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India, officially theRepublic of India, is a country inSouth Asia. It is theseventh-largest country by area; themost populous country since 2023; and, since its independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy. Bounded by theIndian Ocean on the south, theArabian Sea on the southwest, and theBay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders withPakistan to the west;China,Nepal, andBhutan to the north; andBangladesh andMyanmar to the east. In theIndian Ocean, India is nearSri Lanka and theMaldives; itsAndaman and Nicobar Islands share amaritime border with Myanmar,Thailand, andIndonesia. (Full article...)

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Greatest extent of the Western Chalukya Empire, 1121 AD

TheWestern Chalukya Empire (/tʃəˈluːkjə/chə-LOO-kyə) ruled most of thewestern Deccan,South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. ThisKannada dynasty is sometimes called theKalyani Chalukya after its regal capital at Kalyani, today'sBasavakalyan in the modernBidar district ofKarnataka state, and alternatively theLater Chalukya from its theoretical relationship to the 6th-centuryChalukya dynasty ofBadami. The dynasty is calledWestern Chalukyas to differentiate from the contemporaneousEastern Chalukyas ofVengi, a separate dynasty. Before the rise of these Chalukyas, theRashtrakuta Empire ofManyakheta controlled most of theDeccan Plateau andCentral India for over two centuries. In 973, seeing confusion in the Rashtrakuta empire after a successful invasion of their capital by the ruler of the Paramara dynasty of Malwa,Tailapa II, a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta dynasty ruling fromBijapur region defeated his overlords and made Manyakheta his capital. The dynasty quickly rose to power and grew into an empire underSomeshvara I who moved the capital to Kalyani.

For over a century, the two empires of South India, the Western Chalukyas and theChola dynasty ofThanjavur fought many fierce wars to control the fertile region ofVengi. During these conflicts, the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, distant cousins of the Western Chalukyas but related to the Cholas by marriage, took sides with the Cholas further complicating the situation. During the rule ofVikramaditya VI, in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, the Western Chalukyas convincingly contended with the Cholas and reached a peak, ruling territories that spread over most of the Deccan, between theNarmada River in the north andKaveri River in the south. His exploits were not limited to the south for even as a prince, during the rule of Someshvara I, he had led successful military campaigns as far east as modernBihar andBengal. During this period the other major ruling families of the Deccan, theHoysala Empire, theSeuna dynasty, theKakatiya dynasty and theKalachuris of Kalyani, were subordinates of the Western Chalukyas and gained their independence only when the power of the Chalukya waned during the later half of the 12th century. (Full article...)
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Kapadia in 2018

Dimple Kapadia (born 8 June 1957) is an Indian actress predominantly appearing inHindi films. Born and raised inMumbai by wealthy parents, she aspired to become an actress from a young age and received her first opportunity through her father's efforts to launch her in the film industry. She was discovered at age 14 by the filmmakerRaj Kapoor, who cast her in the title role of his teen romanceBobby (1973), which opened to major commercial success and gained her wide public recognition. Shortly before the film's release in 1973, she married the actorRajesh Khanna and quit acting. Their daughters,Twinkle andRinke Khanna, both briefly worked as actresses in their youth. Kapadia returned to films in 1984, two years after her separation from Khanna. Her comeback filmSaagar, which was released a year later, revived her career. BothBobby andSaagar won herFilmfare Awards forBest Actress. Through her work over the next decade, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses.

While her initial roles often relied on her perceived beauty and sex appeal, Kapadia was keen to challenge herself and expand her range. She was among the first actresses who starred in women-centred Hindi action films but found greater favour with critics when she took on more dramatic roles in both mainstream and neorealistparallel cinema. Appearing in films ranging from marital dramas to literary adaptations, she played troubled women sometimes deemed reflective of her personal experience, and received acclaim for her performances inKaash (1987),Drishti (1990),Lekin... (1991), andRudaali (1993). For her role as aprofessional mourner inRudaali, she won theNational Film Award for Best Actress and aFilmfare Critics Award. She also had supporting roles in the crime dramasPrahaar (1991),Angaar (1992),Gardish (1993) andKrantiveer (1994), the latter securing her another Filmfare Award. (Full article...)
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Eega (transl. The Fly) is a 2012 Indian Telugu-languagefantasy action film written and directed byS. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced bySai Korrapati'sVaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of₹30–40crore (US$6–7 million). It was filmed simultaneously inTamil with the titleNaan Ee (transl. I, the Fly). The film stars Nani,Samantha, andSudeepa.M. M. Keeravani composed the songs and the background score, whileK. K. Senthil Kumar was thedirector of photography.Janardhana Maharshi andCrazy Mohan wrote the dialogue for the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.

The film's narrative is in the form of abedtime story told by a father to his daughter. Its protagonist, Nani, who is in love with his neighbour Bindu, is murdered by a wealthy industrialist named Sudeep, who is attracted to Bindu and considers Nani a rival. Nanireincarnates as ahousefly and tries to avenge his death and protect Bindu from an obsessive Sudeep. (Full article...)
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Koechlin in 2017

Kalki Koechlin (/ˈkʌlkikɛˈklæ̃/ ^ⓘ; born 10 January 1984) is a French actress and writer who works in films and stage. Known for her unconventional body of work, primarily inHindi films, she is the recipient ofseveral accolades, including aNational Film Award and aFilmfare Award. Although a French citizen, she has been raised and lived most of her life in India.

Born inPondicherry, India, Koechlin was drawn to theatre from a young age. She studied drama atGoldsmiths, University of London, and worked simultaneously with a local theatre company. After returning to India, she made her Hindi film debut asChanda in the black comedy-dramaDev.D. (2009), winning theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She subsequently starred in two of the highest-grossing Hindi films of their respective years, the comedy-dramasZindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) andYeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), both of which garnered her nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Koechlin also starred in and co-wrote the crime thrillerThat Girl in Yellow Boots (2011). (Full article...)
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Murray in 1928

Margaret Alice MurrayFSA Scot FRAI (13 July 1863 – 13 November 1963) was an Anglo-IndianEgyptologist,archaeologist,anthropologist, historian, andfolklorist. The first woman to be appointed as a lecturer in archaeology in the United Kingdom, she worked atUniversity College London (UCL) from 1898 to 1935. She was president of theFolklore Society from 1953 to 1955, and published widely.

Born to a wealthy middle-class English family inCalcutta, British India, Murray divided her youth between India, Britain, and Germany, training as both a nurse and a social worker. Moving to London, in 1894 she began studying Egyptology at UCL, developing a friendship with department headFlinders Petrie, who encouraged her early academic publications and appointed her junior lecturer in 1898. In 1902–1903, she took part in Petrie'sexcavations atAbydos, Egypt, there discovering theOsireion temple, and the following season investigated theSaqqara cemetery, both of which established her reputation in Egyptology. Supplementing her UCL wage by giving public classes and lectures at theBritish Museum andManchester Museum, it was at the latter in 1908 that she led the unwrapping of Khnum-nakht, one of themummies recovered from theTomb of two Brothers – the first time that a woman had publicly unwrapped a mummy. Recognising that BritishEgyptomania reflected the existence of widespread public interest inAncient Egypt, Murray wrote several books on Egyptology targeted at a general audience. (Full article...)
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A stallion

TheMarwari, also known as theMalani is a rarebreed of horse from theMarwar region ofRajasthan, innorth-west India. It is closely related to theKathiawari breed of theKathiawar peninsula ofGujarat, with which it shares the distinctive inward-curving ears. Marwari horses are found in allequine colours, includingpiebald andskewbald. It is a hardyriding horse and may exhibit a naturalambling gait.

TheRathores, traditional rulers of theMarwar region of western India, were the first to breed the Marwari. Beginning in the 12th century, they espoused strict breeding that promoted purity and hardiness. Used throughout history as a cavalry horse by the people of the Marwar region, the Marwari was noted for its loyalty and bravery in battle. The breed deteriorated in the 1930s, when poor management practices resulted in a reduction of the breeding stock, but today has regained some of its popularity. The Marwari is used for lightdraught and agricultural work, as well asriding andpacking. In 1995, abreed society was formed for the Marwari horse in India. The exportation of Marwari horses was banned for decades, but between 2000 and 2006, a small number of exports were allowed. Since 2008, visas allowing temporary travel of Marwari horses outside India have been available in small numbers. Though they are rare they are becoming more popular outside of India due to their unique looks. (Full article...)
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Vidya in 2024

Vidya Balan (pronounced[ʋɪd̪ːjabaːlən]; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women inHindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient ofseveral awards, including aNational Film Award and sevenFilmfare Awards. She was awarded thePadma Shri by theGovernment of India in 2014. She was invited by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to join the Actors Branch in 2021.

Vidya aspired to a career in film from a young age and had her first acting role in the 1995 sitcomHum Paanch. While pursuing a master's degree in sociology from theUniversity of Mumbai, she made several unsuccessful attempts to start a career in film, and featured in television commercials and music videos. She made her film debut by starring in theBengali filmBhalo Theko (2003) and received praise for her first Hindi film, the dramaParineeta (2005). This was followed by several commercial successes includingLage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) andBhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), but her subsequent roles were met with negative reviews. (Full article...)
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Territory of theWestern Chalukyas (c. 1100 CE) in India (modern boundaries shown) and the empire's capital,Kalyani, in the modern Bidar district, Karnataka state, India

A large body ofWestern Chalukya literature in theKannada language was produced during the reign of theWestern Chalukya Empire (973–1200 CE) in what is nowsouthern India. This dynasty, which ruled most of thewestern Deccan in South India, is sometimes called the Kalyani Chalukya dynasty after its royal capital at Kalyani (nowBasavakalyan), and sometimes called the Later Chalukya dynasty for its theoretical relationship to the 6th-centuryChalukya dynasty ofBadami. For a brief period (1162–1183), theKalachuris of Kalyani, a dynasty of kings who had earlier migrated to theKarnataka region from central India and served asvassals for several generations, exploited the growing weakness of their overlords and annexed the Kalyani. Around 1183, the last Chalukya scion,Someshvara IV, overthrew the Kalachuris to regain control of the royal city. But his efforts were in vain, as other prominent Chalukya vassals in the Deccan, theHoysalas, theKakatiyas and theSeunas destroyed the remnants of the Chalukya power.

Kannada literature from this period is usually categorised into the linguistic phase called Old-Kannada. It constituted the bulk of the Chalukya court's textual production and pertained mostly to writings relating to the socio-religious development of theJain faith. The earliest well-known writers belonging to theShaiva faith are also from this period. Under the patronage of KalachuriKing Bijjala II, whose prime minister was the well-known Kannada poet andsocial reformer Basavanna, a native form of poetic literature calledVachana literature (lit "utterance", "saying" or "sentence") proliferated. The beginnings of theVachana poetic tradition in the Kannada-speaking region trace back to the early 11th century. Kannada literature written in thechampumetre, composed of prose and verse, was popularised by the Chalukyan court poets. However, with the advent of theVeerashaiva (lit, "brave devotees of the god Shiva") religious movement in the mid-12th century, poets favoured the nativetripadi (three-line verse composed of elevenganas or prosodic units),hadugabba (song-poem) andfree verse metres for their poems. (Full article...)
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Formal portrait, 1882

Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) wasQueen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 untilher death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which waslonger than those of any of her predecessors, constituted theVictorian era, a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within theUnited Kingdom marked by a great expansion of theBritish Empire. In 1876, theBritish parliament voted to grant her the additional title ofEmpress of India.

