Jiu-Jitsu fires a passion to win gold

In an era of cut-throat, tough competition, you might be forgiven for thinking success at a sport could only come by practising pretty much from the time you leave the womb. You might believe that a 27-year-old picking up Jiu-Jitsu might never achieve any real level of success. Going against these pre-defined notions makes Sankalita Chakraborty's swift rise to...

Edinburgh’s community spirit is back with a bang for Dusherra 2021

Social distancing, wearing masks, sanitizing hands seemed to be a distant past as Edinburgh residents prepared for the Dusherra event this weekend - 17th Oct 2021. Although, I don’t mean literally. Track and Trace was very much evident at the venue and the sides of the marquee were kept open for more than 50% so that enough ventilation was...

The Piano

An eerie hum of silence roamed through the dark room. Dust floated around revealing itself when hit by the light coming through the small window at the end of the large, echoey room. The piano stool squeaked as the man adjusted himself. The man cleared his throat and touched the cold, ivory keys. Thousands of memories flooded back into...

Lockdown Diaries: The importance of exercise during lockdown and beyond

When compared to the spectre of death and global economic collapse, gym closures seem pretty low on the list of calamities caused by the pandemic, but exercise is particularly important now because it boosts us physically and mentally. Physical activity helps to keep our immune systems working effectively as it flushes bacteria from the lungs and airways, increases white blood...

Analysis: Super Cyclone Amphan brings massive destruction to the ‘storm breeder’ areas of Bay of Bengal

The Bay of Bengal has long been known as a ‘STORM BREEDER' according to the British Meteorologist, Henry Piddington, who coined the word ‘Cyclone‘ in 1840. This was not for the first time that the city of Kolkata has been hit by a twin disaster. In October 1737 Calcutta was nearly obliterated followed by an earthquake, with an unimaginable scenario...

Founder of Cloud Apartments wins Emerging Entrepreneur Award

Rising to the challenge of Covid has seen an emerging entrepreneur launch, and successfully grow, Cloud Apartments from just a single one-bedroom apartment in London’s up-market Canary Wharf area in May 2018 to winning an award at this year's Ideas for India event. Within a short span of four years, and despite the challenges of the pandemic, the business has...

A personal plea for generations to co-operate in saving the planet and our children’s futures

As far back as I can remember, I loved animals, plants, and trees — really anything that was outdoors and wild. Simply put, I was fascinated by the natural world. My interest was magnified when I spent a summer holiday in the Midlands with my grandparents. Even though I was only four years old, I remember so vividly the...

Bhavna Juneja: US-based entrepreneur, empowering women and revolutionising real estate in India

Being an entrepreneur isn't just something you do, it's something you are. It's not something which everyone could, or indeed should, do. However, some individuals clearly thrive on the challenge and love to change the world for the better. Bhavna Juneja is one of those individuals. Bhavna is Global Vice President-IT Services Life Science & Infrastructure at Infinity, a Stamford...

KASHISH 2023: special presentation of Maja Ma featuring cast and crew Q&A

Madhuri Dixit-starrer Maja Ma, directed by Anand Tiwari will be screened as a special presentation at the 14th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, South Asia's biggest LGBTQ+ film festival which will be held June 7-11, 2023 at Liberty Cinema, and June 8 - 10, 2023 at Alliance Française de Bombay; and also online from June 16-25,...

SIAF’s 25th Dusherra is a blazing success

The Scottish Indian Arts Forum (SIAF) celebrated its flagship event Dusherra on 13 October 2019 at the top of Calton Hill, Edinburgh. More than 1,500 people braved the heavy rain and celebrated 25th Dusherra from 3:00pm to 9:00pm. The celebration started with a special reception by Lord Provost of Edinburgh at the City Chambers, Edinburgh on Friday evening – 4th...