Innholdsfortegnelse for 2 January 2023 i India Today

‘The best’ is a difficult concept to master. If you ask a parent, “Which of your children is the best?”, it really can have no answer. But a striving for excellence is what defines us—each of us tries to be the best we can become and then better that. In a nation’s journey, this continual quest to create a better tomorrow becomes its primary life-force. And this process cannot unfold without us reviewing the best of the past, which has shaped our present. India, as an independent nation, has turned 75 this year. As a tribute to this milestone, INDIA TODAY has chosen on its 47th anniversary to do a special issue to celebrate this immense journey with a retrospective gallery of the events and the personalities who have made…

G.D. Birla (1894-1983) Birla Group patriarch Ghanshyam Das Birla, or GD as he’s often referred to, was one of the architects of India’s industrial growth. By the time GD was born, on April 5, 1894, the family was well established. Later, as a young man, he wanted to diversify the family business into manufacturing. GD left for Calcutta in Bengal Presidency and began independently as a jute broker. In 1918, he established Birla Jute Mills, and with an investment of Rs 50 lakh in 1919, the Birla Brothers Ltd was formed. In the 1940s, he ventured into the territory of cars and established Hindustan Motors. After Independence, Birla invested in tea and textiles through a series of acquisitions of erstwhile European companies. He also expanded and diversified into cement, chemicals, rayon…

Ending War in the Korean Peninsula 1952-54 India played peace broker in ending the Korean conflict, the first major proxy conflict of the cold war. Initially rebuffed in the United Nations by the US and the Soviet Union, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru persisted. As a result, the final peace agreement of July 1953 owed much to the compromise suggested by India, which also played a major role in the supervision of the agreement. For a recently independent country, this was an audacious foray into the complex terrain of Cold War politics, and the experience served India well in the coming decades. The Bandung Conference Indonesia, 1955 The conference of 29 Afro-Asian nations in Bandung gave India a platform to move into a leadership position in what is now termed the…

IN a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law, an independent judiciary has a critical role to play. In a country as diverse and heterogeneous as India, and with a career spanning close to 73 years, the Indian judiciary’s role has been varied and multi-faceted. It is thus a rather difficult task to compile a list of “10 of the most significant judgments” in Indian constitutional history, as no criterion of selection will be fine-grained enough to command universal agreement. This list, therefore, ought to be treated as an invitation to a conversation, and not a verdict (verdicts, after all, are the business of courts!). I believe constitutions and constitutionalism are at their best when they interrogate power relations—both state and social—and seek to democratise public and private power.…

‘Bad news on the doorstep’. This phrase from Don McLean’s classic song American Pie crosses my mind every morning as I pick up the newspaper tossed onto my balcony. Against the daily dose of despair—the downward spiral of public life, the distress of marginalised communities, the devastation of the environment—I feel all the more grateful for these sources of light that dispel the dark; for people who can imagine a better world and have the courage to bring it to life; for citizens who have taken to heart Mahatma Gandhi’s talisman of thinking of the poorest and the weakest first, and who have committed to striving for compassion and justice towards others. India lives in its villages. Six out of every 10 Indians still depend on farm-related work for their…

India influenced global tastes and affairs for millennia, with what it imagined, crafted and transacted. Whether in royal collections or temple stores, gathered by connoisseurs or hoarders, India’s treasures have always had takers. Today, the country is a vibrant living museum, and our infinite cultures are reflected in innumerable collections at home and overseas. A fast-developing economy is supercharging collectors, and enabling cultural professionals and entrepreneurs. At 75, the museums sector in India is undergoing a renaissance, an apt time to revisit breakthrough museums and archival centres since Independence. National Museum New Delhi Described as ‘an ocean’ that many a venerable collection has flowed into, the National Museum first took shape in 1949. That Independence Day, an exhibition was mounted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, of artefacts from Indian institutions returning…

The novel is perpetually, globally, a-dying—even as it continues to thrive. The lugubriousness of this funerary expectation is compounded in the case of the Hindi novel. Hindi has, for reasons deriving from the circumstances of its modern invention, acquired an exaggerated sense of its historical destiny: rashtrabhasha, no less, charged with the responsibility of making the ‘nation’. Then there is the burden of an implacable, undeniable social reality that demands—more, commands—address. It is a wonder that novelists still find the creative energy to tell stories. It is also remarkable that there is little echo of the euphoria of Independence—of azaadi, to use a word that has oddly become charged with subversive meaning—in the years after that famously mottled dawn—yeh dagh dagh ujaala…. To find any suggestion of that moment of…

M.S. Subbulakshmi (1916-2004) The Hindu devotional side of south India wakes up to her Suprabhatam that floats out to greet every dawn. From the Devadasi tradition like dancer T. Balasaraswati, her divine voice—sweet, with hints of savoury, and amazingly nimble—gave Carnatic a national and global presence. Aside from a detour to film with Meera (1945), she stayed with her forte: pitch-perfect kritis and bhajans like Annapurnashtakam. Pt Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) Taking Indian classical music to the world as its most universally recognised envoy, parlaying that profile to popularise it within India…yet, the versatile genius stayed an enigma. He answered to a liberal ethic: witness his original collaborations, orchestral creations with both Indian and western instruments and artistes, and creation of original ragas. But he anchored it in the creative orthodoxy of…

