The Tibetan gully boys who have found a new groove
Young rappers who grew up in refugee colonies find new connections with their lost homeland through a gritty genre
CULTURE & COMMUNITY
How Jodhpur's restored stepwells are becoming cultural hubs
On a typical afternoon at Jodhpur’s Toorji ka Jhalra, an ancient stepwell within the walled part of the old city, one can spot local teens flinging themselves off its intricately carved ledges before vanishing into the cool, green water below only to surface seconds later, grinning. Watching them, it’s almost impossible to believe that this 18th-century relic was a dumping ground, buried under decades of stagnant water, not too long ago. Across the city, multipronged efforts are on to reclaim these subterranean marvels.
In a 1st, 140 Indian artisans weave history for Vatican Library show | Mumbai News - The Times of India
For centuries, the Vatican Library has been a vault of historical records housing some of the world’s most treasured texts including ancient Hindu scriptures. This year, history gets a fresh spin—told not through ink and paper but needle and thread—stitched, woven, and embroidered by Indian artisans.
A piece of ‘bonedi’ Kol in Mum as Sabyasachi marks 25 years with ode to ‘Bangaliana’
Drips after sips: IV therapy is the new hangover hack
From aspirin to avocado, hair of dog to hot baths—the tried and failed list of hangover cures is long. This year, a new hero has entered the ring. To undo the aftershocks of a party, people are getting bespoke IV drips instead of a greasy breakfast. But it's not withour risks, warn experts
Modern Medicine Collaborates with Traditional Healers to Transform Tribal Healthcare
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! In tribal areas where traditional healers hold more trust than doctors, a tribal health collective is partnering with these vaidyas to bridge gaps in healthcare—making them allies, not competitors, to modern medicine
Makdi madness: India weaves web of friendly neighbourhood Spideys
Wondering why spandexed crusaders are sprawled on car bonnets or rolling rotis? For young content creators, the Spiderman costume has a special superpower
As ‘killfie’ threat mounts, what happened to planned no-selfie zones?
With people losing their lives while trying to capture the perfect shot, 16 'no-selfie zones' were planned in Mumbai in 2016. Eight years later, the much-hyped ‘no-selfie zones’ are nowhere to be found
Michelin meals to logo-less luxe, the new, new status symbols
Michelin meals to logo-less luxe, the new, newer status symbols or what you can call the new flexes of the elite
Meet Kyra, Naina and Zara, the new AI influencers who even get hit on
Whether it’s taking part in pageants, chatting up celebs or becoming the face of brands, India’s rising tribe of AI models is disrupting the influencer industry
Meet the city samaritans bringing dignity in death to unclaimed bodies
In a city that never sleeps, some folks are often alone and forgotten, even in death but her last moments are also a reminder of the few good folks in the city, who have devoted themselves to ensuring that those who die alone or unclaimed receive a dignified funeral, at their own cost, despite knowing nothing about them until that moment.
Gen Z teens ‘coming out’ younger with stronger family & peer support
For many queer individuals in India, the social pressure of ‘coming out’ — a metaphor used by LGBTQ+ persons to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to friends and family — is already daunting. But teenagers opening up to parents is a growing phenomenon of adolescents bravely owning their identities as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender while still a middle grader. What is remarkable is how families and schools are stepping up to guide them through this phase and find acceptance in ways that were once unthinkable.
Is stethoscope losing its pulse or docs their ear for the beat?
For over 200 years doctors have leaned on this trusty medical tool to poke, prod, listen and draw accurate inferences about what ails the patient. Until technology changed it. With echocardiograms and nifty pocket-sized ultrasound devices elbowing their way into the diagnostic arena, a recent conference on AI and healthcare at Bombay Hospital in Marine Lines, became the stage for doctors to deliberate the fate of this iconic medical relic—the stethoscope and whether the revered art of “auscultation”— the act of detecting maladies from listening to sounds from the heart, lungs or other organs—might actually follow the path of the doctor’s head mirror and fade away.
