History

India’s oldest ‘chor’ bazaars are more than shopping hubs — they are witnesses to centuries of social and cultural change. Here’s a glimpse into five iconic markets where history, craft, and everyday life still intersect.

Step into India’s hidden underworld as we uncover secretive spaces beneath ancient towns, revealing whispers of the past and mysteries that continue to captivate the curious.

In Goa’s Fontainhas, Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro is famed for its wood-fired bakes and Goan classics like bebinca and pinag.

From a Sufi musician’s daughter to a WWII resistance hero, Noor Inayat Khan’s quiet courage is now immortalised on a French postage stamp.

Children from Tokyo, Berlin, Amsterdam and even a small town in Canada wrote letters to former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, requesting him to send them an elephant from India. Here's a unique story of how he turned these requests into small diplomatic victories.

From a Delhi runway to a Gujarat charkha, khadi links breathable comfort with craft and pride. Fair pricing, better design and clear traceability are moving handspun fabric into modern wardrobes while more value reaches spinner and weaver homes.

Before India’s women cricketers made history on the world stage, one man in Lucknow changed everything. In the 1970s, Mahendra Kumar Sharma went door to door to build India’s first Women’s Cricket Association — and the legacy lives on.

Every day, an electrician climbs 236 stairs inside Mumbai’s 146-year-old Rajabai Clock Tower to wind it by hand. In a city powered by speed and screens, he remains the human force that keeps time alive — without electricity or machines.

Started in 1953, Elloras has lived on Dehradun’s Rajpur Road for so long it's become one with the landscape. It serves stick jaws, plum cakes, and more.

Anchored on Kashmir’s Dal Lake, the world’s only floating post office has been delivering letters and memories for 70 years. Inside its wooden houseboat, heritage, craftsmanship, and connection come together to tell a story that still floats on.