Vandana Shukla
Varanasi's weavers disown poet-saint Kabir, as his legacy stands threatened over communal tension
Kabir, the 15th century Bhakti poet-saint, is now facing a crisis in his legacy and ownership. Believed to have belonged to a community of weavers, the man who preached secularism, has been banished by his own people, the weavers' community comprising a large section of Muslims, who refuse to even visit his Math in Varanasi.
Saving the thatheras: In age of stainless steel, artisans making brass, copperware get new lease of life
The thatheras are a community of artisans making and selling brass and copper ware in India, who've gradually faded out, as stainless steel took over our lives. In order to save the craft of the thatheras, a group of students from Delhi's Shri Ram College of Commerce have volunteered to help the community.
Reviving the Azarband: How a group of women are rallying to save Punjab's forgotten craft of woven drawstrings
The art of making 'azarband', or elaborately woven nalas or drawstrings, was slowly fading out, until recently. A group of dedicated women are trying to revive the lost craft, which used to be an integral part of every Punjabi household in the past, with Project Nala Wali.
Gunehar Art Festival: Artists meditate on 'borderlines' in a Himachal village, where empty shops turn into galleries
The Gunehar Art Festival was held in Himachal Pradesh earlier this month. The triennale, now in its third edition, hosts budding artists for over half-a-month, exploring different themes through various artistic mediums. The theme of 'borderlines' was chosen this year.
A legacy of unity and love: Amardeep Singh traces Baba Nanak's travels across nine countries
The film, titled Allegory — A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels, will attempt to unravel the hidden meaning behind the journeys Nanak undertook.
In search of graves: One man's unique approach to documenting the role of Indian soldiers in World War I
KJS Chatrath has photographed 2000 gravestones for documentation, but the scope of his research on World War I goes beyond graveyards, delving into aspects like how the soldiers lived and what problems they faced.
Thukral and Tagra's new exhibition presents sharp comment on Punjab's farmer distress, NRI culture
Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra built their exhibition Farmer is a Wrestler after having visited the homes of farmers who had committed suicide
Chamm, a Punjabi film screened in more than 350 villages before hitting theaters, brings stories to those whose life it portrayed
A Punjabi film Chamm, based on the complexity of caste-based exploitation, set in rural Punjab, is shown to more than 350 villages.
How India's longest living festival of Hindustani classical music, Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan, came to be
Few music festivals can claim to reflect the changes in India through the 20th century the way the Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan — which began as a musical tribute to a saint in 1875, complete with a yagna and havan — can.
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh's life, contributions to state of Kapurthala are subject of new book by his grandson
The last Maharaja of Kapurthala Jagatjit Singh was a man of the world, with a love for everything French. He made primary education compulsory, introduced co-education in schools and worked towards providing medical and sanitation facilities
A Kashmiri youth band, traumatised by violence and loss, now sings of hope, forgiveness
Gaash, or roshni (light) is the name they have given to their band to spread the word of love, forgiveness and peace, to clear misgivings on both sides of the divide, in Kashmir
From Bazaar to art colleges: 'The Printed Picture' traces four centuries of printmaking in India
An exhibition titled The Printed Picture: Four Centuries of Indian Printmaking, showing at Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh, in collaboration with Delhi Art Gallery, documents exotic India’s vivid history in rare images, produced in the little recognised visual art medium.
One foot in Lahore, the other in Chandigarh: How Partition's sundering affected a museum's artifacts
The collection at the Government Museum of Chandigarh, divided in Lahore on 10 April 1948, came this side of the border after long and complex negotiations between the representatives of the two newly formed governments of India and Pakistan.
Monsoon Music: From Himachal Pradesh, songs about sowing and separation
Each of Himachal Pradesh’s 12 districts has its own tradition of folk songs about the rains, defined by the topography.
Monsoon Music: In Punjab, singing songs of Sawan
In the first part of our #MonsoonMusic series, a look at the folk music of Punjab that is inspired by the rain
Sonal Mansingh on Rajya Sabha nomination: 'It's a validation of Indian art, culture and tradition'
Sonal Mansingh is as modest about her recent Rajya Sabha nomination as she is about the numerous other honours she’s received through a nearly six-decade career.
An exhibition in Srinagar hopes to heal fractured Valley and revive its forgotten culture and art
The Valley, at one time, was home to a thriving cultural space; it is this space that the organisers of Concourse — an exhibition held in Srinagar — are trying to revive.
Remembering Moti Lal Kemmu, the cultural activist who revived age-old theatre tradition in Kashmir
Moti Lal Kemmu breathed new life into Bhand Pather, a popular form of musical folk theatre laced with wit and dry humour | #FirstCulture
Punjab's plan to bring in 2-child norm for panchayat polls is outdated, will only marginalise Dalits and young women
Amarinder Singh announced a 50 percent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions in Punjab. But the two-child norm may offset gains from this policy.
How Pt Brij Bhushan Kabra brought the Hawaiian slide guitar into Indian classical music's fold
A pioneer who modified the Hawaiian slide guitar to play classical ragas, Pt Brij Bhushan Kabra (1937-2018) passed away of a heart attack on Thursday, 12 April 2018