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‘New show is about physically challenged people’
New Delhi, Sep 30 Her shortcoming has become her biggest asset. Juhi Aslam, ridiculed for being much shorter than most people, says she has a real life connect with the new TV show 'Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo' in which she plays the protagonist.
Durga Puja organisers send out a green message
Kolkata, Sep 29 It's a green message from no less than mother goddess Durga! Lead-free idols and themes like rainwater harvesting and global warming have caught on at many community marquees that are coming up for the Durga Puja festival this time.
Khaaliqa, all of 12 years, aims for gold at CWG
New Delhi, Sep 29 She studies in class 8, badly misses her mom, has fallen in love with chicken tikka and naan, and she wants a medal — not any, but one at the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games. Meet Khaaliqa Nimji, all of 12 years, from Kenya, one of the youngest competitors at the Games.
Potpourri of Indian culture at Games
New Delhi, Sep 29 Dances, drums, music, yoga, textiles...The sights, sounds and colours of India, encapsulating 5,000 years of the country's culture, are set to mesmerise at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) opening ceremony on October 3 and the creative team behind it says they are ready and waiting!
Indian doctor is Nepal’s heart king
Kathmandu, Sep 27 As World Heart Day was celebrated globally on September 26, Indian doctor Bharat Rawat and his wife Anjali are preparing something special for a special heart patient admitted to their hospital in Kathmandu — dosa without oil and spices.
In Ayodhya, a temple that is open to all faiths
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 25 Idols of Lord Rama, Gautam Buddha, Lord Mahavir, an image of Mecca-Madina, a picture of Prophet Zarathustra... No matter which faith you belong to, chances are you will find your god at the Satyar temple here.
Hollywood bitten by Bollywood bug
New Delhi, Sep 25 Bollywood seems to have become a hot spot for Hollywood actors. From Sylvester Stallone, Kylie Minogue to Brandon Routh, Ben Kingsley and now Drew Barrymore, superstars from the West have started showing interest in Hindi films.
Look up and find bespectacled Bollywood stars!
Mumbai, Sep 24 Call them farsighted, but many Bollywood actors are putting on glasses these days to be in character. Never mind if it makes them look less glamorous on screen.
Garlands of harmony from Ayodhya's Muslim flower artisans
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 23 Muslim artisans here continue to make floral decorations for Hindu devotees, weaving bonds of communal harmony at a time when all eyes are on this ancient town ahead of a much-awaited court verdict Friday on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit contested by Hindu and Muslim groups.
Restoring pieces of history - Adi Granth to Tagore
Lucknow, Sep 23 A portrait of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore dating back to the early 1940s had become dull and lifeless. The colours had faded with cracks and stains visible on the surface. But the canvas has got a new lease of life.
What TV actors do with their first pay cheque
New Delhi, Sep 22 Some bought gifts for the family, some splurged on themselves and some just handed the money over to their parents. TV actors like Gaurav Chopra, Ragini Khanna and Nausheen Ali Sardar share fond memories of their first pay cheque, varying from Rs.2,000 to Rs.200,000.
English and computers now for Mumbai's dabbawalas
Mumbai, Sep 20 Like clockwork, they go about distributing food across India's financial capital, their numerous tiffin boxes clanked together. And now many of Mumbai's famed 'dabbawalas' will be seen clicking away on keyboards as they get English and computer lessons — for personal and professional growth.
Shabana Azmi turns 60 with elan
Mumbai, Sep 20 Shabana Azmi's 60th birthday party Saturday had for its invitees a motley mix of friends, family and selected colleagues from the film industry who had converged at a lounge named Trilogy.
Emotional farewell for metre gauge train in Kerala
Punalur (Kerala), Sep 20 It was all over for the last metre gauge train in Kerala when the Punalur-Chencotta passenger train to Tamil Nadu pulled out of this city on September 19.
Aged 120, living on boiled food, rice beer — and loving it!
Rongmowe (Assam), Sep 18 At 120, she is one of India's oldest women and Kareng Teronpi is still going strong, thanks to a daily diet of bland boiled rice, vegetables, and, of course, a regular bottle of moonshine to keep her spirits high!
As teacher, eunuch chooses a life of dignity
Mughalsarai (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 17 Dressed in a sari and holding a book in one hand, Lata writes a question on the blackboard as her primary class students look on eagerly. There is nothing unusual in this — except that the 35-year-old is a eunuch.
Click, click! Deprived girls to tell their own stories
Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Sep 16 Schoolgirls Pooja Bhadoria and Kanchan Mishra are already feeling empowered. In a world where social prejudices are steeped against girls, they are hoping to wield the camera and tell their stories.
