MY Articles

Niš (Serbia): The Skull Tower is a stone structure embedded with human skulls, located in Niš, Serbia is said to have been constructed by the Ottoman Empire following the Battle of Cegar in May 1809, during the first Serbian Uprising. Mass killings: In the battle, Serbian rebels under the command of Stevan Sindelic were surrounded by the Ottomans on Cegar Hill, near Niš. Fearing that he and his fighters would be finished if captured, Stevan Sindelic detonated a powder magazine within the rebel entrenchment, killing himself, his subordinates and the encroaching Ottoman soldiers. Tower from the skulls of rebels: Hurshid Pasha, Governor of the Rumelia Eyalet province, ordered construction of a tower with the skulls of the fallen rebels. The tower is 4.5 metres(15 feet) tall, and originally contained 952 skulls embedded on four sides in 14 rows. Order to dismantle the tower: Midhat Pasha, the last Governor of Niš, ordered the dismantling of the Skull Tower in 1861. However, following the w...

Srisailam: Srisailam Mallikarjun Temple is a household name among the people of North Karnataka for its ancient background and serene atmosphere, giving a memorable experience to visitors. People from North Karnataka have visited this temple for generations, with some making it a regular practice once a year, especially during Shivaratri, Ugadi, and Kartik festivals. Srisailam, in addition to being a Jyotirlinga shrine, is also a Shakti Peetha because of the presence of Goddess Bhramarambha Devi. Among all the 12 Jyotirlingas, Srisailam is the only sought-after pilgrimage centre to boast of a Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha. Relocation to be close to son: The legend claims that during an impromptu contest to go around the universe, Ganesh did so by encircling his parents, while Kartikeya, the younger brother, lost the same, leaving Mount Kailash in anger to settle down on the Srisailam hills. It was at this juncture that Shiva and Parvati took the form of a luminous Jyotirlinga nam...

Toka   ( Newasa Taluk ,  Ahilyanagar district):  The Siddeshwar Mahadeva Temple in Toka village, Newasa Taluk, Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district, Maharashtra, is unique for several reasons . It is an abode of Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti (Devi). The temple complex is described as another fine example of the Yadava architecture, way back in the 12th- 13th centuries, in the Marathwada region. It is said that after the establishment of a Maratha kingdom, the Peshwas started building several temples in their provinces. At the confluence of Pravara and Godavari:  This pilgrimage centre is located in a picturesque region, on the Ahilyanagar-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highway and at the confluence of Pravara and the mighty Godavari Rivers. Pravara joins Godavari at this point. The three independent temples are built with black basalt stone, in the typical Hemadpanti style of architecture. All the temples have intricately carved sculptures, showcasing instances of...

Devgad: The Devgad Datta Mandir is located on the picturesque banks of the Pravara River near Murme village in Nevasa Taluka of Ahilyanagar(formerly Ahmednagar) district in Maharashtra state. It is known for its spotlessly clean premises and serene atmosphere. A different experience altogether: Visiting Devgad gives you a different experience in comparison to that of the well-known places of worship elsewhere. The welcome arch on the main road and that at the beginning of the premises are devoid of the usual gaudy colour structures. Natural light pinkish-cream colour: Interestingly, nowhere in the entire premises can you notice any paint on the walls. Instead, the whole premises is full of a natural light pinkish-cream to beige stonework colour, as all the construction is being done with entirely carved natural stones and Rajasthan marble. Earthy, light beige, or sand-toned look: There are three welcome arches, all along: one at the main road, the second one just before the premises...

Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Cartoonists is organising an exhibition of selected cartoons and photos of Bal Thackeray, a legendary cartoonist and founder of the right-wing parochial Shiv Sena regional party on the eve of his birth centenary. The exhibition runs from Saturday, 03 October to 19 November at the Indian Institute of Cartoonists here. Career begins as a Cartoonist: Bal Keshav Thackeray, popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray, began his career as a cartoonist at the Free Press Journal in Mumbai, and his cartoons also appeared in the Sunday edition of The Times of India. News Day for a couple of months! Following differences with the Free Press Journal, Bal Thackeray, he and five others, including George Fernandes, a trade union activist turned socialist leader, deserted the paper and ventured into their own daily called News Day. However, News Day survived only for a couple of months! Launches cartoon weekly, Marmik: Bal Thackeray launched Marmik, a cartoon weekly wi...

