VoI Special

Mondays With Manjul, January 30

Mondays With Manjul, January 23

Author Sharif Rangnekar Provides Insights On Being Gay In India

In this age of heightened diversity, a lot people are curious as to what makes those-not-like-us tick. Earlier, the differences were around nationality, religion, language. Today, there’s a new kind of diversity that Indians are learning to deal with, and that is sexuality. As more and more LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) people come […]

The 3 Keys To Happiness 

Would you like to be free of worry? To breeze through life without stress? To be able to remain calm and serene no matter what life brings you? You need 3 Keys and a Keyring: The first key is wisdom. The next key is courage. The third key is acceptance. Now you always have the […]

Mondays With Manjul, January 16

Kathak Makes A Debut On Day 9 Of Saptak, With Deepak And Ragini Maharaj

Deepak and Ragini Maharaj, son and granddaughter of the Late Birju Maharaj made their debut at the Saptak Music Festival on Monday, with a lively, interactive Kathak performance. Pandit Birju Maharaj, who passed away in January 2022, was scheduled to perform at last year’s Saptak, but alas, the festival was cut short by a resurgence […]

Mondays With Manjul, January 9

Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia Captivates The Audience On Day 7 Of Saptak

Rakesh Chaurasia, nephew and student of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, left the audience breathless with his mastery of the flute on Saturday, Day 7 of the Saptak Music Festival at LD Arts College, Ahmedabad. He was accompanied by young Yeshwant Vaishnav on the tabla. Clad in a blue kurta with gold embroidery, the flautist played Raag […]

10 Beautiful Gardens of Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad’s lovely gardens add a touch of greenery, vibrancy, and serenity to the city. These charming gardens are graciously blessed with greenery and dotted with trees. Some are lined with flowers and fountains; others are a common favourite spot. While the abundance of nature in these Ahmedabad gardens is an ideal place for people to […]

Sajan Mishra Debuts With Son Swaransh On Day 4 Of Saptak

Spread over 13 days, Saptak is one of India’s longest classical music festivals and it requires some stamina to attend every performance, which is sometimes hard to come by, especially given the cold late-night weather. After reaching a peak on Tuesday, the third day, which saw the parking lot at LD Arts College reach full […]

Hariprasad Chaurasia Wows The Crowd On Day 3 Of Saptak

Last year, Hariprasad Chaurasia was one of the few major stars to play live at the Saptak Music Festival before it was shifted on-line because of a resurgence of Covid. He took the opportunity to crib about the mahol of social distancing, masks and the night curfew that obliged him to start his performance at an early […]

Jasrangi Jugalbandi Steals The Show On Day 2 Of Saptak Music Festival

Audience numbers swelled to standing-room-only on the second day of the Saptak Music Festival at LD Arts College on Monday. The highlight of the evening was a performance by vocalists Suman and Apurva Ghosh, who sang a “Jasrangi Jugalbandi,” inspired by Pandit Jasraj.  Accompanied by Paromita Mukherjee on the harmonium and Ramkumar Mishra and Sapan […]

Parveen Sultana Dazzles On First Day Of Saptak Festival

The 43rd edition of the Saptak Annual Music Festival took off in high gear on Sunday, with a dazzling performance from Parveen Sultana. The Padma Vibhushan awardee was in full flow with her rendering of the ever-popular Rag Jog, followed by a Bandish Thumri. The vocalist was very ably accompanied by Akram Khan on the tabla […]

Mondays With Manjul, January 2

Top 10 Best New Year Wishes 2023

As we approach the end of the year 2022, it is time to finally let go of all of our bad decisions and mistakes, including those from this year. After all the rush and bustle of the Christmas season, our minds turn to quiet reflection and wishes for the New Year 2023. It’s a chance […]

Mondays With Manjul, December 26

Top 10 Best Christmas Wishes 2022

Merry Christmas for many people who celebrate the holiday, sending annual Merry Christmas cards to friends and family is a time-honored Christmas tradition. Christmas cards can also evoke feelings of nostalgia, and people crave that kind of holiday connection after an isolating couple of years. If you’ve been struggling to come up with the best […]

Mondays With Manjul, December 19

Mondays with Manjul, December 12

Shraddha Walkar and Beyond: How Media Coverage Is Shaping Perceptions

That the chilling murder of 25-year-old Shraddha Walkar by her live-in partner, Aaftab Poonawala, received widespread media coverage is no surprise. As if the details of the case are not horrifying enough, however, a large section of TV media also used the event to further anti-Muslim narratives, like that of ‘love jihad’, given the couple’s […]