Features News

News

Rajasthani musicians epitomise India's syncretic culture, but are a struggling lot (IANS Special Series)

Jaipur | Sunday, 2018 12:45:05 PM IST

They are Muslims, yet they sing Krishna "bhajans" (hymns) from Hindu lore. They have adopted a hybrid culture that is a mix of both religions and lifestyles. Many of their names too blend two religions, like Shankar Khan and Krishna Khan. ... read..

Bespoke programme marks JLF's fifth year in London

London | Tuesday, 2018 2:15:05 PM IST

India's popular Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) has completed five years of its presence here in what was a bespoke programme for UK audiences, featuring dialogues and debates from across the South Asian region. ... read..

Seema's story: Educating girls to negotiate life, become change agents (IANS Special Series)

Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh) | Sunday, 2018 12:45:05 PM IST

Inside a dimly-lit classroom in this district, with its walls decorated with drawings and paintings made by children, Seema Yadav, 36, is teaching a group of 25 girls who are sitting in a circle in one corner. These are girls who were either never enrolle ... read..

Down the memory lane: Jatin Das exhibits diverse pankha collection

New Delhi | Monday, 2018 1:45:05 PM IST

What began as a gift from a friend 40 years ago has now snowballed into an extensive collection of over 5,000 pankhas (handheld fans) for eminent Indian artist Jatin Das. A carefully-curated part of this staggering collection, along with numerous prints, ... read..

Journey into marriage is about 'we', away from it is about 'me': Writer Devdutt Pattanaik (IANS Interview)

New Delhi | Saturday, 2018 9:50:54 AM IST

A marriage is not just about the bride and the groom, asserts mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik who has done considerable work on ancient Indian scriptures. In fact, according to him, it has always had a much larger connotation than what is normally perceived ... read..

Despite tragic history, mosque and gurdwara stand tall in harmony (IANS Special Series)

Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab) | Sunday, 2018 1:45:04 PM IST

This town of sacred pilgrimage in Punjab has been witness to one of the most tragic, painful and violent chapters of Sikh-Mughal history going back three centuries. Despite that, a 350-year-old mosque not only stands in complete harmony with a recently co ... read..

New series of books to mark Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary

New Delhi | Friday, 2018 4:15:05 PM IST

A wide range of books and scholarly readings on Mahatma Gandhi will be published by the India office of Oxford University Press (OUP) to mark his 150th birth anniversary. ... read..

Polish writer wins Man Booker International Prize (Roundup)

London | Wednesday, 2018 4:45:00 PM IST

Olga Tokarczuk, a 56-year-old bestselling author from Poland, has won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for her novel "Flights," which deals with travels in the 21st century and human anatomy. ... read..

Hunger has no religion: Azhar Maqsusi's mission is manna for Hyderabad homeless (IANS special series)

Hyderabad | Sunday, 2018 2:15:04 PM IST

Homeless beggars, ragpickers and labourers sitting with plates on a mat are waiting under a flyover. As the clock strikes 12.30 pm, a slim man appears on the scene and starts serving hot rice and dal. ... read..

My stories belong as much to my readers as they belong to me: Ruskin Bond (May 19 is Bond's 84 birthday)

Landour (Uttarakhand | Friday, 2018 12:45:05 PM IST

Up above the hills, where a forest of nodding flowers and an endless valley of Himalayan mountains paint the sky, lives one of India's most-loved writers -- Ruskin Bond. ... read..

Selected offerings to celebrate all things Bengali

New Delhi | Monday, 2018 1:15:00 PM IST

Of all the states in India, West Bengal stands apart as a rich and vibrant land of people with shared customs and tastes. If history stands testimony to the everlasting sea of stories, music and art that have evolved in Bengal and made a mark not only in ... read..

Does anyone care? A plethora of diseases near 'Mount Everest' of garbage (Environmental Feature)

New Delhi | Sunday, 2018 1:45:00 PM IST

A stray dog ilies dead, its eyeballs popping out. Buzzing flies enter its open rib cage and vultures above a mountain of garbage fly away with bites of its rotten flesh. Welcome to an east Delhi neighbourhood where the perpetural acrid smell could make mo ... read..

