Child labour behind the glitter

A mineral used in make-up, Mica, is mined in Jharkhand and Bihar by children. People in the country though, are still ignorant to this fact While the world is gripped by consumerism, there is little to no awareness in regard to the source of products we bring home every fortnight. Plastic being a major problem […]

In coffee country

The first coffee seeds were sown here. Welcome to Chikmagalur, home to numerous coffee plantations and green trails You land at the narrow strip of Mangalore airport and head straight to coffee country, Chikmagalur. This is the town of the younger daughter — that’s what Chikmagalur literally means in Kannada. The region was ruled by […]

‘You’re not even gay!’

A love story almost came to an end when one of the partners suspected the other of having heterosexual affairs. Relationship status: suspended animation They met five years ago in a gymnasium in central Delhi. Jimmy was 29 years old, a petite fellow with slender limbs, with some fat accumulation around his waist. A fairly […]

Button as art

Ceramic artist Megha Rawat had the courage to quit her well-paying job and explore the field of pottery to come closer to her true calling Have you ever wondered about the number of workers involved in making a piece of clothing and what it takes to bring to life a design? From the designer to […]

Exotic island nation

With the mesmerising beauty of its mountain ranges, impressive fishing boats, temples and alpine lake, Taiwan offers myriad memorable experiences to visitors Wish we’d kept our date with the cherry blossoms, I can’t help but think as our aircraft cruises down Taipei’s Taoyuan airport. Although we’d missed having an up, close and personal encounter with […]

Bite into Japan’s summer

If you can’t view the cherry blossom in all its glory, try the sushi and other delicacies in the heart of Delhi Would you ever think of mango when you dream about sushi? Guppy, a restaurant in the heart of the city is doing just that in its Hanami (Flower Viewing) festival – which celebrates […]

Five mountain retreats

With holidays around the corner, children are going to look for some fun‘n’frolic. Here are some places where families can have fun together and be in sync with Planet Earth The Golden Tusk Imagine some ‘me’ time without any shouts and squabbles as the kids are busy watching a movie or painting in serene, sanitised […]

Orchard odyssey

If you venture out into Uttar Pradesh’s mango belt, you can trace the journey of the king of fruits from the orchards of Mall, Kakori and Malihabad to consumers’ plates The trees are watching, I think to myself, as we peel off the mango and sink our teeth into the sweet, juicy pulp. The juice […]