66 Items Tagged

India

At India's oldest and largest chess manufacturing company, master craftsman Surinder Pal holds the exclusive title of knight carver. Known as the most tedious chess piece to work on, they must be done entirely by hand. Today, knight carvers are well respected and increasingly hard to come by.

Masters of the Knight: The Art of Chess Carving in India

In Amritsar, artisans have hand-carved the most complicated pieces in the game for generations.

Roxanne Hoorn January 23, 2025

Malawali N.m., India

Bhaja Caves

Ancient rock-cut caves adorned with Buddhist inscriptions and sculptures.

This detail from the 12th-century Aberdeen Bestiary shows a dragon wrestling an elephant.

That Time Portugal’s King Gifted an Elephant to the Pope

Hanno the elephant suffered much at the hands of power-hungry Europeans.

Devon Field August 21, 2024

Anoushka Shankar studied Bharatanatyam, a South Indian classical style of dance, growing up in New Delhi, but her real passion has always been watching dance.

How Dance Became a Genre-Defying Musician’s Deep Obsession

I find myself increasingly drawn to the abstract, and nothing inspires me more than dance.

Anoushka Shankar November 7, 2023

Children play in the monsoon rains that pour down on the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh every year from late July till September.

How Indian Perfumers Capture the Smell of Rain

In Kannauj, perfumers have been making monsoon-infused mitti attar for centuries.

Zinara Rathnayake August 2, 2023

Varanasi, India

Dhamek Stupa

A bulky, ancient stupa marks the site of Siddhartha Gautama's seminal Buddhist teaching.

Jal Bapasola, Rustom Bhumgara, and Adi Hakim (left to right) rode around the world on Royal Benson cycles.

India's Mini-Craze for Bicycling Around the World

In the 1920s and 1930s, a dozen adventurous young riders went on the ultimate journey.

Arti Das April 13, 2021

A toddy tapper pours sap into a collection barrel to make palm wine in Sri Lanka.

The Battle to Bottle Palm Wine

It’s delicious, cherished, and difficult to commercialize. These entrepreneurs are bringing it to the United States.

Reina Gattuso February 2, 2021

This Quran is small enough to fit inside a locket, and in your palm.

objects of intrigue

This Miniature Quran Bears Witness to an Immense History

It is an artifact of devotion, wealth, and empire.

Matthew Taub January 6, 2021

Long Beach, California

Appu's Cafe

One doctor's retirement plan included opening this award-winning Mexican-Indian eatery on the ground floor of a hospital.

Jharkhand state government officials visit Ajam Emba's stall at the annual Dumka bamboo festival.

The Restaurant Putting India's Disappearing Tribal Cuisine Back on the Menu

In a Ranchi kitchen, local women fight to save indigenous food, one bowl of fish curry at a time.

Reina Gattuso October 3, 2019

Ajam Emba

This women-run eatery and cooking school is putting India's long-neglected tribal cuisines back on the menu.

Whatever happened here didn't just happen once.

The Bones at India's Mysterious 'Skeleton Lake' Came From All Over

New research reveals that the hundreds of anonymous dead spanned both continents and centuries.

Matthew Taub August 21, 2019

Rolling flatbread in the Living Lab.

The Refugee Women Turning Tastes of Home Into a Food-Delivery Business

Fleeing conflict in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, they've created a rare melting pot in India.

Reina Gattuso August 20, 2019

Guru Sweet Mart

At this sweet shop, the descendants of a royal chef serve up the fudge-like dessert his ancestor invented for a king.

New Delhi, India

Cafe Lota

Nestled among the artifacts of the National Crafts Museum, this hidden gem offers hard-to-find regional foods from all over India.

The exterior of the kitchen.

Krishna's Kitchen

Little India's hidden gem of kindness and good food.

At "study corners" like Abhyas Galli, near the busy junction of Worli Naka in Mumbai, two students enjoy the peace and quiet they can't find at home.

Mumbai's Students Take to the Streets—to Study

In India's biggest city, schoolwork can be easier to do on quiet public corners than in loud, cramped apartments.

Reshmi Chakraborty July 8, 2019