Culture Archives - Page 14 of 48

World Radio Day 2021: Community radio in India

February 12, 2021

“The community radio station, Radio Hevalvani’s interviews with doctors pushed me to get myself tested for the deadly disease,” says Ram Lakhi. “And I tested positive. I did not bother much till I heard about it on the radio. Thankfully, with timely intervention and a...

Miniature art: Inside the magnificent 3mm universe

February 1, 2021

For many, passing a thread through the eye of a needle would rank among one of the toughest things to do. It requires immense concentration and patience to find success. And, here is Ganesh Subramanian, a goldsmith and miniature artist, who has perfected the art of the small and ...

Weaving a regional heritage in Dakmanda

January 29, 2021

“The Dakmanda is my identity. It is comfortable and makes for excellent formal wear, especially for my ministerial meetings,” says Eva Marak, Assistant Director with the Border Area Development of Meghalaya. Marak is among several women of the Garo tribe of the north-eastern ...

Of Chacha Chaudhary, Champak & childhood

January 23, 2021

Remember superhero Sabu? The alien from Jupiter who was Chacha Chaudhary’s constant companion? Or the simpleton Supandi in Tinkle? Or the notorious but intelligent Cheeku from Champak? All these and many more characters from different children’s magazines had been a constant ...

Pandemic chokes bookstores, but books survive

January 18, 2021

The little nooks and crannies in bookshops had long been the abode of bookworms until the stores were shut suddenly due to the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. While booklovers tried to do with digital alternatives for their reading, bookstore owners had little choice but to sit out t...

Patna Kalam: Bihar’s adrift artform

January 15, 2021

The eastern state of Bihar is known for its highly stylised Mithila and Madhubani painting traditions. But very few are aware of an equally popular folk-based school of painting, which has survived in the region for more than 200 years – the Patna Kalam. “Once very popula...

Inside Majnu ka Tilla: Delhi’s own Mini Tibe...

January 12, 2021

Inside the crowded lanes of Majnu ka Tilla, the walls are painted in red, protesting against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The walls read, “India-Tibet border, not India-China border.” The ‘Mini Tibet’ in the National Capital echoes the demands of a free Tibet....

Changing tunes of Uttarakhand’s folk music

January 9, 2021

On January 14 each year as the sun traverses Tropic of Capricorn, large parts of India celebrate the harvest festival of Makar Sankranti, which coincides with the onset of an annual fair known as Magh Mela, celebrated in many parts of the northern India. On the occasion, resident...

Of tea, talks and tapris

January 4, 2021

“The kulhars (clay cups) at my stall have heard it all. From students discussing their syllabus to employees cribbing about their jobs and from teenagers discussing their crushes to middle aged ones discussing politics, my shop has heard everything over past 20 years,” says M...

‘He who has seen Goa need not see LisbonR...

December 27, 2020

Goa celebrated its 59th liberation day last week, but the impact of nearly 450 years of Portuguese rule in the state can still be seen in practically every aspect of the Goan life. Even to an outsider, the state may seem less Indian than the rest of the subcontinent and more Port...