Jenny Erpenbeck’s Kairos: East Germany’s Past Haunts Toxic Romance
The 1993 revised edition of the popular German language primer Sprachkurs Deutsch 1 contains a small text about Germany, Austria, and Switzerland meant for simple reading comprehension. About German reunification it says pithily: “The wall has fallen, but the deep economic differences, the social differences, the psychological differences are not going away
Lengkhawm Exhibition Showcases Lamka’s Art and Traditions in New Delhi
An exhibition at India International Centre brings Lamka’s vibrant culture to life through a diverse array of paintings, photographs, and textiles. To depict the rich traditions of life through art forms is no mean feat but an exhibition at the India International Centre in New Delhi precisely manages to do
Vikas Swarup, Q&A Author Discusses New Book, Writing Process, and Diplomacy
Former diplomat and author Vikas Swarup (left) with journalist Vir Sanghvi (right) during the book launch of The Girl with the Seven Lives at the India International Centre, New Delhi, on July 19. | Photo Credit: Vitasta Kaul The appreciation he received for his “authentic portrayal” of women in his
The More Thunderous the Chanting of Jai Sri Ram, the More Sita Fades Out: Ranabir Chakravarti
Ranabir Chakravarti finds the Sangh Parivar’s projection of the singularity of the mode of veneration of Ram in the tradition of the Ramcharitmanas problematic. | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement Dissecting the Sangh Parivar’s muscular reimagining of Ram, historian Ranabir Chakravarti traces how this narrow view clashes with India’s rich
Mangifera Indica: Sopan Joshi’s New Book Details India’s Never-Ending Love Affair With the Mango
Sopan Joshi is an independent journalist and author based in Delhi. | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement There is no other country that has a compulsive relationship with a fruit like India has with mangoes, said Sopan Joshi, journalist and author of the book Mangifera Indica: A Biography of the
Tripura’s Forgotten Risha: The Ancient Fabric Making a Comeback
Once upon a time, not so long ago, tribal women of Tripura carried the forested landscape of the tiny north-eastern State in their hearts in the form of a narrow band of cloth with intricately woven patterns of butterflies, birds and leaves that they wore on their breasts. Called risha,
Mosuo: China’s Last Matrilineal Society
WATCH | Mosuo: China’s last matrilineal society The Mosuo, only 40,000 strong, run their world differently from most: women are in charge. | Video Credit: Camera and editing by Samson Ronald K.; Presentation by Saatvika Radhakrishna; Supervising producer: Jinoy Jose P. On the shores of the picturesque Lugu Lake in
James Baldwin, Influential Writer and Civil Rights Figure Turns 100
James Baldwin in London on February 22, 1965. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives James Baldwin was born in the New York district of Harlem in 1924, when the world was already deeply racist. Poverty was rampant and there was police violence. Baldwin grew up with eight siblings. His stepfather
Redefining Masculinity in South Asian Cinema: The Pathetic Man as Hero
Pay Rs.50 and you can enter Thiruvananthapuram’s C Theater. A few streets away from the city’s bustling centre of temples and palaces, the theatre’s facade has crumbled, with the overgrowth of monsoon foliage left untended for its regular clientele—men who gather in rhythmic routines around 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, 6:30
ARPO: Chronicling Kerala’s Past For Its Future
In a nondescript corner of Thrippunithura, a temple town near Kerala’s Kochi, a stone’s throw from the newly constructed metro station, a small two-storey house comes alive with music, chatter, and laughter most evenings. A radiant group of youngsters gathers here to discuss Kerala’s art, culture, heritage, folklore, and more.