Victoria was the daughter ofPrince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (the fourth son of KingGeorge III), andPrincess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After the deaths of her father and grandfather in 1820, she wasraised under close supervision by her mother and hercomptroller,John Conroy. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without survivinglegitimate issue. Victoria attempted privately to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards ofpersonal morality. (Full article...)
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Kapoor Khan in 2024

Kareena Kapoor Khan (pronounced[kəˈriːnakəˈpuːrxɑːn];née Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress. She has been knownher leading roles inHindi cinema since 2000. Kapoor is the recipient ofseveral awards, including sixFilmfare Awards, and as of 2024, is one of Hindi cinema's highest-paid actresses.

Born into theKapoor family, she is the daughter of actorsBabita andRandhir Kapoor, and the younger sister of actressKarisma Kapoor. After making her acting debut in 2000 inRefugee, Kapoor established herself the following year with several roles, including in the top-grossing dramaKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. This was followed by a series of commercial failures and negative reviews for her repetitive roles. An against-type performance as asex worker in the 2004 dramaChameli marked a turning point in her career. She earned critical recognition for her portrayal of a riot victim in the 2004 dramaDev and a character based onDesdemona in the 2006 crime filmOmkara. Her performance as a loquacious woman in the romantic comedyJab We Met (2007) earned her theFilmfare Award for Best Actress. (Full article...)
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1888 portrait

Mohammed Abdul Karim (1863 – 20 April 1909), also known as "the Munshi", was anIndian attendant ofQueen Victoria. He served her during the final 14 years of her reign, gaining her maternal affection over that time.

Karim was born the son of a hospital assistant atLalitpur, nearJhansi inBritish India. In 1887, the year ofVictoria's Golden Jubilee, Karim was one of two Indians selected to become servants to the Queen. Victoria came to like him a great deal and gave him the title of "Munshi" ("clerk" or "teacher"). Victoria appointed him to be her Indian Secretary, showered him with honours, and obtained a land grant for him in India. (Full article...)
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Kahaani (IPA:[kəˈɦaːni];transl. Story) is a 2012 Indian Hindi-languagemystery thriller film co-written, co-produced, and directed bySujoy Ghosh. It starsVidya Balan as Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman looking for her missing husband inKolkata during the festival ofDurga Puja, assisted by Assist Sub-Inspector Satyoki "Rana" Sinha (Parambrata Chatterjee) and Inspector General A. Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

Made on a budget of₹80 million (US$950,000),Kahaani was conceived and developed by Ghosh, who co-wrote the film withAdvaita Kala. The crew often employedguerrilla-filmmaking techniques onKolkata's streets to avoid attracting attention. Its creative portrayal of the city and its use of local crew and cast made it a notable film.Kahaani explores themes of feminism and motherhood in a male-dominated Indian society. The film also makes several allusions toSatyajit Ray's films, such asCharulata (1964),Aranyer Din Ratri (1970), andJoi Baba Felunath (1979). The film's musical score and soundtrack were composed byClinton Cerejo andVishal–Shekhar respectively, with cinematography handled by Setu and editing done byNamrata Rao. (Full article...)
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Narayan in 1974

Ram Narayan (IPA:[raːmnaːˈɾaːjəɳ]; 25 December 1927 – 9 November 2024), often referred to with the titlePandit, was an Indian musician who popularised the bowed instrumentsarangi as a solo concert instrument inHindustani classical music and became the first internationally successfulsarangi player.

Narayan was born nearUdaipur and learned to play thesarangi at an early age. He studied undersarangi players and singers and, as a teenager, worked as a music teacher and travelling musician.All India Radio inLahore hired Narayan as an accompanist for vocalists in 1944. Narayan relocated toDelhi following thepartition of India in 1947, and moved toMumbai in 1949 to work inIndian cinema. (Full article...)
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The44th Chess Olympiad (28 July – 10 August 2022) was aFIDE-organised international team chess event held inChennai, thecapital ofTamil Nadu, India. It consisted of two main tournaments—an Open event, enabling participation of players from all genders, and a Women's event, enabling participation of female players only—as well as several events to promotechess. The Olympiad was initially supposed to take place inKhanty-Mansiysk, Russia, the host of theChess World Cup 2019, in August 2020, but it was later moved toMoscow. However, it was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and then relocated to Chennai followingRussia's invasion of Ukraine. This was the firstChess Olympiad to take place in India.

The total number of participants was 1,737: 937 in the Open and 800 in the Women's event. The number of registered teams was 188 from 186 nations in the Open section and 162 from 160 nations in the Women's section; being the host nation, India had three teams participating in each section. Both sections set team participation records. The main venue of the Chess Olympiad was the convention centre at theFour Points by Sheraton, while the opening and closing ceremonies were held at theJawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Chief Arbiter of the event was France's Laurent Freyd. (Full article...)
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Loev (pronouncedlove) is a 2015 Indianromantic drama film written and directed bySudhanshu Saria. It stars Dhruv Ganesh andShiv Panditt as two friends who set off to theWestern Ghats for a weekend trip and focuses on their complex emotional and sexual relationship. It was Ganesh's final film, as he died fromtuberculosis before its release.Loev also features Siddharth Menon and Rishabh Chaddha in supporting roles. The film's title is adeliberate misspelling of the word "love".

Saria wroteLoev's script while he was working on the draft of the unreleased filmI Am Here and drew heavily from his personal experiences. It was eventually picked up for production byArfi Lamba and Katherine Suckale despite Saria's own doubts on its viability. Principal photography took place atMahabaleshwar, in the Western Ghats in peninsular India, and atMumbai. The film was shot in the summer of 2014 over the course of sixteen days by the cinematographer Sherri Kauk in2K resolution. It relied oncrowdfunding and cost-cutting measures; its budget was relatively low at US$1 million. (Full article...)
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Satellite image of the tropical storm on May 13

The2003 Sri Lanka cyclone was a moderately powerfultropical cyclone that produced the worst flooding inSri Lanka in 56 years. The first storm of the2003 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it developed over theBay of Bengal on May 10. Favorable environmental conditions allowed the system to intensify steadily while moving northwestward. The storm reached peakmaximum sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) on May 13, making it avery severe cyclonic storm according to theIndia Meteorological Department (IMD), which is the officialRegional Specialized Meteorological Center for the basin. The cyclone drifted north over the central Bay of Bengal, gradually weakening due to heightenedwind shear. Turning eastward, the storm deteriorated to a deep depression on May 16 before it curved northeastward and re-intensified into a cyclonic storm. It came ashore in westernMyanmar and dissipated over land the following day.

In the wake of prolonged precipitation during the first half of May, the cyclone produced torrential rains across southwest Sri Lanka while stationary in the central Bay of Bengal. The storm drew extensive moisture that coalesced in the mountainous portion of the island. A station atRatnapura recorded 366.1 mm (14.41 in) of rainfall in 18 hours on May 17, including 99.8 mm (3.93 in) in one hour. In southwestern Sri Lanka, the rainfall caused flooding and landslides that destroyed 24,750 homes and damaged 32,426 others, displacing about 800,000 people. Overall damage totaled about $135 million (2003 USD), and there were 260 deaths. The cyclone also produced some rainfall in theAndaman and Nicobar Islands of India and along the country's eastern coast. The storm funneled moisture away from the mainland, which possibly contributed to a heat wave that killed 1,900 people, and dropped heavy rainfall in Myanmar. (Full article...)
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Gay at peak intensity before making landfall on India, on 8 November

Typhoon Gay, also known as theKavali Cyclone of 1989, was a small but powerfultropical cyclone which caused more than 800 fatalities in and around theGulf of Thailand in November 1989. The worst typhoon to affect theMalay Peninsula in thirty-five years, Gay originated from amonsoon trough over the Gulf of Thailand in early November. Owing to favorable atmospheric conditions, the stormrapidly intensified, attaining winds over 120 km/h (75 mph) by 3 November. Later that day, Gay became the first typhoon since 1891 to makelandfall in Thailand, strikingChumphon Province with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). The small storm emerged into theBay of Bengal and gradually reorganized over the following days as it approached southeastern India. On 8 November, Gay attained its peak intensity as aCategory 5-equivalent cyclone with winds of 260 km/h (160 mph). The cyclone then moved ashore nearKavali,Andhra Pradesh. Rapid weakening ensued inland, and Gay dissipated overMaharashtra early on 10 November.

The typhoon's rapid development took hundreds of vessels by surprise, leading to 275 offshore fatalities. Of these, 91 occurred after an oil drilling ship, theSeacrest, capsized amid 6–11 m (20–36 ft) swells. Across the Malay Peninsula, 588 people died from various storm-related incidents. Several towns in coastal Chumphon were destroyed. Losses throughout Thailand totaled฿11 billion (US $497 million). Striking India as a powerful cyclone, Gay damaged or destroyed about 20,000 homes inAndhra Pradesh, leaving 100,000 people homeless. In that country, 69 deaths and₹410 million (US $25.3 million) in damage were attributed to Gay. (Full article...)
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Enthiran (transl. Robot) is a 2010 Indian Tamil-languagescience fiction action film co-written and directed byShankar. It is the first instalment in theEnthiran film series. The film starsRajinikanth in dual lead roles as a scientist and the robot he created.Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,Danny Denzongpa,Santhanam andKarunas play supporting roles. Thesoundtrack album and background score were composed byA. R. Rahman while the dialogues, cinematography, editing and art direction were handled byMadhan Karky,R. Rathnavelu,Anthony andSabu Cyril and action sequences was done byPeter Hein respectively. The story revolves around the struggle of a scientist named Vaseegaran to control his sophisticatedandroid robot namedChitti, after Chitti's software is upgraded to give it the ability to comprehend and exhibit human emotions and to commission it to the Indian Army. The project backfires when Chitti falls in love with Vaseegaran's girlfriend Sana, and is manipulated by Vaseegaran's mentor Bohra into becoming homicidal.

After being stalled in thedevelopment phase for nearly a decade, the film's principal photography began in 2008 and lasted two years. The film marked the debut ofLegacy Effects studio (which was responsible for the film'sprosthetic make-up andanimatronics) in Indian cinema.Enthiran was released worldwide on 1 October 2010. Produced byKalanithi Maran, it was themost expensive Indian film at the time of its release. (Full article...)
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Formal portrait,c. 1945

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (bornMahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and thefounder ofPakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of theAll-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947 and then asPakistan's firstgovernor-general untilhis death a year later in 1948. He is known asQuaid-e-Azam (meaning "Great Leader") in Pakistan.

Born atWazir Mansion inKarachi, Jinnah was trained as abarrister atLincoln's Inn inLondon,England. Upon his return toIndia, he enrolled at theBombay High Court, and took an interest in national politics, which eventually replaced his legal practice. Jinnah rose to prominence in theIndian National Congress in the first two decades of the 20th century. In these early years of his political career, Jinnah advocated forHindu–Muslim unity, helping to shape the 1916Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the All-India Muslim League, in which Jinnah had also become prominent. Jinnah became a key leader in theAll-India Home Rule League, and proposed afourteen-point constitutional reform plan to safeguard the political rights ofMuslims in theIndian subcontinent. In 1920, however, Jinnah resigned from the Congress when it agreed to follow a campaign ofsatyagraha, which he regarded aspolitical anarchy. (Full article...)
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Mother India is a 1957 Indianepic drama film, directed byMehboob Khan and starringNargis,Sunil Dutt,Rajendra Kumar andRaaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier filmAurat (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village woman named Radha (Nargis), who in the absence of her husband, struggles to raise her sons and survive against a cunning money-lender amidst many troubles.