Bringing social change in Agra - the children's way!
Agra, Sep 16 A health camp for the underprivileged, education for slum women, a cleanliness drive-these are not government schemes but social projects being carried out by many Agra students as part of an international contest, 'Design for Change'.
Ranthambore's 'Tiger Queen' dethroned by daughter
New Delhi, Sep 14 Ranthambore Fort in the heart of tiger territory seems to be prime real estate that every tiger envies. Machli, the big cat, had ruled it for over a decade till her daughter Satara threw her out in a heartless battle for supremacy.
Ceramic is sculpting tool for artists
New Delhi, Sep 14 Ceramic is becoming a tool for abstract sculptures, says veteran Indian ceramic sculptor P.R. Daroz whose latest works seek to portray sea bed compositions and ruins of lost cities.
Fewer hands to craft Durga idols, courtesy jobs scheme
Kolkata, Sep 14 The city's famous potters' colony of Kumartuli is facing an acute shortage of hands to sculpt Durga Puja idols. Behind this labour scarcity is an unlikely culprit — the rural jobs scheme, which has induced hundreds to stay back in their villages.
These Ganeshas give environment a fighting chance
Mumbai, Sep 13 Ganesha idols made of clay and paper pulp or which use naturally extracted colours have found many takers in Mumbai this year, as environment conscious residents are making sure that the 10-day Ganesha festival celebrations do not come at a cost to nature.
Bengal artisans sculpt Ganesha idols in Karnataka
Hubli (Karnataka), Sep 10 Each year, artisans from West Bengal travel to north Karnataka to sculpt idols of the elephant god Ganesha, lending the images an eastern touch that is reminiscent of goddess Durga who is widely worshipped in their native state.
Rev up those prayers at Bullet Baba’s shrine!
Pali (Rajasthan), Sep 8 It's a shrine dedicated to the Motorbike Devta, also called Bullet Baba. The deity is indeed a motorcycle and such is faith that hundreds of devotees turn up every day to pray for a safe journey.
Stilettos, gladiators, wedges... for the well heeled!
New Delhi, Sep 8 Planning to wear a little black dress? Don't forget to put on a pair of gladiator heels. Or if you prefer a backless gown, go for stilettos. Women can discover a whole world at their feet — with the right kind of heels!
A song on her lips, a style of her own, Asha Bhosle turns 77
Mumbai, Sep 7 She has sung more than 12,000 songs in 18 languages, been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan and is still raring to go. Singing legend Asha Bhosle will celebrate her 77th birthday on Wednesday with her position in Bollywood still strong and her legion of fans intact.
13 years on, Mother Teresa still draws tourists
Kolkata, Sep 3 Be it soccer legend Diego Maradona, tennis star Martina Hingis or football World Cup hero Diego Forlan — they have all visited the plain two-storey Missionaries of Charity headquarters here that houses Mother Teresa’s grave. It’s a must-see for foreign tourists visiting eastern India even 13 years after her death.
Literacy behind bars
Naugarh (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 2 Call it an act of atonement. A woman who is in jail in Uttar Pradesh for torturing her daughter-in-law has donned the role of a teacher for fellow prisoners and their children.
Drum beats wake up Mumbai, Govindas seek pot of luck
Mumbai, Sep 2 Mumbaikars woke up to beating of drums on Janmashtami on Thursday as Govindas got together at their venues to strategise and form human pyramids to reach 'dahi handis' — or pots of curd and luck — suspended high.
As breast cancer spreads in India, awareness is key
New Delhi, Sep 1 While bathing one morning, Sunaina Luthra felt a slight lump in her left breast. Thinking it was an allergic reaction caused by a new brand of deodorant used the day before, she ignored it.
Mahabharat gets a new look from Nepal
Kathmandu, Sep 1 After a novel based on the story of Karna, the tragic prince in the Mahabharata abandoned at birth, and a play from the perspective of Gandhari, the queen mother who lived life blindfolded after her marriage to a sightless prince, Nepal is now set to woo London with yet another interpretation of the timeless epic of love, treachery and war.
Strokes of ancient history — on limited edition pens
Mumbai, Aug 31 Pens that don't just write the story but tell it too... a Japan-based company has introduced in India a new series of limited edition fountain pens portraying ancient literature and the mysteries of the Maya civilisation.
Virtual classroom offers US school degree in Indian homes
New Delhi, Aug 28 Imagine securing a U.S. high school diploma without even stepping out of your home in India! As India attempts to go international in the field of education, here is a virtual classroom straight from America.
