Raja Ravi Varma : A prince among painters and a painter among princes

Raja Ravi Varma is considered as one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. He achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art. He was probably the first Indian artist to master perspective and the use of the oil medium; the first to use human models to illustrate hindu gods and goddesses; the first Indian artist to become famous, before him painters and craftsmen were largely unidentified; and the first to make his work available not just to rich elite but also to common people by way of his oleographs. 

Gates of Vadodara

An old photograph of old Baroda around Mandvi

Vadodara (Baroda), a cultural capital of Indian state of Gujarat, was once a walled city. The old walled city has four gates on four sides for entering the city and the old city is settled inside those gates. Each gates has its own story to tell. Let me take you through the brief history of 'Gates of Vadodara'.

Kathakali : Traditional Dance-drama of Kerala

Bhoomi at Malayalam Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Enactment of Kauravas inviting Pandavas for a game of dice (from epic - Mahabharata)

Kathakali is a stylised classical Indian dance-drama that originated in the Indian state of Kerala. The story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures), by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra. Unlike other classical dances of Inida, which developed in courts and theatres, Kathakali devloped in Hindu temples and monastic schools.

Amazing Sport : Yubi Lakpi (Indian traditional Rugby)

Yubi Lakpi

Looking back into history, we can see that sports were always a part of the traditional Manipuri culture. Indigenous games have played a major role in strengthening the physical structure of the Manipuris and making them active people. One such game is Yubi Lakpi.

Chaitram Pawar - The saviour of Baripada

If the people of this nation vow to bring development, then nothing can withstand the power of the human will. Baripada village in Maharashtra’s Dhule district, India is a brilliant example of person - Chaitram Pawar’s dedicated efforts. At the time when people wait for Government to change or transform their lives, villagers of Baripada, under the leadership of Chaitram Pawar reshaped their own destiny. Rather they have made the government agencies to come to them to learn how they reshaped their destiny.