All posts tagged: cultural

Kerala to boost film-friendly tourism, strengthen anti-piracy tools: Minister of Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs

Kerala to boost film-friendly tourism, strengthen anti-piracy tools: Minister of Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs

Published by Parlour News

Kerala will make its major tourist destinations more film-shooting friendly and strengthen legal action against movie piracy, State Minister for Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs P C Vishnunath said here on Tuesday. He was speaking after meeting representatives of the Malayalam film industry, as per news agency PTI. The minister convened the meeting at Mascot Hotel here to discuss issues facing the film sector, which he described as being at a crucial stage of growth. State Minister for Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs P C Vishnunath talked about the measures. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) What actions are being planned for the film industry “Malayalam cinema is today shining as one of the best film industries in India. Its market has expanded significantly, and all of us must work together to ensure that nothing harms the industry,” Vishnunath told reporters after the discussions. Among the issues raised by industry representatives was the long-standing concern over what they described as “double taxation”. The minister said the government would examine the matter seriously. “This is not an issue that concerns …

New emblem of Rajasthan Assembly reflects constitutional values, cultural identity

New emblem of Rajasthan Assembly reflects constitutional values, cultural identity

Published by Parlour News

A newly designed emblem of the Rajasthan Assembly, reflecting constitutional values and the desert State’s cultural identity, was launched in Jaipur on Monday (May 18, 2026) with a call to strengthen the tradition of representative governance. Governor Haribhau Bagade unveiled the emblem at a ceremony held on the Assembly premises. The emblem’s launch marked the completion of 75 years of establishment of the State Assembly. Mr. Bagade also announced new names, such as ‘Kartavya Dwar’, ‘Sankalp Dwar’ and ‘Shaurya Dwar’, for 13 gates of the Assembly building on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Bagade said the State tree of Khejri and the grand Assembly building incorporated into the emblem symbolised the resilience of people of the State, who face the challenging geographical conditions of the desert region with “courage and a festive spirit”. “While Khejri highlights Rajasthan’s tree-centric culture and the sacrifices made for the sacred tree, the inclusion of camel and the Great Indian Bustard in the emblem serves as a symbol of the State’s culture of harmony,” Mr. Bagade said. The Governor …

Indian mangoes become prize in Singapore cultural festival

Indian mangoes become prize in Singapore cultural festival

Published by Parlour News

Singapore, Performers at a cultural festival in Singapore this weekend went home with an unusual reward – boxes of mangoes – as India expanded efforts to promote the exports of the fruit through community events. Indian mangoes become prize in Singapore cultural festival Mangoes from different states were presented for songs, dances and musical programmes during the “Threads of Indian Tradition” festival, held in the Nee Soon public housing estate in north-east Singapore. This was the second such mango promotion festival organised this month by the High Commission of India in Singapore. The first one was held between May 1 and 3 at another public housing estate on the east coast, where over 6,000 visitors sampled 10 varieties of Indian mangoes. “Our endeavour has been to introduce a diverse range of globally renowned Indian mangoes to our Singaporean friends,” High Commissioner of India Shilpak Ambule said on Sunday. The two rounds of the mango promotion festival organised this year have been “received with enthusiasm,” he said. “We plan to do more such events in this …

PM Modi presents various cultural treasures to Vietnamese President To Lam

PM Modi presents various cultural treasures to Vietnamese President To Lam

Published by Webster

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday presented a carefully curated selection of gifts — reflecting the country`s rich spiritual, artistic and cultural traditions — to Vietnamese President To Lam during his three-day visit to India.  The gifts included the specially developed Namoh 108 lotus, a handcrafted brass Buddha sculpture with a Bodhi tree motif, and exquisite silk fabric from Varanasi. Each item carried deep symbolic and cultural significance, showcasing India`s heritage and craftsmanship. Among the most distinctive gifts was the Namoh 108 lotus, a unique variety of India`s national flower developed by the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Uttar Pradesh`s Lucknow. The flower is considered significant not only botanically but also spiritually, as it acts as a “living bridge” between India`s ancient traditions and modern scientific achievement. The lotus was specially developed with exactly 108 petals, a number considered sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The number 108 is associated with meditation malas, sacred sites across the Indian subcontinent and several cosmic calculations in Vedic traditions, making the flower a representation of spiritual completeness …

R. Sankar brought transformative changes in education, cultural, social sectors of Kerala, says K. Muraleedharan

R. Sankar brought transformative changes in education, cultural, social sectors of Kerala, says K. Muraleedharan

Published by Parlour News

Congress leaders K. Muraleedharan, M.M. Hasan, V.S. Shivakumar, Palode Ravi, Manakkad Suresh and others pay floral tribute to former Chief Minister R. Sankar during a function at the KPCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Thursday. | Photo Credit: JAYAMOHAN A. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Former Chief Minister and KPCC president R. Sankar rose to power in Kerala through a series of struggles, largely on his own strength, Congress leader and former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Muraleedharan has said. He was speaking after inaugurating a memorial meeting organised under the aegis of the R. Sankar Foundation at R. Sankar Square in Palayam on the occasion of the 117th birth anniversary of the former leader on Thursday (April 30, 2026). Published – April 30, 2026 08:38 pm IST Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Poet and cultural activist Alankode Leelakrishnan enters Thrissur race as CPI candidate for 2026 Kerala assembly polls| India News

