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Valay Singh

Articles by Valay Singh

From temples to trade routes: The Indo-Indonesian civilisational bond

India and Indonesia’s historical links go beyond geography, weaving together centuries of trade, religion, and cultural exchange

Analysis

Published on Jan 29, 2025 08:31 PM IST

ByValay Singh

Maha Kumbh: When Victorian morality collided with Naga Sadhu rituals

While the British colonial rule had banned nudity, it was not easy to enforce it within the arena of a religious festival like the Kumbh

Prayagraj: Newly-initiated Naga Sadhus of Shri Panchayati Akhara Niranjani perform rituals during Mahakumbh, at Sangam in Prayagraj, Sudnay, Jan. 19, 2025. (PTI Photo) (PTI01_19_2025_000372A)(PTI)

Analysis

Updated on Jan 22, 2025 08:44 AM IST

ByValay Singh

Lohri: A mother and son ballad beyond machismo and peasant rebellion

Lohri is celebrated in Sindh, Rajasthan, Punjab-Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi and has now spread to other areas as well.

Patna: Students and teachers dance as they celebrate Lohri and Makar Sankranti, at J.D. Women's College, in Patna, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (PTI Photo)(PTI01_13_2025_000252B)(PTI)

Analysis

Updated on Jan 13, 2025 04:48 PM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity: Thank Nehru for his One Nation, One Calendar reform

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-affiliated committee set up to create a uniform calendar was headed by astrophysicist Meghnad Saha.

Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. (Getty Images)

India News

Published on Jan 07, 2025 03:19 PM IST

ByValay Singh

Mahakumbh: Tracing the legacy of India’s grandest religious gathering

Mahakumbh stands not just as a celebration of faith but as a testament to the evolving traditions that define the Indian ethos.

Mahakumbh is scheduled to begin on January 13, 2025 (HT File)(HT_PRINT)

Analysis

Updated on Jan 13, 2025 08:18 AM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity: A note on the tabla, maestro Zakir Hussain’s choice of instrument

Poet-musician Amir Khusrau refers to the existence of an instrument called tabl that was played in royal courts

it is only in the last 200 years that tabla has beaten its musical competitors like the Pakhowaj and the Dholak.

HistoriCity: The story of Bhopal state’s role in preserving ancient heritage

Between 1822 and 1940s the British took away many famous sculptures such as the Sanchi Torso, and made plans to transport the carved gateways to London

Though Bhopal was a Muslim princely state, it showed a remarkable zeal to conserve and preserve heritage. (Incredible India)

India News

Updated on Dec 09, 2024 11:42 AM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity| Ajmer dargah: Where a Mughal princess gave up her comforts

The dargah embodies, in its true sense, India’s pluralistic character, given that it is revered by communities cutting across religions.

A view of an illuminated dargah of Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. (PTI File Photo)

India News

Updated on Dec 03, 2024 02:31 PM IST

ht_print | ByValay Singh

HistoriCity| Sambhal: A political and military battlefield throughout history

Sikandar later founded the town of Agra and shifted the capital there in 1505 but in these four short years, Sambhal acquired prominence.

The mosque in Sambhal might well be older than Babar to judge from its appearance. (PTI file photo)

India News

Published on Nov 29, 2024 12:29 PM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity| Manipur: The birthplace of Polo, the graveyard of the Japanese army

Manipur confounds the lay outsider and expert alike. Its histories are mired in myths and legends and competing nationalisms have made reconciliation harder.

Women from Lamlai village and Chalou village stage a sit-in protest in Imphal East against the violence and tension in Manipur. (ANI Photo)

India News

Published on Nov 22, 2024 03:29 PM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity | Jharkhand: A hinterland full of rich history

Jharkhand, India’s mineral heartland, holds another less visible wealth: its deep-rooted tribal history.

Ranchi, Nov 12 (ANI): A tribal woman performs the 'Puja' of security personnel as he departs for election duty on the eve of the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, in Ranchi on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)
(Somnath Sen)

Analysis

Published on Nov 13, 2024 08:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

King who defied the British: Uncovering the tale of Pazhassi raja’s rebellion

Leading one of the bloodiest battles against the British, he mobilised a local rebellion, using guerilla warfare and ambushes to push back Company forces

Pazhassi Raja (named after his birthplace- the village of Pazhassi) is barely remembered outside Wayanad, where a museum and his burial site remain the only reminders of the epic Kattayathu wars.(Wikimedia Commons)

Analysis

Published on Nov 05, 2024 08:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

Maharashtra: The rise and disintegration of the mighty Maratha empire

This Maharashtra election is turning out to be messier than any held previously.

