How a humble piece of fabric from colonial Madras became a symbol of the sacred way of life for a tribal community in West Africa. A thread. 1/14 The Kalabari tribe of Nigeria, living in the eastern Niger Delta region, is renowned for its exquisite and vibrant culture, a hiresult of their exposure to internal Nigerian trade routes and Portuguese exploration for centuries. 2/14

Just savoring a bite of chocolate can create a perfect moment. Now if that bite surprised you with fruit/liquor on the inside? Delectable. Though there's no definitive theory on its origins, history suggests that its roots can be traced to a tempting Sandesh from India. 1/12 One of the earliest theories dates back to the 18th century. The French had been making a confection called “griotte” with a sour cherry hidden inside a chocolate casing. Thus, keeping an element of surprise. 2/12

High in the mountains of Himachal, in the little hamlet of Naggar, one can find a samadhi (grave) of a Russian Maharishi. If that doesn’t sound strange enough, here’s a story about the Russian mystic with a connection to Tagore and Independent India’s second president. 1/18 Almost six years before the country’s independence, a young scholar hitchhiked his way through the mountainous roads of the Kulu valley. His destination? A little hamlet called Naggar. 2/18

What could the Kohinoor Gem and a Premier League Football Club possibly have in common? A grand world event hosted by the British wound’t have crossed your mind. 1/16 The British Empire was a vast Commonwealth accounting for 0.87% of the Earth’s land map. Despite itself, at its largest, the Empire covered a colossal 25% of the world. 2/16

Imagine you’ve been to a country for a vacation. It was a normal day and as you tried to cross the road when the traffic signal turned green, a policeman came and fined you. However absurd it may sound, apparently this was a reality for a brief period in 1966. A thread 1/8 On 24th August 1966, a group of the Red Guards – vanguard of China’s new “Cultural Revolution”, under the influence of Mao Zedong, decided to alter the course of history by inverting the use of traffic lights. RED for “GO” and GREEN for “STOP”. 2/8

In world history, it's very common to find people fighting for years to create a new state or a country. But how often do you hear about trees and rats playing a pivotal role in adding a new state on the map? A thread on Mizoram. 1/14 Since 1955, the Eastern India Union (EITU) and the United Mizo Freedom (UMFO), had been raising the demand of a separate state comprising all the hill districts of Assam. 2/14

51 years ago #OTD, a music concert took place in New York that was both a celebration of the goodness of the human heart as well as a stark reminder of the depths it can fall to. We take a look back at the iconic “Concert for Bangladesh” (1/20) In 1971, south Asia was in turmoil. The liberation movement in East Pakistan was gaining momentum and simultaneously, brutal suppression by the West Pakistani regime was leading to a human catastrophe (2/20)

Did you know that the extremely light weight “Muslin” sarees, the reverential art of “Kalamkari” and one of the earliest Roman coins found in India are all connected to a 2000-year-old port in the Bay of Bengal that ceased to exist about 150 years ago? A thread. 1/13 Machilipatnam or Masulipatam (in local Telugu language) used to be a natural harbour situated on one of the mouths of the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh. The word ‘Machili/Masuli’ means fish and ‘Patnam/Patam’ means city hence the name ‘Town of the fish’. 2/13

Do you remember those irresistible tamarind candies you used to get for free on some domestic flights? We relished them and even brought back a pocketful, given a chance. But did you know that those candies trace their roots back to Thailand? A thread. 1/12 During early 2000, Madlsa Shastri, a middle-aged woman from Bangalore, was well known for her home-made candies. But no one knew that she got the recipes to make the candies from a Royal family of Thailand, as a gesture of goodwill when she was a temporary resident there. 2/12

A cloth from India so evocative and luxuriant that it had people around the world drooling over it and governments in raptures trying everything in their power to ban it. The story of Chintz. 1/17 Around the late 18th century, a celebrated actor and theatre manager in London David Garrick commissioned Thomas Chippendale, a cabinet maker famous for his neoclassical designs to make a bed for his villa at Hampton on the Thames riverside. 2/17

