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Beer, food and more - live up Germany's Oktoberfest in India!
It's carnival time in Germany with the over 175-year-old Oktoberfest celebrations on in full swing. It's no less here in India, where several pubs, micro-breweries and brewers have tried to recreate the magic of the fest, by offering special menus, music, a Bavarian set-up and thousands of litres of beer.
600 young artists with 2,000 works at capital's open fair
More than 600 young Indian artists have brought nearly 2,000 art works in an independent display-cum-sale of contemporary art at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi at the four-day United Art Fair Sept 27-30.
Cartoon Network to launch Ben 10 magazine in India
Cartoon Network is set to launch a bi-monthly magazine on popular TV series Ben 10 in India on Sep 30.
Bangalore set for Odissi fest
Art and culture lovers in Bangalore are in for an Odissi treat this weekend with leading exponents set to take them through the entire repertoire of the classical dance.
Polish businesses seek ventures in Gujarat's 'vibrant economy'
Poland is keen to scale up trade and investment with India, especially in Gujarat where it intends to set up joint ventures in renewable energy. And, by the middle of next year, Polish airline LOT will start flying directly to New Delhi.
War artefacts from 712 AD on display in Mumbai
An exhibition of over 1,000 items on warfare and related antiques has been opened in Mumbai. The exhibition has been organised by the Lodha Foundation.
Aroon Raman could be India's answer to Robert Ludlum
He turned a family company into the world's largest transformer board manufacturer with a presence in 25 countries before divesting it to start a material sciences laboratory in Mysore. If he continues in the same vein as his debut novel 'The Shadow Throne', Aroon Raman could well become the Robert Ludlum of the Indian thriller genre.
Udaipur-based Italian uses India as muse
Italian artist Simona Bocchi found her inspiration in India when she first travelled here in 2006.
‘Special' mothers to take care of 'special' children
Two years ago 40-year old Anuradha, who is HIV positive, came to Jaipur with a frail body and weak mind clouded with uncertainty about her future. Today she is a 'mother' to similarly-affected 25 children at Rays-Asha Ki Ek Kiran, a unique home where the caregivers themselves are patients.
Touring country in a mobile cafe telling stories
Six young people with a passion for stories have set out to travel to eight cities with the unique mission of reviving the lost tradition of itinerant storytelling. In the process, they hope also to revive the gift economy -- pay as you may.
Veena strings to mark World Melody Day on Oct 2
India's ancient string instrument veena will be played by music maestros across the world Oct 2 to mark 'World Melody Day', it was announced.
Lonely Planet launches customised guides for Indian travellers
Lonely Planet has launched a series of guides customised for Indians travelling abroad.
Fancy driving from Delhi to Bangkok? Here's how!
Fancy a trip to Bangkok? Not by air, as most would imagine, but a road trip. Promising a strong punch of excitement, adventure and experience of a lifetime, a self-drive expedition company that has been organising some offbeat trips is now offering to take those interested from Delhi to Bangkok by road, via Nepal, China and Tibet.
Tipu Sultan painting to be auctioned in Britain
British Auction house Mullock's will auction an array of Indian artefacts, including a painting on Tipu Sultan, in late September, said a statementsad in New Delhi.
Rediscovering the ancient Indian art of handwriting
In the age of iPads and electronic notebooks, a NGO is promoting the art of writing with the aim of resdiscovering the 'great civilizational history' of India involving ancient scripts.
Artists should look for art in rural India: Nageen Tanvir
The younger generation of artists should explore the country's rural and traditional roots to hone their art, says classic vocalist Nageen Tanvir, daughter of late theatre personality Habib Tanvir.
How to detox - Delhi centres show the way
An animated discussion on self-control and inner strength is under way in an air-conditioned cottage tucked away inside a plush south Delhi farm. The group includes people from the US, Canada, Oman as well as from Southeast Asia and all have one thing in common - they were till recently 'narcotics-induced psychotics'.
When a dancer reformed a hardened criminal
He was a hardened criminal who had resisted all attempts at rehabilitation - till a renowned dancer visited the Presidency Jail here and began a therapy session. Today, he has even appeared opposite award-winning actress Rituparna Sengupta in 'Muktodhara', a film loosely based on his life and transformation.
'Feluda' lends voice to Tagore
Ace detective 'Feluda' dropped his 0.32 Colt revolver to pick up the microphone, lending his baritone voice to English interpretations of Rabindranath Tagore's songs.
He fought darkness to give reading solutions for blind
Over two decades back, visually impaired student Dipendra Manocha stood outside Delhi University's Hindu College waiting to get an application written. After the life-altering struggle of finding a writer, Manocha set himself on a mission - helping the blind read and write.
Science merges with art in laser tribute to Vivekananda
Denver-based Manick Sorcar, son of the legendary magician P.C. Sorcar, has produced a laser documentary on Swami Vivekananda as a tribute to the revered saint on his 150th birth anniversary.
Henrik Ibsen returns to Delhi colleges
Nineteenth century Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen returns to the Delhi stage at the annual University Ibsen Festival during September 19-23 with five innovative adaptations of his signature plays in the Indian context.
Tibetan monk-musician makes music across cultures
Nawang Khechog, a nomadic tribal of Tibetan origin, has clung to his wooden flute for the last five decades since his family fled Chinese repression to make Odisha in India its home.
Kantha stitch takes fashion, furnishings by storm
Threads can talk and create stories. They can weave their way through centuries and be reborn in various avatars. Such has been the evolution of the kantha stitch - the fine art of embroidery from Bengal initially done on quilts - which has taken the contemporary fashion and furnishing sectors by storm with buyers in the US, Britain and Japan lapping it up.
A mouthful of 'tricolour' dishes
This Independence Day, restaurants in the national capital are offering a taste of patriotism with 'tricolour' dishe. Cheesecakes to chocolate brownies and hara kababs to achaari paneer tikka, mouth-watering delicacies will be served in colours of the national flag-- saffron, white and green.
Mapping 300 years of Indian landscape art with 385 art works
Three hundred years ago, India went to Europe with realistic paintings of villages, the green countryside, temples, forts, people and festivals in water colours and prints. Over the centuries, landscapes have lived at the heart of the Indian art movements, morphing from the early visual documentary essays to contemporary abstraction.
The NRI as bureaucrat: Coaching schools warm up to idea
Hoping to touch a patriotic chord, private coaching academies are increasingly looking at Indians settled abroad and their children and selling them the idea of taking the civil services exam to serve the motherland as a career bureaucrat.
Mother and I respect each other's music: Rocker Dhaval Mudgal
His musical heritage has helped him sustain his Half Step Down band for the last seven years in the capital's uncertain western music world, says rock 'n' roll vocalist Dhaval Mudgal, adding that his mother Shubha Mudgal and he respect each other's works.
Focus on cinema, culture to mark 60 yrs of India-Turkey treaty
Turkey has drawn up a calendar of cultural acitivities - including a new overseas cultural cell and joint productions on screen - in India to celebrate 60 years of cultural cooperation between the two countries in 2013-2014, the country's envoy said.
Ashoka stupa restored in Tibet
Nestled in eastern Tibet and surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, Nangchen is once again in the spotlight with the restoration of a 2,000-year-old stupa constructed by Indian emperor Ashoka and the installation of a 35-metre statue of the Buddha worth $6 million. It spells a ray of hope for locals who see in it a new beginning and economic growth.
Beyond designing, Ritu Beri eyes lifestyle space
She is one of the rare names in the Indian fashion fraternity whose international presence and impact are wider than at home. Now designer Ritu Beri wants to spread her wings by opening lifestyle boutiques to cater to everyone's needs under one roof.
Frequencies that touch lives: India's growing community radio stations
Gurgaon Ki Awaaz, Lalit Lokvani, Chanderi ki Awaaz ...India's community radio stations are reaching out to touch lives and livelihoods in little hamlets and towns across the country with useful nuggets of information spiced up with local folk music and radio plays.
Narang emerges out of Bindra's shadow
Rifle shooter Gagan Narang finally came out of the shadow of his more illustrious compatriot Abhinav Bindra by winning an Olympics bronze medal in the men's 10 metre air rifle event at the London Games here.
Diplomatic poetic literature: A growing creativity
A growing tribe of Indian diplomats is seeking emotional refuge in poetry and creative literature to battle workplace blues and the stress of decision making. They pour out their heart in their creativity, which often borders.
Eco-friendly stove a boon for rural women
Time was when women of this village of 121 households had to daily trudge for considerable distances to gather firewood to light their stoves for cooking. Chulika, an eco-friendly stove, has halved the trips, apart from considerably bringing down the pollution caused by wood- and animal dung-fired stoves.
'Travel writing going beyond mere sight-seeing and beaches’
Move over bare-boned travel listings couched in a flourish of words. Powerful transformation stories about people and places are the fashion of travel writings of the day.
Jazz musicians in Delhi mix new sounds with new venues
In the last three years, the jazz music scene in the national capital has seen a shift from festivals offering a mix of big and small bands to independent concerts by new bands that are writing their own music arrangements.
Of Indian women changing with globalisation and time
Sohana Badshah is a carefree rich 'Bombay girl', who moves to London to study interior designing. She falls in love with Jagdish Sachdev, a man of refined intellect. The dream match falls apart, with Jagdish blaming bad blood between the families.
Indian dances in New York dance festival
The fifth edition of 'Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance', bringing Indian and India-inspired dance to the New York City, will be presented Aug 17 during the Downtown Dance Festival in New York.
Capital tales: Books get voices to reach more children
It is 9 A.M. on Saturday. A group of nearly 100 schoolchildren aged 5-16 waiting at the gates of the American Centre in the capital is impatient. Their 'Saturday Story Time' - a monthly story-telling and informal learning session - is about to begin.
Poet-TV persona Pritish Nandy experiments with 140-character poetry
Insolent, angry, wicked that's me/or so you say before you angrily look away/Faith is so yesterday/Tomorrow is where I want to be.
Old is gold: Revival time for Bollywood's defunct banners
Exorbitant budgets, corporatisation of the filmmaking process and the rise of new 'costly' stars pushed Bollywood's old production houses into oblivion. But some dormant and some defunct production banners like Shakti Films and Pramod Films are coming back to life and they are banking on the evergreen genre of love to start afresh.
Luring day-trippers - Delhi's HOHO buses change gear
The children's laughter and chatter grow as the luxury bus rolls from Qutab Minar. The next stop is Lotus Temple for the bus, begun initially as part of a fleet to ferry tourists for the Commonwealth Games and now a well utilised vehicle for educational and leisure tours of the city for various groups.
Dance takes on a bigger role in cinema
Dance has been an integral part of Indian cinema, but the popular art form is inspiring Bollywood and Hollywood filmmakers to use it as the central theme in movies like 'Any Body Can Dance', 'Step Up Revolution' and 'Street Dance'.
Changing professions - to become police officers
Till a few years ago, Shweta Chauhan was a lecturer at Delhi University and analysed Shakespeare and John Keats with her students. Now she spends more than 12 gruelling hours in a police station to train as an Indian Police Service officer and is enjoying every moment of it.
