But what set the Cholas apart was their endless capacity for innovation. By the standards of the medieval world, Chola queens were also remarkably prominent, serving as the dynasty's public face.

A History of the Chola Empire’, the historian Anirudh Kanisetti documents the rise and fall of the Chola royal women, be it ...

At every temple in South India, the aarti for the deity is performed by burning a piece of camphor on a platter. Who knew ...

A dynasty that introduced the sengol — a sceptre symbolising power that was recently in the spotlight — established ...

The Brihadishvara temple, built in the 11th Century by King Rajaraja Chola, is a Unesco World Heritage site [Getty Images] ...