Did you know that the on-screen tragedy of the Bollywood queens Madhubala, Meena Kumari and Mala Sinha that tugged at the emotion of Indians through the 40’s and 50’s is strangely connected to a relatively obscure sport of the time, Cycling? A thread. 1/13 Director Moti B. Gidwani came up with a blockbuster murder mystery “Khazanchi” in 1941. It was one of the most successful movies made in pre-independent India. In that movie, one certain Jankidas Mehra played a cameo role of “Ram Das”. 2/13

The roots of the world's first sports watch can be traced back to India. Take a trip with us “reverse-o” in time to find out the Indian connection behind every watch collector’s crown jewel. 1/11 During 1930, when India was still under British Raj, a certain Swiss businessman and watch collector César de Trey was in attendance of a polo match at a British Army Officer’s club. 2/11

Long before Bengaluru became the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, it was an epicentre of boxing mania and one African-American boxer, who made India his home, ruled the streets. A thread. 1/14 Bangalore had seen interest in boxing grow during the 1930s with the arrival of foreign soldiers. The majestic Opera House, at the intersection of Brigade Road & Residency Road, once upon a time was a thriving boxing arena. 2/14

What connects the animal Nilgai, the Santhals and the 15th President of India? 1/8 There is a belief among the Santhal community about the creation of the world. Although they do no strictly believe that they have descended from animals, they assume that there is some connection between animals and human beings. 2/8

What connects a scandalous affair of a former Governor of the Madras province and one of the oldest luxury hotels in India. A thread on how the Taj Connemara got its name. 1/16 November 27, 1890, the streets of London were abuzz. The scandalous divorce case of Robert Bourke, Baron of Connemara, and his wife Susan Georgiana Broun-Ramsay was finally heading towards a conclusion. 2/16

Although it is becoming seemingly unpleasant to talk about the communal harmony that once characterised our great nation, let us delve into a story of diversity that painted India as a free nation on the world map. 1/17 During the Anglo Boer war in Africa in 1895, Pingali Venkayya, a 19-year-old British Soldier from Andhra Pradesh met Gandhi for the first time and formed an instant connection with his ideologies that would last his life. 2/17

On this day, next year, Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” will hit the theatres. During the climax of the movie, if you see Cillian Murphy (who plays the protagonist in the movie) in Lord Krishna’s avatar, don’t be surprised. Read on to know why. (1/9) The world-renowned theoretical physicist, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer was an avid reader and especially he showed very keen interest in Sanskrit literature. If stories are to be believed, he had a large collection of original books written in Sanskrit. (2/9)

What connects a savoury pizza, a dreamy little mining town in Assam and a flamboyant Queen? This bewildering connection traces its origins back to 19th century Italy. A thread 1/14 Queen Margherita of Savoy was crowned the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy in 1878. Margherita took over as the first lady of Italy right after getting married because there wasn't a queen. 2/14

The astonishing 🌈 Man of India. A thread. 1/14 Syed Mohammad Hadi was a prodigy from princely Hyderabad with a fascinating life. He was the first man to score a century in the prestigious Ranji Trophy and played in Wimbledon for 5 straight years and made it to the Quarter Finals in 1926. 2/14

Once upon a time in colonial India, the flaky, layered Paratha made its way into the lyrics of a song on Calcutta’s red-light district. A thread. 1/17 The red-light district of Calcutta received a constant stream of destitute women from the toiling farming communities of oppressed castes during the 19th century. 2/17

While pitched battles raged on the grounds some daredevil men took to the skies in some of the most critical and dangerous operations in World War II. The incredible story of flying over the Hump. 1/17 7th December 1941 - on a pristine morning the naval base of Pearl Harbour on the Hawaii islands was rocked by the Imperial Japanese forces, the war that was raging across many parts of the world had finally arrived in America. 2/17