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Sunday, January 25, 2026
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Book Excerpts

The sari is key to my romance with my husband Hardeep Singh Puri

In 'The Sari Eternal', Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri combines personal recollections and historical perspectives to offer a tribute to the garment.

Marxist painter Frida Kahlo had a deep interest in Hindu spirituality, read Upanishads

In 'The Tree Within', Indranil Chakravarty offers the story of Octavio Paz’s passionate love-affair with India, where he served as Mexico’s ambassador in the 1960s.

Keeladi excavation—Tamil Nadu’s ancient city and a long trail of clues

In 'The Dig', Sowmiya Ashok traces the serendipitous discovery of the ancient settlement at Keeladi and the political storm it set off.

Yash Chopra told me I was the quintessential Yash Raj heroine: Shalini Passi

In her book, 'The Art of Being Fabulous', Shalini Passi blends style and philosophy to offer 10 rules for living on one's own terms.

The fantastical Buraq—the Prophet’s ride to heaven

While the Buraq is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran, descriptions of it can be found in Ibn Ishaq’s 18th-century biography of the Prophet.

Anthony Hopkins only read 15 pages of The Silence of the Lambs script. ‘Best part I’ve ever read’

In his memoir, 'We Did Ok, Kid', Anthony Hopkins discusses his difficult childhood, film and theatre career, struggles with addiction, and path to sobriety.

How India built a bridge in Nepal, one Bollywood blockbuster at a time

Edited by Ranjit Rae, 'Shared Bonds, Strategic Interests' explores the ups and downs of the complex relationship between India and Nepal.

I cried during my research years because I struggled with my Sanskrit texts: Ananya Vajpeyi

In ‘Place' by Ananya Vajpeyi discusses her time studying the ancient Indian language in Bengaluru in 1999 and the struggles she faced.

Govt doesn’t name tribal lands on maps for megaprojects

In ‘Island on Edge: The Great Nicobar Crisis,' Pankaj Sekhsaria explores the plight of the indigenous Nicobarese and how mega-development projects threaten their existence.

Why I still have an Indian passport—there is love and loyalty, but also guilt

In 'Travels in the Other Place', Pallavi Aiyar explores the pros and cons of having an Indian passport, and why it remains a symbol of its multiplicities and contradictions.

On Camera

What Indira Gandhi said in her first speech as PM, 60 years ago

On 26 January 1966, Indira Gandhi delivered a speech that was broadcast over All India Radio. This was her first address to the nation after becoming India’s first woman prime minister.

India wants Canada’s resources as nations build on truce, British Columbia’s Premier says

Premier David Eby, the leader of the minerals- and gas-rich province of British Columbia, spoke with executives at Tata Steel and Reliance Industries on a trade mission to India.

US officially calls China ‘second most powerful country’, new strategy softens stand against Beijing, Moscow

New defence strategy marks clear break from Biden-era Pentagon policy, softening tone on China & Russia, while pushing allies to shoulder more responsibility with less US backing.

Non-alignment is coming back in a new avatar: Trump-peedit alliance

No nation other than China can negotiate one-on-one with Trump on an equal footing. That’s why the middle powers who so far formed the core of multilateral bodies now feel orphaned.