Far more urban Indians engage with modern art today than they did in 1947. Back then, only a handful of critics (including foreign residents) were alert to the stirrings among India’s young artists; now, almost anyone can rattle off the names of half a dozen eminent 20th-century masters, and some of them may even know the prices they command at auctions. This change makes the task of choosing ‘ten of the best’ even harder. It is like that game of selecting a dream cricket team from all historical players—calculated only to provoke outrage at one’s exclusions, with no points scored for the unavoidable inclusions. Following that spirit, we might ask, what are the specialist skills we must ensure are covered? In the field of visual art, what talents must our…

Nutan Her delicate face, half-hidden in the folds of her saree, turned away as her lover walks away—Nutan was eternal in the eponymous role in Sujata (1959), a woman struggling for identity against a brutal caste system. The role that defined her as an actress; we saw her vulnerability, the quiet ache of a girl seeking acceptance. She mined that delicate vein of silver in Seema (1955) and Bandini (1963), but there was also playfulness in Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1863), as she skipped down the Qutub Minar’s steps with Dev Anand, singing about the hum in their hearts. That blend of softness and steel flowed into a variety of roles over four decades, that unforgettable sweetness of her smile lighting up the screen even amidst the greys of life.…

Awaara 1951 (Shankar-Jaikishan) It was early in Raj Kapoor’s career, and only his second time working with Shankar-Jaikishan, but Awaara created a template for future soundtracks of this legendary collaboration. The title song penned by Shailendra, Awaara Hoon, established his trademark style—deep philosophical musings wrapped up in fun, simple, musical words. Dum Bhar Jo Udhar Munh Phere, Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi and Ab Raat Guzarne Waali Hai, with their complex meters and melancholic, romantic moods, brought together an album with deep, haunting music. Hum Dono 1961 (Jaidev) Jaidev is probably the most underrated genius in Hindi film music history, mainly because his work got lost in ordinary or low-budget parallel films few people cared for—Jumbish, Gaman, Do Boond Paani and Gharonda being cases in point. But the one time he…

IT may seem that handloom weavers, battered by demonetisation, the hideously flawed implementation of GST, the lure of synthetic mill-made brands and the whims and fancies of contemporary urban fashion, culminating in two years of Covid-induced lockdowns and the loss of lives and markets, have little to rejoice about. Rarely mentioned in the press, they might be hard-pressed to find good things to say about their marginalised occupation. “Every cloud has a silver lining” may sound a weary cliche, but it is true for weavers, who after the pandemic find themselves—quite unexpectedly—better-placed than many other sectors of the economy. To what can we attribute this? One reason is the growing access to the internet. Traditionally, craftspeople had little contact with their urban consumers. Now, thanks to the ubiquitous smartphone, they…

➘ The first government of India recognised the importance of the crafts sector and accorded it generous funds ➘ National and state awards were instituted for craftspeople, and later, Padma Shri and Shilp Guru awards were given as well ➘ Craft trade fairs and tourism-oriented melas promoted international trade ➘ Design development and display got special attention to encourage competition in the face of branded imports ➘ The concept of 'Haats' helped link craftspeople directly to customers ➘ Private craft bazaars and government trade fairs held abroad gave crafts a wider marketing platform ➘ Design inputs from institutions like the National Institute of Design and the National Institute of Fashion Technology, as well as private design institutes later, helped the sector stay abreast of the latest trends ➘ The arrival…

The subcontinent is a land of diverse cultures and traditions, and food unites it brilliantly. Street food is the most tempting part of our culinary offerings. Every place has its own delicacies adored by locals who will tell you that the street food in their town is better than anything else you might try in India. Here’s my list of top 10 street foods of India that you must try. Pani Puri This delicacy is the most common and famous street food in the country. Served with boiled potato and chickpeas, chutney, chaat masala and soupy water (pani), the mix of ingredients, as well as the name of the dish, varies from state to state. In Delhi, for instance, it’s called golgappa. Kothu Parotta This is the classic street food…

Garli It’s a small village in Himachal Pradesh where the Beas River meets the plains. This village was set up by the Sood clan; in fact, it’s right next to Pragpur, another place one should visit. Garli has these old homes with slate shingles, jaali brickwork and remnants of Belgian glass chandeliers. Each home is built in its own individualistic style; some of them are like a chateau, all with beautiful brickwork, worth capturing on camera. Several houses have been locked up and left to decay by the owners. But do walk around and get some nice photographs as Garli is really picturesque. Kapurthala What makes Kapurthala in Punjab remarkable is all the French architecture; it had about seven palaces, some of which have been demolished. The Jagatjit Palace is…

