Travels

The ‘Silent Pages’ of Indian History include several mysterious chapters, of which some, though seemingly latent, often contain such lasting traces that allow revelation even centuries past erosion from common memory. One such chapter is the saga of Vikramshila, the erstwhile University i.e. ‘Mahavihar’ (Large Monastery), which was once internationally famous for its spectacular intellectual … Read more

 The Story of the “rediscovery” of Bodh Gaya, Bodh Gaya today is a classic and living example of how some silent pages in history can acquire voice after ages, and can become part of the mainstream lore. Imagining a visit to Bodh Gaya today, without knowing the story of the Buddha, and his association with … Read more

An ancient temple site with curious Vishnu dasavtara sculpture Konch or ‘Koch’ is one of the few surviving ancient Hindu temples in Northern India. I had first seen a photograph taken of the temple by Peppe, while reading the ASI Reports of 1880-81.  Konch today is a small market place and a non-descript town in … Read more

Tracing the imprints of the Buddha near the villages of Kolhua, Besarh and Bakhra in Muzaffarpur and Vaishali districts of Bihar A click on the internet today guides one to the details about the ancient sites of Vaishali. But just about more than 150 years back, life was not so comfortable, and the site of … Read more

The History of Mithila consists of several silent pages, many of which still remain shrouded in mystery. The geographical area including the northern part of the state of Bihar (India) and certain parts of the territory of Nepal, which is demarcated by the Gandak river on its west, Kosi river on its east, the Ganga … Read more

The Pawaya Brick Temple Padmavati may not be a familiar name today, but, to the Indologist, the very name serves as a reminder of the glory of the ancient Nagas who had flourished in the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D. Padmavati was their magnificent capital city wherefrom they succeeded in the creation of a stable empire which … Read more

The unending motion of the fourth dimension of time is the eternal law of nature. The Indian representational motif of the Chakra (wheel) has symbolized this eternal motion and has motivated spiritual seekers since times immemorial. Inquiries and speculations about the unending history of time have always occupied the intellectual human imagination. The human of … Read more

Atop a picturesque forested ridge on the banks of the Vetravati (Betwa), in an obscure corner of Uttar Pradesh, is located a priceless gem surviving from the Gupta age. Seldom visited by tourists even as it marks one of the earliest phases of temple architecture in India, the artistic magnificence of the sculptures at the Dashavatara … Read more