Indian Columbus

Robert William d'Escourt Ashe, famously known as Ashe Durai, held the position of District Collector during the British Raj. Born on November 23, 1872 CE, in Ireland, Ashe arrived in India in 1895. He assumed office as the District Collector and Magistrate of Tirunelveli District in 1908. Ashe played a pivotal role in the closure of the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, operated by freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaram Pillai. He was also responsible for levying sedition charges against V.O.C and Subramanya Siva. Furthermore, he issued orders to open fire on freedom fighters protesting against the conviction of national leaders. In response to Ashe's actions, a group called the Bharata Matha Sangam devised a plan to assassinate prominent British leaders. Vaanchinathan, a 25-year-old hailing from Senkottai, was part of this organization. He received three months of pistol training from VVS Aiyar in Pondicherry. On June 17, 1911, Ashe, accompanied by his wife Mary Lillian Patterson, ...

Sarugani  is a small village near  Kalaiyar Kovil  in the Tamil Nadu state of India. There is a famous Roman Catholic Church located here. The village is popular due to this church and the annual festival. Let me provide both the details and some historical background in this article. This village's beautiful church is called  "The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary" . It was built in  1753 CE  and is the first Sacred Heart Church in the country. The whole structure of the church was built as per the  Portuguese architectural style . The current structure is renovated; however, the facade and the tower remain intact, and they are the only remaining original portions. Father James de Rossi , a priest from Italy, came to Madurai and started missionary works in 1736 CE. He was very popular, and the locals called him  "Chinna Savariar" . He once saved the life of Chinna Marudu from the British soldiers. As a token of gratitude, the village was gifte...

Kalaiyar Kovil, situated in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, India, is a quaint town renowned for its significant Lord Shiva temple. The town derives its name from this temple and is consequently known as Kalaiyar Kovil. Notably, this temple holds the distinguished position of being the 10th among the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams, a compilation of 276 of the most revered Lord Shiva temples in the Pandya region. Highlights: Sambandhar and Sundarar  have revered the temple in their verses in Devaram.  Arunagirinathar  has revered Murugan in this temple in his verses in Tiruppugal. There are three main shrines of Shiv Linga in this temple. But only one Shiv Linga (Kaleeswarar) has been mentioned in the Devaram verses. God  -  Kaleeswara, Somesar and Sundaresar  Goddess  - Swarnavalli, Soundara Nayaki and Meenakshi  Teerth  (Holy water) -  Gaja Pushkarini (Anai Medu) is the main Teerth; there are other Teerthas too su...

Site Name:   Aurobindo Ashram Site Type:   Ashram Location:   Puducherry, India Highlights:   A very popular ashram across the entire country Nearest Railway Station:   Puducherry Nearest Airport:   Chennai   How to reach:   Well connected Hotel:  Many star hotels, luxury hotels/resorts and budget hotels are available  Restaurants:  Varieties of options Puducherry, also called as Pondicherry, is a city located in Puducherry Union Territory near Chennai city in India. Sri Aurobindo Ashram is the most popular landmark of Puducherry. Let us explore about this site in this article. Sri Aurobindo was an Indian patriot and freedom fighter from West Bengal state. He left politics and adapted spiritual life after moving to Puducherry in 1910 CE. He evolved a new method of spiritual practice called Integral Yoga. In 1926 CE, with the help of his spiritual collaborator, the Mother, he found Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducher...