Indian Culture

In California, members of an under-the-radar, minority religious community called the Ravidassia are stepping into the public eye to advocate for making the state the first in the nation to outlaw caste bias. Who are the Ravidassias? The Ravidassias are the followers of Ravidass, a 14th century Indian guru who preached caste and class equality. …

From among the excavations of the Keezhadi archaeological site, situated 13 km from Madurai, ivory chess pieces, ivory dice and terracotta hopscotch stones were found Speaking on “Keezhadi: Sangam Age Site Excavations” at an event organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Chennai Chapter, at …

In C.S. Chellappa’s Tamil novel, Vaadivaasal (the place of entry for bulls in an arena), there is a scene which captures the spirit of bull tamers in Tamil Nadu. After being gored by the invincible bull ‘Kaari’, Picchi’s father Ambuli would tell him, “Swear on your father. After me, this arena will …

A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a press conference in Delhi explaining the importance of the sceptre (sengol) to be installed in the new Parliament building, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed presspersons in Chennai on Thursday, explaining how it is a matter of pride for Tamil …

A tribal council’s order not to issue a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate to any Khasi person who adopts the surname of his/her father. The Khasi is an indigenous tribe of Meghalaya numbering about 1.39 lakh. They are of the three matrilineal communities of North-east besides the Garo and Jaintias. Following the matrilineal law of inheritance, …

Context: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural heritage (INTACH) has objected to the demolition of the Paralakhemundi railway station built in 1899 and has sought heritage status for it. The Paralakhemundi railway station: Located in the Gajapati district, Paralakhemundi railway station, is one of the oldest stations of Odisha. …

The Khooni Darwaza is a key piece of the India’s history, as it has witnessed the events of the revolts of 1857. It was built by Sher Shah in the 16th century. Ronald Vivian Smith in his book ‘Delhi: Unknown Tales of a City’ has mentioned “Lal Darwaza” built by Sher Shah in his new …

The Indian Railways has taken up the renovation of the historic Paralakhemundi railway station, one of India’s oldest and the first in Odisha’s Gajapati district. Paralakhemundi Light Railway (PLR) Naupada (a small town, now in Andhra Pradesh) got rail lines in 1894, as part of construction of Cuttack-Khurda Road railway line extending up to …

MyGov, in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, launches ‘YUVA PRATIBHA – Singing Talent Hunt. To promote Indian music at the grassroots level on a national scale by identifying and recognising the new and young talent in various singing genres. Genres:  Folk Songs Patriotic Songs Contemporary Songs Eligibility: The contest is open to all Indian citizens. …

Delhi’s first ‘Haunted Heritage Walk’ to kick off from Malcha Mahal. Organized by Delhi Tourism department. Among the other sites that the walk will cover include: Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal, Feroze Shah Kotla and the Tughlaqabad Fort. Aim: The Tourism department is identifying “haunted” sites in the national capital to conduct heritage walks. A detailed plan on …