Why Twitter appears to be so big in India when it actually isn’t
If we look at the news and what the news media tells us, we would be under the impression that Twitter is a big deal in India. How big a…Continue Reading →
A riot that changed a city: 40 years of 79'er gondogul - the 1979 Shillong anti-Bengali riots
At around 4:15 PM on October 22, 1979 a scuffle broke out in a Shillong locality and it didn't end…
Pohela Boishakh: A brief history of the Bengali calendar
A brief history of the Bengali Calendar and why India and Bangladesh celebrate the Bengali New Year on different days.
On International Mother Language Day, a note by a Sylheti from Shillong
At a time when an anglicised creole is the new lingua franca and I am identified and counted as a Bengali, I remain a Sylheti, from Shillong.Continue Reading →
The Deewaar of Aadhaar
The 'deewaar' of Aadhaar has people on both sides of the wall (and also many sitting on it)
'Mera-Merir ghor jole re...' on an apartment balcony in western Uttar Pradesh
Recreating a fading Makar Sankranti tradition from East Bengal and Assam.
Shillong would've been named Yeodo, but because of Tokyo
Interesting trivia on why the city of Shillong has been named so. Part four in the series of Shillong Stories on Cutting the Chai.Continue Reading →
A rare sight: Seeing the Himalayas from Shillong
Shillongites were basking in the sights of the snow-capped Himalayan peaks 250 kilometres away.
Durga Puja in Shillong: Live blog
For my fellow Shillongites am putting together this little live blog, featuring posts on how people back home are celebrating.
The Durga Puja pandal map
Pandal-hopping is a Durga Puja essential. But for that you need to know where the pandals are. Use and contribute to this crowd-sourced map.Continue Reading →
Did Vivekananda say ‘Sisters and Brothers of America’? Fact checking a fact check
Also a list of the other participants from India at the 1893 Parliament of World's Religions at Chicago. There were…
Shillong: Atop the abode of the clouds
In Shillong, rain is a recurring feature all the year around and umbrellas a constant companion.