Of Taboos and Talismans
A family does more than pass on its fine silver or precious heirlooms to the generations that follow. It also transfers much of its inherent wisdom, its irratio
Kamala Thiagarajan
The Lingering Flavors of Home
When Ganesh Meiyappam, 24, an engineering graduate, left his hometown in Vellore, India to attend classes at Purdue University this year, his cooking skills wer
bal·ance
It was a bright, chilly morning in March 2013 when Janani Sundarrajjan, 35, a New York-based finance professional, found herself sobbing uncontrollably at the w
A River Runs Through It
Bangkok is home to some of the world’s most versatile and colorful market places, the most agonizing traffic jams and the most breathtaking sculptural legacie
A Storyteller’s Tale
Whether he’s setting up a living museum in coastal Chennai, arranging storytelling workshops across the state, or training executives in the art of public spe
The Taste of Conflict
Four different kinds of mouth watering arepas (golden crispy corn cakes with an array of stuffing) catch my eye on the menu. And then there is the Ensalada Palm
Have Daughter, Will Move
In the August of 1976, Shankar moved to Seattle, WA—his wife and infant daughter arrived from his hometown in Tamil Nadu two years later. It was a time when t
Ocean Nirvana
I’ve never quite realised how glorious a sunset can be when viewed from the middle of a vast, immeasurable ocean. As our speedboat slices through powerful wav
Abode of the Virgin Goddess
When I was a young girl I used to love listening to the tales my grand-mother would weave. Patti’s hands were never idle as she recounted the countless episod
Will of the People
In the Ides of May, the world’s biggest democracy went to the polls and turned up results that stunned the country. In an unexpected comeback, the Indian Nati
The Last Laugh
My parents were first-generation In-dian-American immigrants and my early memories are of a most happy childhood in the land of opportunity. The good times seem
Tales Carved in Stone
Photos: KAMALA THIAGARAJAN It is a warm, breezy evening as I stroll along the narrow street that leads the way to one of the world’s most ancient places of wo