Hyderabad:  The Telangana High Court has refused to interfere, clearing the way for Nawab Najaf Ali Khan's partition suit over Nizam VII's palaces to a full trial. In a significant setback to Azmet Jah and Shekhar Jah, who prosecuted the challenge through their so-called General Power of Attorney holders(GPA holders), Mohammed Fateh Faiz Bin Jung, the Telangana High Court has dismissed the civil revision petition No. 1742 of 2026, holding the same to be "devoid of merit". The revision had been directed against the order of the Hon'ble XI Additional Chief Judge, City Civil Court, Hyderabad, which had earlier dismissed their application in I.A. No. 79 of 2024 seeking outright rejection of the plaint in O.S. No. 404 of 2021, the partition suit instituted by Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, the VII Nizam of Hyderabad. The matter was contested before the Hon'ble High Court on behalf of his counsel, Mohd. Adnan. Rejecting the challenge, the Hon'ble High Court h...

Bengaluru: As part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Cartoon Gallery, Bengaluru, one-of-a-kind in India, the Indian Institute of Cartoonists is organising an international caricature contest and exhibition. D K Shivakumar, the subject:  According to a media release of the Indian Institute of Cartoonists, D K Shivakumar, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, is the subject matter for the caricature contest. A cash prize of Rs 1,00,000/- for the first prize, Rs 50,000/- for the second prize, and Rs 25,000/- for the third size have been announced. The contest is open to all: It has also been stated that the contest is open to all professional and amateur cartoonists of the world, irrespective of age. Participants are permitted to send only one entry, while no AI-developed caricature will be accepted for the contest.  More details can be found on www.cartoonistsIndia.org The entries should be sent to the following e-mail ID: cartonnistsindia@gmail.com on or before 30-...

  Bengaluru: Sunil Rao, originally from Mangaluru, was born and raised in Mumbai and has developed expertise over the last 15 years in treating patients freely through physiotherapy, acupressure, and nadi therapy without recommending any medicines. Knows Marathi, Hindi , and Gujarati:  Born and raised  in Mumbai, Sunil Rao is well versed in Marathi, Hindi, and Gujarati. Tulu is his mother tongue. However, he is not all that fluent in Kannada, although he understands the language. Thanks to Guru: Nadi therapy happens to be one of the oldest forms of treatment, and thanks to the late Raghavendra from Kerala, his 96-year-old Guru, he could learn it in six months. Thanks to learning the new system of treatment, Sunil Rao has been able to treat around 400 paralytic patients in Mumbai alone. These days, he also keeps visiting Bengaluru as his son has been transferred here, and keeps treating patients, apart from doing free awareness programmes on several ailments, including hy...

Verul  (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district):  The intricate sculpture in multiple layers and patterns of the holy  Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine is mesmerising, transporting you to a  world of its own, near the renowned Ellora caves. However, the maintenance, upkeep, and management are equally disgusting, as the area before entering the temple complex remains in shambles, with multiple rows of shops all along. A small entrance: To begin with, a small entrance greets you as you come close to the temple premises, and from the beginning and until close by, you are accosted by any number of hawkers, pestering you to buy puja materials and whatever else they have to sell! Lured to arrange special darshan: Despite a moderate crowd, some people give it a try to lure you under the guise of arranging special darshan. People come from far and near just to have a glimpse of the deity for a few seconds and cherish the moments of remaining in the premises for a few minutes. Yet...

Khuldabad  (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district):  The Bhadra Maruti temple, located in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district (formerly known as Aurangabad district) in Maharashtra, attracts Hanuman devotees for the deity's unusual posture . Unlike elsewhere in the country, Lord Anjaneya is found here in a reclining or sleeping posture! Only three temples in the country: Interestingly, Pawan Putra idols can be seen in a retiring position at only three places in the country. On the banks of  Ganga, at Sangam, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, and Jam Sawali in Saunsar Tehsil of Pandhurna district(earlier part of the Chhindwara district, before Pandhurna became an independent district) in Madhya Pradesh, are the only two remaining shrines where Anjani Suta is found lying down majestically.   Just four kilometres from the Ellora Caves: Incidentally, the Mahabala temple is merely about four kilometres from the world-famous Ellora Caves. Due to its unique composition in st...