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Think You Know Your City? These 6 Heritage Walks Will Help You Discover a...
In a vibrant nation like India, history experienced through immobile objects of museums and libraries can be limiting. You need to stroll around a city like a flaneur to hear the stories from people,...
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TBI Blogs: This Team Collected over ₹50,000 in Just 10 Days for a Museum Walk...
On World Museum Day (May 18), we at Sahapedia felt that the only way to truly share our love for museums was to create the opportunity for children, who might not have otherwise had the chance to...
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Forgotten Tales: Here’s Why Hyderabad’s Mah Laqa Bai Should Never Be Forgotten!
Deccan India was significant for its strong female characters. One of them was Mah Laqa Bai Chanda, an 18th-century poet and courtesan from Hyderabad. She was an influential woman and advisor in the...
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After Years of Delay, Delhi’s Jama Masjid Will Soon Get the Treatment It...
In 2004, it was realised that one of the largest mosques in India – Jama Masjid – was in urgent need of repair. The issue of its degradation was highlighted through a Public Interest Litigation, but...
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Toiling for Three Decades Without Recognition, Weavers Finally Get Some Help
Textiles from India formed the majority of products the British traded in, during the colonial era. Thousands of mills churned out hundreds of metres of cloth. With time, trade died down, and support...
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At This Ancient Seaside Haven in Kerala, Ships Are Built Entirely By Hands!
To an undiscerning tourist, Beypore, — a nondescript port town on the outskirts of Kozhikode (erstwhile Calicut) — may feel like just another sandy shore on the beautiful northern coast of Kerala. But...
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Here’s Why the Maharashtra Government Has Handpicked Five Forts as ‘Model...
Forts have been monuments of great glory and pride since historical times. They attract tourists and trekkers and are keepers of history. In October 2016, the central government had undertaken an...
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Crowd-Funding, Students Come Together to Revive French Heritage Buildings
India and France will come together yet again to revive their rich cultural ties with a twist, thanks to the efforts of a conservation architect, the French Embassy and Institut Francais. The...
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Slum to Cultural Hub: Vivekananda’s Home Has a Journey as Eventful as His Life!
The ancestral home of the great Swami Vivekananda has stood tall since the 18th century. But the iconic monument went into disrepair until 1962, when the Ramakrishna Mission authorities decided to take...
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This Woman Stayed Alone In A 143-Year-Old Dark, Damp Fort For A Unique Project
Meja is a small village in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan with a population of around 10,000 people. The men are usually involved in agricultural activities or work as labourers in the factories of the...
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Padmaavat: 7 Monuments That Formed The Backdrop For India’s Epic Love Stories
From magnificent forts to dreamy palaces, India has a plethora of historical buildings that bring with themselves hundreds of years of human history. With intriguing legends and folklore, many of these...
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Netaji’s Home & Ancient Stupas: Bengal’s New Tourism District is A Must See!
Kodalia district, in South 24-Parganas, will be a one-of-a-kind tourist district, if the West Bengal Government’s plans to combine two sets of historical sites are successful. While the sites linked to...
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Why The Forested Wonder of Unakoti Is Tripura’s Best Kept Travel Secret
Among India’s lesser-explored destinations, Tripura takes its name from a word meaning ‘Three Cities’ — similar to the Greek word ‘Tripolis’ — or perhaps from Tripura Sundari, the popular presiding...
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In The Whistling Village of Meghalaya, Every Child Has a ‘Unique Lullaby ID’!
In most ways, Kongthong resembles countless other villages nestled in the lushly-forested East khasi Hills of Meghalaya. Dotted by quaint huts and farms fringed with betelnut trees, this tiny hamlet is...
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Central Govt. to Develop Karnataka’s Hampi as Iconic ‘Adarsh Smarak’ Tourism...
On crossing Bengaluru’s city limits, you immediately notice the change in scenery. Wider roads, less vehicular smog, and abundant greenery. If you happen to travel down the picturesque Tumkur Road,...
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Postcards from the Attic: How 2 Women Are Reviving India’s Near-Forgotten...
In the classic film, Dead Poets Society, John Keating, a character role immortalised by the late Robin Williams, utters few lines that went on to become one of the most iconic quotes in the history of...
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Mumbai’s 200-Year-old British Era Milestones To Get a Makeover!
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to identify, locate and restore British-era milestones that were installed in the 18th century to mark distances. Road-widening work had damaged...