A free fair for young artists to sell art directly to buyers
A new platform will open to 520 emerging artists from across the country to exhibit and sell their art directly to buyers without the involvement of galleries at the United Art Fair in Pragati Maidan Sept 27-30.
Tagore exhibition opens at Edinburgh Napier University
An exhibition of photographs on the life of poet Rabindranath Tagore has opened at the Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland.
Creating monsoon music with ancient rain-maker
Rains are a cause for celebration in India and there is nothing better than welcoming it with music and song. Classical music lovers herald the arrival of the first monsoon showers with a festival centred on the 'malhar', the rain-invoking raga, one of the six musical modes in the pantheon of Indian classical music.
Rose garden, art gallery at Roerich's Bangalore estate
Known for its gardens, Bangalore will get an exclusive 25-acre rose garden in city's outskirts on the sprawling estate of Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich and his actress wife Devika Rani.
Rose garden, art gallery at Roerich's Bangalore estate
Known for its gardens, Bangalore will get an exclusive 25-acre rose garden in city's outskirts on the sprawling estate of Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich and his actress wife Devika Rani.
Dancing to Indian tunes with an American soul
She is beautiful and she is American, but a quintessential Indian at heart and on her feet.
Pushkar is where it's kosher for Israeli tourists
Signboards and menus in Hebrew, shopkeepers greeting visitors with 'shalom' and familiar food like humus, wraps and soup with dumplings, it's a mini Israel out here with hotels and other businesses tailoring their offerings to suit tourists from the 'promised land'.
Endangered Himachal pheasant species breeds again
Wildlife officials in Himachal Pradesh are euphoric over the resumed breeding of a highly endangered pheasant species.
Empowering villagers through turtle conservation
Turtle conservation, mainly of the endangered Olive Ridley species, in Maharashtra's coastal regions has moved to a new level - of empowering village communities to take the cause ahead, along with youth, students and ordinary volunteers.
A business deal made easy for young minds
Be it a toothbrush or a toy... each has a business story behind it.
Palak paneer to tandoori - Indian food a hit in Helsinki
When one thinks of this Land of the Midnight Sun, the first thing that comes to one's mind is reindeer meat. But this capital city of Finland boasts of at least two dozen Indian restaurants that serve mouth-watering palak paneer, chole-naan, kadi-pakora, butter chicken and other delicacies.
Bollywood packs its best punch with action
Advanced technology can make actors fly in the air, jump down high-rises and do other dazzling, dangerous stunts. But it is the old Bollywood 'dhishoom, dhishoom' staple that really sets the viewer's adrenaline rushing - borne out by the success of 'Rowdy Rathore', another raw action entertainer that has earned over Rs.105 crore.
Fall in love with food, says nutritionist-author
Makhija, a food guide to the likes of Sushmita Sen and Himangini Singh Yadu, who was June 16 crowned Miss Asia-Pacific World 2012, said:,'Today the perceived form of food is calories, fat, more fat and cholesterol.'
Tripura's royal palaces to be turned into museums
Tripura's royal palaces, which were command hubs until the erstwhile princely state's accession to India in October 1949, are now being turned into museums to showcase northeast India's art, culture, history and ethnic diversity.
Literature renders with style on stage
Short stories render themselves to stage with equal panache as on screen - they strike an easy note in their dramatised avatars with dialogues between characters and a live stage.
Victoria's piano back on display in Kolkata
On World Music Day, music aficionados of the city got a glimpse of the Victorian era masterpiece - the grand pianoforte on which the Queen Victoria honed her skills - after it was put back on display at the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
Bhupen Hazarika's picture to adorn London's Nehru Centre
A picture of Assam's late musical icon Bhupen Hazarika will be unveiled at the Nehru Centre, the cultural wing of the High Commission of India in the UK, said an NGO from London.
Theatre re-invented to celebrate Gulzar's legacy
Theatre is continuously trying to re-invent itself, especially at a time when performances and live mediums are becoming rare and scarce, says noted writer-poet, lyricist and director Gulzar.
Shah Jahan's 357th Urs celebrated at Taj Mahal
Amid Qawwali recitals, a 357-metre-long 'chadar' was offered on the grave of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Monday at the Taj Mahal here on the occasion of his 357th Urs.
Indian diplomat in London pens mythological epic
An Indian diplomat in London has written a mythological adventure novel drawn from the vast repertoire of Indian spirituality and metaphysics.
From real to reel: Reality inspires more Bollywood films
Be it gangster Manya Surve's death in a gunfight, 'bikini killer' Charles Sobhraj's audacious jailbreak or the bloody 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, real-life incidents are finding their way on to reel, spurring Indian cinema's gradual move towards more realistic cinema.
Now, 'Motu Patlu' comic strip in animated TV
Evergreen comic strip 'Motu Patlu', launched 42 years ago by Lotpot Comics, will now be adapted into an animated TV series titled 'The Adventures of Motu Patlu'.
Kolkata engineer designs wonder rickshaw
A Kolkata engineer has designed a cycle-rickshaw that uses passenger load to push the vehicle and reduces the puller's drudgery by using bumps on the road for propulsion.
Great Himalayan National Park vies for World Heritage status
Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh, one of the richest biodiversity sites in the western Himalayas, has come closer to getting global recognition.
Tyeb Mehta work sells for $2.1 mn at Christie's South Asian auction
An untitled painting of Mahishasura by Tyeb Mehta was sold to an Asian institution for $2.1 million (Rs.120 million) at a Christie's South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale in London on Monday, the auction house said.
Tyeb Mehta work sells for $2.1 mn at Christie's South Asian auction
An untitled painting of Mahishasura by Tyeb Mehta was sold to an Asian institution for $2.1 million (Rs.120 million) at a Christie's South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale in London on Monday, the auction house said.
For the perfect trekking experience at Himachal national park
If you are a professional trekker and want to test your nerves in the rugged and inhospitable terrain of the trans-Himalayas, the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in the picturesque Kullu Valley is the perfect challenge for you.
Here comes '7 Notes to Infinity', film on Indian classical music
'7 Notes to Infinity', a 60-minute documentary on Indian classical music, will be premiered here on the eve of World Music Day - June 20.
Collectors' pride: History captured in the flame of lighters
The cigarette lighter, once the fashion statement of the smart uber man, is fast becoming a vintage collector's artefact. Now, an independent collector in the capital is trying to put together the history of the 'macho light' with a chronologically sequenced collection.
India to host Africa Festival
Artistes from as many as five African countries - the Seychelles, Zambia, Sudan, Ghana and Senegal - will bring to India their folklores, dances and music during a two-day Africa Festival in the national capital June 18-19, it was officially announced.
Historic Tipu Sultan painting on sale by Osian's
An art work by famous British documentary artist Henry Singleton, 'The Assault and the Taking of Seringapatnam'(1800), which was originally in the collection of Lord Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, will be auctioned at Osian's 'Creative India' series sale focusing on Goa, Cholamandal and South India.
In paying tribute to Hazarika, guitarists create record
A total of 5,406 guitarists have simultaneously played and paid a tribute to Assam's most celebrated musical icon Late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, popularly known as Bhupen-da, in the process also entering their names in the Limca Book of Records.
Capturing changing Mumbai landscape through Gilbert hill
The hill stands like a dark stump of basalt covered in a motley sheet of grime, algae and construction in the teeming heart of Andheri in Mumbai, but for writer duo Kalpana Swaminathan and Ishrat Syed, Gilbert Hill is the muse of their new book, 'Once Upon a Hill' (Harper-Collins India), to be unveiled later this month.
Delhi dancers revive a sub-culture
It's hard to imagine that a small room in a dingy lane is the training ground for young talent from nearby slums who are on their way to becoming B-Boys (Break Boys) who perform the Breaking or B-boying street dance genre.
India becoming a designer baby factory: Author Kishwar Desai
Life is no longer a gift of love; it is being created with care to fit specifications furnished by parents in the age of surrogacy and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), says award-winning writer Kishwar Desai.
Tagore's texts made into pictorial editions
Three children's texts written by Rabindranath Tagore have been produced in pictorial editions in Hindi, English and Bengali by the traditional 'pata chitra' painters of West Bengal.
India to help replicate Project Tiger in Russia, China
Six countries, including Russia and China, have sought India's help to replicate Project Tiger, one of the most successful conservation programmes running in the country to protect the big cats from extinction.
Afghan theatre group to stage Shakespeare's 'Comedy of Errors'
An Afghan theatre company, which escaped a Taliban attack in Kabul last August because of a last-minute change in schedule, will stage an Afghan version of Shakespeare's 'Comedy of Errors' here Tuesday.
The crocs of Bhitarkanika: A problem of plenty?
It is a tiny piece of heaven on the Odisha coast. The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary is where the world's largest living reptile, the estuarine crocodile, is thriving amidst sylvan surroundings after having been brought back from the brink. But now there is trouble with the reptile population booming, posing a threat to the natural balance.
In Cannes with three films, Kashyap thrilled but nervous
He has not one, not two, but three films in Cannes and filmmaker with an edge Anurag Kashyap is thrilled that the 'dedication and passion' behind works like his are finally being recognised.
Bollywood and IPL: Industry rides on India's twin passions
For all those who say Bollywood is scared of big ticket releases during the Indian Premier League (IPL), it's time for a rethink. Undeterred by the enthusiasm for the cricket extravaganza this season, Bollywood released big-budget projects like 'Housefull 2' and 'Ishaqzaade'.
Kuwait brings middle-eastern culture to India
A week-long panorama of Kuwaiti culture which opened in the capital May 15 has for the first time brought arts, crafts and performing traditions of the ancient port-nation to India to strengthen people-to-people cultural ties between the two countries.
Fusion can enrich music, says Rao
Fusion experiment can give new dimension to music if used wisely, renowned Sitar composer and performer Sri Shubhendra Rao said.
Two-day fest of ancient healing arts in Delhi
A two-day showcase of ancient therapeutic arts and culture will bring to the capital rare musical instruments like the Chinese Guquin and Iranian Tar-Setar and ancient dances like the Gaudiya Nritya and Pung Cholom at the International Ancient Arts Festival May 16-17 at Kamani theatre.
When cricket became a saviour in battle-scarred Afghanistan
Cricket has not caught on to any major extent in Afghanistan even 11 years after the Taliban was pushed out of Kabul in 2001. The sports-shy Afghans are still too battle-scarred to laugh their angst away on the pitch.
Love your bahus, say telly moms-in-law
Nasty kitchen politics and mean mothers-in-law have long been the core of woman-centric shows on telly. But Smita Bansal, Apara Mehta, Supriya Pilongakar and Indrani Haldar have changed the scenario by backing their on-screen daughters-in-law.
Distance makes heart grow fonder - does it?
New Delhi-based Pritha Mishra, 25, is in a fix. Her boyfriend of five years has been beckoned to New York for a year-long assignment. Her dilemma -- will a long distance relationship work?
