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Kasturi Das

Kasturi Das is an independent journalist currently based out of Guwahati, Assam. She writes about wildlife and conservation, environment, travel, health, and other diverse topics, for both national and international publications. Her work has been published in publications like Mongabay India, Down to Earth, Fifty Two, The Third Pole, Travel & Leisure Asia, Mint Lounge, Architectural Digest India, etc.

With a background spanning television, print, and digital media, she possesses more than 12 years of experience in the field of journalism. Prior to her freelance career, she worked at Asian News International in Delhi, Deccan Chronicle in Bengaluru, and The Assam Tribune in Guwahati.

Recent articles

AI Can Help Spot Hidden Osteoporosis Risk From Chest X-Rays – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Jul. 09, 2026) – Osteoporosis is often called a “silent disease” because bones weaken gradually over many years without causing symptoms – until a fracture occurs. Detecting the condition early is crucial, but current clinical screening recommendations mainly focus on older women and other high-risk groups, which leaves some men, and younger adults with undiagnosed bone loss.
Osteoporosis affects over 200 million individuals globally and contributes to more than 8.9 million fract...

Too Cool To Care? Air Conditioning Weakens Climate Action Support – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Jul. 06, 2026) –As global temperatures rise, air conditioning has become essential to protect people from extreme heat. But a new study has found that widespread reliance on private cooling may be creating a paradox in cities: the more effectively households cool themselves indoors, the less urgency they feel to support the broader climate measures needed to cool cities.
The study, led by researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and the Singapore-...

Dopamine Loss Linked To Alzheimer’s Memory Decline – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Jun. 29, 2026) – For decades, Alzheimer’s disease research has largely focused on the accumulation of amyloid-β plaques and tau tangles in the brain. Yet therapies targeting these hallmark features have had little success in restoring memory. Now, researchers have uncovered another important piece of the puzzle: dopamine deficiency.
Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan, and the University of California, Irvine, have recently identified dopamine dysfunction as a previously...

Study Suggests Herbal Cigarettes May Be As Harmful As Tobacco – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Jun. 28, 2026) – Marketed as natural, tobacco-free and even therapeutic, herbal cigarettes have gained popularity among smokers in India seeking what they perceive to be a healthier alternative to conventional cigarettes. But a new study suggests these products may be just as harmful—if not more so—than tobacco cigarettes.
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), compared the...
Mongabay Environmental News •

A community leads protection of the pangolin in a critical illegal trade corridor

In Nagaland’s Kiphire district, along the porous Indo-Myanmar border, pangolins have been hunted for decades — once due to cultural beliefs, and increasingly for trade, in a region identified as a key wildlife trafficking route.

“Our forefathers would say that if a pangolin enters a house, it was considered a bad omen or curse,” says L. Kipitong Sangtam, 61, a resident of Amahator village in Kiphire district. “In the past, if someone encountered a pangolin, they would try to catch and kill it,...
The Hindu •

This artisanal cheese brand from Dibrugarh is fusing Assam’s iconic chili bhoot jolokia with creamy cheddar

The quaint city on the banks of the Brahmaputra river, Dibrugarh in Assam, is home to some of the oldest and largest tea estates in the country. Now, it is also in the news for experiments with cheese.Queso, the State’s first artisanal small-batch cheese brand, blends European tradition with Assamese flavours. Its bestseller is the Bhoot Jolokia Cheddar, a daring fusion of Assam’s iconic chili with creamy cheddar; the bhoot jolokia adds heat to the tangy and nutty cheddar. Another crowd-favorite...
EastMojo •

Darjeeling conservationist Barkha Subba wins Whitley Award 2026

With wetlands shrinking and land use shifting across Darjeeling’s tea-dominated landscape, the survival of the rare Himalayan salamander is becoming increasingly uncertain.Recognising both the urgency of this threat and the promise of community-led solutions, the Whitley Awards 2026 have honoured conservationist Barkha Subba for her efforts to scale up protection of the species and its fragile habitat.Barkha, a Scientific Adviser at the Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection (FOSEP...

