Despite a variety of roles attributed to women in ancient societies, one significant aspect that has not been addressed holistically is that of the women patrons in Indian history. While works have been undertaken on patronage in history, any specific endeavour to streamline the role of women patrons in their true spirit remains a desideratum. It is imperative to address such erasures of women’s presence in the history of patronage. This article is an endeavour to bring forth women’s influence in shaping history by highlighting their artistic patronage. The specific historical setting is that of the early Western Chalukyas, who initiated a process of temple building that eventually culminated in the sprouting of more than a hundred shrines at their tripartite political centres in the Deccan. It sketches the dynamics of interrelationships of power and politics, faith, economic affluence and ideological shifts underlying the conception and execution of the Chalukyas’ works of architectural evolution. Contrary to the customary perceptions of vulnerable submissiveness and/or indolent confinement to the female quarters of royal establishments, the article underlines the ‘agency’ of royal females, their ‘visibility’ and assertion of their identity/courtly clout in a contending political world, through patronage of sacred creations. It also delves into the notion of conjugal bonds of proud wives, monumentalising the glories of their husbands. It does so through inferences largely drawn from the temples commissioned by Chalukya queens at Pattadakal.

Social media is often central to the construction of identity, interpersonal contact and community creation, particularly for the youth and digital natives. Social media provides the opportunity for the practice of social altruism and the exercise of empathy and support, but it also results in a ‘social identity crisis’ as a result of performative altruism, social identity manipulation and ‘self’ commoditisation. This article seeks to understand ‘social behaviour, altruism and social influence’ in the context of digital social work and the paradoxical social outcomes that these phenomena give rise to, especially social behaviour that is constructive and destructive in nature. This study seeks to demonstrate, from a sociological standpoint, how the online world can encourage populace social altruism through charity, hashtag activism and virtual support groups, but can also dangerously reduce altruism to performative self-presentation. Altruism is, in these cases, rarely issued. Persuasion, mostly through influencers and viral social media, provides a paradoxical instrument that influences social behaviour and attitudes for social promotion or social manipulation, in which both extremes of the continuum can be present.

Danda Yatra , a rigorous ritual of self-mortification practised in Odisha, India, embodies the resilience of devotional traditions within the broader landscape of Hindu religious practices. Rooted in Shaivite devotionalism yet deeply entwined with folk religiosity, the ritual draws participants into an ascetic discipline that transforms bodily suffering into sacred offering. Through historical contextualisation, ethnographic observation and comparative analysis, this study situates Danda Yatra at the intersection of theology, performance and social life. The endurance of the ritual across centuries of political, economic and cultural change underscores its role as a living heritage practice, one that adapts to shifting contexts while preserving its devotional intensity. More than an act of penance, Danda Yatra functions as a communal expression of faith, a negotiation between tradition and modernity, and a medium for articulating local religious identity within broader Hindu frameworks. This article’s central contribution lies in demonstrating how pain operates as both a theological category and a lived medium of devotion, thereby advancing scholarship on embodied religious experience. Specifically, it challenges conventional theories of ritual efficacy by foregrounding pain-as-devotion as a generative force, and rethinks vernacular Shaivism in light of local–global ritual dynamics that shape contemporary Hindu practice.

This essay endeavours to chart the patterns of economic and spiritual interactions in the Assam–Bhutan duars during the pre-colonial era, and it scrutinises the transformations that occurred during the colonial period. The primary focus lies on the Bhutia community, a pivotal link between Himalayan nations like China, Tibet and Bhutan with the lowlands of Assam. The Bhutias’ seasonal migrations through these passes and duars, facilitated by the absence of strict boundaries and vigilant controls, brought them into contact with diverse communities in the plains. These interactions encompassed various forms of exchanges, extending beyond mere trade. The duars connecting Assam and Bhutan were vital conduits, linking pilgrims and traders to destinations such as Hajo in Assam, where religious and secular activities intertwined seamlessly. Moreover, these duars and their networks connected to annual ‘trade fairs’ like Udalguri, Doimara and Sadiya, fostering encounters between the Bhutias and the plains’ inhabitants as early as the sixteenth–seventeenth century. However, the advent of colonial governance disrupted this longstanding tradition of migration and the pre-existing modes of exchange within the duars. This article delves into the conceptual framework surrounding the Bhutia community and their participation in spheres that eventually fell under British dominance.

