Adrija Roychowdhury
Adrija is senior sub-editor, Indian Express. She mainly writes on History and world politics. Follow her on Twitter @AdrijaRoychow
Articles By Adrija Roychowdhury
East or west, ilish is the best
Bengali’s love for fish has been a common factor that links the two sides of the border regardless of religion, caste or creed. However, when Sir Radcliffe drew the line of partition between the two Bengals, he also divided the rivers between the two sides.
How photography in India developed from being an instrument of control by British
Art historian Diva Gujral and art curator Nathaniel Gaskell trace the long history of photographs in India from the time they were clicked by Europeans hungry to understand an alien race, to the way they tell the story of 21st century India.
Through personal memories, a journey into Maharashtra’s forgotten Brahmin Christians
Historian Deepra Dandekar’s recent book, “The subedar’s son: A narrative of Brahmin Christian conversion in nineteenth century Maharasthra”, explores the experience of Christian conversions among Brahmins.
Gandhis in Amethi: From Sanjay to Rahul, the story of a pocket borough
Amethi’s first tryst with the Nehru-Gandhi family happened in 1980 when Sanjay Gandhi won the seat. In the next three decades, the constituency changed hands across three other members of the family.
Unnamed voters, Ambedkar’s defeat and global praise; the trials and tribulations of India’s first general elections
The general outlines of the electoral system had been laid down by years of practice under the British. Therefore, not much time was spent in Parliament debating the type of electoral system. Rather, it was the vastness of the undertaking that was a challenge to the Election Commission.
‘Saraswati is the most revered deity in Japan, after the Buddha’: Filmmaker Benoy Behl
Interestingly, the cultural exchange of religious traditions in Japan did not just result in a strong sense of reverence towards the Buddha and his doctrines, but is also visible in the large range of Hindu deities who are actively worshipped in Japanese culture.
For Chandni Chowk’s voters, it’s a struggle between the old and the new
In the days preceding the elections, conversations around issues like infrastructural development, traffic congestion and also the disruption caused by ongoing construction work in the area, are common.
‘Most damaging effect of majoritarianism on India’s polarised democracy is undermining of the rule of law’
In their recent book, anthropologists Angana P. Chatterji, Thomas Blom Hansen along with political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot make an elaborate analysis of the socio-cultural and political changes that India is witnessing post the BJP’s sweeping victory in 2014.
In lynching ground zero, Nuh, women will vote as their husbands say, or will they?
In the months preceding the upcoming general elections, women in Nuh express their grievances in very few words, but they are all sure to vote, if not for their own sake, then for the sake of their men.
C R Park traders fish for memories as markets turn cosmopolitan
The uniqueness of the four markets that cropped up in the Bengali enclave back in the 1970s lies not just in the vast variety of food products they serve, but also in the special fabric of social relationships they gave birth to.
Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s coronation puts spotlight on ceremony’s Indian roots
Adulyadej passed away in 2016 at the age of 88, after having ruled for seven decades. Upon his death, the throne was inherited by Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, who had requested for some time to mourn his father’s death before taking over the kingdom symbolically.
May Day special: When a Bengali revolutionary founded the Mexican Communist Party
M N Roy, who left India during this period to raise funds, soon found himself intimately involved in the growing Communist struggle across the world.
Explained: What the Islamic veil shows, and hides
Following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, Sri Lanka has banned the covering of faces under Emergency regulations. A short history of the veil
Varanasi and voting: Politics in the land of Shiva
In the larger worldview of Hinduism, Varanasi is its spiritual centre. Consequently, the city became a place where people from across the country came down to settle for centuries, bringing with them their religious cultures and symbolism.
World Heritage Day 2019: Five historic villages that are part of New Delhi
As we celebrate World Heritage Day on the theme of rural landscapes on April 18 this year, here is a look at five historic villages tucked away in the city’s growing urban topography.
Explained: Notre-Dame – architectural marvel and most important witness of French history
The real significance of the Notre-Dame in France lies not in its size or architectural splendour, rather in it being a keen witness to eight centuries of tumultuous French history.
On Jallianwala Bagh centenary, exhibition puts focus on lesser known facts, protagonists
The exhibition that is on display till April 28 has been curated over the last two and a half years. The idea was to shift focus from just the main incident to the days that preceded it and its aftermath.
Remembering the British journalist who was deported for his fearless reporting on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Horniman was also known to have smuggled into Britain the photographs of the massacre, which were published in the Daily Herald. His defiance, however, resulted in deportation.
Delhi’s Tughlaq era Bara lao ka gumbad gets a fresh lease of life
The ‘Bara lao ka gumbad’ traces its history back to the 14th century when the Tughalqs had built its adjoining area as a garden, making it one of the oldest gardens of Delhi.
In Varanasi, as Kashi Vishwanath corridor rises, a Dalit colony goes under the rubble
The Dalit basti on the Jalasen Ghat used to be home to a mix of people from a large range of professions that met the everyday needs of the inhabitants of Pukka Mahal.