Against all hope, secularism remains a myth

The 18th-century ‘discovery’ by Western academics of Sanskrit allowed a whole new branch of science-minded researchers to delve into the mysteries of the Subcontinent.

Reflections of a historical tradition

‘Resonance’: Himal’s commentary on work by artists with the Kasthamandap Art Studio in Kathmandu.

The internationals are preparing to bail out of Afghanistan, presenting impractical quick-fix solutions.

The talk drags on in Kathmandu about integration, rehabilitation and the future of the Maoist combatants.

Internecine political battles are making Karachi a dangerous place to live

As Mahinda Rajapakse moves to consolidate his hold over the Sri Lankan state, there are potent similarities with the election of J R Jayewardene nearly three decades ago.

The hundred-day deadline has just passed for the promulgation of Nepal’s long-awaited new constitution. But there is little optimism that this date will be met.

The ruins of one of Asia’s great centres of learning still inspire travellers

What we celebrate when we mark 8 March

Where there is water, there is probably ore beneath.

emWhen the exhausted world is fast asleep Then at the new-dusk of the New Year We too shall celebrate Our New Year – Anant Bhatnagar in “Hum bhi manayenge naya saal”/em

emDid being an island help Sri Lanka evolve a particular type of hominid? /em

Translator-poet Sudeep Sen assembles a bewilderingly cosmopolitan collection of verse.

William Dalrymple offers a narrative of the journeys of nine spiritual seekers in India on their search for truth.

In Search of Sita offers differing takes on Sita and takes us through the evolutionary trajectory of her many interpreted lives.

emMy Name is Khan/em weaves a complex narrative which offers an alternative to the political Islam that is so problematic today.

By: Niyanthini Kadirgamar & Ahilan Kadirgamar The adversity and achievements of a Tamil woman over the course of a century-long life mirror the tragedy of the Sri Lankan north and its people.