When it comes to Indian marriages nothing can beat it when it comes to the fun, cultural traditions and the plethora of activities that takes place. India being a land of varied traditions and ancestral cultures descending from all parts of the world each community has their unique way of carrying out marriage ceremonies and the activities involved. (more…)
Sports is not only a gateway of recreation for many but if we look closely at it, then it also a mirror which reflects cultural aspirations.
East Bengal fans
Photo credit: www.goal.com
If we look at football clubs across the globe, we will find that most of them are in fact cultural representatives. Be it the rivalry of culture versus region culminating in the Glasgow Rangers and Celtic tour local rivarly of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, which are sub cultural clashes of the Bengali community resulting in the formation of two professional Sports Clubs.
Similarly across England, the home of football, all the clubs carry behind them a cultural heritage like Manchester clubs representing the different cultural ethos. Move over to any part of the globe, and various sports clubs have garnered fan following and rivalry with others standing on the dimension of their local socio-cultural situation.
Read more
Going local: foreign brands in India
Superheroes have always been the object of our obsessed fantasy but they also have impacted cultures since their inception.
Krrish (photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Krrish.jpg)
Every superhero belonging to a distinct and definitive culture has brought in facets that are closely attributed to culture of a certain people and ever growing. Be it Superman, who came in with his so called distinctive and colured clothing and exuberant optimism of the USA back in the 1930′, to my favorite, Batman, representing the darker, Gothic and uncertain times when he was created reflecting the cultural mood of the US during World War II.
Not only US superhero or fantasy characters have also created their own cultural brand identity as icons. There are others like Harry Potter or even in India superheroes like Shaktimaan or Krrish.
The journey of superheroes is forever changing. As the socio-cultural system ever changes, superheroes adapt too, as did Captain America, reflecting the new American hope in today’s world; though he had been in comics since World War II or ,the nordic god of Thunder, who is now an American movie franchise of Marvel studios. Truly worth the superheroes weight.
Read more
Going local: foreign brands in India
Isn’t it funny to see how foreign brands, when coming to shores of different culture like India, adapt themselves to suit the local needs? They also make themselves the household brand names, be it Nokia or Pepsi in India, saying “Youngistaan Meri Jaan” (the power & dreams of our youth drives the nation). Imagine this American brand turning itself into Desi products, which we are readily accepting as it shows how much we have broken the barriers of culture.
While writing down on cultural events from my region I feel this is probably the apt time to write. Why? This is the time the festivities begin marked by Durga Pujas which is definitely the biggest Cultural phenomenon from East India, now turning into Global event thanks to large Bengali and Hindu Non Resident Indian communities spread all across the Globe. As for personal reference I know my uncle who lives in Canberra, Australia, along with other fellow Bengalis
Durga Mahisasuramardini (Wikipedia)
A real big fashion event is now this Durga pujas, where the real cosmopolitan word comes into play. Nearly every community in North and especially Eastern India joins in the celebration in the best attire, notwithstanding the difference in Budget, as even the struggling classes comes up in their best attire and join in the HALLELUJAH celebrations.
Coming to the biggest cultural event in this world, which surrounds the Hindu deity of Mother Goddess Durga, the business of cuisine steps up with people digging at delicious, or may I say so, experimental food. As the entire cultural entity of Bengalis revolve around Gourmet and pandal hopping, as they say in the best attires.
For the youngsters, it is more of a window to meet the best partners of the opposite gender, hoping that the cupid strikes. As for others, mostly the adult or elderly people, it is more of nostalgia where they cherish and garner their thoughts in a session of rendezvous.
Truly like in America, as it was once said, Durga pujas is one big melting pot of Ccultural identities, thoughts and desires into one joyful plate ready to be served.
Photo credit: WikipediaRead more
The complexities of India’s ID system and how it is changing
Does food and dress only define a culture? In today’s modern world, which is becoming ever more globalised, newer dimensions are being attributed to the word culture all the time.
Today a country is not only attributed by its typically peculiar food or dressing habits as internet has penetrated the world over and the global fashion statement is now collected from worldwide elements. Today women in New York working in Vanuatu dress won’t raise eyebrows the least bit. The global brand or so called cultural marketing and branding is taking the definition of culture to a whole new level.
Books from around the world, recommended by our contributors
Picture Postcards: A chalkboard in Kazakhstan
An introduction to Chinese calligraphy
From our contributors: week of May 20, 2013
100 websites to learn about the UK
From our contributors: week of April 7, 2013
An Italian in Europe
Author Tash Aw on moving to China and the South Asian novel
Meet Sabrina, Italian guest house owner
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Please read our attribution policy
Recent Comments