Meet Sonia Shirsat: The Ambassador of Goan music to the world. Fado is a form of traditional Portuguese music dating back before the 19th century. It is arguably the oldest urban folk music in the world. Sonia Shirsat is the best Fado singer or 'Fadista' in India, and perhaps one of the best in the world. She has performed on stages around the world, singing in 13 languages!
Introduced to the genre by her mother, and encouraged to practise it for a living by Maestro Antonio Chainho, a master Portuguese guitarist, Fado is now Sonia's drive and passion. Listen as she describes her passion for the genre, its origins and intricacies.
Outside the metros and beyond the urban jungle live the sons and daughters of India’s heartland. This series tells their stories. 101 Heartland celebrates both unique communities and individual tales of hope, struggle, and reform. From the village of bouncers just outside Delhi to the fascinating story of Ram Kumar Tyagi, once a wanted man but now a coach for aspiring female wrestlers, 101 Heartland tells stories for the heart, from the heartland.
Vegetarians beware: We tasted the unusual and wonderful non-veg food of the North East.
Shillong is a popular tourist spot, and yet, you don't find a lot of people talking about the food in the city. We joined D-bok and Big-Ri, members of local rap crew Khasi Bloodz on a gastronomical journey looking for the best local fare - Jadoh (blood rice), Doh Thad (dried meat) and Doh Snam (blood sausages).
Jadoh is one of Shillong's specialities - rice cooked in a very special ingredient: chicken blood. The next item on the menu: doh thad, or dried meat. This dish is prepared by smoking dried pork or beef over a fire. To round up this unusual meal, the rappers introduced us to doh snam or blood sausages: pork intestines seasoned in blood.
Rejected by American soldiers in WW1, it's now home to this dwindling community in the city.
The Bow Barracks was a garrison's mess built for the American army soldiers posted in India during World War I. Back then, the US army soldiers thought it beneath them to stay in such housing. The apartments were handed over instead to the thriving Anglo-Indian community, who have held onto them ever since. Located in central Kolkata, just behind the Bowbazaar police station, it is currently home to over 80 Anglo-Indian families, along with several Anglo-Chinese families too.
Over the course of the last 50 years, members of the community have been moving out from Kolkata to places like Australia and the United States. Today, Bow Barracks is a community trying to hold on to its identity as the world moves on.
Was 2016 a good year, or one to forget? What were the highlights of the year and its low points? We set out to find out.
101 Voices reflects the diversity of culture and thought in the subcontinent. From hot button issues to evergreen debates, 101India takes to the streets to find out what young Indians think about homosexuality, weed, nationalism, and more. A nation is only a chorus of all its citizens' voices - now is the time to listen. Hear the Indian public in their own words through 101 Voices.
We asked people what were the first 3 words they saw in our 2017 word puzzle. You can try it out too! Head on over and give it a whirl! http://ow.ly/g3Mz307yiKk
Think any of these words will define your 2017? #101Voices
101 Voices reflects the diversity of culture and thought in the subcontinent. From hot button issues to evergreen debates, 101India takes to the streets to find out what young Indians think about homosexuality, weed, nationalism, and more. A nation is only a chorus of all its citizens' voices - now is the time to listen. Hear the Indian public in their own words through 101 Voices.
The only clear fact in the case of Bhagu Singh is this: he has been missing for 32 years.
Luxmi has been waiting for her husband, Bhagu Singh, to come back to her and their 3 children for 32 years now. He was captured by Pakistani rangers held in a Pakistani jail for crossing the border. Back home, the police and the officials live in denial while his loved ones refuse to give up.
Bhagu Singh was grazing his goats near Gohar Ka Tala, Rajasthan, 32 years ago. Gohar Ka Tala is located less than 2 km from the India-Pakistan border. In those days, there was no fencing on the border. Following his stray goats, Bhagu Singh crossed the border. Some have called him a thief, some a spy, some just a man who accidentally strayed across a border. One thing is for certain: Bhagu Singh has been missing for 32 years, leaving behind a wife and two children.
Missing chronicles the stories of people who strayed across the Indo-Pak border and have since been missing. People who were lost but never found, have been given up for dead by many but their families still cling on to the hope that they might return back home some day. Although traditionally borders separate countries,for some unfortunate families these borders have separated them from their loved ones.
Outside the metros and beyond the urban jungle live the sons and daughters of India’s heartland. This series tells their stories. 101 Heartland celebrates both unique communities and individual tales of hope, struggle, and reform. From the village of Bouncers just outside Delhi to the fascinating story of Ram Kumar Tyagi, once a wanted man but now a coach for aspiring female wrestlers, 101 Heartland tells stories for the heart, from the heartland.
