E. Prema, Author at Media India Group

Namdroling Monastery: Golden Temple of Mysuru

January 22, 2022

Namdroling Monastery, popularly known as “The Golden Temple”, is situated in the lesser-known Tibetan town of Bylakuppe. It is home to about 16,000 refugees and 600 monks and it is also the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in South India. There are over 37,000 Tibetans living in ex...

Celebrating Thai Pongal with Covid-19 clampdown

January 18, 2022

Around 250 km from Chennai, lies Pasar, a small village in Villupuram district. Home to about 6200 persons, Pasar was next to none in the manner in which it celebrated Pongal, one of the most important events in the Tamil calendar and which is celebrated around the world. ...

Pongal: Bull training in full swing for Jallikattu

January 9, 2022

With less than a week to go for Pongal, bull owners and tamers are now almost at the peak of their training, with regular practice sessions to ensure that they are well prepared for Jallikattu this season. Jallikattu is one of the most traditional and controversial sports played ...

Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2023 in India

December 31, 2021

Almost in every part of the world, it has become a tradition to welcome the New Year with a great deal of festivity and cheer. For those who like to travel, it is one of the best moments to step out and hit some of their preferred destinations. Over the years, for the Indian tour...

Karthigai Deepam: The fire on the mountain

November 19, 2021

Karthigai Deepam is annually celebrated on the day of full moon in the Tamil month of Karthigai according to the Indian calendar that generally falls in November or December each year. Though it is celebrated across the vast swathes of southern India, but one of the best places t...

Tamil Nadu farmers face uncertain future after rains destroy crops

November 17, 2021

After the problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted farming extensively, farmers of Tamil Nadu were looking to recover from their losses but now the heavy rain have thrashed all their expectations. “Crops on over 145,000 acres cultivated during the samba season ...

Ramappa temple: Telangana’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site

November 16, 2021

About 200 km north-east of Hyderabad, capital of Telangana, in the village of Palampet, stands a marvel of Indian history, the Ramappa temple, which is also known as Rudreshswara temple. This medieval wonder dates back to 1213 AD and was built by the Kakatiya ruler Kakati Ganapat...

Indians spend most time on mobile phones

November 13, 2021

With the ease of internet access and the lockdowns imposed since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the time spent on a mobile screen has risen sharply across the world, but more so in India which is now amongst the top users of mobile apps, with close to 5 hours every day

World Pneumonia Day: Poor vaccination & lack of awareness make India pneumonia hotspot

November 12, 2021

In 2019, India recorded over 2.5 million deaths due to pneumonia, with children under two accounting for most of the deaths and 153,000 deaths within the first month of life, says the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in a report on the state of the deadly disease that is...

From Mohenjo-Daro to today’s Bastar: Dhokra Art

November 11, 2021

It is an art that connects the collectors as well as the creators with the Indus Valley Civilisation that flourished in large part of northwestern India and modern-day Pakistan. The most famous creation of this art, called Dhokra, also belongs to the Mohenjo-Daro, the hub of Indu...

India remains far from being open defecation free after 7 years of Swachh Bharat Mission

November 8, 2021

Two years ago, on October 2, 2019, the Indian government had claimed that its first stage of the much hyped up Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), had been successfully completed after five years. On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Mi...

Festival season brings cheer to theatre owners as screenings resume

November 3, 2021

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck India in early 2020, the cinema industry was the first to feel the heat as theatres were ordered closed all over the country even before the lockdown was announced on March 25, 2020. After a closure of eight months, last year they reopened briefl...