'No secrets in kitchen' is celebrity Indian chef's mantra
US-based celebrity writer-chef Vikas Khanna, whose signature Indian dish 'Tree of Life' - a variation of gobi ka pakoda - is soon to be served to US President Barack Obama, is also a strong votary of the philosophy of 'no secrets in the kitchen'.
Reviving the Parsee Punch with new pickings
Humour has been the golden lining of India's realpolitik for as long as one can remember. The early kings hired jesters; Mughal emperor Akbar had Birbal and, in the 19th century, quick-witted Indian writers picked up from the British bible of humour, Punch, to laugh like the white 'babus'.
Bollywood goes back and forth in time
Whether it is rewinding back to the 1910s or fast forwarding into 2050, Bollywood filmmakers are going back and forth in time with films like 'Teri Meri Kahaani' and 'Dangerous Ishq', whose stories span over decades.
Candid maternity talks with men - from behind veil
'Did your prasav (delivery) go off well this time?' 'Was the jaapa (birth) without any problems?' These are questions that a male health worker poses to a group of attentive women in a Rajasthan village.
Soon, a film on Satyajit Ray's character Shonku
Late filmmaker Satyajit Ray's son Sandip Ray said on his father's 92nd birth anniversary Wednesday that he will make a film on Professor Shonku, a character created by his father.
A white ribbon flutters towards safe motherhood in Rajasthan
Will the baby live? Will the mother survive childbirth? Not very long ago, it was left to fate to decide how a pregnant woman and her unborn child would fare, but a slow change towards birth preparedness is taking place in some villages of Rajasthan's Jodhpur district.
Where destitute, disabled find a home
A maggot infested wound in the head, a chopped hand, a smashed nose, a paralysed body...Life was hellish for many destitute, disabled people before they were brought to an ashram here and given new hope.
India becoming market for high end European art
Rising disposable incomes, exposure to unique art forms and greater social interaction are opening urban Indian homes to niche British interior accessory art like Amanda Brisbane sculptures, Wedgewood cutlery and Moorcroft objects'd art.
Where Ramayana recitation continues for 18 years
A Hindu temple in this small, bustling town on the outskirts of Agra is making a record of sorts with the continuous recital of the Indian epic Ramayana for the past 18 years.
Through mountain of snow, they open road to Lahaul
In a rigorous four-month effort, they chipped away a mountain of snow to once again link this Himachal Pradesh tourist resort with the picturesque Lahaul Valley via the strategic Rohtang Pass.
World Dance Day: Be in Bangalore for daylong dance
Bangalore, April 26: From bharatanatyam, kathak, kuchipudi and manipuri to modern dances, 150 artists will take turns for a daylong fiesta here on Sunday to celebrate World Dance Day.
Where's bachelor party? On foreign shores, say desi boys
Who doesn't want some fun before entering wedlock? Traditional pre-wedding sangeet and mehndi celebrations notwithstanding, young Indian bridegrooms, inspired by movies like 'Hangover' and 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', are heading to international destinations with their gang of boys for that last fling.
Bihar pledges to preserve Orwell's birthplace – again
Big brother should have been watching out for it. But legendary British author George Orwell's birthplace in Bihar's Motihari town has been lying neglected for decades with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar the latest to pledge that it would be preserved for posterity.
Shimla's museum to showcase miniature paintings
The state museum in this Himachal Pradesh capital, a repository of the state's rich cultural, artistic and archaeological heritage, Friday got a new block to showcase rare miniature paintings.
Salsa anyone? India swings to the Latino beat
Latino dances are now the world's hottest cultural diplomacy tool connecting people across continents. And in India, it is the new beat on dance floors.
Pakistani designers put traditional foot forward in India
Fashion may be getting bolder in Pakistan with Western trends and cuts dominating the ramp, but it is traditional ethnic apparel that its designers are flaunting at the ongoing Pakistan Lifestyle Expo in the Indian capital.
Titanic still connects its descendants: British writer
Disaster brings people together with the spectre of shared horror and memories. The sinking of the Titanic April 15, 1912 still connects the descendants of victims and survivors 100 years on, says British journalist, researcher and writer Andrew Wilson.
NGMA gets a new parallel address on Google Art Project
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) has officially moved to a new parallel address in cyberspace from where visitors can walk through its new-age portals and check out the permanent exhibits in a virtual tour powered by search engine Google.
Tagore songs at Munich music fest
East will meet West at a music festival in Munich next week when a 10-member ensemble from Kolkata teams up with performers from Germany in a concert featuring Rabindra Sangeet.
'Servus Ishq' - Indo-Austrian director's tribute to Bollywood
India-born Austrian film director Sandeep Kumar is celebrating spring with a difference this year. He has installed lights and cameras in the heart of the city's Botanical Gardens to film the first song for his 'Servus Ishq' in Bollywood style.
History back on shelves with a dash of drama
History books are inching back on the shelves - but with a dash of drama and peppy language to hook the average reader.
Want to buy exotic veggies? Head to Ladakh!
At 73, Ama Sonam Dolma is a successful entrepreneur. She grows the seeds of exotic vegetables and herbs which we buy at a handsome price to spice our pasta, soups and salads. The only difference: the seeds of her broccoli, lettuce, bok choy and leek are very much Indian unlike the European varieties in the market.
Now, a course in Kangra miniature paintings
The Himachal Pradesh University here is starting a postgraduate course on Kangra miniature paintings to protect the dying art form, an official said here Tuesday.
Saudi youth vie for change, see a new face of India
The only India that 22-year-old Saudi student Kholoud Bakr had seen was in Bollywood movies laced with song and dance. But after a 10-day stay in the country, Kholoud feels she has seen the 'technological face of India' she had never imagined about.
360 degree art spaces - the new buzzword in India
Galleries in India are moving beyond mere selling of art. They are now integrated spaces which teach art, conduct residencies for artists, sell handicrafts and even offer a quick bite to the tired soul.
Mallika Sarabhai's new choreography finds Tagore through his women
The spirit of Rabindranath Tagore lived in the women he loved at different times in his life - Kadambari Devi, the companion of his youth, Mrinalini Devi, the wife he grew to love, and Victoria Ocampo, the Argentine feminist with whom he was friends for 23 years till his death.
Unique performance explores man's existence in Kaliyug
Norwegian black metal, Indian classical dance and classical music came together on one stage to captivate the audience in a performance titled 'Questionings'.
A music concert with 1,008 veenas
In a first-of-its-kind, the Art of Living (AoL) Foundation is hosting a music concert with 1,008 veenas at the Bangalore Palace grounds to create awareness about Indian classical music and inspire the younger generation.
As winter ends, blossoms herald spring in Kashmir
Like a typical Kashmiri, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has not missed noticing the first blossom of spring after one of Kashmir Valley's most bitter winters.
Godmother of Hollywood comes to rev up Indian Films
If unofficial sobriquets could be turned official, Michelle Satter would be called the Godmother of creative cinema. After mentoring some of the greatest minds of cinema like Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronofsky, she has now set her eyes on India.
New Indian consumer: Caught between tech and tradition
The Indian market is high on growth and consumer confidence but mythology still rules Indian consumption that is still rooted in 'existential fear', say three noted commentators of the contemporary Indian economy.
At 25th edition, Chandigarh moped rally comes of age
It made a modest beginning in 1981 with mopeds, scooters and motorcycles competing for honours on Chandigarh's roads. After giving big names to the national car rallying circuit, as the St. John's Old Boys' Association (SJOBA) Rally gets down to its 25th edition this weekend, it has certainly come of age.
Crossover: Fashion feeds abstract art
Art and fashion are like warp and weft, twined naturally into each other. A new breed of younger artists from the world over is now trying to create a contemporary visual language to express abstract narratives with symbols from popular fashion.
Chandipur beach: Where the sea disappears suddenly
Have you seen the sea disappear in front of your eyes? A unique phenomenon rarely seen anywhere else, the sea recedes by as much as five kilometres every day on the Chandipur beach in eastern India, not just enthralling the onlooker but also offering an opportunity to literally walk into the sea.
Flowers in Indian art: temple motifs to contemporary sensuality
From early spiritual symbols on temple walls and murals to icons of eroticism, creativity and energy in contemporary and new media art, flowers as a motif have blossomed with the evolution of Indian art.
Indian music unique, why copy from West: German composer
There is innovation and impressive growth, but the Indian music scene is still ruled by film songs and tends to lean on the West for inspiration, says Mumbai-based German arranger and composer Thorsten Mueller.
Bilingual dictionaries to promote India's mother tongues
The campaign to preserve vernacular mother tongues and make knowledge accessible to students through translation across the linguistic arc has taken a big stride with a new bilingual dictionary series in Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada from the source language, English.
Showcasing high-art stainless steel on its 100th anniversary
The down-to-earth stainless steel has travelled a long way into its 100th year as an industrial metal for manufacturing everything from kitchenware to surgical equipment to aircraft and also serving as a medium for sculpture and niche designs.
In house of memories, meet the nowhere women
Bordered by barbed wires and huge iron gates, a dilapidated amphitheatre in old Delhi's Kabir Basti is home to over 30 mentally ill women who have found their way from dump yards and streets to the shelter home called 'Sudinalaya - a house of memories'.
Empowering lives, transforming villages - the self-help way
Bimla Devi of Bara village in Bodh Gaya block of Gaya district mobilised over 200 women to block traffic movement on the highway skirting their villages for two days.
No more puppy love, romance matures on telly
The girl-meets-boy story is passe on the Indian small screen. The experimentation with mature themes like remarriage and middle age love is evident in shows like 'Punar Vivah', 'Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha' and 'Bade Acche Lagte Hain'.
Qatar’s emir to visit India; gas sale, investment on agenda
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, one of the world's richest monarchs and whose tiny country of barely two million people has the world's highest per capita income, is expected to visit India soon, with export of gas, of which his country is the largest exporter, and investment high on the agenda, officials said.
Thousands of endangered turtles nest in Odisha's beach
The much-awaited mass nesting of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles have commenced in Odisha, with at least 50,000 of them laying their eggs at the Rushikulya beach, an official said Thursday.
Israel to host Indian art exhibition
People of Israel will now be able to take a look at the thriving contemporary Indian art scene, with a painting exhibition of the works of 17 Indian artists scheduled to be held in Tel Aviv in May.
Indian avant garde art gets market tilt
Avant garde art, traditionally known to set aesthetic trends away from the commercial drill, is reinventing itself as cutting edge contemporary art with a tilt towards market forces in post-globalised India.
Islam doesn't allow killing of mankind: Pakistani scholar
The message of peace and moderation sets former Pakistan-based politician, activist and motivational speaker Shaykh-ul-Islam Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri apart from other Islamic scholars. He says Islam stands for love and not the killing of mankind.
Sailen Manna - a genteel footballer and natural leader
A natural leader, Sailen Manna was like a banyan tree in Indian soccer, who led the national team to international glory in the early years of independent India when the country's braveheart footballers played barefoot against booted opponents.
'Digital format not threatening printed Urdu books'
Noted Urdu poet Waseem Barelvi has warned that information without knowledge was useless and that while the digitisation of Urdu literature was a positive step, it must not be seen as a replacement for the printed word.
