Zanskar is arguably the most pristine part of the Trans Himalayan region sitting majestically along the northern flank of the Great Himalayas. It was once a part of the Guge kingdom in Tibet. Zanskar is famous for its high beautiful mountains and landscape. It is one of the last surviving cultural bastions of Buddhist settlers of Tibet.The Damsel… A first glance might lead one to believe that this barren land and it’s inhabitants have been left far behind in the race of “the modern life”.On our drive from Purney to Padum, a lady stopped our jeep and despite the steep…
Author: Raghujit Randhawa
A drive through Spiti valley is rejuvenating for the tired, worn out urban existence. And if the journey happens to be on two wheels, it’s nothing short of a reset button for one’s soul.Riding through the Himalayas,one reaches the quiet sleepy village of Losar on the right bank of the Spiti River in District Lahaul Spiti in the state of Himachal Pradesh, 58 kilometers from Kaza. The beautiful snow clad peaks all along the way set the perfect tone for this little piece of heaven of town. The town is situated in a geological depression, surrounded 360° by glacier clad…
The dramatic fall of Kabul without a semblance of resistance from the Afghan government has pithed the progressive ‘modern’ section of Afghan society. Women who have had to historically bear the brunt of the ultra macho misinterpretation of sharia law by the Taliban have been thrown both ends of the rope as soon as the storm started raging. This, after being encouraged to learn to swim in the sea of intellect and egalitarian ideas, making them believe that they had every right to stand tall and pursue the journey to self actualization. The Afghan women are feeling betrayed and let…
COVID-19 pandemic – The second wave
By: EPA-EFE/HARISH TYAGI The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education system in India, with scores of children from poor areas and remote regions across the country moving to online schooling or dropping out. The change to online schooling proved beneficial only for a limited number of children, mostly in towns, cities and urban areas. The vast majority – comprising millions of children from underprivileged families – have been struggling to continue their education due to their limited access to technology. Most of the poor households were left facing India’s great digital divide. Regional governments have tried to address the problem…
By: Aparna Nair It was high drama in States such as Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry where Assembly elections were held to test the nerves of the titans who define political equations in the regions. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK made sure its symbol of rising sun shone high up even as AIADMK-led NDA battled well to give tough competition. There was also good news for BJP, as it opened its account in the State bagging four seats. In Kerala, the red wave swept the region in a first-of-its-kind instance, as it was the norm in the…
In 1936 Charlie Chaplin produced one of his greatest works titled ‘Modern Times’. It was a critique of the ‘post-industrial revolution’ world and portrayed how the ‘efficiency’ of the “Modern times” had reduced man into being just another cog in the machine of mass production.Today, we are living in the era of ‘Industrial revolution 4.0’. Our cities and appliances are becoming smarter and talking to each other, while we are continuously secluding ourselves onto little Internet powered ‘islands of existence.’Parking my car under an apple tree that was just starting to blossom last week at a village near Manali, got…