This essay reflects on Nagpur not just as a city, but as a repository of memory, longing, and belonging. Through streets, markets, and quiet-dusty corners, the author weaves observation and emotion, revealing how personal life stories shape our perspectie of the city. With a subtle gendered lens and her brother’s perspective, it reflects on how diffferently we inhabit, remember, and call a city home. Using an engaging narrative style, the author paints a realistic imagery of

This essay rides through Delhi aboard its most overlooked lifeline, the DTC buses. Far from the polished quiet of the metro, these buses pulse with the city’s chaos, humour, and reality. For the author, a transman, each journey is a lesson in both survival and selfhood. Between moments of gender euphoria and unease, he develops his own playful 'rules' for navigating this ableist, masculinist terrain, like when to board, where to sit, how to blend or stand out.

यह रचना एक आत्मीय पत्र के रूप में लिखी गई है, जिसमें नायक अपने प्रिय को संबोधित करते हुए अपने छोटे से शहर श्रावस्ती के प्रति गहरी भावनाएँ प्रकट करता है। यह पत्र केवल प्रेम की बात नहीं करता, बल्कि उस माटी से जुड़ी स्मृतियों, संघर्षों और जिम्मेदारियों की भी बात करता है, जिसने नायक को साँस दी और जीने का अर्थ भी। बड़े शहर की चकाचौंध और कठिनाइयों के बीच नायक को अपने गाँव की सादगी, अपनापन और मानवीयता की याद सताती है। वह चाहता है कि उसका प्रिय भी उसी शहर में आए, ताकि वे मिलकर उस नग

This letter is a heartfelt reflection on the author's complex relationship with Aligarh, her father’s city. As the title refelects, she reminisces the difference in how her father experienced the city and how she inherited the same through the comfort of familiarity, nostalgia of memories and belonging through its street names, food, and history. Through this letter she shares here thoughts and feelings about identity, belonging, and change—ultimately seeing Aligarh as a star

चौदह साल बाद शहर की भाग-दौड़ और इंस्टाग्राम की दुनिया से दूर, जब लेखिका ताल छापर लौटीं, तो बस की बदबूदार सीट पर बैठकर भी उन्हें सुकून मिला। वहाँ उन्होंने देखा कि गाँव के लोग आज भी काला चिटका हिरणों के लिए अपनी सहूलियत छोड़ लंबा रास्ता अपनाते हैं। मिट्टी के कमरों में उन्हें वह शांति मिली जो शहर नहीं दे पाता और बिना किसी रिश्ते के भी अपनापन महसूस हुआ। लेखिका की इस यात्रा में और क्या-क्या गहरे सबक छिपे हैं? क्या यह गाँव आपको भी आपके जीवन का असली मतलब सिखा सकता है? जानने के लिए इ

Third Position- English, Writing Contest 2025 By Muhammed Anshif City: Malappuram , Kerala Description: In this essay, the author writes...

जगदंबा जंक्शन की भीड़ में मिला एक थप्पड़ मेरे जीवन का सबसे बड़ा मोड़ बन गया। वह पल सिर्फ मेरे और माँ के बीच का नहीं था बल्कि वह मेरे शहर का सबक था। परदादी के सुबह के कोलम पैटर्न से लेकर मछुआरों की पत्नियों की आवाज़ तक, विशाखपट्टनम ने मुझे सिखाया कि असली ताकत सिर्फ सहने में नहीं, चुनने में है; क्या स्वीकार करना है, क्या बदलना है। बचपन में सीखी अदृश्य सीमाएँ, किशोरावस्था में चुप्पी की कीमत, कॉलेज में “बहुत बोल्ड किसके लिए?” की सीख, ये सब मुझे उसी पल के लिए तैयार कर रहे थे। आज, ए

In this essay, the author brings Kolkata alive not through the monuments, but in the everyday lives, through the artists on the streets, vendors in markets, and friendships stitched in small gestures. It is a portrait of resilience and warmth, where survival meets creativity, and the city’s true soul is found in its people. Bringing back the focus on how the place is only as good as the people in it.