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway I loved the journey on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway during my school days. The train passes through beautiful forested country, moving on from the plains in the early stages from Siliguri station to the very top to Ghum, the highest railway station in India, from where you can get views of Mt Khangchendzonga. Kalka-Shimla Railway After an overnight journey from Delhi on the Howrah-Kalka Express, one can connect with the Kalka-Shimla Railway. It was a train that carried the civil servants and the Viceroy and his entourage when the Raj moved from Calcutta to the summer capital of Shimla every year. The last stage of the journey was absolutely beautiful as the train moved through the foothills of the Himalayas to Shimla on a 2.6-ft track. Kangra…

Provenance and passion are synonymous with a eponymous brand like Hermès. With tradition under its belt, craftsmanship at its core, it’s the savoir faire that has kept the past alive and relevant at this legacy brand even as it finds a contemporary peg for evolving aesthetic traditions and sensibilities. With the Kelly Gavroche line, tradition and taste rule as it continues its transformation, ushering in exceptional everyday elegance with their new pieces The sophisticated renditions are architectural and built around signature elements like the knot and straps, which highlight the fluid nature of the Milanese link. The confluence of rose gold and diamonds is a statement in itself that outlines this simple dictum: True style never shouts! Price on request; Availability Hermes.com…

Whisky Samba is the kind of place that holds a democratic appeal: You can retire to a relatively quiet corner, nursing your favourite poison as you unwind to the 90s music that plays in the early hours. Or you can choose to arrive closer to the witching hour, where a large part of the cavernous space becomes hostage to techno on the turntable with a dance floor in the forecourt. Either way, the food and drink are worthy companions. While it’s easy to understand why this restaurant & bar is one of the most sought-after in Delhi-NCR, wrapping your head around the logic of a place like this serving up a curated five-course pairing menu is a tad tougher. Macallan is a whisky that inspires a certain laid-back self indulgence,…

Linguistic Struggles Linguistic states had been pledged by the Indian National Congress from 1917, yet it took Potti Sriramulu’s death from fasting in December 1952 for that promise to bear fruit. Born in Nellore into a trading-caste family, Sriramulu had embraced prison in the 1930s and 1940s as a satyagrahi and also campaigned for Dalit rights. After this loved figure fasted for 58 days and died, a separate state for the Telugu speakers of what was still a British-era Madras Presidency became unstoppable. Andhra emerged in 1953, and other internal boundaries too were fruitfully redrawn. Karnataka and Kerala appeared in the south, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the west, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal in the north. Citizens could now converse with officials in their own language! Dalit Rights When in 1956…

Bhakra Nangal/Damodar Valley Corporation Completed in 1963/came into existence in 1948 The Bhakra Nangal project, on the Sutlej River in Himachal Pradesh, is one of the oldest development projects for river valleys established after Independence. Its construction, which started in 1953, was completed in 1963 at a cost of around Rs 245.28 crore. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then prime minister, dedicated the dam to the nation, calling such projects executed by the public sector “the temples of modern India”. The dam provides water for irrigation in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, in addition to generating hydroelectric power for these states. The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), which operates in the Damodar river area of West Bengal and Jharkhand, came into existence on July 7, 1948. It was the first multipurpose…

As India celebrates its entry into Amritkaal (an envisaged golden era from 2022 to 2047, the century of Independence), it is worth asking what India’s biggest achievements in agriculture have been. There is no doubt that over the past 75 years, India’s agriculture landscape has transformed significantly. The biggest transformation has been turning India from a ‘ship to mouth’ situation in the mid- ’60s to being more or less self-sufficient in basic staples with some exportable surplus of cereals. It is well known that the two successive drought years in the mid-’60s exposed India’s vulnerability. It was unable to feed its population and had to rely on heavy imports of wheat—almost 10 million metric tonnes (mmt) a year—under Public Law 480 of the USA against rupee payments as India did…

In 75 years of independent India, the environment movement has played an important role in shaping policy and defining the practice of development. The movement has taken three distinct tracks through which we can highlight the changemakers. First, where environmental action played a role in defining the development strategy for natural resource management. Second, where action has opposed development projects and, from this contestation, a new consensus has emerged in terms of action. Third, where the environment movement has pushed and prodded change in policy when it comes to issues of pollution and human health. The ‘nature’ of the movement is complex. Not only because there are separate ideologies that drive environmentalism in the country, but also because there are differences in class. For instance, in the past 75 years,…

Exploration Geologists Fuelling India’s early oil exploration It is not widely known that every hydrocarbon molecule in India’s oil reserves has been discovered by Indian exploration geologists. North Sea oil and offshore Bombay High oil and gas were discovered almost simultaneously. But India beat the UK in bringing the production to its peak earlier. This was achieved by the technologists of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) under the leadership of its visionary chairman Bhanu Prasad. Mumbai High and Bassein are today India’s top oil- and gas-producing fields, accounting for almost two-thirds of the country’s total production. Process Chemistry Making India the ‘Pharmacy of the World’ India is now known as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, ranking third in pharmaceutical production. It exports pharmaceuticals to more than 200 countries…