Colourful tiger art with folk dance for Onam
Thrissur (Kerala), Aug 27 Over 600 dancers painted like tigers and 300 percussionists took to the main thoroughfare of this sylvan Kerala town to perform the ancient Pulikali or the tiger dance as part of the Onam festivities.
A dargah, a Hindu caretaker and hundreds of believers
Dikom (Assam), Aug 26 Seventy-two-year-old Khedan Prasad Singh has just arisen after an elaborate puja in his tiny home here. He prepares to offer namaaz soon after at the Sufi shrine in his courtyard that is thronged by people every day. A devout Hindu who offers his namaaz five times a day and religiously keeps his fasts during the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramzan, Singh's is a 40-year-old tale that does more than amaze people.
Goa’s funeral managers provide A to Z solutions
Panaji, Aug 26 Does the phrase 'last nail in the coffin' give you the shivers? Then you should meet the folks who solemnly kneel over the wooden casket with a raised hammer. The undertakers have moved up in social order over the years.
A tribute from India to the 'old diaspora'
New Delhi, Aug 23 A diaspora memorial will be inaugurated early next year in Kolkata as a tribute to India's 'old diaspora' — the thousands of indentured labourers who left India during 1834-1920 to work in remote British colonies and whose descendants are now spread across the Caribbean and parts of Africa.
‘Madholal Keep Walking’ celebrates Mumbai's spirit
New Delhi, Aug 21 Shot in the real Mumbai of suburban trains and chawls and based on true life instances, 'Madholal Keep Walking' is a tribute to the undying spirit of the Maximum City and its people, says Swara Bhaskar, who makes her acting debut with the film.
Jackfruits that are pieces of India's living history
Tezpur (Assam), Aug 19 These are no ordinary jackfruits that are served to patients and staff at the 155 Army Base Hospital here. But living products of history grown on the ashes of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Children enter record books with floral carpet
Thrissur (Kerala), Aug 18 Children supported by an NGO celebrated Onam and entered the Limca Book of Records with the world's largest pookalam or floral carpet in Kerala, a statement said.
‘Garbage girl’ to clean Shiva’s abode
Shimla, Aug 17 This Briton is known as the 'garbage girl' of the mountains in Himachal Pradesh. And she is now set to clean the huge piles of trash left behind by devotees of Lord Shiva at the Manimahesh Lake in Chamba district.
Indian shows where there's a wheel, there's a way
Kathmandu, Aug 16 When Pritam Singh first came to Nepal from Jammu as an 18-year-old in 1957 — 10 years after India had become independent — Nepal, though never colonised by the British, was virtually cut off from the rest of the world.
On Delhi streets, freedom is a many splendored thing
New Delhi, Aug 14 For some, India's Independence Day on August 15 is just a vignette of memories poached from television broadcasts. But for many on the streets of Delhi, “freedom” is a many splendored thing, lived from day to day, and not taken for granted.
Nepal's first PM was a fighter for India's freedom
Kathmandu, Aug 14 When Manisha Koirala visited a little-known museum in Kathmandu recently, it created a hype because she is a popular Bollywood star. However, few know that the Sundarijal Museum is also an indirect memorial of the Indian freedom movement as the man it commemorates was one of the most stalwart advocates of India's independence from British colonial rule.
How to ‘do the needful’ in India
New York, Aug 13 For Western business travellers flummoxed by words like 'chalaan' (fine or tax), 'tashan' (style), and 'ishq' (romance) on a trip to India, help is on hand by way of an updated Indian-English online dictionary.
Sisters polish shoes for ailing brother
Kanpur, Aug 12 Their heads bent in concentration as they furiously polish shoes on a roadside in this Uttar Pradesh city, the two young girls are extraordinary profiles of hope in the face of all odds. Shrishti and Muskan have just one mission — to somehow collect Rs.20 lakh for their teenage brother suffering from a rare blood disorder.
With courage and a prayer, French tourists soothe Leh
New Delhi, Aug 12 They gave their medicines, assisted in rescue work and chanted Buddhist prayers to console the bereaved and displaced — a group of French tourists are on their way back home from flood-hit Leh, relieved to be away from the horrors of the disaster but also wishing they could return and help out more.
Faith drives millions to throng Deoghar temple
Deoghar (Jharkhand), Aug 11 They come in droves on foot, trekking for over 100 km to reach this town revered by Hindus for its ancient Shiv temple.
