Skip to Page Content
While this site does use Javascript, it is written so that it retains all basic functionality without javascript.
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan ruled northern India from 1628-1658. Two of his sons waged a fierce fratricidal battle which was won by Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mogul rulers. Much has been written about the demise of the Mogul rule under Aurangzeb. His fanatic dedication to his religion (Muslim), intolerance for other religions, and general ascetic ways (he forbid singing and dancing in his court) certainly contributed to the Mogul fall. Aurangzeb seized control during the last years of his father's life, and he imprisoned his father in Agra's Red fort, across the Yamuna river from the Taj Mahal. One of the most interesting stories about Shah Jahan was his seven thrones. Although many stories may be apocryphal, a French jewel salesman, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier wrote of his travels to India and of his jewel sales to Shah Jahan. Tavernier describes seven thrones, one completely covered in diamonds, and the others covered with rubies, emeralds, and pearls. The principal throne, the peacock throne, stood 6 feet by four feet, and was made of marble, gold, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Tavernier wrote that the diamonds were mostly 10 to 12 carats. He said he counted 108 rubies, the least of which was 100 carats and most were 200 carats or more. He said the largest emerald was 60 carats, the smallest 30 carats, and he counted 116 of them. A jeweled ornamental peacock on the throne was made of blue sapphires, gold inlays, a large ruby, and a 50 carat pearl. The throne also contained a 90 carat main diamond, with rubies and emeralds surrounding it. During one of the last sacking of Delhi, Nadir Shah, a Persian, took the peacock throne to Persia. It is said that part of this peacock throne is still on display in Tehran, Iran. Back Caste A central and contentious aspect of the Hindu religion is its caste system. People are classified into one of four major castes based of their family's caste (there are hundreds of subtypes of the castes). The highest caste are the priests of the Hindu religion, and the lowest caste is the untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi, India's greatest modern religious figure, renamed the untouchables, Harijans, which meant children of God. India now has our equivalent of an affirmative action program where the lower castes have privileges, job reservations, and guaranteed school admissions to atone for the millennias of poor treatment. Back Dalai Lama A Lama is a Buddhist holyman of Tibet. The holiest of Lamas is the Dalai Lama. The second holiest is the Panchen Lama. The present Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. Usually when the Dalai Lama dies, the Panchen Lama along with other holy Buddhists will search for a young boy who appears to be the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In rare instances, the Dalai Lama will reincarnate before he dies so there may be two concurrent Dalai Lamas (or two concurrent Panchen Lamas). China found the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, as represented by the Dalai Lama, threatening to their political system so the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India where he was given sanctuary. Recently the Panchen Lama died. The Chinese government coerced the remaining Tibetan Buddhist holymen to choose a boy to be the next Panchen Lama. Concurrently, the Dalai Lama chose the next Panchen Lama (a boy in Tibet), as was his prerogative. The Chinese government kidnapped the Dalai Lama's choice and the boy and his family have not been located. Their choice has not been well-received by the Tibetan people. Any mention of the Dalai Lama or display of his picture or the picture of the Dalai lama's choice for Panchen Lama will result in an immediate arrest and fine in Tibet. Free Tibet! Back Kerala Kerala is a southwestern Indian state on the Arabian sea. Their language is Malayalam, and theirs is still largely a matriarchal society. Kerala boasts a 100% literacy rate and produced India's first woman supreme court judge. Back Bangalore Its name means "city of boiled beans" because legend has it that the city's founder KempeGowda was offered beans in the 1500's where the present city stands. Today Bangalore has become an excessively westernized city with health clubs, condo time-shares, and satellite TV's. The changes I saw from 1987 to 1995 were frightening to me. I don't think the secret to happiness is a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Back R. K. Narayan (1906-?) He is my favorite India writer. Try his novel "The Guide" by Penguin Books, 1986. Back Maharaja Maharaja means great ruler. His wife would be a maharani. Majarajas had great wealth and power. Each Indian state, before India became independent in 1947, had its own maharaja. Back Independence Prior to its independence in 1947, India had never been a whole country. The north was repeatedly sacked and invaded by various factions, and the south remained completely independent. Thus, when the British made India an independent country on August 15, 1947, it faced a novel and large series of challenges. For example, this year (1996) a new prime minister was elected, and he does not speak Hindi, the national official language! Except for some opening remarks in Hindi (which he read and memorized for his inaugural address), he delivered his speech in English. His mother tongue is Kannada (the state language of the state of Karnataka) and virtually no one in Delhi would have understood his talk had he spoken it in his mother tongue. Back King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Caste A central and contentious aspect of the Hindu religion is its caste system. People are classified into one of four major castes based of their family's caste (there are hundreds of subtypes of the castes). The highest caste are the priests of the Hindu religion, and the lowest caste is the untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi, India's greatest modern religious figure, renamed the untouchables, Harijans, which meant children of God. India now has our equivalent of an affirmative action program where the lower castes have privileges, job reservations, and guaranteed school admissions to atone for the millennias of poor treatment. Back Dalai