Remembering the Gujarati lawyer who fought for Indian indentured labourers in Fiji and Mauritius

Manilal Doctor answered the call of Indians when they needed help to take on an exploitative regime of indentured servitude.

Ajay Kamalakaran

· Jan 31, 2023 · 11:30 am

What can we learn about Bengali women’s complex relationship with food from bratas?

These observances prove that the idea of feminine propriety has not been entirely abandoned.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jan 28, 2023 · 11:30 am

How a German missionary changed the way houses were roofed in western India

Georg Plebst’s brainchild, the Mangalore tile, has spread as far as Australia and Africa – and yet very little is known about him.

Ajay Kamalakaran

· Jan 24, 2023 · 11:30 am

A search across India for food that is cooked on stones

From Kerala to Ladakh, hot stones are used creatively by a few families and communities to grill, roast and bake.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jan 21, 2023 · 11:30 am

A trove of ‘pornographic art’ is lying unappreciated in a sarkari library in Uttar Pradesh

Amid the Raza Library’s collection are paintings depicting a variety of carnal encounters that have never been reproduced in any book on Indian painting.

Kamayani Sharma

· Jan 17, 2023 · 11:30 am

One woman’s search for the kathak dancers who were relegated to the background by Bollywood

Who were the extras in early Hindi cinema? And what ever happened to them? Researcher Siddhi Goel found some troubling answers to these questions in her work.

Malini Nair

· Jan 14, 2023 · 11:30 am

Amid Mughal-Maratha battles, an East India Company man reaped the benefits of political neutrality

As president of Fort St George, Nathaniel Higginson steered the Company through tricky waters.

Anu Kumar

· Dec 31, 2022 · 11:30 am

The story of the Indian immigrant who catalysed the New Zealand gold rush but died in near penury

Although it was Edward Peters from Satara who first discovered gold in Otago, New Zealand, the credit went to an Australian for almost a century and half.

Ajay Kamalakaran

· Dec 24, 2022 · 11:30 am

In Sukumar Ray’s hilarious poems, food was always served with a side of commentary

The pioneer of literary nonsense in India wrote at a time when British officials’ gluttony had became an object of ridicule.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Dec 20, 2022 · 11:30 am

How an Irish poet and playwright became a part of India’s cultural mosaic

James Henry Cousins, an accomplished writer, moved to India in 1915 and dedicated his life to cultural and educational activities in the country.

Ajay Kamalakaran

· Dec 17, 2022 · 11:30 am

The world of Rajasthani folk music is shrinking – despite its global fame and success

In the absence of local patronage, Manganiyars and Langas are forgetting the gathas and kathas inhabited by magical, bewitching characters.

Malini Nair

· Dec 14, 2022 · 11:30 am

Why a plan to link India and Burma with one of the world’s most scenic railroads didn’t work out

In 19th century, engineers trekked through the jungles of Assam and Kachin state to decide the ideal path for a railway line. But economics and war intervened.

Ajay Kamalakaran

· Dec 10, 2022 · 11:30 am