This Fish Glows By Stealing Light From Its Prey – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Apr. 29, 2026)– In the natural world, animals usually rely on their own genes to produce the traits they need to survive. These genes act like instruction manuals, telling the body how to make important molecules, including proteins that perform specific functions.
Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan have now found an exception: the golden sweeper (Parapriacanthus ransonneti), a schooling reef fish. They discovered that the fish can glow in the dark, not by making its own...

That Fresh-Cut Grass Smell? It’s a Plant’s Distress Call – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Apr. 13, 2026)–That fresh, sharp scent released when grass is cut is often associated with calm and nostalgia, but beneath this sensory experience lies a sophisticated biological signal. These compounds, known as green leaf volatiles (GLVs), are released by plants within seconds of being wounded, attacked by herbivores, or exposed to environmental stress.
GLVs are active participants in plant defense. They suppress pathogens, warn neighbouring plants to prepare for attack, and at...

How Fukushima’s Abandoned Pigs Reshaped Wild Boar Genetics – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Mar. 24, 2026)–When the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident forced residents to evacuate in 2011, abandoned farmland and forests became an unexpected ecological laboratory. Domestic pigs left behind on farms escaped into the wild, where they encountered and interbred with native wild boar.
Hybridization between domestic animals and wildlife is a growing concern worldwide, particularly as feral pigs and wild boar increasingly overlap. Such hybridization has often been l...

Gut Bacteria Linked to Migraine Severity in Children, Study Finds – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Mar. 18, 2026) – Differences in gut bacteria may influence how often children experience migraines and how severe their headaches become, according to a new study. Researchers found that children with migraines had lower levels of certain beneficial microbes in their gut, and early tests suggest that restoring these bacteria could help reduce headache frequency and intensity.
For many children, migraine is more than just a headache. The recurring pain can disrupt school, limit da...

The Chemistry Behind Civet Coffee’s Distinctive Flavour – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Jan. 18, 2026) – Civet coffee, better known as kopi luwak, is a premium and highly-priced coffees globally, known for its unique aroma, taste, and nutritional value.
The beans, which can sell for as much as USD 1,000 per kilogram, are harvested from the faecal matter of civets — usually Asian palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)  — which eat ripe coffee berries and digest the pulp whilst the beans inside pass through the digestive system.
Although this type of coffee has been...

Rising Pollution Moves Rainfall From Land To Sea In Southeast Asia – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Dec. 24, 2025) – Rising pollution levels are pushing storms away from land and intensifying rainfall over the ocean in Southeast Asia.
Biomass burning, urban pollution, and industrial emissions produce tiny particles called aerosols that can dramatically alter rainfall, cloud formation, and atmospheric stability. Now, a new study conducted by researchers of Pusan National University, Korea, has revealed that aerosols profoundly impact rainfall patterns over the Maritime Continent...

Simple DNA Switch Lets Butterflies Change Wing Spots – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Dec. 23, 2025) – Scientists in Singapore have discovered a simple genetic mechanism that helps tropical butterflies to change their wing patterns with the seasons. The discovery of this tiny DNA “switch” that responds to temperature, offers fresh insights into how insects evolve the ability to sense and adapt to environmental changes.
Insects often adapt in surprising ways to their surroundings. Some butterflies, for example, change their colours with the seasons. This seasonal f...

This Ancient Spice May Hold The Key to Tomorrow’s Antivirals – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Nov. 26, 2025) –Long celebrated for its aroma and flavour, cardamom might soon spice up the world of medicine too. Scientists from Japan’s Shinshu University have discovered that cardamom seed extract can trigger the body’s antiviral defenses at a cellular level. Their findings reveal that cardamom seed extract and its main bioactive compound, 1,8-cineole, stimulate the production of antiviral molecules known as type I interferons via nucleic acid ‘sensors’ inside cells, that hel...

Scientists Grow Ureter Tissue, Edge Closer To Lab-Made Kidneys – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Sep. 29, 2025) – Chronic kidney disease is a global public health problem, affecting about 10 percent of the world’s population. Today, an estimated 2.6 million patients rely on renal replacement therapy, through dialysis or kidney transplantation – a number projected to double by 2030.
To meet this growing need, scientists have turned to regenerative medicine. But building fully functional kidneys in the lab has remained elusive, largely because one crucial part of the urinary s...

