Culture

In the dense forests of Bastar, women once moved under the cover of canopy and ideology, rifles slung across their shoulders, part of an armed struggle that claimed to fight …

Independence Day is celebrated every year with the unfurling of the tricolor on the ramparts of the Red Fort, and sweets- mostly a couple of bundi laddus- are distributed to …

As India prepares to celebrate its 80th Independence Day, the Red Fort will become a meeting ground of memory and aspiration — commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram while placing …

For the devout and pious Indian (or Indian Indonesian), the province of Sumatra is like comfort food. Replete with Indian temples of bewildering variety and preferences, Sumatra offers spiritual solace …

Much of India’s democratic heritage is often traced to ancient republics such as the ganas and sanghas, village panchayats, and the deliberative traditions described in classical texts. Yet, one of …

“Tyger! Tyger! burning bright,In the forests of the night;What immortal hand or eye,Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” Sadly, the king of the Indian forest, the mount of Goddess Durga, is …

There was a time that seems so long ago, when the monsoon, whether advancing or receding,  was a time to rejoice. The rains provided relief from scorching summer and rejuvenated the …

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is a buzzword in the entertainment, fashion, and beauty industries. South Korea has captivated countries far and wide, from Europe to the USA. This achievement …

Legend has it that Indradyumna, the King of Kalinga, dreamed one night that Lord Vishnu was telling him to build a temple dedicated to Sri Krishna. The next morning, strolling by the …

Does any Indian city breathe, live, and prosper like a human body? It has a heart, too, and a head and lungs. More than a city made of brick and …

Long before the modern laboratory—with its calibrated furnaces, chemical retorts and pharmacological protocols—Indian scholars were developing an elaborate discipline devoted to transforming metals and minerals. At the centre of this …

Manipur, situated between Nagaland and Mizoram, shares the international border with Myanmar. A Hindu Kingdom for centuries, it is home to many tribes inhabiting the valleys and highlands, proud of …

Ganeshotsav is celebrated on a grand scale in Mumbai in July. Gigantic Ganesh idols are fabricated and displayed in public spaces. Smaller ones are installed at home, worshipped for ten …

Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah’s mangled corpse was being paraded on the back of an elephant through the alleys and markets of Murshidabad! The purpose was to inform the residents of Murshidabad that …

Bhadrapad gets its name from the nakshatras purva and uttar Bhadra and the constellation  associated with Bhadra the fierce sister of Shani (Saturn) the malevolent planet. According to legend she …

At an age when global fast-food choices such as momos, pizzas, and sandwiches dominate the street food scene and enjoy immense popularity among youngsters, a humble Dogra delicacy—Kaladi — is …

The month of Shravan (corresponding to June-July in the Gregorian calendar) is sacred to the devotees of Shiva. Barefoot, thousands of kanwaria hit the road, mindless of the heat and …

For four decades, a woman from Hiranar village in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district has been winning a war that no rifle could win. Dr. Budhri Tati — known across South Bastar …

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 …