101India is youth focused YouTube channel serving entertaining videos trying to connect urban Indian audiences. Created by a team of youth television experts, film makers, writers, bloggers, animators, designers. 101India aims to give you a mix of humor, music, travel, people profiles, alternate sports and food. We believe in embracing our differences and celebrating them because this keeps us unique and diverse. Satire and humor are powerful tools for social change and we use this in our content to create movements for change. We want to encourage a freer flow of information and dialogue and our human stories videos are based on culture, sub culture and counter culture.
Mohammed Rafi's son is outraged by a dialogue in the film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which claimed the legendary singer 'sings less and cries more'. This is the latest in a long string of controversies that have plagued Karan Johar and the ADHM team. But what does the youth of the country have to say about this very serious issue? The results will surprise you.
101 Voices reflects the diversity of culture and thought in the subcontinent. From hot button issues to evergreen debates, 101India takes to the streets to find out what young Indians think about homosexuality, weed, nationalism, and more. A nation is only a chorus of all its citizens voices - now is the time to listen. Hear the Indian public in their own words through 101 Voices.
Meet Shifu Kanishka Sharma: the first Indian to ever train at the Shaolin Temple.
Watching 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin' changed Kanishka Sharma's life. Introduced to the film by his driver, he was so awestruck by the film that he decided to learn the martial arts himself. Starting at the young age of 6, Kanishka has been practicing martial arts for 31 years now, mastering 7 different forms of combat.
Starting with Karate, Kanishka went on to learn Kung Fu and Kerala's Kalaripayattu, followed by the Northern Pai Shaolin style, and the Southern Shaolin style called the 18 Hands of Lohan. He is the first Indian to ever train at the Shaolin Temple, and is now a certified Master himself. Granted the title of Shifu (Master), he has been blessed with the Buddhist name 'Shi Yan You', which means 'perfect', in recognition of his skills.
Eager to impart his knowledge to others, Shifu Kanishka returned to India to set up his own martial arts training camp near Nainital. Following the gurukul system, students must hike up to the school, where they undergo a rigourous training ritual. Shifu Kanishka wants his students to learn martial arts the right way, not the sports version of it that so many teach. His students come to him as much to learn combat as to learn the Shaolin way of life.
101 Subway takes a look at people whose beliefs, values, styles, and attitudes differ from that of the prevailing culture. Subway looks at India’s evolving sub culture scene across trends like Cosplay, BMX, Graffiti Art, Street Art and even the culture of weed.
What do rickshawalas, taxi drivers and local vegetable vendors have to say about the demonetisation of the 500 and 1000 rupee notes?
In a surprise shakeup, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of the 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes. We had asked the public what they thought of the move when it was announced (watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TGYK...)
In the days that followed, people have stood in long queues at ATMs and banks to withdraw cash in the new currency or exchange older notes for new ones. However, over a week after the announcement, people are still scrabling to get their hands on the new notes, or even to run their households.
Taxi drivers, rickshawalas and local vegetable vendors were the hardest hit, since their business depends on the availability of cash with the local public. We spoke to them to get a sense of what they felt about the whole demonetisation drive, and what their message to the government is.
101 Voices reflects the diversity of culture and thought in the subcontinent. From hot button issues to evergreen debates, 101India takes to the streets to find out what young Indians think about homosexuality, weed, nationalism, and more. A nation is only a chorus of all its citizens' voices - now is the time to listen. Hear the Indian public in their own words through 101 Voices.
Death is the only way that the Mahapatras are assured of a meal. In Varanasi, when death comes knocking, so do the Mahapatras, the Priests of Death. Acording to the scriptures, feeding these priests and giving them items that belonged to the deceased, is a way for the deceased to receive salvation. It is believed that the more the Mahapatras are fed, and the more offerings they are given, the more the deceased soul receives through them. During the ritual, they are traditionally offered a meal consisting of puris made with ghee, vegetables, pickles, curd, sugar, sweets and savouries.
But life isn't easy for the Mahapatras. The scriptures also dictate that the only way they may receive or own things, is through charity. So it is only the items given to them at the funeral rituals that make up their household. Beds, mattresses, blankets, shoes, slippers, utensils for cooking; the only way the Mahapatras can receive any of these is through the charity of others at the time of a death.
The scriptures go on to say that the 'yajman' - the priest who performs the cremation may not sleep in a bed or with his wife for 13 days after the ritual. He may not step inside a temple, must sleep only on the ground, eat only fruits through the day and one meal in the evening, which is either cooked himself, or by his wife or mother. Most importantly, the Mahapatras are forbidden from doing any other work to make a living.
