The Unheard Secrets

Bengal has definitely got a rich treasure house of history and some exquisite examples of architectural heritage. Glorifying the third power of Trimurti , or Shiva , this amazing terracota figurine signifying the unification of 108 powers of Rudraksha , is worthy enough to be mentioned. Kalna or  Ambika Kalna  is a town in the Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal, India. The city is more popularly known as Ambika Kalna , named after the goddess Kali , Maa Ambika . According to General Alexander Cunningham , the founder of the Archeological survey of India, Ambika Kalna was a frontier city of the Tamralipta kingdom during the 7th century A.D. The city reached its apex during the late 18th century under the patronage of the Maharajas of Bardhaman , who built several temples with intricate terracota ornamentation. The most riveting shrine complex in Kalna is the Nava Kailash or the 108 Shiva temples , indicating the 108 bead...

In the midst of Freedom Fighters and brave soldiers, some stories remain untold. We all remember the big names like  Bhagat Singh or Subhash Chandra Bose but how many of us know some of the real heroes who actually supported them by remaining behind the curtains. Some women and their contributions to this country are exemplary yet unknown. Especially, in the field of espionage which is often considered to be a ‘masculine’ job that requires strength and bravery. However, some exceptional women of our country have proven that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to serving the nation. Let’s get to know some of these women who fearlessly stepped into the enemy territory without a second thought. Whose contribution made a huge difference and their inspiring life journey broke all gender stereotypes. So here are those badass female Indian spies you must know: Saraswathy Rajamani She is one of the pioneers when it comes to Indian spies. Rajamani belonged to a wealthy fam...

What's in a name? More than you may realize! You may not see your stuffed bear in quite the same light again! Boxed and wrapped in paper and bows, teddy bears have been placed lovingly underneath Christmas trees for generations, to the delight of tots and toddlers around the world. But the teddy bear is an American original: Its story begins with a holiday vacation taken by President Theodore Roosevelt. Did you know that the Teddy Bear was invented in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt? It all began when Theodore Roosevelt was on a bear hunting trip near Onward , Mississippi on November 14, 1902. Mississippi's Governor Andrew H. Longino had invited him, but unlike other hunters in the group, Theodore had not located a single bear. Roosevelt's assistants, led by Holt Collier, born slave and former Confederate cavalryman, cornered and tied a black bear to a willow tree. They summoned Roosevelt and suggested that he shoot it. Viewing this as extremely unsportsmanlike, R...

T he constitution of India —the  longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world—has always been associated with Dr BR Ambedkar. While Dr Ambedkar, the chairman of the drafting committee , was undoubtedly its architect, little is known about the man who penned the constitution. The first draft of the Indian Constitution, which was completed on 26th November 1949 is no less than a masterpiece. While Nandalal Bose and his students designed the borders of every page and adorned it with beautiful art pieces, it was the singlehanded effort of Prem Behari Narain Raizada (Saxena) that brought the primary contents and the preamble to the Constitution, to life. Shri Prem Behari was born on 17 December 1901 , in a family of traditional calligraphists. He lost his parents when he was very young and was brought up by his grandfather Master Ram Parshadji Saxena and uncle Mahashya Chatur Behari Narayan Saxena. Prem Behari’s grandfather was a scholar in Pers...

In Bengal , every Bengali who lives in the big city can point out his or her ‘ desh-er baari’, the ancestral village from where the family migrated. In Kolkata , one cannot escape the shadow of Bengal’s bravest son, Subhas Chandra Bose – ‘ Netaji ’ to his fellow Bengalis. Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January 1897 in Cuttack in Odisha to Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Dutt Bose . In 1909, Janakinath Bose would built a house at Elgin Road in Calcutta , where Netaji lived in his formative years. It was this house that was the center of his political activities and it is from here that Netaji escaped from house arrest in 1940 . As a result, it is this house that is most associated with Subhash Chandra Bose and is now a museum called ‘ Netaji Bhawan ’. While the Elgin road house is thronged by Netaji’s admirers, not many from Kolkata have taken the hour-long drive to Netaji’s ‘ desh-er baari’ , in the village earlier known as Kodalia . Located aro...

Guru Gobind Singh , the tenth guru of Sikhism and founder of Khalsa , was famous for his blue coloured horse. In fact Guru Sahib is sometimes known as  "Neelay ghoray whalla"  or  "one with the blue horse". Just as his grandfather  Guru Hargobind Sahib , Guru Gobind Singh instructed his Sikhs to make offerings of arms and horses in readiness for the turbulent times ahead. In anticipation of this Gobind Singh ji Maharaj learnt the art of horsemanship from an early age under the guidance of his maternal uncle, Bhai Kirpal Chand. As Guru Sahib grew older, he became an accomplished horseman and would spend time travelling the country-side on horseback blessing his people who would inevitably gather wherever he went. Even today the lineage of the stallions continues at Hazoor Saheb, Nanded. The horses are kept in stables and are bred from the original stallion belonging to Guru Sahib. No one is allowed to ride the horses as a mark of respect a...

The astonishment of why some places lies abandoned,and in ruins does not get more perplexing than this. Off the Konkan coast of Maharashtra , lies the impregnable, unassailable and unconquered fort of Janjira . A fascinating history that begins with a pirate keep from which the Ethiopians carved out a stone fortress. It has held back mighty warriors like Shivaji the great Maratha champion. It lends a distinctive colour to the eclectic social fabric of the region. Mumbai ...The city of dreams or we call it as Mayanagari ....The place where we all attach our dreams and aspirations....About 160 kms away...In the midst of its magnificient sea lies a fort, carved out of a stone, which still speaks of its glory. 60 Kms away from Alibaug close to Konkan Coast lies the small village of Murud . Murud is the gateway to the wonders of Murud Janjira , which is lying abandoned in the silence of the sea. Rajapuri , another small village associated to Murud is another significant gateway to this ...