Thought Canvas

Pashupatinath: Where Life, Death, and Divinity Meet on the Sacred Bagmati

Travel, Wednesday Edition / By Swapnil Bhatnagar

The Heartbeat of Hindu Nepal

To arrive at Pashupatinath is to step into a sensory confluence where the sacred and the profane, the eternal and the ephemeral, coexist in breathtaking proximity. The air itself is a complex tapestry of scents: the sweet, heavy perfume of marigold garlands and ghee-soaked wicks from a thousand oil lamps mingles with the sharp, spiritual aroma of burning incense. Underlying it all is the faint, unmistakable scent of woodsmoke drifting from the banks of the Bagmati River. The soundscape is just as layered. The air hums with the constant, gentle ringing of bells, the deep-throated chanting of Vedic hymns, the murmur of countless private prayers, and the boisterous chatter of the resident rhesus macaques who claim the temple grounds as their own.

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The Connection Paradox: A Guide to Cultivating Meaningful Relationships in a Digital World

Relationships & Family / By Swapnil Bhatnagar

Connected, But Not Close

Imagine this scene: a person sits in a softly lit room, bathed in the blue glow of a smartphone. Their thumb moves in a practised, hypnotic rhythm, scrolling through a vibrant, endless river of images and updates. They see friends on sun-drenched vacations, colleagues celebrating career milestones, and acquaintances showcasing seemingly perfect family lives. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of “friends” are just a tap away. Yet, in the quiet of the room, a profound sense of isolation descends. This is the central paradox of modern life. We are more technologically connected than any generation in history, able to interact with nearly 70% of the global population, yet rates of loneliness are soaring. Studies reveal a disturbing correlation: increased digital connectivity often coexists with heightened feelings of disconnection and diminished relationship quality.

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The IT Weekly Report: Agentic AI Arrives, Reshaping Business and Security

IT Weekly Review / By Mudit Bhatnagar

The week ending November 14, 2025, confirmed the arrival of “agentic AI” as a central, disruptive force. Tech giants commercialised autonomous systems with strategic shifts, like Microsoft’s “per-agent” model. However, Anthropic revealed the dark side: the first reported AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign. The challenge is now deployment, control, and securing this autonomous workforce.

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The Week Optimism Died? AI Jitters and Fed Uncertainty Halt Global Rally

Finance The Week That Was / By Swapnil Bhatnagar

The week ending November 14, 2025, marked a “painful turning point”. Optimism died as the U.S. government shutdown caused a “data blackout”, shattering hopes for a Fed rate cut. This uncertainty provided the backdrop for an AI “crisis of confidence”. SoftBank’s sale of its entire Nvidia stake sparked a global sell-off over “stretched valuations”, ending the “everything rally”.

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More Than a Feeling: An In-Depth Exploration of Textured Art

Art / By Swapnil Bhatnagar

Beyond the Flat Canvas

In a world increasingly dominated by the smooth, glowing surfaces of screens, there is a primal satisfaction in encountering an object that engages more than just the eyes. Imagine standing before a painting so rich with physical dimension that it seems to possess a “living, breathing skin”. You might feel an almost irresistible urge to reach out and touch it, to trace the peaks and valleys of its surface. This is the power of textured art. It transforms the passive act of viewing into an active, multi-sensory experience, reminding us of a world that is tangible, complex, and beautifully imperfect.

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The Mocktail Movement: Shaking Up How We Drink

Drink, Wednesday Edition / By Swapnil Bhatnagar

For decades, the term “mocktail” conjured a very specific image: a tall glass filled with ice, a neon-red liquid, and a maraschino cherry bobbing jauntily on top. The Shirley Temple, or its cola-based cousin, the Roy Rogers, was the standard-bearer for non-alcoholic options at bars and restaurants. It was a drink for children, designated drivers, or those abstaining for medical or religious reasons—an afterthought on a menu overwhelmingly dedicated to the complex world of spirits, wine, and beer. It was sweet, simple, and, for many adults, a slightly infantilising consolation prize.

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