History

In 1963, Minakshi Jhaveri started Swati Snacks to sell sev puri, bhel puri, ragda pattice and pani puri. Today, the restaurant has scaled up to multiple outlets in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Here's the story behind the iconic eatery.

Ganjifa is an ancient Indian card game that originated in the Mughal era, popular not only among aristocrats, but also the locals. Today, the cards are made in the homes of a handful of artists, and played by even fewer people.

Kashmiri saffron is known to provide a beautiful golden colour and pungent, aromatic flavour to food. The history of this crimson spice can be traced back to the Persians who brought it to the country from Iran.

Gujiyas are typically served during Holi, but Bombay Sweets in Thanjavur sells it year-round. The eatery, established in 1949 by Guru Dayal Sharma from Mathura, sells a modified version of the snack, called chandrakala.

There are no records available on whether Harrington found Bhalku first or vice versa. But what is well-known is that Bhalku joined the British team of engineers and soon became the most important man in it.

Princess Victoria Gowramma was the daughter of Chikavira Rajendra, the last King of the Kodagu (Coorg) kingdom, and was adopted as a godchild by Queen Victoria and converted to Christianity. But her diasporic story is not quite a fairytale one would hope.

First discovered in 1907, Chandraketugarh is a 2,500-year-old site in West Bengal. We unearth the many links it provides to international trade in the mysterious Indus Valley Civilisation.

Preparing for UPSC Civil Service Examinations? IAS officer Srushti Jayant Deshmukh shares a list of must-read books and crucial tips to help aspirants ace Prelims.

An accidental discovery of ancient artefacts in Uttar Pradesh's Sanauli village led to an excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India, and findings hint the tribe was of a warrior clan. It also spurred a 55-minute documentary titled 'Secrets of Sanauli' by Discovery Plus.

Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, a renowned British scholar, talks about an unnamed and unsung African woman who fought in Sikandra Bagh in Lucknow during the Revolt of 1857 and killed a number of British soldiers before being shot.