Culture
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...
Read More
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 )...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
IWIA Grand Mahotsav 2026 brings together 2,000 ind...
July 28, 2026
To capitalise on India’s potential for destination weddings, the Indian Wedding Industry Association (IWIA), a newly-formed industry body, organised the first-ever IWIA Grand Mahotsav 2026 in Gurugram, bringing together over 2,000 stakeholders from the wedding, hospitality,...
Read More
VanVivaha Wedding Expo to be held in Gurugram on S...
July 27, 2026
VanVivaha, a wedding industry expo bringing together stakeholders from across bridal couture, jewellery, hospitality, wedding planning, photography, decor, beauty, gifting and entertainment, will be held in Gurugram, near Delhi, on September 24-25. In a press statement, the organ...
Read More
‘Superqueens’: India’s first full-scale ...
July 24, 2026
Superqueens, billed as India’s first full-scale drag musical, will be staged on July 30. The 90-minute production is written and directed by Vivek Mansukhani, with additional writing by Aishwarya Ayushmaan, Teya and Prateek Sachdeva, and choreography by Shohini Dutta and Ud...
Read More
Beyond Litti Chokha: Exploring rich flavours of Bi...
July 14, 2026
As with almost every part of India, Bihar, an eastern state spread across the fertile Gangetic belt, carries a culinary tradition as old as its civilisation. Though litti chokha is Bihar’s best-known dish, the state’s culinary heritage stretches well beyond it, featuring a di...
Read More
Jhumkas: Timeless traditions turn into modern stat...
July 10, 2026
Few pieces of jewellery in India carry as much cultural weight as the jhumka, a dangling ear-ring. Suspended delicately from the ear, shaped like a dome or a bell, the jhumka has travelled centuries across dynasties, temples, weddings, marketplaces and today, Instagram feeds.What...
Read More