Merchandise of different political parties on display at a shop for election campaign ahead of the Maharashtra elections. (ANI Photo)

Mumbai

Published on Nov 01, 2024 01:32 PM IST

ByValay Singh

In UP’s Bahraich, Ghazi Miyan and Suhel Deo duel over narratives

Hindus too seek boons and blessings at Ghazi Miyan’s grave in Bahraich, apparently unbothered by the myth

The present shrine of Ghazi Miyan is built over the grave that was dug at the same spot where he died from an arrow wound. (Faranjuned/Wikimedia Commons)

Analysis

Published on Oct 17, 2024 07:12 PM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity | Marathi: Power and politics of a language

Krushnaji Pandurang Kulkarni, author of Marathi Bhasha Udgam Va Vikas, claims that all Prakrit languages have helped in their own way to produce Marathi

A Prakrit inscription at the foot of the Bahubali statue at the Jain temple in Shravanabelagola. Almost all of the 22 recognised languages of India have evolved through the interaction of Prakrit and Sanskrit, together known as Indo-Aryan languages.(Wikimedia Commons)

Analysis

Published on Oct 09, 2024 06:01 PM IST

ByValay Singh

Historicity | Haryana, where myth and history mingled to make for epic battles

Haryana came into being as an offshoot of the 1960s movement for an independent state of Punjab that was led by Sikh religious leader, Tara Singh

Battle of Panipat, January 14, 1761, by an anonymous artist in the Faizabad style, dated 1770. (Anonymous/Wikimedia Commons)

Analysis

Published on Oct 01, 2024 07:59 PM IST

ByValay Singh

A century later, the mystery of Mohenjo-daro or the Mound of the Dead endures

The discovery was made by three Indian ASI officials: Rakhal Das Bannerjee, Daya Ram Sahni, the first Indian head of the ASI, and Madhav Saroop Vats.

Excavation work at Rakhigarhi, an Indus Valley Civilisation site in Haryana. (Saumya Khandelwal/ HT Archive)

Analysis

Published on Sep 25, 2024 06:47 PM IST

ByValay Singh

Port Blair, now known as Sri Vijaya Puram, India’s strategic beacon on the seas

The names Andaman and Nicobar mean the same, which is the land of the naked people, and are home to distinct tribes

The Cellular Jail in Port Blair. (File Photo)(HT_PRINT)

Analysis

Published on Sep 17, 2024 07:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

Kashmir: Before the conflict, a mystical history of confluence and influences

Dogra kings played their cards well with the British and supported them in the 1857 revolt. They are remembered for rapacious taxation and oppression of Muslims

Shawl makers in Kashmir (1867). This chromolithograph is taken from plate 2 of William Simpson's 'India: Ancient and Modern'(William Simpson/Wikimedia Commons)

Analysis

Published on Sep 13, 2024 06:22 PM IST

ByValay Singh

How Kolkata evolved from three villages into the city of India’s renaissance

The earliest known mention of Kalikata is believed to be recorded in the 15th-century Bengali text ‘Manasa Vijay’ by Bipradas Pipilai, a poet.

People protest the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, on Sunday. (PTI)(HT_PRINT)

Analysis

Published on Sep 03, 2024 08:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

Revisiting Lothal: The Harappan port-town and its role in ancient maritime trade

Debate over the nature of a 250-meter-long rectangular basin lined with burnt bricks, located at the mouth of the Gulf of Khambhat might finally be wrapping up.

Lothal, the Harappan site in Gujarat. (Shutterstock)

Analysis

Published on Aug 25, 2024 09:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

Delhi’s Red Fort: A monument of power, rebellion, and independence

Delhi’s Red Fort has always been a stage for politics, sometimes bloody, at other times petty. Its history hides layers of drama, both tragic and monumental.

Diwan-i-Aam of the Red Fort as painted by Ghulam Ali Khan between circa 1852 and circa 1854(Ghulam Ali Khan/Wikimedia Commons)

Analysis

Published on Aug 17, 2024 08:56 PM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity | Dhaka: At the crossroads of revolution

The exploitative taxation policies of the East India Company led to a degradation of peasantry and Dhaka’s development was ignored at the cost of Calcutta.

Analysis

Published on Aug 10, 2024 09:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

Moidam burial mounds’ UNESCO tag highlights Northeast's historical heritage

The UNESCO recognition underlines the beautiful evolution of cultures, a necropolis of Tai-Ahoms who over more than 600 years localised themselves in Assam.

The inclusion of the Moidams or burial mounds at Charaideo (pronounced Saraideo) in the UNESCO World Heritage list marks a new beginning.(PTI)

Analysis

Published on Aug 02, 2024 08:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity | Gaya: Corridors of religion, power, and history

Today, Gaya and Buddha Gaya- both are visited by millions of Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims, many of them unaware of past conflicts

Buddhist monks offer prayers at Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya. (HT file)

Analysis

Updated on Jul 27, 2024 04:00 PM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity | The treasures of Jagannath temple are in its shared history

The temple town of Puri and its iconic Jagannath temple have given the English language a much-used word, ‘Juggernaut’, which is defined as an unstoppable force

Puri: Devotees gather to witness the 'golden attire' ritual of Lords Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, in Puri, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (PTI Photo)(PTI)

Analysis

Published on Jul 18, 2024 09:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

