“Your name?”

“Azad”.

“Your father’s name”?- “Azadi”

“Where do you live?”-“In Prison”

Jayanti of #ChandrashekharAzad one of the greatest revolutionaries of the freedom movement. Born Chandrashekar Sitaram Tiwari, on July 23, 1906 in the village of Bhabara, now located in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. His father, Pandit Sita Ram Tiwari, hailed from the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, and had got a small job as a clerk in the forest department.

Savitri Bai Khanolkar’s journey from Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros to becoming the designer of India’s highest military honor is extraordinary.

Her design of the Param Vir Chakra, inspired by the legend of Indra’s Vajra , reflects the spiritual and heroic essence of Indian heritage.

Today is her Jayanti. What’s even more compelling is how she embraced Indian culture so deeply—mastering Sanskrit, adopting Hindu traditions, and channeling that reverence into a symbol of valor that continues to inspire generations. It’s not just design, it’s devotion etched into bronze.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh's capture of Lahore on July 7, 1799 is an important date in Sikh history, as it laid the foundation for the first ever Sikh Empire. Till then the Sikhs were mostly scattered in warring misls.

This post takes a look at Ranjit Singh's early life, and his rise to power.
After the passing away of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire fell into a state of disarray with weak rulers and constant intrigues. Revolts broke out all over with the Rajputs in Western India, the Marathas in Central India, carving out independent kingdoms and empires of their own.

Punjab in the North West, saw the rise of the Sikhs with the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh to resist the Mughal Empire.

In my series on Andhra Pradesh, today I take a look at the Parasurameswara Temple at Gudimallam a small village around 40 km from Tirupati is widely regarded as housing one of the oldest known Shiva Lingas in India, with scholarly estimates placing its origin anywhere between the 3rd century BCE and 2nd century CE, likely during the Satavahana period.
What makes this temple extraordinary is the Gudimallam Lingam itself — a seven-sided monolithic structure featuring a high-relief image of Shiva as a vigorous hunter standing atop a crouching Yaksha. This anthropomorphic depiction is rare and possibly the earliest surviving image of Shiva in such form.

Telugu surnames and what do they mean exactly.

Unlike other parts of India, for Telugus surnames, are not identified with a caste per se, though there are some surnames specific to a caste.

For us surnames mean family names, which are based on various factors.

Typically for Telugus the naming convention is Family Name+ Real name, the caste name is usually optional, it's not binding.

So unless someone explicitly tags their caste name , it is hard to make out from which community they are just on basis of surname. Telugu family names are usually based on various aspects, but typically there are around 11 categories.

The most common family names are those related to one's ancestral village or town.

For eg writer , social reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam, though born and grew up in Rajahmundry, his ancestors were from Kandukuru. Or freedom fighter Tanguturi Prakasam.

Surnames like Bellamkonda, Deverakonda, Ponduru, Chittapuram, Gunupudi, all indicate the ancestral village or home town which is taken as family name here.

In my series on Andhra Pradesh, today I take a look at Venkatagiri, famous for it's Samsthanam, sarees and the Poleramma Jatara.

Incidentally the Rajas of Venkatagiri Samsthanam, made a substantial contribution to Chennai city development.
Venkatagiri, lwas once a princely state under the Velugoti dynasty. Originally known as Kalimili, it rose to prominence in the 17th century when Recherla Venkatadri Naidu, a Nayak under the Vijayanagara Empire, established his rule there.

The town later became the capital of the Venkatagiri Zamindari, which lasted until Indian independence.

Nestled in the Vizianagaram district of northern Andhra Pradesh, the small and serene town of Bobbili lies along the Vizianagaram–Raipur rail route. It’s most dramatic and defining moment came on January 24, 1757, in what is now known as the Bobilli Yuddham( Battle of Bobilli).

The fort's small but determined forces stood against a formidable alliance of the French, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and their bitter rivals, the Vizianagaram Samsthanam. Rather than surrender, the people of Bobbili—led by their royals and warriors—chose to fight to the last man. When it became clear that defeat was certain, the inhabitants of the fort, including women and children, committed suicide to avoid capture and dishonor.

This ultimate act of valor and sacrifice has since been immortalized in Telugu literature, drama, and cinema, with Bobbili becoming a symbol of courage, pride, and resilience.

Today is Jayanti of Havaldar Abdul Hamid who won the Param Vir Chakra, for his heroics in Battle of Asal Uttar, born on this date in 1933, at Dhamupur in Ghazipur dt of UP.

He joined the Indian Army in December 1954 and was posted to the 4th Battalion of the Grenadiers Regiment. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War, his battalion was part of the 7th Infantry Brigade under Brigadier John Dalvi. At Namka Chu, surrounded and cut off by Chinese forces, the battalion made a daring breakout into Bhutan on foot—a retreat that became a symbol of grit under impossible odds.