Performance art may be slogan of future
India is now using performance art as a revivalist and critiquing device, a tool of social intervention. It was introduced in the country's art space by artists like Bhupen Khakhar, Vivan Sundaram and Nasreen Mohamedi in the 1970s.
Go kayaking, wall climbing at Indian 'activotel'!
There are 'ecotels' and 'boutique' hotels, but ever heard of the 'activotel'? For those seeking an active, adventurous vacation - and not wanting to wake up late or sip a cocktail with lunch - this is it.
Ajneya a litterateur similar to Tagore: Hamid Ansari
Admiring the versatility of eminent poet and novelist Sachidananda Vatsayan Ajneya, Vice President Hamid Ansari said his creative output made him a literary figure similar to poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Opening up a treasure trove of Punjabi literature
Diplomat-writer Navdeep Suri opened a treasure chest of Punjabi literature with the launch of the 'A Life Incomplete', an English translation of his grandfather Nanak Singh's iconic novel, 'Adh Khidiya Phool' based on the Punjabi nationalist writer's 10-month stay in Lahore jail in the 1920s.Written as a draft by Nanak Singh in jail, it was redrafted 18 years later as a novel.
From same IIT Delhi room springs another writer
It might just be haunted by the ghost of a writer! For, NB 24 at Kumaon Hostel of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is the very room that planted the writing bug in two 'old boys' - popular mass fiction writer Chetan Bhagat and his senior S.V. Divvaakar.
Solang Valley, India's newest destination for adventure sports
Winter sports is no longer confined to the breathtaking locales of Jammu and Kashmir. Solang Valley in Himachal Pradesh is fast turning into a popular destination for skiers and comes alive when much of northern India retreats into the warmth of well-heated homes.
In Tagore's footsteps: S.H. Raza fortune lights up Indian arts space
S.H. Raza, one of the greatest surviving names in Indian contemporary art, is walking in the footsteps of pioneering arts promoter Rabindranath Tagore -- using his personal fortune to bring young talent to light and also several new initiatives, including a mammoth multi-arts festival and fellowships for critics.
Horse shows, tea dances: Remembering the once lazy capital
The 21st century metropolis of Delhi is kind of ruthless, clockwork and committed to the cause of furthering a new India. Its professional soul is a far cry from the lazy days of the early 20th century when the city lived in its horse shows, grand balls, jazz parties, nightclubs and tea rooms, says an Australia-based Indian writer and researcher.
250 rare documents chronicle making of Delhi
In 1911, when King George V announced that the national capital would move to Delhi from Kolkata, this city shed its tag of a historical city to become a metropolitan behemoth.
Living ever after, virtually on Internet!
Like most people on social networking sites, 27-year-old Aditya Yadav's profile is an active one, with a regular flow of messages and photographs. The only difference is he is no more in this world. For his family and friends though, this is a desperate attempt to keep his memories 'alive'.
Adding self-reliance to conservation, with jams and jellies
Mrinali Moshahary had never imagined that her bottles of papaya jelly would be an instant hit among those visiting the North-East Agri-Fair 2012 in the Khanapara area of Guwahati.
Indian bookscape: New sensibilities emerging in literary translation
In Kerala, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is among the most popular novelists - thanks to his translated works in Malayalam. Translations of popular fictions, non-fictions and classics are very much in demand in India and adorn bookshelves in many urban homes like status tags.
Captured: Polymath S. Balachander and his great wars
Storming the world of Carnatic music and Tamil cinema with his non-conformist, controversy-creating ways in the 1940s, polymath and veena exponent Sundaram Balachander steadfastly fought many 'unholy cultural nexuses', earning his share of brickbats, says his biographer.
Century on, end of a bullock cart saga in Mumbai
Rain or shine, they would deliver their ware. But, following a sustained campaign by an animal rights group and celebrities, Maharashtra has finally brought the curtains down on 465 bullock carts that were being used since 1906 for transporting kerosene in the city.
From Delhi School of Economics to UP poll ground
When he passed out of the prestigious Delhi School of Economics (DSE) with a master's degree, his plan was to pursue academics. But after completing M.Phil from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Harshvardhan Shyam's interests began moving in a diametrically opposite direction.
Indian footprint growing in Art Dubai
Art Dubai, one of the biggest art showcases in the Gulf, is seeking to position itself as a crucial international platform for Middle Eastern and South Asian art, with a strong Indian presence at its annual display-cum-trade exposition next month.
New angiography technique a boon for many
At 55, Ratnesh Shah was suffering from frequent chest pain and was advised a coronary angiography -- which involves opening up blocked vessels. Unfortunately, both his femoral (groin) arteries were closed because of a vascular disease.
Great wine starts with the environment: Sula's motto
A series of environmental best practices adopted by Sula Vineyards, one of India's largest wine producers, has enabled it do away with diesel gensets for generating power, meet 60-70 percent of its water requirement from water harvesting and 40 percent of its fertiliser needs through vermiculture.
It's a different Arab spring in art and culture
Away from the dust and din of revolutions, the Arab world is celebrating a different spring in the arts and culture space by broadening its links with the rest of the world.
Indian art collectors' space getting new look
Art collection in India has seen some exponential change in the last 15 years. The fledgling culture of private archives to free art from the clutches of government institutions has led to diversity in buying with a generations of artists and their mediums finding a market.
Spotlight on M.F. Husain, price consciousness
A surge of interest in icon M.F. Husain's art, curiosity about new media work, price consciousness and the realisation that European modern classics can be a viable investment were the dominant trends at the fourth edition of the India Art Fair 2012.
Wine and dine al fresco in capital weather
There is a nip in the air, but the nailbiting cold is gone. Just perfect for you to soak in the sun or bask under a starlit sky while feasting on tepenyaki grills, dimsums and other delights at the capital's many outdoor restaurants and cafes.
Goa was birthplace of Indo-Western garments: Rodricks
Veteran designer Wendell Rodricks has carried the sartorial legacy of Goa to a new level by documenting it in 'Moda Goa' - a first-of-its kind pictorial and illustrative fashion chronicle of the state. He says Goa was the cradle of Indo-Western couture.
Where Indian art meets global creativity
New Delhi, Jan 26: Boundaries crumbled when India met Iran, Germany, Britain, US and Africa under one roof at the India Art Fair which opened to the public here Thursday, promising cutting edge creativity as well as classicism.
A glimpse of historic Cellular Jail in Mumbai
Soon a replica of the world-famous Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, along with some original fittings and articles, will be seen in Mumbai at the country's first upcoming museum dedicated to revolutionaries of the Indian freedom struggle.
Beyond location, panellists debate Rajasthan in Indian cinema
The exotica of the mysterious Thar desert is inextricably crafted into the psyche of mainstream Indian cinema but it has yet to grow cinematic culture of its own, said panellists at a discussion at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival Monday.
'Fashion weeks just have entertainment value'
Expressing concern over the growing number of fashion weeks, designer Rahul Mishra, who is known for his contribution to Indian handlooms and has featured in a National Geographic documentary, says most of them lack substance and have only entertainment value.
Delhi's pottery market survives amid posh malls
The colourful and fragile products on sale are an eerie reminder of the precarious nature of their makers' existence. An eye-catching pottery market, an oasis of traditional art set against the glass-and-concrete glitz of tony malls just down a busy south Delhi road, is testimony to both the artisans' handcrafting skill and their struggle for survival.
Author backed cocktails to keep spirits soaring in Jaipur
Sample this: Benquiri, Ondaatje Slammer, Pinker Colada, Kunzru Punch, Dalrymple Breezer - a hotel in this city is paying ode to the galaxy of literary stars who are visiting the Jaipur Literature Festival with cocktails named after them.
Waiting for change: Play talks of contemporary Pakistan
Insha, the saviour who offers the hope of deliverance, and Mansha, the horror of intimidation and repression, have timed their appearance well in a play on crisis-ridden Pakistan which is debating change.
When civilistations clashed over search for syphilis cure
The clash of civilisations through the canons of Eastern and Western medicines and historical ties between the Occident and China play out in a powerful narrative in noted Oxford-based writer Kunal Basu's new fiction, 'The Yellow Emperor's Cure'.
Punjabi filmmakers want to tell realistic stories
Punjabi film industry is churning out 40-45 films a year and getting recognition too, but it feels the need to make real life stories like Iranian cinema and improve production and technology.
My art reflects my affair with Lennon: Yoko Ono
From the 'world's most famous unknown artist' to the 'woman who broke up the Beatles', Yoko Ono has had her share of bouquets and brickbats. The conceptual artist, who is putting up her maiden exhibition in India, says her work is an extension of her 'karmic love affair' with late Beatles icon John Lennon.
A dialogue between Hinduism and Buddhism, via fiction
Diplomat and writer Pavan K. Varma, the author of 16 books, is campaigning for literature in the mother tongue. And his debut fiction, set in India and Bhutan, also offers a dialogue between Hinduism and Buddhism.
Feasting times: A hearty Punjabi spread this Lohri
Come Friday and the streets of Delhi would be dotted with bonfires, sales of revri and peanuts will shoot up and kitchens will be running overtime with traditional Punjabi delicacies like sarson ka saag, peshawari chole and gajar ka halwa on the festival of Lohri.
Scaling language wall with Tagore and Thiyam's theatre
Language has ceased to be a wall in Indian visual literature. In 1910, when Rabindranath Tagore wrote the 'King of the Dark Chamber' and it appeared on stage a year later in Santiniketan on his 50th birthday, little did he know that one day it would jump the regional language divide to render itself in Manipuri - sans subtitles.
NRIs shop, soak in Rajasthani delights in Jaipur
Dal-bati-choorma, lak jewellery, bandhej textiles...Most overseas Indians participating in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) here are taking time off from their busy schedule to shop, sightsee and soak in the rich culture of Rajasthan.
Recession makes NRIs want to move back to India
With recession affecting the world economy, people of Indian origin settled abroad are now evincing interest in returning to India where they feel the growth story lies.
Winter of discontent for brides? No way, say designers
The chilly winter and bridal wear might seem an oddity. But not any more, thanks to the modern-western fusion by designers who have created layered outfits, embellished jackets, heavy saris teamed up with corsets and much more in velvet and brocade for brides to enjoy a perfect winter trousseau exuding style, glamour and attitude.
For adventurous holiday, head for Kikar Lodge
How about a getaway in the lap of nature, with adrenalin-pumping adventure sports thrown in? Kikar Lodge in a forested part of northern Punjab may be just the place.
'India can be world leader in handmade textiles'
India's handmade textiles industry can spin magic yarns for both domestic buyers and connoisseurs across the globe but government policies are coming in the way of its advancement, rues crafts impresario Jaya Jaitley, who has been associated with the sector for about four decades.
Winter birds flock to Shivpuri
From across the country and beyond, a wide variety of birds, some of them exotic, have descended on one of India's oldest national parks here.
Nostalgia gets 'shelved' in British-era shop
For most Ind, colonial British India exists only in movies or Kipling's novels. But in a 152-year-old shop in this Dharamsala suburb the British Raj continues to live on.
