Anindita Basu

Anindita Basu

Biography

I earn my bread as a technical writer and editor but in my free time, I like to pore over history books. Ancient India fascinates me. Over the years, I must have read scores of books on the subject. I like to think that I can double-think: hold all of the differing opinions of historians and archaeologists in my brain, and yet be swayed by none. Through the articles on this website, I strive to present my readings and learnings in as unbiased a manner as I am capable of.

Education

  • BSc, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India
  • MBA, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, India

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Contributions

Didarganj Yakshini
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Didarganj Yakshini

Life-sized, monolithic, polished sandstone sculpture of a female figure, identified as a yakshini, from the Mauryan period...
Barabar Caves Interior
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Barabar Caves Interior

The rock-cut caves at Barabar were built by the Mauryan kings Ashoka and his successors by hollowing out the hillside. These...
Mauryan Empire
Definition

Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire (322 BCE - 185 BCE) supplanted the earlier Magadha Kingdom to assume power over large tracts of eastern and...
Sasa Jataka Narrative Sculpture
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Sasa Jataka Narrative Sculpture

Coping stone fragment depicting a scene from the Sasa Jataka, identified by the inscription at the top. Now housed...
Abacus of an Ashokan Pillar
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Abacus of an Ashokan Pillar

Abacus of an Ashokan Pillar. Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, 3rd century BCE.
Magadha Kingdom
Definition

Magadha Kingdom

Magadha was an ancient kingdom located on the Indo-Gangetic plains in eastern India and spread over what is today the modern state...
Remains of Ajatashatru's stupa
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Remains of Ajatashatru's stupa

The remains of the stupa that Ajatashatru built. 4th century BCE, Rajgir, Bihar, India
Magadha Kingdom
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Magadha Kingdom

A map showing the extent of the ancient kingdom of Magadha in India from the 6th to 4th century BCE.
Apsaras and Gandharvas
Definition

Apsaras and Gandharvas

In the Vedas, the apsaras are water nymphs, often married to the gandharvas. By the time the Puranas and the two epics were...
Ramayana
Definition

Ramayana

The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic, composed some time in the 5th century BCE, about the exile and then return of Rama, prince of...
Gandharva
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Gandharva

Celestial Musician (Gandharva), Western Chalukyan period, 11th century CE, India (Karnataka, possibly Dharwar). (The Metropolitan Museum...
Mahabharata
Definition

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas...

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