A modern-day avatar of Shivaji I wished to ruin the British. From morning to night, whether bathing, eating or sleeping, I was brooding about this and hardly slept in doing so. I learnt to fire at targets, ride a horse, wield a sword and exercise at the gym”. —Vasudeo Balwant Phadke Vasudev Balwant Phadke (4 November 1845 -17 February 1883) was a pioneer revolutionary, fighting colonial rule. His life was a saga of toil, sweat, blood and tears, the prototype of many martyrs from ordinary homes. His legacy is devoid of the social and cultural context but must be considered…
Author: atharva
Rashmi Oberoi dwells on gender inequality and its attendant fallouts and finds it rooted in the patriarchal mindset of the Indian society. She feels parents and teachers can play a pivotal role in giving women their due and bringing them on par with men across all walks of life and spheres. Hope… We use this word so often in our everyday language. It is a feeling of trust, security, and a reason to keep going. I also think it borders between that passionate desire of our heart entwined with a feeling of expectation and a longing for a certain thing…
If Kathak has evolved into a dance form that excels in aesthetic choreographic images in live movement, the credit for the innovation goes solely to Pandit Birju Maharaj, the doyen of Kathak. Shoma A. Chatterji explores how the titan changed the dance form’s aesthetics to the next level at the prestigious Padatik. Padatik, Kolkata (estd.1972) is among the premier institutions in the field of the performing arts, especially in Theatre and Dance. The group was founded by the late Shyamanand Jalan – one of the foremost figures in evolving Hindi theatre since the 1950s. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak…
Bharat Dogra argues that at a time when the adverse effects of climate change are being increasingly felt, any such project that would require felling of a million trees could end up in potential disaster. For a long time a gigantic and recklessly ambitious project proposed in India for linking about 37 rivers at 30 or more places had been largely dormant. Things started moving in its favor after the NDA government came to power in 2014. Now with the Cabinet approval being granted to the firstsub-project of the wider national project called Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) in Central India…
Chai is the cornerstone of life in India, especially the ubiquitous little stalls spread across cities, towns and villages It is a hub for conversations — from politics to cinema to local gossip — sometimes leading to fisticuffs and noisy arguments. Shoma A. Chatterji writes about young German social activist Marc Hulser who brings the quintessential chaiwallah alive through his documentary ‘Remembering Mashi’. The documentary film ‘Remembering Mashi’ by German social activist Marc Hulser is a small tribute to India`s quintessential chaiwallahs (street tea vendors) It is not common to discover a young German social activist making a short film…
Dr. Shashikant Kamat is gifted and a man of many passions. A scholar, doctor, cricketer and singer all rolled into one, the 67- year-old Mumbai-based gynaecologist speaks about the many loves of his life – especially cricket and medicine. In a tete a tete with A. Radhakrishnan he says health is all about physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. Describe yourself. I guess I am God’s favoured child. He created me at leisure, imbibed in me manifold and varied qualities and I owe it to His benevolence to use all of it in my lifetime. Briefly, your academic excellence. I…
With an estimated population of 24 million, and counting, Manu Shrivastav sketches the picture of a throbbing, pulsating and quintessential Mumbai that has taken in its flexible and resilient fold myriad communities, cultures, customs and practices. Always on the move, the bustling metropolis is a ‘City of Dreams’ has bread and butter for everyone who wants to eke out a living. Marine Drive — A favourite place of Mumbaikars, who are regularly seen taking brisk walks, doing yoga or simply enjoying the beauty of the Arabian Sea against Mumbai’s skyline. Mumbai is one of the most vibrant cities of India…
Vedika Jain outlines the challenges faced by different cities to stake claim as Smart City. One city might fare well in infrastructure but not in terms of human resources or natural resources. Hence the assets and limitations of each city have to be dealt with specifically, and not generally. The competitions under the mission helped in identifying the assets and liabilities of each city. n January 2022, the Indore Smart City Development Limited was one of the entities that got selected among the ten other smart cities in India as part of the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhood’ challenge. The challenge was organised…
The one-of-its-kind mission that provides the right impetus to further India’s growth story and tackle the urbanization challenges in a planned and scientific manner, The Smart Cities Mission aims to drive economic growth and improve quality of life through comprehensive work on social, economic, physical and institutional pillars of the city, informs Anushka Singh. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) of the Government of India announced on 11 January 2022 that it is organising a series of 30 events under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unique initiative – Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s…
Kriti Kalra says that for islands in India and across the world, the biggest threat today is climate change. She cites the examples of Kavaratti a popular tourist destination famous for its white sand beaches and quaint lagoons; as also the vision of Diu Smart City to develop Diu as a zero carbon footprint city and to promote it as tourist destination. n January 2018, of the 15 cities that had participated in the fourth round of the Smart Cities challenge, and had submitted their proposals to the ministry, nine cities emerged as winners and were selected as part of…