Poet and cultural activist Alankode Leelakrishnan enters Thrissur race as CPI candidate for 2026 Kerala assembly polls| India News

Published by Parlour News

In a first, Alankode Leelakrishnan was fielded by the Communist Party of India (CPI) as a candidate for the Kerala elections. Known in the Malayalam literary space as a poet and cultural activist, his entry marks a shift from being part of the Left movement to active politics. Thrissur constituency LDF candidate Alankode Leelakrishnan during campaigning for the Kerala Assembly elections, in Thrissur (PTI) Contesting from the Thrissur constituency, Leelakrishnan is up against the BJP’s Padmaja Venugopal and the Congress’s Rajan J. Pallan. The Thrissur Assembly constituency has seen closely contested elections in recent years. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, CPI’s P. Balachandran won the seat by a narrow margin of 946 votes, defeating Congress candidate Padmaja Venugopal. Also Read: Who makes up Kerala’s LDF? Key parties, history, and the road to the 2026 assembly elections 5 Facts about Alankode Leelakrishnan Alankode Leelakrishnan, aged 66, is a graduate with a B.Com degree from MES Ponnani College under Calicut University, completed in 1981. A pensioner by profession, he has declared assets worth ₹2.93 crore, with …

Cultural References, Meaning, Global Impact

Cultural References, Meaning, Global Impact

Published by Parlour News

In June 2022, the Korean pop group BTS announced a hiatus to fulfil the military enlistment requirement under South Korean law, and to find new creative inspiration. In an industry where trends and fan loyalties can shift quickly, the move was deemed somewhat risky. But almost four years later, the septet have returned with their album, Arirang, which topped music charts in the United States and South Korea. On Monday (April 6), they became the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s albums chart for two consecutive weeks. BTS debuted in 2013, and its rise has been accompanied by the growth of K-pop, which has risen from a genre with an audience concentrated in Asia to a subculture with global fans. Over time, the lines between what is global and local, traditional and modern, have blurred. Despite Korean or Asian performers at the helm, the increasingly heavy influence of Western producers, lyricists, and collaborators has sparked debates about what exactly constitutes K-pop today. By naming their comeback album after a Korean folk song sung across the …

Hema Malini writes to Speaker; says West Bengal denying permission for cultural events

Hema Malini writes to Speaker; says West Bengal denying permission for cultural events

Published by Parlour News

BJP MP Hema Malini speaks in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament. Photo: Sansad TV via ANI Video Grab Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls, actor and BJP MP Hema Malini has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla complaining about prevalent “cultural fascism” in the State which she said was negatively impacting livelihoods. “I have written a letter to the Honourable Speaker, highlighting a cultural fascism in West Bengal and how it is adversely affecting several people from the cultural world,” the Mathura MP said in a post on X. “It is both a security risk and a negative impact on livelihoods,” she said. In the letter, Ms. Malini recorded a few of her experiences when she said she and her co-artistes were denied permission to perform at specific locations by the state government who cited political programmes at the said venues. “What is tragic is that these are not isolated instances. Over the years, there has been a consistent pattern in West Bengal– permissions for cultural events are either delayed …

HistoriCity | Transgender identities always a part of India’s cultural discourse

HistoriCity | Transgender identities always a part of India’s cultural discourse

Published by Parlour News

Transgender identities have long been part of India’s social and cultural landscape. Parliament’s recent passage of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill 2026, has once again reignited issues surrounding gender identity, self-identification and dignity. Among the most significant changes concerns the definition of a “transgender person.” The 2019 Act adopted a broad and inclusive definition, explicitly recognising a spectrum of transgender persons. This amendment, however, replaces this with a narrower formulation; recognising certain socio-cultural identities such as hijra, kinner, aravani, and jogta, but excluding several other identities. A supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community during a protest against passage of Transgender Persons Bill. (PTI photo) In ancient times, members of the transgender community were often integrated into religious and community life, while in the medieval period their roles became more complex and sometimes politically significant. Transgender individuals were involved in religious ceremonies, temple service, and broader cultural practices. As always, understanding the historical recognition of gender diversity–particularly when it comes to the third gender– is essential to situate contemporary debates on transgender identities in India. …

A.R. Rahman performs in Rajalakshmi Engineering College cultural fest

A.R. Rahman performs in Rajalakshmi Engineering College cultural fest

Published by Parlour News

Music composer A.R. Rahman on Thursday performed at Recharge 2026, the annual cultural festival of Rajalakshmi Engineering College, making a rare appearance at a college cultural fest. He opened with the instrumental Jana gana mana, and took the audience on a journey from the Nineties, with Ennavale adi ennavale, and Humma humma, to the 2023 hit Nee singam dhan. Among other songs he performed are Munbe vaa,Yaakkai thiri, Enna solla pogirai, Thalli pogathey, Kun faya kun, Jai ho, and the audience favourite Mustafa mustafa. During the interludes to Mr. Rahman’s performances, various artistes, including Shweta Mohan, Rakshita Suresh, Amrutha Suresh, Nakul Abhyankar, Blaaze, Haricharan, Aditya R.K., Nitesh Aher, and A.R. Ameen, performed his compositions. Abhay Meganathan, Vice Chairman, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, and Tejshree Abhay Meganathan, Executive Director, were also present. Published – March 27, 2026 12:50 am IST Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source …