The culture journal
Explore Indian heritage through clear introductions to sacred places, thoughtful readings of familiar texts, and practical guides to living traditions.
33 articles in this topic
Sanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
Ancestral remembrance can include a formal rite and also the quieter work of keeping family memory alive. A favourite dish, a handwritten letter or the explanation of an old…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
The farewell at Ganesh Visarjan can feel surprisingly personal. An image that occupied the centre of a home or neighbourhood gathering is carried away, often with songs asking Ganesha…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
A calm home visarjan begins before the final aarti. The family needs to know which image is being immersed, where the immersion is permitted and who will manage the…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 2 min read
By the final day of Ganesh worship, a home or mandal may have accumulated flowers, leaves, paper decorations, cloth, string and packaging. They may all have been used around…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 2 min read
A Ganesh Visarjan procession combines worship, music, movement and the effort of many volunteers. Joining with children or elders requires a different plan from following it alone with no…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
Before a Ganesha image reaches a home or public mandal, it has passed through a workshop. Someone has planned its size, shaped its features, allowed materials to dry, applied…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
Shraddha Paksha sets aside time for people who are no longer present but whose lives continue to shape a family. A surname, a recipe, a skill, a home or…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
Shraddha, tarpana and pinda daan are often mentioned together during Pitru Paksha. They are connected, but they are not three interchangeable names for exactly the same action. Understanding the…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
At the centre of many Pongal celebrations is a pot, a hearth and the expectation of the contents rising. The harvest festival is closely associated with Tamil communities and…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
Onam brings together a remembered king, floral designs, shared meals and many forms of public celebration in Kerala. Its richness is easier to appreciate by following a few practices…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
Ugadi is associated with a new year in Telugu- and Kannada-speaking communities, with regional differences in naming and practice. One of its most memorable images is a preparation that…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
A gudi raised at a doorway or window is one of the recognisable signs of Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra. Its cloth, vessel and decorative elements make the new year…
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