Explained Culture

Hindi Diwas, and the history of the debate over Hindi’s statusSubscriber Only

September 14, 2023 14:27 IST

Hindi Diwas: Since Hindi was the spoken language of large parts of North India, it was seen as a safe option for the national linguistic unification of the country. However, large parts of the non-Hindi speaking regions of the country were unhappy with the idea.

Film director Jean-Luc Godard smokes at Cannes festival, France on May 25, 1982. (AP Photo/Jean-Jacques Levy, File)

Jean Luc-Godard, one of the legends of French New Wave cinemaSubscriber Only

September 15, 2022 08:52 IST

The director and writer of over a 100 films, Jean Luc-Godard came to prominence with his 1960 film Breathless.

Annabhau Sathe on a 2019 stamp of India (Wikimedia Commons/India Post, Government of India)

Who was activist-author Annabhau Sathe, whose statue Devendra Fadnavis unveiled in Moscow?Subscriber Only

September 15, 2022 09:15 IST

Annabhau Sathe's work was immensely inspired by the Russian revolution and the Communist ideology. Is there a reason why the statue is being unveiled now?

First edition cover of J D Salinger's (right) The Catcher in the Rye, one of the most successful and influential literary works in English of all time. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

In rare auction, the magic and the conflict of JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the RyeSubscriber Only

September 15, 2022 09:18 IST

One of the most well-known literary works of the 20th century, The Catcher in the Rye was originally published in 1951, when JD Salinger was 32 years old. Over a million copies continue to be sold every year.

Dancing, drums, and cultural displays: What’s planned for Kartavya Path’s inauguration?Subscriber Only

September 8, 2022 18:33 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of Kartavya Path in Delhi's Central Vista will see performances from Kerala, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and more.

Statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose being installed at the India Gate in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

The history of the Grand Canopy at India Gate — and all about the statue of Netaji Bose that was unveiled thereSubscriber Only

September 15, 2022 12:21 IST

The statue of Netaji will stand at the same place where his hologram statue was unveiled earlier this year by PM Narendra Modi. Earlier, the canopy at the India Gate complex housed a 50-foot marble statue of King George V until it was removed in 1968.

Kingsway, Rajpath, Kartavya Path: from ‘right to rule’ to ‘duty to serve’Subscriber Only

September 8, 2022 02:32 IST

The entire stretch and the area from the Netaji statue under the Grand Canopy to the Rashtrapati Bhavan will be known as Kartavya Path. As per the NDMC resolution, Kartavya Path includes the erstwhile “Rajpath and Central Vista lawns”.

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Barack Obama is now half an ‘EGOT’, what does this mean?Subscriber Only

September 8, 2022 02:32 IST

On winning an Emmy for his narration of the Netflix nature documentary, Our Great National Parks, former US president Barack Obama has achieved half 'EGOT' status.

Jason Allen's “Théâtre D'opéra Spatial” or ‘Space Opera Theater’. (Twitter/@rgshanbhag)

How an AI-generated artwork won the top prize in a US art competitionSubscriber Only

September 4, 2022 12:38 IST

The winner, Jason Allen, is president of Colorado-based tabletop gaming company Incarnate Games. He won in the digital art category with a work called “Théâtre D'opéra Spatial” or ‘Space Opera Theater’.

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Martand Temple in Kashmir: Its grandeur survives, and so do its controversiesSubscriber Only

September 11, 2022 22:31 IST

Who built Kashmir's Martand Temple and how was it destroyed? How does it have influences ranging from the Grecian to North Indian? And why is this ancient temple making news today? Answers to these questions hold lessons about India's past and present.

Mamankam, a grand assembly of rulers, was held once in 12 years in Thirunavaya. The Zamorin, the ruler of Kozhikode, would stand on a platform called the 'nilapadu thara' (pictured) cocooned by his soldiers (Source: malappuram.nic.in).

From Mamangam to Mahatma Gandhi: Why there is a call to protect relics in Kerala’s ThirunavayaSubscriber Only

September 4, 2022 22:55 IST

This village in Malappuram district used to witness one of the most important trade festivals in medieval India. Also, the suicide squads' mission to assassinate the Zamorin and the bloodbaths associated with it.