The title of the film was chosen to counter American authorKatherine Mayo's 1927polemical bookMother India, which vilifiedIndian culture.Mother India metaphorically representsIndia as a nation in the aftermath of itsindependence in 1947, and alludes to a strong sense ofIndian nationalism and nation-building. Allusions toHindu mythology are abundant in the film, and its lead character has been seen as ametonymic representation of an Indian woman who reflects high moral values and the concept of what it means to be a mother to society through self-sacrifice. While some authors treat Radha as the symbol of women's empowerment, others see her cast in female stereotypes. The film was shot in Mumbai'sMehboob Studios and in the villages ofMaharashtra,Gujarat, andUttar Pradesh. The music byNaushad introduced global music, includingWestern classical music and orchestra, to Hindi cinema. (Full article...)
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Ahalya byRaja Ravi Varma (1848–1906)

InHindu mythology,Ahalya (Sanskrit:अहल्या,IAST: Ahalyā) also spelt as Ahilya, is the wife of the sageGautama Maharishi. ManyHindu scriptures describe her legend of seduction by the king of thegods Indra, her husband's curse for her infidelity, and her liberation from the curse by the godRama.

Created by the godBrahma as the most beautiful woman, Ahalya was married to the much older Gautama. In the earliest full narrative, whenIndra comes disguised as her husband, Ahalya sees through his disguise but nevertheless accepts his advances. Later sources often absolve her of all guilt, describing how she falls prey to Indra's trickery. In all narratives, Ahalya and Indra are cursed by Gautama. The curse varies from text to text, but almost all versions describe Rama as the eventual agent of her liberation and redemption. Although early texts describe how Ahalya must atone by undergoing severepenance while remaining invisible to the world and how she is purified by offering Rama hospitality, in the popular retelling developed over time, Ahalya is cursed to become a stone and regains her human form after she is brushed by Rama's foot. (Full article...)
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Kalidas (pronounced[kaːɭidaːs]transl. The Servant of Kali) is a 1931 Indianbiographical film directed byH. M. Reddy and produced byArdeshir Irani. It is notable for being the firstsound film in theTamil andTelugu languages, and the first sound film to be made in aDravidian language. It was based on the life of theSanskrit poetKalidasa; it featured P. G. Venkatesan in the title role andT. P. Rajalakshmi as the female lead, withL. V. Prasad, Thevaram Rajambal, T. Susheela Devi, J. Sushila, and M. S. Santhanalakshmi in supporting roles.

Kalidas had dialogues in Telugu, with some Tamil songs featured in the beginning, middle, and end, along with some additional dialogue inHindi. Despite itsmythological theme, the film featured songs from much later time periods, such as the compositions ofCarnatic musician Tyagaraja, publicity songs of theIndian National Congress, and songs aboutMahatma Gandhi and theIndian independence movement. The sound was recorded using German-made technology.Kalidas was shot inBombay on the sets of India's first sound filmAlam Ara (1931) and was completed in eight days. (Full article...)
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Bhatt at the2022 Berlinale

Alia Bhatt (/ˈɑːliəˈbʌt/; born 15 March 1993) is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works inHindi films. Known forher portrayals of women in challenging circumstances, she has receivedseveral accolades, including aNational Film Award and sevenFilmfare Awards. She is one of India's highest-paid actresses.Time awarded her with theTime100 Impact Award in 2022 and named her one of the100 most influential people in the world in 2024.

Born into theBhatt family, she is a daughter of filmmakerMahesh Bhatt and actressSoni Razdan. After making her acting debut as a child in the 1999 thriller filmSangharsh, she played her first leading role inKaran Johar's teen filmStudent of the Year (2012). She won theFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for playing a kidnapping victim in the road dramaHighway (2014) and went on to establish herself with starring roles in several romantic films produced by Johar's studioDharma Productions. (Full article...)
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Procession march held on 21 February 1952 inDhaka

TheBengali language movement was a political movement inEast Bengal in 1952, advocating the recognition of theBengali language as a co-lingua franca of theDominion of Pakistan. The movement wanted to allow its use in government affairs, the continuation of its use as a medium of education, its use in media, currency and stamps, and to maintain its writing in theBengali alphabet andBengali script.

When the Dominion of Pakistan was formed after the separation of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, when the British left, it was composed of various ethnic and linguistic groups, with the geographically non-contiguousEast Bengal province having a mainlyethnic Bengali population. In 1948, theGovernment of the Dominion of Pakistan ordained as part ofIslamization ofEast Pakistan orEast Bengal thatUrdu will be the sole federal language, alternately Bengali writing in thePerso-Arabic script orRoman script (Romanisation of Bengali) orArabic as the state language of the whole of Pakistan was also proposed, sparking extensive protests among theBengali-speaking majority ofEast Bengal. Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent with the new law, the government outlawed public meetings and rallies. The students of theUniversity of Dhaka and other political activists defied the law and organised a protest on 21 February 1952. The movement reached its climax when police killed student demonstrators on that day. The deaths provoked widespread civil unrest. After years of conflict, the central government relented and granted official status to the Bengali language in 1956. (Full article...)
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Chopra in 2024

Priyanka Chopra Jonas (née Chopra; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of theMiss World 2000 pageant, she is India's highest-paid actress andher accolades include twoNational Film Awards and fiveFilmfare Awards. In 2016, theGovernment of India honoured her with thePadma Shri, andTime named her one of the100 most influential people in the world.Forbes listed her among theWorld's 100 Most Powerful Women, and in 2022, she was named in theBBC100 Women list.

Chopra accepted offers to join the Indian film industry following her pageant wins. Her acting debut came in theTamil filmThamizhan (2002), followed by her firstBollywood feature inThe Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003). She played the leading lady in the box-office hitsAndaaz (2003) andMujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and had herbreakout role in the 2004 romantic thrillerAitraaz. Chopra established herself with starring roles in the top-grossing productionsKrrish andDon (both 2006), and later reprised her role in their successful sequelsKrrish 3 (2013) andDon 2 (2011). For playing a troubled model in the dramaFashion (2008), Chopra won aNational Film Award and aFilmfare Award for Best Actress. Chopra gained further praise for portraying a range of characters in the filmsKaminey (2009),7 Khoon Maaf (2011),Barfi! (2012),Mary Kom (2014),Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), andBajirao Mastani (2015). (Full article...)

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Papilio demoleus mating
Photograph:Jkadavoor
A mating pair ofPapilio demoleus, a common and widespreadSwallowtail butterfly, photographed atKadavoor, Kerala, India. After successful mating the female goes from plant to plant, laying a single egg at a time on top of a leaf, and flies off as soon as the egg is laid.
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Bara Imambara
Photograph:Muhammad Mahdi Karim
TheBara Imambara is animambara complex inLucknow, India. Built byAsaf-ud-Daula,Nawab of Awadh, in 1785, the building reflects a maturation of ornamentedMughal design (as seen in theBadshahi Mosque).
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Cupha erymanthis
Photograph:Jkadavoor
Cupha erymanthis is a species ofbrush-footed butterfly found in forested areas of tropical South and Southeast Asia which may feed on liquids fromcarrion. This specimen was photographed inKadavoor,Kerala, India.
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Lal Bagh
Photo:Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Theglass house atLal Bagh, abotanical garden inBangalore, India. The garden was commissioned by the ruler ofMysore,Hyder Ali in 1760, and completed during the reign of his sonTipu Sultan. The glass house was modeled on London'sCrystal Palace and constructed at the end of the 19th century.
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Chota Imambara
Photograph:Muhammad Mahdi Karim
TheChota Imambara inLucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is a mausoleum constructed by and forMuhammad Ali Shah, the thirdNawab ofAwadh, beginning in 1838.
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Southern plains grey langur
Photograph credit:Charles J. Sharp
Thesouthern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus dussumieri) is a species ofOld World monkey native to the Indian subcontinent. It is about 62 cm (24 in) tall and lives in groups in various forest habitats, feeding mainly on leaves, fruit and flowers in thecanopy, supplementing these with insects, gum, grasses, herbs and roots. The monkeys are considered sacred in India, and some are used by Hindu priests for religious purposes. They have adapted to living in close proximity to humans in urban settings; they are often fed by humans and accept cakes, millet, and other foods. The species is protected by law in India, but some are still persecuted for damaging crops, hunted for food and captured for pets.

This photograph of a female southern plains gray langur was taken inKanha Tiger Reserve, in the Indian state ofMadhya Pradesh. The park was created on 1 June 1955 and was designated atiger reserve in 1973.
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Duladeo Temple
Photo:Marcin Białek
Duladeo Temple, dated to circa A.D. 1000–1150, is a Hindu temple dedicated toShiva. It is located inKhajuraho, India.
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Nilgai
Photograph credit:Charles J. Sharp
Thenilgai or blue bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is the largest Asianantelope and isendemic to the Indian subcontinent. The sole member of the genusBoselaphus, the species wasdescribed and given its binomial name by German zoologistPeter Simon Pallas in 1766. The nilgai stands 1–1.5 metres (3.3–4.9 ft) at the shoulder; males weigh 109–288 kilograms (240–635 lb), and the lighter females 100–213 kilograms (220–470 lb). A sturdy thin-legged antelope, the nilgai is characterised by a sloping back, a deep neck with a white patch on the throat, a short crest of hair along the neck terminating in a tuft, and white facial spots. A column of pendant coarse hair hangs from the dewlap ridge below the white patch.Sexual dimorphism is prominent – while females and juveniles are orange to tawny, adult males have a bluish-greycoat. Only males possesshorns, which are 15–24 centimetres (5.9–9.4 in) in length.

This picture shows a male nilgai in a potato field at Jamtra, in the Indian state ofMadhya Pradesh.
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Gondi people
Photo:Yann
Women of theGondi, the largest tribe ofIndian aboriginals in central India. They are classified as aScheduled Tribe in mostIndian states. TheGondi language is related toTelugu and otherDravidian languages. About half of Gonds speak Gondi languages, while the rest speakIndo-Aryan languages includingHindi. For many years during theBritish colonial period, the Gonds were considered to have performedhuman sacrifices, although this notion was later discredited.
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Indian roller
Photograph credit:Charles J. Sharp
TheIndian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a member of the bird family Coraciidae, therollers. It occurs widely from the Arabian Peninsula to the Indian subcontinent and is designated asLeast Concern on theIUCN Red List. The bird is best known for the aerobatic displays of males during the breeding season. It is commonly found in open grassland and scrub forest habitats, and is often seen perched on roadside bare trees and wires, which give it a good view of the ground below where it finds its prey. Its diet consists mainly of insects such as beetles and grasshoppers, but also includes spiders, scorpions, amphibians and small reptiles. The largest population occurs in India, and several states in India have chosen it as their state bird.

