Culture

Hegemony: Kerala’s Bharatapuzha as a political stage

Unlike the North Indian Kumbh, the Bharatapuzha by contrast has never functioned as a Pan-Hindu pilgrimage centre. It has no historical association with mass ritual bathing, no priestly networks that regulate sacred time, and no inherited mythological mandate that binds the river to cyclical purification rites. The introduction of the Maha Magha Mahotsavam is a clear cultural imposition by Hindutva

Mian Maqdoom Shah shrine, Mumbai’s Mahim Durgah & the December Urs

I saw quite a few processions going towards the...

Bettina Bäumer’s Inclusive Philosophy Is What We Need in Such Times

Her autobiography is a rare account of a woman’s journey in the deepest sense from Europe to India; from Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic, to the Philosophy of Recognition or Pratyabhijñā, popularly called Kashmir Śaivism.

Ghazala Wahab on the Glorious Days of the Hindi Heartland

In the first part of this Book Baithak episode,...

Urdu is not the monopoly of mullahs, nor even the Muslim community 

Our self-styled “left liberal” intelligentsia, otherwise loud in denouncing Hindu majoritarianism, suddenly turned mute when confronted with Muslim right-wing pressure

The Mubarakpur Saree in the Digital Age: Can e-commerce bypass traditional barriers?

An age-old saree weaving tradition is also one area brutally affected by the US-driven tariff war with India

‘What happened to Ali Mohammad was wrong’: UP temple’s Muslim caretaker held for offering namaz; Hindu priest to arrange bail, says he served with...

In Budaun, Times of India reported how a temple priest has offered to bail out a Muslim caretaker arrested for offering namaz on temple grounds. Paramanand Das condemned the video recording and emphasised Ali Mohammad's decades of faithful service. Despite the arrest and charges of defiling a place of worship, Das affirmed Ali's respect for all faiths and the temple's inclusive nature.

Pahalgam Attack: Kashmir unites in heroic resilience amid terror attack, proving humanity’s strength against hate narrative

Kashmir, renowned for its breath-taking landscapes and the warmth of its people, became a place of tragic sorrow, loss and anger, on April 22 when a terror attack claimed 26 lives at Baisaran, Pahalgam.  In the face of the chaos that followed, local heroes like Syed Adil Hussain Shah and Sajad Bhat risked their own lives to save others;  despite the tragedy, the people of Kashmir, transcending religious and cultural divides, stood in fraternal solidarity, showing that humanity, love, and peace are stronger than terror and hatred

Faith Knows No Religion: Banke Bihari Temple again rejects boycott call against Muslim artisans and businesses

Banke Bihari Priests reject boycott calls against Muslim artisans and businesses, hail Muslim artisans as vital to temple traditions, embrace unity over division, and uphold faith as the highest virtue in Brijmandal—where even Raskhan sang for Krishna, and craftsmen of all faiths continue to serve the divine with devotion, senior priest said "Bhakti is supreme in Brijmandal. If someone has faith and comes for darshan, why should we oppose it?"

Lalita Ramdas hails Himanshi Narwal’s stoic courage in open letter

Lalita Ramdas, wife of admiral Ramdas, wrote this a few hours after watching an amazing short clip of Himanshi Narwal's comments to the press.

“Urdu Is Not Alien”: Supreme Court reclaims the language’s place in the Indian Constitutional fabric

By upholding the use of Urdu on a municipal signboard in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court reaffirms India’s plural ethos, debunks politicised language divides, and restores dignity to a shared linguistic heritage

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India: Left at the forefront, opposition & people protests US-Israel attacks on Iran

Widespread demonstrations and protests broke out all over India at the US and Israel’s strikes against Iran, actions that clearly violated international law; Iran and the US were in the midst of negotiations and dialogue when the US-led by President Donald Trump launched strikes on Saturday February 28

Censorship Broken: Naseeruddin Shah speaks on the Urdu language at Kalina, Mumbai & recites from its rich poetry

Mumbai for Peace organised its first event, Preet Nagar, under the series ‘Lectures That Needed to Happen’ on February 28, 2026

The Erosion of Equal Protection: Constitutional attrition and State apathy in targeted attacks on Kashmiri vendors across the states

Systemic 2025 and early 2026 vigilantism and attacks against Kashmiri sellers, fuelled by religious profiling and hateful propaganda, dismantles the constitutional "bedrock" of Articles 19(1)(d) and (g), by substituting "reasonable restrictions" with mob-enforced exoduses, these acts subvert state authority and corrode public morality

Temple Leases, Food Morality: Rajasthan’s new Panchayat order

The recent decision by the BJP-led government in Rajasthan of granting land parcels to temples, moreover those controlled by Brahmins and Banias, and further making it “mandatory” for meat shops to obtain NOCs from the local Panchayat, privileges caste elites and food choices while also being fundamentally exclusionary

66 Deaths in 13 Months: Uproar in Chhattisgarh Assembly by opposition over prison conditions and custodial accountability

Government confirms inmate deaths; Opposition alleges overcrowding, medical neglect, and governance failure — demands legislative probe into tribal leader’s custodial death

Bail Granted, Freedom Denied: Madhya Pradesh High Court upholds detention of Bangladeshi woman citing “international scenario”

Despite six years in custody and a prior bail order, the Madhya Pradesh High Court refuses release, directing the State to conclude the long-pending trial within six months while holding her continued stay in a detention centre justified for safety and trial purposes

Alleged Pattern of Denigration: High Court seeks response from Himanta Biswa Sarma on PIL against his alleged hate speeches

Petitioners allege a “pattern of incendiary rhetoric” targeting minorities; Court issues notice to Union, State, DGP and Chief Minister, defers interim relief till after Bihu holidays