More Than a Cloth: How the Assamese Gamosa Wove Itself Into India’s Global Story

At first glance the Gamosa may look simple a white cotton cloth bordered with red threads But in Assam this modest piece of fabric carries the weight of centuries It wipes sweat dries tears welcomes guests blesses rituals and today speaks for an entire region on the world stage The Assamese Gamosa is not just worn or gifted it is felt lived and passed down like a memory stitched into cloth From Body-Wiper to Cultural IconThe word Gamosa comes from two simple Assamese roots Ga meaning body and Mosa meaning wipe Its earliest role was purely functional a cloth for daily use by farmers workers and households Yet over time the Gamosa absorbed meanings far beyond utility What began as an everyday essential slowly transformed into a cultural marker reflecting how Assamese society elevates simplicity into symbolism Handwoven primarily from cotton and sometimes from luxurious Pat silk for special occasions

2 Feb 2026

The Whys and Hows

The Economics of Reusability: Why the Future of Space Belongs to Flying Rockets Back Home

For most of human history in space every rocket launch ended the same way in flames or debris scattered across the ocean Rockets were built launched once and discarded magnificent machines designed for a few minutes of glory That model is now fading fast As private companies enter the launch market and reusability becomes central to rocket design the economics of spaceflight are being rewritten With the global space economy expected to cross one trillion dollars by reusable rockets are no longer just a technological upgrade they are the backbone of a new commercial era For countries like India this transition carries enormous implications Lower launch costs mean more satellites more services more startups and wider public access to space-based technology that directly affects daily life from GPS navigation and weather forecasting to disaster management and internet connectivity Why Spaceflight Has Always Been So CostlySending anything into orbit is one

26 Jan 2026

The Whys and Hows

When Pay Meets Purpose: How the 8th Pay Commission Could Change the Lives of Government Workers and the Services We Depend On

Growing up many of us have seen this scene at home A government school teacher checking prices twice before buying vegetables A clerk postponing a medical test because the month-end budget feels tight A constable worrying about rent hikes while inflation quietly eats into savings For years public servants have carried the weight of rising costs with salaries that have not kept pace The th Pay Commission arrives at this moment not merely as a financial update but as a possible turning point What is the th Pay Commission and why it matters A Pay Commission is a panel set up by the Government of India roughly once every years to review and revise the salary structure of central government employees and pensioners The th Pay Commission will replace the th Pay Commission which has been in force since The government had announced that the new commission will be implemented

16 Jan 2026

The Whys and Hows

Santa Claus Wasn’t Always Red, and That’s the Real Christmas Story!

During my school days I loved the red and white colors that Santa Claus wears To me those colors meant happiness excitement and celebration Santa looked cool friendly and magical someone who arrived once a year only to spread joy Christmas felt incomplete without his red suit white beard and cheerful ho ho ho Back then I never questioned why Santa looked the way he did I simply believed that this was how Santa had always been Years later a casual conversation changed that belief My uncle who works in advertising smiled when I spoke about Santa s red outfit and told me You know Santa wasn t always like this That single line opened the door to a fascinating story one where faith folklore art and marketing came together to create the Santa Claus we know today The Saint Behind the SantaThe roots of Santa Claus lie not in

25 Dec 2025

The Whys and Hows

124 Years in the Air: The Story of the Wuppertal Hanging Railway

At first glance the Wuppertal Schwebebahn looks like something straight out of a futuristic sci-fi film a sleek blue train hanging from its tracks gliding gently above a river and weaving through a compact German city But this marvel is not new at all It has been operating continuously since making it the world s oldest suspension railway More than a century later it still carries thousands of daily commuters while travellers from around the world visit just to experience the easy floating sensation of riding a train that hangs rather than rolls Hop On the Spectacular Wuppertal SchwebebahnLocated in the lively city of Wuppertal the Schwebebahn glides along tall iron arches giving passengers the feeling of flying through the air As the train passes above roads neighbourhoods and busy market squares the scenery slowly opens into stunning views of the Wupper River For tourists this bird s-eye view alone

2 Dec 2025

The Whys and Hows

Captured Against the Sun: How The Fall of Icarus Made History!

In an age where millions of photos are clicked every second only a few manage to leave the world speechless One such image titled The Fall of Icarus has taken the internet by storm Shot by Arizona-based astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy the photograph shows skydiver Gabriel Brown appearing to free-fall directly in front of the glowing surface of the Sun Perfectly aligned perfectly timed and almost unbelievable to the eye this image has become a global sensation overnight But behind this breathtaking masterpiece lie months of planning precise calculations extreme conditions and a story of human passion and collaboration A Shot That Defies ImaginationMcCarthy captured the photograph on November in a desert using a series of high-powered telescopes Brown a musician YouTuber pilot and experienced skydiver jumped from a paramotor aircraft at an altitude of about feet meters At the same time McCarthy was stationed roughly feet meters away with his

24 Nov 2025

The Whys and Hows

The Himalayan Ritual You’ve Never Heard Of: Raulane’s Sacred Bride and Groom Ceremony

In the remote valleys of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh the Raulane Festival stands as one of the region s most fascinating winter traditions According to local folklore the festival is nearly years old rooted in the belief that protective mountain spirits known as Sauni descend during the harsh winter months These spirits are believed to safeguard villagers when the region is cut off by snow offering comfort and protection Kinnaur s geographical isolation for centuries helped preserve this ritual in its original form allowing the community to carry forward a tradition that remains deeply spiritual and culturally intact even today Raula and Raulane The Ritual Bride and GroomAt the centre of the festival are two men chosen to play the symbolic roles of Raula groom and Raulane bride Though the roles resemble a wedding the ritual has no connection to marriage Both performers completely cover their faces with masks of

17 Nov 2025

The Whys and Hows

France Powers Ahead: World’s First Wireless EV-Charging Road Near Paris

Imagine driving your electric car on a highway that silently powers your vehicle without ever needing to stop for a charge That s no longer science fiction it s happening right now in France In a remarkable leap toward sustainable mobility France has unveiled the world s first wireless EV charging highway near the A motorway just outside Paris This -kilometer stretch can charge multiple electric cars buses and trucks while they re in motion marking a historic first for the world Independently verified by the Gustave Eiffel University the system can deliver a continuous power output of over kW with peaks reaching kW comparable to Tesla s fastest V Supercharger stations It s not just a technological win it s a vision of the future where transportation becomes cleaner more efficient and more human-centered How Does the Wireless Road Work Beneath the asphalt lies a hidden network of copper

5 Nov 2025

The Whys and Hows

Seeing Again: The Microchip That Restores Vision

For many people living with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration AMD life gradually dims as central vision fades In its most severe form called geographic atrophy GA cells in a small area of the retina die leaving sufferers with blurred or distorted central vision Color perception and fine detail are often lost making everyday tasks like reading writing and recognizing faces impossible nbsp Worldwide GA affects around five million people including over in the UK alone Now a groundbreaking technology is changing lives Patients fitted with a tiny microchip implant at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London are regaining some of the vision they lost In a pioneering international trial of participants experienced meaningful sight enabling them to read complete crosswords and engage in daily activities that were previously unimaginable How the Implant WorksThe innovative procedure involves inserting a photovoltaic microchip just mm square and as thin as a human hair

1 Nov 2025

The Whys and Hows