The word “learning” evokes memories of school and life lessons, but what about work, where adults spend such a large part of their days? Vani Viswanathan shares some personal learnings from working at an NGO.
The Karuppaiah Vathiyar featured in this story is Vaishnavi’s grandfather and this piece is a work of fiction to write not about the grandfather that she misses but about the man she’s heard he was and the simple but powerful legacy he left behind.
Parminder Singh writes a story of a teacher who takes an unusual path while giving fodder of gossip over tea to many, and enlightenment to some.
THE LOUNGE | TURN OF THE PAGE Ananya Sarkar reviews Manu Bhattathiri’s short story collection, ‘Savithri’s Special Room and Other Stories’. The review explores various aspects of the book and elaborates on the overall experience of reading this debut work of the writer.
It’s August and as always, we return to our favourite theme “India Decoded” in this issue. Gear up for a variety of interesting ideas and thoughts on India, presented through an exciting line-up of poetry, fiction, non-fiction and photography! From chicken biryani to Bangalore traffic to the practice of employing maids to mysticism, this issue is a delectable mix of the puzzle that India is! We do hope you like this “Independence Day” special edition! Do let us know what you thought of it!
Suresh Subrahmanyan attempts to arrive at some conclusions as to whether it is the performer or the divinely inspired compositions that tip the scales, one way or the other, when it comes to appreciating the relatively arcane art of Carnatic music – a quandary that has engaged the attention of music lovers over time.
The two great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata are an indispensable part of the Indian cultural fabric. This poem is Vaishnavi’s take on a small part of the Ramayana that has emotionally resounded with her over the years: Rama coming home to his kingdom after his fourteen year fast and the Lankan war. This piece was born out of wondering and imagining how joyful that momentous occasion could have been.
‘Mother’s food’ is the most romanticised small talk topic for urban India. But behind such stories there is politics of unacknowledged domestic labour and care work. Jenny Sulfath narrates the politics of her mother’s biryani.
Delhi has a startling variety in the people and moments it includes within its large folds. Varun Raj’s photographs capture some of these from several localities of Delhi.