History

In this article, the author talks about the ease of digital archiving, challenges associated with it, of which some are copyright issues, advancement of archiving technology, and the exigencies of migration and preservation that follow, amidst challenges of document manipulation and digital piracy. It also discusses the politics of narratives and the question of whose narratives make it to the digital archives.

Premakhyans are a wonderful example of assimilation of various literary traditions- it combines the Sanskrit Kavya tradition and the Persian masnavi traditions and was written in Hindavi, in the hinterland courts. These are versified romances which exalted the bravery and sacrifices of the protagonist in his quest for love. The protagonist is an ideal man, who is often torn between the spiritual and material milieu, but in the end after facing all sorts of hurdles,he is able to reunite with his lover which is the symbol for the state of fana or the annihilation of one’s ego according to Sufi traditions. Many of these premakhyans have become controversial and have been through a communal lens, with the protagonist, a Hindu, being hailed for prevailing against a stronger tyrannical Muslim ruler, even though it was one of the sub-plots of the entire narrative.

It is said that everything is fair in love and war. However, humiliating a loved one for profit by spewing lies does not really confirm to the true meaning of love. Read more to find out how Maitreyi Devi's 'Na hanyate' provides a glimpse of a woman who at all costs made sure that she could profess to the world the true meaning of love.

“Once in every five years, each person in India is equally important. Once in five years, the magic of democracy is repeated and the impoverished, the rich, the malnourished, the obese, the literate and the illiterate sail in the same boat.”

Mughals, food, food history, medieval history, feasts, akbar, akbarnama, ainiakbari

In an era where everything is viewed with a political lens, monuments face the ugliest brunt.

“The politics of secession isn’t simply of a region trying to become autonomous for its cultural unity, but involves stakes of multiple parties that are not usually seen on the face of the movement.”

The attempts to reclaim the past can be varied, ranging from renaming of famous monuments or infrastructures to modifying the education system. India has a long history of these kinds of changes in ruling power along with the destruction and establishment of new cultural past over the old. Click on the link below and peek into the most astonishing examples of altered narratives of the past belonging to a period of power struggle amongst the Mughals, the Britishers and post-independence India.

Often the adage ‘Dilwalon ki Delhi’ is used to define the rich city of diversity. However, the very heart of delhi, contained in its vibrant history and culture, threatens to fall to ruin because of our apathetic neglect. To revive and sustain one’s own sense of spatial identity, we must preserve the heritage of Delhi, a large part of which is its architecture.