Attar/Ittar: The History Of Fragrance In Nizzamudin Basti

Attar/Ittar: The History Of Fragrance In Nizzamudin Basti

Through the narrow lanes, with congested buildings, alongside people desperate to welcome us with open arms to avail their paid services; a variety of meat hanging and smelling; a sweet essence emerges suddenly from the next shop electrifying the sense of smell - an...

What Happened To The ‘Superspreaders’ At Nizamuddin Basti?

What Happened To The ‘Superspreaders’ At Nizamuddin Basti?

An account based on observations and conversations from three days of walking around the Nizamuddin basti in Delhi A popular Bollywood song ‘Kun Faya Kun’ introduced me to the Nizamuddin Dargah in Delhi a few years ago. It remained to be the ‘Kun Faya Kun place’ for...

An Interaction With A Grocery Store Owner In Goregaon

An Interaction With A Grocery Store Owner In Goregaon

On the second day of the immersion, as a part of India Fellow induction training, we were asked to conduct a semi-structured interview with one of the people we had spoken to, the previous day. Eager to learn more about the economics of their business, I rushed to the...

Of Resilience and Hope: Voices from Nizamuddin Basti

Of Resilience and Hope: Voices from Nizamuddin Basti

I have been to the Nizamuddin Dargah before but never had I imagined going beyond it, into the criss-crossing alleys of the Nizamuddin Basti, let alone going there thrice in one day!!! To be honest, as someone who has lived her entire life in Delhi and had visited...

A Single Story Across The Bridge

A Single Story Across The Bridge

Slogans spray painted on the wall of a flyover in front of one of Nizamuddin Basti's exits As a young girl, having always lived in Delhi, walking through Nizamuddin basti on a Wednesday morning quite literally brought me to a halt. There was so much to take in, to...

Importance Of “Adar” In Tribal Agriculture

Preparing field for paddy Adar is the local name for 'Slash and Burn' method of farming in the tribal region of South Gujarat. Unlike in the past when whole farming was based on it, today it has been limited to growing nurseries due to pressure on the land. It is...

कागज़ का देस

जिस समय यह लेख लिखा जा रहा है हिन्दुस्तान कोरोना वायरस के केसेस में दुनिया में तीसरे नं. पर है और एशिया में पहले| बिहार और असम एक भीषण बाढ़ से गुजर रहे हैं जिनमें लोगों के घर, मवेशी, पूंजी, बच्चे सब बह रहे हैं| कश्मीर में इंटरनेट के साथ-साथ बहुत कुछ बंद हुए एक साल हो...

Tribal Dawa and Daaru

Tribal Dawa and Daaru

By the time this blog will be published, we would have completed over a 100 days in Lockdown. Sudden implementation of lockdown has affected several people in different ways. While many are struggling for a square meal, some aren't able to order a Pizza. Many are...

मेरा नाम लकी है

मेरा नाम लकी है

वो कहते थे उन्होंने मुझे काल नदी से आयी मिट्टी से बनाया था। जब पहली बार मैंने उन्हें देखा, मुझे लगा वही मेरे पिता है। मगर जब उन्होंने मुझे मेरी माँ, काल के बारे में बताया तब मालूम हुआ की वे मेरे चाचा हैं| पिता के बारे में वे भी नहीं जानते थे। मैं अक्सर सोचता कि...

The Head Start, Or Lack Of It

The Head Start, Or Lack Of It

Let's say that we are running a race, Take a step if you have 3 meals a dayTake a step if somebody makes food for you every dayTake a step if somebody used to drop you to schoolTake a step if you carried a Tiffin to schoolTake a step if you had a bag to take to the...

A Life Erased…

You must have heard of Newton’s first law of motion: A body at rest tends to remain at rest. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. Bodies will continue in their current state, whether at rest or in motion, unless acted on by a greater outside force. Simply put,...

One In 92,275

One In 92,275

From Sukma bus stand I got on a bus to Jagdalpur. I have to reach a place called Lathipara, around 30 kilometers away from Sukma. The bus is traveling dead slowly, after one and a half hour journey I got down on the stop - Laskepara. Now there is a 2-mile walk to...