Hockey Gold London Olympics, 1948 A year into independence, India got a chance to test its traditional stick sorcery in a new age…also to see whether Partition had left it diminished. Despite that vivisected might, both sides were still individually so strong that India was widely expected to meet Pakistan in the final. But Great Britain, to everyone’s surprise, beat Pakistan in the semis, and India ended up facing off against its old colonial rulers. So a chance to demonstrate superpower status was doubly sweet. The wizard Dhyan Chand, in his 40s, had just signed off on serious hockey, despite scoring 61 goals in 22 matches in East Africa in November ’47. But the mesmerising skill and speed of another legend, Balbir Singh Sr, who scored two goals in the…

To talk of outstanding Indian writers of the past eight decades, choosing them from over two dozen languages except English and Hindi, is like returning from a majestic river with just a bucketful of water. One does not have to state that such a selection, with whatever parameters one makes it, is bound to be arbitrary and quite close to being absurd. India’s literary wealth during these decades has been so vast and inspiring that it is impossible to speak of the literary flavour of post-Independence India through sketchy comments on just a handful of writers and poets. Yet I shall do so, knowing that my comments do not amount to literary judgement. Although following the iconic Marathi poet-novelist B.S. Mardhekar, who brought to Marathi the modern sensibility, Dilip Purushottam…

T. Balasaraswati (1918-1984) Born to a hereditary Devadasi family, with vocalist Veena Dhanammal as matriarch, T. Balasaraswati was the last spokesperson of the temple form—codified as a court style in Tanjore (the ‘T’ in her name). Her family had a whole gallery of top-notch musicians, and her style too was especially attuned to music. Shunned initially by Madras’s caste-ridden sabhas, she was helped by lawyer-activist E. Krishna Iyer, The Music Academy head V. Raghavan, and then SNA head Mohan Khokar. In the US, the Scripps family were her patrons. Once the West feted her, and she regaled audiences from Japan to London, India followed. But her Bharatanatyam ‘bani’ ended with her. Uday Shankar (1900-1977) For India, he is the father of what’s today called contemporary dance. Uday Shankar is credited…

V. Shantaram (1901-1990) A force of nature, initiated into the cinema watching Dadasaheb Phalke for free as a door boy at a Hubli theatre, he was an early convert to cause-oriented fare, into which he brought the melodramatic canvas of mythologicals and historicals. That streak brought a whole harvest—Manoos (1939), Dr Kotnis ki Amar Kahani (1946), Dahej (1950), Do Aakhen Baarah Haath (1957). A U-turn came with the splashy musicals Jhanak Jhanak Paayal Baje (1955) and Navrang (1959), the latter a thanksgiving to the splendour of colours after recovering from an eye accident, both odes to his new muse Sandhya. Mehboob Khan (1907-1964) Once a horseshoe repairman, the bit-part actor possessed the chutzpah to turn into an immaculately dressed producer-director, one whose cinema mostly spoke to the socialist zeitgeist of…

Ashok Kumar By 1947, Ashok Kumar had already been a star—Hindi cinema’s first male star—for years, and was about to see a pivotal new generation take over. He lingered as protagonist, and as a significant presence in films like Bandini (1963) or the handful built around a trio with Pradeep Kumar-Meena Kumari. But for decades, ‘Dada Moni’ retained a vital relevance as a character actor, occasionally stretching himself in edgier or more central roles in, say, Jewel Thief (1967) or Aashirwad (1968), then settled down into being one of our best-loved grandfatherly figures. None of that erases the young Ashok—the accidental 25-year-old hero of Achhut Kanya (1936), the slick hipster of Kismet (1943) and many other B&W classics, producer at Bombay Talkies, mentor and friend to younger talents. Balraj Sahni…

Aplam Chaplam Azaad (1955) This was perhaps the first time Hindi film audiences saw a classical style—Bharatanatyam—in its purest form. Even the interlude music is full of jatis. Choreographed by Hiralal, it’s best known for showcasing two pairs of sisters: Sayee-Subbulakshmi, the dancing duo that ruled the 1950s, were on screen. Usha-Lata, the Mangeshkars, their voices as supple as ballerinas, ventriloquised them backstage. Movement, exuberant and graceful and always incredible, is in perfect sync here with expressions. Sixty-seven years later, you still cannot make up your mind which sister is dancing better. It’s a beautiful demonstration of how it is possible to marry a classical dance to a filmi tune. The sheer skills make it a piece still hard to replicate. Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya Mughal-E-Azam (1960) If K.…

➘ Internet and social media have given them direct access to markets ➘ The 2020 migrant exodus made artisans aware of the value of having skills they could practise at home ➘ Development of new materials such as banana, bamboo, water chestnut, nettle, bark, etc. ➘ Post-Covid rediscovery of handicraft and handloom ➘ Handloom sale is no longer confined to state and Khadi emporia ➘ Growing focus on slow, sustainable fashion ➘ The emergence of NGOs has provided marketing platforms to craftspeople, enabling them to sell directly to urban consumers ➘ Designers and entrepreneurs are responding to the growing demand, and government schemes to promote the sector are helping…

