By Dhanusha Gokulan

Onam is usually, always a big deal at home. Growing up, as much as my siblings and I loved the ‘Onam spirit’, my parents tend to go overboard with the festivities. Onam celebrations are not limited to religious borders, so, my folks love showing off ‘our culture’ to friends who are not Malayalees. This means, everyone is invited to have Sadhya, a nine-course vegetarian feast usually involving 22 dishes, at our home.

Continue reading Why King Mahabali is always welcome in my home →

By Anupam Varma

It’s difficult to associate a single emotion with Indian Independence Day. Unlike birthdays or religious festivals that bring about joy and excitement year after year, for me Independence Day has been a mixed bag of emotions.

Continue reading How the tricolour tugs at the heartstrings →

By Rohma Sadaqat

Driving down the peaceful roads in Islamabad is an experience unlike any other, especially if you are in no hurry to get to where you need to be.   

Continue reading Why freedom is best celebrated in the morning →

By Suresh Patali

What comes earlier than the early bird? They say the worm. Based on the English proverb, the early bird catcheth the worm. But I say it’s the Malayali. Well, a Bengali, or a Marathi, or any other Indian could stake a claim, but yours truly being a Malayali, let him keep the crown for the time being.

Continue reading When tea shops in Kerala brewed social networking →

By Sami Ha Zen

I have been resisting the urge to write. For someone who had been vocal during the beginning of the #MeToo movement and then turned mute, realising how it was being used to wash dirty laundry in public — the death of Arghya Basu shouldn’t have shocked, but that’s exactly what it did. The hashtag #WhoKilledArghyaBasu has been doing the rounds, but a life lost is a life lost.

Continue reading Lesson for today: #WhoKilledArghyaBasu →

By Sandhya D’Mello

“You must be the only woman in the UAE who’s wearing a saree.”

It’s been days since someone told this to me in my face, but these words continue to haunt me. Why? First, it was certainly not a compliment when I was made to endure those harsh words stated in a derogatory way from no less than a fellow Indian woman, clad in a trouser and sleek top. Second, it was obvious that it was blurted out in a tone that implied how on earth could you still be living with such an archaic sense of fashion? Yes, I was angry and hurt; who gives anyone the right to comment on my sense of fashion, questioning the prime importance of making me feel comfortable and be myself? I am comfortable in a saree and I don’t think I owe anyone an explanation. Why do these world’s mortals judge people based on their clothes?

Continue reading Message to all haters: what’s wrong with the saree? →