Lama A Lama is a Buddhist holyman of Tibet. The holiest of Lamas is the Dalai Lama. The second holiest is the Panchen Lama. The present Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. Usually when the Dalai Lama dies, the Panchen Lama along with other holy Buddhists will search for a young boy who appears to be the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In rare instances, the Dalai Lama will reincarnate before he dies so there may be two concurrent Dalai Lamas (or two concurrent Panchen Lamas). China found the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, as represented by the Dalai Lama, threatening to their political system so the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India where he was given sanctuary. Recently the Panchen Lama died. The Chinese government coerced the remaining Tibetan Buddhist holymen to choose a boy to be the next Panchen Lama. Concurrently, the Dalai Lama chose the next Panchen Lama (a boy in Tibet), as was his prerogative. The Chinese government kidnapped the Dalai Lama's choice and the boy and his family have not been located. Their choice has not been well-received by the Tibetan people. Any mention of the Dalai Lama or display of his picture or the picture of the Dalai lama's choice for Panchen Lama will result in an immediate arrest and fine in Tibet. Free Tibet! Back Kerala Kerala is a southwestern Indian state on the Arabian sea. Their language is Malayalam, and theirs is still largely a matriarchal society. Kerala boasts a 100% literacy rate and produced India's first woman supreme court judge. Back Bangalore Its name means "city of boiled beans" because legend has it that the city's founder KempeGowda was offered beans in the 1500's where the present city stands. Today Bangalore has become an excessively westernized city with health clubs, condo time-shares, and satellite TV's. The changes I saw from 1987 to 1995 were frightening to me. I don't think the secret to happiness is a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Back R. K. Narayan (1906-?) He is my favorite India writer. Try his novel "The Guide" by Penguin Books, 1986. Back Maharaja Maharaja means great ruler. His wife would be a maharani. Majarajas had great wealth and power. Each Indian state, before India became independent in 1947, had its own maharaja. Back Independence Prior to its independence in 1947, India had never been a whole country. The north was repeatedly sacked and invaded by various factions, and the south remained completely independent. Thus, when the British made India an independent country on August 15, 1947, it faced a novel and large series of challenges. For example, this year (1996) a new prime minister was elected, and he does not speak Hindi, the national official language! Except for some opening remarks in Hindi (which he read and memorized for his inaugural address), he delivered his speech in English. His mother tongue is Kannada (the state language of the state of Karnataka) and virtually no one in Delhi would have understood his talk had he spoken it in his mother tongue. Back King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Dalai Lama A Lama is a Buddhist holyman of Tibet. The holiest of Lamas is the Dalai Lama. The second holiest is the Panchen Lama. The present Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. Usually when the Dalai Lama dies, the Panchen Lama along with other holy Buddhists will search for a young boy who appears to be the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In rare instances, the Dalai Lama will reincarnate before he dies so there may be two concurrent Dalai Lamas (or two concurrent Panchen Lamas). China found the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, as represented by the Dalai Lama, threatening to their political system so the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India where he was given sanctuary. Recently the Panchen Lama died. The Chinese government coerced the remaining Tibetan Buddhist holymen to choose a boy to be the next Panchen Lama. Concurrently, the Dalai Lama chose the next Panchen Lama (a boy in Tibet), as was his prerogative. The Chinese government kidnapped the Dalai Lama's choice and the boy and his family have not been located. Their choice has not been well-received by the Tibetan people. Any mention of the Dalai Lama or display of his picture or the picture of the Dalai lama's choice for Panchen Lama will result in an immediate arrest and fine in Tibet. Free Tibet! Back Kerala Kerala is a southwestern Indian state on the Arabian sea. Their language is Malayalam, and theirs is still largely a matriarchal society. Kerala boasts a 100% literacy rate and produced India's first woman supreme court judge. Back Bangalore Its name means "city of boiled beans" because legend has it that the city's founder KempeGowda was offered beans in the 1500's where the present city stands. Today Bangalore has become an excessively westernized city with health clubs, condo time-shares, and satellite TV's. The changes I saw from 1987 to 1995 were frightening to me. I don't think the secret to happiness is a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Back R. K. Narayan (1906-?) He is my favorite India writer. Try his novel "The Guide" by Penguin Books, 1986. Back Maharaja Maharaja means great ruler. His wife would be a maharani. Majarajas had great wealth and power. Each Indian state, before India became independent in 1947, had its own maharaja. Back Independence Prior to its independence in 1947, India had never been a whole country. The north was repeatedly sacked and invaded by various factions, and the south remained completely independent. Thus, when the British made India an independent country on August 15, 1947, it faced a novel and large series of challenges. For example, this year (1996) a new prime minister was elected, and he does not speak Hindi, the national official language! Except for some opening remarks in Hindi (which he read and memorized for his inaugural address), he delivered his speech in English. His mother tongue is Kannada (the state language of the state of Karnataka) and virtually no one in Delhi would have understood his talk had he spoken it in his mother tongue. Back King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Kerala Kerala is a southwestern Indian state on the Arabian sea. Their language is Malayalam, and theirs is still largely a matriarchal society. Kerala boasts a 