Nikita Mohta

Introduction

Nikita writes for the Research Section of IndianExpress.com, focusing on the intersections between colonial history and contemporary issues, especially in gender, culture, and sport....Read More

Nikita writes for the Research Section of IndianExpress.com, focusing on the intersections between colonial history and contemporary issues, especially in gender, culture, and sport.

For suggestions, feedback, or an insider’s guide to exploring Calcutta, feel free to reach out to her at nikita.mohta@indianexpress.com.

Articles by Nikita Mohta

Japanese monk Myoan Eisai (Edited by Angshuman Maity)

From monastery drink to global fascination, the popularity of matcha and why there is a shortageSubscriber Only

Aug 30, 2025 10:09 IST

Although the Japanese are considered to be the pioneers of matcha, key elements of its production...

Sat, Aug 30, 2025

l-r, Taraknath Das, Subhas Chandra Bose, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya (Edited by Abhishek Mitra)

Bose, Berlin and the call for Indian independence in Nazi GermanySubscriber Only

Aug 29, 2025 14:00 IST

The Indo-German link in the freedom struggle, though unusual, dated back to the First World War....

Mon, Sep 01, 2025

Hazarduari Palace & Museum (Express photo)

Jagat Seths, Sheherwalis, and Nawabs: The story of Murshidabad, the capital that could have beenSubscriber Only

Aug 21, 2025 17:16 IST

At its peak in the 1700s, Murshidabad contributed a remarkable 5% to the global market and also...

Thu, Aug 21, 2025

Left to right, Sayadaw U Ottama and Mahatma Gandhi ( Source: Wikipedia)

The other Mahatma: Sayadaw U Ottama, a Buddhist monk who fought for Burma’s independenceSubscriber Only

Aug 15, 2025 13:19 IST

Deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance, Sayadaw U Ottama was...

Sat, Aug 16, 2025

Left to right, Shapurji Saklatvala, Shyamji Krishnavarma & the India House (Edited by Abhishek Mitra)

When a call for Indian independence echoed in LondonSubscriber Only

Aug 14, 2025 15:22 IST

From nationalists and writers who influenced public opinion to organisations like the India League...

Fri, Aug 29, 2025

Potato harvest in Idaho, 1920 (Source: Wikipedia)

From South America to India, how the humble potato swept the worldSubscriber Only

Aug 09, 2025 09:56 IST

Colonialism may have brought the potato to India, but today, it is an indispensable part of the...

Sat, Aug 16, 2025

Miss Fatima & Divya Deshmukh (Edited by Abhishek Mitra)

Indian women in chess: From Miss Fatima’s 1933 win in Britain to Divya Deshmukh’s World Cup titleSubscriber Only

Aug 07, 2025 13:20 IST

India boasts a strong line-up of chess players, yet women’s participation in the sport is...

Thu, Aug 07, 2025

King Sisowath greeting French officials in 1911 (Source: Wikipedia)

The fight for Cambodia: from Vietnam to the FrenchSubscriber Only

Aug 01, 2025 17:33 IST

The border that lies at the core of the Thailand and Cambodia conflict dates back to the...

Fri, Aug 01, 2025

Yarlung Tsangpo River (Source: Wikipedia)

As Beijing prepares to build world’s biggest hydropower dam, a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo RiverSubscriber Only

Jul 25, 2025 11:16 IST

China’s efforts to build the mega dam at a cost of US$ 167 billion on the Yarlung Tsangpo River...

Fri, Jul 25, 2025

Asma Khan at Darjeeling Express (Express photo)

A taste of Calcutta in London: The story behind Asma Khan’s restaurant Darjeeling ExpressSubscriber Only

Jul 24, 2025 19:24 IST

Founder Asma Khan, an India-born British restaurateur, began her journey by hosting intimate...

Thu, Jul 24, 2025

The last Jews of Calcutta: A community on the brink of disappearanceSubscriber Only

Jul 15, 2025 11:19 IST

By the 1940s, there were over 4,000 Jews in the city. Several Jewish institutions had also been...

Tue, Jul 15, 2025

Indian citizen Nimisha Priya (File photo)

Understanding blood money in Islamic law as Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya’s execution date draws nearSubscriber Only

Jul 11, 2025 17:02 IST

According to experts, ‘diyat’ or blood money was known among Arab tribesmen as a peaceful...

