The Ashok: seven decades of Indian hospitality

Built on Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision, the Delhi landmark has witnessed the evolution of a young nation and its Capital

Before the lights: two Diwalis Delhi can never forget

Two terror attacks, eight years apart, struck ordinary shoppers and changed festive celebrations in the national capital forever for the families left behind

Books, quiet and no screens: these free libraries take on digital distraction

Coforge opened its first library in Noida in February 2024; it now claims a combined footfall of 3.27 lakh visitors at all its libraries, including schoolchildren from 392 schools

Delhi University’s Jubilee Hall: what demolition could erase

Established to mark the university’s 25 years, Jubilee Hall has witnessed generations of student life. Its possible demolition now puts DU's historic legacy into focus

Cheap books, costly bargain: Delhi’s pirated book market

A $780 million market built on pavements, where the pleasure of reading meets the price of books. Students and professors agree piracy is a symptom, and regional pricing and library networks would do more than enforcement

Where Ramlila speaks Urdu

From Urdu dialogues in Faridabad to Delhi’s historic celebrations, Ramlila has many stories to tell

Whose festival is it, anyway?

From a Sikh family in Tilak Nagar performing Shastar Puja to a Malayali household inscribing invocations in rice, six Delhi residents talk to Patriot on what the festive season means to them

80 idols, two weeks, 12-hour days: CR Park’s Durga Puja preparations in full swing

As Durga Puja approaches, artisans in the national capital’s famous Bengali hub are left with little breathing room