The post-COVID world is going to be rather different. But will this change be for better or for worse, we don’t know yet. With the disheartening current figures of India’s GDP making headlines, the rise in the unemployment rate, the increasing number of children dropping out of school, and most importantly, the...

  When you are driving home after a long day and don’t feel like cooking dinner, it makes sense to stop by a McDonalds – it’s cheap and tastes good. One meal of processed food can’t be that bad, right? But habits emerge without our permission. Studies indicate that people usually don’t intend to eat fast food...

  Former union minister Arun Jaitley (28 December 1952 – 24 August 2019) was one of the most articulate defenders of the BJP and its governmental policies both within the Parliament and outside it. As a Parliamentarian and minister, the veteran leader had set a high benchmark of probity. A statesman par excellence,...

The expectations of widowhood did not sit well with Ayesha[Gayatri Devi]. Her mother [Indira Devi, maharani of Cooch Behar] had shunned all conventions when Jit[Indira Devi’s husband, the maharaja of Cooch Behar] died, rejecting any notion of living the austere life of a widow, such as renouncing worldly pleasures,...

Although most civilizations refer to death with some sort of heaviness, Sadhguru believes that – “Death is a cosmic joke. If you get the joke, falling on the other side will be wonderful.”  When we think of death, we experience an overwhelming feeling of fear. But let’s look at it this way – what if dying...

  The Helicopter shot that launched the ball in the air and sealed India’s 2011 World Cup victory will remain etched forever in the hearts of Indian fans. And so will the heroics of, perhaps, the greatest captain of the Indian cricket team. Although we know all about Dhoni’s cricket victories and his unmatchable...

This is an excerpt from the book The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India’s Most Glamorous Royal Family by John Zubrzycki.   Today nothing remains of one of Calcutta’s most glamorous residences. Built-in classical East India Company style, with Ionic columns and encircled by deep verandas, Woodlands was...

उस दिन जब पिताजी का फ़ोन आया, तो किरन भाग कर छत पर चढ़ गई, सिग्नल छत पर ही आता था  पिताजी  बोले, ‘सामनवा बांध लो सब के सब, हम कमरे का...

This is an extract from Pankaj Mishra’s book Bland Fanatics: Liberals, Race, and Empire Pankaj Mishra is the acclaimed author of seven books of fiction and non-fiction including, most recently, Age of Anger, winner of the Tata Literature Live! Non-fiction Book Award and a New York Times notable book.   The Culture...

It’s been 73 years since India achieved independence after around 200 years of British rule. Yet, most of us know quite little about the complexities of such a big freedom movement that lasted for decades. This Independence Day weekend, travel back in time to understand how our country achieved such an incredible feat....