Late-Night Dinners And Skipped Breakfasts Linked To Weaker Bones – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Sep. 27, 2025) – Osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder marked by weakened bones and a higher risk of fracture, is typically associated with aging, hormonal changes, and lifestyle factors such as exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking. However, much less is understood about how dietary habits contribute to the risk of osteoporotic fractures.
Now, new research from Japan suggests that everyday eating patterns, such as skipping breakfast or eating late at night, could also raise the...
Mongabay Environmental News •

Fragmented forests and food scarcity threaten capped langurs

The capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus), a leaf eating primate with a distinctive ‘cap-like’ hairstyle, is the second most commonly seen primate in Assam after the rhesus macaque. Once thriving in the tropical rainforests of the Upper Brahmaputra Valley, the only colobine primate (characterised by their leaf-based diet) in the region, is now in a precarious situation.

The Valley was once covered by a vast lowland tropical rainforest. However, over the years, agricultural expansion, deforest...
Asian •

Scarred But Unseen: How Childhood Neglect Rewires The Brain – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Sep. 24, 2025) – Affecting three out of four children in substantiated abuse cases worldwide, child neglect occurs when caregivers fail to provide a child with basic necessities such as food, shelter, supervision, or protection. While less visible than physical abuse, neglect can leave deep and lasting imprints on a child’s development, many of which have only recently begun to be scientifically understood.
Child neglect has been linked to impaired social and emotional skills, an...

Low Blood Sugar Before Pregnancy May Raise Birth Complications – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Sep. 10, 2025) – Blood sugar levels are usually associated with diabetes, but new research shows they can also play a crucial role in pregnancy outcomes. A large-scale study from China has found that women with low blood sugar levels before pregnancy may face a higher risk of complications such as preterm birth and low birth weight.
Glucose, a type of sugar and the body’s primary source of energy, plays a vital role in maintaining health. Both high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), co...
Mongabay Environmental News •

Conflicted over attacks on mithuns, experts gun for hunting ban

Early this year, when 40-year-old Taum Tamut went looking for his mithuns (Bos frontalis) in the forest surrounding his village Jomlo Mobuk in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, he came across a grim sight. One of his mithuns lay dead, its carcass bearing the unmistakable marks of a dhole (Cuon alpinus) attack.

Taum, a member of the Adi tribe and a father of three young children, has around 50 mithuns and earns his livelihood by selling vegetables, broomsticks, and occasionally a mithun or tw...

Regular Opioid Use May Lead To Cognitive Decline – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Aug. 31, 2025) – As people live longer than ever, dementia is emerging as one of the world’s most pressing health challenges. Globally, millions of families already grapple with its devastating impact, and with no cure in sight, scientists are turning their focus toward identifying risk factors that can be managed or prevented.
Among the many suspects, painkillers may not be the first to come to mind. But new research suggests that regular opioid use, which is a common treatment...

India’s Birds in Peril: Citizen Science Uncovers Alarming Decline – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Aug. 29, 2025) – There has been a significant decline in many of India’s bird species, a new study has revealed, highlighting the growing urgency for targeted and sustained conservation efforts.
The State of India’s Birds 2023 report, produced by a consortium of research institutions and conservation organisations, assessed the status of 942 bird species using data contributed by thousands of birdwatchers through the eBird citizen science platform. This report represents one of t...

Japanese Macaques May Mourn Their Loved Ones Like Humans – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Aug. 01, 2025) – The ability to grieve for dying loved ones was long considered a distinctly human trait — an emotional complexity thought to separate us from animals. But new research from Japan is challenging that view.
In a study published in Primates, researchers from The University of Osaka have found that Japanese macaques display remarkably human-like responses to the deaths of their adult companions, offering fresh insights into the emotional lives of non-human primates....
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Travel, Leisure & Sustainability

The New Indian Express •

The hills have AIs

Ever since Tenzee Lhawang Bhutia started a backpackers’ hostel in the heart of Darjeeling three years ago, he has been bombarded with the usual questions by travellers –– where to eat, what to see, where are the hidden spots. Tired of repeating himself, Tenzee decided to build a smart solution instead: Ask Darj, a hyperlocal, AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot designed to act as “a local in your pocket.” “We wanted the chatbot to feel like a local guiding you through the old city. The idea is that when...
The New Indian Express •