Pioneering exhibition on Indian civilisation on display at National Museum

New Delhi | Monday, 2018 3:15:04 PM IST

A wide swath of the millennia-old Indian civilization came alive through a cluster of artefacts of astonishing brilliance as the National Museum opened a nearly two-month transcontinental exhibition that takes the viewers on an intriguing and exhilarating ... read..

A culture revolution is sweeping through urban India (Curtain Raiser - Shifting Sands of Culture series)

New Delhi | Thursday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

There has been, in recent times, a great churning in what can be called India's "cultural space". Public institutions, hitherto custodians of all things "cultural", have been eclipsed by the rise of new-age festivals and events. Indeed, the involvement of ... read..

For the corpse burners of Varanasi, untouchability is still a reality (Social Feature)

Varanasi | Wednesday, 2018 1:15:04 PM IST

It was past 10 in the night. Four pyres were aflame at Manikarnika Ghat on the banks of the Ganga here. Gagan Choudhary, a corpse burner, was shifting from one pyre to another as the air reeked of burning flesh and wood -- tinged with alcohol, tobacco and ... read..

If you can protect one tiger, you can create a jungle: Filmmaker S. Nallamuthu (IANS Interview)

New Delhi | Sunday, 2018 1:45:04 PM IST

She was often hailed as the "Tiger Queen", and was easily the world's most documented and famous feline. But what made Machli unique was that she helped break the "monster" myth and showed that even the stunning wild cat could be human-friendly -- thereby ... read..

'Concept of equality' pervades world's biggest community kitchen (IANS Special Series)

Amritsar (Punjab) | Sunday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

If there is one big leveller for people, irrespective of their religion, caste, gender, social status or riches, it is the "langar", or community kitchen, at the Golden Temple complex, where the holiest of Sikh shrines, the Harmandir Sahib, is located, in ... read..

India is paying a price for losing its grasslands (Environment Feature)

Naliya (Kutch) | Friday, 2018 11:45:04 AM IST

Wiry shrubs and clumps of brown-green fill the semi-arid landscape of Kutch in western India. Many of these patches have, over the years, made way for "more productive" agricultural land. This greening of "wasteland" is, however, degrading a precious and ... read..

Beyond religion: Muslim cooperative society helps transform lives of Hindus, others (IANS Special Series)

Patna | Sunday, 2018 12:45:05 PM IST

Kamla Devi, Pankaj Kumar, Geeta Devi and Sanjay Singh, all Hindus, share one thing in common. Their lives have been transformed through "interest-free" loans provided by a Muslim cooperative credit society in Bihar, yet another example how integrated Indi ... read..

Setting an example: Temple, mosque, gurdwara join hands in this small UP town (IANS Special Series)

Maholi (Uttar Pradesh) | Sunday, 2018 2:45:24 PM IST

With inter-community violence reported from many parts of India in a society increasingly polarised on religious and caste lines, a small town in Uttar Pradesh is setting an extraordinary example where a temple, a mosque, and even a gurdwara, have joined ... read..

Vehicles figure in Pune overtakes human population

Pune | Thursday, 2018 5:45:05 PM IST

Pune has notched up another distinction: The total number of vehicles here has surpassed the human population, considered a first for any urban area in the country, officials said. ... read..

Cultural Festival of Tibet kicks off

New Delhi | Tuesday, 2018 2:15:05 PM IST

The Central Tibet Administration (CTA) has launched a three-day Cultural Festival of Tibet at India International Centre here. Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the festival as its chief guest. ... read..

Jayamma's story: From victim to crusader for sex workers (IANS Special Series)

Hyderabad | Sunday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

Jayamma Bhandari was orphaned at the age of three and spend her childhood in grim poverty. She was forced into the sex trade by her husband. But unlike other victims who are forced into the murky business, she decided to challenge her destiny -- becoming, ... read..

From Kashmir to Indonesia, NGO involves mothers to counter radicalisation (Feature)

Casablanca (Morocco) | Friday, 2018 12:15:04 PM IST

With the growing threat of terrorism-linked radicalisation across countries, an international NGO has initiated a campaign across Europe and other countries to involve mothers and women to be the first line of defence against the rise of extremist ideolog ... read..