Wanderlust: On the road to self-discovery
It's 10 a.m. and an eatery at the New Delhi Railway Station is bursting at seams with travellers. Nishant Sinha, 23, is slurping his morning cuppa, thrilled as he sets out on his maiden sojourn to the mighty Himalayas -- all by himself.
A progressive madrassa in the heart of Uttar Pradesh
Breaking the stereotypes associated with madrassas, a 50-year-old Islamic seminary here teaches subjects like personality development and home science, runs an elaborate teacher training programme, has a higher girl enrolment ratio and has students who are no less active on social networking websites than their counterparts in the metros.
Kangris and Kashmiris...one can't be separated from the other
For 40-year-old Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, it doesn't matter whether the art of weaving the traditional Kashmiri firepot, the kangri, was introduced here during Mughal rule or earlier. For Bashir, it is the only livelihood he has.
Dance with a purpose, join in the flash mob!
If you're busy shopping at a packed marketplace and someone next to you breaks into a jig, don't fret, just join in! Chances are it may be a flash mob.
Art, drama and poetry on Karmapa's creative canvas
When Ogyen Trinley Dorje is not busy managing his 900-year-old religious order, the 17th Karmapa likes to do more human and colourful things - painting and writing poetry, songs and plays.
Want to save turtles? Go to Maharashtra for turtle fest
The sleepy, fishing villages around this district will come alive for three days next week when scores of nature lovers gather at the popular nesting site of Vengurla beach bordering Goa for the Turtle Festival.
A community effort to curb suicides in Mumbai
Kumbharwada, a hamlet of potters in Mumbai's Dharavi slums, suffered from a very high rate of suicides some three decades ago. Men, women, young boys and girls or even senior citizens would just walk to the nearby railway tracks and end their lives seemingly at the slightest provocation.
Happily unmarried and living in at 50
Shekhar Malhotra had been living an extremely isolated, morbid life as a single for two years, but five days changed it all. Five eventful days when he walked, laughed, held hands and shared drinks and memories with a woman. Five days when the 68-year-old 'lived-in' with a woman.
Waiting for a white Christmas and New Year in Shimla
Oh, for a white Christmas and New Year! That is now the feeling in Shimla where snow on Christmas has become a thing of the past.
A milestone for girls in Uttar Pradesh village
It is a milestone in education for this remote village in Azamgarh district -- 90 percent of its girls are educated and the number of girl students is over double that of boy students in nearby schools and colleges.
Green stoves burn bright in Bihar's tiger land
More than a hundred households living within Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve have switched from the traditional mud stoves to the more efficient eco-friendly 'chulhas' to reduce their dependency on forest for fuel wood - a move that would boost conservation of the big cat.
Modern Bengal on canvas
The Calcutta Painters - a group of 28 artists which has been trying to break free of the traditional language of the Bengal school of art - has made a historic comeback to the capital after 47 years with a group exposition of contemporary Bengal art.
Ice skaters warm up to Shimla chill
It's that time of the year again in Shimla when a red balloon is tethered to the roof of the British-era municipal corporation building. It signals the opening of Shimla's ice-skating rink, Asia's oldest.
Winter fest, youngsters give jazz a chance
Jazz has always had its share of aficionados in India. But growing avenues of live entertainment along with the rise of internet have forced non-mainstream music genres like it to take a backseat.
Guaranteed a laugh, or get your money back!
Watch it. If you like it, you pay for it. If you don't, you get your money back! That's the offer made by an India-born doctor, who also dabbles in film making, for his third movie released on DVD.
Himachal's snowy peaks pull in tourists
Himachal Pradesh's popular tourist resorts like Narkanda and Manali are wrapped up in a blanket of white, with snowfall turning the hill stations more picturesque and magnetic for holidaymakers.
Capital's centenary: A walk down the Kingsway Camp
One hundred years ago, India - which was a colony of the British empire - spent nearly one million pounds sterling to host King George V at the coronation durbar at Kingsway Camp in the capital on December 12.
German artists connect to India with hip-hop graffiti
A 50-yard stretch of a boundary wall behind the German Embassy overlooking the Nehru Park in the posh diplomatic enclave in the capital has become a live hip-hop graffiti art memorial.
1,000 chicks chirp as storks visit Delhi zoo
A steady stream of chirping fills the air in the city's zoo these days, where two of the three ponds have been taken over by the migratory painted storks. More than 1,000 chicks have been born this season in the nearly 300 nests built by these beautiful birds.
Playing blind cricket - and winning
At age 17, Ranthu Munda is an all-rounder in cricket whose best showing has been 50 not out and 4 wickets for 30 runs. And he feels he can be as good a player as anyone else - although he has zero vision.
Little drops make an ocean, Agra woman shows how
Two years ago, she placed 500 piggy banks in as many Agra shops, asking for donations as low as Re.1 per day. Though her dream to collect enough money to build a hospital for the poor is still far from reality, her little known initiative has already saved a life.
The charms of India's black magic capital
Imagine a tiger lazily walking behind you like a pet dog or a man bleating like a sheep instead of talking. Hard to believe, but then black magic practitioners and elderly people in the small roadside village of Mayong claim such things are possible.
Crossing 'knowledge bridge' on an Azamgarh river
They wanted their children to get good quality education which they were bereft of. So people in a small village of Uttar Pradesh funded a bridge to send their kids to study in a town across the river.
For life without a cellphone - dial in
Ankit Varma pores over his worn out, slightly yellowed diary, tracks his own smudged handwriting for a number and thumbs in the digits on his wired landline.
Doctor by day, musician and writer by night
The scalpel gives way to a harmonium and the surgeon in 80-year-old Samir K. Gupta steps aside for the artist as he gives musical life to some poems of 'Gitanjali' by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Sexual minorities fight AIDS with peer group's help
Belgaum (Karnataka) In a dark room in Belgaum district, they sit together looking comfortable. They are in an office and are not even distantly related. But, as is often true of sexual minorities, the homosexuals and transgenders assembled here are as closely knit as biological families.
With 40,000 winged visitors, Pong wetlands a tiny paradise
Pong Dam (Himachal Pradesh) The Pong dam wetlands are playing home to an estimated 40,000 migratory birds right now, once again turning into a paradise for the flapping beauties from central and northern Asia.
Kashmir cackles with 600,000 winged visitors
Hokarsar Bird Reserve (Jammu and Kashmir): This premier wetland in Srinagar is in the prime of its beauty these days -- it is host to more than 600,000 migratory birds, with the numbers swelling with each passing day.
Buddhism: Moving beyond faith to heal lifestyle blues
Twenty-nine-year-old Gagan Kaur's life fell apart when her 14-year-old relationship ended last year. A Buddhist monk found her sinking in a private clinic in the capital after an abortive suicide bid.
I am yet to tire of 'bindu': Artist S.H. Raza
New Delhi, Nov 28 He's spent over four decades exploring the 'bindu' - or the dot - central to Indian spiritual iconography, and Syed Haider Raza, one of the country's last few surviving masters of contemporary art, is yet to tire of the 'razabindu' - as the dot on his canvas is described by critics.
East meets West in novel music initiative
New Delhi, November 24 Music is assimilating sounds from across the world to create a new language, says Grammy award winning Austrian musician and composer Gerald Wirth, who is in India to lead a classical music repertoire with 16-year-old musician Tara Venkatesan.
Teaching for unity with the Quran, Bhagavad Gita
Varanasi, November 22 Holding the Quran in one hand and the Bhagavad Gita in the other, Mukhtar Ahmad conducts 'a class of communal harmony' at a madrassa in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district to enable students to draw similarities between Islam and Hinduism.
'Rocket Woman' propels India's missile mission
New Delhi, November 21 Forget breaking the glass ceiling, Tessy Thomas has virtually blasted her way through it. The 48-year-old is the first-ever woman director of an Indian missile project and is set to place India in an elite club of nations like the US, Russia and China with the capability to produce their own long-range Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).
Old Himachal fair goes from livestock to gadgets
Rampur (Himachal Pradesh), November 18 Once a centre of barter trade with Tibet, the 400-year-old Lavi Fair here has undergone a sea change, with rural people's changing lifestyles and aspirations resulting in greater sale of gadgets and automobiles than farm implements, livestock and dry fruits.
Remembering Bapu through a 60-yr-old FIR
New Delhi, November 17 It is a reminder of one of the saddest dates of Indian history -- Jan 30, 1948, when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. More than sixty years later, the first information report (FIR) of the incident has been displayed in a police station here 'as a homage' to the father of the nation.
Indian soldiers and 11.11.11.11 connection in Belgium
New Delhi, November 14 Every year, at 11.11 hours on November 11, an Indian Army team is in Ypres, Belgium, to observe the anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I.
Soccer training in Brazil for six Kashmiri boys
Srinagar, November 11 With dreams in their eyes and the promise of a bright future, six Kashmiri boys, one of them once arrested for stone pelting, leave for Brazil on Saturday to be trained in football.
Indian-origin businesswoman seeks to give back to Ghana
Accra (Ghana), November 10 An Indian-origin woman - one of the many second generation Indians living across West Africa - is striving to give back to society in Ghana, a country that her grandfather adopted as his home after arriving as a 14-year-old in the 1920s and going on to become a successful businessman.
Thousands flock to modern Indian art show in Poland
Warsaw, November 8 For 10 weeks, a modern Indian art exhibition here wowed Polish artists and thousands of other visitors. It was the first extensive showcase of contemporary art from the country presented in Central and Eastern Europe in recent decades.
Making waste management fun, Bangalore style
Bangalore, November 7 Trust Bangaloreans not to waste an opportunity to turn any effort into fun and a 'habba' (festival). Groups of residents of the IT hub are out to prove that the most neglected aspect of Indian cities - waste management - can be fun and a 'habba'.
Two IITians sowing change in Bihar's farmlands
Patna, November 3 A degree from IIT was the big ticket of Shashank Kumar and Manish Kumar to white collar jobs. But instead of chasing corporate dreams, the two youngsters are dirtying their hands in the fields of Bihar, providing solutions to farmers and trying to bridge the gap between buyers and growers.
'Summers for making money, winters for making merry'
Keylong (Himachal Pradesh), November 2 When bone-chilling winds sweep through its vast expanse and snow blocks it off for five months, the mountain district of Lahaul and Spiti comes to life with its people gathering together to celebrate, eat and drink.
International arts fest kicks off
New Delhi, Oct 30 The 15-day Delhi International Arts Festival will open at the 16th century Purana Quila here Monday with a tribute to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore by troupes from Santiniketan and South Africa.
Himachal reviving Chamba art forms
Shimla, Oct 30 To protect and revive the decades old, globally acclaimed dying art forms of the erstwhile princely hill state of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh is training and improving the skills of artisans, an official said here Sunday.
Chef blazes a trail—Amritsar to New York
New Delhi, October 23 As a boy in the bylanes of Amritsar, he dreamt of having his own chana bhatura stall. But making dhoklas abroad changed life for Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna, who is now the proud owner of a New York restaurant, Junoon, runs a catering business and is one of the judges of a new cookery reality show in India.
