Desis in the US recall their earliest celebration of the festival of lights on American soil. Chaya Babu reports
What is it about the charm of the Northeast and its mountains that it takes prisoners?
'The BJP will get the lion's share of the Opposition vote. I would give the Congress-Left around 15 per cent.'
The Indian Navy has just one aircraft carrier. The INS Vikramaditya carries just 26 unreliable MiG-29 fighters and 10 helicopters -- an insufficient capability to battle a serious foe.
'The world needs India because it needs a voice that speaks of peace, non-violence and peaceful coexistence.' 'This vision and voice, this attitude and belief are what India has stood for over the last twenty millennia,' Vice President Venkaiah Naidu tells trainee diplomats.
'Not for the first time during this festival I was struck by the atmosphere of friendly inclusion the organisers had managed in a city where you can smell menace in the air, thanks to Adityanath's revenge-driven politics, his denigration of Muslims and ruthless use of State power against critics,' notes Anjali Puri.
'He always seemed one of us, part of the great aspiring middle class -- his values, his simplicity, even the intellectual snobbery which he could barely hide,' observes Mousumi Sengupta.
The four south Indian languages grew by 7% while regional languages within the Hindi speaking markets (such as Bhojpuri, Bangla, Marathi, etc) grew by 26%.
How can 'first food' meet the challenge posed by factory-made 'fast foods' which are backed by marketing money and often come with 'traditional taste' tags attached to them? The first step would be to preserve knowledge about first foods, says Dinesh C Sharma.
In his address, Modi said climate and calamity are linked to culture, and it will be difficult to avoid calamity as long as concerns for the climate do not become a part of culture.
The London Fashion Week saw an Indian celebration of sorts, on and off the ramp.
'The osmosis between Hinduism and Islam that really gave birth to the Hindustani or Indo-Islamic civilisation was due to the conversation between Muslim mystics and yogis.'
For the new millennium generation, slowly and at an accelerating pace, it is attractive to harbour a start-up ambition, says R Gopalakrishnan.
President said prestigious awards are a public recognition of talent, merit and hard work.
'Where was cement 100 years ago?' 'Why do we need harmful building materials when we have so much in nature around us?' Geeli Mitti founder Shagun Singh tells Samali Basu Guha.
Protests demanding Jallikattu swelled on the streets of Tamil Nadu after agitators rejected statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and the state braced for a shutdown on Friday.
'Basuda welcomed viewers into a world that was instantly familiar and comfortable,' observes Sukanya Verma.
A 20-year-old Kshamaya Daniel has her first experience of an Indian fashion week. She survives it to pen this photo diary of her colourful, adrenaline-packed experiences.
'I would recommend every young Indian reads Shashi Tharoor's book to get a perspective of our colonial past in the present day mesmerising euphoria of the global village in spite of Donald Trump, says Shivanand Kanavi.
Addressing a massive public rally to celebrate the signing of the accord on January 27 that is expected to bring lasting peace to the troubled state, Modi said now the time was to work together for peace and development of the North-East.
Cafe Irani Chaii is Mansoor Showghi Yezdi's attempt at preserving Irani culture in an age of globalisation, where old cultures are swiftly fading away.
'Hitchens asked which State Israel had most in common with -- and then answered his own question, saying "Pakistan".' 'They were both, he explained "confessional States": Founded to succour the followers of a particular faith,' remembers Mihir S Sharma.
In any institution that has a passionate ideology, the moderate is always vulnerable to the person who is more extreme, because that is what the supporters want.
Bohemian Rhapsody's crowd-pleasing nostalgia cheers Freddie Mercury's exhilarating sound and infectious power play with such all-out gusto, you WILL break free all over again, says Sukanya Verma.
Mark Butcher has backed the hosts to come good against Australia in the upcoming Ashes series but said that Michael Clarke is ahead of Alastair Cook in terms of "forward thinking" as a leader.
... Lin Laishram from Manipur, in a candid chat, springs many surprises
'The viral video from Una aroused something that Hindu chauvinists and cow-botherers never take into account: Numbers.'
This picturesque city is a fascinating mix of Swiss quaintness and modern flourishes.
Nitish Kumar will be the chief minister only till the time the BJP wishes, points out Ramesh Menon.
Consistent death bowling from a Bumrah and spinners picking up wickets in the middle overs is why the average run-rate in the last few years hasn't exploded the way one would have expected, says Dhruv Munjal.
Rahul Gandhi has the potential to grow into a good, effective, leader of the Opposition provided he puts his heart and soul into it, with a willingness to learn, says B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant who worked closely with India's first three prime ministers.
'Whoever, I guess, masters the mind games the best will be the one who ends up with the best career record'
'The current government must act sooner rather than later,' asserts Vivek Gumaste.
'Sridevi was a responsible mother.' 'I have heard her talking about her daughters.' 'Once in a while, they came on set. She would make sure she had time for them.' 'That's why she could play a mother so wonderfully in English Vinglish.'
'Indian universities are giving out PhDs without adequate evaluation,' charges Dr Satya Narain Jatiya, MP.
There are around 6,500 diamond manufacturers of which Palanpuri Jains operate a mere 6 per cent, or around 400 companies. But they stand out for being highly interlinked through blood ties.
PM Modi addressed the Indian community in Washington DC after meeting chief executives of major US companies.
Nobody does ethnic chic as well as D-Pad!
The president also said that there should be no room in the country for the "intolerant Indian" as this nation has been a bastion of free though, speech and expression since ancient times.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met Myanmar's President U Thein Sein to begin a string of bilateral meetings with over 40 world leaders during his 10-day three-nation tour on the margins of key multilateral summits in Myanmar and in Australia and a visit to Fiji.