How the Ellora caves are facing the brunt of security risks and a lack of funds

Proposed measures like CCTVs and metal detectors face delays due to funding shortages, leaving the UNESCO site vulnerable

A group of devotees gathered in Ellora caves(HT File)

Analysis

Published on Jul 12, 2024 09:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

HistoriCity | Delhi’s place of pride in the gay rights movement in India

As this year’s pride month draws to a close let’s look back at the history of legal battles fought over the now-decriminalised Section 377

Eight years of legal battle ended with cries of joy and disbelief among gay activists and their allies across the country. (Dibyangshu Sarkar / AFP File)

Analysis

Published on Jun 30, 2024 10:22 PM IST

ByValay Singh

How an ancient Buddhist vihara became a multicultural centre of learning

Nalanda, a preeminent centre of Buddhist and Indian learning, was renowned for its integration of Buddhist and Indian educational systems

A view of the ruins of Nalanda in the ancient kingdom of Magadha, now Bihar. (Parwaz Khan /HT PHOTO)

Analysis

Published on Jun 23, 2024 09:00 AM IST

ByValay Singh

London to Calcutta on a hippie bus: Around (part of) the world in £85

In 1956, the first such bus set out from London with about two dozen passengers. The bus tour left London on April 15, 1957, and reached Calcutta on June 5.

In 1956, the first bus set out from London (Getty Images)

Analysis

Updated on Jun 20, 2024 05:53 PM IST

ByValay Singh

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Valay Singh

India and Indonesia’s historical links go beyond geography, weaving together centuries of trade, religion, and cultural exchange

While the British colonial rule had banned nudity, it was not easy to enforce it within the arena of a religious festival like the Kumbh

Lohri is celebrated in Sindh, Rajasthan, Punjab-Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi and has now spread to other areas as well.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-affiliated committee set up to create a uniform calendar was headed by astrophysicist Meghnad Saha.

Mahakumbh stands not just as a celebration of faith but as a testament to the evolving traditions that define the Indian ethos.

Poet-musician Amir Khusrau refers to the existence of an instrument called tabl that was played in royal courts

Between 1822 and 1940s the British took away many famous sculptures such as the Sanchi Torso, and made plans to transport the carved gateways to London

The dargah embodies, in its true sense, India’s pluralistic character, given that it is revered by communities cutting across religions.

Sikandar later founded the town of Agra and shifted the capital there in 1505 but in these four short years, Sambhal acquired prominence.

Manipur confounds the lay outsider and expert alike. Its histories are mired in myths and legends and competing nationalisms have made reconciliation harder.

Jharkhand, India’s mineral heartland, holds another less visible wealth: its deep-rooted tribal history.

Leading one of the bloodiest battles against the British, he mobilised a local rebellion, using guerilla warfare and ambushes to push back Company forces

This Maharashtra election is turning out to be messier than any held previously.

Hindus too seek boons and blessings at Ghazi Miyan’s grave in Bahraich, apparently unbothered by the myth

Krushnaji Pandurang Kulkarni, author of Marathi Bhasha Udgam Va Vikas, claims that all Prakrit languages have helped in their own way to produce Marathi

Haryana came into being as an offshoot of the 1960s movement for an independent state of Punjab that was led by Sikh religious leader, Tara Singh

The discovery was made by three Indian ASI officials: Rakhal Das Bannerjee, Daya Ram Sahni, the first Indian head of the ASI, and Madhav Saroop Vats.

The names Andaman and Nicobar mean the same, which is the land of the naked people, and are home to distinct tribes

Dogra kings played their cards well with the British and supported them in the 1857 revolt. They are remembered for rapacious taxation and oppression of Muslims

The earliest known mention of Kalikata is believed to be recorded in the 15th-century Bengali text ‘Manasa Vijay’ by Bipradas Pipilai, a poet.

Debate over the nature of a 250-meter-long rectangular basin lined with burnt bricks, located at the mouth of the Gulf of Khambhat might finally be wrapping up.

Delhi’s Red Fort has always been a stage for politics, sometimes bloody, at other times petty. Its history hides layers of drama, both tragic and monumental.

The exploitative taxation policies of the East India Company led to a degradation of peasantry and Dhaka’s development was ignored at the cost of Calcutta.

The UNESCO recognition underlines the beautiful evolution of cultures, a necropolis of Tai-Ahoms who over more than 600 years localised themselves in Assam.

Today, Gaya and Buddha Gaya- both are visited by millions of Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims, many of them unaware of past conflicts

The temple town of Puri and its iconic Jagannath temple have given the English language a much-used word, ‘Juggernaut’, which is defined as an unstoppable force

Proposed measures like CCTVs and metal detectors face delays due to funding shortages, leaving the UNESCO site vulnerable

As this year’s pride month draws to a close let’s look back at the history of legal battles fought over the now-decriminalised Section 377

Nalanda, a preeminent centre of Buddhist and Indian learning, was renowned for its integration of Buddhist and Indian educational systems

In 1956, the first such bus set out from London with about two dozen passengers. The bus tour left London on April 15, 1957, and reached Calcutta on June 5.

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