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A viral joke about Bengalis that often makes the rounds during Eid goes like this: all Bengalis are half-Hindu and half-Muslim, until someone reminds us that Muslims can’t eat pork. If you are familiar with Bengali culture, you’re already in on the joke. If you are unfamiliar, it works because Bengali Hindus and Muslims have a long history of syncretism nurtured over centuries of sharing the same land and language: here you will find Muslim poets who write songs about Kali, the fierce, dark-skinned mother goddess; and Hindu fisherfolk who swear by Bonobibi, the folk-deity of the forest who traces her origins to Islamic apocrypha. Many Bengalis celebrate Eid with as much pomp and piety as we celebrate the Durga Puja, until someone reminds us that pork is prohibited in Islam. Then we head to Park Street or Chinatown for a sumptuous plate of Chilli Pork and call it a day, or so the joke goes. I should know — I am one of them.
But this Eid feels different. This year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and most Gulf countries will observe Eid al-Fitr tonight amid fears of drone and missile strikes. In India, many Muslims will observe Eid tomorrow in a homeland where the space for visibly being Muslim seems to be shrinking each day. In Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Palestine, Eid will once again occur under the apartheid state of Israel. For many families in Iran, where US and Israeli strikes have killed over 1,400 civilians and injured over 18,000 individuals since the beginning of the war, Eid will never be the same again.
The fallout of these mindless acts of war has been devastating: restrictions on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and the suspension of operations in natural gas processing plants in Qatar and the Arab countries have brought the world to the brink of an energy crisis, skyrocketing the already inflated cost of living across the world.
It’s easy to lose hope in such uncertain times. And yet, the spirit of Eid holds within it the possibility of hope — of renewal and restoration. The Quran reminds us of this again and again: in the Surah Ali’Imran, Chapter 3, Verse 139 — do not lose hope, nor be sad; and again in the Surah Ash-Sharh, Chapter 94, Verse 6 — for indeed, with hardship [there will be] ease. These are calls to remain steadfast in the face of injustice, to find strength in community, and will better days into being. Perhaps this is what festivals like Eid asks of us now: to expand the meaning of community beyond proximity, to recognise suffering without turning away, and to hold on — fiercely — to the belief that dignity, like faith, cannot be erased.
Eid Mubarak, everyone. Here’s what we have for you this week:
‘Annotations on Colour’, a group exhibition currently on view at the Jaipur Centre for Art (JCA), examines this relationship in the context of contemporary art. The exhibition, developed by JCA, brings together contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor, Hanif Kureshi, Anita Dube, and Thukral & Tagra to investigate how pigment produces optical tension, spatial distortion, and psychological response. The exhibition extends that premise into contemporary spatial practice: in these works, colour appears as luminous fields, intense material surfaces, and dispersed chromatic systems which alter the seer’s perception. In several works, perception itself becomes the medium. Learn more here.
Berlin-based Zanjeer is a band powered by punk: multilingual, migrant-driven hardcore built on anger that crosses borders. The group first took shape in Bremen around 2020, bringing together musicians from Pakistan, Colombia, England and Germany who had previously played in DIY bands like MURO and AMENAZAS. Their goal was to make aggressive political punk that reflects the experience of people pushed to the margins by nationalism, religion, and migration politics. “That mix of backgrounds shapes the band’s identity: the music sits squarely in the European d-beat tradition, but the perspective comes from diasporic lives navigating the contradictions of modern Europe,” Disha writes here.
“There’s something about ‘The Lunchbox’ that made me tear up as the credits of the short film rolled in. It could have been the protagonist, Rahul, a young British-Indian boy trying to fit in with his schoolmates, or his mother, doing her best to ensure that her family still feels connected to their roots in a distant land. Or perhaps it was simply the fifteen intimate minutes I spent watching this mother-son relationship unfold, and I just happen to be a sucker for stories like these,” Avani writes here.
Cities evolve like living organisms, growing through layers of culture, migration, and memory. Heirloom Cities is a collective documenting these living archives by exploring urban life through food, neighbourhoods, and everyday rituals. Their debut book, Mumbai: A Journey Through Its Kitchens, Streets, and Stories, combines essays, photography, and recipes to capture the city’s cultural ecosystems. With future volumes planned for other cities, the project aims to build a library of urban stories rooted in cuisine, community, and heritage. Learn more here.
‘One Night in Toki-O’, a collaboration between Toki Suntory Whisky and Homegrown, is a celebration of this timeless ethos. After a successful one-night-only pop-up in a 6,000 sq. ft. shed in The Dhan Mill on April 12, 2025, ‘One Night in Toki-O’ is returning to New Delhi on March 27, 2026. This time, we will be taking over Dirty Good, transforming the space into a vibrant evening inspired by Japan’s creative energy.
At the heart of the evening is a music programme centred around vinyl-led soundscapes. The lineup features vinyl-led DJ sets by Kohra (@kohra_) and Antariksh (@antarikshdaddy), alongside sets by Kunal Schhabra (@kunalschhabra) and Sheral B (@sheralb_). Together, the artists will bring an eclectic mix of electronic, groove-driven, and experimental sounds that echo Tokyo’s underground music scene while building bridges with Delhi’s evolving club and listening-room culture. Learn more here.
Bengaluru Art Weekend returns for its second edition from 28 March to 6 April, celebrating the city’s deeply embedded creative spirit. With the theme ‘Second Nature’, the festival features workshops, performances, and conversations across venues such as Sabha, BLR, and the Museum of Art and Photography. From fireside chats with industry voices to live music performances, the event highlights how art in Bengaluru exists as part of everyday life, inviting residents to pause and rediscover the city’s cultural rhythms. Learn more here.
Photographer Vinod Venkapalli is part of a generation of Indian documentary photographers who work across reportage, staged imagery, and long-form photo stories. From Hyderabad and Hanamkonda in Telangana, he studied environmental engineering at the Indian School of Mines (now IIT Dhanbad) and briefly worked in corporate jobs before choosing photography full-time. His work often begins with extended travel through rural Telangana. One early project focused on fluorosis in Nalgonda, where groundwater contamination caused severe health issues for residents. The project involved conversations with villagers and followed those affected over time.
He recently announced a four-day online photo storytelling workshop over two weekends — March 28–29 and April 4–5 — as an introduction to building photo essays and narrative projects. Learn more about the workshop here.
