They don't live here anymore
Driving down the tree-lined road in the Doaba region of Punjab, which takes its name from do-ab and literally means land between two rivers, we stop at Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district to seek directions to Kharaudi. “Turn left and when you come to a Marriage Palace on one side and a petrol pump on the other, just turn right and you will reach the village,†a wayfarer guides us.
A village of Gandhians
Mahatma Gandhi never visited Panimora, a small village in western Odisha. But in 1942, when his call for freedom reached this tiny outpose, 32 young men (some still teenagers) jumped in. Many were jailed but became the inspiration for others to join in. Of the bravehearts: Madan Bhoi, Jitendra Pradhan and Dayanidhi Nayak are still around to share their experiences.
Sacrosanct snakes
In common parlance, a snake usually has negative connotations: it is a deadly creature not to be trusted. But in the small town of Battis Shirala, 60 km from Sangli, people not only live in harmony with poisonous snakes but also worship these objects of dread.
More than twin trouble
For geneticists, it is a matter of research, for laymen a matter of intrigue, for the media a source of stories, but the presence of an abnormally large number of twins in Kodinji has turned into a menace for the people of this otherwise sleepy village.
Simply Brahmin
A small village of around 200 families has earned fame for reviving an ancient language no one in the modern day urban metros wants to speak. And it's happy about it.
Earn in UK, save in India
It's a village unlike any other in India. Spread over an area of roughly five sq km its well-planned roads and prosperous houses speak of luxury and lifestyle no other rural hamlet can boast of.
A piece of Portugal
Mirpur, in Bengal's East Midnapore district, is unlike any other village in the state. Many of its residents are of Portuguese descent.
The world in a jar
No typical south Indian meal is complete without a fiery, lip-smacking pickle to go with flaming hot rice livened up with an array of spices and a liberal helping of ghee.
Promised Land
For those who believe Subhash Chandra Bose or Netaji's legacy is long dead and gone, a trip to Kewalajhir in Madhya Pradesh is worth its weight in gold.
India's most unique villages
Incredible India is a land of many surprises, the quirky and little-known hamlets featured on the following pages are just a few of them. They are home to amazing communities that have been driven by faith and fate into the 'Believe it or not' league
Timeless Titans
Heaven must be awash with a splash of colour and the lilt of birdsong, and the gods must be in thrall. Earthlings in our part of the world have reason to mourn the demise of five of the sturdiest pillars of Indian popular culture.
Enter, the Night Watchman
Can cricketer star-turned-politician Imran Khan upstage the entrenched political parties in Pakistan, capture the imagination of the military and the militant to herald a change?
Have a Heart!
There comes a day in life, when a human being's life's hangs by a miracle. A miracle of a very precious gift. A gift that can make a child with malfunctioning kidneys jump and play as any other child. A gift that can bring a new lease of life to a woman whose heart has stopped pumping blood, because someone somewhere was willing to donate theirs. Organ transplants are not popular in India but that does not mean that people don't need them. Everyday hospitals and clinics across the country are besieged by desperate people seeking either a kidney, liver, heart, eyes or skin. Not everyone is lucky to get one. Not everyone is aware that organ donation is possible. Not everyone knows where to go seeking help. But things are changing. Slowly and perceptibly.
What did GDR stand for?
The 21st anniversary of the reunification of Germany is not only a historical landmark, it also stands out in another respect. The two decades that have passed since 1990 represent half the life of the German Democratic Republic.
The sport of post-Soviet oligarchs
For Western commentators, the break-up of the USSR was an unquestionably positive turning point in history. It swiftly became the defining moment in a new American triumphalist narrative and the hope that Gorbachev’s market reforms would prevail, soon dashed.
Issue Dated: Feb 5, 2017
