Culture

The Richness of the Ramayana tradition

As the festival of Diwali is approaching, the good olden days of televised-based series of Ramayana on Doordarshan immediately comes to our mind. However, what becomes important is to acknowledge the existence of multiple interpretations of the original as well as the regional versions of the epic which provide an alternative to Valmiki’s version which is seen as giving rise to “a patriarchal, literate and pan-Indian elitism.”

Conflicted Realities of the Present: The Dichotomy between Culture and Modernity

Living in the 21st century is highly conflicted. It is a century which is seen as giving rise to novel perspectives and approaches at...

The Art of Worship: Brothels, Idols and Goddesses

The representative of feminine power in all its forms, Goddess Durga is at par with her male counterparts and is the sole deity to...

Stateswomen: Women and Governance

Throughout ages, women have played an underrated role in governance and politics. Their stories are the ones that were denied to us in history...

Celebrating the Teacher- the true essence of Teachers’ Day

“Guru Govind Dou khade, kakelagupaye, balihaari guru aapnegovinddiyobataaye” This shloka perfectly describes the stature of a teacher in Indian culture. From a long time, we have emphasized on the...

THE CULTURAL AND PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF MINI – TIBET

The Tibetans in India have donned the status of foreign guests for quite a while now. Also seen as ‘refugees’ by the international community,...

Eyeing the Evil Eye

“In tamsaskum hasanatun tasu hum wa-in tusibkum sayyi-atun yafrahoo biha wa-in tasbiroo watattaqoo la yadurrukum kayduhum shay-an inna Allaha bima yaAAmaloona muheetun” (Aal `Imraan 3:120) “If...

Cultural Synthesis and Identity Formation

Mohandas Tripathi was born in an upper class Hindu- Brahmin family.  His great grandfather moved to Gangtok from Bihar even before Sikkim became a part of...

The One about the Lesser Known Art: Floor Covering

The heritage of a place is not defined merely by performing arts; rather, a large chunk of history can be traced through the locally...

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The Mystique of St. Mary’s Island

The charming archipelago of St. Mary's Island is tucked away in the Arabian Sea, off the western coast of...