In photos | 12 moments from 2020 India won't forget

1/12

JANUARY: Towards the end of the month, India recorded its first case of covid-19 in a woman from Kerala, who was studying in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the outbreak. It led to an exodus back home of Keralites from Wuhan, most of them medical students, and an increased monitoring of cases in the southern state.

2/12

FEBRUARY: Alongside covid-19, another virus was spreading its wings all over India: that of communal hatred. February saw the termination of the Shaheen Bagh protests against unequal citizenship laws and an eruption of violence in Delhi, one of the worst riots to shake up the city in recent memory.

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MARCH: By the third month of the year, covid-19 was a painful reality in our daily lives. The Central government put the entire country under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world on a short notice. People were urged to stay home and beat vessels to express their appreciation for the essential workers.

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APRIL: The English poet TS Eliot called April the cruellest month. And sure did it bring scenes of horrific suffering from across the country, as millions of migrant labourers began to walk back home from the cities they worked in, which were now locked down. With little money and having to traverse vast distances under excruciating weather conditions, hundred perished or were severely injured.

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MAY: Summer brought in another devastation in the form of Cyclone Amphan, which caused widespread damage along the eastern coast, especially in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

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JUNE: As the year hit its halfway mark, more bad news poured in. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death by suicide led to an outpouring of public sympathy, people came out on the streets to protest against the tragic circumstances of the star's passing. It was followed by intense media coverage of those allegedly suspected by the police, including Singh's bereaved live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty and actor Deepika Padukone.

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JULY: As the number of people infected by covid-19 touched 1 million in India, efforts to test and screen increased around the country.

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AUGUST: Even as the number of covid cases continued to surge, it was business as usual for some. The foundation stone of the projected Ram temple was laid under the aegis of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya, accompanied by an elaborate 'bhoomi puja', at the formerly disputed site of Babri Masjid.

9/12

SEPTEMBER: On 14 September, a Dalit woman was gang-raped by four upper-caste men in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. After fighting for her life for two weeks, she died in Delhi, and was cremated by the police without seeking the consent of her family. The police denied this allegation, but public protests broke out all over India.

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OCTOBER: The number of infections wasn't falling but the economy was ailing worse than ever. So, October saw a gradual unlocking of the country, as people ventured out embracing the 'new normal' of masks and hand sanitisers.

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NOVEMBER: As the country began to open up, so did cinemas in some states by following stringent safety protocols, such has having workers in full PPE sanitising every nook and cranny before a show.

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DECEMBER: In spite of the air being thick with death and disease, Santa still did come this year, wearing mask and gloves, bearing the gift of hand sanitiser. 'Bye, bye, 2020.

1/8

Exaggerated-Shoulder Pinstriped-Twill Jacket: If there’s one trendthat defines this season, it’s the exaggerated shoulder. Here, Saint Laurent’s exaggerated take on 1980s suiting. Available onMatchesfashion.com; around ₹2.15 lakh

2/8

Balmain’s Women’s Spring-Summer 2024: Red and coral shades and 3D florals showed up again and again, such as in this polka-dot playsuit from the luxury house’s Spring-Summer collection at Paris. For more,Balmain.com

3/8

Air Jordan ‘Tartan Swoosh’ Sneakers: It was time for tartan. Re-create the trend with the Air Jordan 1 Mid high-top sneaker featuring a “Tartan Swoosh”. Available on Farfetch.com; around ₹20,000

4/8

Moon Phase Varsity Bomber: Street style continues to rule. Bring it home with this bomber from Off-White studio in Italy, established by the late Virgil Abloh. Available on Revolve.com; around ₹29,000

5/8

Carson cropped high-rise flared jeans: Buttermilk yellow is the new white. Here, Veronica Beard's 'Carson' jeans cut in a flared shape in a vintage '70s styles made from pastel-yellow denim. 

6/8

Opera Stilettos: Gladiator sandals made a strong show, such as Gianvito Rossi’s nappa leather pair with a 105mm stiletto heel. Available onLuxe.Ajio.com; ₹99,000

7/8

Nazar Mini Annacapri Coral Earrings: Red was everywhere. Channel its energy with Turkish designer Begüm Khan’s ‘evil eye’ earrings made with real coral. Available on Matchesfashion.com; around ₹1.25 lakh

8/8

Valentie Tie: Ties are back in formal fashion. Here, Valentino’s slim wool and silk tie with a metal ‘V’ appliqué. Available on Valentino.com;around ₹40,000

1/6

That Red Shirt: Fine Khadi shirt edged with hand-embroidered details on the panels and pockets in fire-engine red. Available on Khanijo.com; ₹16,900

2/6

Periwinkle Bandhani Printed Co-ord Set: Batwing sleeve shirt pairedwith a smocked, slit skirt from Saaksha & Kinni. Available on Ensembleindia.com; ₹25,000

3/6

Forest-Themed Floral Set: Floral jewellery, all the rage at celebrity weddings, made using a combination of fresh and artificial flowers andleaves. Available on Floralart.co.in; ₹12,000

4/6

Serendib Cake Stand: Hand-painted fine bone china cake stand accented with 24-carat gold for those special celebrations. Available onGoodearth.in; ₹6,500

5/6

In The Clouds Jug: Designer Jonathan Hansen’s lead-free crystal jug with an exquisite hand-engraved cloud motif. Available on Modaoperandi.com; $650 (around ₹54,000)

6/6

Taylor Twins Moccasins: Quirky and stylish low-heeled, colour-blocked moccasins with a square toe from Camper.Available on 24s.com; ₹13,707

