Elephanta caves: Re-carving the old magic

Working for over eight months at a stretch, the Wadars tibals arrive at Elephanta Island to recreate the old magic of the caves by breaking stones and carving out strikingly-similar patterns as the original

Some vertical gardens

Ludhiana's Income-Tax department officials have turned plastic into greenery on a wall under the Green-Plastic Initiative

Salt rush

Every year, marginal farmers from across the country travel to Mumbai's saltpans to earn some extra money

In photos: Australia hit by once-in-a-century floods

Northeastern state Queensland's situation may worsen as unprecedented rainfall continues

Bird watchers' paradise

Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest lagoon in Odisha, celebrated the second edition of National Chilika Bird Festival, January 27-28, 2019

Is the Opportunity lost forever?

Over a decade after NASA’s Opportunity rover landed on Mars, it is feared ‘dead’ after a historic dust storm swept the planet

Onboard the FlipFlopi: A boat made of used plastic

A traditional dhow made of trash, collected from beaches and towns in Kenya, is set for its maiden voyage from Lamu to Zanzibar in Tanzania

Death by a thousand cuts

Kites may add colour to the sky but at the same time, they are fatal for birds that get caught in the strings and suffer severe injuries. As Gujarat celebrates Uttarayan/Makar Sankranti by flying kites, here's a reminder on the harm caused by the deadly Chinese glass-coated manjha

In photos, the cost of a natural disaster

A new report by reinsurance giant Munich Re reveals that natural disasters caused global economic damage upto $160 billion in 2018. As per the report, around 10,400 people lost their lives in 2018 due to natural disasters. It says that 29 natural disasters in 2018 caused more than $1 billion in damage each.

In a different light

Here’s what Stanford University research papers, focusing on areas ranging from supermassive black holes to the intricacies of the human brain, look like when illuminated by light!

NASA’s TESS confirms 3 new exoplanets

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), in its search for extra-terrestrial life, recently confirmed the their existence

Patterns in the sky

It is that time of the year again when starlings roam the skies in huge swarms that form distinct patterns. Down To Earth tells you more about this extraordinary behaviour. Photographs by Getty Images

Fault lines in expressway

To assess the extent of the ecological damage that construction activity is causing, Down To Earth travelled 250 km on the Char Dham Mahamarg from Rishikesh to Gangotri. The evidence is apparent from Muni Ki Reti itself, the traditional gateway to the Char Dham pilgrimage. Photographs by Vikas Choudhary

NASA's Insight mission lands on Mars

After a 300-million-mile journey from Earth over nearly seven months, NASA's InSight spacecraft landed successfully on the surface of Mars on Monday.

Raging fire in Bhalswa landfill chokes Delhi

Delhi's air quality dips to 'very poor' level as Bhalswa landfill continues to smoulder

Kisan Kranti Yatra: Another farmers’ protest goes awry

Around 30,000 farmers, who had been walking to the national capital for 10 days, were welcomed with lathis, water cannons and tear gas shells

Kerala: Floods over, struggle continues

Incessant rains and severe flooding have rendered several people without homes, food or even a livelihood

Preserving India's pachyderms

The recently-concluded 'Gaj Mahotsav’ in Delhi celebrated the Indian Elephant, an animal that is fast losing its habitat in India

Traditionally secure: The Baigas and their uncultivated foods

People belonging to the Baiga tribe mostly depend on forests and its plants for their livelihood. They possess the ability to recognise hundreds of species around them and know their usage in myriad ways