From the icy Cold Desert of Himachal Pradesh to the green Nilgiri hills and the mangroves of the Sundarbans, India’s 18 Biosphere Reserves protect some of the most unique and fragile ecosystems on Earth.  Each reserve helps preserve rare wildlife, plants, and landscapes. On this International Day for Biosphere Reserves, let’s celebrate these living treasures that remind us how rich and diverse India’s nature truly is.

From the icy Cold Desert of Himachal Pradesh to the green Nilgiri hills and the mangroves of the Sundarbans, India’s 18 Biosphere Reserves protect some of the most unique and fragile ecosystems on Earth.  Each reserve helps preserve rare wildlife, plants, and landscapes. On this International Day for Biosphere Reserves, let’s celebrate these living treasures that remind us how rich and diverse India’s nature truly is. 

More than 2,000 years after the decline of Mauryan Empire, the lost city of Pataliputra lay buried under the soil of Patna until a Tata helped bring it back. In the early 1900s, Sir Ratan Tata, the younger son of Jamsetji Tata, helped fund the excavations that led to its rediscovery. When the British stopped supporting the project, he stepped in and donated about ₹75,000 to the Archaeological Survey of India. In 1912-13, archaeologist D. B. Spooner found rows of stone pillars, terracotta figures, and old coins, believed to be part of Emperor Ashoka’s grand palace. Sir Ratan Tata’s kindness and support helped uncover one of India’s greatest ancient cities and brought a forgotten part of our history back to life.

In this episode, we delve into the grand exhibition of early Indian sculpture at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and witness Lambani artisans making history in the Guinness World Records. We also explore Pudukkottai's newly found caverns and the recently appointed GI Tags in Tamil Nadu amongst much more!

From renowned artists like Benodebehari Mukherjee and Nalini Malani, to the opening of India's first Vedic-themed park and the exploration of ancient archaeological sites, this episode covers it all. Come along, to discover fascinating initiatives by organizations like the World Designing Forum and Punjab Agricultural University, and learn about the achievements of theatre director Vidyanidhee Vanarase and musician Shankar Mahadevan.

Tune in for a dose of captivating news from the Indian Arts, Culture and Heritage world!

Tune in as we talk to Dr. Alka Pande, Chief Curator, Bihar Museum Biennale about how Museum Biennales fill the gap between art, architecture, culture and memory, and contextualise and review our past, present, and future with immersive experiences, symposiums, exhibitions amongst others.

The talk has been organised by Cultre and the Centre for Museums. Under Cultre, we have launched the Centre for Museums, a shared vision of ours and Indica. We aim to revitalise the societal and economic importance of museums in the cultural landscape of India. We aim to facilitate creation of 21st century museums that are flexible, connected and responsive by working with existing museums as well as developing new museum concepts.

On this episode of One Minute Art, we talk about Rouf Dance - a folk dance form from Kashmir. Join us to journey through the essence of Rouf, its gratitude for nature, and the joy it brings to the valley!

Background music: Spirit of Kashmir by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma

On our first One Minute Art episode, we talk about the Lac Bangles of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan that have coloured wrists round the world, their mythological significance, and the traditions that they embellish!

Images Source: Sahapedia

Listen to Anjchita B. Nair, COO of Cultre, in conversation with Ketaki Varma, Associate Director, Programmes, Asia Society India Centre. In this talk, Ketaki Varma addresses the possibilities and challenges of cultural engagement in spaces like museums, galleries, exhibitions and educational institutions. She also shared her insights on the role of digital engagement and her collective experiences of cultural and art organisations as a catalyst, and its need to adapt new forms of engagement to generate new opportunities in changing times.

This talk was streamed online as well, make sure you listen till the end to hear Ketaki's responses to the audience's questions!