With their lives dependant on the deaths of others, superstition and folklore abound regarding the Mahapatras. They are often seen as a sign of death, with many believing that shunning them can shun death itself. The cycle of life and death is what keeps the Mahapatras going. They may be seen as the spirits that bring death, but what they really live for is the release of the soul.
Outside the metros and beyond the urban jungle live the sons and daughters of India’s heartland. This series tells their stories. 101 Heartland celebrates both unique communities and individual tales of hope, struggle, and reform. From the village of bouncers just outside Delhi to the fascinating story of Ram Kumar Tyagi, once a wanted man but now a coach for aspiring female wrestlers, 101 Heartland tells stories for the heart, from the heartland.
Thanks to her, Calcuttans know what Chinese food made by Chinese people tastes like.
When most people look at Monica Liu, they see a smiling restaurant owner in Tangra, Kolkata. But this unassuming grandmother of nine is also known as the Don of Chinatown. Monica Liu owns and runs five authentic Chinese restaurants in Kolkata - Kim Ling & Beijing in Tangra, Tung Fong in Park Street, and branches of her restaurant Mandarin on Sarat Bose Road, and Lake Avenue. She's been awarded the Best Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003.
But Kolkata's woman of steel comes fom humble beginnings. During the Indo-China war in 1962, when Monica was just a child, her entire family was arrested and taken to Deoli Camp, Rajasthan. Finally, it was when Monica and another young boy in the camp wrote a letter to the Home Minister, their release orders were processed. Forgotten for five years in the camp, when the family finally returned to Kolkata, they had lost their home, their friends and almost everything else.
Starting a new life, Monica's mother would make momos to sell to make ends meet. It was from helping her mother every evening that Monica's journey began. Finally, in 1991, she opened Kim Ling, the family's first restaurant. When goons tried to intimidate the family into giving them free food, Monica responded in kind, eventually earning her the title 'Don of Tangra'.
101 Traces looks at the last of anything: ethnic communities, folk craftsmen, disappearing trades, forgotten people. It sketches portraits of these unique individuals, locked in a battle they cannot win: a battle against the future. Together, they represent the dying whispers of ancient heritage and traditional individuality. As India moves towards homogenized global pop culture, 101 Traces honors the people, the objects, and the skills that connect us to our ancient identity.
The Kabuliwalas from Tagore's story still live in Kolkata. A hundred years after Tagore's Kabuliwala walked these streets with his bag of cashews and raisins the community of Pathans have made a life for themselves in the city's bylanes. Named after the city of their origin, Kabul, the Kabuliwalas have integrated seamlessly with the city that they now call their adopted homeland. They get along famously with the Bengalis, the Marwadis, the Catholics and more that make up the melting pot that is Kolkata's culture.
Today, over a hundred Khan families live in what are called 'Khan kothis'. The Pashtun people traditionally run family businesses selling almonds, pistachios, walnuts, fabrics, etc., a heritage passed down for generations. Many of the members of the earlier generation, however, did not care to pursue an education. This is changing, with the latest generation going to good schools in the city.
Do these people ever feel like returning to Pashtunistan? Not really, says Yasmin Nigar Khan, President of the All India Pakhtoon Jirga-e-Hind, and adopted great-granddaughter of Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan. The Pathans who came to Kolkata found happiness here. India is their home now, and they love their adopted homeland.
101 Traces looks at the last of anything: ethnic communities, folk craftsmen, disappearing trades, forgotten people. It sketches portraits of these unique individuals, locked in a battle they cannot win: a battle against the future. Together, they represent the dying whispers of ancient heritage and traditional individuality. As India moves towards homogenized global pop culture, 101 Traces honors the people, the objects, and the skills that connect us to our ancient identity.
In a massive surprise shakeup, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetization of the 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes, in an effort to eradicate black money from the Indian economy. For two days, people have not had access to fresh currency, before the new currency notes are issued.
How are people around the country dealing with this issue? Are they happy? Sad? Angry? Annoyed? We found out.
101 Voices reflects the diversity of culture and thought in the subcontinent. From hot button issues to evergreen debates, 101India takes to the streets to find out what young Indians think about homosexuality, weed, nationalism, and more. A nation is only a chorus of all its citizens' voices - now is the time to listen. Hear the Indian public in their own words through 101 Voices.
101India is youth focused YouTube channel serving entertaining videos trying to connect urban Indian audiences. Created by a team of youth television experts, film makers, writers, bloggers, animators, designers. 101India aims to give you a mix of humor, music, travel, people profiles, alternate sports and food. We believe in embracing our differences and celebrating them because this keeps us unique and diverse. Satire and humor are powerful tools for social change and we use this in our content to create movements for change. We want to encourage a freer flow of information and dialogue and our human stories videos are based on culture, sub culture and counter culture.
