Why Brahmins have been important in Hindu Society
Rajesh Kochhar If pandits have enjoyed pre-eminent position in the Hindu society for centuries, there is reason for it. Pandits have not tried to act as a moral force. Rather…
The Kochhar clan
Excerpted from Rose, HA (1911) A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West frontier province ( Lahore: Government Printing Press) Vol. 2, p. 522 “The Kochhar…
Public lecture on Rahu and Ketu, Panjab University Chandigarh 16-Jan-2017 1130am
Public lecture on Rahu and Ketu, PU Chandigarh 16 Jan 1130 am All are invited On 16th January, 1130am in Physics Auditorium Panjab University Chandigarh, I shall be giving a…
New Bengal social class under colonial auspices
Rajesh Kochhar (For details and referencing please see Kochhar, Rajesh (2008) Seductive orientalism: English education and modern science in colonial India, Social Scientist, 26, pp. 45-63. Kochhar, Rajesh (2008) …
Jayalalithaa 1948-2016
The following word picture of Jayalalithaa (to use the spellings she adopted in later years for better luck) is based on pieces of information , including from her distant relatives,…
Praising technical jugaad: Celebrating illiteracy
Harvinder Khetal (In love with jugaad, 26-Nov-2016; http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sunday-special/people/in-love-with-jugaad/328851.html) has done well to draw attention to the interesting phenomenon known as jugaad. One however cannot but notice that she has…
The making of colonial Simla, 1815-1830: A Re-look
Simla finds first mention in passing in colonial records in 1816. At the time the area conjointly belonged to two princely states. The first permanent European structure, a residential building, was…