Independent India's history captured in Bollywood songs
New Delhi, Aug 10 The songs of Bollywood — from 'Aao bachchon tumhe dikhayen' to 'Kajra re' — best portray India's journey since independence to the present day when it is fast emerging as a major power, says a Paris-based historian-filmmaker.
Hidesign - a hobby that is today a chic brand
New Delhi, Aug 9 It was while studying in the U.S. for his doctorate that he took up the hobby of leather craft. This soon turned into a passion and the creative outflow of chic leather products became a brand that is very well known in India and abroad as Hidesign.
Kanwars: For Hindus by Muslims
Lucknow, Aug 9 You could hardly have guessed that some of the beautifully decorated kanwars carried by Hindu devotees during the annual religious journey, Kanwar Yatra, have actually been made by Muslim artisans in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district.
Delhi flower mart is a feast for the senses
New Delhi, Aug 9 The fragrance of roses and rajnigandha fill the air as temple bells ring in the background. A trip to the flower market in Connaught Place is an overwhelming experience for the senses, with the pavement sellers doing business worth lakhs of rupees every month.
Doctor by day, teacher for slum children by noon
Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 7 Medical check-ups, vaccination and medicines are not the only things on offer at a paediatric clinic here. For, it doubles up as a classroom for impoverished children who learn to read and write, thanks to the good doctor.
Caravan tourism arrives in India
New Delhi/Khajuraho, Aug 7 A seven-seater caravan carrying a family of four from Britain cruises along on a single lane between Orchha and Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. The rain has left a cool shroud of moisture in the air.
Coming up in Kolkata, memorial for Indian indentured workers
Kolkata, Aug 6 An abandoned dock on the Hooghly river, once known as Demerara dock, is being spruced up to act as a link between the descendants of Indian indentured workers in the 19th and early 20th centuries and their ancestral homeland. The memorial will be a pilgrimage point for those persons of Indian origin (PIOS) around the world who cannot trace their ancestral homes in India.
Fifty years on, 'Mughal-e-Azam' still inspires awe
New Delhi, Aug 5 It has been half a century since 'Mughal-e-Azam' first enchanted audiences with its majestic sets, elaborate dance sequences and soulful music. But K. Asif's magnum opus continues to inspire Bollywood directors and technicians.
Chronicling a South African dancer's journey
New Delhi, Aug 5 The end of apartheid in South Africa freed dancer-choreographer Nhlanhla Vincent Zwane from his creative isolation. Today he is a leading Bharatanatyam exponent in his country and a devout Shiva worshipper at that.
Passion prods penniless producer to make `3 cr film
Mumbai, Aug 4 'Soch Lo', a `3 crore (Rs.30-million) film, could well be considered yet another off-beat directorial debut. But when Sartaj Singh Pannu, a Punjab farmer's son, began the project, he had no money in his coffers, not even office space.
Deaths, births not allowed - Tripura marks Ker Puja
Agartala, Aug 2 A centuries-old tribal custom in Tripura called Ker Puja permits no deaths, births or even recreation within a notified area. No outsiders are allowed to enter either, and anyone violating the rules has to pay.
Contributing to society at 90? Get an award
Chandigarh, Aug 2 If you are 90 years old or more and still working and contributing to society in Haryana, you could end up being richer by Rs.100,000.
‘Post-cancer, I'm back to extraordinary life’
Mumbai, July 31 Canada-based Lisa Ray is in no hurry to act and is instead keen to spread cancer awareness and write a book. 'I am engaging with the world, but with a different quality now,' says the model-actress who is leading a healthy life after fighting a rare cancer of plasma cells.
Losing green cover? Call helpline for a tree
Fazilka (Punjab), July 31 If a lack of time or resources is preventing you from planting new trees, then it's time you heard of a unique green initiative in this border town of Punjab.
At the rumour monger's tomb, keep the footwear handy
Datvali (Uttar Pradesh), July 30 Shoes and 'chappals' in hand, people stand barefoot in a queue waiting for hours for their turn to hit a 500-year-old tomb here. Believers say it wards off bad luck.
‘Wonder how 'Sholay' entered the Indian psyche so deeply’
Mumbai, July 28 Thirty-five years on, even Javed Akhtar, who co-scripted 'Sholay' with Salim Khan, wonders how a film could enter the Indian psyche so deeply, its ensemble cast more entrenched and more remembered than even an iconic character like James Bond.
Young and unsung art makes an impression
New Delhi, July 28 Art houses are giving unsung and emerging artists a platform to paint their emotions and reach out to buyers with a realistic purse. Spilling on to the canvas is urban angst, loneliness, squalor, concern for the environment and the energy of youth this season.
