The flickering lantern from childhood

लालटेन, লণ্ঠন, விளக்கு, ਲਾਲਟੈਣ, റാന്തൽ – the many Indian names for the humble Lantern which was part of our growing up years. It helped us navigate darkened evenings and look towards a brighter future. Summer of 2026: The lights went off! The humming of the HVAC stopped, and our security system beeped about losing its […]

Mela –  The Best Carnival of Childhood

We were inducted into the Indian fairs or carnivals much before Bollywood gave us “Hum dono bachpan mein Kumbh ke Mela mein bichhar gaye they…” ‘Pop!’ As a child, the sound of the colorful balloons popping with the pellet gun always caught my fancy at the neighborhood winter Mela or the winter carnival. The delicate […]