Life & Style

30

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Life & Style, Lifestyle

Poozhikkunnu in Thiruvananthapuram has been celebrating Onam with floral carpets for 38 years

Pookkalams at Poozhikkunnu in Thiruvananthapuram | Photo Credit: SREEJITH R KUMAR Poozhikunnu, a few kilometres away from the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, has for long been known for its cracker-making units. But the village has another tradition to its credit — residents have been laying huge pookkalams on all 10 days of Onam for 38 years now.This is being done under the auspices of a people’s forum, Poozhikkunnu Pourasamithi. “The practice is actually older than that, probably 45 years or so. Before the Pourasamithi took it up, a group of senior citizens used to conduct pookkalam-laying contests, which saw the participation…

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28

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Life & Style, Lifestyle

The Nilgiris story: A showcase of curated line of shawls, scarves, home textiles, and linen saris, handcrafted by Toda artisans

Seated on the grasslands in remote hamlets, usually under the shade of a large tree, the Toda women of the Nilgiris engage in their art — a distinctive, Geotagged black and red embroidery — singing full-throated songs that talk of damp grass, warm sunlight, and mountain air. Deeply inspired by Nature, this intricate pukhoor (motif) embroidery meticulously follows the warp and weft of the base cloth, creating a stunning visual effect. Artisans count threads purely by touch, gently stretching the fabric as they stitch — a testament to their extraordinary skill and intuition. Ramya Reddy, author of the book Soul…

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28

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Life & Style, Lifestyle

Tree-free stationery brands convert agri waste to paper

Bluecat Paper @ BengaluruGrowing up amidst Coorg’s natural beauty, Kavya Madappa’s professional life has been rooted in sustainability. After launching the eco-friendly Amanvana Spa Resort in Coorg in 2009, Kavya moved onto the sustainable manufacturing of tree-free paper with Bluecat Paper in 2018. “I launched the label with the belief that alternate solutions of paper have to be explored in order to reduce the burden on trees,” says the 47-year-old.  Wine holders at Bluecat Paper | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement During her research, Kavya discovered that India cuts down “millions of trees annually for paper production despite abundant agricultural and…

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26

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Life & Style, Lifestyle

The Manganiyars all set to seduce Bengaluru

Roysten Abel’s The Manganiyar Seduction | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement It has been nearly two decades since Roysten Abel’s iconic musical production, The Manganiyar Seduction, premiered. But the noted playwright and theatre director, known for a range of critically and commercially acclaimed works, such as Flowers, Othello in Black and White, A Hundred Charmers, and The Kitchen, still is not tired of the music. “I should have had enough of it, but I just don’t. There is something very special about it. It still manages to mesmerise me,” insists Roysten, who is all set to bring The Manganiyar Seduction to…

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25

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Punit Balana’s designer label turns 10

Every stitch in Punit Balana’s creations is a proud paean to Rajasthan. The garments are shaped by memories, art, colours, music, culture and localities from the State that he calls home. Be it Bagru, Sanganer, or the buzzing chowks of Jaipur, all of them find representation in Punit’s collections.“Jaipur is where everything began. I grew up surrounded by block prints, crafts, embroidery, textile... Craft was a part of my everyday life. The city is layered: one day you are looking at the geometry of Amer Fort, the next day, the colours of Johri Bazar. I don’t think I looked for…

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24

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Life & Style, Lifestyle

Meet N Harikesan Nair from Thiruvananthapuram, recipient of the Kerala State Farm Awards for the best nutrition garden

“It is all about becoming self-sufficient.” That is N Harikesan Nair’s principle behind his love for farming. The retired bank employee from Thiruvananthapuram is currently basking in the glory of winning the award for the best organic nutrition garden at the State Farm Awards 2024. One cannot help but listen in awe as he lists the variety of crops and plants he cultivates at his home at Sree Nagar, Kalippankulam, near Manacaud. Besides the area around his home on the 10-cent plot, farming is being done extensively on two terraces, covering an area of 2,500 sq ft.“I have been doing…

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23

Aug

By The Press Editor

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This Kerala social worker visits homes of donors to harvest hair for wigs for cancer survivors

Social worker PA Zeenath sees her work as a calling, something she has to do. It is a calling that she has answered, with empathy and compassion, perhaps born out of her unfulfilled dream of becoming a nurse. For the past 20-odd years she has been doing her bit as a caregiver for HIV patients, those suffering from cancer and anybody else who might need her service. Zeenath is a part of the Snehatheeram Charitable Trust, Aluva, a support and care centre for those living with HIV AIDS; it also offers institutionalised home-based care for the terminally ill. However, rather than confining…

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22

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Here are the hottest new games launched at the biggest gaming show on earth — Gamescom

Gamescom, the biggest gaming expo in the world, sets the stage for top brands and trendsetters in the world of gaming. Now, in its 16th year, Gamescom stands witness to over 4 lakh passionate gamers from across the world, flocking to Germany — braving the hot European summer from August 19 to 24 in Koelnmesse GmbH (Cologne Trade Fair) — to witness the launch of the new Xbox as well as the reveal of several video games, like Call of Duty and Borderlands 4. Based on reaction, popularity and the buzz on the ground, we have cherry-picked a few trends that…

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22

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Over 200 Top Nature photographers join forces for Prints for Wildlife fundraiser

In the last five years, Nature and wildlife photographers across the world have raised over $2.1 million for conservation. This, courtesy of global non-profit Conservation International’s initiative titled Prints for Wildlife. Every year, a community of photographers sell their limited-edition prints and all funds raised go towards efforts supported by Conservation International.  An Asiatic lioness with her cubs at Gir National Park, Gujarat | Photo Credit: Jie Fischer/Prints for Wildlife This year, the fundraiser Edition Hope is slated to ‘respond to a new, urgent threat: the global shift away from environmental protection’. The team addresses how conservation programmes around the…

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19

Aug

By The Press Editor

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Life & Style, Lifestyle

Cubbon park is central to Bengaluru’s existence

Vinay Parameshwarappa has always thought of Cubbon Park as a special place, “one of the last few green spaces where you can leisurely walk, without worrying that someone will run you over,” says the founder of Gully Tours, an experiential tour company. Not surprisingly, Cubbon Park was at the heart of Colonial Crawl, among the first walks that his company curated in the city. “The colonial story is such an important one in the evolution of Bengaluru, and Cubbon Park was the link between the Bengaluru Pete and its Cantonment area,” he says. “We had wanted to explore this neighbourhood.”…

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