Hyderabad to host seminar on Islamic art, culture
Hyderabad, October 25 A three-day international seminar on Islamic art and culture will be inaugurated by Vice-President Mohammed Hamid Ansari here from Nov 25, organizing secretary Khalid Saeed said on Monday.
India’s oldest man?
Bhopal, October 20 He may be the oldest man alive in India. If Parasram Gurjar’s family tree is to be believed, he is a good 125 years old.
Childhood fairytales revisited in Indian art
New Delhi, October 13 Art and fairytales have moved together since the dawn of storytelling. But the march of civilization has allowed artists to reinterpret old stories in new ways.
A project for uplift of villagers
Dharamsala, October 9 An integrated approach in a Rs.365-crore project funded by the World Bank appears to have worked wonders in some 600 villages in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, fetching higher self-sustaining incomes and literacy for its residents.
She leads them selflessly from darkness to light
Lucknow, October 7 When Aayushi Rastogi undertook it as a regular university assignment — just for scoring good marks in exams — little did she know that her project would end up in spreading the light of literacy in the dingy lanes of a slum.
Bhopal and books — a forever affair
Bhopal, October 3 From 11th century philosopher king Raja Bhoj to the Nawabs and Begums of the 19th century to waiter Nandkishore Kushwaha of this century, one thing has not changed in Bhopal down the ages — people’s love for penning down their thoughts.
Navratri fasting: Feasting or detoxification?
New Delhi, September 30 Fasting during Navratri doesn’t always have a religious meaning. There are many who observe nine-day fast for religious reasons, but others, especially youngsters, do so to abstain from oily food and detoxify their bodies. But experts warn that extreme starvation can play havoc with your system.
Art collectors growing in India
New Delhi, September 25 Emerging art collector Prerna Kohli is not as intimidated by art galleries as she was 10 years ago. “I want to own works by Paresh Maity and Jayasri Burman, a friend, but they are so expensive,” says Kohli, a prominent socialite.
Paraplegic motorist sets sights on Himalayan terrain
Shimla, September 23 It drives home a message of courage. A paraplegic motorist is set to create history by negotiating the twists and turns of the Himalayan terrain in a specially designed vehicle during a motor rally next month.
Expression beyond mindless frill
New Delhi, September 22 Piling heaps of waste and concern for a clean environment have given birth to a strange synergy between natural landscape, ecology, waste and art. Young Indian artists are stretching their creative frontiers to prove art can transcend frilly aesthetic and promote key issues.
Good Samaritan
Noida (Uttar Pradesh), September 20 Every week from Monday to Friday, commuters on the busy Ghaziabad-Noida underpass on National Highway 24 adjoining the capital are greeted by a rare sight — a well-built man, clad in cargo pants and T-shirt, waving his arms frantically and hollering at the top of his voice, standing in the middle of a sea of honking cars.
School comes to them in big yellow bus
New Delhi, September 16 With a book in hand and an eye on the clock, Sumit, 13, knows he isn’t prepared for his test. But at exactly 3 p.m., he runs out to the street along with other slum kids and waits for the yellow bus — his school for the next two hours.
Muslim women creating new art
New Delhi, September 14 Using icons of Islam, a small group of Muslim women is creating a genre of art that seeks to address contemporary socio-political issues and concerns related to the empowerment of women in the society.
Students turn teachers by evening to fight illiteracy
Lucknow, September 12 They are students who become teachers by evening to make street urchins and poor children literate! Ten undergraduates from Uttar Pradesh’s Indian Institute of Information Technology-Allahabad (IIIT-A) feel they are already doing their bit for society. The third year students are fighting illiteracy in their own way by teaching the poor children of the areas adjoining their institute in the Jhalwa area.
Delhi’s forgotten street performers
New Delhi, September 11 “We are like flowers growing in filth,” says Sajjan Bhatt. It takes a walk through Kathputli colony, a Delhi slum, where the puppeteer lives with other street artistes to understand the significance of his words.
History on record
Kolkata, September 9 Trash for some, treasure for others. Meet Sushanta Chatterjee, who has pursued his passion for music and history, collecting over 8,000 gramophone records that include not just songs but also rare speeches and plays.
Youngsters opting for teaching career
New Delhi, September 4 Gone are the days when teaching was considered a low-paying profession. With the proliferation of educational institutes and the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations, it is increasingly becoming popular among youngsters, experts say.
Muslim sings Hindu devotional songs, propagates harmony
Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh), August 30 Spreading the message of communal harmony, a Muslim performer here is winning hearts by singing Hindu devotional songs for a living, while the people hail him for bringing the two communities together.
Mumbai fishing village makes jewellery, touches the world
Mumbai, August 26 Nestled in the heart of India’s buzzing financial capital but still cast adrift, the fishing village of Worli has found a unique way to keep pace with the progress around it. Stepping out of their sheltered lives, women of the village are reaching out to markets worldwide through jewellery created from wood, glass and other materials.
Docu-drama on Guru Gobind Singh is bridge between religions: Director
New Delhi, August 22 Thakur Ranvir Singh, who is proud about making the first docu-drama on the 10th Sikh guru, says he traveled to eight Indian states and visited 61 gurudwaras to make In the Footsteps of Guru Gobind Singh, which he feels will build bridges between different religions.
Bards on a train, singing Mumbai morning blues away
Mumbai, August 18 Dhondiram Pujari doesn’t show the grumpiness expected of a typical Mumbaikar on his way to work. He jokes and indulges in loud banter, actually looking forward to the oppressive hour-long journey in a Mumbai local train.
Kolkata’s big library of little magazines
Kolkata, August 10 A man’s movement against the poor upkeep of Bengali little magazines — the independent and experimental not-for-profit periodicals — in Kolkata’s hallowed National Library has now blossomed into a flourishing collection numbering over 60,000.
At long last, Husain comes to Delhi
New Delhi, August 6 Nearly two months after he died in exile, unable to exhibit his works in India, M.F. Husain is splashing colors on the capital’s art canvas this monsoon.
Sacred thread that stitches together Hindus, Muslims
Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh), August 3 Worn by Hindus, made by Muslims. Dipped in vibrant reds and yellows, kalawas made in this corner of the country are more than just the sacred Hindu thread tied around the wrist; they are the strands that interweave religions, stringing together generations in a syncretic bond.
Saving the newborn: A word of wisdom for men too!
Guna (Madhya Pradesh), August 4 On an afternoon, a group of six youngsters, including a girl wearing dark red kurta and jeans, are waiting for the rain to stop in Tunk Parolia, a village in Guna district.
Ethnic Gond art finds exclusive boutique on high street
New Delhi, July 30 The Gond tribal artists of Madhya Pradesh, known for their stylised portrayals of folkores and nature, have found a platform on the high street of art in Delhi.
Bollywood badshahs: 40-plus and reigning
New Delhi, July 28 Bollywood can’t get enough of its good old, 40-plus actors -- Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn. They ruled the roost in the 1990s and after two decades, they are still calling the shots as they get the best films, meaty roles, highest remuneration and maximum media coverage.
Moving beyond mere travelers’ tales
New Delhi, July 28 The core of travel writing may not have changed much over the centuries, but an emerging breed of travel writers, both Indians and others, are bringing in a vital change -- focusing more on people and less on places.
Conscience over profit? Not business as usual
New Delhi, July 27 The nature of entrepreneurship is no longer the same. A semblance of conscience, innovation and growing desire to impact the grassroots, have crept into many young Indian businesses, adding a touch of heart to the aggressive pursuit of profit.
How to improve education? Bihar asks students
Patna, July 26 Vivash Kumar Jha is both nervous and excited. The overwhelming feeling of topping the Class 12 board exams had not even sunk in when the 17-year-old got a call from the education board, asking for suggestions to improve the quality of education in Bihar.
Harry Potter and the Indian fan
New Delhi, July 9 No more Hogwarts. No more Pottermania. Is it really 'the end'? Fans in India, as around the world, are heartbroken.
At 100, Sikh marathoner yearns to read biography
London, July 8 At the ripe old age of 100, iconic Sikh marathoner Fauja Singh has one regret. He yearns to read his biography but cannot — he is illiterate.
Forget Indian Idol, Arunachal has Everest Idols
Itanagar, July 8 For a long time, India's northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state had trouble naming homegrown celebrities who could be immediately recognised by other states and beyond.
Joy ride on a toy bike that you just can't miss
Meerut, July 8 A small toy motorcycle is driving the people of Meerut crazy.
A madarassa with a modern touch
Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh), July 8 Re-inventing itself to keep pace with the times, a century-old Islamic seminary in Azamgarh district not only has a broadbased curriculum with science and computers but also a polytechnic to equip its students with vocational skills.
Sweet pill for Kerala - medical tourism
Thiruvananthapuram, July 7 World class hospitals, cost-effective treatment and ample opportunities to relax in the scenic landscape of 'God's own country' — medical tourism promises to be the next big money spinner in Kerala, with a steady stream of overseas patients flocking to the state.
Argentineans sing bhajans in their own Hastinapur
Buenos Aires, July 7 Few in India would know about the city of Hastinapur in Argentina. People here too pay obeisance to Indian gods and the Pandava princes who ruled the Indian city by the same name thousands of years ago.
World's only Sanskrit daily turns 42
Mysore, July 7 Even as English and modern Indian language newspapers continue to flourish in the country, Sudharma, which claims to be the only Sanskrit newspaper in the world, is struggling hard to survive as it enters its 42nd year next week.
A university to manage a rapidly urbanising India
Bangalore, July 3 (IANS) With over 625,000 villages, rural India still dominates the country's landscape even as rapid urbanising is throwing up challenges for planners. To train people manage this massive social transformation and fill the critical human resource and knowledge gap, a group of eminent Indians is setting up a university.
Japanese impressed by Bihar's Super 30
Patna, July 1 A free coaching centre, Super 30, which helps children of labourers, tea stall owners and peons in Bihar reach the prestigious IIT engineering institutes, has impressed people in Japan too, its founder Anand Kumar says.
Bhopal Shatabdi train to carry social messages
Bhopal, June 30 From July 1, the Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express train will be adorned with posters urging people to pay attention to an often neglected section of the society — the differently-abled children.
Tune in to the human radio
Ramabainagar (Uttar Pradesh), June 28 'It's 4.15 in the morning...time for the weather report,' crackles a loudspeaker perched atop a temple here. For the next 30 minutes, the voice dispenses several useful nuggets of information, including train schedules and local news, a pattern not broken for the last two decades. An efficient community radio service? Actually, it's a 59-year-old lab chemist.
A journey from India to Germany - for football
Berlin, June 29 Khushali Darbeshwar, 19, pinched herself several times as she watched the opening ceremony of the women's football World Cup in a jam-packed Olympic Stadium here. From an Indian slum to Germany — it was like a fairytale dream for her to witness the soccer extravaganza Sunday.
