Culture
Gotipua: A gendered artistry
September 4, 2026
The eyes of a young boy, no older than six, are wide with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He poses to give a dramatic side stare while his face is painted with red and white powder by deft fingers, guided by generations of custom. The make-up artist applies kohl to demar...
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Stitches of the Nilgiris: Exploring legacy of Toda...
August 29, 2026
Toda embroidery, locally known as Pukhoor, is a distinctive expression of its cultural identity. Traditionally practiced by the women of Toda tribe, a community inhabiting the Nilgiris in southern India, the craft uses red and black threads on white cotton to create intricate geo...
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Pichora: Timeless traditions of Kumaoni bridal wea...
August 28, 2026
India, a land of rich traditions and diverse cultures, is a canvas where customs are beautifully reflected through its clothes, jewellery, and even the food. The country’s cultural tapestry varies from region to region, with each state and community adding its own unique touch ...
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Khovar painting: Mithila’s fading wedding tr...
August 19, 2026
As Bihar’s wedding season begins, homes across the state prepare for celebrations filled with rituals, music and family gatherings. Yet, one of Mithila’s oldest wedding traditions is quietly fading away. Khovar painting, a ritual wall art traditionally created by wome...
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175 folk artistes participate as Royal Teej proces...
August 17, 2026
The Royal Teej procession of Jaipur, travelling from Tripolia Gate through Choti Chaupar and Gangauri Bazaar, brought together devotion, folk traditions and royal heritage on August 15. Traditional folk performances, music, decorated horses and camels, swordsmanship displays and ...
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From Misty Trails to Woven Tales: Discovering Naih...
August 14, 2026
Like many other villages in the Himalayas, Naihra and its neighbouring hamlets have all that most other parts of India are today sorely missing, peace and quiet, a slower pace of life, untouched natural beauty and a quietly thriving craft tradition. Here, in sunlit courtyards sur...
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Tamil Nadu temples to restrict mobile phones from ...
August 12, 2026
A new restriction will change how devotees access major temples in Tamil Nadu, with mobile phones prohibited inside designated premises from September 1. Visitors may have to deposit devices at counters. In a press statement, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE )...
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Mahishbathan: Faces behind the masks
August 8, 2026
Nestled in the remote stretches of Kushmandi, in Dakshin Dinajpur district, West Bengal, lies a village that seems to exist entirely in the shadow of its own faces. Here in Mahishbathan and in several surrounding hamlets nearly every household makes Gomira masks, wooden ‘mukhaâ...
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Nag Panchami: One festival, many traditions
August 8, 2026
Nag Panchami, observed on the fifth day of the Hindu month of Shravan, coinciding with July-August as per the Gregorian calendar, has been celebrated for centuries as a festival honouring snakes, especially King Cobra, which hold an important place in Hindu mythology and folklore...
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Sawan Shivratri: Celebrating Shiva beyond Kashi an...
August 8, 2026
As Hindus, notably devotees of Lord Shiva across India, begin celebrations of Sawan Shivratri, one can immediately relate the festivities to the most famous Shiva shrines, at Kashi in Uttar Pradesh, and at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. But there are many other equally ancient shrines...
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