There are countless Mughal miniatures of women engaged in different activities. However, these portrayals, and subsequently, the gaze with which we are forced to look at them, have almost entirely belonged to men. While

We may find ourselves decrying the current state of politics in India, however, a quick peek into the pages of erstwhile poets reveals that the tides of time have only darkened our festering political

In our imagination, we rarely, if ever, see artists as mechanical, office-going common folk. And yet, it is sometimes the most ordinary people who live the most extraordinary lives beneath this veneer of normalcy.

Eighteenth century Kashmiri romantic poet, Arnimal was a path-breaker in her own right. Born in a conservative Kashmiri Hindu society, she lived in a loveless marriage, forsaken by her husband. For her, speaking of

To be a successful and widely revered God, one needs two seemingly opposing characteristics: ethereality and relatability. While we want our Gods to be otherworldly and intangible, we also need the comfort of familiarity.

The

Khushal Khan Khattak (1613-1689), an Afghan warrior poet, is best known for his efforts in preaching for Pashtun unity and exhorting them to rise against the Mughals. He was the son of a tribal

In this age of manufactured lives online, a great deal of angst is generated about individual identity. We go to great lengths to write personal blogs, create social media profiles and post observations in

Kashmiri writer Habib Kamran’s (1927-2007) story is one of a genius undiscovered in his lifetime. He worked in the education department of the Jammu and Kashmir Government and started his literary career with novels

Few artists can encapsulate a multitude of rituals and traditions through their use of colour alone. It is for this reason that Manjit Bawa’s paintings evoke a visceral reaction. His unabashed use of shocking

In 2007, Pakistan heard the tragic news of the death of one of its most prominent artist, Ismail Gulgee – a murder, no less, in his own house. His death is a mystery that