Arabic Calligraphy: Art in alphabets

As beautiful as pearls, his works attract the attention even of those who are not familiar with the Arabic language. According to him, aesthetics and refinement are the specialities of Islamic art. Arabic calligraphy is ‘worship’ for Muqtar Ahmed, a Bengaluru-based calligraph...

A Sufi Basant at Nizamuddin Dargah

    After a rather cold and often bleak winter, the very idea of a festival marking the onset of spring is uplifting, but when it also brings with it the fragrance of a syncretic culture, it becomes incomparable. Such is the annual celebration of Basant Panchami at the ...

Miniature art: Inside the magnificent 3mm universe

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 ...

The healing power of art

“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...

Five Indian sweets that are nothing short of a piece of art

Indian desserts, especially traditional sweets, are any sweet tooth foodie’s dream come true. The sweet taste is not the only part of the food or sweet one cherishes; it is also the way an edible looks. In fact, many sweets in India have also been recognised for their artistic ...

Kali Puja au Bengale

Peu après les célébrations de Durga Puja, le Bengale se prépare à l’arrivée de la divinité de l’esprit, du corps et de l’âme. Mais pourquoi le Bengale célèbre-t-il Kali Puja (adoration de la déesse Kali), alors que l’Inde célèbre Diwali (la fête des lumi...

À la découverte du littoral indien

Certaines isolées et tranquilles, d’autres animées par les activités sportives, par la fête, ou encore par la dévotion, certaines encadrées par une nature sauvage et luxuriante, d’autres rehaussées de monuments, ou encore insérées dans le paysage urbain : Les plages ...

Threads of the ancient Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan, the traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, is celebrated since ancient times. However, the look of rakhi, the thread or amulet that is considered to be an ancient means of protection in Hindu culture, has evolved over the...

Changing narratives in Indian mythology

The two great Indian epics The Ramayana and The Mahabharata are being re-imagined and retold from the perspectives of the other characters and even those who were overlooked in the earlier editions.

Asian Culture and Tourism Exhibition, 2019

Indian artists at Venice Biennale 2019

India is back at the Venice Biennale with its second-ever pavilion after a hiatus of eight years and also has three artists participating in the main exhibition.

India’s pop-up exhibition wins international award

The ‘Bonjour India Experience’ was the flagship initiative of the Bonjour India 2017-18, a festival to celebrate the friendship between India and France through more than 300 events spread over four months across 33 Indian cities.