manimugdha s. sharma

The first day of Jaipur Literature festival witnessed a very interesting and relevant discussion: The use of religion by Mughal emperors and modern-day politicians to woo the masses.

History has repeated itself for octogenarian Brahmi Devi. As the former Allied nations are commemorating 70 years of VE (Victory over Europe) Day—the day when the Second World War in Europe officially ended—this war widow in Bhapral village, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, is getting ready to receive her dead husband’s George Cross for the second time in nearly 70 years.

The Times Lit Fest preview session is back to the City Beautiful with many interesting sessions lined up for the day. This is a preview for the Times Litfest to be held in Delhi.

The AutHer Awards – a joint venture between JK Paper and Times of India -- are a celebration of women authors who have added value and creativity to the literary space.

When it comes to the First World War, almost every country that took part in it remembers one battle as its own. For the Aussies and Kiwis, it’s Gallipoli. For the British, it’s Somme. For us Indians, it has to be Neuve Chapelle.

Senior editor and author Vaibhav Purandare, author of the book Savarkar – The True Story of the Father of Hindutva – in conversation with journalist and author Manimugdha Sharma

The AutHer Award 2020 for Non-Fiction was given to Saba Dewan for her book 'Tawaifnama'.

Two sessions at the Times Litfest Kolkata, titled ‘The Outsider’s view: Foreigners writing on India’ and ‘Empire of the Moghul: Epic Rise & Fall of a Dynasty’, were such refreshing eye-openers to several in the audience.

The book is impressive on two counts: the research has been pretty detailed, killing the scope of jingoism to colour the narrative. Read on to know more.

When you see the majestic Red Fort with its numerous gun and musket loops, you wouldn’t believe that no guns were placed on its ramparts as long as the Mughal emperor ruled from Delhi.

Passport—the most important document of citizenship is also the most difficult to obtain. The Passport Seva Project was supposed to bring the service right into the homes of people through online form submissions, appointment bookings, tracking mechanism, SMS alerts and the like.

One of Delhi’s greatest chroniclers, Ronald Vivian Smith or RV Smith, who weaved beautiful stories out of galis, kuchas, bazaars, monuments and graveyards, breathed his last in the city on April 30. Smith's main interests were history, antiquity, Egyptology, mysticism and the occult which he weaved together to write accounts.

An exhibition at the National Museum showcases rare maps that capture India’s evolution from painting mythical visions of the cosmos to fully imbibing the more modern concepts of cartography

“Blessed be the man who spares these stones and cursed be he who moves my bones,” reads Shakespeare’s epitaph.

It was an exhilarating evening at Taj Palace, New Delhi that saw a heart-warming celebration of women on Women’s Day.

Mughal prince Dara Shukoh is forever romanticised as a liberal icon who could have altered the fortunes of the Mughal Empire, but who had a tragic end at the hands of his bigoted brother Aurangzeb. There is now renewed interest in him with Aligarh Muslim University proposing to institute a Dara Shukoh Chair, and the RSS extolling him as the ideal Muslim for Indian Muslims to emulate.

The Second World War was about 330 million people fighting for their own independence while feeding and nurturing their 2.5 million soldiers to fight Fascism, Nazism and Japanese imperialism.

The First World War had 1.3 million Indians fighting in every theatre of the conflict.