Bonalu begins today, a celebration of Shakti in different forms of Grama Devatas. Though celebrated all over the state, it is the celebrations in Hyderabad that are quite famous.

It is a corruption of the word Bhojanalu (meals or a feast) where women devotees prepare rice cooked with milk and jaggery in a brass or earthern pot, adorned with neem leaves, haldi, kumkum, and a lamp on the pot. They carry the pot on their heads to make the offering to Ammavaru, along with Kumkum, saree and bangles too.
#Bonalu Grama Devata Jatras are vibrant, deeply rooted village festivals across the South, dedicated to local guardian deities—often fierce forms of Shakti like Maisamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Gangamma, and Poleramma.

These deities are believed to protect the village from disease, drought, and misfortune, and their Jatras (annual fairs or processions) are a way for the community to honor that protection.

Today is Jayanti of Hiriye Kempe Gowda the founder of Bengaluru, born at Yelahanka in 1510, belonging to the Morasu Gowda clan, also called as the Yelahanka Prabhus.

He was the fourth in succession after the dynasty’s founder Rana Bhairave Gowda, and son of Kempananje Gowda. His ancestors belonged to Kanchi and had moved to Karnataka in early 15th century to serve under the Vijayanagara Empire then.

Though predominantly Kannada speaking, they knew Telugu also. He got his education in a Gurukula at Aigondapura near Hessaraghata, and soon took over as chieftain in 1531.

In my series on Andhra Pradesh, today taking a look at Srimukhalingam, in Srikakulam dt, one of the famous Shaiva Kshetras.

Located in the Jalumuru mandal of Srikakulam district, was the erstwhile capital of the Eastern Ganga dynasty for close to 6 centuries. However with Anantavarma Chodaganga Deva shifting the capital to Cuttack in 1135, the place lost it's prominence. It was one of the main centers of Shaivism, more specifically of the Pasupati Shaiva sect. You can find the icon of Lakulisa, the founder of the sect, who is also believed to be one of Shiva's avatars too.

The sect was widespread in Gujarat, Rajasthan, from where it spread to Bengal, Odisha, and it's believed to have come to Mukhalingam around the 8th century. The Shaiva temples here date between 9th-11th centuries.

What's in a name?
Quite a lot actually, the name of any city or town, gives a lot on it's background, history.
This thread is on the names of some well known cities in Andhra/Telangana, and the backdrop.

Vishakapatnam- Believed to be named after a temple dedicated to Vaishakha here, that has been washed away. Was also called Kulotungacholapatnam in ancient times. Vizagapatam/Waltair were the British names. Bobilli- Famous for the battle here, the place gets it's name from Bebulli meaning Tiger, the town was founded by Pedda Rayudu, the 15th descendant of the Raja of Venkatagiri, who got this land as a grant from the Nawab of Chicacole.

June 22, 1897

The Chapekar brothers assasination of W.C.Rand in Pune, proves to be a turning point in the history of Indian freedom struggle, as it sparked off the flames of revolution in Maharashtra and beyond. The Chapekar brothers hailed from Chapa, one of the small hamlets adjoining to Chinchwad, which in a way explains their surname too.

The eldest Damodar, was born in 1868, to Dwarka and Hari in a large joint family of twenty that included his parents, aunts, uncles and above all his grandfather, Vinayak, the patriarch. The other two brothers were Balakrishna and Vasudeo.

The Ashadi Wari or the Pandharpur Wari is currently underway in Maharashtra, where the Warkaris, devotees of Vithoba, undertake the journey to Pandharpur, the abode of Vithoba, an avatara of Vishnu, by foot. A joyous celebration where Hindus join together cutting across all castes, walking by foot, singing kirtanas.

This post takes a look at the Warkaris, and the significance of the Wari.


The Ashadi Wari is the Yatra, that is held during the month of Ashada that culminates on Shayan Ekadashi, considered one of the holiest days for Vaishnavas.

It’s believed Vishnu goes to sleep on Adisesha, in the Ksheera Sagara for a period of four months, called the Chaturmasa, and he wakes up again in Karthika, on Prabhodhini Ekadashi. The Warkaris carry the Padukas of the Bhakti era saints Tukaram, Eknath and Jnaneswar from Dehu,Paithan and Alandi respectively.

