Nayaki
A short story set in the 1960s, about a young Tamil woman reclaiming her time, and rediscovering herself
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All About Coffee & Culture!
Janmashtami | The Birth of Krishna
Krishna Janmashtami, Gokulashtami or Sri Jayanthi celebrates the birth of Krishna with great joy & fanfare. This festival falls in the monsoon month of Shravana, or Aadi/Aavani (Tamil). In some communities, the Ashtami thithi, or the date is celebrated while others prefer to observe the occasion when the star Rohini is in the ascendant.
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Rebellion in the Raj - Rani Velu Nachiyar
Princess of Ramanathapuram, queen of Sivagangai, trained in warfare and martial arts like Silambattam, a linguist fluent in Tamil, Urdu, French and many more languages - Rani Velu Nachiyar stands tall as a symbol of Indian resistance to British rule.
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Rebellion in the Raj – The Vellore Mutiny of 1806
Hundreds of lamps flickered & glowed softly, illuminating the two recently built palaces, Tipu Mahal & Hyder Mahal. Women in fine silk ghararas delicately chewed pan & enquired about the bride’s jewellery & mehr (bride price). Men in outlandish turbans drank copious amounts of wine & gossiped about the wedding party. What a downfall from Mysore royalty to pensioners of the British East India Company in a small southern town!
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Lakshmi, The Goddess of Prosperity
As the Devas & the Asuras churned the mighty ocean Kshirasagara, from its depths emerged a beautiful Goddess, holding a lotus. Courted by both the Devas and the Asuras, she chose Lord Vishnu as her consort and is worshipped today as Goddess Lakshmi, Sridevi, or Kamala.
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Aadi Perukku - When the waters of life rise
As Vandiyadevan rode his horse along the banks of the river Kaveri, he enjoyed the colourful sights & sounds of the Aadi Perukku celebration. Thus begins the story of Ponniyin Selvan, the famous historical novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy.
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Saṃskṛtam – The Bridge across the Vindhyas
India is a celebration of numbers,& not just in the Mathematical sense! Jewel-bright colours, a multitude of customs, various regional cuisines ranging from bland to spicy & everything in between, hundreds of languages, a variety of different scripts, & more than a billion people!
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The Great Hedge of India
4000 kms from Punjab to Odisha with over 14,000 men guarding it at its peak in 1872. The Indians hated it, the British prided themselves on it, & Time cancelled it to a small embankment in Etawah (Uttar Pradesh).
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The Voice of Music - S P Balasubrahmanyam
Ezhunthu Vaa Baalu, the harmonium player called out to his friend, who was catching up on the cricket score on his radio backstage.
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Of Small Things
Colourful umbrellas dot the footpath. Those who don’t have one, rush into shelters to escape the warm drizzle. Hawkers at signals wave umbrellas about like cotton candy, trying to catch people’s eyes.
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Hope In The Time of Drought
Kavita is a farmer in Perumal Malai, a small village near Kodaikanal. Her day begins very early, & the long walk uphill is made easy by singing songs & gossiping with a small group of women, all heading to their farms on the hill side. Kavita used to make the trek uphill with Mayilsamy, her husband, but for the last couple of weeks he has been staying at the farm to watch over the crop.
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Lingua Matters
As the speaker of an ancient Dravidian language, I am confused when people ask me what my mother tongue is. I am nominally Tamil. I speak the language, it is true. I even know the mandatory swear words in the language and can hold my own against auto drivers in Chennai.
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Festivals of South Asia - The Many Pongals of the Tamil People
Jewel-coloured saris and spotless white veshtis mingle as people bustle about in the pale grey dawn, preparing for the sunrise. Young girls and boys dressed in their best pavadais [woman’s skirt] and shirts laugh and run around gleefully. Everyone is excited to prepare a feast and welcome their honoured guest, the Sun God, or Surya Bhagavan, to whom they owe their livelihoods and indeed, their lives.
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Festivals of South Asia - Karthigai Deepam
Rows of unlit lamps dot both sides of the street, all the way to the village temple tank. Women dressed in colourful silk saris, draw intricate geometric patterns, or kolams, at the entrance to their house. In the centre of each kolam stands a kuthu vilakku or ornamental brass lamp, with smaller clay lamps, agal vilakkus, placed in a circle around it.
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