Just a hundred years ago, much of the world was unknown - believe it or not!Secret cities lay hidden in the intimidating Himalayas, the perilous passes to them known to only a few. Fierce monsters were said to lurk in the swamps of north-east India. The mighty River Brahmaputra flowed through Assam and Bengal, but its place of origin was a big mystery. And in the cold, windy deserts of Central Asia, the fastest horse on earth galloped wild.Yet, intrepid exp...

The incredible stories of the most powerful and ambitious rulers in Indian history.They ruled vast and influential kingdoms across our country. They laid down laws and systems of administration. They fought wars that had far-reaching impact, and negotiated peaceful times that nurtured the arts and the sciences. They made decisions that, whether right or wrong, shaped events and moulded our culture. They were the kings and queens who played lead roles in the spectacu...

The era belongs to legendary King Vikramaditya, 1800 years ago. The brilliant star-reader Varahamihira, one of the famed Nine Gems of the king’s court, predicts a rare eclipse that has alarming consequences. Soon after, the scrolls carrying his predictions go missing. While the court considers how to retrieve them, they receive news of yet another disappearance none other than their celebrated poet Kalidasa! The kingdom erupts in an uproar.Meanwhile, in our own time, an adventure begins for ...

A BRAVE QUEEN OF AVADH WHO LED HER KINGDOM DURING AN UPRISING.A 73-YEAR-OLD FREEDOM FIGHTER WHO STOOD HER GROUND AGAINST BRITISH SOLDIERS.A FEARLESS TEEN HERO FROM NAGALAND WHO DEFENDED THE RIGHTS OF HER COMMUNITY.These extraordinary Indian women, and others like them featured in this book, shared one common goal: to stand up against the British and fight for India's freedom from colonial rule.Fearless and feisty, these homemakers and princesses, politicians a...

‘In the battle for liberty, fear is the one unforgivable sin’She always wanted to be wild and free like the birds, but she became much more: the Bulbul-e-Hind or the Nightingale of India. A child prodigy, Sarojini Naidu née Chattopadhyay grew to be so fearless and gifted that she was an example to all. Gopal Krishna Gokhale led her to devote her song and speech, thought and dreams to ‘the Motherland’ and she never wavered in leading or following the cause, right in...

‘Banasura used his thousand arms to good effect, wielding five hundred bows that sent off a storm of arrows towards Krishna...’Banasura was fierce to look at with his thousand arms carrying a thousand different weapons. He had an equally fierce personality, whereby he terrorized humans, gods and even imprisoned his own daughter! He waged the greatest battle of his life against Lord Krishna. Read about his unmatched weapons of war…

‘Banasura used his thousand arms to good effect, wielding five hundred bows that sent off a storm of arrows towards Krishna...’Banasura was fierce to look at with his thousand arms carrying a thousand different weapons. He had an equally fierce personality, whereby he terrorized humans, gods and even imprisoned his own daughter! He waged the greatest battle of his life against Lord Krishna. Read about his unmatched weapons of war…

Meet a hundred famous people who started small but made a big difference in the world.It’s easy to forget that all the great people who shaped the world we live in – inventors, leaders, writers, actors, musicians, environmentalists, reformers, athletes and artists – were once children, just like you! That there was something – a spark, a talent, a curiosity or just a dream – which was shaped by them as they grew, and led them to become amazing achievers who inspired...

A darkly lyrical and slyly ambiguous account of love, loss and fury.When Gautam Dogra is found murdered in his study one afternoon in the small hill station of Brooks Town, the police dismiss it as a relatively simple case. But Charlotte Hyde knows well that a murder never happens in a day – it follows its own timeline. As Kerketta, Charlotte’s old retainer, always said, a murder is written into your life at the very beginning.As Charlotte begins telling the story of Dogra’s...

“A learned man and a king are not equal, as the former is respected everywhere, but the latter only in his own dominions.”Canny, contemplative and courageous, Chanakya is known as one of India’s most multifaceted and enduring gurus. His smart, sage advice, captured forever in the twin classic treatises – the Arthashastra and the Nitishastra – has both the detailing of a draughtsman and the wide-ranging wisdom of a genius. Scholar, teacher, visionary, political stra...

'Uchchaishravas broke through the frothy white waters and galloped across the ocean bed...' He was the magnificent seven-headed heavenly steed who flew across the skies faster than human thought. A symbol of Lord Indra's glory Uchchaishravas carried him in grand processions dangerous battles and exciting adventures. Read about his splendid life...

‘Take up one idea. . . Make that one idea your life. . . This is the way to success’Single-minded and multifaceted, the master of many subjects and devoted disciple of Shri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda was a global citizen far ahead of his times. At once a yogi and worldly-wise, this early ambassador of India introduced the western world to Indian civilization, while he encouraged Indians to discard divisive rituals and social hierarchies to build a united, equal,...