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Why Mumbai Rediscovering Its 11 Historic Milestones Is An Amazing Thing!
Rome was not built in a day, and India definitely not. Our centuries-old culture, languages and heritage sites are intact and relevant even in these contemporary times. From the Mughal architecture to...
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Why This 63-Year-Old School Dropout Is No Less Than An Archaeologist!
63-year-old Om Prakash Sharma, is a known face in all of Bundi, Rajasthan. Fondly named ‘Kukki’ by all those who know him, the man is an archaeologist without any formal degree. Yes, you heard that...
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Who’s Going to Save India’s Dying Buildings? Aga Khan Trust Has an Answer
The tomb of Humayun, part of India’s rich heritage, was once less of a wonder than it is today. It now houses a beautiful garden and park, known as the Sunder Nursery. The team behind its...
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Odisha has a Police Pigeon Service, the Only One of Its Kind In the World!
There are several traditions from around the world that may appear a little strange, but to many, they are part of their history and heritage. Especially in India, an incredibly diverse country that...
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This Historic 100-Year Library Was Regularly Visited by Subhash Chandra Bose!
Kolkata’s Bowbazar area has been a hive of activity since the city was full of palanquins and horse-drawn carriages. Walking down the streets in Bowbazar immediately reveals old red-brick buildings and...
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This 19th Century Mumbai Temple Is Being Restored for a Great Reason!
As a child, I would spend my evenings with my grandmother. She would meet her friends near a temple around 5 pm while I played with mine. At 7 pm, we would both come back home. When I think about those...
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IN Pics: 6 Iconic Indian Automobiles That Will Take You down the Memory Lane!
Back in the day, before the economy opened up and India got ‘modernised,’ there were very few automobiles on Indian roads. Cars and bikes were luxuries, and only a lucky few had the privilege of owning...
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In Pics:This ‘Made-In-Mysuru’ Marvel Is the Father of Modern Two Wheelers!
Anyone who is even remotely into motorcycles will be able to recognise a Yezdi, instantly. Whether it is a Road King or a Classic, there’s no mistaking those twin pipes, that retro round headlamp, that...
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The Other Qutub: Shah Jahan’s Forgotten ‘Mini Minar’ to Be Restored by Delhi...
The name Shah Jahan immediately brings to mind the Taj Mahal, the iconic monument which is a symbol of love and stands tall in all its white glory. However, very few people know that the same emperor...
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Of Legends & Legacy: The Unique Link Between India & Cambodia’s Angkor Wat!
“It is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the...
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Hindu Pashtuns: How One Granddaughter Uncovered India’s Forgotten Links to...
Partition remains a painful memory for many communities across both sides of the border. Many families had their entire lives uprooted even though they had no stake in a decision politicians and...
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Young Punekars Join Hands to Preserve Forgotten ‘Veergals’ of Unsung Soldiers!
How far can one go to preserve historic evidence, one that narrates the tales of brave unsung soldiers who laid their lives down in war? Two volunteer groups have been traversing through villages in...
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Meet The Woman Whose Orchard Will Give Ladakh’s Stunning Handicrafts a New Home
Despite being born in the land of high passes, Rigzin Wangmo Lachic Goji, the daughter of a serving Indian Air Force officer from Ladakh, had barely lived there. Education and vocation had taken her...
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Saris From Bananas: TN Weaver Creates 25 Natural Fibers, Wins National Record!
When everything is going the organic way why should the six to nine-yard saris be left behind? I have often heard of the versatility of the banana plant whose each part can be put to use. And proving...
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Shepherds Saved His Life. So He Became One Himself To Save a Truly Precious...
Gasping for breath, Babar Afzal tried to run as fast as he could to save himself from being attacked by a snow leopard in a village close to Leh. Although he was not able to think, Babar was fully...
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‘Palace of Fairies’ to ‘Lost Hill of Faces’: 12 Hidden Heritage Gems in India...
A building speaks a million words. The uniformity in the dimensions of stones and bricks that make up a monument whisper the story of the era it was built in. Whether the stone slabs are aligned...
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Ekla Chalo Re: This ‘One-Man Army’ is Saving India’s Pre-Radio Gramophone...
At the crack of dawn, Vikram Sampath made his way through the crowd behind the Red Fort. He walked past the colourful roadside stalls selling everything from clothes, shoes, to the best of wrist...
