Indology Festival - Wanderes and Witnesses - Traveller's Tales of India, June 16-21, 2025

 







This year, #THTIndoFest2025 brings together leading scholars, authors, and experts to explore how India was perceived, experienced, and recorded by travellers from distant lands through the centuries.

 

With the theme of “Wanderers and Witnesses: Travellers' Tales of India”, #THTIndoFest2025 is being held from June 16th through 21st, 2025. There are 12 talks scheduled over six days.

 

From Megasthenes in the court of Chandragupta Maurya to the medieval journeys of Marco Polo, from the religious quest of Xuanzang to the insightful writings of Al Biruni, from the shrewd political observations of Paes and Nuniz at Vijayanagar to the detailed travelogues of Tavernier and Bernier, the accounts of foreign travellers have long shaped our understanding of India’s past. These narratives—whether motivated by curiosity, conquest, trade, or spiritual pursuit—offer a unique and often vivid lens into the social, political, and cultural life of the subcontinent. And they remain invaluable to historians today.

 

Join us as we delve into the motivations and journeys of these intrepid visitors, the historical insights their writings reveal and the interpretive challenges and legacies of their narratives.

 

Whether you're a student of history, a traveller at heart, or simply curious about India’s place in the global imagination, #THTIndoFest2025 will offer fresh perspectives and engaging discussions.

 

There are two Online Talks every day starting at 5.30 pm. And they are free to watch. 
 
To receive your link for ALL the Talks, please register at: bit.ly/THT_Register
 
See you at #THTIndoFest2025!


From the Niches of History: The Nolambas, June 7, 2025 by Uma Rudhran

Who were the Nolambas? What is their place is history other than being the feudatories of the prominent ruling dynasties of their time? Did they have a unique style of temple art and architecture? Or was it just an adaptation of styles attributed to their dynastic overlords? In her Talk “From the Niches of History: The Nolambas", avid heritage enthusiast Uma Rudhran answers these and other questions about the Nolambas, a lesser-known dynasty of South India that ruled between the 8th and 11th centuries in what is present-day south eastern Karnataka, and adjoining areas of Tamilnadu and Andhra. The online Talk in English is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, June 7, 2025. About the Speaker: Uma Rudhran is an IT professional in Chennai, currently working as the Leader of Technical Infrastructure Service Delivery for a global FinTech organization based in the USA. She enjoys learning about Indian Art, Temple Architecture and Iconography. She is a regular contributor to THT’s lectures, site seminars and other events