Indian History – Asha Seth

Two – Gulzar: Book Review by Asha Seth

Author: Gulzar| Genre: Historical Fiction, Indian Fiction| Pages: 200 It’s the winter of 1946. A truck leaves the village of Campbellpur after news of the impending Partition pours in. It is carrying people who don’t know where they will go. They have just heard words like ‘border’ and ‘refugee’, and are struggling to understand how…

Happy 71st Republic Day, India

By: Asha Seth January 26, 2020June 14, 2021

Festive Feelers1947, 1950, 26th January, 70 years of Indian Independence, 71st republic day, 71st Republic Day Celebrations, August 15, badbookthief, bravery awards, Constitution on January 26, democracy of india, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, flag hoisting ceremony, India, india after independence, indian army, indian bloggers, indian constitution, indian democracy, indian festivals, Indian History, Indian Independence, indian military, indian national anthem, indian national festivals, indian parade, indian president, indian prime minister, indian republic day, indian youtubers, Indians, lal bahadur shastri, narendra modi on republic day, National Anthem, national holidays, rajpath, republic day 2019, republic day 2020, republic day blogs, republic day celebrations, republic day essay, republic day history, republic day images, republic day importance, republic day importance of constitution, republic day in 2019, republic day in 2020, republic day india, republic day india gate, republic day india guest 2020, republic day india how many years, republic day meaning, republic day morning parade, republic day news, Republic Day of India, republic day of india facts, republic day parade, republic day quotes, republic day special guest, republic day speech, republic day speech in english, Republic state, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, sovereign of india, top indian blogs, top indian book blogs, top indian book reviewers, top indian poetry blogs, tricolor, why do we celebrate republic day23 Comments

Though India became a free nation on August 15, 1947, it declared itself a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state with the adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950. A salute of 21 guns and the unfurling of the Indian National Flag by Dr. Rajendra Prasad heralded the historic birth of the Indian Republic on…

Why do we fly kites on Makar Sankranti?

For years, I wondered why do we fly kites on Makar Sankranti. Surprisingly, I wasn’t alone. Very many who partake in the activity and celebrate kite flying with much competitive gusto also seemed to be lost on the ‘why’ of it. So then what is Makar Sankranti and why do we fly kites on this…

The Last Mughal: An Excerpt

I have now divided my time between London and Delhi for over twenty years, and the Indian capital remains my favourite city. Above all it is the city’s relationship with its past which continues to intrigue me: of the great cities of the world, only Rome, Istanbul and Cairo can even begin to rival Delhi…

Kohinoor: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond: An Excerpt

By: Asha Seth October 31, 2018January 29, 2022

Book QuotesAnita Anand, books, Excerpts, History, India, Indian History, Kohinoor, Nader Shah, Nonfiction, Peacock Throne, reading, William Dalrymple6 Comments

On 16 May, after fifty-seven catastrophic days in Delhi, Nader Shah finally left the city, carrying with him the accumulated wealth of eight generations of imperial Mughal conquest. The greatest of all his winnings was the Peacock Throne, in which was still embedded both the Koh-i-Noor and the Timur Ruby. The loot was loaded on…

Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond – An Excerpt

By: Asha Seth May 8, 2018January 29, 2022

Book QuotesAnita Anand, books, British regime In India, Duleep SIngh, Historical, History, India, Indian History, Kohinoor, Non-fiction, reading, The British Rule, Willima Dalrymple17 Comments

Lena Login watched as an emissary from the Tower of London, escorted by yeoman warders, entered the drawing room. He carried a small casket in his hands, which the queen opened delicately. She showed the open box to Albert and together they walked over to where Duleep stood on the dais. Looking up at him,…

Delhi: An Excerpt

By: Asha Seth November 27, 2017March 16, 2023

Book Quotesbooks, Delhi, Excerpts, Historical, Historical Fiction, History, India, Indian History, Indian Literature, Khushwant Singh, reading5 Comments

That leaves the Sikh journalist and the political expert. They are not getting along too well. The Sikh journalist arrives first, plucks a hair from his sparse beard and says ‘You are back! When?’ and orders coffee. The politician follows: ‘I thought all goondas have been rounded up,’ he says in lieu of greeting. The…

On Independence Day

While the nation celebrates another year of independence, I fail miserably in convincing myself to join in the massive celebrations. I don’t get a sense of freedom today. Ask me why! I struggle to understand, what being free means. Freedom from foreign clutches? Is that what being free means? ♥ Am I really free? If I…