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Businesswoman Makes India’s Wonders Accessible For Those With Reduced Mobility
“Can you imagine not being able to step out of your house for almost 10 years?” asks Sminu Jindal, one of the most prominent names in the steel, oil and gas industry of India. What might seem like a...
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Ancient Mandu’s Brilliant Way of Water Conservation Will Blow Your Mind!
Mandu’s tryst with history is old. The parched little hilltop town in Madhya Pradesh, traces its roots to the Paramara dynasty in the 8th century CE. Though, not much is known about the history of the...
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In Photos: One Architect Saving Rajasthan’s Hauntingly Beautiful Shekhawati...
Spread across Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu districts in northern Rajasthan, the mesmerising Shekhawati settlement survives amidst negligence and urban encroachment. Famous for marvellous frescoes painted...
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RBI’s Pakistani Notes to Hyderabadi Rupee: India’s 1st Museum of Currency Is...
Rezwan Razack’s love for paper currency was kindled in a rather accidental way in his childhood. As a school student, he once chanced upon a peculiar banknote in his grandfather’s safe. “The note had...
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Drop a Visit To This 200-Year-Old Library, Patronised By Subash Chandra Bose!
I distinctly remember it was the month of May, and Chennai was experiencing the ‘Agni Nakshatram’ phase. A time where temperatures soar and the land gets parched. After lunch, my father was regaling us...
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This ‘Oily’ Handloom From Coastal Andhra Once Impressed The World
There was a time when almost every woman’s wardrobe across Southern India would hoard a stack of Telia Rumal sarees or kerchiefs. Sadly, the heritage ‘Telia Rumal’ weaving pattern with its intricate...
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With a Tiger & a Goat, This Swadeshi Tea Stood up To The British Raj’s Racism
Cutting Chai, Masala Chai, Kahwa, Lal Cha, and many, many more — in India, chai, or tea, is not just a beverage, it is an emotion. From the soul-awakening sip in the morning to the energising dose at...
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6 Women Help Award-Winning Weavers Across India earn Rs 60 lakh in 2 Months
Majid Ahmad Mir, a 39-year-old master weaver from Srinagar comes from a lineage of master pashmina weavers dating back almost 600 years. (Image above of Majid Ahmad Mir on the left and a Pochampally...
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Built in 1856, You Can Read 1000s of Rare Books in One of India’s Oldest...
Every morning for the past 22 years, Rajkot-based Kalpa Chauhan (44) has been religiously making her way to Jubilee Garden at the heart of the city. Smack in the middle of the lush landscape lies the...
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3 NID Grads Use Stories to Save Over 250 Dying Crafts & Help 200 Artisans...
Back in the early 14th century, a couple of families from a community of nomadic blacksmiths called the Gadia Lohars migrated to Muddarda village in Mehsana taluka, Gujarat. (Image above of an artisan...
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Why You Should Choose Rice Powder Kolam Over Stone Powders Sold in Markets
Every morning, I would wake up and open the door to observe my mother’s kolam of the day. Some days, the kolam would be big, some days small. Some days the designs were extremely complex, and on some,...
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How Indian Ice Hockey Goalie Saves Ladakh’s Centuries-Old Scroll Paintings &...
How do you protect and preserve culture? It’s a question Noor Jahan – a 32-year-old expert in art conservation and heritage management from Leh – has grappled with for a decade. Through Shesrig...
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A Historian’s Abode, 400-YO Home-Turned-Homestay Bears Marks of Goa’s...
The air at Villa Saudade — a refurbished heritage Portuguese mansion in Arpora, Goa — is filled with the aroma of sausages, while in the distance, sounds of the gentle lapping of the water emanate...
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This Heritage Building in Hyderabad Has Seen the World’s Most Significant...
On July 27, the Telangana government submitted an affidavit before the Telangana High Court announcing its decision to demolish all buildings that form part of the Osmania General Hospital (OGH)...
View ArticleA Date With History: 8 Heritage Walks That Should Be on Your Vacation List
How do the street artists of Mumbai thrive in an age of e-commerce? What were steam engines like back in the day? Why is the Taj of Marwar called so? Google may have the answers, but witnessing them...
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This 100-Yo Heritage Fort in Kutch Is Home to a First-Of-Its-Kind CBSE School
Title picture courtesy: Ipsita Paul. The night quietens under the moon as the sky blue table comes out of the vintage dining hall. The chairs, candles and the crockery is laid out for the Gujarati...
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