Faraway Festival of Eclectic Esoterica

The road leading to the land of the Lisu tribe in Arunachal Pradesh is long and arduous. If one travels by road from Guwahati in Assam, it takes an overnight bus or train ride to Tinsukia, followed by a three-hour drive to Miao. From there a backbreaking nine-hour journey on a 4x4 pickup truck, through the dense forests of Namdapha National Park finally leads to Gandhigram, a remote village nestled in the easternmost corner of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Myanmar. Also known as the Yobins, the L...
The New Indian Express •

The Birdman of Nagpur

Tewani, who lives with his wife, found himself looking for a fulfilling way to spend his days after his retirement from the Bank of India in January 2012. Two years later, while flipping through Twinkle Star, a children’s magazine published in Nagpur, he came across an article about the declining population of sparrows in the city. “I thought, why not help them myself?” says Tewani. He first started building birdhouses with materials he could find locally. This repurposing of scrap helped him ke...
The New Indian Express •

One man is an Island

Majuli has been screaming for attention. It is the world’s largest inhabited river island and a melting pot of Assam’s neo-Vaishnavite, and indigenous tribal cultures, and famous for its 22 satras (monastic centres) introduced in the 15th century. Ravaged by floods annually, and washed away by bits and pieces, the island which used to be spread over 1,250 sqkm before 1950, now barely spans 483 sqkm. Experts warn that in the next two to three decades, Majuli may vanish from the world map entirely...
The New Indian Express •

Swachh Sikkim Village

Cleanliness begins at home. In 2017, Dawa Choden Bhutia, the panchayat president of Phadamchen village in Sikkim, assembled 17 women to form a group called Swachhata Sahayogi, a name that literally translates to “sanitation assistants”. Together these women decided to tackle the mounting waste crisis in the village. This, of course, was no easy task. Phadamchen’s isolated location meant the mission would require immense perseverance and motivation. The 2020 lockdown was a particularly difficult...

The school where kids pay fees with plastic | Good Food Movement

Following Mahatma Gandhi's Nai Talim model of experiential learning, a small school in the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam addresses the struggle to educate its most vulnerable communities. Founded in 2016 by Parmita Sarma and Mazin Mukhtar, Akshar foundation provides free education to children from underprivileged families in exchange for plastic waste.  Many of these youngsters, under 14, used to work in local stone quarries for meagre wages. Now, instead of money, they pay fees with plastic wast...
Travel and Leisure Asia | India •

Meet Cyclist Ankit Arora, Who Has Redefined The Meaning Of Slow Travel

A former journalist, 32-year-old Ankit Arora from Jaipur, is a pan-India cyclist who began his journey aiming for a Guinness World Record for the longest journey on a bicycle within a single country. But along his journey, that idea made way for a greater purpose. By Kasturi Das

Ankit Arora: I started my journey on August 27, 2017. I wanted to explore India for 150 days and eventually go back home, to my normal life. Initially, I was only focussed on covering the maximum distance because my aim...
Travel and Leisure Asia | India •

This Couple's Vegan Forest Farm-stay In West Bengal, Petrichor, Is Conscious Travelling Done Right

We call ourselves a shala, which means school, because more than a tourist space, our aim is to impart education towards the conservation and preservation of not just our natural habitat and planet, but also ourselves through yoga, meditation, detox and fasting.

Earth care and self-care coexist here. We believe that one cannot thrive without the other. That’s why both Sidhartha and I have made it our mission to teach what we know about permaculture, natural building, natural farming, plant-base...
Travel and Leisure Asia | India •

This 29-year-old Man Built The Most Gorgeous Hobbit Home In Nagaland’s Khonoma Village

I was home for almost seven months last year during the lockdown. The idea struck me one night as I sat browsing my phone. I have a piece of land a little away from Khonoma. I thought, ‘why not build a little place for myself where I can spend my holidays?’ It was a spontaneous decision.