1/6

Brown Dragon Zara Necklace: Statement neck piece from Mayabazaar by Rosalind Pereira made using zari yarn, brass chain and a dragonfly brass pendant. Available on Ogaan.com; ₹2,060

2/6

Chand Mati by Anjul Bhandari: A new festive collection from thedesigner celebrating chikankari blended with earthy neutrals, taking inspiration from lunar luminescence. Enquiries on Anjulbhandari.in; price on request

3/6

Hoop Set: Gold-tone metal hoops from Australian designer Charles Lichaa’s 8 Other Reasons. Available on Revolve.com; ₹5,160

4/6

Half-Zip Merino Long-Sleeve Top: Made from merino wool, DistrictVision’s longsleeved tee is breathable, antimicrobial and thermoregulating, with a half-zip construction and shell patch pocket.Available on Matchesfashion.com; $275 (around ₹23,000)

5/6

Dream Pumps: From New York-based brand Mansur Gavriel, lambskin pumps with a block heel and golden finish for chic comfort. Available on Shopbop.com; $495

6/6

Block-Printed Soft Silk Shirt: Short, boxy shirt in 100% silk with an all-over pattern made using natural indigo dye through block printing.Available on 11-11.in; ₹16,900

1/6

Red Sole Ribbon Ankle-Wrap Stiletto Sandals: Hot pink Christian Louboutin sandals in napa leather and crepe satin ribbon for that decadent feel. Available on Neimanmarcus.com; ₹88,756

2/6

Floral-Printed Plisse Leather Midi Skirt: Showcasing Balenciaga’s “Lily” print from this season, this midi skirt is made from flexible leather into an A-line silhouette. Available on Modaoperandi.com (on pre-order); $6,890 (around ₹5.64 lakh)

3/6

Lehenga From Imperial Minimalism By Sarah & Sandeep: The designer duo’s fresh, functional take on wedding wear marries Indian and Western silhouettes. Available on Sarahsandeep.com; price on request

4/6

Amethyst Ribbon Ring: A playful and delicate ring crafted in 18-carat gold, set with natural amethyst baguettes along the band, from Akansha Sethi. Available on Akanshasethi.com; around ₹1.3 lakh

5/6

Micro Bon Bon: Jimmy Choo’s iconic Bon Bon bag is re-imagined in miniature using napa leather. Available on Row.jimmychoo.com; €595(around ₹53,550)

6/6

Emerald Set Salt & Pepper: With a glam Art Deco aesthetic, this porcelain salt and pepper set from Vista Alegre will dress up any dining table. Available on Luxe.ajio.com; ₹9,800

1/5

Xander Johnson (L) of Bagel Tours takes the Messenger family from San Francisco around Midtown Manhattan to sample some on New York's finest bagels. Bagels are as synonymous with New York as pizza and the Statue of Liberty. Although there is no official count of New York's daily bagel production, Sam Silverman, chief executive of the trade group Bagelup, estimates there are about 500 specialty shops across the city's five boroughs. The ring-shaped bread has evolved and been reinvented since its arrival more than a century ago thanks to Polish Jewish immigrants.  ((Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP))

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The inside of a bagel preparation room is pictured during a Bagel Tour around Midtown Manhattan. Rainbow bagels are pictured here. Balinska points to the 1960s as the period when bagels attained broader popularity beyond the Jewish community. Innovations such as the rotating oven enabled bakers to significantly increase output. That led to the arrival of shops touting 'hot' bagels directly to consumers; before, they were only available wholesale.Central players in the further ‘bagelizing’ of America were the Lender brothers, who successfully mass marketed the frozen bagel -- pre-sliced, of course -- in the 1960s, expanding nationwide by 1977.  ((Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP))

3/5

Ashley Dikos, wife of Bo's Bagels owner Andrew Martinez, shows cream cheese and salmon bagels at Bo's Bagels. ((Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP))

4/5

Andrew Martinez, owner of Bo's Bagels, boils bagel dough before his store opens in New York City.  ((Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP))

5/5

Andrew Martinez, owner of Bo's Bagels, points to fresh bagels at his bakery. While there is debate over just when the first bagels appeared in New York, historians agree that the bread originally arrived in the city in the late 19th century. By 1900, the industry had already expanded to 70 bagel shops, although working conditions were 'terrible,' according to Maria Balinksa's book, 'The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread.' Balinksa chronicles a triumphant 1909 baker strike that upgraded pay and working conditions, helping to propel the broader labor movement in the early 20th century. Over the years, bakers began coating bagels with toppings including salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion and garlic.At Bo's Bagels, all of these play second fiddle to the ‘everything bagel,’ which includes a smattering of all these toppings. Bo's sells more everything bagels than all of the other types combined, said owner Andrew Martinez. ( (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP))

1/8

Children watch a 2-wheel robot perform at the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing on 17 August. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

2/8

Visitors watch a robot dog Cyberdog developed by Xiaomi at the Beijing World Robot Conference (WRC) 2023 in Beijing, China, on 17 August. (REUTERS)

3/8

Visitors look at the remote control robots perform. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

4/8

A man uses a mobile phone to take a picture of a robot kitten at the 2023 World Robot Conference. (WANG Zhao / AFP)

5/8

A visitor touches robotic fingers during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, on 17 August.  (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

6/8

Visitors look at a remote control robot perform a walk during the annual World Robot Conference. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Human like robots and robotic faces that mimic human expressions displayed at the conference on 16 August. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

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A robot developed by Data Robotics displays throws a basketball at the Beijing World Robot Conference (WRC) 2023 on 17 August. (REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)