Long, long ago in the Deccan plateau, five caves were excavated amidst the hills of the ancient region of Vengi, which is now known as Andhra Pradesh. Today, these caves are recognised as the Mogalarajapuram caves, preserving countless histories and myths, and immortalising the names of their patron dynasties.

The tales of the Deccan Sultanates continue in these pages, showcasing more monuments that have adorned the Indian peninsula with the splendours of Indo-Islamic architecture. Some of these structures are glorified in the annals of history and tourism, while others languish in woeful neglect, struggling in their final battle against the ravages of discredit or prejudice. Although capturing the full glory of those bygone days may be akin to imprisoning the entire brightness of the sun in a bottle, the last pages of this series endeavour to convey the essence of those valorous times to future heritage enthusiasts.

The legacies of the Bahmanids branched out into five independent Sultanates in different provinces, which flourished until the Mughals overpowered them one by one. However, their short rule exemplified the saying, "Live life large size," and they certainly lived larger than life, leaving behind stories etched into the structures they built for us to behold and admire. As we turn the pages of our history, let us glimpse into their abundant lives through the countless monuments that adorned their heritage.

Humayun brought a new dawn to the Mughals and introduced a new chapter of Mughal art in the historical volumes of Indian creative blends. One of the masters gifted by this Mughal was Mir Sayyid who traversed from Tabriz in Iran to the Indian subcontinent.

No one can refute the fact that music thrives in the instruments that breathe life into it. Some musical instruments become the identity of a culture, like the flute or bansuri. Can you imagine any Indian music without the heady bliss of a murali?

The grandson of a martyr of the 1857 revolt, Vijay Singh Pathak, led the legacy as valiantly as a soldier. He was a diplomatic warrior who introduced the concept of Satyagraha long before Gandhi adopted it. Referred to as the National Wanderer, this lion-hearted man gave sleepless nights to the British, feudal lords, and princely rulers.

When Muslims first arrived on the Indian coast 1400 years ago, the land embraced them with the same grace bestowed on the Aryans, Africans, Zoroastrians, Tibetians, and others. These arrivals have uniquely imprinted their gems on our nation's social, cultural, and architectural heritage. One such gem is the Zeenath Baksh Masjid built in wood.

India is a mystic treasure, where every inch of its land is ripe with legends, mythologies, folklore, and structures with a deep history. Where each temple, masjid, church, and gurudwara is an archive of the land it stands on. Among these houses of worship are a few that become a sanctum of converging legends, mythologies, musical forms, and architectural and spiritual blends—just like the Vaitheeswaran Koil or the residence of Shiva in Tamil Nadu.

In the seventh century, among the ancestors of the Chera Kings, there was a king who became the catalyst for the traditional oath taken by the pre-independence Travancore Princedom of Kerala—"I will keep this sword until the uncle who has gone to Makkah returns." This oath taken in the swearing ceremony kept alive the legend of Makkattupoya Perumal, revoking the stories of the Perumal uncle who went to Mecca and of the first Muslim settlers on the Malabar coast who were granted to build the first masjid of the subcontinent.

Thousands of years ago, from the highlands of West Asia arrived some traders, traversing the Hindukhush mountains in search of silk, spices, and gems. The Armenians settled here, blending their history with this land, testaments of which survive even today in the artefacts and religious structures like the St Mary’s Armenian Church of Chennai.