New Delhi, Nov. 3 -- Like all great ancient cities, Srinagar is built upon layers of history. Through different eras, diverse cultures entered this urban hub, clashed, and were absorbed in. In his new book, architectural historian Sameer Hamdani goes back two millennia to trace Srinagar's evolution using Sanskrit, Persian and Kashmiri texts, alongside material remains.

'City of Kashmir: Srinagar, a Popular History', by Sameer Hamdani, Hachette India, 288 pages, Rs.699.

Annie Besant was an unusual figure in the country of her birth Britain and in India, her adoptive home. She defied norms: a Christian wife who advocated birth control; a liberal campaigner who became a social activist, a celebrated Theosophist, who fought for India's inde...