Sari drape

Why Saris are Indian Material Culture

Between 1996 and 2003, a folklorist studied the connection between handlooms (technology), sari makers (producers), and sari wearers (consumers) in the ancient city of Banaras.
hospital interior

The Cautionary Tale of India’s Private Hospitals

In 1985, a writer in Economic and Political Weekly saw the beginning of private hospitals in India and warned of the dangers of their mismanagement.
Crane shot of rows of full clothes racks with various styles, colors, and materials

Fashion Forward: How Three Revolutionary Fabrics Are Greening the Industry

Kelp, yeast, and sequestered methane gas are on the forefront of the move to create environmentally friendly clothing
Book of Curiosities

Ancient Maps Are Mirrors for the Ancient Psyche

The Book of Curiosities of the Sciences, and Marvels for the Eyes, an eleventh-century Arabic geography, is still a wonder.
Indian Dress

Why India Once Led The Fashion Industry

India led the fashion world in the 16th and 17th centuries through cotton fabric, design motifs, and its customer-centric market system.
Aral Sea Ships

The Agonizing Death of the Aral Sea

After decades of environmental disaster, fish and wildlife may rebound to Central Asia's Aral Sea, but the lake will never be restored to its former glory.
Gandhi

Gandhi’s Legacy Is More Than an Inspirational Quote

Apple's "Think Different" ad campaign cemented Gandhi as an "Inspirational Figure." But scholars argue that his influence on American activism is profound.
Jaipur Literary Festival

Dispatch from Jaipur Literary Festival 2016: The Greatest Literary Show on Earth

The JLF brings together writers from all over the world for readings, lectures, discussions and celebration at the Diggi Palace in Jaipur, India. 
A book opened to the title page of Dr. Zhivago

Why Boris Pasternak Rejected His Nobel Prize

The noted Russian author was forced to choose between his homeland and international recognition of his poetry and fiction.