'King of racers' aims to conquer Mughal rally
Shimla, June 23 Himachal Pradesh's Suresh Rana, or the 'king of racers' as he is popularly called, is aiming to conquer a motor rally that traverses through the historic Mughal Road, once a favourite route of emperors Akbar and Jehangir, in Jammu and Kashmir.
The sound of music - a healing therapy
New Delhi, June 22 Awkward and shifty-eyed, Raghav Salooja reluctantly enters the room that has a generous display of percussion instruments, dodges his doctor's gaze, half sits on a chair and begins to blankly stare at the wooden flooring. Half an hour into some peppy music, the 11-year-old makes a rare eye contact.
Indian engineer turns big farmer in Ghana
Accra, June 19 Perhaps India's agricultural prowess inspired him. Prabhpreet Khinda, an engineer by training, arrived in Ghana in 2009 after he was devastated by the effects of the 2008 global financial meltdown. Twists and turns later, the 38-year-old from Punjab is today one of the big farmers in the West African country.
US-based Kashmiris bring rock 'n' roll to valley
Srinagar, June 18 Brothers Mubashir and Mohsin are Kashmiris born in the West and play Western rock, but their band is named after a landmark wooden bridge in Srinagar. So when they play in the valley, it will be an interpretation of Kashmiri music through a Western perspective.
Mt Everest! That's the height of British colonialism
Kathmandu, June 14 Have you ever heard of Chomolungma or Sagarmatha? For the uninitiated, these are the Asian names of Mt Everest. An American photographer, mesmerised by the world's highest peak since his boyhood, is calling for it to jettison its popular name as it is a legacy of British colonisation.
Sanjan's 'walking' mango tree 'travels' through time
Sanjan (Gujarat), June 13 An old mango tree has become the pride of this Gujarat village, not merely because of its age, which, according to the villagers, is over a thousand years, but also because of its ability to 'walk'.
At 100, Sikh marathoner lives to see his biography
Chandigarh, June 12 He is perhaps the oldest man to have lived to see his biography published. Hundred-plus Sikh marathoner Fauja Singh's biography 'Turbaned Tornado' is slated for London release next month.
News at fingertips - for the blind
Mumbai, June 9 They say reading is the basic tool in the living of a good life. In Maharashtra, some 24,000 blind people are being initiated into such a life, courtesy Sparshdnyan, a fortnightly newspaper that brings happenings from around the world to them.
India is karmic for Spanish couple on world tour
New Delhi, June 3 A Spanish man who has covered 18,000 km spread over 14 countries since 2009 on a solar hybrid electric bicycle, his Vietnamese wife joining him a year later, will unveil their unique global story here Tuesday.
China lowers Everest guard for Mumbai teen
Kathmandu, June 2 Last year, when two veteran climbers from West Bengal, Basanta Sinha Roy and Debashish Biswas, wanted to climb Mt Everest from Tibet, they were forced to change their plans and go through Nepal instead due to trouble over getting visas and climbing permits from the Chinese authorities.
A French Island reconnects with India
Guadeloupe (Caribbean Sea), May 31 Tears flowed incessantly down dozens of cheeks as the Indian national anthem echoed for the first time in the history of this small island in the Caribbean Sea.
Roses for the world: An Indian success story in Ethiopia
Holeta (Ethiopia), May 29 The world's largest exporter of roses is an Indian who grows and ships hundreds of varieties of the prized flowers, not just out of India but mostly out of farms in Ethiopia and Kenya.
From Punjab to Bihar to IIT, three 'super' stories
Chandigarh, May 29 One is the son of a grocer, one's father sells chole-kulche from a cycle cart and the third's runs a mobile repair shop. But all three have risen from these humble surroundings to crack the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) entrance exam, considered one of the most difficult in the country.
'Sholay' to '3 Idiots', Bollywood captivates Ethiopians
Addis Ababa, May 25 Bollywood fever is sweeping Africa's political capital, with a week-long festival of 14 films, including blockbusters like 'Sholay' and 'Three Idiots', enthralling cine goers.
Card with a message: A mission for the blind
New Delhi, May 25 She is an IIM-Kolkata alumnus, a devoted mother, a working woman and an avid blogger. But Nidhi Kaila still finds time for a cause close to her heart — to help visually impaired people, make them self-reliant and independent.
Arunachal women summit Everest
Itanagar, May 24 India's mountainous northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is on top of the world with two tribal women, including a mother of two, summiting the world's highest peak in the past fortnight, a spectacular record of grit and stamina.
'Yeh hai meri India' - in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, May 22 'Yeh hai meri India!' the coffee shop steward greets Indian visitors cheerily at the Hilton Addis Ababa as he pours a cuppa. Asked if he has been to India, the Ethiopian says no, but quotes the line from a Bollywood hit whose name he does not remember.
Holidays? Not for students who would rather intern
New Delhi, May 22 Once a time for relaxing after exams, summer vacations are increasingly about work for many college students who put their holidays to productive use by taking up internships. And media outlets are emerging as the first choice.
Indian schoolboy rewrites history on the Himalayas
Kathmandu, May 20 A 17-year-old schoolboy from a New Delhi suburb, who became a climbing sensation last year by becoming the youngest Indian to conquer Mt Everest, created a new record on Friday by becoming the youngest in the world to ascent Mt Lhotse, the fourth highest peak.
Sup with tribals, explore wilderness - northeast beckons
New Delhi, May 17 Imagine waking up in a Naga home, amid tribals who were once known for the practice of head hunting, and plucking tea leaves or lemons through the day. Or having a close brush with a herd of elephants in the morning and calling it a night with a mug of 'apong' or rice beer in an Assamese village.
Bollywood — Afghan traces their Pathan roots
Kabul, May 17 Over a year ago, when Kabul resident Mehboobullah Khan came to India to work with All India Radio, he could not have imagined that his sojourn would result in a book on Bollywood — tracing how Afghan-origin actors and filmmakers contributed to make it the world's most prolific film industry.
Malaysia's 'Mother Mangalam' turns 85
Kuala Lumpur, May 17 Malaysian Indian social worker A. Mangalam, who turned 85 Tuesday, is a self-confessed worry-wart who never stops worrying about her 'children'.
Haryana's youth lead the way to Everest
Kathmandu, May 16 After proving their mettle in the sporting arena, including bagging the lion's share of medals at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games, men and women from Haryana, including a young couple, are now seeking to conquer the world's highest peak. Nine of the 17 Indians individually attempting to scale the 8,848-metre summit hail from the state. 'We were inspired by Mamata Sodha,' says Vikash Kaushik, a 24-year-old computer science student from Kurukshetra University who is among the nine Haryanvis trying their luck, skill and courage on the mountain that has already claimed three lives this season.
Karvi women come up with a recipe for self-reliance
Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), May 8 They are illiterate and have never undergone any vocational training, but they are churning out 'recipes' of success and self-reliance from their kitchen!
A fitting gift for Bihar's 'green' daughters
Patna, May 8 For the daughters of Bihar's Dharhara village, whose pledge to mother nature has made the place a green haven, a fitting gift is on the way from the state government — a residential school and a children's development centre.
Oh mother! How she's been edited out of Bollywood
The always tired woman in white slaving over a sewing machine, the sacrificing one wracked by coughs but lifting load after load at a construction site or the doughty worker who won't stop at even murder to save her child. The mother figure was for long an enduring cornerstone of Hindi cinema, but not any more.
Once taboo, tattoos now a fashion statement
Kathmandu, May 7 When Lokesh Varma, the son of an affluent army family in New Delhi, announced he wanted to forswear his MBA degree and his job with a multinational company to become a tattoo artist, his parents were speechless with horror.
It's 'back to school' for Deora's geo-scientist
New Delhi, May 5 Seventy-two-year-old Shiv Balak Misra is hardly a pin-up hero. The frail, down-to-earth geo-scientist-turned-social worker and educator, wants to ensure that children in his backwater Uttar Pradesh village have easy access to higher education.
Once criticised, painter Tagore now an icon
New Delhi, May 3 He has inspired generations of painters, yet Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who began to paint at the late age of 67, was dismissed by peers and critics as a 'bad and untrained' artist during his lifetime. 'The first exhibition of Tagore's paintings in May 1930 in Paris that received an overwhelming response was later exhibited in Kolkata (in 1931 and 1932). But the audience there was strangely silent and I remember reading articles criticising his style and technique,' senior artist Niren Sengupta said.
Write god's name 125,000 times to repay 'loan'
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), April 30 In the eight decades of its existence, over 100,000 people have opened accounts here. Ram Ramapati Bank in this popular pilgrim city is a bank all right, but it doesn't deal in money.
From kitchen to classroom, thanks to mothers-in-law
Barmer (Rajasthan), April 27 Nenu Devi, 19, was forced to drop out of school after Class 8 by her conservative parents and married off. But today she is pursuing her graduation thanks to a literal push by her mother-in-law and the prospect of a government job in the village.
India-made stoles for royal wedding
Ludhiana/New Delhi, April 24 Nearly 4,000 soft wool stoles have been shipped for the eagerly awaited wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in London this Friday, courtesy a Ludhiana manufacturer. And the royal couple is also expected to take its pick. Ludhiana's Centex Exports has shipped the stoles to London-based popular online fashion business store Boden. They will also be gifted to the guests invited for the wedding at London's Westminster Abbey.
Tourists throng Himachal - to milk cows, pluck vegetables
Shimla, April 21 A chance to pluck vegetables, milk cows and eat buckwheat dishes in the villages of Himachal Pradesh is proving to be a great hit with tourists. Rural homestays have provided employment to around 3,000 people and generated economic activity worth over Rs.4 crore in the state, say officials.
Tourists throng Himachal - to milk cows, pluck vegetables
Shimla, April 21 A chance to pluck vegetables, milk cows and eat buckwheat dishes in the villages of Himachal Pradesh is proving to be a great hit with tourists. Rural homestays have provided employment to around 3,000 people and generated economic activity worth over Rs.4 crore in the state, say officials.
Tourists throng Himachal - to milk cows, pluck vegetables
Shimla, April 21 A chance to pluck vegetables, milk cows and eat buckwheat dishes in the villages of Himachal Pradesh is proving to be a great hit with tourists. Rural homestays have provided employment to around 3,000 people and generated economic activity worth over Rs.4 crore in the state, say officials.
Tourists throng Himachal - to milk cows, pluck vegetables
Shimla, April 21 A chance to pluck vegetables, milk cows and eat buckwheat dishes in the villages of Himachal Pradesh is proving to be a great hit with tourists. Rural homestays have provided employment to around 3,000 people and generated economic activity worth over Rs.4 crore in the state, say officials.
Omelettes, guns and stunts for Bhopal's wonder boys
Bhopal, April 20 Shooting blindfolded while on skates, flipping omelettes over a hundred times in a minute and doing stunts on the cycle, three daring teenagers of Bhopal have made the city proud through a popular TV show. The trio — Mohammad Bilal, 13, Mohammad Shahbaaz Khan, 14, and Abdul Rahman, 18 — performed daring acts that defied their young age in the hit show 'Ab India Todega' programme on Colors channel to make their way into the Guinnes Book of World Records.
