Photo Essay

At Magnetic Fields Nomads, some answers for music festivals grappling with challenges of COVID-19 era

While the past year has stripped audiences of the opportunities to enjoy live events, festivals such as Magnetic Fields are trying new approaches that might serve as blueprints for others.

'Tell them my fingerprints are all over these walls, those leaves, that sky...'

A story in images and typography.

In Hyderabad's Old City, once festive streets are bereft of usual Ramzan fervour in lockdown

Hyderabad’s Old City, with the Charminar, Mecca Masjid and centuries-old Laad Bazaar, has long been the nerve centre of commerce, shopping and festivities during Ramzan. But these once boisterous streets are eerily quiet during the ongoing lockdown.

Let there be light: Chandannagar’s masters of illumination have brightened up festivals for years

Over the months of October to January, the streets of West Bengal’s towns and cities light up for a number of festive occasions — beginning with Durga Puja and Diwali, to the Jagadhatri Puja, Christmas, and then New Year’s. The dazzling illuminations seen in Bengal, especially Kolkata, owe much to a 60-year tradition, harking back to the world renowned light artist Sridhar Das

For Jaisalmer's camel owners, an uncertain future brought on by economics of change

The old tradition of breeding and herding camels, and using them as carriers for short distances for tourism, remains one of the primary professions for villagers around Jaisalmer. But changing fortunes have imperiled their livelihood.

As Naga Sadhus gather for annual Pushkar Mela, a glimpse into their philosophy of detachment

The 'Naga Sadhus’ (literally meaning ‘Naked Yogis’) are a part of the Shaivite sadhus' sect. They gather in the holy city of Pushkar for the Mela.

Along the Line of Control, a life marred by violence and wrenching separations

Life along the Line of Control — the de-facto border between India and Pakistan — bears the marks of violence, and those who live here wage daily battles of their own.

Cauvery, a river under stress: In the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, little water to spare

The eight Cauvery delta region districts contribute 45.4 percent of Tamil Nadu's total paddy production, with Thiruvarur and Thanjore contributing the highest (10.7 and 9.9 percent, respectively) — making them the chief rice suppliers to the state granaries

Cauvery, a river under stress: Effluents to sand mining, examining the impact of human activities

The Cauvery, flowing through the districts of Salem, Erode, Karur and Namakkal, is considered sacred by the locals. Triveni Sangamam — the confluence of the Bhavani, Cauvery and Saraswati — is a site of Hindu pilgrimage. Yet, the Cauvery runs barren for most of the year — the river and banks often exposed to harsh activities that impact them adversely.

Cauvery, a river under stress: The plight of Mandya's farmers — and of TN's fluorosis belt residents

In part III of Anusha Sundar’s Cauvery — A River in Stress series, we examine the plight of the farmers of the Mandya plains, who rely on the river water for their paddy and sugarcane crops, as well as for their drinking needs. We also look at the Cauvery in the drought-prone Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, known as the fluorosis belt of Tamil Nadu. Here, the excess presence of fluoride, an acute salt in the groundwater, leads to severe dental and skeletal problems for the residents.