100% literacy rate and produced India's first woman supreme court judge. Back Bangalore Its name means "city of boiled beans" because legend has it that the city's founder KempeGowda was offered beans in the 1500's where the present city stands. Today Bangalore has become an excessively westernized city with health clubs, condo time-shares, and satellite TV's. The changes I saw from 1987 to 1995 were frightening to me. I don't think the secret to happiness is a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Back R. K. Narayan (1906-?) He is my favorite India writer. Try his novel "The Guide" by Penguin Books, 1986. Back Maharaja Maharaja means great ruler. His wife would be a maharani. Majarajas had great wealth and power. Each Indian state, before India became independent in 1947, had its own maharaja. Back Independence Prior to its independence in 1947, India had never been a whole country. The north was repeatedly sacked and invaded by various factions, and the south remained completely independent. Thus, when the British made India an independent country on August 15, 1947, it faced a novel and large series of challenges. For example, this year (1996) a new prime minister was elected, and he does not speak Hindi, the national official language! Except for some opening remarks in Hindi (which he read and memorized for his inaugural address), he delivered his speech in English. His mother tongue is Kannada (the state language of the state of Karnataka) and virtually no one in Delhi would have understood his talk had he spoken it in his mother tongue. Back King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Bangalore Its name means "city of boiled beans" because legend has it that the city's founder KempeGowda was offered beans in the 1500's where the present city stands. Today Bangalore has become an excessively westernized city with health clubs, condo time-shares, and satellite TV's. The changes I saw from 1987 to 1995 were frightening to me. I don't think the secret to happiness is a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Back R. K. Narayan (1906-?) He is my favorite India writer. Try his novel "The Guide" by Penguin Books, 1986. Back Maharaja Maharaja means great ruler. His wife would be a maharani. Majarajas had great wealth and power. Each Indian state, before India became independent in 1947, had its own maharaja. Back Independence Prior to its independence in 1947, India had never been a whole country. The north was repeatedly sacked and invaded by various factions, and the south remained completely independent. Thus, when the British made India an independent country on August 15, 1947, it faced a novel and large series of challenges. For example, this year (1996) a new prime minister was elected, and he does not speak Hindi, the national official language! Except for some opening remarks in Hindi (which he read and memorized for his inaugural address), he delivered his speech in English. His mother tongue is Kannada (the state language of the state of Karnataka) and virtually no one in Delhi would have understood his talk had he spoken it in his mother tongue. Back King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Maharaja Maharaja means great ruler. His wife would be a maharani. Majarajas had great wealth and power. Each Indian state, before India became independent in 1947, had its own maharaja. Back Independence Prior to its independence in 1947, India had never been a whole country. The north was repeatedly sacked and invaded by various factions, and the south remained completely independent. Thus, when the British made India an independent country on August 15, 1947, it faced a novel and large series of challenges. For example, this year (1996) a new prime minister was elected, and he does not speak Hindi, the national official language! Except for some opening remarks in Hindi (which he read and memorized for his inaugural address), he delivered his speech in English. His mother tongue is Kannada (the state language of the state of Karnataka) and virtually no one in Delhi would have understood his talk had he spoken it in his mother tongue. Back King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Independence Prior to its independence in 1947, India had never been a whole country. The north was repeatedly sacked and invaded by various factions, and the south remained completely independent. Thus, when the British made India an independent country on August 15, 1947, it faced a novel and large series of challenges. For example, this year (1996) a new prime minister was elected, and he does not speak Hindi, the national official language! Except for some opening remarks in Hindi (which he read and memorized for his inaugural address), he delivered his speech in English. His mother tongue is Kannada (the state language of the state of Karnataka) and virtually no one in Delhi would have understood his talk had he spoken it in his mother tongue. Back King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
King Arjuna In the Hindu holybook, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), King Arjuna faces his enemy on the battlefield but has grave misgivings when recognizes their faces as friends and family members. In a now epic discourse, the Hindu God Krishna presents many essential Hindu concepts and among them are: good must confront evil, immortality of the soul, one's obligation to dharma (sacred duty)duty, and dedication of one's work to God. There are actually a plethora of ancient and modern interpretations of Krishna's discourse. Back Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Ghats A ghat is a series of steps on the banks of a river. Most ghats are designed for holy or ritual bathing, although ghats have a variety of uses including pragmatic ones like washing clothes, recreational swimming, or fishing. There are also holy Hindu cremation ghats. Back Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. English is the associate official language. Each of the major Indian states has its own language, and there are hundreds of regional and ethnic languages. Hindu is the majority religion of India. Back Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back
Namaste Namaste (Nah-mah-stay) is similar to the word "aloha" in Hawaii. Namaste can mean hello or good-bye, and there are many other meanings. Primarily, however, it is a greeting. The meaning that I like the best is "God in me honors the God in you." Back