This picture shows an Indian roller of thebenghalensissubspecies, photographed inKanha Tiger Reserve in the Indian state ofMadhya Pradesh.
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Brahmaea wallichii
Photograph: Arthur Chapman; edit:Papa Lima Whiskey andRyan Kaldari
Brahmaea wallichii, also known as the owl moth, is amoth from the familyBrahmaeidae. With awingspan of about 90–160 mm (3.5–6.3 in), it is one of the largest species of Brahmin moth. This nocturnal species is found inIndia,Bhutan,Myanmar,China,Taiwan andJapan.
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Black pepper
Photo:K Hari Krishnan
Unripe drupes ofblack pepper (Piper nigrum) atTrivandrum,Kerala, India. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water. The heat ruptures cell walls in the pepper, speeding the work of browning enzymes during drying. The drupes are dried for several days, during which the pepper around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer. Once dried, the spice is called black peppercorn.
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$Image 13 Potter Photo: Yann A potter at work in Jaura, Madhya Pradesh, India. Pottery, defined by ASTM International as "all fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed, except technical, structural, and refractory products", originated during the Neolithic period. More selected pictures$
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Potter
Photo:Yann
Apotter at work in Jaura,Madhya Pradesh, India. Pottery, defined byASTM International as "all fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed, except technical, structural, and refractory products", originated during theNeolithic period.
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Pigment
Photo credit: Dan Brady
Pigments for sale at a market stall inGoa,India. Many pigments used in manufacturing and the visual arts are drycolourants, ground into a fine powder. This powder is then added to a vehicle or matrix, a relatively neutral or colorless material that acts as abinder, before it is applied. Unlike adye, a pigment generally isinsoluble.
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Papilio polymnestor
Photograph credit:Jeevan Jose
Papilio polymnestor, the blue Mormon, is a species ofswallowtail butterfly found in southern India and Sri Lanka. It is a woodland species, often seen on forest paths and near streams. The larvae feed on trees in the familyRutaceae, such as citrus. Young larvae are green with white markings and position themselves on the upper surface of leaves, relying on theircryptic colouring, which resembles bird droppings, for protection. Older larvae seek less conspicuous locations, and have a unique habit of securing their balance by weaving silk on thesubstratum. This adult maleP. polymnestor butterfly was photographed in the Indian state ofKerala.
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Featured list –show another

This is aFeatured list, which the Wikipedia community considers to be the best lists on English Wikipedia.

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TheSikkim Legislative Assembly is theunicameral legislature of the state ofSikkim, inNortheast India. The seat of theLegislative Assembly is atGangtok, the capital of the state. The assembly sits for a term of five years, unless it is dissolved earlier. Sikkim is thesecond-smallest state in India, covering 7,096 km² (2,740 sq mi); which accounts for 0.2 per cent of the total area ofIndia. The current population of Sikkim is 6.32 lakhs (630,000), making it the least populous state in India. Established in 1975, the Sikkim Legislative Assembly consists of 32 memberselected directly fromsingle-seat constituencies using thefirst-past-the-post system.

Since the independence of India, theScheduled Tribes (ST) and theScheduled Castes (SC) and have been givenreservation status, guaranteeing political representation, and the Constitution lays down the general principles ofpositive discrimination for SCs and STs. In Sikkim, the Scheduled Tribes primarily include theBhutia,Lepcha,Limboo andTamang communities. Twelve constituencies are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. Among these, reservations are granted only to members of theBhutia-Lepcha (BL) community. Despite being recognized as Scheduled Tribes in 2002, no seats have been reserved for the Limboo and Tamang communities in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. Two constituencies (West Pendam andSalghari–Zoom) are reserved for people of theScheduled Castes (SC). One constituency (Sangha) is reserved for registeredBuddhist monks and nuns from the state'smonasteries. Seventeen seats are kept open to be contested byNepalis and other residents of Sikkim. (Full article...)
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Nani in 2018

Nani is an Indian actor, film producer and television presenter who works predominantly inTelugu films. Considered as one of the highest paid and leading actors ofTelugu Cinema, He made his acting debut withMohana Krishna Indraganti's 2008 comedy filmAshta Chamma, an Indian adaptation ofOscar Wilde's playThe Importance of Being Earnest. AfterAshta Chamma's commercial success, Nani played the lead roles in three Telugu films in the next two years:Ride (2009),Snehituda (2009) andBheemili Kabaddi Jattu (2010). In 2011, Nani collaborated withB. V. Nandini Reddy on the romantic comedy filmAla Modalaindi which was profitable. The same year, he made his Tamil cinema debut with Anjana Ali Khan'sVeppam, a crime drama set in the backdrop ofNorth Chennai. The following year, Nani collaborated withS. S. Rajamouli andGautham Vasudev Menon on the Telugu-Tamil bilingualEega and the romance filmYeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu respectively. The former, which was about a murdered man reincarnating as a housefly and avenging his death, earned Nani an award in the Best Hero category at the2013 Toronto After Dark Film Festival. He received theNandi Award for Best Actor for his performance inYeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu.

Nani ventured into film production in 2013 as a co-producer for the filmD for Dopidi. He faced three box office failures in the upcoming years:Paisa (2013),Aaha Kalyanam (2014) andJanda Pai Kapiraju (2015). Nani termed it a "low phase" in his career and worked on the "planning of films and the timing of their release". He then played the lead role inNag Ashwin'sYevade Subramanyam (2015), a film focusing on a businessperson's journey to theHimalayas seeking self exploration. Nani later starred inMaruthi's comedy filmBhale Bhale Magadivoy (2015), in which he played an absent minded scientist easily prone to distraction. It was the actor's firstblockbuster success, and earned him theCritics Award for Best Actor – South at the63rd Filmfare Awards South ceremony. With his subsequent releases, the profitable venturesKrishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha (2016) andGentleman (2016), he gained stardom in Telugu cinema. Nani later played the lead in the commercially successful Telugu filmsMajnu (2016),Nenu Local (2017),Middle Class Abbayi (2017), andNinnu Kori (2017). In 2018, Nani featured as the host of thesecond season of the Telugu game showBigg Boss. (Full article...)
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ThePadma Bhushan is the third-highestcivilian award of theRepublic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service of a high order", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The recipients receive aSanad, a certificate signed by thePresident of India and a circular-shaped medallion with no monetary association. The recipients are announced every year onRepublic Day (26 January) and registered inThe Gazette of India—a publication used for official government notices and released weekly by the Department of Publication, under theMinistry of Urban Development. The conferral of the award is not considered official without its publication in theGazette. The name of recipient, whose award have been revoked or restored, both of which require the authority of the President, is archived and they are required to surrender their medal when their name is struck from the register; none of the conferments of Padma Bhushan during 1954–1959 have been revoked or restored. The recommendations are received from all thestate and the union territory governments, as well as fromMinistries of the Government of India, theBharat Ratna and thePadma Vibhushan awardees, the Institutes of Excellence, the Ministers, theChief Ministers and theGovernors of State, and theMembers of Parliament including private individuals.

When instituted in 1954, the Padma Bhushan was classified as "Dusra Varg" (Class II) under the three-tierPadma Vibhushan awards, which were preceded by the Bharat Ratna in hierarchy. The original specification of the award was a circle made of standard silver1+3⁄8 inches (35 mm) in diameter, with rims on both the sides. A centrally located lotus flower was embossed on the obverse side of the medal and the text "Padma Vibhushan" written inDevanagari script was inscribed above the lotus along the upper edge of the medal. A floral wreath was embossed along the lower edge and a lotus wreath at the top along the upper edge. TheState Emblem of India was placed in the centre of the reverse side with the text "Desh Seva" in Devanagari Script on the lower edge. The medal was suspended by a pink riband1+1⁄4 inches (32 mm) in width divided into three equal segments by two white vertical lines. (Full article...)
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TheVictoria Cross

TheVictoria Cross (VC) is amilitary decoration bestowed on members of theBritish orCommonwealth armed forces for acts ofvalour orgallantry performed in the face of the enemy. In theBritish honours system and those of manyCommonwealth nations it is the highest award a soldier can receive for actions in combat. It was established in 1856 and since then has been awarded 1,356 times, including to three recipients who were awarded the VC twice.

TheBritish Army'sBrigade of Gurkhas, units composed ofNepalese soldiers—although originally led by British officers—has been a part of the army since 1815. When raised, it originally focused on conflicts in theFar East, but the transfer ofHong Kong from British to Chinese hands necessitated that the brigade move its base to the UK. A battalion is still maintained inBrunei and as at 2016, units serve in Afghanistan. (Full article...)
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Vijay in 2018 at theNadigar Sangam Protest

Vijay is an Indian actor, playback singer and politician who works inTamil cinema. He made his cinematic debut in 1984 withVetri, directed by his father,S. A. Chandrasekhar. After appearing in Chandrasekhar's films as a child artist, Vijay made his debut as a lead actor withNaalaiya Theerpu (1992) at the age of 18. He followed it with a role oppositeVijayakanth inSenthoorapandi (1993). Vijay went on to play lead roles in his father's directorial ventures such asRasigan (1994),Deva (1995) andVishnu (1995). Most of those films were successful commercially.

Vijay's first commercial blockbuster was therom-comCoimbatore Mappillai in 1996, followed by his breakthrough blockbusterromance film,Poove Unakkaga. His subsequent films,Love Today (1997) andKadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), were critically and commercially successful. His performance in the latter won him theTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor.Thullatha Manamum Thullum (1999), where he played a passionate singer gained him the reputation of aromantic hero. (Full article...)
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Thestate president of the Indian National Congress is thestate-level highest command of theIndian National Congress (INC), responsible for leading in political campaigns at state level. State presidents shoulder a diverse array of roles and responsibilities integral to the effective functioning of the party at the state-level. Also known as the leader of thestate and union territory party, a state president is appointed by the national president of the party.

Being the higher decision-making body, state presidents actively contribute to the formulation of state-level policies, representing the party's stance on relevant issues and engaging in the development and implementation of election strategies during state elections. In addition, a state president is tasked with overseeing the organizational structure of thePradesh Congress Committee, including the appointment and coordination of leaders at various levels, such as the district committee, block committee, and each panchayat development block orpanchayat samiti. Serving as a spokesperson for the party in the state, they communicate the party's positions to the media and keep party members informed about policies and decisions. State presidents also play a pivotal role in building and maintaining the party's membership, reaching out to diverse sections of society and addressing their concerns to advance the party's agenda. (Full article...)
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Until the 18th century,Bombay consisted ofseven islands separated by shallow sea. These seven islands were part of a larger archipelago in the Arabian sea, off the western coast of India. The date of city's founding is unclear—historians trace back urban settlement to the late 17th century after the British secured the seven islands from thePortuguese to establish a secure base in the region. The islands provided the British with a sheltered harbour for trade, in addition to a relatively sequestered location that reduced the chances of land-based attacks. Over the next two centuries, the British dominated the region, first securing the archipelago from the Portuguese, and later defeating theMarathas to secure the hinterland.

Bombay Presidency was one of the three Presidencies ofBritish India; the other two beingMadras Presidency, andBengal Presidency. It was in the centre-west of theIndian subcontinent on theArabian Sea. It was bordered to the north-west, north, and north-east byBaluchistan province,Punjab province, andRajputana Agency; to the east byCentral India Agency, theCentral Provinces and Berar andHyderabad State; and to the south by Madras Presidency andMysore State. The Presidency was established in the late 17th century and named after Bombay, the capital city and the island on which it was built. By 1906, the area under the jurisdiction of Bombay Presidency stretched fromNorth Canara in the south toSindh in the north, encompassing the now-Pakistani province of Sindh, some parts of the present-day state ofGujarat, northwestern part ofKarnataka state, the BritishAden protectorate in Yemen, and the western two-thirds of modern-day Maharashtra. (Full article...)
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TheNational President of the Bharatiya Janata Party is the chief executive authority of theBJP, and fills a number of roles, including chairing meetings of theNational Executive of the party and appointing the presidents of party subsidiaries, such itsyouth wing and farmer's wing. Any candidate for the presidency needs to have been a member of the party for at least 15 years. The president is nominally elected by an electoral college composed of members drawn from the party's National and State councils, but in practice is a consensus choice of senior members of the party. The term of the president is three years long, and individuals may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The president usually does not also hold a post within a government, and party chiefs have resigned the position to assume posts in Cabinet.