THE GREAT EASTERN CRUISE KOLKATA TO MURSHIDABAD A Fairytale Christmas Christianity was first introduced to India in 52 CE by none other than the apostle Thomas, who landed on the Malabar coast to spread the gospel. Two millennia on, there are Christmas celebrations across India—including a moving midnight mass at San Thome Basilica in Mylapore, Chennai, which still holds a few of St Thomas’s srelics. The city that goes to town with Christmas is Kolkata, from midnight mass at St Paul’s Cathedral to carol singing, plum cakes and much merrymaking. The Park Street Christmas Festival sees the entire road lit up with fairy lights. There’s a giant Christmas tree for those Insta-worthy shots and even a Christmas Parade. The special Christmas menu at Flury’s is not to be missed. Equally…

Lucknow For me, the skyline of Lucknow represents India, because you see minarets and mosques and temples and churches. It’s a mixture of cultures and cuisines as well. Although I don’t like decadence personally, it is nice to savour it for a short while. The Qaiser Bagh area in Lucknow is special for me. I have stayed there with my friends Meera and Muzaffar Ali. It’s the epitome of tehzeeb, all sepia photographs and chandeliers and fine kilims; and it’s deliciously slow-paced—all the way to the parterres of fragrant Sulaimani roses in Kotwara. Ajanta and Ellora Instead of the Taj Mahal, the one symbol of India should be Ajanta and Ellora. It’s up there in world heritage—perhaps even Number One. At Ellora, 400,000 tonnes of stone was hand-chipped over 800…

Kumbhalgarh Festival, Rajasthan Celebrated in the winter months at the grand stage of the Kumbhalgarh Fort near Udaipur, this cultural festival has grown from strength to strength each year. The grand opening features traditional dances, puppet shows and various contests, while the daytime haat (festive market) offers locals a chance to display craft pieces from all over the state. When the sun goes down, the venue transforms into a sensory spectacle with stunning dance and music performances. Hampi Utsav, Karnataka This festival in Karnataka is huge in terms of audience number, and I can recollect performing before a sea of people, stretching from the stage to the Virupaksha Temple about half a kilometre away. The next edition of the festival will be held in the last week of January 2023…

In India, we are blessed with every conceivable geographical terrain, including 73 per cent of a culturally diverse Himalayan range, a global biodiversity hotspot with rich fauna, flora and avifauna. We must leverage our natural heritage in a sustainable manner and aim to be among the 10 best adventure destinations in the world by 2030. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has constituted the National Board for Adventure Tourism, which will be a game-changer for the sustainable development of adventure tourism in the country. Here is a list of my 10 best adventure travel destinations in India. Rishikesh The yoga capital of the world has become the rafting capital and prime adventure hub of India. The Ganga is a pool and drop river with calm, serene sections between the…

Did the pandemic change your travel philosophy? I might have travelled less during the pandemic, but I don’t think my travel philosophy changed. I still want to see more, wander more, but I also want to ensure that I leave a smaller carbon footprint. The pandemic, yes, has made me more conscious of what I waste. That ethic applies to travel and my life. You came from Bihar to Bombay because you wanted to be an actor, but is it also true that you made this journey because you simply wanted to travel? Absolutely, I became an actor because I knew it would let me travel for free. As a theatre actor, I wanted to go to Jaipur, Udaipur and Kashmir, but now I have work that allows me to…

Celeb Glow Pronounced Eighty Two East (82°E), and promoted by Deepika Padukone, the brand reflects the actress’s personal and professional journey as a modern woman. Intended to simplify the practice of self-care, the products are simple and effective such as this Ashwagandha Bounce moisturiser. Price ₹2,700 for 50ml; Availability exclusively on 82e.com TRIED & TESTED Light and creamy, it melts on the skin—perfect for normal skin and mild winters. For more extremes, you may need to layer with a face oil, or use the brand’s other hero product Patchouli Glow drops. Skin Splash This is the perfect recipe for instant hydration and nourishment. But it’s a process: cleanse with the gentle face wash; follow up with the low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid serum, and finally seal it with the feather-light…

The Oswal Jains—an enterprising community of traders, bankers and businessmen—migrated from small villages in Rajasthan to Murshidabad in the 18th century in search of better prospects. They settled down in suburbs like Azimganj, Jiaganj, Lalbagh, Nashipur and Cossimbazar, and came to be called the Sheherwalis or ‘city dwellers’. With the strictly vegetarian Sheherwalis came their food habits which were peculiar to the arid geography of Rajasthan. When this cuisine collided with the bounty of Bengal, a whole new cuisine was born. There was a time when it’s unlikely you would have heard of the cuisine if you were not a Sheherwali yourself. That’s until the brother-sister duo of Darshan and Lipika Dudhoria of Bari Kothi, Murshidabad took it upon themselves to popularise the cuisine among a larger audience. The family…

