Author: soul india
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A Slice of Hope: A Journey Worth Sharing
Originally published in Lha Voices Annual Publication, 2024 Living in exile, Tibetan refugees in India have worked to preserve their cultural identity while building new lives far from their homeland. In McLeod Ganj, stories of resilience and adaptation unfold in everyday spaces and through ordinary acts of courage. Bhuti’s journey into baking is one such…
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Harkara Movie review – Go watch it!
Harkara, released in October 2023 on Amazon Prime, is a Tamil movie that takes audiences on a nostalgic journey into India’s rich postal history, particularly honoring the unsung heroes of the postal department known as Dak runners or Harkaras. I watched the Hindi dubbed version. Who are Harkaras: Initially appointed to deliver letters and crucial…
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Dance, divinity and devotion in Orissa
Dance in Orissa is not merely an art form; it has always been a conduit for connecting with the divine since its inception. The carvings in the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, dating back to the 2nd century BCE, vividly illustrate the historical intertwining of dance with religious practices. Throughout history, the form of divinity associated…
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The story of Silver Shoes!
वाह! आई ऍम फ्लेबरगास्टेड (flabbergasted)!! जी, बिलकुल, ये अटपटा ,हिंगलिश-नुमा वाक्य ही ज़हन में आया जब इन जूतों को देखा तो । चांदी के पत्रे पर नक्काशियों की बारीकियों में उलझे नक्काशकार को जब हमने पूछा क्या आप क्या बना रहे है …तो वह जल्दी से बोले, रुकिए हम आपको कुछ दिखाते है, और वह …
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Facts about Ramayana that you must know
We all know the story of the great epic Ramayana, and many of us have either learned from Ramananad Sagar’s Ramayana on TV or have heard its short stories in the form of folklore from our grandparents who always added their creativity to make it more interesting. If you are from the North the other…
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Let’s turn inward to preserve our crafts!
“वो सुनते हैं न कि कभी ड्रैगन था , उसी तरह होगा कि कभी ज़रदोज़ी थी। एक दिन वह आएगा कि हमको किसी मंदिर या दरगाह में भीख मांगनी पड़ेगी।” ,says nazir. Coming such words from the finest zardoz in old Lucknow is heart-wrecking. Unfortunately, not only zardozi but chikankari, handblock printing, chanderi, many…
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Memories and Emotions – Lucknawi Itra
“जिस फूल को वाहिद ऐ इक रोज़ ही जीना था, उस फूल को बक्शी है हयात हमने।“, that is Mr. Imran Ahmed, an itra craftsman’s take when someone says: you ruin beautiful flowers to make itra. सलीके से हवाओं में वो खुशबू घोल देते है,अभी कुछ लोग बाकी हैं जो मीठा बोल देते हैं, it’s…
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Wajid Ali Shah: An Artist Trapped in a King’s Robe
Wajid Ali shah- The last Nawab of Awadh whose character and stories never fail to invoke curiosity. The man who married 300 women; thriving Kothas, the establishment of Parikhana, and sprawling Kaiserbagh palace made him infamous as a king indulged in debauchery. Certainly, he was an extravagant king who splurged on architecture and art more…
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Khurja Pottery: The intriguing inception story of a craft
A small town spreading so much beauty around the world with its timeless craft. Pottery has always reflected the evolution of civilization. Khurja pottery, heard about it many times but never thought that this craft and the city embraced the whole history inside it. Imagine that beautiful teacup that you hold every morning has so…
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Revive: An initiative by Soul India to support Raghurajpur artists
Raghurajpur is a Heritage village near Puri, Orissa. It is a unique village where every house has an artist. There are around 160 artists in this remote village. Raghurajpur is known worldwide for its Performing art Odissi, Gotipua dance (a unique dance form where boys dress up as girls and perform a classical dance to…