After the party's foundation in 1980,Atal Bihari Vajpayee became its first president. He later became theprime minister of India, the only BJP president to serve in that position to date. In 1986,Lal Krishna Advani was sworn in as the party president and has been the longest serving president over three different periods. As of 2025, 12 people have served as the president of the BJP, includingRajnath Singh andAmit Shah who have also served two terms.Nitin Nabin is the most recent working president, having been appointed in December 2025. (Full article...)
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TheChief Minister of Chhattisgarh is thechief executive of theIndian state ofChhattisgarh. In accordance with theConstitution of India, thegovernor is a state'sde jure head, butde facto executive authority rests with thechief minister. Following elections to thelegislative assembly, thestate's governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form thegovernment. The governor appoints the chief minister, whosecouncil of ministers arecollectively responsible to the assembly. Given the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to noterm limits.Chief Minister also serves as Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly.

Four people have served as the state's chief minister since Chhattisgarh's formation on 1 November 2000 as a result of theMadhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000. The first wasAjit Jogi of theIndian National Congress. He was succeeded in 2003 byRaman Singh of theBharatiya Janata Party who served three consecutive five-year terms. Third person to serve in the office was Congress leaderBhupesh Baghel ,who served from 2018 to 2023, was succeeded byVishnudeo Sai, the current incumbent, following the resounding victory ofBharatiya Janata Party in the2023 elections. (Full article...)
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James Faulkner is one of the only four bowlers to take multiple five-wicket hauls and the only to take multiple five-wicket hauls in thesame season.

Incricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five-for" or "fifer") refers to abowler taking five or morewickets in a singleinnings. This is regarded as a notable achievement, especially inT20 cricket where a bowler can bowl a maximum of only 24balls (4overs). TheIndian Premier League (IPL) is a professionalTwenty20 cricket league in India, which has been held annually since itsfirst season in 2008. So far, 37 five-wicket hauls have been taken by different bowlers, of which only two five-wicket hauls have been taken outsideIndia. Players from twelve of the thirteen teams have taken five-wicket hauls;Kochi Tuskers Kerala is the only franchise for which a player has not taken a five-wicket haul.
The first five-wicket haul was taken bySohail Tanvir of theRajasthan Royals against theChennai Super Kings on 4 May 2008. He finished the game with 6 wickets. The most economical five-wicket haul was taken byAkash Madhwal of theMumbai Indians, who claimed five wickets with aneconomy rate of 1.43 in the2023 season.Yuzvendra Chahal of theRajasthan Royals took the least economical five-wicket haul, 5/40 bowling with an economy rate of 10.00 in2021.Anil Kumble is the oldest bowler to take a five-wicket haul, achieving the feat at the age of 38, whileJaydev Unadkat is the youngest, he was 21 when he took hisfirst five-for in2013. (Full article...)
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Vikram Vedha is a 2017 IndianTamil-languageneo-noir action thriller film directed and written by the husband and wife duoPushkar–Gayathri and produced byS. Sashikanth under the banner ofYNOT Studios.R. Madhavan andVijay Sethupathi play the title characters Vikram and Vedha respectively.Shraddha Srinath,Kathir andVaralaxmi Sarathkumar play the other lead roles whilePrem,Achyuth Kumar,Hareesh Peradi andVivek Prasanna feature as supporting characters.Sam C. S. composed the film'ssoundtrack andscore. Richard Kevin andP. S. Vinod was in charge of the editing and cinematography respectively.

A contemporary adaptation of the Indian folktaleBaital Pachisi, the film follows Vikram, a police inspector who is decisive about good and evil, and the head of anencounter unit which is formed to track down and kill Vedha, a gangster. When the unit makes plans for another encounter, Vedha walks into the police station and voluntarily surrenders himself. He then tells Vikram three stories which bring about a change in the latter's perceptions of right and wrong. (Full article...)
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Kashyap attending theRome Film Festival in 2007.

Anurag Kashyap is an Indian filmmaker and actor, known for his work in Hindi cinema. After writing a television seriesKabhie Kabhie (1997), Kashyap co-wroteRam Gopal Varma's crime dramaSatya (1998). He later wrote and directed a short television film,Last Train to Mahakali (1999), and made his feature film debut with the yet-unreleased filmPaanch. He next directedBlack Friday (2007), a film on the1993 Bombay bombings. Its release was barred by India'sCensor Board for two years, but was eventually released in 2007 to positive reviews. The same year, he directed the critical and commercial failureNo Smoking.Return of Hanuman (2007), an animated film, was Kashyap's next directorial venture. In 2009, he directedDev.D, a modern-day take onSarat Chandra Chattopadhyay'sBengali novelDevdas, along with the political dramaGulaal. Despite positive reviews, the latter was a box-office failure.

Kashyap's production companyAnurag Kashyap Films released its first filmUdaan (2010)—a critical success that earned him theFilmfare Award for Best Story andBest Screenplay. He then directed one of the short films in theanthology filmMumbai Cutting. After directing the thrillerThat Girl in Yellow Boots (2011), the two-part crime filmGangs of Wasseypur (2012) was his next release, which garnered him theFilmfare Award for Best Dialogue. In 2013, he directed a short film oneve teasing titledThat Day After Everyday, and directed one segment of the anthology filmBombay Talkies (2013). In 2013, he co-producedThe Lunchbox, a film that was nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, and the biographical dramaShahid. In 2011, Kashyap started another production companyPhantom Films, whose first feature was the period dramaLootera (2013). (Full article...)
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A flotilla led by destroyers of the Indian Navy duringExercise Tropex 2023

Innaval terminology, adestroyer is a fast, manoueverable, long-distancewarship intended to escort larger vessels in afleet,convoy orbattle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers. Seventeen destroyers have served, or currently serve, in theIndian Navy. The navy operates 13 guided-missile destroyers from four classes:Visakhapatnam class,Kolkata class,Delhi class, andRajput class. Six other destroyers (threeR class and threeHunt class) have been decommissioned and scrapped.

India did not have any destroyers of its own until 1949. The R-classINS Ranjit, built in theUnited Kingdom, was the first destroyer commissioned in the Indian Navy. Two more of theR-class were later commissioned. ThreeHunt-class destroyers were commissioned in 1953 to succeed the R-class destroyers. These ships (all of which were built in the United Kingdom) were decommissioned by 1976, with the Hunt-classINS Godavari the last. (Full article...)
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TheNational Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is an honour presented annually at theNational Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performance in a leading role within theIndian film industry. Called the "State Awards for Films" when established in 1954, the National Film Awards ceremony is older than theDirectorate of Film Festivals. The State Awards instituted the individual award in 1968 as the "Bharat Award for the Best Actor"; in 1975, it was renamed as the "Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor". As of 2024, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the Government of India has presented a total of 64 "Best Actor" awards to 49 actors. Until 1974, winners of the National Film Award received afigurine and certificate; since 1975, they have been awarded with a "Rajat Kamal" (silverlotus), certificate and a cash prize. Since the 70th National Film Awards, the name was changed to "National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role".

Although the Indian film industry produces films in around 20languages and dialects, the actors whose performances have won awards have worked in eight major languages:Hindi (twenty-seven awards),Malayalam (thirteen awards),Tamil (nine awards),Bengali (five awards),Kannada (four awards),Marathi (three awards), English (two awards), andTelugu (one award). (Full article...)
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Kapoor Khan at an event forBajrangi Bhaijaan in 2015

Kareena Kapoor Khan is an Indian actress who has appeared in more than 66Hindi films. She made her acting debut oppositeAbhishek Bachchan in the 2000 dramaRefugee, for which she won theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut. The following year, she appeared in five films, including the romanceMujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, the thrillerAjnabee, and the ensemble melodramaKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The latter emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film in overseas to that point, and the success of these films established her in Bollywood. This success was followed by repetitive roles in a series of commercial failures.

In 2004, Kapoor portrayed a prostitute in the dramaChameli, which proved to be a turning point in her career, earning her aFilmfare Special Award. That same year, she played a Muslim woman affected by the2002 Gujarat riots inGovind Nihalani's political dramaDev, and two years later, she played theDesdemona character inOmkara (2006), an adaptation ofWilliam Shakespeare's tragedyOthello from directorVishal Bhardwaj. She won twoFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for these films. In 2007, Kapoor played a loquaciousSikh girl inJab We Met, a commercially successful romantic comedy co-starringShahid Kapoor, for which she won theFilmfare Award for Best Actress. (Full article...)
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Thehigh courts of India are the highest courts ofappellate jurisdiction in eachstate andunion territory ofIndia. However, a high court exercises its original civil and criminal jurisdiction only if the subordinate courts are not authorized by law to try such matters for lack of peculiar or territorial jurisdiction. High courts may also enjoy original jurisdiction in certain matters, if so designated, especially by theconstitution, a state law or union law.

The work of most high courts primarily consists of adjudicating on appeals from lower courts and writ petitions in terms of Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution. Writ jurisdiction is also the original jurisdiction of a high court. (Full article...)
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Rohit Sharma has scored 50 centuries in international cricket.

Rohit Sharma is an Indiancricketer who has represented thenational team since 2007. He has made 50centuries in international cricket—33 inOne Day Internationals (ODI), 12 inTests and 5 inTwenty20 Internationals (T20Is)— as of October 2025.

Sharma made his ODI debut againstIreland in June 2007. His first century came during the2010 Tri-Nation Tournament in Zimbabwe when he made 114 against the hosts. Inthe 2013 bilateral series against Australia at home, he made two centuries, including a double-century. The next year, he scored 264 againstSri Lanka at theEden Gardens, Kolkata. The score remains the highest individual total by a batsman in the format. In January 2016, he made 171not out against Australia; it remained the highest score by a visiting batsman against Australia untilEngland'sJason Roy made 180 in 2018. Sharma set the record for most centuries scored in aWorld Cup when he scored five centuries in the2019 World Cup. He has scored centuries against nine different opponents and has the joint-highest number of centuries (nine) against Australia in the format. As of January 2020^[update], Sharma has eight scores in excess of 150, and three double-centuries, both of which are records in ODIs. He has the second highest number of centuries for an active player in the format. (Full article...)
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Kajol is an Indian actress known for her work inHindi films. She is a recipient of more than 40 accolades into her credit. SixFilmfare Awards, oneBest Performance in a Negative Role forGupt: The Hidden Truth andrecord-tying fiveBest Actress for the romance musicalsDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the family dramaKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the tragedy romantic thrillerFanaa and the social dramaMy Name Is Khan. In addition to seven nominations. She has received fiveScreen Awards, fourZee Cine Awards, twoBollywood Movie Award, and one eachStardust Award andBengal Film Journalists' Association Awards.

Kajol made her acting debut withBekhudi (1992), and had commercial successes inBaazigar (1993), andYeh Dillagi (1994). Starring roles in the top-grossing romancesDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) andKuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) established her as a leading star in the 1990s and earned her two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress.
After making her debut in 1992 with the romanceBekhudi, Kajol received critical acclaim and theBengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress for playing an orphaned girl inUdhaar Ki Zindagi (1994). She won her firstFilmfare Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of anIndian non-resident in the romantic dramaDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), andBest Performance in a Negative Role for her performance as afemme fatale in the psychological thrillerGupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), becoming the first actress to win in the latter category. Additionally, she received theZee Cine Award for Best Actor – Female forGupt. (Full article...)
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Basu at the audio release of her filmCreature 3D in 2014.

Bipasha Basu is an Indian actress who has featured in over 50 films, predominantly inHindi language. After a successful career as a model, she made her film debut with a supporting role inAbbas–Mustan's thrillerAjnabee (2001), which won her theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Basu followed this with a role in her firstTelugu cinema—the action filmTakkari Donga (2002). She had her first major success with the supernatural thrillerRaaz (2002), which earned Basu her firstFilmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. The following year, she starred oppositeJohn Abraham in the erotic thrillerJism, in which she played a seductive wife. She received aFilmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role nomination for the film. Her roles in these films established her as asex symbol.