Restoration and Conservation Expert Like with all things beautiful, time plays devouring tyrant even when it comes to art, whether it is a painting, sculpture, or even a photograph, longevity takes its inevitable toll and requires conservation to maintain its appearance and quality. Conservation uses interdisciplinary historical methods and scientific analyses to archive and conserve artefacts. When it comes to the Indian climate, one has to bear several aspects in mind because of contrasting weather extremes. For instance, heat can lead to thermal tension, moisture reduction, and even chemical alteration within the paint layer and the support, sometimes even irreversibly. This can lead to wrinkles, warping, weakening, and breaking off the paper/cloth fibres. Additionally, it can damage the paint layer by resulting in cracks, losses, and in severe cases, paint…

Famed Hollywood filmmaker and explorer James Cameron is no stranger to making history. But when he unveiled the Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge in November, he became part of history, at least at the legendary brand, Rolex. Inspired by the experimental watch that he wore on his historic 10,908-metre (35,787-foot) descent into the Mariana Trench on March 26, 2012, the Deepsea Challenge represents a new milestone in the world of Rolex divers’ watches. For starters, it is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 11,000 metres (36,090 feet), crafted from RLX titanium, and equipped with a helium escape valve and the Ringlock system, which makes it a capable companion for divers in any environment—open-water diving, submersible dives or even in hyperbaric chambers. This watch is actually designed to turn pressure into an…

Food Security In 1952, Jawaharlal Nehru had said “everything else can wait, not agriculture”. Policy shortcomings and a rising population worsened scarcity, leaving India dependent on Harry Truman’s India Emergency Food Act and PL480 assistance. In 1963, Nehru told Parliament: “We cannot live on doles from other countries.” As it turned out, in 1966, as India was caught in two successive years of famine, the Lyndon B. Johnson government corralled supplies and tagged India a ‘ship to mouth’ economy. Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi empowered C. Subramaniam and M.S. Swaminathan to induct hybrid seeds to ramp up yield and engineer the Green Revolution. With a harvest of 316 MT in 2022, India is among the world’s top three food producers. Bank Nationalisation India knew in 1947 that it didn’t…

Battle of Shalateng (1947-48 war) On October 22, 1947, Pashtun tribal militia crossed the boundary of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and advanced rapidly along the Jhelum valley. Unable to stop the raiders, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, and the first unit of the Indian Army was airlifted to Srinagar on October 27. The gallant efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Ranjit Rai of 1 Sikh and Major Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon helped prevent the raiders from capturing the Srinagar airfield, which was vital for the build-up of Indian troops. On November 7, the Indian Army mounted its first offensive at Shalateng, about 15 km west of Srinagar. In a classic enveloping attack with infantry and armoured cars, supported by effective strafing by the Indian Air…

IMPROVEMENT IN KEY HEALTH AND DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS: Life expectancy at birth has risen from 32 years in 1947 to 70.4 years now. We can do much better if the lagging states improve. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) was 2,000 per 100,000 live births in 1947. Now, it is 97, better than the global average of 158. Since 2005, India has showed a 77 per cent decline in MMR, steeper than the 43 per cent at the world level. Infant mortality rate is 28 per 1,000 live births, down from 145 in 1947. Belying fears of uncontrolled population growth, general fertility rate (GFR) has declined by 20 per cent over the past decade and total fertility rate (TFR) has reached 2.0. A sliver of hope for correction of the skewed male…

The history of India’s efforts to build a welfare state, paving the path to freedom, opportunity and justice for all citizens, is both uplifting and sobering. Uplifting because the very fact that the welfare state exists is a triumph of democracy. Democracy ensured that the voices and interests of India’s last citizens were heard. But the sobering truth: the battle has been long, hard and continues still. Even 75 years after Independence, India spends far less on welfare programmes—health, education and social protection—than other economies comparable to it. Investments in welfare schemes are regularly derided as ‘freebies’ rather than welcomed as the moral responsibility of a state, and schemes remain plagued with poor governance and implementation. Nonetheless, the battle ‘of, for and by’ the last citizen has fuelled audacious experiments in…

Setting out to name most influential architectural works post-Independence in such a vast, diverse country as ours is like trying to finish walking in one of Escher’s Impossible Constructions. In the initial years itself, the traditional architectural gene was to encounter the modern temper of Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. Indian masters like B.V. Doshi, Charles Correa, Achyut Kanvinde, Raj Rewal, Anant Raje, Laurie Baker, Habib Rahman, Joseph Stein and Hasmukh Patel contributed to that conversation with modernism. The novelty writ itself in scores of buildings: Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, Dudhsagar Dairy in Mehsana, India International Centre and Asian Games Village in Delhi, India Coffee House in Thiruvananthapuram, Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, Dasmesh Academy in Anandpur Sahib, Kanchan junga Apartments in Mumbai and many more path-breaking projects that defined India and…