Politicians' vocal cords suffer silently as poll campaign picks up
As we brace for the impending political showdown with candidates giving it their vocal all, spare a thought for the unsung hero — the voice box — that often bears the brunt of their campaign rhetoric.
Groom riding on a horse? That’s so yesterday. Car-copters latest craze in UP, Bihar shaadis
Jugaad choppers fashioned out of humble hatchbacks have become a flourishing business, thanks to dulhas who want to make a grand entry
Can’t beat it? Embrace it: Classrooms in Mumbai transform AI into ally
When ChatGPT strutted into our lives in 2022, educators got a bit jittery. The worry was that this shiny new AI marvel might lead to more plagiarised content, mess with learning, and make old-school assignments obsolete. Yet, most schools and colleges now reckon it’s too late to shoo away this uninvited guest. Instead, they are opting to groom students on how to use AI tools as a learning aid and work alongside it, responsibly.
IPL-Style Condo Leagues: Livestreaming, Snazzy Jerseys, and Big Sponsors in Mumbai
Blurring the lines between leisure and high-stakes competition, premier league-style cricket tournaments at condominiums have become a rage across the city over the last two years, inspired by the 15-year-old short and entertaining cricketing format spurred by both local enthusiasm and larger trends in sports entertainment.
Breaking Barriers: Female Blues Musicians Challenge the Status Quo
It’s a curious time for female musicians. This year’s Grammys saw singer-songwriters like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus soar, legends like Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell reclaim their spotlight and four out of five contemporary blues nominees led by women. Yet, the shadow of old sexism lingers. “Women still continue to fight harder than guys for airtime and stage presence… the real turning point is yet to come,” echoed the stars of the all-female lineup at this year’s edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival — Sheryl Youngblood, Dana Fuchs, Samantha Fish and Vanessa Collier in a candid chat with TOI...
Street aesthetics go pedestrian as city suffers an art attack
In the good old days, a stately king on horseback cast in bronze or a charming fountain sculpted in marble could effortlessly glam up a street or roundabout in Mumbai, and stand as timeless landmarks. Then came the era of edgy street art on the faces of walls and buildings, pushing artistry and its meaning. However, the city is now witnessing a new wave of public art — random sculptures in cement, plaster of Paris and cheap metal ranging from wildly eclectic to downright dull and dreary — popping up across the city that have left people scratching their heads.
Decoding the high-stakes arrival of global masterpieces in India | India News - Times of India
India has swung open its doors to the world’s most prized treasures from museums worldwide. But getting fragile, valuable and ancient art from foreign lands to Indian shores is far from just a bubble wrap. It’s a logistical labyrinth where trust is the ultimate currency to secure loans from international museums and galleries while conservators, art handlers, and fine art logistics companies work in tandem to ensure every art piece glides through borders seamlessly.
Filmmakers versus critics: How ‘Animal’ brought out the claws
Unkind reviews are not new, even ‘Sholay’ was skewered. But, are critics harsher now or directors more thin-skinned? A look at how film criticism is changing in the digital age
Why affluent Indians are turning to the grey market for miracle jabs that make kilos disappear
Affluent Indians are turning to the grey market to get their hands on the so-called miracle jabs that make kilos disappear into thin air
Jackfruit murders and 3D chefs: How the restaurant became a stage
Imagine this — you take your seat in a restaurant and a charming French chef pops up on your plate. The thumb-sized chef takes you on a sensory journey while your crockery and cutlery transform into various landscapes, each corresponding to the course about to be served. In the first act, the table blossoms into a summer garden where he plucks fresh vegetables to create a tomato burrata.
Meet city's Banksy: Phantom street artist tackling social ills, wall by wall
Tyler, a guerrilla street artist from Mumbai, has been gaining attention for his thought-provoking and socially scathing art. Dubbed as Mumbai's Banksy, Tyler's works fuse graffiti with stenciling and often address issues such as surveillance, corruption, and communal politics.
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