Meet Steve Gupta, owner of 10 five-star hotels in Canada
Toronto, July 27 During the current global downturn when most businesses have put off expansion plans, Canada's top Indian-origin hotelier Steve (Sudesh) Gupta, who owns 10 five-star hotels, is going ahead full steam.
Tipu Sultan's descendant: I'm a Bengali
Kolkata, July 27 Bespectacled and grey hair brushed back, Husain Shah, 70, is the quintessential elderly Bengali man next door. But within him he carries a historic legacy, as a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, the king of Mysore who valiantly fought the British.
Let your party take off - in a plane
New Delhi, July 26 You can party on terra firma and still fly high — in a stationary aircraft! And you can do so right here in Delhi or, for a more exotic experience, head for Neemrana in Rajasthan.
Kapil Dev to fulfil Indian immigrant's last wish
New Delhi, July 24 Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev has volunteered to fulfil the last wishes of an Indian immigrant to Australia who died 63 years ago, and receive his ashes for immersing them in the Ganga.
Colombian music troupe to perform in Delhi
New Delhi, July 24 Salsa, the scintillating Latino dance music from Colombia, will set the capital rocking to its raucous beats on July 30 to mark 200 years of independence of the South American country.
Kathak by Chinese, Kathakali by German at global fest
New Delhi, July 23 Bharatanatyam by a Malaysian and a South African, Kathak by a Chinese dancer and a German performing the Kathakali dance-drama form — eight exponents of Indian classical dance cutting across religious and geographical divides showcase their talent in a three-day international festival here on August 2-4.
Centuries-old fest takes Tripura on spiritual journey
Agartala, July 19 A centuries-old tradition comes alive in Tripura as the idols of 14 Hindu deities, kept locked in a room throughout the year, are brought out for worshipping during the tribal Kharchi festival from Monday — a spectacle witnessed by hundreds of thousands of devotees from India as well as Bangladesh.
Adventure tourism in Chambal ravines
Agra, July 17 If chatting up with former bandits or traversing terrain infested with alligators is your idea of adventure tourism, then the Chambal ravines in central India may be the place to go — especially if you are a Commonwealth Games visitor.
Oz artist chronicles the Ganga's journey
New Delhi, July 16 Contemporary Australian artist Kevin Pearsh has chronicled the 2,500-km journey of river Ganga from an icy cave in Gaumukh to the Ganga Sagar in West Bengal in a series of 21 large format canvases.
'Power-packed' jeans: Wear them and fear not pickpockets
Varanasi, July 16 Imagine a pickpocket trying to steal your wallet but getting a 220-volt jolt! Wearing a special pair of jeans — designed by a Varanasi school dropout using basic scientific principles — might just help avoid a hole in your pocket.
Teaching tools for India from US
New Delhi, July 15 He is in India with his bag of education tools. Veteran U.S. educator Samuel W. Micklus says creativity and critical thinking is key to education as opposed to learning by rote and he is about to let Indian schools know how.
Tennessee to Jharkhand… a band empowers the voiceless
New Delhi, July 15 Belting out groove rock, country-style soul ballads and native folk music, the American band UnNamed Servant lends a voice to people on the fringes, from Tennessee to Jharkhand. On a month-long tour of India, its members say they believe in Mahatma Gandhi's 'ideology of ahimsa'.
Sikh principles helped US millionaire build empire
Chandigarh, July 14 The message of 'Ek Omkar', the theory of oneness propounded by first Sikh guru Nanak Dev, has inspired a Sikh to not only set up a multi-million business empire in the US but also turned him into a motivational speaker, now popularly called 'Mr Stress-free'.
Meet Tripura's new entrepreneurs
Kamalpur (Tripura), July 12 A tea garden worker until seven years ago, 48-year-old Matang Tanglua is today among over 5,500 entrepreneurs who own small tea estates of their own, making meaningful contributions to the state that is emerging as a significant exporter of the commodity.
A sweet herb from Paraguay to replace sugar
New Delhi, July 12 It is sweeter than sugar and can be grown in your kitchen garden. Stevia, a herb native to Paraguay in Latin America, is coming to India to be used as a sweetener and flavour enhancer in food and beverages in place of sugar.
India tries new media in art
New Delhi, July 10 New media is the buzzword on the high streets of Indian neo-contemporary art. And that means much more than just digital art, computer graphics and interactive hi-tech art.
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Vayalar Ravi, who assumed office as Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs on January 30, 2006, was born in 1937 in Vayalar village of... 
In cheering news for wildlife conserva- tionists, tiger poaching dropped nearly 60 percent...