A Tomb Stone of a Jewish serviceman served in Ceylon

Jewish Footprints and Connections that Shaped Sri Lanka’s History

Today, the Chabad Houses in Colombo and on Sri Lanka's southern coast have attracted considerable attention amid a rise in anti-Semitic incidents and rhetoric. It is noteworthy that Colombo once had an active synagogue, which served as a regular place of worship for British Jewish servicemen World War II

Repositioning India as the Capital of Buddhist Tourism: A Blueprint for a Global Destination

Buddhist tourism as an important tool of India’s soft power. The shared Buddhist heritage can help develop cultural ties with Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Mongolia, South Korea, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, and several other Buddhist-majority nations through cooperation in archaeology, monk-to-monk dialogues, youth programs, academic exchanges, and cultural festivals

Mohenjo-daro’s ‘Dancing Girl’: The Silence Surrounding Women in Public History

Mohenjo-daro offers South Asia an opportunity to look backwards without dividing the past into national possessions, and to recognise that the region’s cultural memory is older and more interconnected than its modern inheritors.

How a Film by a Boston-Based Immigrant is Dismantling the Model-Minority Concept

Jam Boy represents a much-needed question for the South Asia diaspora, about why it takes a third aggressor for us to see the common struggles that we share, and why it is only in these situations that we remember that our ideas of home are the same.

More on Soft Power, Culture and Society

Women short-changed in Nepal local body elections

Nepal, among the newest countries adopting parliamentary democracy, has laws requiring political parties to ensure a certain share of women among their candidates for local elections. However, most political parties have exploited a loophole in the country’s Local Level Election Act 2017 to undermine their representation

We need to break out of community mafias, says Mis Trans Pakistan Shryaa Roy

“I feel beautiful, I feel special and I get more respect,” she said. “There was a time when we used to get eyed as if we were aliens but now we are beauty queens and I have [procured] the title for the first time in the history [of Pakistan] so I couldn't resist flaunting it and celebrating more.”

WHO facility in India to have global traditional medicine database

Modi noted the rising demand for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani formulations globally as many countries are relying on traditional medicine systems for dealing with the pandemic

Indian Army's new video on Kashmir propagates message of unity and harmony

The video shows the visuals of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, rescue operations, and stone-throwing incidents, and highlights how terrorists, through the decades, have misguided the youth of the valley and instigated enmity between different communities. It particularly underlines the importance of maintaining communal harmony.

Modi inaugurates Museum of Prime Ministers, buys first ticket

Calling India the "mother of democracy", Modi said it was a matter of pride for Indians that most of the country's prime ministers came from very humble families

Sri Lanka's IPL players asked to return home to join street protests

Ranatunga, a highly respected figure in his country and a sporting icon for the young, requested the players to return to Sri Lanka t least for a week to join the protesters

All-black team to summit Everest to promote racial equality

'This is an amazing project,' Shanti Nepali, one among the eight filming crew, said. 'This project will not only raise awareness in the great outdoors in American society but in Nepal too..'

When the cricket economy grows in Pakistan, our respect will rise, says Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja

Raja told Cricbuzz that he was misquoted in the interview and that he is quite aware of the difference between India's and Pakistan's economies

Hyderabad-based cancer surgeon conferred with prestigious UK honour for improving breast cancer care

He founded South Asia's first dedicated comprehensive breast health centre and a breast cancer charity to raise awareness about the disease

Zojila Tunnel project - India's longest tunnel - Is powered by local Kashmiris

About 900 out of 1000 men working on the 13-km long Zojila Tunnel are from Jammu and Kashmir

Need to uplift Kashmir's youth by educating them, says India's Supreme Court; rejects loan denial to student studying in Bangladesh

“She is a younger person and is pursuing her 2nd year in MBBS in Bangladesh. There is lax on her part (sic), she is a youngster. Many young people make mistakes. Have we not done mistakes when we were young?” remarked Justice Chandrachud

'Asia's largest' tulip garden opens in Kashmir amid tourist rush

As Kashmir witnesses a massive rush of tourists amid easing of Covid restrictions in the rest of India, the tulip garden has been one of the major attractions vital to boosting tourism this season, tourism officials said 

Autistic Indian girl swims across Palk Strait, as Sri Lankan and Indian Navy provide security cover

Jiya Rai, the autistic daughter of a senior sailor of the Indian Navy, brought laurels to India by swimming across the Palk Strait from Talaimannar (Sri Lanka) to Dhanuskodi (India), a distance of 29 km, in 13 hours and 10 minutes

Pakistani girl wins 13th World Speed Reading Championship

Beating over 100 competitors from across the world, Emma Alam, a Pakistani girl, did her country proud as she won the 13th World Speed Reading Championship final which was held in a hybrid form due to the pandemic

Muslim family in India donates land to build 'world's largest Hindu temple', taller than Angkor Vat

Without the help of Muslims, it would have been difficult to realise this dream project for Hindus, the Mahavir Mandir Trust head added