Best Indian

Carved from sandstone around 250 BCE in India, the Sarnath Lion Capital originally topped an Ashoka Pillar and is famously recognized today as the National Emblem of India.

Erected by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, this polished sandstone pillar in Sarnath, India, famously features the four-lion capital.

Dal Bukhara is a rich North Indian dish of black urad lentils slow-cooked with tomatoes, butter, and cream, famously popularized by the ITC Maurya hotel in New Delhi.

Adi Shankara was a prominent Indian philosopher active during the medieval period. He significantly shaped Vedanta philosophy by meticulously organizing Advaita Vedanta. His teachings emphasize the fundamental unity of Atman (the individual self) and Brahman (ultimate reality). Primarily studied by...

Satyajit Ray is a celebrated Indian film director known for his humanist dramas exploring themes of poverty, family, and childhood. His work, particularly the “Apu” trilogy beginning with *Pather Panchali*, significantly shaped cinematic art-cinema globally. He influenced generations of filmmakers a...

Located at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India, this sacred fig tree is revered as the descendant of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Balkrishna Doshi is a prominent 20th-century architect recognized for his innovative approach to modernist design within Indian contexts. His work frequently explored education and housing solutions, reflecting a deep engagement with local materials and cultural traditions. He achieved international...

Tellicherry black pepper originates from specific berries of *Piper nigrum* cultivated near Thalassery, Kerala, India. Its size and extended drying process contribute to a notably intense aroma and robust, complex flavor profile. This premium spice is favored by chefs and home cooks seeking a bold a...

Panini was a pioneering Indian linguist who lived around the mid-first millennium BCE. He developed the Ashtadhyayi, a comprehensive and systematic grammar of Sanskrit. This work remains remarkably influential as it established rules for pronunciation, morphology, syntax, and semantics, forming the...

Bhimrao Ambedkar was a pivotal 20th-century Indian figure who spearheaded the Dalit civil rights movement. He played a crucial role in drafting the Republic of India’s constitution, ensuring safeguards for marginalized communities. His work profoundly shaped social reform and continues to impact the...

Ashoka was the third ruler of the Maurya Empire, reigning over much of the Indian subcontinent from about 268 to 232 BCE. After the destructive conquest of Kalinga, he publicly embraced Buddhist principles and promoted moral conduct, religious tolerance, public welfare, and nonviolence through inscr...

Apur Sansar, released as *The World of Apu* in 1959, concludes Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy. The film adapts the second part of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s novel, following Apu’s life and experiences during his early years in twentieth-century India. It represents the final chapter in Ray’s acclaime...

Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was an Indian civil engineer and statesman who served as the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. He is best known for designing the Krishna Raja Sagara dam and implementing the block system of irrigation. A recipient of India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, his b...

Green Cardamom originates from the seed pods of *Elettaria cardamomum*, a spice native to India’s Western Ghats. These pods are highly valued for their intense aromatic qualities, contributing distinct flavors to both sweet and savory dishes prevalent in Indian cuisine and increasingly used in bakin...

Satish Dhawan (1920–2002) was an Indian aerospace engineer who served as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1972 to 1984. During his tenure, he directed India's early satellite and launch vehicle development, most notably guiding the SLV-3 rocket program. In recogniti...

Amritsari Dal is a North Indian black lentil curry originating in Punjab, renowned for its rich, creamy texture achieved through slow-cooking with butter and cream.

Naan is a leavened flatbread originating from South and Central Asia, distinguished by its soft texture and slightly chewy consistency. The dough is traditionally made with white flour and yogurt, then baked on the inner walls of a cylindrical clay oven called a tandoor. This cooking method exposes...

The Lion Capital of Ashoka is a sandstone relic originating from Sarnath, India. Crafted around 3rd century BCE during the Mauryan Empire, it features four lions representing Buddhist dharma and stands as a significant symbol of Indian governance. The capital’s design served as the prototype for the...

Charles Correa was a prominent Indian architect who significantly shaped modernist design within the context of his country’s urban environment. His work is notable for its deep engagement with climate and its innovative approach to housing and urban planning. Correa's designs, particularly those re...

Verghese Kurien was an Indian mechanical engineer and social entrepreneur who spearheaded the cooperative dairy movement known as Operation Flood. Launched in 1970, this nationwide program vastly expanded milk production in India, transforming the country into a self-sufficient dairy nation. His wor...

Tandoori Chicken is an Indian dish of yogurt-and-spice-marinated chicken cooked at high heat in a clay tandoor oven, popularized in Delhi by Kundan Lal Gujral at his Moti Mahal restaurant around 1947.

Shankara, also known as Adi Shankaracharya, was an Indian philosopher and theologian associated with Advaita Vedanta. He argued that ultimate reality is nondual Brahman and that liberation comes through knowledge that the individual self is not separate from that reality. Influential commentaries at...

Birbal Sahni was an Indian paleobotanist who studied the subcontinent's fossil plants and founded the Institute of Palaeobotany at Lucknow in 1946.

Malabar biryani is a layered rice-and-meat dish from Kerala's Malabar Coast, notable for using fragrant short-grain kaima or jeerakasala rice.

Ashoke Sen is a theoretical physicist who has made significant contributions to modern string theory. His research focuses on duality relationships between different theories of gravity, particularly concerning black hole entropy. Primarily working with string dualities, his work is notable for its...

Murgh Makhani, or Butter Chicken, is an Indian dish created in the 1950s at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi by Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi, made by simmering tandoor-cooked chicken in a creamy tomato-butter sauce.

Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is a popular North Indian curry originating at Moti Mahal restaurant. This creamy dish combines tandoor-cooked chicken simmered in a rich tomato and butter sauce. It’s notable for its distinctive flavor profile and remains a widely enjoyed staple of India...

These skeletal remains represent the relics of Sariputta and Mahamoggallana, key disciples of the Buddha. Discovered at Sanchi, India in 1851 by Alexander Cunningham, they are significant as physical links to early Buddhist figures. The bones offer a tangible connection for Buddhists interested in t...

E. Sreedharan is an Indian civil engineer noted for leading the Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro projects, earning the title Metro Man of India.