Palau: Where immigration clearance is subject to environmental protection pledge (Environment Feature)

Dakhla (Morocco) | Wednesday, 2018 11:45:06 AM IST

For the first time in the world, a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean has made it mandatory for visitors to sign a pledge not to harm its fragile environment -- before entering the country. The Republic of Palau, an archipelago of around 200 natural ... read..

Save our girls: Change comes from below for Rajasthan's women (IANS Special Series)

Jhunjhunu | Sunday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

Sending her elder daughter Manushree to an English-medium school in Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan) was a distant dream for Sushila Thakan some eight years ago. Though she had her husband's moral support, she received little cooperation from her in-laws after she g ... read..

Ajmer-based artist captures the myriad nuances of Krishna

New Delhi | Monday, 2018 3:15:04 PM IST

"When Krishna is your muse," says Ajmer-based artist Ashok Hazra, "the art that captures the myriad nuances of this blue-skinned deity is bound to be both enigmatic and spiritual". And inspired by the Srinathji form of Krishna in Nathdwara of Rajasthan, H ... read..

Siliguri artist bags 10 lakh cash prize, 3-month residency in Scotland

New Delhi | Monday, 2018 3:15:04 PM IST

Biplap Sarkar is a fresh and talented artist from Siliguri but his artistic journey has found new boost after he was announced as the seventh recipient of Glenfiddichs Emerging Artist of the Year 2018. ... read..

Fighting climate change: How a 'crazy' engineer solved Ladakh's water crisis (IANS Special Series)

Leh | Sunday, 2018 12:45:05 PM IST

Years back, on a harsh winter morning in Ladakh in the northernmost Himalayas in India, a young and curious boy in a remote mountain village of the cold desert observed water coming out of a semi-frozen pipe, collecting in a small crater on the ground and ... read..

Equal pay for equal work still a distant dream for Indian women (March 8 is International Women's Day)

New Delhi | Thursday, 2018 3:45:04 PM IST

There is an increasing focus on women's empowerment and gender equality in our public discourse and every year it reaches its peak on the occasion of International Women's Day. But how much of equality actually exists when it comes to wages or pay scale i ... read..

Entries open for new Rs 25 lakh literary award

New Delhi | Tuesday, 2018 2:45:07 PM IST

Entries have opened for the inaugural edition of a literary award that breaks down language barriers and recognises the full cosmopolitan breadth of contemporary Indian literature. The award provides the winner with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh and if the w ... read..

Walking for a cause: Srishti Bakshi's 3,600-km journey aims at empowering women (Societal Feature)

New Delhi | Saturday, 2018 12:15:04 PM IST

Eleven states, 3,600 kms and 260 days. One woman is on a mission to cover the entire stretch from Kanyakumari to Kashmir -- on foot, and all alone. Meet Srishti Bakshi who has taken up this mission to create awareness about the security and social status ... read..

How a woman mayor made Indore a clean and litter-free city

Indore | Wednesday, 2018 1:15:04 PM IST

Prem Sharma sells gutka and cigarettes near the Vijay Nagar square, but the most visible part of his tiny business is the dustbin that he dare not lose. Similar is the case with all small and big businesses across the city. ... read..

101 designed elephants at first Elephant Parade India

Mumbai | Monday, 2018 10:45:05 PM IST

Politicians, celebrities, artists and designers came together on Monday at Gateway of India here, where, in a stunning display, 101 artistic elephants have been assembled to celebrate the launch of the first Elephant Parade India. ... read..

Flying high: Changing the narrative on disability (IANS Special Series)

Pune | Sunday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

Divyanshu Ganatra was just 19 when glaucoma claimed his eyesight. Being a nature's boy who revelled in cycling, climbing mountains and trekking, confining himself to the four walls of a room was a situation he was not ready to accept. So he fought against ... read..

Discovering India's little known African tribe

Junagadh (Gujarat) | Sunday, 2018 11:45:04 AM IST

It was a much-awaited trip to the Gir National Park, abode of the majestic Asiatic Lions. At the end of the two-day visit, not only did I come back enthralled at having spotted a pride of lions feasting on their kill in the wild but also fascinated at lea ... read..

Leading lensmen assemble in Jaipur

Jaipur | Saturday, 2018 3:15:05 PM IST

Some of the most renowned figures from the world of photography have assembled here to participate in the third edition of "Jaipur Photo", an international photography festival held every February in the pink city. ... read..