Today is Jayanti of Lakshman Rao Kirloskar, the founder of the iconic industrial group named after him, one of the great industrialists, who started his career as a teacher, drawing 45 Rs per month, and would go onto found a 10,000 cr conglomerate, and also set up an entire township, in Sangli district. Lakshman Rao Kashinath Kirloskar was born on June 20, 1869 in Gurlahosur, a small village in Belgaum district, to Kashinath, a Ved Pandit. However he was least interested in learning the scriptures, and his passion was mainly drawing, and mechanical engineering.

Breaking away from the family tradition, he enrolled at Mumbai’s JJ School of Art in 1885, much against his father’s wishes, but was supported by his brother Ramuanna.

June 18, 1576, Haldighati

A narrow mountain pass in the Arravallis located around 40 Km from Udaipur, connecting the districts of Rajsamand and Pali, it is believed to have got it’s name from the turmeric colored soil here.

It would be witness to one of the most epic battle ever in Indian history on this date.


Akbar had captured Chittorgarh in 1568 after a long siege, that saw the massacre of it’s inhabitants, as well as the heroism of Jaimal and Patta who resisted till the end. . It’s ruler Udai Singh had fled from the fort, and founded a new capital at Udaipur.

However while the fertile eastern plains of Mewar were under Mughal control, the more wooded, hilly regions were still out of bounds, which he needed to get a secure, stable route to Gujarat via Mewar.

The War of the Patents- Robert Noyce vs Jack Kilby.

Two legends of the Tech field, one the founder of Intel, another a Nobel Prize winner, who had realized the first IC.

This Noyce vs Kilby rivalry in Integrated Circuits, is on par with other legendary rivalries like Gates vs Ellison, Edison vs Tesla in the science and tech world.
Robert Noyce’s invention of the monolithic IC, was enough to put him in the Computing Hall of Fame. This in turn, fuelled the PC revolution, and also gave Silicon Valley it’s more famous moniker, not to mention a certain Intel.

He was one of the Traitorous 8, or the Fairchild 8, the men who left Shockley Semiconductor Labs in 1957, fed up with the Nobel Prize winner’s rather whimsical style of working and founded Fairchild Semiconductors.

What's in a name?

This post takes a look at the etymology of some places in Karnataka.

Bengaluru is believed to have got it's name from Bendakaluru, village of boiled beans, after an old woman offered Veera Ballala some boiled beans.

However many historians have disputed this as a folk tale, as per Suryakanth Kamath it is believed to have got it's name from the Benga trees here.

Mysore is dervied from Mahisuru, abode of Mahisha, a reference to Mahishasura who is believed to have ruled from here.
Bagalkot’s older name was Bagadige as per inscriptions, it’s believed the area was given by Ravan to his court musicians as a grant.

As per historical records, the town was given by Bijapur ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah II, as bangle money to his daughter, a tradition by which girls are given money by parents to buy bangles, gold, ornaments.

Prafulla Chandra Ray, aka P.C.Ray. The father of modern Indian Chemistry, the first Indian to set up a pharma company, and a pioneer of modern chemical industries in India.

Thread on his death anniversary today. But Ray was more than just a mere chemist, he worked actively in the fields of education reforms, employment generation, political advancement too. He was a social reformer, fought against casteism, advocated the use of mother tongue as medium of instruction.

He was elected as President of the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, for his contribution to Bengali language. A man of simplicity who had no worldly possesions, lived in a single room all his life at the University College of Science in Kolkata.

Sri Kalahasti is one of the Panchabhuta Kshetras where Shiva is worshipped as Vayu Lingeswara, the others being Tiruvannamalai(Fire), Chidambaram(Space), Kanchi(Earth) and Jambukeswara(Water).

This post is about the story of Sri Kalahasti and Kannappa Nayanar who was associated with the place.

It gets it's name from the story that Shiva was worshipped here by a spider(Sri), snake(Kala) and elephant(Hasti). The spider used to weave webs around the Shiva Linga here. While the snake used to fetch precious stones and place it on the Shiva linga, the elephant used to worship it with water and flowers.

One day the snake seeing the elephant remove the stones it placed, bit the elephant. As the elephant rolled over in agony, it crushed the snake under it, as both died. The spider too passed away, and Shiva pleased with their devotion, blessed the three, leading to name of Sri Kalahasti.

Today is Jayanti of Ganesh Savarkar, affectionately known as Babarao, elder brother of Veer Savarkar.

While we are familiar with the life and times of Veer Savarkar, not much is known about as Babarao, a true nationalist, who suffered and sacrificed as much, in fact more.
Babarao was born on June 13, 1879 in Bhagur near to Nashik, the eldest of the 3 brothers, followed by Vinayak Savarkar and Narayan Savarkar.

It was a hard life for him from beginning, with mother Radhabai passing away when he was just 13, and their father Damodar Pant, passing away in a plague epidemic couple of years later.