Historian Ali Anooshahr’s new book Slavery in the Early Mughal World: The Life and Thoughts of Jawhar Aftabachi (1520s–1580s) upends conventional thinking about the extent of slavery in the Mughal Empire. It also charts the rise of individualism in India, an idea previously considered exclusive to Western civilization.

The Kumbh Mela pulls together multiple strands of India’s deep cultural past with its status today as the second-most populous nation in the world with international influence and ambition to reach for the stars. Over 400 million are expected across the duration of this year’s festival, which runs from January 13 through February 26, 2025.