Culture

Step into Chettinad’s sunlit courtyards, where researchers armed with VR scans, spatial audio and detailed mapping tools are tracing memories held in its homes. Every visit reveals layers of a culture rarely seen up close.

Mumbai’s old cinemas, sea-facing homes and soft pastel façades still hold the quiet rhythm of the 1930s. As the Art Deco Alive! festival wraps up, these 10 buildings offer a gentle reminder to pause, look up and let the city’s design stories guide your next walk.

Across India’s hills, riverbanks and temple towns, winter brings a season of vibrant, culture-rich fairs. From Himalayan trade routes to Bengal’s craft-filled carnivals, these five offbeat melas offer a warm, intimate look at India’s living traditions.

For 100 years, one family has documented Bharatpur’s birds, people, festivals, and disappearing wildlife. Today, filmmaker Abhinandan Sharma is racing to digitise this priceless archive before the memories fade.

From Kolkata’s mask dancers to students in Jammu and volunteers in Thanjavur, communities across India marked World Heritage Week by turning streets, schools and temples into heritage spaces.

When Kerala filmmaker Sidharth Harikumar left Berlin film school, he never imagined his graduation project would reach Hollywood’s doors. His short film Vasu, a haunting reflection on guilt and mental health, is now a finalist at the 2025 Student Academy Awards.

In a repurposed cowshed in Goa’s Surla, a sisterhood of weavers is not just reviving the ancient Kunbi saree, but they are reclaiming its story, threading their own dreams of independence into every check and border.

When women from villages and cities reached Jaipur for Rajasthan’s first state Ghoomar Festival, no one expected the energy they would create together. The moment 6100 women stepped into the dance, the park shifted into colour, rhythm and a record now held by Asia Book Records.

From a Delhi runway to a Gujarat charkha, khadi links breathable comfort with craft and pride. Fair pricing, better design and clear traceability are moving handspun fabric into modern wardrobes while more value reaches spinner and weaver homes.

In the cold desert of Ladakh, the thab — a humble wood-fired hearth — is more than just a place to cook. It’s the heart of family, food, and tradition.