Delhi Literature Festival begins

New Delhi | Saturday, 2018 11:45:04 AM IST

The sixth edition of the Delhi Literature Festival began featuring a promising line-up of speakers and writers of varied genres. ... read..

Making of a writer: How Ashwin Sanghi's wife awakened the writer in him

New Delhi | Friday, 2018 3:45:04 PM IST

When summer was at its peak and all his friends had left for vacations, a young member of a Marwari business family was packed off to spend time at its many mills and workshops. There he was taught the "hunar", or skills, of business, so that he could one ... read..

The publisher as the writer of a novel for himself (Book Feature)

New Delhi | Thursday, 2018 12:15:04 PM IST

When Ashok Chopra set off on a career in publishing, it was a totally different world -- but along the way, as he was climbing up the ladder and making a mark in the publishing space, the industry itself was undergoing massive transformation. More than fo ... read..

Khaled Hosseini pens 'intensely moving' refugee story

London | Wednesday, 2018 7:15:04 PM IST

The author of "The Kite Runner", "A Thousand Splendid Suns", and "And the Mountains Echoed" is all set to return with a new book later this year. Billed as a "lyrical and intensely moving story" around the refugee crisis, Khaled Hosseini's next is titled ... read..

Lit fest to show women power in contemporary Indian literature

Mumbai | Wednesday, 2018 4:15:04 PM IST

From a Jnanpith laureate to Sahitya Akademi award winners, from a sex worker-turned-author to a domestic help-turned-writer, the upcoming LIC Gateway LitFest here will feature more than 50 women writers from varied backgrounds. ... read..

Distinct divide in news preferences between Hindi, English readers: Survey

New Delhi | Wednesday, 2018 4:15:04 PM IST

There is a steep divide in the news preferences of Hindi and English readers online and findings of a survey, announced on Wednesday, show that while nationalistic, religious and political themes attract Hindi readers, the news around entertainment and ce ... read..

Kashmir's laugh doctor: He wants to bring mirth back to Kashmir's depressed lives (IANS Special Series)

Srinagar | Sunday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

Long before it was infected by violence and its streets reverberated with sounds of slogans and gunfire, Kashmir was a place where one could hear laughter in every household in the evenings when Nazir Josh, Kashmir's very own "Charlie Chaplin", used to co ... read..

Literary Portrayals on 70 Years of Indian Independence

New Delhi | Saturday, 2018 3:45:04 PM IST

Indias National Academy of Letters organised a national seminar on "70 Years of Indian Independence" on Friday as part of its ongoing Festival of Letters. Eminent scholars and writers presented their views on the literary portrayals that have found light ... read..

Is translation a means of retelling stories, experts discus

New Delhi | Saturday, 2018 3:45:04 PM IST

What is the role of translations in bringing many unknown stories to the fore? Can translation be used as a means of retelling narratives? Several experts came together at a symposium organised by the Sahitya Akademi here to deliberate on the topic. ... read..

Delhi Lit Fest returns with diverse speakers

New Delhi | Friday, 2018 4:15:04 PM IST

The sixth edition of the three-day Delhi Literature Festival is all set to kick off from February 23 at Dilli Haat. Featuring a diverse mix of writers of commercial and literary books, the upcoming literary gathering promises to be a lively affair for boo ... read..

How Darul Umoor is turning madrassa graduates into change agents of society (IANS Special Series)

Srirangapatna (Karnataka) | Sunday, 2018 12:45:05 PM IST

Surrounded by a cluster of coconut trees and at a stone's throw from the tomb of 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan in this town near Mysuru, Darul Umoor at first glance looks like a farmhouse. But inside, it is a unique coming together of science and spirit, ... read..

Stage set for 'Difficult Dialogues' on gender equality (Curtainraiser)

Panaji | Thursday, 2018 3:15:04 PM IST

Leading experts, policy makers and renowned personalities have begun to gather in this e Western Indian state for the "Difficult Dialogues" forum, an annual conference tackling the most vital issues facing South Asia. The third edition in the series will ... read..

