Samita Balakrishnan

For someone who is a foodie and a fitness freak, stumbling upon dishes that are both healthy and delicious is like hitting the jackpot. When I frantically scrolled through my Pinterest feed, looking for “healthy desserts”, I quite forgot that there was a satisfyingly delicious dessert that was made right at home. My favourite hatchike, a Badaga dessert made out of millets. I remember when my hethai (grandmother) served us hatchike every other day.

Colleges in the city usually have sessions to help freshers adapt to the new environment. However, what is increasingly spoken about to these students in the recent years is related to mental health, especially depression.

On a late Saturday afternoon, as we descended the ghat roads to Coimbatore, Nanjan Dharuman comes into focus. He’s sitting on the side of the road overlooking Thattapallam estate, his camera surveying the lush hills around. His photography friends call him the ‘Light Master’. That is how good he is with using light in his photography. Dharuman is a self-taught nature photographer and keen birdwatcher from Mullur, in the Nilgiris.