People usually ask me if I’m a fan of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Yes, I did enjoy watching the movies, but that wasn’t the idea when I started building this house. Coincidentally, the house en...
Travel and Leisure Asia | India •

This Couple Ditched City-life To Open A Pottery Studio At A Mango Farm

A couple ditched city-life: A few months ago, Nikita and Karthik left Bengaluru to embrace solitary life at a 50-acre mango farm called Velanga Orchard, which is named after a 200-year-old wood apple tree (Velanga in Tamil) that adorns the farm’s entrance. Apart from being home to the couple, this farm in Andhra Pradesh—half of which borders a forest—also houses a residential pottery studio where students can learn pottery while enjoying the slow, farm life. Here are some excerpts from a convers...
Travel and Leisure Asia | India •

This Couple Quit Their Jobs In Bengaluru And Moved To The Nilgiris To Run A Travellers’ Hostel, The Birdhouse Backpackers Hostel

I am Prajwal Acharya. My wife Vidhya Shree and I are an artist couple from Bengaluru; we shifted to Coonoor to pursue our dreams. I have quit my full-time job to follow my passion. I am an engineer-turned-full-time artist and Vidhya is an art teacher. She has graduated in fine arts from the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bengaluru. And she has been teaching art in schools for the past seven years. A year ago we started our dream venture in Coonoor — a little hostel for travellers.

We didn’t qu...

Health

Heart Research Has A Gender Bias – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (May. 09, 2025) – One afternoon in 2022, when 60-year-old Lekshmi could no longer bear the chest pain she had been brushing off as gastritis for the past few weeks, she rode her scooter to a private hospital near her home in Alleppey, a city in southern India. The doctors at the hospital ran a few tests and advised her to get admitted for checkups. But Lekshmi declined. She told the doctors that she lived alone and would prefer to come back when her daughters, who lived outside Al...

She’s Got It – Asian Scientist Magazine

AsianScientist (Oct.11, 2024) – Growing up in India in the late nineties, 12-year-old Shayoni, whose name has been changed in the story to protect her identity, often fainted due to excruciating period pains. Brushed off by doctors and adults as “something natural that happens to most women,” she endured the debilitating pain every month for the next two decades. It was only when Shayoni, now 35, moved abroad with her husband and consulted a doctor to start a family that she discovered the under...

The dangerous side effect of India’s dairy boom | Good Food Movement

India, the world’s largest producer of milk, contributing 25% to global production, is facing a serious challenge with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The widespread use of antibiotics to treat cattle infections in the dairy industry is a major driver of this crisis. “AMR severely hampers the effective treatment of infectious diseases, leading to higher mortality rates, longer hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs,” says Amit Khurana, director of the Sustainable Food Systems Programme a...

HPV Myths Busted: Truth About Cervical Cancer in India

Akansha Singh*, a 34-year-old Delhi based Public Relations officer, found herself grappling with a shocking health revelation last year. Following a papsmear, Akansha was found to be positive for a high-risk strain of the Human Papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV. The virus had led to the development of precancerous cells in her cervix, which if left untreated, could progress to cervical cancer in the coming years.‍Despite maintaining regular visits to her gynaecologist, Akansha had never unde...
EastMojo •

Why Dr Rani Bhat, a gynaecologic oncologist, wants you to pay attention to cervical cancer

Cervical cancer, a type of cancer that affects the cervix – the lower part of the uterus – is a silent killer that affects women all over the world. Despite being a preventable disease, it continues to claim the lives of thousands of women each year. In recent years, the prevalence of cervical cancer has been on the rise in India.


According to a Globocan 2020 report, cervical cancer accounted for 9.4% of all cancers and 18.3% (123,907) of new cases in 2020 in India. Yet, screening processes r...
EastMojo •

Assam: Alzheimer’s patients suffering due to lack of dedicated vaccination system

The pandemic has been tough on people from all walks of life. One could argue that last year, it impacted the marginalised communities and the elderly the most. But in the second wave, it has left no one. It has made matters even worse for people who find life to be tough even without a pandemic. In recent years, Guwahati has seen a sharp rise in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Families affected by these illnesses are now facing another ordeal – getting their family member saf...

