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Friday, August 15, 2025
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Book Excerpts

Gandhi cursed ‘luscious’ mangoes he once loved because he wanted to transcend sex & desire

Sarla Devi Chaudhurani had sent the Mahatma some mangoes. He only wanted a 'spiritual marriage' with her and so cursed the mangoes.

For RSS, Hindu ideal is Shiv-Parvati marriage with man-woman on equal footing

Families are not meant to stay in isolation. They should maintain harmonious relations with relatives, neighbours and the community.

When Mahatma Gandhi washed Kasturba’s soiled petticoat

Between 1943 and 1948, Gandhi’s grand-niece Manu kept a diary, writing about every small thing that happened during her stay with him and Kasturba.

Asked Gujral, Kalyan Singh. Finally Sonia got women equal rights to agri land: Ex-IAS officer 

Former PM IK Gujral was shocked when I told him about plan to make women landowners. Being a Punjab MP, he didn't want to annoy the patriarchal Jats.

The British were so impressed by Indian WWI aviators that they gave India its own Air Force  

More than a million Indians served in WWI. Among them, dapper in RFC uniforms, was a tiny number of Indians who served in the flying corps.

How elite medieval Rajputs ignored Hindu laws to practice polygamy

Rawal Bapa married 140 women and Raja Udai Singh of Marwar married 27. Marriage for the Rajputs was about producing male heirs and consolidating state power.

How a chemist burnt his hand and gave birth to aromatherapy

The lavender oil that healed Rene Gattefosse’s burnt hand encouraged him to experiment more with essential oils. In 1928, the chemist coined the term ‘aromatherapie’.

When Indian Navy helped catch Japan’s stolen ship – and what Vajpayee did

Operation Alondra Rainbow began as a routine interception at sea but within a few hours the situation had acquired serious international implications.

How a Newton-apple moment in South Africa led Ashish Hemrajani to start BookMyShow

In the pre-smartphone era, BookMyShow's work involved physical delivery of tickets and COD. It was a logistical nightmare.

When Shiv Sena ministers were told to remove Raj Thackeray’s photos from their cabins

During the 1995 campaign, the Shiv Sena cadre would ask for Raj wherever ‘Balasaheb’ could not go.

On Camera

Nobel committee, note how Trump allowed Munir to make nuclear threat against India from US soil

So far, India has responded to his threats with a measured, diplomatic, strategic, and multi-dimensional approach. Now, it needs to react firmly.

Modi’s ‘Diwali bonanza’ for the common man—next-gen GST reforms, lower tax on daily-use items soon

Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.

Be ‘atmanirbhar’ and go ‘swadeshi’: PM Modi’s clarion call to nation on 79th Independence Day

New Delhi: 'Atmanirbharta' and a call for 'swadeshi' were the mainstay of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s longest Independence Day address Friday, at a time...

Modi’s ready to risk it all for farmers. Farm reform can answer Trump with new Green Revolution

Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.