Veidehi Gite, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

The heirloom's exodus

1 week ago | newindianexpress.com | Veidehi Gite

In the heart of Tamil Nadu's Chettinad region, Visalam-a 19th-century mansion turned boutique hotel gives a glimpse into the flamboyant lifestyle once enjoyed by the Nattukottai Chettiars-wealthy merchants who built trading empires across Southeast Asia. The Chettiars-once an instrumental mercantile community in colonial Burma-returned home with not only architectural inspirations but also culinary gems.
The revivalists

2 weeks ago | newindianexpress.com | Veidehi Gite

In the shadow of India’s soaring skyscrapers and humming factories, a quiet revolution is taking root. Far from the technology parks and shopping malls that have come to define modern India, masterful hands continue to weave stories into silk, coax life from clay, and transform metal into heirlooms.
Jal Sanjhi: the holy art of painting on water

3 weeks ago | hindustantimes.com | Veidehi Gite

Navigating the maze-like lanes near Jagdish Chowk, I stopped several times to ask locals for directions to the Jal Sanjhi Temple on Kalash Marg, a narrow street lined with some of Udaipur’s most historic havelis. The banana-yellow house belonging to Rajesh Vaishnav, a practitioner of the unusual jal sanjhi art form, shares its entrance with the 500-year-old Shri Govardhan Nath Ji temple.
As Jallianwala Bagh Massacre turns 106, what Amritsar's secret passageways have to say

3 weeks ago | thefederal.com | Veidehi Gite

Dawn breaks, but not like any other day! In Amritsar, April 13th is not just another date—it is a memory suspended in history, as the city exhales a quiet lament. Steam rises from chai-wallas' kulhads, ghostly wisps that curl like forgotten tears through narrow lanes where history bleeds into the present, and where the hammering of brass echoes like heartbeats—some strong, some broken—remembering those who fell silent on this devastating day.
Heritage tourism breathes life into Chettinad's forgotten mansions

4 weeks ago | thefederal.com | Veidehi Gite

In the remote village of Kanadukathan, nestled in Tamil Nadu’s historic Chettinad region, bullock carts crunch against sun-baked earth, as morning air hangs heavy with jasmine, lotus and lilies; and locals gather outside their homes—bare chested men in lungis and women draped in sarees—some engaged in conversation, others simply resting in peaceful leisure.
The last Halari donkeys and the young Indian entrepreneur saving them

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Veidehi Gite

A research paper on Halari male donkeys by RA Legha, Yash Pal, Vijay Kumar, R. Sachan, RK Dedar, and TR Talluri highlights a sharp decline in India’s equid population over the past three decades. Despite increasing mechanisation, donkeys play a vital role in transporting goods over short distances. They are primarily used by brick kiln owners, potters, shepherds, nomadic herders, and washermen (dhobis), offering a cost-effective alternative to light transport vehicles.
Blue Pottery Heritage: The Persian technique that India made its own

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Veidehi Gite

When a strand of cobalt-blue silk unspools across centuries and continents, it braids two great stories: the luminous ceramics of Persia and the azure pottery of Jaipur, each conceived from a hop of cultures along the world's fabled trade routes. Originating in the Islamic golden age (8th-13th century), Persian blue pottery was introduced to India by Turkic artisans who accompanied invading armies pushing into the subcontinent.
What bone, marble and glass in Udaipur tell us about the forgotten inlay tales of Mewar

2 months ago | thefederal.com | Veidehi Gite

In the labyrinthine streets of old Udaipur, where time seems to flow like honey, artisans hunch over their workbenches just as their ancestors did centuries ago, their skilled hands fluttering across surfaces of bone, marble, and glass. This ancient craft, which flourished under the patronage of Mewar rulers in the 16th century, transforms ordinary surfaces into extraordinary canvases of intricate patterns and storytelling motifs.
The savoury flavours of Bhopal: Royal cuisine with a taste of wilderness

2 months ago | firstpost.com | Veidehi Gite

The savoury flavours of Bhopal: Royal cuisine with a taste of wildernessVeidehi Gite• February 16, 2025, 15:48:33 ISTWhatsappFacebookTwitterThe story of Bhopal’s cuisine was written in the very landscape that surrounded it—wild, untamed, and deeply connected to the landread moreA rare and royal heritage speaks gently but eloquently of a unique influence.
A Toast To Luxury-infused Mewar In Aravalli's Ancient Hills

2 months ago | forbesindia.com | Veidehi Gite

Dhanani emphasises the resort’s commitment to integrating local artistry into its design. “Our next step is to collaborate with local artists to infuse the property with authentic Rajasthani craftsmanship. Rather than outsourcing to event planners, the focus is on working directly with artisans from local markets. “They may not be highly polished, but their deep-rooted knowledge of the craft is what truly matters. We want guests to experience art in its most authentic form,” she says.