Food, Art & Architecture

The Hindu •

This artisanal cheese brand from Dibrugarh is fusing Assam’s iconic chili bhoot jolokia with creamy cheddar

The quaint city on the banks of the Brahmaputra river, Dibrugarh in Assam, is home to some of the oldest and largest tea estates in the country. Now, it is also in the news for experiments with cheese.Queso, the State’s first artisanal small-batch cheese brand, blends European tradition with Assamese flavours. Its bestseller is the Bhoot Jolokia Cheddar, a daring fusion of Assam’s iconic chilli with creamy cheddar; the bhoot jolokia adds heat to the tangy and nutty cheddar. Another crowd-favorit...
The Hindu •

Cherrapunji’s abundant rainfall is now in a premium gin

Meghalaya’s sister towns Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, receiving over 11,800 millimetres of rainfall annually, are the rainiest places on Earth. This perpetual monsoon not only draws over 1.5 million visitors to the State every year, but also presents an abundant resource — rainwater. For Shillong native Mayukh Hazarika, this rainfall sparked an unconventional ambition — to convert this copious downpour into a designer gin using regional botanicals.Mayukh realised that several people visit Cherrap...
The Hindu •

Treasures of a bygone era

An insatiable fascination for antiques recently had me making the rounds of Chickpet, one of Bengaluru’s oldest and bustling localities. I was in search of an antique shop, nearing its centenary. After three rounds around the busy market area located in the heart of the city, and manoeuvering through narrow alleys, with Google Maps for assistance, I finally spotted a black-and-white sign that said Balaji’s Antiques & Collectibles. The store was tucked inside an inconspicuous alley.When I pointed...
mint •

An artist captures the North-East in aerial embroidery | Mint

It is a bird’s-eye view of Loktak Lake that catches the eye—two lotus pickers rowing their boats on the freshwater lake, against a striking blue background surrounded by greens and pinks. Only this is neither a picture, nor a painting. It is a landscape created on a piece of cloth, with a myriad knots and minuscule stitches, secured by a wooden hoop.Architect and urban planner Diti Baruah, who is from Assam, is a self-taught aerial embroidery artist who creates hyper-realistic landscapes focused...
Architectural Digest India •

In Gujarat’s Amalsad, a ramshackle crematorium comes to life as a recreational space

When he first set his sight on the barren piece of land, with just a hut meant for cremation rituals perched precariously on top of a slope, Himanshu Patel knew what he had to do. An Ahmedabad based architect, Patel was put in charge by a local trust to renovate a dilapidated crematorium in Gujarat’s Amalsad town. When we think of crematoriums, the first thought is a sense of uneasiness, a feeling of gloom. Patel wanted to challenge this thought.“Amalsad is a small town, with no public areas whe...
Travel and Leisure Asia | India •

Navaneeth Unnikrishnan Talks About Deep-space Photography & Shooting The Milky Way

As a child, I was interested in space science. My father ignited that curiosity in me. He would show me pictures of outer space, and that sparked an interest. But it faded with time. As you grow up, your dreams take a back seat, allowing other things to take prominence.

Sometime in 2013, I bought a basic DSLR camera. I knew the basics of photography, and I learnt the rest from the internet. I started off as a wedding photographer because I needed money to buy photography equipment, which can be...
The Assam Tribune •

In quest of pithas

FOOD - Kasturi Das Last year, my maternal grandmother published her first book — a long-anticipated book about her life — that she had been working on for a while. Aita, as we call her, has had an illustrious life, from being the first girl ever in her village in North Lakhimpur to pass matriculation to retiring as the headmistress of a local school. It is a book everyone in the family was looking forward to. Two chapters of her book are dedicated to the subject of pitha, one of which is on a pa...
Travel and Leisure Asia | India •

Manipur’s Sony Thokchom Shows How Art Can Help Heal Mental Health

An alumnus of New Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia, Thokchom started his career as a freelance illustrator for graphic novels and children’s books. Besides working on independent projects and commissioned works, he also teaches visual communication as a guest faculty at his alma mater.

I would say it’s a mix of fashion illustration and painting with narration. My style of art has evolved with time, practice and experience. I have studied human anatomy, expressions and gestures in the past, and I ha...

Book reviews

Mongabay Environmental News •

What wild poop can teach children about ecology [Book review]

For human beings, the topic of excreta is considered a subject of disgust and embarrassment. The Big Book of Wild Poop, written by Shweta Taneja, sets out to change the narrative of how humans, children in particular, view poop. In the animal world, excreta is not waste but information, food, camouflage and defence, the book says. For a dung beetle or a worm, it is a source of multivitamins. Some spiders disguise themselves with it to escape predators, while hoopoe mothers use it to protect thei...

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