This is a terrible task. It might even have been possible 25 years ago, but at this point in time, you simply don’t know what to do. So you fall back on galloping through the books you have kept over 40 years of book collecting to see which ones would still make the list and seeing what still seems to hold. Does this mean this is a personal list? You bet your deckle edge. Reading is an intensely personal habit. Reviewing comes from that same space, the personal masquerading as the hyperrational. This list is an invitation to you: go make your list. But do not do this on memory. It is a fickle thing memory and will not serve to help much. You have changed, the book has remained…

Rohit Bal They might call him the ‘Enfant Terrible’ of Indian fashion, but Rohit Bal’s work has always been as sensational as his reputation. The Kashmir-born, Delhi-based fashion designer makes a statement with his iconic lotus and peacock motifs, embroidered intricately in his couture pieces. The drama carries forward in his opulent showcases as well, not to mention his impeccable handwork and attention to detail. TIME magazine featured him in 1996, hailing him as ‘India’s Master of Fabric and Fantasy’. Sabyasachi Mukherjee There is no such thing as understatement in the Sabyasachi Mukherjee playbook. Opulence is the designer’s hallmark and a ‘Sabyasachi Bride’ an aspiration for royalty of different stripes—Bollywood or business. A master storyteller, he is known for his revivalist approach towards Indian fashion as well as his arresting…

It’s a truly difficult task to choose the 10 best Indian plays from 75 years of India’s independence. But since an attempt had to be made, I have tried to follow a certain logic. The following works, originally composed in one language, have all been translated and performed in various others over the years. That, I believe, should give us a reasonably reliable barometer of a play’s success in communicating its thematic and dramaturgical universals—as long as we keep other essential criteria too in mind. Thus, if one were to compile a list of the most frequently performed Indian plays, these would certainly reign as the 10 most prominent among them. We cannot even embark on this journey without mentioning Dharamveer Bharti’s dramatic verse Andha Yug (The Blind Age), based…

Awaara (1951, B&W) Raj Kapoor’s masterpiece took India, Russia and the Middle East by storm, making him one of the early international stars of Indian cinema. With its many twists and turns, it tells the story of Raj, a roguish and troubled hero who turns to crime. Raj is finally saved by Rita (the wonderful Nargis) and reunited with his estranged father, Judge Raghunath (played by Raj’s real-life father, Prithviraj Kapoor). Expertly written by K.A. Abbas, the film centres around the theme of nature versus nurture. M.R. Achrekar’s opulent sets, fabulous music and lyrics by Shankar-Jaikishan, Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri make this an enduring pleasure. Amar Akbar Anthony (1977, Colour) Manmohan Desai’s originality and sense of fun brought the lost-and-found theme alive from Kismet (1943) to his time, and for…

How do you encompass the musical journey of a culture in 1,000 words? The sheer magnitude of Indian music is overwhelming, instrumental as it has been in reflecting our society’s hopes and feelings. Indeed, it has been the purest form of unadulterated glee and lasting melancholia. Let’s start with the now. If there is someone who understands the global impact of music, it’s Karan Johar. Not since Rahman’s Slumdog Millionaire has a soundtrack, or in the case of Brahmastra, the song ‘Kesariya’, made such an impact on the global music charts. It’s a no-brainer that this legacy of hit soundtracks will continue with Rocky and Rani ki Prem Kahani. Speaking of legacies, post-pandemic, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi set the standard on what to expect in larger-than-life musical scores. ‘Dholida’…

Ramayan/Mahabharat Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan (1987-88) was so popular that India would come to a virtual standstill every Sunday morning at 9. Millions gathered before their own or their neighbour’s TV sets. A sacred ritual for many—they bathed and did puja in front of their new colour TVs before Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia incarnated (for many, literally as Lord Rama and Sita). For all its loud, melodramatic acting and tacky production values, it amassed a cult following, teasing India’s hitherto latent religiosity out into the open. B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat (1988-90) was, by comparison, better served by its writer, Rahi Masoom Raza. But the two serials became a kind of contemporary folklore that, many sociologists believe, were a catalyst for the rise of Hindutva. Buniyaad Ramesh Sippy, the director of India’s…

Though this essay seeks to list the most significant innovations that have taken place in India’s handicrafts sector, it is difficult to paint a scene that is more like a vast ever-flowing river that constantly changes, is diminished or enriched, depending on extraneous events. The continuing existence of a vast number of India’s craft skills and traditions from the times when the Shilpa Shastra was written into the Vedas is a wondrous gift of our civilisation. This takes us millennia back from our day of Independence in 1947. The Chola and Vijayanagara dynasties paid special attention to craftsmanship as part of public expressions of their power. The Mughals infused many fine skills that were integrated into the Indian crafts vocabulary. British colonialism saw to the destruction of all hand skills…