कुछ नगर केवल नगर होते हैं — ईंट, पत्थर, सड़कों और इमारतों का समुच्चय। पर कुछ ऐसे होते हैं, जो चेतना की थाती बन जाते हैं, इतिहास, संस्कृति और अनुभवों की सुवास लिए चलते हैं। उज्जैन ऐसा ही नगर है — न केवल शिव की नगरी, बल्कि आत्मबोध, अनुभव और जीवन-ज्ञान की पाठशाला। उज्जैन में कई वर्ष बिताने के बावजूद, यह नगर मेरे लिए शुरू में केवल ईंट-पत्थर और घाट-चौक जैसा प्रतीत होता था। न गलियाँ अपनापन देतीं, न चेहरे परिचय का सुकून। लेकिन फिर कैसे उज्जैन, जिसकी हर गलियों, घाटों और परंपराओं म

This heartfelt letter to Shillong, portrayes it is as more than a city. It showcase it as an educator whose rhythms, landscapes, and communities impart enduring lessons on resilience, coexistence, and memory. Through intimate recollections of family histories, everyday practices, and collective resistance, the narrative foregrounds local voices and counter-narratives that challenge dominant notions of development and progress. In weaving personal experience with cultural insi

सुशील जी को अटरू आए हुए कई महीने हो चुके थे, पर यह शहर उन्हें अब तक अपना नहीं लग पाया था। दिनभर की भागदौड़, विद्यालय की जिम्मेदारियाँ और कमरे की दीवारों में घिरी एकाकीपन की घुटन, सब कुछ उन्हें अजनबी लगता था। न गलियाँ अपनेपन से बुलातीं थीं, न ही चेहरों पर पहचान का सुकून मिलता था। लेकिन फिर ऐसा क्या हुआ कि वही अटरू, जो कभी बोझ सा लगता था, धीरे-धीरे उनका शिक्षक बन बैठा? किस तरह मंदिरों, तालाबों, लोक-परम्पराओं और लोगों की जीवन-गाथाओं ने उन्हें ऐसी गहरी सीख दी जिसे शायद कोई विश्व

This year’s Youth Writing Contest brought together voices from 174 cities, each sharing how their city became a teacher in unexpected ways. Meet the winners and explore their stories.

What if one fair could bridge generations, celebrate cultures, and change the way a city gathers? This dream of a Guwahati fair goes far beyond food and festivities — it’s a heartfelt vision of unity, tradition, and modern fun in one unforgettable space. From cultural thrift swaps to Bihu dances and bird games, this narrative dares to imagine what’s possible when you turn nostalgia into innovation. Could this fair become Guwahati’s greatest legacy?

On the dawn-lit shores of Kollam, Baby’s morning unfolds with the familiar rhythm of his father’s fishing routine: steady and shaped by the sea’s unpredictability. But today, something is different. A festival fair stirs the coastal town awake, filling the air with aromas and anticipation. Memories of the past linger as the community gathers, and the day unravels into a poignant reflection of resilience. Can the spirit of the sea and society endure the tides of change?

Nostalgia intertwines with tradition as childhood memories bloom at the Surajkund Mela. From serene sunsets to the thrill of racing with her family, the vibrant fairground becomes a canvas of unforgettable moments in this narrative. As the narrator dreams of reviving fading landmarks and creating a more inclusive, eco-friendly future for the fun fair, she writes a heartfelt ode to simple joys and the magic of cherished memories!

A teenager navigates the fading charm of Bengal’s renowned Pous Mela, while also enduring the quiet loneliness of growing up. As her parents leave for a social obligation, the protagonist wanders through memories and meaning by herself. Between empty book stalls, hand-stitched art, and folk melodies, they confront harsh realities of change, loss, and hope; dreaming of a fair that truly honours culture and community.

Nestled beyond Kolkata’s buzz lies Santiniketan – a timeless neighbourhood unfolding like a forgotten chapter of history and celebration under a fast-paced urban life. Rooted in Rabindranath Tagore’s vision, it awakens each winter with Poush Mela – a festival alive with music, crafts, and traditional flavours. Imagine a world where history, nature, and community unite, inviting visitors to explore a hidden gem that feels like a heartfelt embrace. What will they find in this e

Khandwa lies in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, holding onto stories, memories, and tastes that define it. As capitalism’s grip tightens, dreams of a revival grow louder – through a fair celebrating history, nostalgia, and the poetic essence of local culture. This vision paints Khandwa as an emotional boulevard, a vibrant dot on the map of memories, making it a place that belongs to its people.

Once a humble grain of sand, now a broken bottle, it returns to Firozabad – the city that shaped it. Transformed into glass, it witnessed the packed factories and shimmering chandeliers. As it awaits a new fate, it sees how the city has evolved: cleaner streets, safer workers, and a resilient spirit. Yet, challenges remain. One day, it will break again. But in Firozabad, nothing is ever truly useless.

As a town undergoes transformation, stories linger over meals, bittersweet flavours of time and loss simmer, and memories stretch across generations. When growth meets nostalgic recollections of Dehradun, every corner holds whispers of a fading past. Amidst change and longing, a subtle tension brews – between roots and restless hearts, belonging and departure. What happens when home is both a place and a memory?