Been asked what fascinates me abt #Chanderi. More than the fort, baolis, tombs & mosques, Jain rock cut sites & ancient rock art, perhaps what draws me here is the fact that heritage is everywhere in Chanderi. Like this grp of lost temples at Sitamarhi

https://twitter.com/Hiddenheritage/status/1011680798007877633?s=20

Spotted in a field outside #Chanderi. Was this structure a shrine or was it part of a walled complex housing a now-lost shrine? It has fragments of icons kept within which probably came from another structure.

Beginning a thread on some less-known temples of #Gujarat. These pics are of a grp of 7th century CE temples, Maitraka dynasty, Bhanasara vil, #Junagarh. Lie a short drive frm the coast, on the road that connects #Mangrol to #Porbandar. A giant stepwell, with four entrances, outskirts of Chobari vil, #Surendranagar, #Gujarat. But perhaps more shrine than stepwell, going by its ornate iconography, including a 12-13th century CE Shesasayi Vishnu. A story I did on this once: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad…

Rajgir, #Bihar, once the capital of a powerful kingdom - a kingdom that grew into an empire straddling much of the subcontinent. Today, it is a second-rate town even in its state. But a town dotted with heritage, such as this stupa dated to the 4th-5th centuries BCE. A pity that the heritage of #Ragjir, #Bihar has been allowed to gently decay sans restoration. This is the shrine of Mani Naga, dated to 4th-6th centuries CE, Gupta period. Now called Maniyar Math, its focal point is a stupa-like circular structure with a hollow core.

#Karnatakatrail: Dusk on a Dec evening found me exploring the Bahmani tomb complex at a village called Holkonda, north of Gulbarga. Structures here being swallowed by the vegetation. #Karnatakatrail: The fort at Gulbarga, being gradually swallowed by vegetation. Rusting cannons, crumbling walls. A difficult task for the resource-strapped ASI.

#Chanderifauna: Some yrs ago, on a cold Dec morning in #Chanderi - my fav heritage destination - I was woken by a persistent knocking on the window. It turned out to be this bird, shot through the frosted glass. Perhaps it was urging me to get up and begin exploring. @MPTourism #Chanderifauna: Spotted this bird - a woodpecker I think - perched nr #Chanderi fort, lost in thought. Was black & white ever as striking as this?

An interesting recent addition to the collection, a book that plunges into the historical linkages of a mammoth epic. The connections are perhaps easier to make as I have visited most of the excavated sites mentioned, esp Kaushambi. More recent additions, these from the world book fair, in Delhi. A massive 3-volume listing of #hiddenheritage monuments in #Odisha. Amazed that the govt's publications division was giving this set away at a throwaway price.

@GetThatOut @RamapradeepM Interesting pt which needs more probing. Here's what I can add, at some length: 'Found' means that in 2016, the statue was identified for what it was and re-discovered by officials of the ASI. @GetThatOut @RamapradeepM Further, when it was found, the locals state that it was not standing erect like in the pic but was lying inclined. Exactly how it was lying I am not aware of - face down or face up. Let me also describe the path to the Bahubali.

Taking the first step into a new territory for me, #Chhattisgarh exploration begins. An unexpected find. A magnificent carved column embedded into the mandapa wall of the Ramachandra Temple, 12th century CE, Rajim, Gariaband district, #Chhattisgarh

Have always found the Yoginis a fascinating aspect of Indian history, the isolation of their shrines adding to the theme. And now, artist Seema Kohli has created a Yogini sculpture exhibition at Sunder Nursery heritage park, around a Lotus Pool. Traditions survive, evolve over time. Like Gauri - also called Ksemankari & Ajita. Depicted as a 9th cen Yogini sculpture (replica) frm Hirapur, #Odisha. Contemporary Gujarat has Khodiyar Mata, a goddess whose shrine is a stepwell. Both have a croc as vehicle. The same goddess?

A linga surrounded by 108 miniature lingas! Carved on rock on the banks of the Tungabhadra. Those who haven't been to #Hampi have missed the finest Indian heritage site of all. #Karnatakatrail. #Karnatakatrail: One of the finest heritage sites of the state at Kanaganahalli, near Sannati, #Yadgir. Excavated stupa comparable to Sanchi. Remains frm Mauryan-Late Satavahana period, frm 3rd cen BCE. Grt set of carved columns, cant be photographed though. Under restoration.