Modi highlights 'importance of stress-free examinations' in new book

New Delhi | Thursday, 2018 1:45:04 PM IST

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused his attention on the "importance of stress-free examinations" and has called on the young students to "pursue knowledge over marks". In a new book, "Exam Warriors", he authored, Modi has set out to provide " ... read..

Major focus on translations among publishing houses in India

By Saket Suman New Delhi | Thursday, 2018 12:15:05 PM IST

Millions of copies of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garca Mrquez have been sold globally. Everybody saw Mrquez's name on the cover but little attention was paid to Gregory Rabassa, whose translation of the novel into English was declare ... read..

Nikita Singh's 'Letters to My Ex' to release on Valentines Day

New Delhi | Monday, 2018 2:45:05 PM IST

With just over a week to go for the Valentines Day, readers of popular fiction may have something exciting in store for them. Nikita Singh, bestselling author of ten novels, has announced that her next book "Letters to My Ex" will be released on this Vale ... read..

Hyderabad trust shows zakat's potential to bring change through education (IANS Special Series)

Hyderabad | Sunday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

One of the five pillars of Islam, "zakat" is mandatory charity for every well-to-do Muslim. And Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust (HZCT) has shown how this obligatory form of charity can be channelised to bring change in society through education. ... read..

Feeding the hungry: Cancer doesn't detract him from his life's mission (IANS Special Series)

Chandigarh | Sunday, 2018 1:45:34 PM IST

He is 83 years old and has been serving free food to the poor and needy for over three-and-a-half decades. He is fighting cancer and has sold off assets to keep his community service going. And, despite the odds, there is no let-up in the enthusiasm of bu ... read..

Multiple sessions on journalistic, reportage writing at JLF 2018

New Delhi | Tuesday, 2018 5:45:04 PM IST

From the award-winning investigative stories blowing the cover on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church by The Boston Globes Spotlight team to the only writer to have ever gone under cover in North Korea, the programme at the 11th edition of ZEE Jaipur Lite ... read..

Himalayan littering leading to brown-bear habit changes (Environmental Feature)

New Delhi | Tuesday, 2018 12:45:04 PM IST

Large-scale littering in the Himalayas by trekkers and campers have led to Himalayan brown bears -- a critically endangered species close to extinction -- being drawn to human detritus and losing their natural abilities to hunt. Conservationists say such ... read..

Inspiring change: When a once-arid village becomes a national model (IANS Special Series)

ProtoVillage (Andhra Pradesh) | Sunday, 2017 1:15:35 PM IST

John F. Kennedy said "One person can make a difference, and everyone should try". These words of one of America's best-known presidents probably inspired a former engineer in India to try to transform what was once a bone-dry region into a green oasis sim ... read..

'Rasta' shows poor Muslim girls the path to education (IANS Special Series)

Khoda (Uttar Pradesh) | Sunday, 2017 2:45:04 PM IST

Ten years ago, when three women walked into Shabnam's one-roomed home here one afternoon, her six- and seven-year-old daughters, Sana and Shaima, were school dropouts. They were attending a nearby madrassa as the family could not afford their school unifo ... read..

Putting education over marriage: Hope-filled story from Bihar (Societal Feature)

Bumuar (Bihar) | Friday, 2017 12:15:04 PM IST

Sixteen-year-old Anjali Kumaris determination to study and fulfil her dream of becoming a school teacher has given her the strength and confidence to stand up against child marriage. She is one of the dozens of girls who are a part of a unique initiative ... read..

More Stories: [1]

CITY NEWS

Delhi	Mumbai	Kolkata
Chennai	Bangalore	Kochi

MORE CITIES

INDIA

WORLD

ASIA


Chhattisgarh: 1.5 lakh teachers to be br...
Nobody rejoining AIADMK, says disqualifi...
Mamata wishes Rahul on 48th birthday...
Trilateral Malabar maritime exercise con...
3rd Tibetan students' leadership worksho...
Summer vacation extended in West Bengal ...
More...

Top Stories

NC in favour of Governor rule: Oma...

TCS iON launches 'Life Long Learnin...

Plastic ban: BMC mulling to decreas...

9 held for manhandling policemen, b...

Boy without hands passes SSC exam w...

Eight IPS officers transferred in H...

Enquiry initiated into cover drain ...

China wants FTA with India to expan...