Damodar Hari Chapekar: The patriot who never got his due

‘Every man dies, not everyone really lives’ – lines from movie ‘Braveheart’ The revolutionary action of a young man named Damodar Hari Chapekar changed the course of freedom struggle. A man of few words, Damodar shook the British Empire when he shot the plague commissioner W.C. Rand on 22nd June 1897 and made himself immortal…

The forgotten sacrifice of patriot Kanaklata Barua

‘Khoob Ladhi Mardaani’ – These words are mark of respect for the great warrior queen Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi who fought till the last breath, defending her fort from the clutches of British. There was one more ‘Mardaani’ who immortalized herself in the pages of history by sacrificing herself for the honor of nation’s flag….

The untold story of Harilal Gandhi

On 18th June, 1948, an alcoholic was hospitalized in Bombay’s municipal hospital. His disheveled state made him appear more like a beggar. There was no clue about his whereabouts. The alcoholic man died unsung on the day of his hospitalization. The hospital staff was unable to find about his identity. It was revealed later that…

The Prince and the Pauper: A hilarious tale of look alikes by Mark Twain

Doppelganger, duplicate, carbon copy are some synonyms for lookalike. Do you know that there are 10 types of look alikes in world? May there are 10 people resembling you in this world. Writer Mark Twain took the idea of look alikes in his book – The Prince and The Pauper where fate brings a poor…

Krushnaji Kank : The forgotten warrior of Swarajya

‘Every man dies, not everyone really lives’ – lines from Oscar winning movie ‘The Braveheart’ Many Maratha warriors have laid down their lives for Swarajya: Baji Pasalkar, Tanaji Malusare, Murarbaji Deshpande, Santaji Ghorpade. The list is endless. Only Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had the lion heart to face the invaders: Mughals and the Portuguese. A king…

On my bookshelf: The Count of Monte Cristo

“Until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words – Wait and hope”. Alexandre Dumas’ classic – The Count of Monte Cristo has been on my book shelf for past 19 years and continues to enamor me with its gripping storyline….

Does the armour of Karna still exists? – An unsolved Mahabharata secret

The epic story – Mahabharata is subject of research for many writers, movie makers, archaeologists and historical researchers. The most baffling secret in Mahabharata is the existence of the warrior Ashwatthama, the son of Guru Drona who was cursed by Lord Krishna to stay immortal. Researchers and historians speculate that Ashwatthama still lives on. Ashwatthama…

John Wilkes Booth: Patriot or a notorious assassin

Who was John Wilkes Booth? A self-proclaimed patriot who believed in policy of slavery or an infamous assassin who shot President Lincoln in Ford’s theatre. The assassination of 16th President of America on 15th April 1865 changed the course of political events. A manhunt began for the killers responsible for death of Lincoln. How could…

The forgotten heroes of Rezang la battle : 1962 Indo-China war

Saragarhi, Kondana, Ladakh, Kargil, Galwan…The list is endless. Some battles were fought for forts, some for nation and some for honor. Every time a battle took place, blood spilled on both sides. The 1962 Indo-China is a horrifying reminder of carnage. The Rezang la battle of 18th November 1962 claimed lives of several Indian soldiers…

Braveheart (1995) – legend of a forgotten patriot

Movie – BraveheartDirector – Mel GibsonCast – Sophie Marceau and Mel Gibson as Scottish patriot William WallaceMusic composer – James Horner ‘Every man dies, not everyone really lives’ – quote from movie ‘Braveheart’ Today while I was leafing through the new book – legend of suheldev written by author Amish tripathi, I found the story…