In Chittor district of #Rajasthan, the fort and associated traditions of valour get spoken of, but the fact that the region has a number of Shiva temple sites tends to get missed. Pics from the site at Menal, dating to the 11th century. Time to write about these... A story I did today in @TOIJaipurNews on two lesser known hill forts in #Rajasthan. Going beyond the six forts that have got UNESCO World Heritage status. Despite all the focus on its heritage, surprising how much heritage still remains obscure.

Explored some parts of #Punjab over the weekend. Pics of the fort at #Bathinda, the current standing structure of which is mentioned as the oldest existing fort in India. Some of the material used, though, has been dated to the Kushan period. The bulbous bastions of the fort at #Bhatinda are similar to those I observed in another desert fort in this region some years ago - at Bhatner, in Hanumangarh, #Rajasthan. Perhaps a common feature in forts bordering the desert, as a protection in the flat terrain.

Visited the Red Fort, #Delhi, after several years, to explore the new & refurbished museums that were opened last year. Amongst the objects on display was this 'invertible' WW 1 postcard which showed the prowess of Indian troops over the Germans. Of the new/refurbished museums inside the Red Fort, the first three are dedicated to the events of 1857, Jalianwala Bagh and to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose & the INA. A no of objects within, incl clothes belong to the last #Mughal emperor and a map showcasing Bose's journeys.

#Karnatakatrail: Another fascinating figure from my fav place in #Hampi - the 16th century CE Achyutaraya Temple. 3-headed octopus like figure, the headbands looks distinctly like those of #Inca figures. Attended an eye-opening talk last week by historian Dr. Vasundhara Kavali-Filliozat with the most interesting input being that 'Vijaynagara' is an incorrect name for the empire. The real name was 'Karnataka Desha'. We have been using an incorrect name all along! #Karnatakatrail

Inspired by the Persepolis pic, sharing a few 'pillars' seen in India. This set is of the Heliodorus pillar, a stone column in #Vidisha, MP. Could have been part of a Vishnu temple that was once at this site. Indo-Greek, dated to 113 BCE, rediscovered by Cunningham, 1877. This pillar is a virtual witness of Indian History - bearing inscriptions of Ashoka, Samudragupta and Jahangir. Originally Ashokan, was moved from Kaushambhi to its present day location inside the fort at #Prayagraj to commemorate Jahangir's accession.

An amateur video of the iconic Kauwa Dol Buddha as it looks like currently:

https://twitter.com/IndiaHistorypic/status/1101818619250515968

On World Heritage Day, kicking off a short 'Hidden Heritage' series in @TOIPatna with this story on Kauwa Dol. Inputs welcome.

Iconography, inscriptions and grandeur inside the 10th century CE Chola-built Somanatha temple at Melpadi, #Vellore dist, TN. #Jain iconography carved into a natural overhang; 9th century CE. #Vallimalai village, #Vellore dist, TN. The state is dotted with numerous #Jain sites similar to this. Wonder if there is a book that explores the Jain history of the region?

The massive Buddha statue found at Kauwa Dol seen in 1870.

https://twitter.com/IndiaHistorypic/status/1101818619250515968

The same Buddha statue seen today. At the Kauwa Dol heritage site, #Jehanabad, #Bihar. According to some accounts, this 8+ ft high statue may be the largest ever unearthed in India. While being unsure if this is the largest, I agree that it is quite a find!

Just realized yesterday that #Chandigarh's Sector 17 is built on an Indus Valley site. Here's an object that was unearthed in the excavation, which was never done fully because of the built-up area. In the context of an Indus Valley site lying below where #Chandigarh sector 17 stands, iconography in the giant mural made by Le Corbusier at the entrance to the #Punjab & #Haryana legislatures makes more sense. No wonder the bull is like a Harappan seal figure.

Beginning #MPtrail with this pic - taken in #Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. This is at a Chandella temple site of the greatest antiquity, a site whose temples pre-date those of #Khajuraho. This pic shows the state of heritage in our country. More on this site tomorrow. #MPtrail: This pic was taken from the top of a Chandella water reservoir's stone embankment. The green area on the left was once a large water body. At the far end of the reservoir is a group of temples which date to the 9th century CE. I'll take you there over the weekend.

Making the most of a rare official trip to a hill destination. At the 13th century Tango Monastery, #Bhutan. An unexpected observation during the short #Bhutan visit: In the inner sanctum of the tranquil Kichu Lhakhang temple, #Paro is a small equestrian statue of Genghis Khan. Amazed that one of mankind's most bloodthirsty ppl could be revered (with incense sticks) in a Buddhist shrine