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EXPLAINED CULTURE NEWS
What is Pantone, and why does it crown a ‘Colour of the Year’ every December?
December 6, 2025 10:53 IST
Pantone began as a printing business. How — and why — did a company decide to become the authority on colours? We explain
Explained: Dizzying popularity of Spotify Wrapped, and why it has set off criticism
December 4, 2025 16:08 IST
The campaign has been wildly successful: Wrapped’s release has historically correlated with a boost to Spotify’s app store rankings.
What Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year, ‘rage bait’, says about today’s internet
December 1, 2025 18:15 IST
What does rage baiting mean, why did Oxford choose this word, and what does it say about the world in 2025? We explain.
How the rise of AI songs, including on music charts, is creating a sense of unease
November 28, 2025 13:34 IST
As AI-generated music saturates the market, people are realizing they can't distinguish it from human-made music. Many listeners, and musicians, are unsettled by this.
Frida Kahlo sets the record for the most expensive work by a female artist’: Five things you should know about her Subscriber Only
November 21, 2025 16:31 IST
This week, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's 1940 canvas El sueño (La cama) sold for $54.7 million at Sotheby’s -- the highest by a female artist at an auction. Here's why Frida Kahlo remains among the most celebrated artists of all times.
International Men’s Day 2025: Why is the event on November 19, how an Indian woman helped popularise itSubscriber Only
November 19, 2025 15:16 IST
International Men’s Day 2025: The International Men's Day website says that the Indian celebration of the day 'is by far the single biggest' by any country. It also credits an Indian woman for popularising the event. Here's the full story behind the day, in five points.
In a lonely world, ‘parasocial’ is Cambridge’s ‘Word of the Year’: What this meansSubscriber Only
November 19, 2025 17:31 IST
Parasocial relationships, digital parasocial bonds: As loneliness tightens its grip worldwide, we are witnessing a profound shift in how humans seek connection. In choosing parasocial as its ‘Word of the Year’, Cambridge both captures the cultural zeitgeist and reminds us of the need to preserve human connection
From ‘national song’ to ‘modern anthem’ – the journey of Vande MataramSubscriber Only
November 13, 2025 18:55 IST
At an event to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram last week, Modi claimed that the song had been “broken and cut into pieces” and that it “sowed the seeds of the division of the nation”. The remarks once again brought into spotlight the debate surrounding India’s national song
End of an era: Last ever ‘lucky’ penny pressed by US MintSubscriber Only
November 13, 2025 18:10 IST
The coin once sufficed to purchase “penny candy” like gumballs from vending machines, or pay for parking tickets. Its utility has reduced considerably since then, while it remains of value to numismatists
Row over ‘Jana Gana Mana’: Why Tagore composed it and how it became the national anthemSubscriber Only
November 12, 2025 19:27 IST
At an event to mark the 150th anniversary of India’s national song ‘Vande Mataram’, Karnataka BJP MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri called ‘Jana Gana Mana’ a 'welcome song for the British officials', drawing protests. Here’s demystifying a myth that has surrounded the song for a century.
Dulquer Salmaan’s ‘Kaantha’: Why film that is not a biopic of first Tamil superstar MKT Bhagavathar feels like oneSubscriber Only
November 14, 2025 10:12 IST
While the producers of 'Kaantha' have denied any connection to Bhagavathar, the speculation sheds light on the culture of stardom in Tamil cinema.
President Murmu presented with a Ramman mask: What is the festival, and how did it originate?Subscriber Only
November 3, 2025 19:09 IST
Ramman is a festival celebrated annually in late April during Baisakhi at the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli. It is dedicated to the tutelary god, Bhumiyal Devta, a local divinity whose temple houses most of the festivities
Explained: With Halloween around the corner, the many mysterious meanings of black catsSubscriber Only
October 31, 2025 07:00 IST
Black cats have a long legacy in culture, with innumerable superstitions associated with them. As Halloween approaches, these creatures are popping up everywhere, appearing as decorations, in movies and on costumes.
Chhath Puja 2025: As lakhs worship setting sun, understanding the festival, its significanceSubscriber Only
October 29, 2025 12:10 IST
Chhath Puja 2025 History, Significance, Rituals: What is Chhath puja and why is it celebrated? Which deity is Chhathi maiya? What is it about Chhath that makes it so close to the Bihari heart?
Bhai Dooj: How is this festival different from RakshabandhanSubscriber Only
October 27, 2025 14:09 IST
Bhai Dooj vs Rakshabandhan, Rakhi festival difference: What's the difference between Raakhi and Bhai Dooj, and why is the brother-sister relationship celebrated through two different festivals? The answer lies in the origin mythology of both the festivals, and also their significance.
Holding chaos together by a comma: Understanding Nobel laureate László Krasznahorkai through his first novelSubscriber Only
October 21, 2025 00:17 IST
What is the genesis of László Krasznahorkai's writing? Why would anybody write a novel, their very first novel, that could potentially invite the ire of a communist dictatorship? In the answers to this lie the secret of the Hungarian's genius.
Harry Potter reboot: How JK Rowling’s continued anti-trans activism spurred boycott callSubscriber Only
October 18, 2025 09:33 IST
The boycott call, which extends to all properties affiliated with Rowling, aims to create financial consequences for the author who has lent her conviction and money to anti-transgender rights advocacy for years. Here is what to know.
The enduring impact of MTV, and why it’s shutting downSubscriber Only
October 17, 2025 11:33 IST
For a generation of listeners, MTV was the definition of cool and the ultimate vehicle for consuming popular cultural trends
Why UNESCO’s new Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects mattersSubscriber Only
October 12, 2025 12:08 IST
The ambitious project seeks to confront the illicit trafficking of stolen items, particularly as a result of colonialism
Private players to conserve heritage monuments: Govt plan, guardrailsSubscriber Only
October 8, 2025 16:07 IST
The government plans to empanel over a dozen conservation architects with established credentials, who will guide private donors in hiring agencies for the effective conservation of significant heritage sites across the country, some dating back thousands of years
Tilly Norwood, AI are coming for Hollywood. It’s not art, but a piece of codeSubscriber Only
October 7, 2025 02:54 IST
Calling AI avatars actors is an act of quiet deceit — a linguistic dodge designed to legitimise what is essentially an act of theft as innovation. These digital bodies are not born of imagination or creativity, but built on the extracted labour of real performers.
Jane Goodall dies at 91: Recalling the conservationist, known for her work on chimpanzeesSubscriber Only
October 2, 2025 12:40 IST
Jane Goodall Death: Credited with noticing human-like behaviours amongst chimpanzees, Goodall was also the UN Messenger of Peace and honorary member of the World Future Council.
Who is Thomas Pynchon – and why is everyone talking about ‘One Battle After Another’?Subscriber Only
October 3, 2025 20:03 IST
The reclusive American writer is having a cultural moment, thanks to Paul Thomas Anderson’s audacious new film
Rahman-Dagar court case: A Hindu devotional art form and its Muslim custodiansSubscriber Only
September 28, 2025 21:43 IST
Generations of Dagars, as practising Muslims, have continued to pray to Saraswati and chant hymns from the Vedas. Here's a brief history of Dhrupad, and its remarkable practitioners.
Why Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits sell for millionsSubscriber Only
September 24, 2025 16:31 IST
‘El sueño (La cama)’, or ‘The Dream (The Bed)’, by Kahlo is expected to go for an estimated $40 to $60 million at Sotheby’s upcoming New York sale on November 8. This could make it the most expensive artwork by a woman to be sold at an auction
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