Flowers of veneration,
At somebody's feet.
Placed by creepers,
Washed away by waves.
-Shambhunath Singh/em in emSamay ki shila par
In the hoary Hindu tradition of eulogising
Get to play with colours
The ones who die
Pass into memory.
– Traditional fagu hymn of Mithila
With their quick, comprehensive response to the earthquake in Sichuan, the Chinese authorities
The mainstream Indian media is obsessed with the five C's – cricket, consumerism, controversy, cinema and crime, though not necessarily in that order. So much was happening on each
Lahore is an intense city, one that overwhelms every one of a visitor's senses. On the road, every vehicle seeks to overtake the one in front, while the
Bhartendu's stage is on fire,
Distraught, in English,
People are running away.
– Byomesh Shukla in Aadat
Indian television serials are a lot better these days. They are skilfully
India is on horseback
Pepsi-Cola in one hand, clutching condom in another
Third armed with Rampuri knife, in fourth the 'Hari Om' banner
What a seductive, dashing fellow,
Killers have vanished in the crowd
And in search of her disappeared son
The old women slices partially rotten guavas
Placing unspoilt portions in the bowl
– Ashok Vajpai in Jeene
