Search Results for: culture
A secluded haven called Malana
July 26, 2021
Today perhaps Himachal Pradesh is best known as the place where the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama lives. But thousands of years ago, legend has it, it was also the place where soldiers of Greek King Alexander the Great lived. The story goes when Alexander’s army took refuge in the small village of Malana in […]
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Immigrant struggles on Indian cinema
July 25, 2021
Portrayal of the Indian immigrant or Indian diaspora experience in cinema has evolved beyond romantic dance sequences shot against beautiful backdrops. In mainstream and as well as independent movies, filmmakers tackle issues such as immigration, identity crisis and how undertones of racism still affect new generations of foreign-born Indians. Some of the most critically acclaimed […]
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Feroz Shah Kotla: Of djinns, faith and history
July 24, 2021
Feroz Shah Kotla fort was built by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1354, as the core of the new imperial capital of Firozabad in today’s south Delhi. However, with change of dynasties, Kotla fell into obscurity and it was only in the latter half of 20th century that it became relevant to the locals once […]
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‘Kisan Sansad’ at Jantar Mantar, aims to create farmers’ parliament
July 22, 2021
As the farmers’ protest against three farm laws rammed through the Parliament last year by the government without any debate enters its eighth month, the farmers have upped the ante on their by and large peaceful protest to pressure ruling party as well as opposition parliamentarians to raise their issues during the Monsoon Session that […]
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Indian Americans’ hegemony in Spelling Bee contests
July 22, 2021
At the recently concluded finals of the National Spelling Bee contest 2021, Zaila Avant-Grande, stunned her Indian rivals and went on to become the first African-American to win the contest in 96 years. Avant-Garde beat 10 other rivals in the finals, nine of whom were Indian-Americans. This was the first time since 2008 that an […]
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Exploring religion, mythology and nature in Indian sculptures
July 15, 2021
One of the oldest art forms to exist, sculpture art has been a widespread practice since the Indus Valley Civilisation, when small terracotta figurines were first made, usually of women or animals. A significant way for historians to document life at the time, such as a war victory or a good deed, they have represented […]
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Philanthropy back home by Indian diaspora
July 11, 2021
Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in charitable donations and interest in humanitarian causes among Indians living abroad. Although there is a lack of annual systematic data regarding the philanthropic activities of the Indian diaspora worldwide, a study by Indiaspora.org in 2018 revealed that “people of Indian origin in the United […]
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Dilip Kumar, first of the Khans of Indian cinema
July 8, 2021
As cinema slowly achieved the position of the single largest disseminator of popular culture in India post-independence, Dilip Kumar, whose real name was Mohammed Yusuf Khan, slowly emerged as the first romantic icon of the country. With films such as Devdas (1955) and Mughal-e-Azam (1960), he became the pioneer and was the last surviving […]
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The problem with romance on reality television
July 4, 2021
Reality shows featuring blossoming love on television have been around since the early 2000s, with re-runs of originals like The Bachelor (2002) being broadcasted even today. Despite accusations of these programmes being scripted, audiences are often unable to tear their eyes away from the screen because they become invested in the carefully crafted stories and […]
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Women as temple priests: Mixed response by community
June 27, 2021
On June 12, Tamil Nadu minister for Hindus Religious and Charitable Endowments PK Sekar Babu said that women can become priests after getting proper training of Agama Shastra to worship and rituals at temples. Within hours of his statement, the statement ballooned into a major controversy, splitting the devotees vertically as some saw it as […]
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