Towards the end of the 13th century, the founding sultan of the Khilji dynasty, Jalaluddin Khilji and his forces had laid siege to the...

Famed over the centuries for being India's most enigmatic celebration of Dussehra, Kullu's Dussehra remains as unique as it was 5 centuries ago. This year, Rajputana Collective is privileged to have Kullu's Dei Saab Rupeshwari Kumari Singh account for what these divine festivities have meant to her- as the eldest child and daughter of the house of Kullu. My memory takes me to the Dussehra of 2001 when I was merely 3 years old. My grandfather called for me, I see myself runnin

I call my annual trip to the Spiti Valley my pilgrimage. The surreal landscapes, starlit night skies and stark beauty of Spiti make their...

A devotee carrying a divine palanquin on Dussehra The incumbent Raja Maheshwar Singhji of Kullu ahead of the Dussehra festivities THE ROYAL INTRIGUE & A BRAHMIN’S CURSE   Once upon a time, the then Raja of Kullu erroneously convicted a holy man of royal intrigue. His misjudgement cost the innocent victim his life through self-immolation, and until his very last breath, the burning man cursed the Raja for his haughtiness. In lieu of insulting him, the puritan vindictively prop

Classical accounts of Indian mythology, historical narratives, legends, traditional art and iconography have all born the indigenous horse at their fulcrum at recurring points of time. One of its most iconic variants, namely the Marwari horse requires no prior introduction for its wartime heroism. This lyre-eared and fleet-footed ranger of the desert has gone down in immortal fables for having timelessly protected its people and soil from foreign invasions till its dying brea

In a bygone era where only a finite number of Fiats, Ambassadors and Heralds paraded the deserted Indian roads, P.V. Narasimha Rao’s economic reforms effectively struck the Indian automobile sector at its fundamental core and changed the game forever. Post 1992, multinational automakers such as Hyundai (South Korea), Suzuki & Toyota (Japan) began establishing a coherent automotive industry in India. In no time, the Indian consumer was almost spoilt with choices when he went o

Back in February 2015, Indian media and news channels were rife with what was commonly as a ‘cross-border Royal wedding’ between the state of Amarkot in Pakistan’s Sindh district and Kanota in India’s state of Rajasthan. Kunwar Karni Singh Sodha, the 27th generation of Amarkot’s Sodha dynasty was tying the knot with Rajkumari Padmini Singh Rathore, daughter Kanota’s Thakur Man Singhji. Known to have ushered the first tika and lagan ceremonies from India to Pakistan in the nat