Did you know that as per Hindu mythology and tradition, Navratri occurs five times in a year? These are Chaitra Navratri, Ashadha Navratri, Sharad Navratri, Pausha Navratri, and Magha Navratri. However, only Chaitra Navratri and Sharad Navratri are celebrated on a large scale. Chaitra Navratri falls during the Chaitra month (March-April) as per the Hindu […]Read More
Just how Diwali is for Hindus and Christmas is for Christians, Ramadan is a sacred time for Muslims. Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word “ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ”, meaning intense or scorching heat, as the auspicious festival usually occurs during summers. Ramadan, also known as Ramzan, is a holy month of praying and fasting for […]Read More
When Olive Ho first saw a Bollywood song, she felt an instant connection with the dance moves that has grown multifold over the years. While her peers advised her not to pursue something that she wasn’t aware of, Ho went on to prove the point that following your dreams will always lead you to the […]Read More
Also known as Double Fifth Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival will be celebrated on June 14 this year. The traditional holiday occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar and has been celebrated for over 2,000 years. While there are many tales as to why the festival is celebrated, some […]Read More
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is a five-day-long Hindu festival that is celebrated with fervour by Indians all around the world. The Festival of Lights is observed during the Hindu lunar month (months of Kartika). Apart from the ebullience it brings, the festival integrates people from different cultural backgrounds and religion. Origin and Interpretations India, […]Read More
Dive into the early 20th century and learn how the Western colonisers exhibited their colonies and its people through the concept of human zoos. For those not familiar, the term is self-explanatory. Instead of animals, humans were confined and showcased. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the display of human beings in their natural […]Read More
The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most celebrated festival in Chinese culture after the Lunar Chinese New Year. Around that time of the year, my instant recollection is of my childhood when I was in Grade 6 – my primary school friends and I would be running around with lanterns in Chai Wan, making merry throughout […]Read More
The caste system has been a staple of Indian society for millennia, evolving through time as empires and societies came and went. It’s no surprise that the birth of Sikhism in the 15th century brought forth another change of pace for the system. Most people don’t think of Sikhism when caste is brought up. It […]Read More
In today’s globalised world, the traditional lines separating countries are blurry. Being born in one place certainly does not confine you to that space. One may ask as to how do people balance these different cultures they are in contact with? Is it possible to reconcile two or more sets of cultures and customs even if they […]Read More
Colourful attire along with turbans for men and dupattas (scarfs) for women, free-flowing hand and leg movements on the beats of dhol; this description would do justice in presenting vivid imagery of a dance form that has left quite an impression all over the world. Originated in the northern parts of India and Pakistan in the 18th […]Read More