South vs North: India’s Great Divide – Nilakantan RS
Compare two children—one born in north India, the other in the south.
The child from south India is far less likely to die in the first year of her life or lose her mother during childbirth. She will also receive better nutrition, go to school, and stay in school longer; she is more likely to attend college and secure employment that pays her more. This child will also go on to have fewer children, who in turn will be healthier and more educated than her. In a nutshell, the average child born in south India will live a healthier, wealthier, and more secure life than one born in north India.
Why is south India doing so much better than the north? And what does that mean?
In this superbly argued book, data scientist Nilakantan RS shows us how and why the southern states are outperforming the rest of the country and its consequences in an increasingly centralized India. He reveals how south India deals with a particularly tough set of issues: its triumphs in areas of health, education, and economic growth are met with a policy regime that penalizes it; its success in population control will be met with a possible loss of political representation. How will the region manage such an assault? Hard-hitting, troubling, and full of fascinating data points, South vs. North is an essential book about one of the biggest challenges that India faces today.
Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India – Suchitra Vijayan
The first true people’s history of modern India is told through a seven-year, 9,000-mile journey across its many contested borders.
Sharing borders with six countries and spanning a geography that extends from Pakistan to Myanmar, India is the world’s largest democracy and second-most populous country. Yet most of us don’t understand it, or the violent history still playing out there. In fact, India as we know it didn’t exist until the map of the subcontinent was redrawn in the middle of the 20th century, the powerful repercussions of which are still being felt across South Asia.
To tell the story of political borders in the subcontinent, Suchitra Vijayan spent seven years travelling India’s 9,000-mile land border. Now, in this stunning work of narrative reportage, she shares what she learned on that groundbreaking journey. With profound empathy and a novelistic eye for detail, Vijayan shows us the forgotten people and places in the borderlands and brings us face-to-face with the legacy of colonialism and the stain of extreme violence and corruption. The result is the ground-level portrait of modern India we’ve been missing.
India, a land steeped in mythology and spirituality, celebrates a multitude of festivals. Among these, Rama Navami holds a special place—a day that reverberates with devotion, storytelling, and vibrant traditions. Let us delve into the origins, legends, and unique customs associated with this auspicious occasion.
The tale of Lord Rama begins in the ancient city of Ayodhya, where King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya longed for an heir. Their prayers bore fruit when the celestial sage Rishyasringa conducted a yajna or sacrifice, leading to the divine appearance of Rama. Born at noon, Rama embodied virtue, righteousness, and compassion. His life would become a beacon for humanity.
Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, symbolises dharma, or righteousness and duty. His unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and love for all beings makes him an enduring icon. The epic Ramayana, attributed to the sage Valmiki, narrates Rama’s journey—his exile, the abduction of his wife Sita by the demon king Ravana, and the eventual triumph of good over evil.
Rama’s marriage to Sita is a pivotal moment. To win her hand, suitors must string the divine bow of Lord Shiva. Rama effortlessly lifts and breaks the bow, signifying his destiny as Sita’s husband. The cunning demon Maricha transforms into a golden deer to distract Rama and Lakshmana. While they chase the deer, Ravana abducts Sita, leading to the epic quest for her rescue. Rama’s battle against Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Lanka, culminates in the victory of virtue. The burning of Lanka, the rescue of Sita, and the return to Ayodhya are celebrated during Rama Navami.
Ayodhya, Rama’s birthplace, becomes a pilgrimage site during Rama Navami. Devotees throng the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, where Rama’s birth is commemorated. The Sarayu River witnesses devotees taking a purifying dip before offering prayers. In various cities, grand chariot processions depict Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. These yatras symbolise Rama’s triumphant return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. Temples resonate with spiritual discourses, narrating episodes from the Ramayana. Devotees sing bhajans or devotional songs in praise of Rama’s valour and compassion. In some regions, Rama is revered like an infant. Devotees place an image of baby Rama in a cradle, symbolizing his divine birth. Charitable events and community feasts exemplify Rama’s compassion. Sharing food and resources with others is a way to honour his legacy.
Not just when it was written, the Ramayana continues to hold immense significance in today’s world. The epic promotes moral and ethical values that remain relevant even in contemporary society. Through the characters and their actions, it depicts virtues such as righteousness, loyalty, duty, and sacrifice. The story serves as a guide, providing ethical guidelines for individuals to lead virtuous lives.