THE HALF KNOWN LIFE In Search of Paradise by Pico Iyer PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE $26; 240 pages Travelling from Iran to North Korea, from the Dalai Lama’s Himalayas to the ghostly temples of Japan, Pico Iyer brings together a lifetime of explorations to upend our ideas of utopia KOREGAON PARK Pune’s Iconic Neighbourhood by Vinita Deshmukh (author) and Suresh M. Talera (concept) AuthorsUpFront ₹ 2,000; 100 pages An in-depth guide and immersive history lesson that showcases what is certainly Pune’s most iconic (and posh) neighbourhood, which the British started developing in the 1920s THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CLIMBING IN THE ALMORA AREA Volume I by Siddhartha Chattopadhyay SELF-PUBLISHED ₹ 1,200; 140 pages Packed with QR codes to help you locate the best rocks and crags to climb in the Almora…

I have spent the best part of my life driving. My work makes me drive and my holidays are spent driving, too. So, while it is a bit of a challenge to pick 10 of the best drives, these have made the list for the beauty, splendour, history, excitement and challenges they afford. Manali-Leh-Srinagar This journey, along with the various offshoots in Ladakh—east to Hanle/Umlingla or north to Nubra—has to be on the bucket list of all those who love to drive. High altitude passes present some challenges, but this is picture postcard territory wherever you look. The Zojila (now on the new alignment), for instance, presents a contrasting beauty—the evergreen Kashmir Valley on the one hand, and the high-altitude desert of Ladakh on the other. Shimla-Reckong Peo-Kaza-Manali circuit There…

It is an oft-repeated axiom that India is a country with immense diversity. This is as true for its natural habitats as it is for its people and culture. Although I have lived here for over 40 years and for many of those decades worked in wildlife areas, there remain many protected areas to which I have never been. When India’s Wildlife Act was enacted in 1972, there were only five National Parks and around 36 sanctuaries. Fifty years on, in 2022, there are over 950 areas specifically protected as areas of conservation concern. These are all important habitats, so for me, the “best” are the ones I have most enjoyed or with which I am most familiar. Dachigam National Park My first abode in India, it’s still one of…

Kerala The country’s pre-eminent wellness destination is renowned for its exhaustive range of traditional massages and Ayurvedic therapies, including panchakarma treatment, abhyanga massage and healing techniques like shirodhara. From luxurious resorts located in scenic natural landscapes to modest retreats offering healing programmes with a view of the ocean or the backwaters to boot, Kerala is the place to be for all-round wellness. In Kovalam, Somatheeram Ayurveda Village (supposed to be the world’s first Ayurveda beach resort) is a complete yoga and healing centre. Tamil Nadu Sound healing has quietly made waves in the past few years, and there’s nowhere better to experience this than Auroville, where Svaram Sound Experience conducts hour-long sound baths or healing sessions. Or head to Arka Wellness Centre (with a guest house) within the township, where…

BOTH HISTORY AND HEDONISM WRESTLE FOR ATTENTION on the Spice plate this issue as we pack in food for thought and thought for food. This ode to ‘eating’ goes beyond craving, habit or even culture, discovering food as identity. It is this transformational power to evoke memory and play to the senses that underscores the relevance of heritage cuisine and its recent resurgence on fine-dining menus. All conversations about traditional food and heritage ingredients eventually veer towards Rajasthan, so it’s only natural that our first pit stop is at the storied Umaid Bhawan Palace, where the royals have kept the fires of their culinary traditions burning bright. Who better than Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur, to peel back the layers of Marwar’s food heritage and reveal the secrets of its…

Apart from serving Sheherwali—the regal vegetarian cuisine of Murshidabad—Bari Kothi also serves a Farmer’s Meal. It breaks the monotony of those lavish Sheherwali meals while giving guests a chance to experience the typical farmer’s fare of Bengal—of course, poshed up for their discerning guests. The Farmer’s Meal is a threecourse affair. Course 1 What a Bengal farmer eats for lunch. Plain rice with starch water, alu sheddo (mashed potatoes with mustard oil), onion, green chilli, salt Course 2 What a farming family would eat for a child’s birthday celebration. Dal sheddho (boiled lentils), bhaja (fritters), aloo, masoor dal, puris. Course 3 What they would eat at a wedding. Pulao, paneer, paanch meshano chorchori (five-vegetable stir fry), chutney, papad, mishti.…

Crackle, sizzle, pop. That’s Loya for you. The food—finest from the kitchens of the north stretching from the flavourful flatlands of Punjab to the verdant verbosity of Kashmir’s variety—is simply crackling. Honouring the theatrics of traditional cooking practices such as “dhungar” or smoking, the aromatics of “baghar”, in which spices are tempered in hot oil; “dum” with the richness of slow-cooking simply adds the ‘sizzle’ quotient. And it’s the dramatic interiors and design flourishes that add the ‘pop’ with grand arches, exquisite niches, intricate motifs and stone jalis. The entrance is grand and inviting, leading up to its distinctive bar courtyard that is sculpted with natural rocks and boulders and accentuated with a stunning waterfall, imagined as a nudge to the natural springs in the Himalayas. Vibrant use of colourful…