When Lord Indra answered the call of Vedas
Panjal (Kerala), April 15 The primal Vedic chants that ring across the rolling greens of this village in Thrissur district are a ceremonial invitation to Lord Indra, the god of rain, to join the ancient fire ritual of Athirathram. Towards the evening, thunder rumbles in the distance, almost as if Lord Indra is responding to the call of the 18 Vedic priests. And it rains. The priests have been chanting round-the-clock for the last three days to build up the energy level.
Kerala's Vedic ritual captured in sketches, photos
Panjal (Kerala), April 10 Kerala-based artist and photographer Gireesan Bhattathiripad has been on an important mission, capturing the 4,000-year-old Vedic ritual of 'Athirathram' in the state's Panjal village. Bhattathiripad has shot over 2,000 photographs of the sun worship ritual over the last six days and said by the end of the event he would be able to create a folio of 10,000 photographs, a statement by the Varthathe Trust, an consortium of Veda advocates and cultural activists organising the ritual, said on Sunday.
Hairstyling the African way in Indian capital
New Delhi, April 6 Pictures of Bob Marley jostle for attention with African fragrances and framed photographs of braiding, Ghana weaving and traditional African attires. Beads, gems, tattoos, bags, shoes and Nigerian energy drinks crowd the shelves even as a flock of young boys and girls await their turn to get their Afro-cuts right. African Lifestyle Unisex Salon & Boutique, owned by Casmir Nwakaeze, a Nigerian, in south Delhi's Krishna Nagar area, is a slice of Nigeria in the capital.
FM to TV, cricket marks generational change in phones
New Delhi, April 6 If the previous edition of World Cup Cricket marked a shift in the way many in this nation kept track of matches, shifting from transistors to FM-radio enabled phones, the tournament this year was the cause of another generational change.
Crafting a new life out of waste paper
Anandpur Sahib, April 5 Defying all odds and setting an example in society, a group of HIV-positive widows in this Punjab town is successfully running a small-scale business of recycling waste paper and making stationery products out of it.
Northeast India's ancient theatre comes to Delhi
New Delhi, April 1 The ancient theatrical genres of northeast India will come out of their traditional bastions with the 'Indigenous Theatre Festival of Northeast India' beginning at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) in the national capital April 2-10.The third in the series of theatre panorama from the northeast, the festival this year will turn its attention to the ancient and traditional forms of theatre from the region unlike last year, when the festival established an inter-cultural dialogue between the northeastern states and Southeast Asia.
The flower that paints Himachal red and pink
Shimla, April 1 The hills have turned a flaming red and pink as spring is in the air. The rhododendrons are busy blooming, the first among the floral species in the wild to do so as the chill thaws in Himachal Pradesh. 'The flowers start appearing during March and will bloom till June depending upon the elevation at which the plant is grown,' Vinay Tandon, principal chief conservator of forests, said.
The flower that paints Himachal red and pink
Shimla, April 1 The hills have turned a flaming red and pink as spring is in the air. The rhododendrons are busy blooming, the first among the floral species in the wild to do so as the chill thaws in Himachal Pradesh. 'The flowers start appearing during March and will bloom till June depending upon the elevation at which the plant is grown,' Vinay Tandon, principal chief conservator of forests, said.
A twirl, a shine... moustache magic in Bollywood
New Delhi, March 31 The power of the moustache is in full flow in Bollywood. Screen idols are banking on it to look different on screen — if Saif Ali Khan has gone for the zappa, Aamir Khan boasts of the chevron and Shahid Kapoor the painter's brush.
Where do Goans go for holidays?
Cavelossim (Goa), March 30 Goa is not a place. It is a state of mind. It is an unshakeable belief in the power of sun, sand and scotch to alleviate human suffering. It also poses a minor problem, if you happen to live there.
Kashmiri women turn to combat sports - and win
Srinagar, March 27 When the hijab-clad Sabiya Kirmani won a gold in the first international championship in thang ta, a Manipuri martial art, she scored a victory not only for herself but also for other young women in Kashmir, which has lived under the shadow of terror for over two decades.The 22-year-old, a post-graduate student of commerce in Kashmir University, has spent most of her life learning the martial art, which she calls her 'first love', with or without the permission of her parents.
Bhopal's 'editor' cobbler on mission to empower
Bhopal, March 29 Suresh Nandmehar's tiny shoe repair shop at a footpath here is crowded every evening. As you approach it, you can hear words like social empowerment, caste atrocities and political opportunism. That's because Suresh is no ordinary cobbler - he is the founder, editor and publisher of a monthly newspaper. Baal Ki Khaal, a four-page tabloid, was born out of a struggle against official highhandedness.
A salute to womanhood through art
New Delhi, March 26 It's a panoramic take on women's empowerment. With 361 creative works spread across the 11 gallery spaces of the Art Mall premises in New Delhi, 'Stree 2011' is a tribute to the spirit of womanhood.
When photographs speak the language of art
New Delhi, March 21 Growing awareness about art as a reflection of surrounding realities, wider markets and a new segment of collectors have brought photography back to the centre-stage of contemporary art. Two international exhibitions of photographic art in the national capital, at the Religare Art in Connaught Place and in the National Gallery of Modern Art, are attracting steady streams of viewers for their depiction of American and British contemporary realities.
Some self-help — and tribal women mean business
Banswara (Rajasthan), March 25 They set out to work in their 'offices', dabble in numbers with ease and bring home more money than their husbands. The fact that they are illiterate tribal women in obscure Rajasthan villages does not dampen their shimmering entrepreneurial dreams.
Girl child adoptions on a rise
New Delhi, March 12 Winds of change are sweeping through urban India, a country traditionally known for its male preference. Many city-dwellers who don't have children of their own are opting for adoption, particularly of girls.
Women cinematographers, photographers breaking myths
New Delhi, March 12 Women photographers and cinematographers have walked into the profession with their talent and heavy equipment: to break the myth that the technical field is for men.
Mumbai's monuments can boost fort tourism
Mumbai, March 12 Standing tall and bearing the scars of innumerable battles, the remnants of forts in Mumbai are a testament to the valour of Maratha warriors in the centuries gone by. But most are in a dilapidated condition or have been renovated in a way that has robbed them of their original grandeur. While this city is known as India's business and entertainment capital, Mumbai is not known outside for its forts. Historians and conservationists believe that if tended with proper care, these monuments can give a boost to 'fort tourism'.
Sikhs in Singapore: With rich tradition of donning uniform
Singapore, March 8 The appointment of Brigadier-General Ravinder Singh, a Sikh, as the next chief of the Singapore Army is the culmination of a long tradition of the community serving in uniform, both as policemen and in the armed forces, in the city-state.
Indian sportswomen - a tale of true grit
New Delhi, March 5 They refuse to tell sob stories even though most come from humble backgrounds. Women who play cricket, hockey and football for India say they have fire in their bellies and can win the world, with a little more support from corporates, the media and the public.
From humble cycle, he gives lessons in English
Lucknow, March 5 He stands in front of his bicycle, which is equipped with a loudspeaker, a microphone, some posters and signboards. 'I am sure you would not have come across such an innovative setup for English training,' grins Aditya Kumar, a Lucknow resident.
Who's Who of world signed on his pictures
Bhopal, March 5 The first man in space, several U.S. presidents, all Indian presidents and 216 heads of state, a retired engineer has preserved a virtual slice of history through his 40-year-old hobby of collecting autographed pictures. Arshad Kidwai, a 62-year-old retired Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) engineer, in Bhopal has spent a lifetime collecting these photographs which is a Who's Who of the world.
Amir Khusrau's legacy to come alive again
New Delhi, March 2 The legacy of 13th century Sufi poet Amir Khusrau will come alive in the capital at 'Jahan-e-Khusrau', the World Sufi Music Festival, to be held March 11-13.Sufi musicians from India, Pakistan, Iran and Canada will congregate to revisit the music and poetry of the Sufi saint at the 14th century Arab ki Sarai, adjacent to the Humayun mausoleum in Delhi.
Community radio crackles to life at Panjab University
Chandigarh, Feb 24 Using spoken words to develop intimate bonds among students and providing a platform to voice opinions, Panjab University has joined the few universities in northern India that have their own community radio.
A 'Pied Piper' offers to get dogs out of Srinagar
Srinagar, Feb 23 For the residents of Srinagar, who live in fear of the city's increasing stray dog population, and the authorities who keep wondering what to do to check this menace, a ray of hope comes in the form of Khurshid Ahmad Mir, who claims he can get the dogs out of the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital and that too without killing them.
Hit Broadway musical's Indianised avatar comes to capital
New Delhi, Feb 22 The path-breaking 1967 Broadway musical about the flower children, 'Hair: The American Tribal Rock Show Musical' is ready to make a three-day splash in an Indian avatar in the capital with an opulent light and laser play.
Visually impaired radio jockey reaches out through his voice
Chandigarh, Feb 22 He cannot see but has always wanted to reach out to people through his voice. Now Rishi, 21, is doing just that, thanks to Panjab University's community radio Jyotirgamaya that gave him a chance to host a radio show.
A big ticket to Bollywood for Bhopal locals
Bhopal, Feb 18 Three assistant directors and more than 65 supporting artists are among the many Bhopal locals who have got a golden opportunity to be part of Bollywood, thanks to Prakash Jha's 'Aarakshan'. Some are just happy to feature in the crowds in film scenes.
Flags of World Cup nations - made in Jaipur
Jaipur, Feb 18 This city is not a venue for the World Cup matches, but flags made in Jaipur will make their presence felt as they swirl and flutter across venues in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for the mega event from Saturday.
Never say no to Bollywood in Senegal
Dakar, Feb 15 From legendary actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar to contemporary film icons Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, Bollywood is now and forever in Senegal, the coastal French-speaking West African country that's madly in love with Indian films, music and cuisine.
'Hum Dono Coloured' and the nostalgic 11
A teenaged girl who came escorting her grandparents and four middle-aged couples were the only viewers at one of Delhi's downtown multiplex theatres for a screening of 'Hum Dono Rangeen', the newly released coloured and high-tech version of the 1961 black and white classic.
Rediscovering the handwritten love letter
New Delhi, Feb 10 When was the last time you penned a sweet love letter? In the age of emoticons and e-mails, the personal touch has died down. So, be different this Valentine's Day — dump the keyboard and use the pen and paper.
Indian ‘jugaad’ comes to New York
New York, Feb 9 Jerry-rigged cars, homemade stoves and do-it-yourself water filtration are all examples of what the Indians call 'jugaad' in Hindi or 'making do' with what they have on hand in Indian cities.
Baul songs — from ektara to fusion music
Kolkata, Feb 3 Baul music has caught on in a big way among Bengali music lovers, with the soulful songs sung by wandering minstrels finding favour with Bengali bands and movies.
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THE 63rd REPUBLIC DAY
R-DAY IN PICTURES
Vayalar Ravi, who assumed office as Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs on January 30, 2006, was born in... 
She started liking the poetry of India's poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore while in school...