Basu followed this initial success with roles in a series of commercial failures, including the thrillersAetbaar,Rudraksh,Rakht—all in 2004—and the romanceBarsaat (2005). She later featured inPrakash Jha's crime dramaApaharan (2005) and the ensemble comedyNo Entry (2005). The latter emerged as a financial success, grossing₹750 million (US$8.9 million) at the box office, and Basu's role of an escort earned her a nomination for theBest Supporting Actress at the51st Filmfare Awards. Basu had seven film releases in 2006. Her role as an executive at aconglomerate inMadhur Bhandarkar's dramaCorporate earned her another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She then portrayed a character based onBianca inVishal Bhardwaj'sOmkara, an adaptation of theShakespearean tragedyOthello. InSanjay Gadhvi's action filmDhoom 2—her final release of the year—she played dual roles; it was thetop-grossing Bollywood film of the year. In 2008, she collaborated with Abbas–Mustan for the second time forRace. Her performance as a troubled wife inRituparno Ghosh's 2009Bengali filmShob Charitro Kalponik was critically acclaimed. She then featured in the third installment of theRaaz series, entitledRaaz 3D (2012). Due to her frequent associations with horror films, she was labelled India's "horror queen" by the media. (Full article...)
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Khan in 2017

Indian actorAamir Khan first appeared on screen at the age of eight in a minor role in his uncleNasir Hussain's filmYaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). In 1983, he acted in and worked as an assistant director onParanoia, a short film directed byAditya Bhattacharya, following which he assisted Hussain on two of his directorial ventures—Manzil Manzil (1984) andZabardast (1985). As an adult, Khan's first acting project was a brief role in the 1984experimental social dramaHoli.

Khan's first leading role came oppositeJuhi Chawla in the highly successful tragic romanceQayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). His performance in the film and in the thrillerRaakh (1989) earned him aNational Film Award – Special Mention. He went on to establish himself with roles in several lucrative films of the 1990s, including the romantic dramaDil (1990), the comedy-dramaHum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), and the romanceRaja Hindustani (1996). He also played againsttype in theDeepa Mehta-directedCanadian-Indian co-productionEarth (1998). In 1999, Khan launched a production company, Aamir Khan Productions, whose first releaseLagaan (2001) was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and earned him theNational Film Award for Best Popular Film. Also in 2001, he starred alongsideSaif Ali Khan andAkshaye Khanna in the acclaimed coming-of-age dramaDil Chahta Hai.Lagaan andDil Chahta Hai are cited in the media as defining films of Hindi cinema. After a three-year hiatus, Khan portrayed theeponymous lead inMangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), a period film that underperformed at the box office, after which he played leading roles in two top-grossing films of 2006—Fanaa andRang De Basanti. (Full article...)
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Khan at an event forJawan in 2023

Shah Rukh Khan is an Indian actor, producer and television personality who works inHindi films. He began his acting career by playing a soldier in theDoordarshan seriesFauji (1988), a role that garnered him recognition and led to starring roles in more television shows. He soon started receiving film offers and had his first release with the romantic dramaDeewana (1992). Khan subsequently played villainous roles in the 1993 thrillersBaazigar andDarr, box office successes that established his career inBollywood. In 1995, Khan starred oppositeKajol inAditya Chopra's romanceDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, that became the longest running Indian film of all time. He continued to establish a reputation in romantic roles by playing oppositeMadhuri Dixit inDil To Pagal Hai (1997), and Kajol in theKaran Johar-directedKuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) andKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).

In 1999, Khan collaborated withAziz Mirza andJuhi Chawla to start a production company, Dreamz Unlimited, whose first release was the comedy-dramaPhir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) starring Khan and Chawla. The film was a commercial failure as was their next production,Aśoka (2001), leading to a setback. His career prospects improved in 2002 when he starred alongside Dixit andAishwarya Rai inDevdas, a period romance that garnered him critical acclaim. In 2004, he collaborated with his wifeGauri Khan to launch another company,Red Chillies Entertainment, whose first feature was the box office hitMain Hoon Na (2004). Khan's popularity continued to increase in the 2000s as he played the romantic lead oppositePreity Zinta, inKal Ho Naa Ho (2003) andVeer-Zaara (2004). He also played againsttype as aNASA scientist in the dramaSwades (2004), a hockey coach in the sports filmChak De! India (2007), and anautistic man in the dramaMy Name Is Khan (2010). (Full article...)
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Emblem of Karnataka

TheChief Minister of Karnataka is thehead of government of theIndian state ofKarnataka. As per theConstitution of India, thegovernor of Karnataka is the state'sde jure head, butde facto executive authority rests with the chief minister, a template applicable to all other Indian states. Following elections to theKarnataka Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the political party (or a coalition of political parties) with a majority of assembly seats to form the government in the state. The governor appoints the chief minister, whoseCouncil of Ministers iscollectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he/she has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years, renewable, and is subject to noterm limits.Chief Minister also serves as Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly.

Historically, this office replaced that of thedewan of Mysore of the erstwhileKingdom of Mysore withIndia's constitution into a republic. Since 1947, there have been a total of twenty-three chief ministers of Mysore (as the state was known before 1 November 1973) and Karnataka. A majority of them belonged to theIndian National Congress (INC) party, including the inaugural officeholderK. C. Reddy. The longest-serving chief minister,D. Devaraj Urs, held the office for over seven years in the 1970s. INC'sVeerendra Patil had the largest gap between two terms (over eighteen years). One chief minister,H. D. Deve Gowda, went on to become the eleventhprime minister of India, whereas another,B. D. Jatti, served as the country's fifthvice president.B. S. Yediyurappa who was the first chief minister from theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP), served as the chief minister of the state for four terms in 2007, 2008, 2018 and 2019, the only one to do so.S. R. Bommai served as the chief minister representing theJanata Parivar, whose sonBasavaraj Bommai became chief minister representing the BJP in 2021 becoming the second father-son duo to serve office after HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy. There have been six instances ofpresident's rule in Karnataka, most recently from 2007 to 2008. (Full article...)
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Velaiilla Pattadhari (transl. Unemployed graduate) is a 2014 Indian Tamil-languagecomedy drama film written and filmed byVelraj while also making his directorial debut. The film featuredDhanush, who produced the film under his production companyWunderbar Films, andAmala Paul in the lead roles.Saranya Ponvannan,Samuthirakani,Vivek,Surbhi andAmitash Pradhan played supporting roles. The film's story focuses on Raghuvaran (Dhanush), a civil engineering graduate who is unemployed for four years, and his search for a job. As soon as he finds employment, he faces competition from Arun Subramaniam (Amitash), the head of a rival engineering company, for a government project contract. The rest of the film shows how Raghuvaran overcomes the obstacles set by Arun. The soundtrack and score were composed byAnirudh Ravichander while the editing was handled by M. V. Rajesh Kumar.

Produced on a budget of₹80 million,Velaiilla Pattadhari was released on 18 July 2014 and received positive reviews. It was commercially successful, grossing ₹530 million worldwide. The film won 19 awards from 31 nominations; its direction, performances of the cast members and music have received the most attention from award groups. (Full article...)
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Asin at a promotional event forHousefull 2 in 2012

Asin is a former Indian actress who is known for her work inTamil,Telugu andHindi language films. She made her acting debut at the age of 15 in theMalayalam-languagesatirical comedy-dramaNarendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka in 2001. Asin had her first commercial success with the Telugu filmAmma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi (2003). For her performance as a Tamil girl in the film, she received theFilmfare Best Telugu Actress Award. In the same year she won theSantosham Best Actress Award for her role in Telugu filmSivamani. In her next two Telugu releases:Lakshmi Narasimha (2004) andGharshana (2004), Asin played the love interest of a police officer.Lakshmi Narasimha was a commercial success, whileGharshana received mixed reviews from critics but later gained a cult following.

She made her debut inTamil cinema in the 2004sports dramaM. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi, a commercial success. The 2005 action thrillerGhajini marked a turning point in her career. Her role as a vivacious young model named Kalpana won her theFilmfare Best Tamil Actress Award. This led to a series of lead roles in commercially successful films, including the action filmSivakasi (2005), the thrillerVaralaru (2006), the action thrillerPokkiri (2007), the action dramaVel (2008) and the science fiction filmDasavathaaram (2008), which established her as a leading actress of Tamil cinema. (Full article...)
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TheIndian National Congress (INC) is one of the twomajor parties in thepolitical system of theRepublic of India.
As of 20 November 2024, INC is in power in the three states:Himachal Pradesh,Karnataka andTelangana. InTamil Nadu,Jharkhand andJammu and Kashmir, it shares power with alliance partnersDravida Munnetra Kazhagam,Jharkhand Mukti Morcha andJammu & Kashmir National Conference respectively. In the post-independence era, the party has governed most of India'sstates and union territories, and by extension, has the status of a "national party" in India.

According to theConstitution of India, at the state level, thegovernor isde jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister. Therefore, the chief minister is considered the head of government in his jurisdiction. Following elections to thestate legislative assembly, the governor usually invites the party or coalition with a majority of seats to form the government. The chief minister is appointed by the governor, who also appoints other ministers, known as thecouncil of ministers, based on the chief minister's advice. The council of ministers iscollectively responsible to the state legislative assembly, ensuring unified support for all governmental decisions. The Chief Minister's term is normally limited to five years if they have the assembly's confidence. There are no limits to thenumber of terms the chief minister can serve. The deputy chief minister is a member of the state government and usually the second highest ranking executive officer of their state's council of ministers. Because the deputy chief minister is not a constitutional office, the Chief Minister has significant influence over the scope of authority and duties the deputy chief minister can perform. A deputy chief minister usually holds a cabinet portfolio such as home minister or finance minister. In the parliamentary system of government, the chief minister is treated as the "first among equals" in the cabinet; the position of deputy chief minister is used to bring political stability and strength within a coalition government. (Full article...)

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Ghoshal in 2023

Shreya Ghoshal (Bengali pronunciation:[ʃrejaɡʱoʃal]; born 12 March 1984) is an Indian playback singer. Noted for her widevocal range and versatility, she is one of the most prolific and influential singers of India.

Ghoshal began learning music at the age of four. Beginning her training in classical music at the age of six, she made her singing debut with the 2002 romantic dramaDevdas (2002) after winning the television singing reality showSa Re Ga Ma. Her debut songs "Bairi Piya" and "Dola Re Dola" were instant successes and won her theNational Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. She went on to receive four more National Awards for "Dheere Jalna", "Yeh Ishq Haaye", "Pherari Mon", "Jeev Rangla", and "Maayava Thooyava". (Full article...)
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Drushyam (transl. Visual) is a 2014 Indian Telugu-languagecrime thriller film directed bySripriya and jointly produced byD. Suresh Babu andRajkumar Sethupathi. It is a remake ofJeethu Joseph's 2013Malayalam filmDrishyam and featuresVenkatesh,Meena,Esther Anil andKruthika Jayakumar. Venkatesh and Kruthika plays the respective roles ofMohanlal andAnsiba Hasan in the original whereas Meena and Esther reprises their roles from the original film. The film tells the story of Rambabu, a middle-class cable TV operator, and his family. They come under suspicion when Varun, the son of theInspector-general of police (IG), goes missing soon after harassing Rambabu's daughter. The rest of the film reveals how Varun disappeared and what Rambabu does to keep his family from going to prison.