A sculptor of Artemis; NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket atop the mobile launcher, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. (Wikimedia, AP Photos)

Explained: NASA’s Moon mission named after Artemis, who is this ancient lunar goddess?Subscriber Only

September 4, 2022 05:13 IST

NASA has a long history of naming its missions after mythological figures. Starting in the 1950s, many rockets and launch systems were named after Greek sky deities, like Atlas and Saturn, whose Greek name is Cronos.

#BoycottBollywood: As the name suggests, the trend seeks to stop audiences from consuming content created by the Hindi film industry.

Explained: The #BoycottBollywood trend, and its impact on the industrySubscriber Only

August 28, 2022 09:31 IST

With less-than-impressive box office collections of Laal Singh Chaddha and recently-released Liger, starring Telugu actor Vijay Devarakonda, is the boycott Bollywood trend influencing Hindi films?

For 62 weeks now, the 42-year old Texan writer’s, Colleen's, 'It Ends With Us' (2016) has been on The New York Times bestseller list for print and e-books (fiction), followed by 'Verity' (2018) and 'Ugly Love' (2014) at 37 and 32 weeks, respectively.

Explained: Social media and the mega success of romance/YA author Colleen HooverSubscriber Only

August 27, 2022 11:53 IST

In the last couple of years, Colleen Hoover's books have made it to nearly every bestseller list in the US, with sometimes as many as six books in the top 10.

How a California law is set to undo swastika’s appropriation by NazismSubscriber Only

August 25, 2022 20:04 IST

Despite its association for centuries with the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religions, many in Europe and America see the swastika only as the defining symbol of Adolf Hitler's Nazi ideology. What is the new California law on the swastika?

A copy of Manusmriti (Express file photo/Praveen Khanna)

Explained: What is the Manusmriti, the ancient Sanskrit text recently under controversy?Subscriber Only

August 27, 2022 12:35 IST

The Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, recently criticised the Manusmriti, the ancient Sanskrit text, over its gender bias.

An urn carrying the embalmed heart of Dom Pedro I during a welcome ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, August 22. (Reuters/Adriano Machado)

Explained: Why an emperor’s embalmed heart is on a ‘state visit’ to BrazilSubscriber Only

August 25, 2022 14:33 IST

The Portuguese government agreed to loan the heart to Brazil for three weeks for the bicentennial celebration, after which it arrived in Brasilia in an airforce plane and its stay will be treated as a “state visit".

After two years of remote or hybrid work, work culture has fundamentally changed — for better or for worse. (Source: Pexels)

Quiet quitting: why its happening, its impact on companies and employeesSubscriber Only

August 25, 2022 10:30 IST

Quiet quitting: While some acknowledge the need to strike a healthy work-life balance through quiet quitting, others consider it to be lazy, disloyal and potentially indicative of an overall downward spiral.

Bollywood actor and producer Alia Bhatt gave birth to her first child on Sunday, November 6. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

From Alia Bhatt to Sonam Kapoor — a short history of Bollywood’s leading ladies and maternitySubscriber Only

November 6, 2022 14:51 IST

How do Bollywood actresses today continue with their careers post motherhood, and how does it differ from yesteryears' leading ladies? Let us take a look at the evolution.

A mandala the size of one and a half football pitches has been created by artist James Brunt at the Halewood Park Triangle with materials such as leaves and rocks. (Source: cultureknowsley.co.uk)

Explained: What is Mandala in art?Subscriber Only

August 24, 2022 23:23 IST

Residents of Liverpool are marvelling over a mandala the size of one and a half football pitches in length created by artist James Brunt with materials such as leaves and rocks.

Explained: Who was Amedeo Modigliani, the focus of Johnny Depp’s upcoming movie?Subscriber Only

August 24, 2022 16:18 IST

Johnny Depp's second film as director will look at the life of the Italian painter Modigliani, whose painting showing a reclining nude woman sold for over $157 million in 2018.

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