It was past 10 in the night. Four pyres were aflame at Manikarnika Ghat on the banks of the Ganga here. Gagan Choudhary, a corpse burner, was shifting from one pyre to another as the air reeked of burning flesh and wood -- tinged with alcohol, tobacco and cannabis.


For the corpse burners of Varanasi, untouchability is still a reality (Social Feature)


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Tobias Huster is a young grape cultivator and winemaker in Ingelheim in the countryside of this town who wants to expand his family business beyond 200,000 wine bottles annually.


How renewables are powering, empowering Germany's rural economy (Energy Feature)


From a surge in community dining experiences to increasing use of seasonal and indigenous produce, Buddha bowls to floral flavours in food and drinks, to an exponential increase in the organic food trend, there are exciting times ahead in 2018 for food aficionados, experts say.


Exciting, varied fare in store for foodies in 2018 (Food Trends)


Black buns, bamboo biryani, chocolate bombs and the novelty of popping in a liquid nitrogen-cured pill-sized macaroon that would make one's mouth literally spew white vapour are some of the novelties that Paprika restaurant at Courtyard by Marriott here offers as part of its Sunday brunch.


Sunday brunch goes artistic and memorable at Paprika (Foodie Trail-Chennai)


The serene city of Amritsar never fails to impress you with the richness of its splendid delicacies with an abundance of diary products like milk, cheese and butter in them.


Experience Amritsari food's richness in Delhi (Foodie Trail-Delhi)


What with farmers' suicides and protests, there is currently a lot of talk about an agrarian crisis -- as well as a renewed interest in lives lived in the hinterland. So, how are the writers of our times responding to this?


Different shades of 'agrarian crisis' in contemporary Indian writing (Literary Feature)


She was often hailed as the "Tiger Queen", and was easily the world's most documented and famous feline. But what made Machli unique was that she helped break the "monster" myth and showed that even the stunning wild cat could be human-friendly -- thereby also sending out a larger conservation message.


If you can protect one tiger, you can create a jungle: Filmmaker S. Nallamuthu (IANS Interview)


Wiry shrubs and clumps of brown-green fill the semi-arid landscape of Kutch in western India. Many of these patches have, over the years, made way for "more productive" agricultural land. This greening of "wasteland" is, however, degrading a precious and largely ignored ecosystem -- the grasslands. And, as a result, some species of animals that depend on grasslands are being pushed to the brink of extinction.


India is paying a price for losing its grasslands (Environment Feature)


Fancy a quick bite and devilishly sinful chocolate shake? Then drop by Pahmos -- a tiny, trendy cafe that offers a tempting spread of global fusion cuisine for you to gorge on without burning a hole in pocket. The vast menu aims to galvanize the taste buds of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.


Pahmos: Tiny food haven to lift mood, tickle your taste buds (Foodie Trail - Noida)


Amid problems of a fund crunch, shortage of workers and rising cost of production, Darjeeling's tea planters are keeping their fingers crossed for a relatively "better season" with favourable weather conditions, a stable political situation and a 10 per cent higher price for the premium variety first flush this year.


After disastrous 2017, Darjeeling tea planters hope for a better season (Business Feature)


ATTN Editors: Oxford University Press will be launching "Ashis Nandy: A Life in Dissent" on April 16. It's a reflection on his life work as a thinker, by noted social scientists, humanists, a novelist, and a musician -- spanning generations and multiple nationalities. Presented below is an essay from the book that traces the being of an artist. Editor, IANS


Artist Alone (Book Extract) (Exclusive to IANS)


With inter-community violence reported from many parts of India in a society increasingly polarised on religious and caste lines, a small town in Uttar Pradesh is setting an extraordinary example where a temple, a mosque, and even a gurdwara, have joined hands to clean a polluted river while bringing their communities together.


Setting an example: Temple, mosque, gurdwara join hands in this small UP town (IANS Special Series)


Arabic calligraphy is worship for Muqtar Ahmed, an Indian calligrapher who has made a mark for himself at the international level. Hailing from a remote village in Telangana and currently based in Bengaluru, Muqtar is on a mission to revive this dying art in India.


Calligraphy is worship for this Indian on a mission to revive the art (Feature)


Actor Boman Irani will walk the ramp for an annual fundraising event organised by NGO Lakshyam here on Sunday.


Boman Irani to walk for a charity gala in Delhi


The Central Tibet Administration (CTA) has launched a three-day Cultural Festival of Tibet at India International Centre here. Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the festival as its chief guest.


Cultural Festival of Tibet kicks off


At a time when younger people are privileging smartphones, television and video games over other sources of entertainment, a nearly 55-year-old museum housing thousands of dolls from across the globe is still maintaining its old-world charm and attracting not only children and teenagers, but also visitors of all age groups -- not surprising, as it actually transports you into a world where you can forget the woes of the present.


Shankar's International Dolls Museum soldiers on in internet era (Culture Feature)


For the first time in the world, a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean has made it mandatory for visitors to sign a pledge not to harm its fragile environment -- before entering the country. The Republic of Palau, an archipelago of around 200 natural limestone and volcanic islands with lush forests and an aquamarine lagoon, has recently changed its immigration laws upholding the cause of environmental protection.


Palau: Where immigration clearance is subject to environmental protection pledge (Environment Feature)


Two large sums of public money went missing in Nigeria recently. In one case, the official concerned said a MONKEY had run off with the cash and, in the other, an official said that a SNAKE took it.


A rash of crimes by animals gets us thinking (The Funny Side)


Biplap Sarkar is a fresh and talented artist from Siliguri but his artistic journey has found new boost after he was announced as the seventh recipient of Glenfiddichs Emerging Artist of the Year 2018.


Siliguri artist bags 10 lakh cash prize, 3-month residency in Scotland


"When Krishna is your muse," says Ajmer-based artist Ashok Hazra, "the art that captures the myriad nuances of this blue-skinned deity is bound to be both enigmatic and spiritual". And inspired by the Srinathji form of Krishna in Nathdwara of Rajasthan, Hazra is all set to showcase a solo show of paintings titled "Krishna - The Enigma" at Gallerie Ganesha in the capital.


Ajmer-based artist captures the myriad nuances of Krishna


Are women getting their due at workplaces or are they being overlooked? What happens when a devastated man embarks on a quest to find the recipient of his donated kidney? IANS book shelf for this weekend presents an exciting array of books that, apart from answering these questions, also feature a thrilling mystery novel and a book for children where 10 "idea-shapers" have valuable lessons for kids.

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