Arefa Tehsin

How (not) to save the mountains

June 17, 2026 06:35 IST

And yet, the basics remain this: If you fence a rocky patch, protect it from grazing, woodcutting and illegal mining, the vegetation belonging to that land will return by itself. It always does

Dear Editor, I Disagree: The ‘long haul’ is a luxury the planet cannot affordSubscriber Only

May 28, 2026 06:25 IST

‘Long haul’ is, after all, a profoundly human luxury. The rest of the living world does not operate on such indulgent timelines.

In Good Faith | Let’s listen to the birds, the trees and the AravallisSubscriber Only

January 29, 2026 07:25 IST

The Aravallis are old. Old enough to know better than to expect gratitude. Older than the Himalayas, older than our arguments. The low hills with no interest in grandeur. That, perhaps, is their biggest mistake.

The illusion of gentle living in a predatory worldSubscriber Only

December 23, 2025 07:15 IST

Every creature, from a lactobacillus to a leopard, is living on borrowed life. Predation is simply the returning of that loan. In nature, being eaten isn’t always a tragedy

Let there be light: This Diwali, let’s embrace the unfiltered glow of community and connectionSubscriber Only

October 17, 2025 18:29 IST

Light has no religion. It simply shines wherever it’s given a little oil and a little heart

Pluralism is dead: What a Colombo cemetery taught me about resting in peaceSubscriber Only

September 25, 2025 11:07 IST

The city’s sprawling republic of the dead offers something we the living struggle with: An unruffled coexistence. Beneath its trees, faiths and races lie together, equal at last.

City and I: Why didn’t you teach me about that world, Udaipur?Subscriber Only

July 18, 2025 15:53 IST

How could I possibly explain that Udaipur taught me to soar, catching the updrafts from the Aravallis? That my family didn’t choose to go to Pakistan, even if they risked losing everything

Between ‘pawtriots’ and protesters, finding middle ground in India’s dog warSubscriber Only

June 26, 2025 15:58 IST

From urban colonies to forest edges, India’s canine crisis is no longer about animals alone — it’s about us. What does a solution look like? Definitely not Facebook fights in all-caps, but a reasonable, empathetic and evidence-based approach

Environmentalist Arefa Tehsin hones her listening skills in the forests of DandeliSubscriber Only

June 07, 2025 15:57 IST

In Dandeli, Karnataka, if you are all for lying on your back and letting the current decide your itinerary, river Kali will surround you with her song

Two policemen, and what their actions say about a bruised Insaniyat in IndiaSubscriber Only

April 20, 2025 13:26 IST

India is losing its Insaniyat. But it can be found again -- not in mandirs, mosques or manifestos, but in how we treat a tree, an animal or a person who can do nothing for us

Author Arefa Tehsin on the Grand Human Safari: when gibbons and tigers went on a tourSubscriber Only

March 29, 2025 10:55 IST

What if binoculars come out as you go into the bathroom to brush your teeth and take a shower or a pride of lionesses peeks at you as you start your day?

When a bird falls on Ram SetuSubscriber Only

January 16, 2025 12:40 IST

For centuries, Mannar has been a lifeline for migratory birds. A mega wind-energy project is threatening to alter its landscape and ecosystem permanently.

An elephantine day at Yala National ParkSubscriber Only

September 21, 2024 08:42 IST

Travelling through Sri Lanka’s second-largest national park, which has been the cornerstone of the island nation’s wildlife

When villagers kill a leopard: The need for co-existenceSubscriber Only

April 24, 2024 13:48 IST

Practical and easy measures can be taken by the forest authorities to ease this conflict

A journey through Egypt, ponderous with history, yet weightless like a dreamSubscriber Only

July 20, 2023 16:54 IST

A cradle of civilisation, ancient Egypt was at the helm of military and cultural might. Everywhere you turn to, you can see the imprint of its glorious past

A brush with beauty and mortality in Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder DragonSubscriber Only

July 23, 2022 10:50 IST

With its druk, dzong and datshi, holidays in the landlocked Himalayan country offer a glimpse of forever

Children’s Day Special: Imaginary friendsSubscriber Only

November 14, 2021 06:15 IST

Arefa Tehsin tells us about the one thing that will never change and the one thing we can never get rid of

The quaint charms of Sri Lanka’s Galle FortSubscriber Only

March 14, 2020 10:35 IST

A stellar example of a fort city made by Europeans in South and Southeast Asia, Galle Fort is a Unesco World Heritage site.

Why the Knuckles Mountain Range is one of Sri Lanka’s most difficult hikesSubscriber Only

January 30, 2020 17:00 IST

With cloud forests, grasslands and semi-evergreen rain forests, it has the climatic microcosm of the rest of the island.

Religion or Repression?Subscriber Only

June 09, 2019 06:15 IST

In Sri Lanka, the recent ban on face veils raises questions about free will and stirs up memories of a feisty woman who defied conventions.

What draws city dwellers to go on camping tripsSubscriber Only

May 05, 2019 06:00 IST

Sometimes, you can seek nature — and yourself — in your backyard.

Living among lions in KenyaSubscriber Only

April 14, 2019 06:30 IST

In Kenya, where the wild is nigh, with its head held high.

Why Colombo is probably the best metropolitan city of South AsiaSubscriber Only

December 16, 2018 06:00 IST

Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, is witty and wondrous — a happy mix of the colonial and the modern.

The Elephant in the RoomSubscriber Only

May 06, 2018 08:00 IST

Worry not if someone equates you with animals. Here’s why you should wear it as a badge of honour.

The elephant in the room: We need to apologise big time… to the animals!Subscriber Only

May 06, 2018 00:00 IST

Worry not if someone equates you with animals. Here’s why you should wear it as a badge of honour.