“Contrary to popular perception, it is not Urdu but Dakhni that is spoken widely in the south, especially by Muslims. Dakhni is deeply rooted in the cultures of Chennai, Bengaluru and parts of Andhra Pradesh.” – Yunus Lasania for Sarmaya Talks. Yunus Lasania is a Hyderabad-based journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting.… Read more »
“Contrary to popular perception, it is not Urdu but Dakhni that is spoken widely in the south, especially by Muslims. Dakhni is deeply rooted in the cultures of Chennai, Bengaluru and parts of Andhra Pradesh.” – Yunus Lasania for Sarmaya Talks. Yunus Lasania is a Hyderabad-based journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting.… Read more »
Art historian Rajarshi Sengupta takes us on a tour of south India’s celebrated Kalamkari textile tradition
The Siddis are unique among the multicultural communities of the Deccan. Many arrived in India as East African slaves but their lives collided with the volatile politics of the region in ways that would birth new identities
“From 600-1100 CE, the Deccan was arguably the Subcontinent’s cultural and economic centre of gravity and shaped its religious and artistic history. Its medieval contemporaries acknowledged its prominence, and understanding their world can teach us a lot about our own.” – Anirudh Kanisetti on his lecture for Sarmaya Talks. Anirudh’s talk took place on 17… Read more »
The Maratha identity, which took shape in the 8th century and continued to wield power even under British rule, is one of the most understudied aspects of Deccan history. Travel with us to meet its most influential architects
Like its culture, the geology of the Deccan too is incredibly diverse and supports a dazzling variety of life
Meet some of the most influential kings and queens of the region and understand their contribution to the language, politics and art of south India
Synonymous with the plateau that covers most of southern India, the Deccan is also an important historical region with a complex, multicultural past. For the 35th issue of Spotlight, we journey across its fabled lands.
Whether we’re talking geology, politics or culture, the historical region of the Deccan offers a sumptuous and varied feast for thought
How medieval Deccani architecture evolved to encompass such a range of marvels, from monolithic cave monasteries to Dravidian temple art to Indo-Islamic minarets
The Deccan’s diversity of art, culture and language is the result of centuries of shifting politics. Let’s get to know the prominent early and late-mediaeval kingdoms of this vast region through Sarmaya’s rare photographs, coins, books, engravings and maps