Annie Ali Khan offers us a most strange and wondrous book wherein she travels to various shrines in and around Karachi, both Muslim and Hindu. She draws our attention, for example, to the strongly rooted worship of Durga in Hinglaj, Balochistan. The

Bombay Jayashri-Ramnath, a Carnatic classical vocalist who has dabbled and experimented with genres aplenty, was awarded the Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna Puraskaram in August. A few days later, she was invited to hoist the flag on Independence Day

After a yearlong hiatus, Naezy re-emerged in February to promote Gully Boy, the film loosely based on his life. Since then, he has released over half-a-dozen singles and has plans to put out at least half-a-dozen more. The Hindi and Urdu rapper, born

Those looking for a career in luxury brand management need good communication, presentation and interpersonal skills. With India now home to several international luxury fashion, lifestyle and technology labels, luxury brand management is an emerging

Even after 12 years in Mumbai's show business, writer-director Navdeep Singh sees himself as a bit of an outlier. It reflects in my stories, says Singh, who has made three films, including the noir Manorama Six Feet Under (2007) and the thriller NH10

1. HEIGHTS OF DRAMA Simple yet elegant, this oval shaped planter from Isaaka is ideal for succulent plants and comes in three colours. TIP The stand with an iron base and gold finish makes it perfect for table and desk tops. PRICE Rs 999 AT www.isaak

Flavour is determined by the senses of taste and smell. It is an essential parameter of edible consumer products, especially since food flavours are affected during processing and need to be managed via additives. Food science includes chemistry, bio

1. LET THERE BE LIGHT Called Estrella, this modern light is from TISVA. The design uses glass blowing technique to mould Murano glass. TIP Perfect as a centrepiece. PRICE Rs 5.79 lakh AT www.lightsbytisva.com 2. HAVE YOUR CAKE Decorative cake and ser

The disappearance of flora and fauna due to global warming and climate change brings forth the need for human involvement in sectors related to the improvement of life on earth. Working for the betterment of animals is a growing career opportunity th

1. IN FULL BLOOM The Indian Marigold collection from Kika Tableware is a tribute to the marigold flower, decorated with 24 carat gold accents. TIP Style this range with white, gold and a touch of dark green. PRICE Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 AT www.kikatablew

No Nyay for team Rahul News of Abhijit Banerjee getting the Nobel for economics came as a shot in the arm for Team Rahul. Banerjee was one of the economists Rahul had consulted while formulating his minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyay. Rahul had be

With the world rights for Shobhaa De's next novel having just been acquired, the author says writing for her is a drug. Q. What is the secret sauce for sustaining a long and successful writing career One of these days I am going to bottle and market

It is a disturbing sign of our times when a new book on sedition law in India feels like it needs to be updated upon its release. This is especially chilling given that the book begins with a case as late as June 2018 where a group of eight people (i

SHOP WITHIN YOUR HOME Use dupattas for drapes and shawls for sofa throws. The idea is to shop within your home instead of buying from stores. Once you do this, you'll realise you already own all the beautiful things you need to make your home ready f

Bengali Jingoism Filled with vicarious pride over the Nobel Prize in economics being awarded to Abhijit Banerjee alongside fellow economist and his wife, Esther Duflo, and Harvard professor Michael Kremer for their pioneering work in furthering our u

Want to dress your space for a modern, understated and minimal Diwali? Take cues from global styles and quintessential Indian elements for a festival-ready home that blends the old with the new in a moody mix. Here's what you need to do. INSPIRED BY

From over-the-top dinnerware to dramatic linens and party favours, today entertaining goes well beyond food. Having a well thought out plan for the festivities will not only help you to manage your budget but also enhance the 'wow worthy' elements us

In a novel where Foucault is quoted in love letters, it's the quiet reader who is finally celebrate Rheea Mukherjee's debut novel The Body Myth is an ambitious, emotionally rich story that explores love, illness, family and philosophy. The protagonis

Set in the late 20th century and early 21st century Pune, Avni Doshi's debut novel, Girl In White Cotton, follows the story of Antara who spends four years as a young child in an ashram with her mother, Tara. Tara leaves behind her stifling life as a

How many women do we know, or have we heard of, who are named Draupadi? The name of the one epic female character in India's greatest epic finds no takers, whereas Karan-Arjuna-Krishna sprout like weeds, says Niki Nalwa, while talking to her grandmot

Somewhere between the sixth and eighth centuries, the Indian subcontinent witnessed a shift in spiritual weather. This was the birth of bhakti: an appetite for the divine that cuts across caste, class, region, language, and gender. In an ethos of gro

If you ask cueist Aditya Mehta, he's likely to say it's a match made in heaven. On the four occasions he's teamed up with Pankaj Advani at international events, the duo has returned triumphant, the latest being the IBSF World Team Snooker Championshi

The city of Patna, capital of Bihar, recei­ved over 345 mm rainfall in three days beginning September 27. With almost 80 per cent of the city under water, Patna city resembled a marooned civilisation, with abandoned cars submerged in several feet of

Of all the revelations in Padma Lakshmi's memoir, Love, Loss, and What We Ate, one was the most surprising. Every year that Salman Rushdie did not win the Nobel Prize for Literature, his petulant moping needed consolation. Given their considered pros

On October 21, Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh will go to the polls in a make-or-break byelection for the ruling Congress. Campaigning for the seat-which fell vacant after the BJP's G.S. Damor got elected to the Lok Sabha from Ratlam, and gave up his assemb

Fatima Bhutto, in her book New Kings of the World, out this month, notes that "[a]udiences from Syria to Sudan can hardly identify with, let alone aspire to, Hollywood's white fantasies of power, wealth, and sex". Having once held the world exclusive

Standing in her balcony in New Delhi's cramped Lajpat Nagar locality, she stares into the distance, thinking of the things that once brought her joy but now sit around her apartment gathering dust, like the guitar she hasn't strummed in a while. Brea

With her lively previous novel, Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, released two years ago, Singaporean author Balli Kaur Jaswal had a winner on her hands. Through the frothy London-set story about a group of Punjabi widows and their erotic storytelli

The NCP is possibly facing its worst-ever low. But the Maratha Strongman, Sharad Pawar, is affecting unconcern, and tells Kiran D. Tare that he sees the crisis as an opportunity to rejuvenate the party. Excerpts: Q. How do you rate Devendra Fadnavis'

In the early days of the East India Company in India, social intercourse between Indians and the British was hardly unknown. This was the era popular British historian, William Dalrymple, has referred to as that of the "white Mughals". Many Englishme