King of Kanha
It was an unusual Divali night. There were no sparkling electric lights, no bursts of firecrackers, no sulfurous fumes in the air, and no music. The night was p
Ranjani Nellore
Scientifically Speaking
Even before I became a parent, I fully endorsed the idea of “Bring Your Child to Work Day.” The concept of taking your children to your workplace, intersect
Sprinklers in the Rain
Two names, Vijay and Kavita. Vasu carefully transcribed the words to two pale yellow notes imprinted with the intricate logo of some out-of-business dot-com. He
Cardamom Tea
It is easy to see that today’s global Indian, NRI or not, favors exotic vacations, whether he takes a cruise to Mauritius or strolls in the islands of the Med
India Advantage
A few days ago, I received one of those mass emails that always seem to flood your mailbox. It listed India’s contributions to the world, ranging from ancient
Why are You Here?
In the weeks preceding Aug. 15, schoolchildren in India get an extra dose of the national anthem and other patriotic songs. Aparna was no exception and came hom
DCBAs: Desis who Came Back from America
It was Sunday evening and the skies looked menacing, with the clouds threatening to pour their contents in the next hour. My husband Sai drove the little Maruti
Essentials of Life
When we take first-time visitors around our newly remodeled house, they seldom pause to comment on the tiles with the fish motif in the bathroom or the brick-re
Indian Standard Time
In the months since my return to India, I have spent a great deal of time just waiting. At home, I have waited for the plumber, the electrician, the phone and I
Defining Family
On each of our trips to India, we would make the customary visits to the homes of various people, first relatives, then friends and finally, others who were lin
A Child’s View
In our first month in India, every so often someone would come up to my daughter and ask “Do you like India?” “No.” “Why?” “Because the buffaloes
