India

 1947 Independence Day edition of The Hindu | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives On the morning of August 15, 1947, India awoke to freedom — and to the pages of a newspaper that captured the moment in ink. That day’s edition of The Hindu was more than a record of events; it was a mosaic of voices, from leaders and freedom fighters to ordinary citizens and businesses, each marking the birth of a nation in their own words.This year, to mark the 78th anniversary of Independence, The Hindu is making that historic edition available once again. A faithful reprint of…

Detail of passenger's hand holding Indian passport on the airplane | Photo Credit: Getty Images India has climbed eight places on Henley Passport Index 2025 to 77th rank from 85 last year though the number of countries allowed visa-free access to Indian passport holders has mariginally been increased to 59. A passport is a government-issued document that allows an individual to travel overseas. What is the Henley Passport Index?The Henley Passport Index is a popular ranking of global passports that measures passport strength by the number of destinations that holders can visit without a prior visa. The index ranks countries…

Valley of flowers in Uttarakhand. | Photo Credit: Getty Images This monsoon, seasoned travellers from Bengal, especially those who love the hills but are wary of Kashmir and bored of Darjeeling, are headed to Uttarakhand to mix sightseeing with spiritualism.They feel that the rainy reason, apart from its risks, also has its share of rewards in what they like to call Devbhoomi, a common sobriquet for Uttarakhand, and that this is possibly the best time of the year to be there because this is when more religious events are held there.“Monsoon takes up most of the pilgrimage season in Uttarakhand…