Gluttony, greed, sloth, pride, envy, lust and anger are traditionally seen as the root of all evil. But can these undesirable behaviours actually stem from the biology of our brains? Neurologist Guy Leschziner believes so. Last November, when he launched his book Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human, and delved into the neuroscientific…
At one of Metropolitan Readers Collective’s meets | Photo Credit: Special arrangement It all began with a story Shweta Govind put out on Instagram in January 2024. “I just posted a text saying I’d like to begin a club for reading and arts, and was looking forward to hearing from people who would like to…
Toda men re-thatching the dairy temple | Photo Credit: SATHYAMOORTHY M Recently, members of the Toda tribe, the oldest and indigenous tribes of The Nilgiris, gathered at Melgaa(r)sh, an ancient Toda hamlet above the Ooty Botanical Garden for a sacred ritual. The Manajakkal Mund, also called the Garden Mund in recent times, is the principal hamlet of the patriclan. The men, dressed in the ceremonial embroidered shawls, bundled swamp grass…
Pink rhododendron blooms at Avalanche. Shot On OnePlus #FramesofIndia | Photo Credit: K Jeshi Clear blue waters, rolling grasslands, and gorgeous pink rhododendron blooms abound. That’s Avalanche, a beautiful blue lake located 28 kilometres from Udhagamandalam in The Nilgiris. After a 45-minute drive along rain-washed valleys, and sprawling tea estates, we are at the Avalanche…
In late March, Rakshitha A., 32, went to a stranger’s house to read a book. She settled on a sofa next to a sleepy dog, only getting up to make herself a cup of tea. Soon, she was joined by another unfamiliar woman who positioned herself at the desk in the cosy living room. The…
Mirra Kannan | Photo Credit: Special arrangement An old acoustic piano, according to Mirra Kannan, is a time capsule. Beneath its dusty lid and in between its keys, one can find “little treasures” that will offer insights into its past. “These may be old newspapers, a coin or signs of restoration of its previous technicians,”…
A Bhagath Singh’s mother, Kalavathi, would always eye the head of the biggest fish in Ennore’s Thazhankuppam market. “These fish would weigh up to five kilograms,” says the Puducherry-based independent researcher. Once she secured the head, she would go home and cook it whole in a fiery kulambu. Bhagath’s memories of his late mother and…
The facade of the Calve College in Puducherry. | Photo Credit: KUMAR SS The mention of Puducherry brings to mind its yellows, pinks, and greens. These colours and many others that define the city have inspired Nippon Paint to come up with the Pondy Style Guide. “We wanted to make something special for the people of Pondicherry,” says…
The Toda threads and jamakalam revowen showcase by FICCI FLO | Photo Credit: R Ravindran India’s rich array of crafts and the artisans behind it all have countless stories to weave. Take P Sakthivel from Bhavani near Erode, for instance. He is the third generation from his family to be engaged in the art of…
Kuthirai Vandi Court. Shot On OnePlus #FramesofIndia | Photo Credit: K Jeshi Coimbatore’s Kuthirai Vandi Court, a handsome building of the British-era that kept a vigil on horse cart owners cranked to a halt in the 1990s. Over the years, this masonary structure built mostly with lime mortar and brick, became a rundown dusty labyrinth…
