How a Russian musician ended up building Calcutta’s first drama theatre in the 18th century

Gerasim Lebedev taught himself Hindi, Sanskrit and Bengali, before translating plays and becoming a theatre pioneer.

Karen Stapley

· 2 hours ago

Soulmate: The band that has done more for the blues in India than anyone else

Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar have hit unparalleled highs by unapologetically playing a music genre that cynics thought would never work in India.

K Mark Swer

· 3 hours ago

Meet the homegrown entrepreneurs who are leading the revival of gin in India

The drink that once saved more ‘Englishmen’s lives...than all the doctors in the empire’ is gaining popularity among the country’s well-heeled hipsters.

Sangeeta Tanwar, qz.com

· Yesterday · 08:30 pm

Twitter is helping the ancient Scots language thrive (and garner attention)

The platform has provided a forum for the written Scots language to evolve in a way that wasn’t possible before the advent of social media.

E Jamieson and Sadie Ryan, The Conversation

· Aug 15, 2019 · 09:30 pm

‘They all became animals’: My grandfather remembers the trauma and violence of India’s Partition

Despite witnessing or hearing about unbelievable cruelties, my Dada has an almost diasporic longing to return to the subcontinent.

Sapan Maini-Thompson

· Aug 15, 2019 · 11:30 am

I sent my saliva to Norway for a personalised diet plan – and it changed more than the way I eat

Personalised nutrition plans based on DNA-analyses can help extend lives.

Barbara J Stewart-Knox, The Conversation

· Aug 11, 2019 · 11:30 pm

As Bengaluru loses land to concrete, a small initiative wants to remind the city of its green past

Started by artist Suresh Kumar, Sarjapura Curries is trying to re-popularise seasonal food and local edible weeds.

Shailaja Tripathi

· Aug 10, 2019 · 11:30 am

‘Greatest place on Earth’: Why online reviews of holy sites may not be reliable

The unusually high ratings reflect the contributor’s spiritual experience – not their experience of mundane, practical details.

Tom van Laer and Elif Izberk-Bilgin, The Conversation

· Aug 09, 2019 · 09:30 pm

A study shows the surprising similarities in the way royal women once exercised power

In 14 premodern states, women influenced policy, acted as go-betweens and patronised clients.

Laura Spinney, Aeon

· Aug 08, 2019 · 11:30 pm

The long-ignored connection between Hindustani classical khyal and qawwali

Tracing the history of the khyal presents an opportunity to broaden our understanding of identity beyond religion and borders.

Wajiha Ather Naqvi, Dawn.com

· Aug 08, 2019 · 11:30 am

In Singapore, community gardens are helping the elderly deal with depression and loneliness

In the ageing country, the government has rolled out an allotment garden scheme to foster closer social bonds.

Beh Lih Yi, Thomson Reuters Foundation

· Aug 07, 2019 · 09:30 pm

Watch: Why Nobel laureate Toni Morrison said, ‘The function of freedom is to free someone else’

Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison, author of ‘Beloved’, ‘Sula’ and ‘Song of Solomon’, died at 88.

Scroll Staff

· Aug 06, 2019 · 09:48 pm