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Homenb-develop-admin2026-07-18T17:43:18+05:30
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Constructing The Gateway of India Bombay, 1923 Photo
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Constructing The Gateway of India Bombay, 1923 Photo

Constructing The Gateway of India Bombay, 1923 Photo

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Constructing The Gateway of India Bombay, 1923 Photo  A rare 1923 photo that shows the construction of the Gateway of [...]

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nb-develop-admin2023-12-10T18:46:37+05:30
section and plan taj mahal
Taj Mahal’s Architectural Section & Plan, Rare 1911 Print
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Taj Mahal’s Architectural Section & Plan, Rare 1911 Print

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early east indian railway locomotive
East Indian Railway’s Early Steam Loco British India, 1890 PC
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East Indian Railway’s Early Steam Loco British India, 1890 PC

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East Indian Railway's Early Steam Loco British India, 1890 PC British India era's East Indian Railway's early steam loco is [...]

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Kalbadevi & Horse Drawn Tram British Era Bombay, 1890 Photo
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Kalbadevi & Horse Drawn Tram British Era Bombay, 1890 Photo

Kalbadevi & Horse Drawn Tram British Era Bombay, 1890 Photo

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Kalbadevi & Horse Drawn Tram British Era Bombay, 1890 Photo  Old 1890 photo of Kalbadevi and horse-drawn tram during British [...]

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1907 Taj Mahal Postcard With An Anecdote By Its Client
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1907 Taj Mahal Postcard With An Anecdote By Its Client

1907 Taj Mahal Postcard With An Anecdote By Its Client

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

1907 Taj Mahal Postcard With An Anecdote By Its Client This is an old 1907 postcard of the Taj Mahal [...]

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Proposed Site of Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament Delhi, 1914
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Proposed Site of Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament Delhi, 1914

Proposed Site of Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament Delhi, 1914

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Proposed Site of Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament Delhi, 1914 An old 1914 print on the proposed site of Rashtrapati Bhavan [...]

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European Lady At The Golf Course Secunderabad, 1917 Photo
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European Lady At The Golf Course Secunderabad, 1917 Photo

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European Lady At The Golf Course Secunderabad, 1917 Photo A 1917 photo of a European Lady at the Golf Course [...]

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Old And New Bombay, 1911 British Era Book
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Scale Model of The Taj Mahal Hotel & Tower Bombay, 1971 Photo
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Scale Model of The Taj Mahal Hotel & Tower Bombay, 1971 Photo

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Boat Mail: Train & Steamer From India To Ceylon, 1890 Photo
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Boat Mail: Train & Steamer From India To Ceylon, 1890 Photo

Boat Mail: Train & Steamer From India To Ceylon, 1890 Photo

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Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph 1894

past-india.com

This site illustrates a past India through a collection of antique and vintage mediums of Raja Ravi Varma oleographs, old India photos, old postcards, old paper prints, and so on.

Although the collection may or may not be too varied, but generally projects a glimpse to what India looked like in the past. And how it has evolved since then. Few would realize that once there were Trams in Bombay, Madras, Delhi…

That, Madras operated the first electric Tram in India from 1895 up to its closure in 1953. With Calcutta and Bombay starting off with Horse-Drawn Trams, later electrifying them by the early 1900s.

That, in World War II, they camouflaged the Taj Mahal with bamboo scaffoldings. So as to project it as a construction site that perhaps would fool any air attacks from the Germans and Japanese might, although this never happened. All in all, the jewel in this collection is the rare Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” oleograph or chromolithograph of 1894. This was the first oleograph to come out from the then newly opened Raja Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithograph Press(or FAL press) in 1894.

The many legacies of the British Raj are not missed out in this collection. Many of the buildings and streets have gone through several makeovers to the extent of being unrecognizable today or have completely disappeared from the scene. But the memories are kept alive hopefully to some extent by this collection.

As they say- “seeing is believing.” Hope you enjoy this collection. Please write to us at- info@past-india.com

Popular & Rare

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Past India

You can see the main categories on the top of the page, and except for the “Raja Ravi Varma Oleograph & Other Art” category all the other main categories have drop-down to sub-categories. You can then select the subject of your interest or you can check through the search box and if available it will display the results. The photos, prints & picture postcards depict a varied subjects of a Past India we may have forgotten- from people on the streets to people at grand events like Delhi durbar, from Taj Mahal to Gateway of India, from residential areas to commercial areas, from home exterior to interior of homes and so on. This site also includes a photo of "Charlie Chaplin" with his autograph signed on the back. There are also old maps, books, Raja Ravi Varma’s oelographs etc. “A picture is worth a thousand words” is an old adage, I’m sure this blog should interest you likewise. All the items displayed are from my personal collection unless otherwise specified.

Contact us:

info@past-india.com
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