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Home Decor & Collectables

Handcrafted Home Decor For You

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Celebrate the dazzling embroidery and mirror work of the Lambanis of Sandur in Karnataka, a tribal community whose joie de vivre is stamped into every vibrant hand-crafted piece they make 

Lambani Embroidery: Gypsy Magic

Celebrate the dazzling embroidery and mirror work of the Lambanis of Sandur in Karnataka

When you think of India’s Dutch connection, chances are, the idyllic town of Vengurla in Maharashtra, on India’s west coast, will not come to mind. Yet it was used by the Dutch as a pawn in 17th century geopolitics 

Vengurla: Konkan Port With A Dutch Connection

Vengurla: Konkan Port with a Dutch Connection

An ancient Indo-Roman port has been ‘found’ in coastal Maharashtra as the result of some pretty fancy detective work by historians and archaeologists. Follow this exciting trail as it leads from the Konkan to Oxford in England and back, and to some explosive discoveries along the way

Mandagora: The Konkan’s Roman Connection

An ancient Indo-Roman port has been ‘found’ in coastal Maharashtra as the result of some pretty fancy detective work

Did you know that on the southern coast of Tamil Nadu lies an ancient Pandyan capital which was not only one of the earliest ports of India but also a centre of pearl fishing 2000 years ago? Here is the story of Korkai...

Korkai: India’s Pearl Port

One of the earliest ports of India which was a centre of pearl fishing 2000 years ago

Lost Cities

Did you know that the British set up their first trading settlement in India in Machilipatnam? Incredibly, this modest port city was a gateway to untold wealth for ancient Indian empires and, later, European powers

Machilipatnam: Port with the Midas Touch

On 1st November 1864, a great cyclone swept across the Bay of Bengal and hit the coastal regions of present-day Andhra Pradesh, near the city of Machilipatnam. Hindus were celebrating Diwali and the city’s considerable European population was observing All Saints Day. The residents, quite used to frequent yearly cyclones, hunkered down in their homes, waiting for the storm to pass. But this time it was different. A giant tidal wave, 13 feet high, charged 27 km inland, destroying everything in its path. Around 30,000 residents were killed and the port was destroyed. Machilipatnam would never be the same again.

Drive 70 km east from Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati and you arrive in Machilipatnam. A town like any other in Andhra Pradesh, it is hard to imagine that it was once the most important port on the eastern coast of India for nearly 1700 years, from the days of the Satavahana empire in the 1st century CE till the late 18th century. In fact, in the 1650s, it was believed to be the fourth-largest city in India after Delhi, Agra and Surat, where merchants from all over the world congregated.

Did you know that the British set up their first trading settlement in India in Machilipatnam?

The idyllic town of Chaul on the west coast of Maharashtra was known globally as a thriving port in medieval times. Once coveted by almost every invading power, both local and foreign, the town is giving up its secrets, only very reluctantly 

Chaul: Maharashtra’s Medieval Port

Today, Chaul on Maharashtra’s Konkan coast is just a small non-decrepit town.

Around 2,000 years ago, what were Indians doing on a remote island that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie? A series of mysterious inscriptions in a cave on Yemen’s Socotra Island tells their story, which echoes in coastal Gujarat even today

Socotra Island: A Haven for Ancient Indian Seafarers

A series of inscriptions in a cave on Yemen’s Socotra Island tell their story, which echoes in Gujarat even today

From Bhrigukachcha to Barygaza to Broach to Brotsch to Bharuch, this city in Gujarat has had quite a journey. Here’s the story of India’s second-oldest city which has been continuously inhabited for at least 2,500 years! 

Bharuch - Gujarat’s Ancient Port City

While the African slave trade is well known, what is little known is that for around 200 years, starting the 17th CE,  thousands of Indians were shipped off as slaves to  the far corners of the world.  Who were they? What happened to them? We go to the  town of Pulicat near Chennai and find  pages from this  brutal  chapter of our history

Pulicat & the Forgotten Indian Slave Trade

The story of how ‘human cargo’ was shipped from here to the Dutch East Indies

The beautiful block-printed fabrics of Sanganer are known for their delicate patterns, especially floral. But #DidYouKnow that these signature Rajasthani fabrics are believed to be a legacy of migrant communities?


Sanganeri Textiles: Block-Prints That Wowed The World

A poster girl for the Rabari community in Kutch, Gujarat, Pabiben took her raw talent and turned it into an enterprise that empowers 200 women. Catch the incredible story of how the gutsy ‘craftpreneur’ created her own label and took traditional embroidery to the next level

Pabiben: A Stitch In Time

Did you know that the fabulous embroidery of the Kutch might have originally been done by cobblers in the 16th century? Trace the story of one of the region’s signature crafts and the communities identified by it today

Threads of the Kutch

Cuisines & Cultures

One of the most popular board games across the world, Ludo traces its origin back to the ancient Indian game of Pachisi. 

Ludo’s Indian Roots   

It’s one of the most popular board games across the world and chances are that you would have played at some time or other. But did you know that Ludo traces its roots to the ancient Indian game of Pachisi going back to 6th century CE! The game of Pachisi was extremely popular in ancient and medieval India and a version of the game called Chaupar or Chausar, is central to the story of Mahabharata when Yudhisthir lost his kingdom, wife and brothers to the Kauravas in this game.

The earliest reference to board games in India comes from excavations carried out in Harappan sites, and go back all the way to 2500 BCE. Dice and counters have been found in Harappan sites like Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Lothal. The popularity of these games can also be seen in the Rig Veda. In Book 10, verse 34, there is a ‘Gambler’s Hymn’’ which warns of the dire consequences of gambling.

