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Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a nationalist leader, wrote in 1908 that bombs were not just weapons but a new kind of "magical lore," a "witchcraft" spreading from Bengal to the rest of India.

Rohit Bal, one of India's most celebrated fashion designers, has died aged 63 after a long period of illness.

One of India's first designers, Bal popularised fashion designing as a viable, glamorous profession in the 1990s and many who came after him credit him for their success.

"We will always need a Rohit Bal around to show what classic elegance is - and why it crosses the generational divide," said an article in The Indian Express newspaper after Bal, looking frail but delighted, appeared alongside his models at the grand finale of the India Fashion Week in October.

Bal's designs won acclaim for his deep understanding of Indian textiles and meticulous attention to detail.