Culture Archives - Page 15 of 49

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...

Curtailed Christmas in times of Covid

December 25, 2020

Oliver Cromwell remains a controversial figure for curtailing the Christmas celebrations. The Lord Protector and his Puritan supporters declared Christmas illegal until 1660. COVID-19 has brought Christmas to a similar fate this year.

The healing power of art

December 24, 2020

“Art is an outlet for expression and creativity, just like crying is for grief,” Sumedha Kaul, a psychologist and an art therapist, based in Delhi, tells Media India Group. “Creating art is not a skill. It is an essential part of being a human. You don’t have to possess a...

K-Pop band BTS, a sensation larger than life

December 16, 2020

“This is all because of you Army. You made this.” BTS’ grateful words rang true with its fans worldwide, whom they refer to as ‘Army’, after TIME magazine declared the Korean band ‘entertainer of the year’. Last year, their album, Map of the Soul: Persona, toppe...