Poulomi Deb

One day in 2008, when most Indian artists were skeptical of the format, the India Art Fair was conceptualised as a trade platform in Delhi, and though it was rooted in commerce (by galleries for collectors), it’s since blossomed into one of the most head-turning, headline-churning art galas in the country.  IAF courts modern and contemporary artists across India and South Asia, and sometimes even beyond. You’ve got cutting-edge artwork, of course, but more than that, it’s grown into a space that encourages active discussion on what art is. This time, panels on the theme ‘What Makes Art Happen’ are lined up for the weekend, as well as out-of-the-box workshops and in-person performances.  Last year saw a supremely successful show. MF Husain, SH Raza and Raja Ravi Varma were the biggest crowd pullers, but it was the textile exhibits that – quite surreptitiously – grabbed eyeballs, the most notable being Rekha Rodwittiya’s embroidery exploring gender politics. Well, the fair’s entering its seventeenth season – here’s some stuff to keep in mind.  When and where is IAF happening? When: The fair is open on February 7-8 for general entries, with the last entry time being 5pm. On Saturday, you can be there from 10am to 7pm; if you’re on a student ticket, your entry time would be 1pm. The next day holds the same time for entry, but the fair will wrap up by 6pm. Where: It’s at the Okhla NSIC Exhibition Grounds in South Delhi, where you can enter from Gate 6. That’s walking distance from

Fear not if you immediately tuned out of the union government’s Budget for the year after hearing the phrase ‘tax slabs’. It wasn’t all about big numbers – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chalked out a plan on a fresh push for tourism in the country, and if you’ve been nursing a bucket list of places to visit, this might be the news you were waiting to hear. India's never really lacked tourists – both domestic and foreign – but the experience can, admittedly, vary widely from place to place. With domestic tourism surging since the pandemic and international arrivals steadily returning, the question of how visitors experience the country is back in focus. The Budget’s tourism proposals are framed as an attempt to fix exactly that. Here are three ways they could shape how – and where – people travel across India. Fifteen heritage sites to be revamped The Budget proposed that 15 archaeological sites be reimagined as ‘experiential cultural destinations’ for visitors, with curated walkways, interpretation centres, and immersive technology-aided storytelling. The Finance Minister named seven of these sites, across Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Ladakh. Harappan civilisation sites from the Bronze Age: The largest known settlement from the Indus Valley happens to be on this list: Rakhigarhi in Haryana. There’s also Gujarat’s Lothal, which is an old port town known for its dockyard, and Dholavira, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage city for its sophistication.S