As is customary at SPIC MACAY cultural events, the show began in a conversational style, with Bhat ji asking and answering questions about the history of puppets and how puppetry, as an art, came to be part of tradition. He then elucidated the various kinds of puppets (based on the way they're handled), such as String puppets, Glove puppets, Rod puppets, and Shadow puppets, while demonstrating how they are performed.
Have you pondered the fact that festivals like Durga Puja, Deepawali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, or Guruparb are celebrated by specific communities or religions, whereas festivals such as Independence Day and Republic Day are celebrated by the whole nation? Imagine over 140 crores of people immersed in one feeling, one spirit, and one thought!
In this post, I have explored five basic warm-up exercises for beginners to help you prepare for any performance, both mentally and physically. In the subsequent one, I'll delve deeper. Let's try these exercises one by one. I request that you visualise them or introduce them into your classroom learning.
I had the opportunity to watch Shabdangal in the second edition of Bharat Rang Mahaotsav (2026) while returning from a conference. The train to Roorkee was scheduled to start at night, whereas I reached Delhi in the evening. Hence, to make the most of the time, I booked a ticket to Shabdangal. Based on my previous experience watching a play at the Bahumukh auditorium of NSD, I knew it would delight me to the fullest.
Have you met anyone who has visited Dharamsala but not McLeodganj? Also, have you found a person who visited McLeodganj without visiting Dharamsala? I am not saying that such people don't exist. I am of the opinion that if you explored only one of them, you might be there on purpose or on a tight schedule. Dharamsala and McLeodganj are often viewed as an intertwined entity when planning a trip.
If I say that any drama is more read than performed in India, would you believe it? You don't need to believe me. I would advise taking this exercise. Reflect for a while- How many plays have you read till now? How many plays have you watched in theatres?
Nestled in the lap of the Dhauladhar ranges, Dharamsala and McLeodganj offer both an escape from the mundane world and the courage to return there again. Buddha and his teaching feel alive there in the truest form possible. Though Dharamsala and McLeodganj are known mainly for the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism, the towns existed … Continue reading A Two-Day Itinerary to Dharamsala and McLeodganj
A limerick is a short form of humorous, often nonsensical verse. It consists of exactly five lines following a strict AABBA rhyme scheme, where the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other (three metrical feet), and the third and fourth lines share a different rhyme and rhythm (two metrical feet).
Comic books and graphic novels are a great medium. It's incredibly underused! -Darren Aronofsky Visuals have always appealed to people more than anything. The increasing screen time over social media and OTT platforms is a testimony to it. However, a graphic novel, with illustrations alongside the text, is truly underused and undervalued, as noted by … Continue reading Book Review: Corridor by Sarnath Banerjee
Derived from the Greek word 'theatron,' theatre refers to a place of viewing. To understand the structure of such theatre, consider it a room where the fourth wall is removed, allowing the audience to see what happens inside. A proscenium theatre is divided into two sections: the stage (where the actors perform) and the house (where the audience sits). Let's look at the stage first.
The book collects 14 stories centred around Karnataka, which also includes a preface and an epilogue. Murty highlights the hybridisation of culture, food habits and language, particularly in Karnataka's northern region. She reiterates the statement, "No wonder it's said for every 150 kilometres that you travel in our country, you will see a change in food habits and dressing style" (p. x),
Norbulingka, nestled in Dharmsala, Uttarakhand, India, surpassed my expectations. What I had assumed was a typical monastery turned out to be a centre of varied cultural activity. Norbulingka Institute, as I reflected on the title once again, with the tagline 'Heart of Tibetan Culture,' I found the centre doing justice to it.
Naya Theatre, curated by Habib Tanvir in 1959, aimed to reverse the colonial trajectory of Indian theatre while connecting it to India's culture and tradition. Tanvir is known mainly for two interventions in Indian Theatre. The first was that he introduced local artists in his performance, and the second was that he broke away from the proscenium theatre into diverse spaces. He adopted the folk form Nacha of Chhattisgarh, in which music and songs play a complementary role in the performance.
These elements that promote the Karyavastas are called as Arthaprakritis – the causations. They are five. (1) Bija – Germ, (2) Bindu – Prominent point (3) Pataka – Episode (4) Prakari – sub-story and (5) Karya – denouement.
I was familiar with Hussain's writing and his reflections on partition through his novel Basti (shortlisted for the Man Booker in 2013), which was part of my bachelor's syllabus. Through this book, Day And Dastan, which collects two novellas into one, I once again got an opportunity to peek into the fragmented and dilapidated world of Hussain, caused by partition
Pragmatic's Personas 