Trekking the Sacred Tirumala Hills in 1872
V.N. Narasimha Iyengar departs from Tirupati to Tirumala on 16 December 1872. He gives intricate details of the whole journey, which in itself is a valuable firsthand source of history.
The Tirupati Town that V.N. Narasimha Iyengar Saw in 1872
V.N. Narasimha Iyengar proceeds to Tirupati after departing from Arakkonam. The description of his journey and the portrait of the sacred temple town of Tirupati in 1872 is illuminating to say the least.
The Extraordinary Travel Diary of V.N. Narasimha Iyengar
V.N. Narasimha Iyengar, a Deputy Commissioner in the Mysore Princely State went on a pilgrimage from Bangalore to Benares in 1872 by train. He meticulously recorded almost every detail of this journey. It is a firsthand portrait of the socio-economic conditions of a large part of India of that era.
A Jilted Italian Lover’s Description of Primary Arithmetic Education in Gerusoppa
Pietro Della Valle, the 16th Century Italian musicologist and traveller, gives us a vivid and endearing picture of how small boys learnt arithmetic in Gerusoppa, now in Uttara Kannada district.
When a Spotless Poet Mortgaged an Alphabet in his Name
The story of the 13th Century Kannada poet named Rudrabhatta, who pledged an alphabet in his name to get a loan.
“Never Forget that We are Hindus First and Last!” — Lala Lajpat Rai’s Resounding Message to Indian American Students
The full text of Lala Lajpat Rai's inspiring message and advice dated 1916 to Indian students in America. It is still relevant to large sections of our NRIs.
A Glimpse into the Indian American Community in the Early 20th Century: A Tale Optimism, Sincerity and Disquiet
The first part of a series offering a peek into the conditions of the Indian American community in the early 20th Century. Much historical learning ensues from studying this phenomenon.
How the Navanītakaṁ Supplied the Raw Material to Western Medicinal Research in Garlic
Navanītakaṁ or the so-called Bower Manuscript contains a detailed exposition of garlic as a dietary item and as medicine. After its discovery, the Western medical community appropriated this information into its own research.
When the Bower Manuscript Opened the Doors to an Extensive Hindu Civilisational Imprint in China
The decipherment of the Bower Manuscript led to a spurt of excavations in East Turkistan and paved the way to the discovery of the Kuqa and Kizil Caves in China.
A Turkic Muslim Treasure-Hunter Sells an Ancient Sanskrit Manuscript to a Colonial British Colonel in China
At Kucha, now in Xinjiang, Colonel Hamilton Bower buys an ancient Sanskrit Manuscript from a Turkic Muslim treasure-hunter for a paltry sum and then brings it back to India.