The production work ofDrushyam was undertaken bySuresh Balaje and George Pious. Music for the film was composed bySharreth. The cinematography was done byS. Gopal Reddy and the editing byMarthand K. Venkatesh.Principal photography commenced on 8 March 2014 and lasted three months. It was shot primarily inKerala, similar to the original, and also filmed atAraku,Simhachalam,Vizianagaram andHyderabad. Thepost-production phase ended after one month. (Full article...)
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Ravish Malhotra (born 25 December 1943 inLahore,British India) is a retiredair commodore of theIndian Air Force. He was an Air Forcetest pilot stationed at the test centre inBangalore. He was also the Air Officer Commanding ofHindon Air Force Station near Delhi.

In 1982, he was chosen to train for spaceflight in theSoviet Union'sIntercosmos program. Malhotra served as backup forRakesh Sharma on theSoyuz T-11 mission toSalyut 7 space station which launched the first Indian into space, but never went to space himself. Malhotra was awarded the SovietOrder of Friendship of Peoples in 1984 and theKirti Chakra in 1985. (Full article...)
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Swami Vishnudevananda teaching the 12 basic asanas of Sivananda Yoga

Sivananda Yoga is a spiritualyoga system founded bySivananda andVishnudevananda; it includes the use ofasanas (yoga postures) but is not limited to them as in systems ofyoga as exercise. Vishnudevananda named this system, as well as the internationalSivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres organisation responsible for propagating its teachings, after his guru, Sivananda.

Some other yoga organisations follow Sivananda's teachings, including theDivine Life Society (founded by Sivananda),Bihar School of Yoga,Integral Yoga (Satchidananda) and theChinmaya Mission, but use different names for their yoga systems. Sivananda Yoga is the yoga system of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre organisation, and is based on Sivananda's teachings to synthesise the principles of the four paths of yoga (Yoga of Synthesis) along with the five points of yoga compiled by Vishnudevananda. The four classical paths of yoga consist ofKarma Yoga,Bhakti Yoga,Raja Yoga andJnana Yoga. These are: Proper Exercise (āsana), Proper Breathing (prāṇāyāma), Proper Relaxation (śavāsana), Proper Diet and Positive Thinking (vedānta) and Meditation (dhyāna). (Full article...)
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Anniyan (/ənnɪjən/transl. Stranger) is a 2005 Indian Tamil-languagepsychological action thriller film directed byShankar and produced byV. Ravichandran. The film starsVikram as a meek law-abiding lawyer who suffers fromdissociative identity disorder, and develops two other identities: a playboy fashion model, and a murderous vigilante seeking to eradicatecorruption in India. The cast also includesSadha,Prakash Raj,Vivek,Nedumudi Venu, andNassar.

Shankar conceived the film in mid-2003 during the post-production period of his previous filmBoys. He based the film on his own life experiences during his formative years when he was disturbed by what he saw around him and his eventual displeasure with the society. Pre-production forAnniyan began in November 2003 andprincipal photography in March 2004. The making of the film, which included numerous production delays, took 14 months. The film was shot atHyderabad,Thanjavur,Viluppuram andChennai. The song sequences were filmed inMumbai,Malaysia,Amsterdam andTenkasi. The film was notable for its recreation of theTyagaraja Aradhana music festival and the extensive use of time slice photography in an action sequence. (Full article...)
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Network18 Media & Investments Limited (d/b/aNetwork18 Group) is an Indianmedia conglomerate owned by theReliance Industries with 56.89% share headed byMukesh Ambani and rest of 43.11% is equity holding. Rahul Joshi is the managing director,chief executive officer and groupeditor-in-chief, andAdil Zainulbhai is the chairman of its board of directors.

Incorporated in 1996 by Geeta and Rakesh Gupta, the company was acquired byRitu Kapur andRaghav Bahl to be converted into a conglomerate holding company between 2003 and 2006. It oversaw one of the largest collections of media properties in India following its conversion but became encumbered with debt due to aggressive expansions. In 2012, the company entered into a debt agreement withReliance Industries, through which it was granted a number of channels from theETV Network. The agreement eventually enabled ahostile takeover of the company in 2014. (Full article...)
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Soni is a 2018 IndianHindi-languagecrime drama film directed by Ivan Ayr. Produced by Kimsi Singh and Kartikeya Narayan Singh, the film starsGeetika Vidya Ohlyan and Saloni Batra in the lead roles. It was written by Ayr and Kislay and chronicles the life of police officer Soni (Ohlyan) and her superintendent inDelhi Police Kalpana (Batra), who deal with crimes against women in the city.

The idea forSoni occurred to Ayr in 2014 when he was reading that Delhi was being put under scrutiny for not being safe for women, especially after the2012 gang rape case. Ayr read several articles and interviews about the Delhi police and was interested in woman officers' reactions to cases of sexual violence. He spent time with several Delhi police personnel and observed their daily routine. Pre-production started in November 2016 and Ayr finished the script in January 2017 and the film was shot for 24 days in Delhi in February. David Bolen served as the director of photography while Ayr andGurvinder Singh edited the film. (Full article...)
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Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a biography by the producer of television documentaries and authorNasreen Munni Kabir, documenting Kabir's extensive conversations with the actressWaheeda Rehman about the actress' life and career. The biography details Rehman's birth in 1938 inChingleput (present-day Chengalpattu), her 54-year-long film career, and her 1974 marriage to the actorKamaljeet, with whom she has two children. It was published on 19 February 2014 byPenguin Books. The book generated positive reviews frombook critics; most of the praise was directed towards the book's question-and-answer format, and Kabir's and Rehman's style in questioning and answering, respectively.

In 1988, Kabir met Rehman while researching onGuru Dutt's life. She met Rehman—his then frequent collaborator—to find more information about him for a documentary releasing the next year,In Search of Guru Dutt. During these interactions, Kabir conceived the idea to write a book on the actress which later becameConversations with Waheeda Rehman. Over the next decades, Kabir tried persuading Rehman to get involved in the book but was always rejected since Rehman believed her life was not interesting enough. While Kabir was nearly about to give up of the project, Rehman finally agreed to do so in 2012. Writing took place inBandra from December 2012 to November 2013. (Full article...)
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Moodu Pani (English:The Mist) is a 1980 IndianTamil-languagepsychological thriller film written, directed and filmed byBalu Mahendra. Starring his then wifeShoba andPratap, withN. Viswanathan,Gandhimathi,Mohan andBhanu Chander in supporting roles, it is based on two novels:Idhuvum Oru Viduthalai Thaan (1978) by Rajendra Kumar, andThe Collector (1963) byJohn Fowles. The film follows Chandru (Pratap), who has a strong hatred towards prostitutes and would kill any such woman he encounters. He falls in love with Rekha (Shoba) and believes marrying her will end his psychological distress.

Moodu Pani was the third directorial venture of Mahendra and his second in Tamil afterAzhiyatha Kolangal (1979). It also marked Mohan's debut in Tamil cinema, and the last film Shoba acted in before her death.Principal photography took place between January and April 1980, mostly inUdupi,Bangalore andOoty. The film's similarities toAlfred Hitchcock's filmPsycho (1960) have been widely discussed. The soundtrack was composed byIlaiyaraaja, this being his 100th film, and his brotherGangai Amaran was the main lyricist. (Full article...)
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Vizianagaram fort main entrance

Vizianagaram fort is an early 18th-century fort in the city ofVizianagaram in northeasternAndhra Pradesh,South India. It was built by Vijaya Rama Raju, the Maharaja of Vizianagaram in 1713. The formal ceremony, while laying the foundation for the fort, was very auspicious as it represented five signs of victory. The square-shaped fort has two main gates, of which the main entry gate (the "Nagar khana") has elaborate architectural features. There are many temples and palaces within the fort and a victory tower. This alternative name is Pusapati.^{[citation needed]} (Full article...)
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Shri Kali Temple, Burma, aHindu temple withDravidian architecture inYangon
Burmese Indians are a group of people ofIndian origin who live inMyanmar (Burma). The term 'Burmese Indian' refers to a broad range of people fromSouth Asia, most notably from present-day countries such asIndia andBangladesh. While Indians have lived in Burma for many centuries, most of the ancestors of the current Burmese Indian community emigrated to Burma from the start of British rule in the mid-19th century to the separation of British Burma fromBritish India in 1937. During colonial times, ethnic Indians formed the backbone of the government and economy serving as soldiers, civil servants, merchants, moneylenders, mobile laborers and dock workers. A series of anti-Indian riots in the 1930s and mass emigration at the onset of the Japanese invasion of Burma in 1942 were followed in the 1960s by the forced migration of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Indians, exacerbated byinternal conflict in Myanmar.

Burmese Indians today are estimated to account for approximately 5% (about 2.0–2.5 million people) of the population of Burma and are concentrated largely in the two major cities (Yangon andMandalay) and former colonial towns (Pyin U Lwin andKalaw). Amongst the well-known Burmese Indians isS N Goenka, a leading practitioner and teacher ofvipassanā meditation andHelen, a well-known Bollywood film actress who is also ofAnglo-Burmese descent. (Full article...)
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Santosh Subramaniam (speltSanthosh Subramaniyam onscreen) is a 2008 IndianTamil-languageromantic comedy film directed byM. Raja and produced by Kalpathi S. Agoram. The film starsRavi Mohan (credited as Jayam Ravi) andGenelia whilePrakash Raj,Geetha andSayaji Shinde play supporting roles. It is a remake of theTelugu film,Bommarillu (2006). Genelia and Raj reprise their roles in the film, which revolves around a father and son relationship; the father dotes on his son, who resents the same. The son's choices and his ambitions to achieve something in life are subdued by his father.

The film entered production in July 2007 and in addition to being shot in India, was also shot at theSouth Island of New Zealand. The film's soundtrack was composed byDevi Sri Prasad, who retained most of the tunes he composed forBommarillu. (Full article...)
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MIAF Arjan Singh in his Marshal of the Indian Air Force uniform

Marshal of the Indian Air ForceArjan Singh,DFC (15 April 1919 – 16 September 2017) was a seniorair officer of theIndian Air Force. He served as the 3rdChief of the Air Staff from 1964 to 1969, leading the Air Force through theIndo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was the first and only officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be promoted tofive-star rank asMarshal of the Indian Air Force, equal to the army rank ofField Marshal.

Singh attended theRoyal Air Force College Cranwell at the age of 19 and graduated in 1939. He joined theNo. 1 Squadron IAF and served in theNorth-West Frontier Province. InWorld War II, he commanded this squadron during theArakan Campaign and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1945, he attended theRAF Staff College, Bracknell. After thePartition of India in 1947, he led the first fly-past of Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) aircraft over theRed Fort inDelhi. He then commandedAir Force Station, Ambala at the rank ofGroup Captain. In 1950, after completing the staff course atJoint Service Defence College,Latimer, Buckinghamshire, he was promoted to the rank ofAir Commodore and took over theOperational Command. He commanded the Operational Command in two stints. In 1958, the post was upgraded to Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at the rank of Air Vice Marshal. (Full article...)
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Royal Stag, also known asSeagram's Royal Stag, is anIndian whisky launched in 1995. It is available in many countries across the world in various pack sizes. It isPernod Ricard's best selling brand by volume. It is ablend ofgrain spirits and importedScotch malts. It is commonly available in 180 mL bottle. The brand is named after a species of deer famous for itsantlers, that is also featured in its logo. It is produced in several company-owned as well as bottler-owneddistilleries. It was the first whisky brand launched in India that did not use any artificial flavours.

