Navratri is a prominent festival in Hindu culture, celebrated with great reverence and rituals, including fasting. Over the course of nine days, many adherents adopt a special diet that excludes staple grains and select spices. Instead, they incorporate ingredients such as buckwheat flour, water chestnut flour, sabudana, and a variety of fresh fruits. Fasting during this period does not indicate a compromise on flavor...

Author Jung Chang reveals how Wild Swans chronicled three generations, exposing hidden China stories, family struggles, women’s lives, and emotional truths that reshaped global understanding. She says China has grown restrictive again, blocking her return, while stressing writers must remain fair, research-driven, and emotionally honest when documenting lived history today.