Fri, Jul 11, 2025

Raja Mahmudabad (center) with leaders of Aligarh Movement (Source: Wikipedia)

Saif Ali Khan’s case: understanding the Enemy Property Act, a law born out of war and the legacy of PartitionSubscriber Only

Jul 08, 2025 15:57 IST

At present, there are approximately 2,000 enemy properties in India – initially called evacuee...

Tue, Jul 08, 2025

Who makes the Kolhapuri chappal? Amid Prada row, a look at the artisans behind the iconic footwearSubscriber Only

Jul 05, 2025 08:43 IST

The Charmakars, who belong to the Scheduled Caste category in Maharashtra, have long been...

Sat, Jul 05, 2025

The journey of Calcutta’s oldest watch seller and its Swiss ancestrySubscriber Only

Jul 03, 2025 15:59 IST

A Swiss watchmaker fell in love with an Anglo-Indian woman during his travels in 20th century...

Thu, Jul 03, 2025

The city of Isfahan: From a Persian capital to a nuclear hubSubscriber Only

Jun 26, 2025 15:52 IST

Isfahan, one of Iran’s most historic cities, is home to one of the three nuclear facilities...

Thu, Jun 26, 2025

Satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz (Source: Wikipedia)

From empires to oil: The story of the Strait of HormuzSubscriber Only

Jun 24, 2025 14:44 IST

As one of the world’s most important shipping routes, the Strait of Hormuz has long been a...

Tue, Jun 24, 2025

Khamenei as Tehran's Friday Prayer Imam in 1979 (Source: Wikipedia)

Who is Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, and what is the Axis of ResistanceSubscriber Only

Jun 19, 2025 16:21 IST

A seminary-trained cleric, Khamenei ’s core revolutionary ideology includes the supremacy of...

Sat, Jun 21, 2025

Awadh Neyazuddin Allah Bukhsh at Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh (Express photo)

The story of Kolkata’s oldest attar shop and its Awadh originsSubscriber Only

Jun 18, 2025 10:43 IST

Haji Khuda Bukhsh Nabi Bukhsh, in Calcutta, has continued to sell attar for over 200 years, holding...

Wed, Jun 18, 2025

Preah Vihar Temple (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Preah Vihear temple: understanding Thai-Cambodia conflicts over an 11th-century Hindu templeSubscriber Only

Jun 13, 2025 09:54 IST

The influence of Hinduism and Buddhism was evident in many aspects of Khmer life in Cambodia....

Fri, Jul 25, 2025

A group of Brahui tribesmen & the Kurux script (Edited by Abhishek Mitra)

Brahui, Malto, Kurux: The histories and the unsettling futures of the North Dravidian languagesSubscriber Only

Jun 12, 2025 17:26 IST

Although often associated with Southern India, the Dravidian language family includes 27 languages,...

Tue, Jun 17, 2025

Image for representational purposes only ( Edited by Abhishek Mitra)

The Kilvenmani massacre: When 44 Dalits were burned alive in one of independent India’s earliest caste-based atrocitiesSubscriber Only

Jun 10, 2025 13:23 IST

In 1968, 44 Dalits were burned alive in Kilvenmani village in present-day Nagapattinam district in...

Tue, Jun 10, 2025

Harvard University during the 17th century (Source: Wikipedia)

From revolution to wars: The history of Harvard, America’s oldest universitySubscriber Only

Jun 06, 2025 13:34 IST

As Harvard stands embroiled in a legal battle with President Donald Trump's government, a look at...

Sat, Jun 07, 2025

Image for representational purpose (Source: Wikipedia)

When the Nadar women in 19th-century Travancore revolted to reclaim public spaceSubscriber Only

Jun 05, 2025 16:13 IST

Prohibited from covering their breasts, the Nadar women in 19th-century Travancore fought for their...

Thu, Jun 05, 2025

Mahishyas, earlier known as Kaibartas, are divided on the issue of reservation. While one section was declared a ‘Backward Caste,’ the other resists any association with a fishing past (Source: Wikipedia)

The Mahishyas of Bengal: A caste in conflict Subscriber Only

May 30, 2025 13:41 IST

Earlier known as Kaibartas, the Mahishyas are a farming community concentrated in the southern...

Fri, May 30, 2025

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