–Parth S. Bhale When we think of Diwali in Goa, we often imagine lamps, decorations and a joyful atmosphere. But Goa’s Diwali also has a tradition that can feel very different and surprising to someone seeing it for the first time. On the night before Diwali, large effigies of Narakasura can be seen standing in […]Read More
–Parth S. Bhale Diwali is usually associated with rows of lamps, sweets, family gatherings and the celebration of light over darkness. Yet, across India, the days around Diwali are marked by traditions that are very different from one region to another. Some of these customs are well known, while others remain largely within the communities […]Read More
Surya Siras comes from a Rajawat family with 300 years of history in Jaipur. He speaks about the fort at Siras, the restoration of the Siras Haveli, the Gangapole Art Project and why he calls himself a custodian before anything else. A Home Larger Than a House Surya Siras knew early that his family carried […]Read More
In 1627, in the German city of Bamberg, a bishop built a prison with only one purpose: to break people until they confessed to something that wasn’t real. It had cells. It had torture chambers. Its walls were painted with Bible verses, meant to ward off the spells its own prisoners were accused of casting. […]Read More
Walk into the Indian Museum in Kolkata expecting sculpture, coin cabinets and fossils, and for the first five galleries you get exactly that. Bharhut railings from the second century BCE. An Egyptian mummy donated to the Asiatic Society in 1834. More than fifty thousand coins. Then you reach the anthropology section, and for close to […]Read More
In a quiet corner of southern Chhattisgarh, far from the fanfare of Ravana effigies and fireworks that mark Dussehra across most of India, a different kind of celebration unfolds. It doesn’t last ten days. It lasts seventy-five. And it has almost nothing to do with Rama’s victory over Ravana at all. This is Bastar Dussehra, […]Read More
In India, royal legacies are often associated with magnificent palaces, historic forts, and centuries-old traditions. Yet, a new generation of descendants from erstwhile royal families is redefining what it means to inherit such a legacy. Rather than seeking power through titles, many are choosing to serve society through public life, education, entrepreneurship, and governance. Among […]Read More
-Devashree Kulkarni Imagine the time around 300 BCE, walking through the streets of Pataliputra. Merchants traded goods, assigned officials kept detailed records, soldiers always on duty to protect the empire and royal messengers travelling across territories. The reason behind organized, coordinated and thriving world stood the Mauryan Empire which was founded by Chandragupta Maurya and […]Read More
-Devashree Kulkarni Imagine the land we today called India does not exist as a single political entity around 2600 years ago. There was no national flag, no central government and no unified administration. Only the subcontinent was a mosaic of kingdoms, republics, tribes and competing powers and even with political division people were connected through […]Read More
-Devashree Kulkarni Water management history of India is a story of innovation and adaptation of water storage systems over 4000 years. It developed over the ages as a drainage systems of the Indus Valley Civilization to the magnificent stepwells of Gujarat. Today, Indian communities have developed creative ways to collect, store and distribute water. The […]Read More