Culture

Kalap is a tiny hamlet in the upper Garhwal Himayalas along the valley of River Supin close to the popular trekking destinations of Har-Ki-Doon and Kedarkantha. Untouched and unexplored, it offers a memorable escapade complete with subtle views of the Himalayas and a taste of the local culture and traditions. As spring arrives after a chilly winter the moods of the village are a treat to behold scripting a true Himalayan experience.

Where every alphabet has a much deeper meaning than just a way to understand the English language. While "A" tells you all about the Indian national Anthem, B is dedicated to our Brave armed forces. And, this is just the start of this catchy, colourful book. We caught up with the Shallu Jindal, author of the book to know more about her life and the book itself.

From a long walk in Cubbon Park to hundreds of cafes, from trails of trees everywhere to the amazing weather, you can't help falling in love with the city.

India is a country traditionally rich in arts and crafts. Artisans are the backbone of the non-farm rural economy, with an estimated 7 million artisans engaged in craft production. Over the past 30 years, the number of Indian artisans has decreased by 30%. They, then either engage in manual labour work or are unemployed, abandoning their high level of handicraft skills. Srujna is a social enterprise aiming to improve the standard of living of the artisans and also encourage more people to seek crafts as a livelihood option.

Take a visual tour of the colourful festival of Holi as it is celebrated in all its glory in the ancient cities of Mathura and Vrindavan.

The Parsis may be a small community in terms of numbers, and it would have been quite easy for them to become invisible in this vast country of ours, but their accomplishments and sense of philanthropy has made them stand out. Here's a look at how they landed in India, and managed to flourish while creating a deep respect and adoration in the hearts of Indians. Gangadharan Menon has interacted with his several Parsi friends and traveled to their historically important sites to recreate their history in words and photographs.

The Hornbill Festival, held in the first week of December every year, is a marvelous riot of colour that shows off the rich fare of diverse cultures and traditional arts that is Nagaland. Here you can witness the attires, folk music and dance forms, headgears, cuisines, paintings, handicrafts, and other intricacies of the varied tribes and sub-tribes of the state, as Meena Vaidyanathan did. Here we invite you to take a look at the festival just gone by through her words and lens, while hoping you can make it there yourself this year!

India is estimated to have about 635 indigenous communities. Each of these groups of people have a unique identity, with their very own brand of culture, traditions and folklore. Unfortunately, most of this knowledge is passed on from generation to generation in the oral form, and in the face of dwindling tribal population, advent of modern education and widespread displacement in the name of development, most of this ancient wisdom is getting eroded. This is where a group of individuals calling themselves Acoustics Traditional are making an effort to preserve the precious heritage.