Subhas Chandra Bose was the most celebrated freedom fighter and charismatic influencer of the youth in India during the freedom struggle. His patriotism and obdurate refusal to stop till he achieved his desired goals has made him a patriotic hero. Due to his nationalistic temperament and leadership capabilities, Mahatma Gandhi was the first to address him as Netaji Respected Leader. Netaji was also the first to accost Gandhiji with the title ‘Father of the Nation’.
It began with Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury who pioneered the art of producing children’s literature. His son, Sukumar Ray, then chose to carry forward his father’s legacy with his innovative writing style that flabbergasted children. Then came his son, Satyajit Ray, with a creative mind that appealed to children as well as adults and gave a new direction to The Ray Legacy.
“My grandma used to believe that our ancestors look after us. If there are difficulties in life, huge changes in society, people believe that the souls of our ancestors are there to protect us. We should respect and pray for them. People strongly believe that we still share a connection. After that person has passed away, we still have that connection in us.”
Brahmavadini was the title attributed to women scholars, who dedicated their lives to the pursuit of knowledge and the study of the Vedas. Some were unmarried, living as ascetics and independent of their fathers, brothers or male counterparts. They were paragons of intellectual proficiency, natural philosophy and spiritual enlightenment. They were Rishikis–female sages–in their own right and were revered as teachers, doctors and theorists.
“I think people in Kyrgyzstan still haven’t faced that modernisation that other countries are going through. 60% of the population are still farmers and still follow the traditions that they came before. They’re following the three pre-existing traditions.”
Home to over ten million expatriates, Saudi Arabia is at a crossroads. The Kingdom has a rich cultural heritage that makes everybody who has lived here, feel at home. I have lived my entire life along the Persian Gulf. My days have been dominated by the exotic beaches and never-ending parks bordering the huge water body.
One revival came in the form of radio programmes that carried forward the oral tradition of storytelling. They created audio stories out of pre-written scripts and had them performed on radio by voiceover artists. The narrative changed voices, included sound effects and added creative humour. In short, radio programmes breathe life into the words that were lying frozen in the pages of old books.
I was born in 1985, possibly the most open and optimistic time in China’s modern history; the country was going through reform and opening-up. Diplomatic relationships with America, Japan and the rest of the word had never been better. Echoing the late Chairman Mao’s famous slogan, “Women hold up half the sky”, women were encouraged to participate in the labour force fully. I do not recall any of my friends’ mums not working.
In Ancient India, the practice of Swayamvara or self-chosen groom was a significant ritual. A young woman of marriageable age, belonging to a noble family, had the right to choose her own spouse in the presence of her parents and family members. The intention of the ritual clearly signifies the ideals of women empowerment in a forgotten age and time.
In Egyptian myth, the afterlife was just as important as life. The dead stood before Osiris in the Hall of Truth, and their actions in life were weighed. If they were found worthy, they would pass on the Field of Reeds where they would life their ideal life, exactly it was on earth.