20 C Miscellaneous / thenewsminute
Maveli, like Santa Claus, has been a nice little myth told to children celebrating Onam for the first time. Onam is what you might call Keralas Christmas, when every house is decked up not with green trees and stars, but flowers laid out in pretty designs and long swings for the children and feasts in the noon. Maveli is a hero, with a brave and hearty story, who visits Kerala every year to see the people he had to leave behind. AV Sakthidharan, a journalist of many decades, was initially going
(Workers preparing lunch at Amma Canteen. File image. Courtesy: Facebook: @ammaunavagam) I have been making the same Rs 7,000 per month since 2014 when I joined here. My son will soon be going to college. I have to pay basic fees even if it is a government college, you know? The prices of essential groceries and vegetables are so high these days, we are barely able to eat two meals a day. My husband works as a construction labourer so there is no work guarantee. We really cant afford to borrow
In a small locale in Hyderabads Old City, a humble sweet made in just over a couple of shops could very well be the biggest rival to the popular Kaju Katli. Baked and tender, Badam ki jali is a Hyderabadi sweet made with almonds and cashews. One bite and the baked dough melts into our mouths giving us a sugar high. Made in myriad shapes using metal moulds, there are hardly 3-4 shops in the city that sell Badam ki Jali. And where did they all get the recipe from? Aijaz Unnisa, an octogenarian liv
Elisabeth Gruner, Associate Professor of English, University of Richmond There are probably as many reasons to read old stories as there are teachers. Old stories are sometimes strange. They display beliefs, values and ways of life that the reader may not recognize. As an English professor, I believe that there is value in reading stories from decades or even centuries ago. Teachers have their students read old stories to connect with the past and to learn about the present. They also have
The south Indian art form of kolam, usually drawn outside entrances with rice flour, chalk or a special white stone powder, is nothing short of a visual puzzle. Unlike the colourful rangoli thats popular across the country, kolam is usually in white, sometimes with a dash of rusty red around the borders or to fill spaces within the pattern. Lines cut across to form complex geometric shapes, dots are strung together to form the most interesting designs. In such puzzles, it sure is difficult for a
The 14th edition of the Qadir Ali Baig theatre festival is here, and this time too, a host of theatre groups from across the world are performing at one of the Indias largest theatre assemblies. Hosted in the memory of the legendary theatre artist Qadir Ali Baig, the festival has 136 theatre artists performing in different venues across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. With artists from across India as well as abroad, this year, the festival will stage plays that revolve around the