The board game of Ludo originated from ancient Indian game called Pachisi. Trace its fascinating journey. 

Ludo’s Indian Roots

Board games are an excellent pastime around their world but #DidYouKnow that some of the most popular ones, like Chess and Ludo, are believed to have originated in India? Find out how Chaupad, Chaturanga and Gyaan Chaupar were much more than just fun and games in ancient times

Board Games And What They Really Mean

Home Decor & Collectables 

Lippan Art

Best Seller

In the Kutch, materials such as mud and mirrors are magically fashioned into one of the region’s most unique crafts – Lippan Kaam. Decorating walls and other spaces with lippan art. 

Lippan Kaam: The Glittering Art of the Kutch

Embroidery is synonymous with Kutch and, in the last few decades, the craft has undergone a great revival. In our online discussion, Heritage Matters, meet some of the people who support local artisan communities and have helped reinvent Kutchi embroidery to ensure its longevity

How the handicrafts of Kutch have seen a revival

Heritage Matters: Kutch Crafts – A Story of Revival

The Vankars of Bhujodi in Kutch weave the magical story of their heritage into the shawls, stoles and blankets they make. Follow the highs and lows of their craft, and its resurrection.

Bhujodi Weaving: A Unique Kutchi Art



The story of the rise and fall of a powerful port

Mandvi - Once Upon a Port...

The quiet port town of Mandvi in Kutch is a popular destination for tourists. A sleepy port known for its white sandy beaches, with wooden sailboats bobbing on the sea, it is idyllic. But it wasn’t always like this. Once upon a time, in the late 18th and early 19th century CE, Mandvi was among the greatest and busiest ports in India. At the epicenter of sea and land trade which spread from Central Asia to the West coast of Africa and India, it was a key point in the triangular trade route between Oman, Mandvi and the hinter land of Punjab and Sindh.

The port of Mandvi is located on the coast of Kutch, around 60 kms from Bhuj. Through history, political change has always been the reason for the rise and fall of great cities and the same is true in the case of Mandvi. The most authoritative work on the rise and decline of Mandvi port is the book ‘Globalization before its time-The Gujarati Merchants from Kachchh’ by Chhaya Goswami, a noted historian who has studied the Kachchhi community extensively. Goswami says the story of the Mandvi port is the story of the visionary rulers of Kutch, its administrators and merchants.

The story of the rise and fall of a powerful port

Mandvi -  Once Upon a Port...

A ghost town on the western edge of India preserves the essence of Guru Nanak. Find out why Lakhpat is special to the Sikh community, on the Guru’s birth anniversary today

Lakhpat: The Last Bastion

Only the hopelessly romantic or intrepid traveller ever really makes it here, for the town of Lakhpat is perched literally on the edge of India. As you head out for this once thriving port city hidden away at the mouth of the Kori Creek, in the Kutch district of Gujarat, you are swallowed by the vast emptiness that stretches out before you. Not far along is India’s border with Pakistan.

During the 134-km-long drive from Bhuj, it’s just you, nature and the open road, interrupted occasionally by a maaldhaari and his herd. But at journey’s end, the most breath-taking sight awaits – the majestic walls of a fortified city edged by the Arabian Sea.

A ghost town on the western edge of India preserves the essence of Guru Nanak

In the centre of Bhuj in #Gujarat are the earthly reminders of the Jadeja royals. Find out what makes the chhatardis of this dynasty so special and why they are central to the region’s history

The Royal Cenotaphs of Bhuj

Find out what makes the chhatardis of Jadejas so special and why they are central to the region’s history

At a time when there is a National debate on our rivers, here is a story that underlines how fresh water bodies play such a crucial role and lessons history can teach.

Bhuj’s Lake of Life

Hamirsar Lake is a unique 450-year-old water management system, which has sustained the city of Bhuj for centuries.

Treasures

Bihar Museum Exhibition: Women and Deities

Trails

The Making of Jaipur

Pune before the Peshwas 

Tales of Shahjahanabad

Shola Durga

Lippan White Wall Mirror

Handmade Harappan Dancing Girl Replica in Dhokra Metal

Bastar Handmade Wrought Iron Spiral Tealight Holder

Catch the incredible story of how a gutsy ‘craftpreneur’ from Kutch's Rabari community created her own label and took traditional embroidery to the next level!

Pabiben, started off as a pastoralist in Kutch in Gujarat, but today her ‘Pabi-Bags’ sell all over the world. The secret of Pabiben’s success is her signature stitch, the Hari Zari stitch, which is emblazoned across the bags she sells. Let’s not forget her winning personality, which makes her a wonderful poster girl for the women of the Rabari community.

Join us, and meet Pabiben and get a chance to shop from a gorgeous collection of her signature embroidery.

Catch the incredible story of how a gutsy ‘craftpreneur’ from Kutch's Rabari community created her own label and took traditional embroidery to the next level!  Pabiben, started off as a pastoralist in Kutch in Gujarat, but today her ‘Pabi-Bags’ sell all over the world. The secret of Pabiben’s success is her signature stitch, the Hari Zari stitch, which is emblazoned across the bags she sells. Let’s not forget her winning personality, which makes her a wonderful poster girl for the women of the Rabari community.  Join us, and meet Pabiben and get a chance to shop from a gorgeous collection of her signature embroidery.

The Incredible Story of Master Artisan Pabiben

The Secrets of Ladakh: A Rare Journey

Dholavira: Tracing the Story of the Harappans

South Asian Masterpieces at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Revisiting India’s First Port City: Lothal

Join us on unforgettable journeys week after week and meet those who are defining the way we look at history

The Incredible Story of Master Artisan Pabiben

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