Life is akin to a game of chess or a battlefield. The Ramayana teaches the threefold Dharma, the code of conduct about the individual, family, and society. It emphasises the importance of understanding our duties in these realms. Lord Rama’s character exemplifies compassion and love, which are essential for navigating the complexities of modern life. The epic delves into the true identity of the individual, the significance of family bonds, and the sanctity of society. In an era where corruption prevails in various fields—business, education, and politics—the principles of the Ramayana offer guidance. It outlines relationships between brothers, fathers and sons, and preceptors and disciples, emphasising mutual respect and duty.
The Ramayana reminds us of our shared existence on this earth. Despite apparent multiplicity, we all breathe the same air and drink the same water. Ignoring this underlying unity leads to the mistaken perception of division.
The festival of Rama Navami holds immense importance and relevance in today’s world and continues to resonate with millions of people. It invites introspection. As we celebrate Lord Rama’s birth, we reflect on our paths—our choices, virtues, and struggles. The festival reminds us that goodness prevails, even in the face of adversity.
Rama Navami transcends time, connecting generations through devotion and storytelling. As we chant “Jai Shri Ram,” we honour not just a historical figure, but an eternal truth—the victory of light over darkness, of love over hatred. May Rama’s grace guide us, and may our hearts echo the timeless chant: Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram, Patita Pavana Sita Ram. Here’s the uncomparable MS Subbalakshmi with the song. Rama Navami celebrates not just a historical figure, but an eternal truth—the victory of light over darkness, love over hatred. Lord Rama’s teachings continue to guide us, inspiring courage, sacrifice, and devotion.
Coromandel: A Personal History of South India – Charles Allen
COROMANDEL . A name that has been long applied by Europeans to the Northern Tamil Country, or (more comprehensively) to the eastern coast of the Peninsula of India.
This is the India that highly acclaimed historian Charles Allen visits in this fascinating book. Coromandel journeys south, exploring the less well-known, often neglected, and very different history and identity of the pre-Aryan Dravidian south.
During Allen’s exploration of the Indian South, he meets local historians, gurus, and politicians and, with their help, uncovers some extraordinary stories about the past. His sweeping narrative takes in the archaeology, religion, linguistics, and anthropology of the region—and how these have influenced contemporary politics.
Known for his vivid storytelling, for decades Allen has traveled the length and breadth of India, revealing the spirit of the subcontinent through its history and people. In Coromandel, he moves through modern-day India, discovering as much about the present as he does about the past.
Lords of the Deccan : Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas – Anirudh Kanisetti
The history of the vast Indian subcontinent is usually told as a series of ephemeral moments when a large part of modern-day India was ruled by a single sovereign. There is an obsession with foreign invasions and the polities of the Gangetic plains, while the histories of the rest of the subcontinent have been reduced to little more than dry footnotes. Now, in this brilliant and critically acclaimed debut book, Anirudh Kanisetti shines a light into the darkness, bringing alive for the lay reader the early medieval Deccan, from the sixth century CE to the twelfth century CE, in all its splendour and riotous glory.
Kanisetti takes us back in time to witness the birth of the Chalukyas, a dynasty that shaped southern India for centuries. Beginning at a time when Hinduism was still establishing itself through the Deccan, when the landscape was bereft of temples, he explores the extraordinary transformation of the peninsula over half a millennium. In vivid and colourful detail, Kanisetti describes how the mighty empires of medieval India were made: how temple-building and language manipulation were used as political tools; how royals involved themselves in religious struggles between Jains and Buddhists, Shaivas and Vaishnavas; and how awe-inspiring rituals were used to elevate kings over their rivals and subjects. In doing so, he transforms medieval Indian royals, merchants, and commoners from obscure figures to complex, vibrant people. Kanisetti takes us into the minds of powerful rulers of the Chalukya, Pallava, Rashtrakuta, and Chola dynasties and animates them and their world with humanity and depth.
It is a world of bloody elephant warfare and brutal military stratagems, of alliances and betrayals, where a broken king commits ritual suicide and a shrewd, hunchbacked prince founds his own kingdom under his powerful brother’s nose. This is a world where a king writes a bawdy play that is a parable for religious contestation; where the might of India’s rulers and the wealth of its cities were talked of from Arabia to Southeast Asia; and where south Indian kingdoms serially invaded and defeated those of the north. This painstakingly researched, forgotten history of India will keep you riveted and enthralled. You will never see the history of the subcontinent the same way again.
Memories and Such 