The lights come on, the dolls come out and the festivities are set to take off across India. Let’s explore.
The festive season is upon us, and this means it’s time to celebrate. Learn how Dussehra/Navaratri is observed in different parts of the country.
Click on the hotspots to read.
Map is used for representation only, not drawn to scale
What is broadcast journalism? What do broadcast journalists do? Read on …
Broadcast journalism is a field in which news and stories are delivered through electronic media like television, radio, or online streaming. Journalists in this field report on current events and provide live updates, interviews, and analysis. Their goal is to inform the public, often working on tight deadlines to bring breaking news or in-depth investigations to audiences as quickly and accurately as possible.
Scroll through this slider to know more about this field.
This crossword has a splash of fun in every clue. Can you complete these idioms based on colours?
An idiom is a phrase that means something different from its literal meaning. For example, when we say “It’s raining cats and dogs”, we mean it’s raining heavily. When a task is a “piece of cake”, it means it’s very easy.
This crossword is sure to brighten up your day. It features idioms that contain the names of colours. Can you complete the grid?
A train with no wheels, you say? Yes, of course, it’s possible! It’s isn’t magic, but Science. Read on…
We all study Geography in school but what exactly is this subject about? Here’s a video that will give you a quick overview.
As the rare Neelakurinji bursts into bloom this year, learn more about this delicate flower that appears only once in 12 years.
As the rare Neelakurinji bursts into bloom this year, learn more about this delicate flower that appears only once in 12 years. Unravel the pictures as you read.
The shrub’s scientific name is Strobilanthes kunthiana. In Tamil and Malayalam, it is called Kurinji or Neelakurinji and Gurige in Kannada. Found in the higher reaches of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, the flowers appear only once in 12 years, carpeting the hill sides with purple-blue blossoms.
The Nilgiri Hills derive their name from these flowers: nil meaning blue and giri meaning mountains.
The nomadic Paliyan community, who live in the Nilgiri area, are said to have used the flowering of the plant to calculate the age of the members. The ancient Tamil Sangam literature refers to the mountainous landscape as Kurinji, in a reference to the flower that filled the hills.
Once, the plant covered an area across the Anamalai Hills, Cardamom Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Palani Hills, Kudremukh and Bababudangiri. But its habitat has been taken over by plantations for tea and wood, farms and homes for an increasing population. Kerala’s Idukki district is home to the Kurinjimala Sanctuary, which protects the core habitat of this flower. Another area where the flower is protected is around the Kurinji Andavar temple in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu.
This year, the flower has bloomed across the Nilgiri Hills, leading to an influx of locals and visitors. The Forest Department has closed off access to the areas and warned of stiff penalties for those who pluck the flowers. Earlier this year, the flower was officially included in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, after the first-ever global assessment for the species.
In 2023, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) included the plant in its list of protected plants under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. Uprooting or destruction of the plant will lead to imprisonment for three years. Cultivation of the Neelakurinji is also not allowed.
Did you know that hurling or camogie is said to be the fastest field sport in the world? Read on to find out more.
Hurling or Camogie is an Irish sport played with a wooden stick (called hurley) and a small ball (sliotar). The former is the men’s game and the latter the women’s version. The game has ancient roots and is believed to have come to Ireland with the Celts. It is also said to be the fastest field sport in the world.
Here’s a jigsaw for you! Can you put the pieces together? Once you are done, read on to learn more about the sport.
References
There are written references to the sport in the Brehon Law, the statutes that date back to the 5th century CE and governed life in medieval Ireland. There are other records that mention Hurling such as the Statutes of Kilkenny (14th century) and a gravestone from the 15th century.
In the 18th century, the members of the landed gentry in Ireland had Hurling teams on their estates that played matches against each other. In 1879, the rules of hurling were formalised with written rules and the formation of the Irish Hurling Union. In 1904, it was an unofficial sport at the Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.
The women’s version, called Camogie, was launched officially in 1904 with the first public match between Craobh an Chéitinnigh and Cúchulainns. The word camogie is the Anglicised version of the Irish camógaíocht. The Camogie Association, which governs the sport, was founded in 1905. In Ireland, around 100,000 women play the game and it is mentioned in Samuel Becket’s famous play Waiting for Godot.
Global spread
With the migration of the Irish to other countries, camogie also spread across the world. Today, it is played in Great Britain, The U.S., Canada, some of the Caribbean islands, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The game also has a presence in some South Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
Both Hurling and Camogie have an All-Ireland championship each. While the former was founded in 1900, the latter began in 1932. The team that wins the Hurling championship is awarded the M. J. “Inky” Flaherty Cup and the Camogie champions are presented with the O’Duffy Cup.
In 2018, UNESCO added Hurling/Camogie to its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
A video that tells you the story of Oscar Wilde’s masterpiece The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Cooking is a simple logical process. Get the ingredients and follow the recipe. You’ll have something yummy in no time.
When you get into the kitchen to cook, the first thing you do is make sure you have all the ingredients required for the dish you are going to make. It is only when you have got them all in order do you start to cook. If you do not do this then half way through the process you will have to abandon the dish or else you will run to the store to get the missing ingredient.
However, here we have a disciplined cook. All the ingredients are lined up and the dish is cooked to perfection. Can you match the dish with the ingredients?
They’ve made our country proud! Can you identify the chess stars who tasted victory at Budapest recently?
India made history by winning a stunning double gold at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary, recently.
In the open section, the team comprising Gukesh D, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Pentala Harikrishna triumphed, while the women’s team of Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agarwal and Tania Sachdev also won gold. Apart from the team championships, India also bagged four individual gold medals.
Activity for you! Can you identify the chess players who have brought glory to the nation? Drag and drop their names near their photos.
Open team:
Women’s team:
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
