Culture

When the sky darkens with rain-bearing clouds, lightning flashes, and thunder rumbles, announcing the onset of the monsoon, separation from the beloved becomes unbearable. This is when villages in eastern …

From militancy to peace, from barren slopes to fragrant lavender fields, the rugged Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir is scripting one of India’s most remarkable stories of rural transformation—a …

Article 1 of the Indian Constitution states, “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” For years, Bharat has seen the co-existence of diverse communities, each with their …

Kalidas, the great Sanskrit poet, composed his lyric poem Ritusamharam celebrating seasons circa the 5th century CE. The opening canto lists things that are cool to the touch and bring …

The whole world today is aware of yoga, India’s unique gift to humanity. It is recognised as the foundational concept of Indic civilisation. It is ironic that the equally seminal …

High in the cold desert air of Ladakh, prayer flags flutter against a cobalt sky while monks in crimson robes chant beneath snow-lined peaks. In the ancient Himalayan region where …

Hampi Art Labs is possibly one of the most striking new cultural institutions to emerge in India in recent years: part art destination, part production site, part retreat. Launched in …

There is a particular kind of exhaustion that defines our age. Not the honest tiredness that follows hard work, but something more corrosive: the fatigue of people who have chased …

Through the centuries, India has been a source of inspiration for art and architecture in Indonesia as it has been to the entire Southeast Asia. Today, a myriad of cultural …

Climb the steps of Kadri Hill in Mangaluru, and you enter a realm where gods share space across faiths and centuries. At the heart of Kadri Manjunath Temple—a Shiva shrine …

On April 16, 1853, a 21-gun salute echoed across Bori Bunder station in Bombay, marking a moment that would change the course of Indian history. As the steam locomotive named …

As Assam welcomes spring and the Assamese New Year, Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, unfolds not as a singular celebration but as a richly layered cultural cycle spread across seven days. This …

For too long, the world’s most complex civilisation has been someone else’s academic subject. That is finally beginning to change. There is something quietly extraordinary about the fact that, for …

How the Study of Indian Civilization Became an Export Industry There is a small but persistent oddity in the global academic landscape. If a student today wishes to study Sanskrit …

In a country as vast and diverse as India, talent has never been the problem—access has. For decades, the nation’s sporting imagination has largely revolved around urban centers, formal academies, …

“The happiest thing to work in the gallery is seeing youngster enjoying their moments in the gallery. Most of them love to click pictures at the gallery to post on …

The Uttar Pradesh Buddhist Circuit weaves a quiet thread through the plains of northern India, tracing the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha in places that have drawn pilgrims, seekers, …

The India-South Korea partnership stands out as a beacon of optimism amid geopolitical tensions. This relationship goes beyond trade and defence agreements. The vibrant exchange between our peoples, especially among …

In the multitude of national symbols, few carry the weight of history and aspiration quite like India’s national flag, the Tiranga. This tricolor banner, saffron above, white in the middle, …

Everyone remembers the outfit.Not because it was special. But because life happened in it. It might not even be hanging in your wardrobe anymore. It may have been donated, misplaced, …

Luxury in India has always been loud.Gold that announced itself before you entered the room. Logos that sat squarely on chests. Weddings that made wealth visible from a kilometre away. …