tambrahm Archives

Rice Consumption Could Reduce Global Obesity? The Pot-Bellied Tamil Uncle Agrees

Common wisdom in India dictates that dieters should steer clear of rice. But a research team from Kyoto found that increasing rice consumption could reduce global obesity. So why is the billowing sadam belly, paired with a bushy moustache, the most distinctive marker of South Indian-dom?

Kahini Iyer July 13, 2016

Culture

How RK Narayan’s Malgudi Days Helped Me Understand My Grandfather

Malgudi might have been a made-up Tamil town of the 1940s, supposedly located near colonial Madras. But its realism came from slice-of-life tales about a community that, however far removed from me in space and time, felt like home.

Kahini Iyer April 7, 2016

Culture

Tam Brahm Weddings: The Holy Union of Boredom and Bananas

We live in a time when the nation has joyfully adopted Karan Johar’s vision of the ultimate shaadi. But when everyone else has boarded the party bus, the Tam Brahm prefers endless agarbatti-fuelled ceremonies, Bharatnatyam, and a lunch of rice and sambar.

Kahini Iyer March 24, 2016