The study lays the groundwork for an innovative blueprint of comparative analysis by examining the Aravanis/Hijras, Warias and Baklas. The article employs these three clusters to illustrate the historical precedent for diverse gender roles and the collective colonial experiences of the dichotomous enforcement, which resulted in diverse consequences. The key insight of the article aids in exemplifying how the synthesis of post-colonial influence, faith-based impact and administrative directives sets apart third-gender identities, as perceived in modern-day Asia. The article scrutinises the anomalies faced by the third-gender communities in the post-colonial period: regardless of some legal amendments, these communities continue to experience structural oppression, legal equivocation and intolerance. The study foregrounds the unfailing resilience and resourcefulness of these identities, especially through their customs and cultural expression, which act as a source of anchor and assimilation. Rationally, the research focuses on revealing the disparity that turns tangible rights into abstract concepts and the systemic inequality of social alienation through comparing symbolic interpretations codified by law with the lack of true and purposeful social unification. This crucial outlook demonstrates the constraints of a legally-driven solution in overcoming entrenched post-colonial aftermath and ongoing preconceived notions. By acknowledging indigenous gender identities, this study argues for an extensive social safety net and collaborative research. It accentuates that for gender egalitarianism to be purposeful across domestic and foreign spheres, it must cultivate and transform, and should be stemming from these practices instead of displacing them.

The socio-economic factors influencing healthcare access in Nuh (Mewat), an aspirational district in Haryana, highlight significant impediments to enhancing its Human Development Index (HDI). The main research tool was conducting surveys, targeting 130 families with children who have major handicaps in select villages of Nuh, Haryana. The study revealed that children commonly suffer from birth defects, diseases, deficiencies, developmental delays and disabilities, with these issues being observed in nearly every household. The study also noted a severe shortage of quality educational institutions, which has resulted in low levels of empowerment and the persistence of social issues like child marriages and large families. Access to healthcare services is hindered by factors such as the distance to medical facilities, the absence of medical practitioners and insufficient healthcare infrastructure. The study’s findings indicate that 25% of the population exhibits signs of deficiency due to poor nutrition, 16.6% suffer from diseases due to unclean conditions and unhealthy habits, 21% experience developmental delays, 18% are born with disabilities and 11% have birth defects, primarily due to inadequate prenatal care. The study findings highlight the multifaceted challenges faced by the population of Nuh, particularly in healthcare and education, which contribute to the district’s low HDI and high infant mortality rate.

The metaphysical conception of dharma has been quintessential in determining the contours of the ideal life in India. Dharma has imparted a didactic framework to mediate the idioms of such an ideal life, which in turn exteriorises itself into multilayered and multifaceted socio-cultural dimensions. One dominant idiom that signifies the representation of this kind of ideal life has been the family, which acts as a strong pillar, lying at the bottom of the complexly knit architecture of socio-cultural life in India. Family in this sense emerges as the crucial component of the debate on the very discourse on dharma . The fundamental ontological vocabulary that determines the very content of this debate is the languages associated with samskaras , which condition the structure of family life in India. Ramayana as a hypostatised scriptural canon manifests as a critical civilisational trope that embodies in it the axiomatic framework of the semantic and semiotic symbolism of samskaras . Ramayana as the ontological trope of samskaras has been disseminated in India, through various means, and cinema has been one dominant instrument in this regard. Considering this, this article seeks to understand the ways in which Bollywood cinema mediates the language of samskaras by employing the metaphor of an ideal family through a discourse analysis of the movies Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999) and Ram Lakhan (1989) that would aid in comprehending how the metaphysical trope of the Ramayana is deeply embedded in cinematic narratives.

Objectives This study aims to assess the impact of organisational leadership on student outcomes in mainstreaming special education programmes across Delhi. Methods A total of 300 participants were included, comprising 150 special education administrators and 150 special education leaders in practice. The participants were surveyed to collect the required data. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. Results The findings of the study designated that the mainstream of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that special education programmes effectively speak to the academic needs of students with special needs. Regarding social integration, most of participants believed that leadership promotes positive interactions and friendships among students with special needs. The findings of the study signified that the majority of respondents agreed that leadership prioritises emotional well-being, with adequate support systems in place to speak to the emotional needs of students. Conclusion The study concludes that organisational leadership plays a crucial role in enhancing student outcomes in special education programmes. Leadership strategies were found to positively influence academic performance, social inclusion and emotional well-being. The findings provide actionable insights for strengthening leadership practices to foster inclusive and supportive educational environments.