Pernod Ricard has identified Royal Stag along withSeagram's Imperial Blue,Seagram's Blenders Pride,Chivas Regal andSeagram's 180 Pipers as the company's five core brands to build its spirits business in India. Royal Stag sold 12.3 million cases in 2011, topplingAbsolut Vodka, to become Pernod Ricard's biggest selling brand in its globalportfolio of alcoholic beverages. Royal Stag sold 18 million cases in 2016. (Full article...)
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Lekin... (transl. But...) is a 1991 Hindi dramamystery film, loosely based on the 1895 short storyKshudhit Pashaan (Hungry Stones) byRabindranath Tagore and directed byGulzar. It starsVinod Khanna,Dimple Kapadia,Amjad Khan,Alok Nath, andBeena Banerjee, and features a special appearance byHema Malini. The film tells the story of Reva, a restless ghost who seeks liberation and haunts the ancient palace of Raja Param Singh inRajasthan when she is discovered by Sameer, a museum curator sent by the government to salvage valuables in the region. As she recreates a visual representation of the history of the palace which reveals her tragic story, Sameer becomes determined to help set her free.

Produced by Indian singerLata Mangeshkar (and co-produced byHridaynath Mangeshkar and Bal Phule), the film took four years to release in theaters. It opened to positive reviews, with particular praise directed at Dimple Kapadia's performance. The soundtrack, composed by Hridaynath, was well-received, with Lata's rendition of "Yaara Seeli Seeli" becoming particularly popular. At the38th National Film Awards, the film won five awards, a record for that year, includingBest Music Direction for Hridaynath,Best Female Playback Singer for Lata, andBest Lyricist for Gulzar. At the37th Filmfare Awards, the film won theBest Lyricist award, and Kapadia was nominated forBest Actress for her performance. (Full article...)
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Erode Subramanian Raja Gopal (12 May 1936 – 15 November 2018) was an Indiancondensed matter physicist, a former professor at theIndian Institute of Science and a former director of theNational Physical Laboratory of India. Known for his research incondensed matter physics, Raja Gopal was an elected fellow of all the three major Indian science academies – theIndian National Science Academy, theNational Academy of Sciences, India, and theIndian Academy of Sciences – as well as a member of theInstitute of Physics. He was a formerCSIR emeritus scientist, an alumnus of theUniversity of Oxford and the author of three reference texts incondensed matter physics. TheCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him theShanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to Physical Sciences in 1978. (Full article...)
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Yash Chopra (known asYash Chopra: Fifty Years in Indian Cinema in India) is a biography written by the British professor and authorRachel Dwyer, chronicling the life and career of the Indian filmmakerYash Chopra. The book details Chopra's birth in 1932 inLahore, his career both as a director and producer, and his 1970 marriage to the then-playback singer Pamela, with whom he had two sonsAditya andUday. TheBritish Film Institute publishedYash Chopra on 29 April 2002 in the United Kingdom andRoli Books did so on 30 July in India.

While writingAll You Want is Money, All You Need is Love: Sexuality and Romance in Modern India (2000), Dwyer saw Chopra on a televised interview in 1993, which aired following the release ofDarr. She watched the film and was impressed by it. She subsequently conceived a biography about the filmmaker and with some difficulty held meetings to interview him. Upon its release, the book received mixed reviews, with Dwyer's writing garnering the most appreciation, but herliteral translation of Chopra's interviews from Hindi and Urdu to English generated critical negative responses. (Full article...)
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TheBattle of Tellicherry was a naval action fought off theIndian port ofTellicherry between British and French warships on 18 November 1791 during theThird Anglo-Mysore War. Britain and France were not at war at the time of the engagement, but French support for theKingdom of Mysore in the conflict with the BritishEast India Company had led toRoyal Navy patrols stopping and searching French ships sailing for the Mysorean port ofMangalore. When a French convoy fromMahé passed the British port of Tellicherry in November 1791, CommodoreWilliam Cornwallis sent a small squadron to intercept the French ships.

As the British force under CaptainSir Richard Strachan approached the convoy, the escorting frigateRésolue opened fire. A general action followed, with Strachan succeeding in forcing the French ship to surrender within twenty minutes and both sides suffering damage and casualties. All of the French vessels were searched and subsequently returned to Mahé, the local French authorities reacting furiously at what they perceived as a violation of theirneutral position. Messages were sent from CommodoreSaint-Félix back to France reporting the action but they evoked little response. Although under normal circumstances the battle might have provoked a diplomatic incident, the upheavals of the ongoingFrench Revolution meant that the despatches had little effect. (Full article...)
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Karl Marx in Kalbadevi is a 2013one-man play about the German philosopherKarl Marx played by Satchit Puranik. Written byUttam Gada and directed byManoj Shah, the play depicts an imaginary visit by Marx toKalbadevi, thehypercapitalist area ofMumbai, India. The play tried to introduce to a commercially-mindedGujarati community the ideas of a radical critic of capitalist society, in a style that adopts song, dance,repartee, and interactivebadinage with the audience to make his complex ideas more suitable to the taste and cultural background of local audiences.

Karl Marx in Kalbadevi was successful and has had hundreds of performances, but received mixed reviews from theatre critics. It was praised for Puranik's performance and for presenting complex ideas simply but criticised for its script. (Full article...)
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Sivaji: The Boss is a 2007 IndianTamil-languagevigilante action film directed byShankar and produced byAVM Productions. The film starsRajinikanth,Shriya Saran,Vivek andSuman. In the film, a software systems architect seeks to provide free medical treatment and education but faces hurdles from the political system and an influential businessman.

A. R. Rahman composed the music in his 100th milestone composition, while the art direction, cinematography and editing were handled byThota Tharani,K. V. Anand andAnthony respectively. With a budget of₹600 million (US$7.1 million), the film was themost expensive Indian film at the time of its release. Rajinikanth became the highest-paid Indian actor with this film, earning a fee of around₹260 million (US$3.1 million). Pre-production work for Sivaji began in August 2005 andPrincipal photography of the film commenced in November 2005 and lasted till February 2007. Filming took place in various locations, includingHyderabad,Spain,Italy,New York City,Pune andChennai. It became the first Indian film to useDolby Atmos surround sound technology. (Full article...)
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Late 19th-century lithograph depicting the goddess with a sword, shield, goad and club

Matangi (Sanskrit:मातङ्गी,IAST:Mātaṅgī) is aHindu goddess. She is one of theMahavidyas, tenTantric goddesses and an aspect ofthe Hindu Divine Mother. She is considered to be the Tantric form ofSarasvati, the goddess of music and learning. Matangi governs speech, music, knowledge and the arts. Her worship is prescribed to acquire supernatural powers, especially gaining control over enemies, attracting people to oneself, acquiring mastery over the arts and gaining supreme knowledge.

Matangi is often associated with pollution, inauspiciousness and the periphery of Hindu society, which is embodied in her most popular form, known asUchchhishta-Chandalini orUchchhishta-Matangini. She is described as anoutcaste (Chandalini) and offeredleft-over or partially eaten food (Uchchhishta) with unwashed hands or food after eating, both of which are considered to be impure in classical Hinduism. (Full article...)
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British troops lined up on the beach awaiting evacuation

TheDunkirk evacuation, codenamedOperation Dynamo and also known as theMiracle of Dunkirk, or justDunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000Allied soldiers during theSecond World War from the beaches and harbour ofDunkirk, in the north ofFrance, between 26 May and 4 June 1940. The operation began after large numbers ofBelgian,British, andFrench troops were cut off and surrounded byGerman troops during the six-weekBattle of France.

AfterGermany invaded Poland in September 1939, France and theBritish Empire declared war on Germany and imposed aneconomic blockade. TheBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF) was sent to help defend France. After thePhoney War of October 1939 to April 1940, Germanyinvaded Belgium, theNetherlands, and France on 10 May 1940. Threepanzer corps attacked through theArdennes and drove northwest to theEnglish Channel. By 21 May, German forces had trapped the BEF, the remains of the Belgian forces, and three Frenchfield armies along the northern coast of France. BEF commanderGeneral Viscount Gort immediately saw evacuation across the Channel as the best course of action, and began planning a withdrawal to Dunkirk, the closest good port. (Full article...)
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Gangaajal: The Holy Weapon (transl. Holy Water of theGanges) is a 2003 IndianHindi-languagecrime drama film written, directed, co-produced and edited byPrakash Jha. Featuring anensemble cast of 87 actors, it revolves around theSuperintendent of Police Amit Kumar (Ajay Devgn) who takes charge of the fictitious district of Tejpur,Bihar, known for its high crime rate and organised crime carried out by dons Sadhu Yadav (Mohan Joshi) and Sunder Yadav (Yashpal Sharma). Due to the local police's slow response to crimes, residents of the district resort topouring acid in the eyes of the criminals as an instrument for extrajudicial justice.

Following the release of his directorial debutDamul (1984), Jha conceived an idea for his next venture that would be titledGangaajal, which would be about corruption and political violence. Jha was unfamiliar with the subject matter and had no desire to start production, and took twenty years to write the story. The film, announced in January 2001, was photographed by Arvind K; filming took 60 days and took place inWai andSatara, both inMaharashtra, and sets were designed by Sukhwant Panigrahi. The film's soundtrack was composed bySandesh Shandilya with lyrics by Akhilesh Sharma and a background score by the American composer Wayne Sharpe. (Full article...)
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Profile of Arihant-class submarine

TheArihant-class (lit. 'Vanquisher of the Enemy') is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines in service withIndian Navy. They were developed under the₹900 billion (US$11 billion)Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-powered submarines. These vessels are classified as 'strategic strike nuclear submarines' by India.

The lead vessel of the class,INS Arihant was laid down in 2004, launched in 2009 and after extensive sea trials was confirmed to be commissioned in August 2016.Arihant holds the distinction of being the first ballistic missile submarine to have been built by a country other than one of the fivepermanent members of the United Nations Security Council. As of 25 October 2024,^[update] INSArihant andINSArighaat are already on deep sea patrols. (Full article...)
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Qureshi in 2025

Huma Saleem Qureshi (pronounced[ˈɦʊmaːsəˈliːmqʊˈɾɛːʃiː]; born 28 July 1986) is an Indian actress who primarily appears inHindi-language films. Her accolades include aFilmfare OTT Award along with nominations for threeFilmfare Awards.

Qureshi studied history inDelhi while she worked as a theatre actor and model. She then moved to Mumbai and signed a two-year contract withHindustan Unilever to appear in television commercials. During the shoot for aSamsung mobile commercial,Anurag Kashyap noticed her acting ability and signed her for a three-film deal with his company, marking her film debut with a supporting role in thetwo-part 2012 crime dramaGangs of Wasseypur. Her performance in the film earned her a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. (Full article...)

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9 December 2025 –2025 IndiGo disruption: TheDirectorate General of Civil Aviation ofIndia ordersIndiGo, the country's largest airline, to reduce its flights by 5% following a scheduling crisis last week that caused thousands of cancellations.(DW)
7 December 2025 –2025 North Indian Ocean cyclone season: Cyclone Ditwah; The death toll from the floods andlandslides caused by heavy rains inSri Lanka increases to 618.(Al Jazeera); Cyclone Senyar; The death toll from thefloods inIndonesia increases to 908, while 410 people remain missing. InThailand, at least 216 people are also confirmed killed.(Al Jazeera)

Did you know...

... that before becoming acommissioner of Indian affairs,William P. Dole was only known to have encountered Native Americans once in his life?
... thata 17th-century painting depicts an Indian emperor shooting arrows at a personification of poverty?
... thatSimeon Barclay's "sculpture of a chicken on its own little mini-mountain" referencesa traditional Indian game?
... thatCasanova's friendEdoardo Tiretta builta bazaar in India?
... that in its 1962 election campaign, theSocialist Party of India demanded that twice-yearly inter-caste dining be made a mandatory criterion for government employment?
... thatAishwarya Rai Bachchan was the first Indian actress to be a juror at theCannes Film Festival?