climes, there is another, more serious side to this beautiful city. It was the venue of many historic decisions taken during the British rule, including the final discussions on Indian independence

Shimla: History Was Made Here

A short drive from Mysuru is a dramatic archaeological mystery – an ancient city swallowed by sand. Was it a curse that buried Talakadu 400 years ago? Catch the story of the ancient capital of the Western Ganga dynasty and find out how it met its end.

Talakadu: A Town Buried Under Kaveri’s Sands

Did you know that on the southern coast of Tamil Nadu lies an ancient Pandyan capital which was not only one of the earliest ports of India but also a centre of pearl fishing 2000 years ago? Here is the story of Korkai...

Korkai: India’s Pearl Port

The story of how the ambitious kings of Magadha swept across much of northern and eastern India using  force, faith, marriages,  cunning and even murders to carve out the subcontinent’s first empire. How did it all end? Find out ...

Magadha & the First Empire (543 - 330 BCE)

An ancient temple town dotted with 50 ornate shrines and fabulous step wells, Lakkundi in Karnataka is sadly eclipsed by its proximity to Hampi. Visit the hamlet to witness the grandeur of the Western Chalukyas, one of the great dynasties of South India

Lakkundi: Hallelujah in Stone

The Mughals are known for their obsession with symmetry in their architecture. But did you know that they put a beautiful mosque literally inside a box in the Red Fort at Delhi because of this obsession? Swapna Liddle tells us the story of the 'mosque in a box' in this episode of Stories that Make India.

The Story of a Mughal Mosque in a Box

 It's small, it's spicy and it packs in quite a story. Catch the tale of how pepper played a significant role in India's history. Catch Stories That Make India with Mini Menon.

categories

CONTENT TYPE

Stories That Make India

The Secrets of the Brihadisvara Temple

Arab Invasions: The Caliphate Looks East (8th CE - 11th CE)

Indian Labour in a Global Conflict (1914 - 1921)

Saptagram: A Port that Ran Aground

Flora Fountain: Looking To The Future

The Rise and Fall of the Zamorins of Calicut

When Pakistan Claimed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Girnar Rock Inscriptions and The Stories They Tell

Art - Breaking Barriers | Tales & Trails

Saptagram: A Port that Ran Aground

Badami: A Story in Stone

A Seaplane Base in the Aravallis!

Parihaspora: Unmapped Capital of Kashmir

The Secrets of Bateshwar Temples

Burhanpur: Gateway to the Deccan