Ample romance, stories of power and beauty
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Flick through an exciting school romance, the difficult love affair of a ballerina, the struggle of a girl dealing with the gravitational force of her attraction to a man and…
Culture
Kohinoor’s tragic tale from Lahore to Buckingham Palace
By Preetha Nair New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) As the row over the Kohinoor diamond intensifies with political parties demanding its return to India, accounts of historians establish that the majestic stone was forcibly taken…
‘Nil Battey Sannata’ declared tax-free in UP
Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) Swara Bhaskar-starrer Nil Battey Sannata will be tax-free in Uttar Pradesh, state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced on Thursday. Yadav shared the news on Twitter. Touched by the story of ‘Nil…
Bird population threatened like never before: Book
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Bird population in India and across the world faces unprecedented threats, a new book says. “Feathers of Vellayani”, a publication of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, says that the largest…
Congress jumps on Kohinoor bandwagon, wants Indian artefacts abroad back
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Amid demands from various quarters to get the Kohinoor diamond back from the British, the Congress on Wednesday said that it was keen on getting Indian artefacts lying abroad to…
Mahatma’s granddaughter gets French honour
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) A granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, was on Wednesday conferred a French honour for her contribution in the fields of culture, education and environment. French Ambassador Francois Richier…
British Council, BBC to celebrate Shakespeare through digital camapaign
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Commemorating the 400th death anniversary of William Shakespeare, the British Council in association with the BBC will announce a “Shakespeare Day Live” digital campaign on April 23 to bring across…
Sahapedia online heritage portal set to go live
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) How have Deccans Kalamkari textile-paintings gained an Indian appeal today? Which are the famed Uttarakhand tribal foods? Where exactly is Yamuna Biodiversity Park? Reliable answers to these and many more…
First edition of Dehradun Lit fest to begin on Friday
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) The hill town Dehradun is all set to host the first edition of its literature festival from Friday. The two-day festival will feature renowned authors like Nayantara Sehgal, Durjoy Dutta,…
Latin America’s drug gangs – and their global threat
By Vikas Datta Title: Gangster Warlords; Author: Ioan Grillo; Publisher: Bloomsbury; Pages: 385; Price: Rs.399 It may take an inexplicable atrocity to bring focus on a ‘war’ long-underway which doesn’t get global attention like other…
Ban Ki-moon gets royal Dutch honour
The Hague, April 20 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has received a high Dutch royal honour in The Hague. Ban was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion on Tuesday….
Shakespeare more popular abroad than in Britain: Survey
London, April 20 (IANS) Shakespeare is more popular globally than with people in Britain though the bard has made a significant contribution to Britain’s economy and culture, a new research revealed on Tuesday. According to…
President presents Hindi Sevi Samman Awards
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday presented the Hindi Sevi Samman Awards to 39 scholars in seven different categories for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. The awards were distributed at…
Historical facts in fictional narrative makes story sound real: Author Ashwin Sanghi
By Somrita Ghosh New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Incredibly shuffling between post-partition Sialkot and the Pataliputra of 250 BC but focussing on the six decades of sub-continental upheaval since 1947, Ashwin Sanghi’s latest book is…
‘Deewana mujhsa nahin…’: The colourful life of Shammi Kapoor
By Vikas Datta Title: Shammi Kapoor – The Game Changer; Author: Rauf Ahmed; Publisher: Om Books International; Pages: 299; Price: Rs.595 If Shammi Kapoor’s life was presented on celluloid, it would quite be like one…
With 200 paintings, Reshma Thomas empathises with LGBTs
By Sanu George Thiruvananthapuram, April 19 (IANS) Reshma Thomas is working for a doctorate on health issues relating to LGBTs and has over 200 paintings – out of an oeuvre of 500 – on the…
Dozens pray at reconstruction site of Kathmandu temple
Kathmandu, April 18 (IANS) Almost a year after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake jolted Nepal, scores of people gathered at the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu on Monday to pray for the success of ongoing rebuilding…
A versatile Tamil writer profiles Gemini Studios
By M.R. Narayan Swamy Title: Fourteen Years with Boss; Author: Ashokamitran; Publisher: Penguin Books; Pages: 164; Price: Rs.299 Title: The Ghosts of Meenambakkam; Author: Ashokamitran; Publisher: Penguin Books; Pages: 149; Price: Rs.299 For decades Gemini…
A way to do more in lesser time with lower stress?
By Vikas Datta Title: Getting Things Done – the Art of Stress-Free Productivity; Author: David Allen; Publisher: Hachette India; Pages: 353; Price: Rs.399 In our fast-paced and complex chaotic world of work and life, a…
30 killed after bus fells into gorge in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, April 18 (IANS) At least 30 people were killed and eight injured when a bus carrying over 40 artistes of an opera team fell down a 300-feet gorge in Odisha’s Deogarh district on Sunday…