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From kathkali to salsa, a dance form is an expression of a country’s culture and heritage. Let’s take a look at some unique dance traditions from across the globe.

BALLET: Said to have originated during the 15th century's Italian Renaissance, it later developed into a concert dance form in Russia and France. Did you know that one ballet performance can take over 5,000 hours of practice, and that ballerinas are as strong as football players? The most widely recognised or most famous ballet is Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.

KABUKI: A classical form of dance-drama, it is one of Japan's important traditional arts. It is said to to have originated in the early Edo period, when founder Izumo no Okuni formed a female dance troupe that performed dances and light sketches in Kyoto. However, it developed into its present, all-male theatrical form after women were banned from performing in kabuki theatre in 1629. In 2005, UNESCO declared kabuki theatre as an intangible heritage.

THE FLAMENCO: An art-form based on southern Spain's various folkloric music traditions, in 2010, it was declared by UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Palmas, or rhythmic hand-clapping, is an important aspect of the art-form, and is of two types - Palmas Abiertas and Palmas Sordas, which use different parts of the hand to produce different sounds.

KATHAKALI: A story-play genre of art which originated in Kerala, India, it stands out due to its elaborate, colourful make-up, costumes and face masks that the performers don. Its traditional themes include legends, spiritual ideas from the Hindu Puranas and epics, and folk stories. Several aspects and elements of the art-form are said to have been taken from ancient Hindu texts including Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra.

BALINESE DANCE: Extremely expressive and dynamic, it is an ancient dance tradition that is part of the religious and artistic expression among the Balinese people of Bali Island. It incorporates ancient Hindu traditions, combined with drama, that narrate stories through music and dance. Various types include the Ramayana Ballet, the Legong dance, the Barong Dance, among others.

TINIKUNG: A traditional Philippines dance, it is said to have originated in in Leyte, an island, during the Spanish colonial era. It derives its name from the tikling birds, whose speed and graceful movements the dance imitates. It imitates the birds' movements as they walk between grass stems, dodge bamboo traps set by farmers, and run over tree branches.

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Tales of mermaids are firmly entrenched in cultural mythologies of many regions and can be found in medieval  art and contemporary popular literature the world over.

In Japan, elements of belief and myth linked to the natural world have endured from prehistoric times as an important part of culture and tradition. But the mermaid, as imagined in the western psyche, does not appear in these accounts. In Japanese folklore, there is a human-fish creature with the mouth of a monkey called a ningyo (the word in Japanese is composed of the characters for "person" and "fish") that lives in the sea. An old Japanese belief was that eating the flesh of a ningyo could grant immortality.

Accounts of mermaid appearances, though, are rare in folktales, and the creatures, rather than being objects of mesmerising beauty are described as "hideous" portents of war or calamity.

Mermaids in Japan today are no longer tiny clawed creatures with the torso of a monkey and the tail of fish. It would seem that the mermaid, as known in the west, infiltrated Japan at the start of the early 20th Century. This coincided with an influx of American culture from army bases at the start of World War I, as well as the publication of the first Japanese translation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid".

Writers and illustrators, such as Tanizaki Jun'ichiro in Ningyo no nageki, “The Mermaid's Lament, 1917, began to feature this creature in their work. This led to the grotesque image of the ningyo being superseded or merged with a clearly feminine mermaid known as Mameido, in popular culture.

This new mermaid now appears to have new tales that attract tourists to the southernmost islands of Japan. The bronze statue of a mermaid, sitting forlomly on a rock on Okinawa's Moon Beach, is supposed to represent local legends of beautiful mermaids rescuing people from the depths of a menacing sea. A far cry from the ghoulish image of the ningyo, the half-human fish with a monkey's mouth.

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Though it had been around for years. Burra Katha gained unprecedented prominence during the early 20th Century Because this oral storytelling folk art form got an absolutely new lease of life-from its mostly religious and mythological focus till then, in the 1930s it became a powerful tool during the Indian freedom movement for spreading the message of colonial oppression. Traditionally performed by a three-people team-one lead performer and two others who beat a drum called dinki. Burra Katha was popular in rural areas of not just Andhra Pradesh (including what is now Telangana) but also of Kamataka. Some of the artists still active today have performed this art form for decades, and feel it is losing its sheen because today it does not have many takers, especially among the youth-neither as performers nor as viewers. The theatre form is striving to stay afloat by re-inventing itself in many ways-such as having a troupe of more than three members, not confining to just religious and mythological themes but taking up opportunities to spread message on contemporary issues, etc.

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A research article suggests folk theatre forms such as Tamil Nadu's thenukoothu, and theyyam and yakshagana of neighbouring States all had a common point of origin before branching out to become what they are today. This seems fairly accurate if something even as basic as the make-up and costume are anything to go by- they are elaborate. But since they branched out, the performances have their differences too. Theyyam is a form of ritualistic open theatre usually performed in front of a shrine. While the history, culture, and themes surrounding this theatre can fill pages of several books. what is incredible about theyyam is how it changes the caste equation, albeit temporarily in a theyyam performance, the artiste becomes a deity, and these performers have invariably belonged to the Scheduled Caste. But so long as the performance lasts. the performer-the deity"-is revered while everyone else, irrespective of their caste, is reduced to just a mass of collective reverence. And wordlessly if momentarily, the ritual dissolves the caste system.

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A dance-drama performance said to have originated in the coastal regions of Karnataka, Yakshagana translates to celestial (yaksha) music (gana). With episodes from epics brought to life in villages and around paddy fields, this has traditionally been a night-long performance that brings together music, song, dance, and complex costumes. Said to have been around for centuries, Yakshagana was always performed by men, including for female characters. However, women are part of the troupe these days. It is believed that yakshagana does not normally have any set script and that the rich scholarly narrative is the visible evidence of the artist's spontaneity. As with many other such folk theatre forms, this one is experimenting too. And if media reports are any indication, it seems to have the comforting patronage of even the younger generation today.

Yakshagana is slowly but steadily gaining popularity outside India. Amateur groups have successfully staged performances in the USA and Canada.  The performances are usually held during the months of November and May.

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On December 15, 2021 UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage inscribed Durga Puja in Kolkata' on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 16th session, that took place virtually from December 13 to 18. "As a ten-day celebration, Durga Puja represents the collective worship of the Hindu Goddess Durga. During this time, masterfully designed clay models of the Goddess are worshipped in "pandals" or pavilions where communities get together and celebrate. Several folk music, culinary, craft, and performing arts traditions add to the dynamism of this celebration, according to UNESCO.

As many as 36,946 community pujas are organised across the state every year. Of these, around 2,500 are held in Kolkata.

In recent years, several organisations had urged UNESCO to recognise the festival.

“Durga Puja occupies the heart of every Bengali. Mamata Banerjee has made the best efforts to promote the festival as a national event. She has given a grant of ?50,000 to each of the clubs and also held the carnival. Her efforts and that of the puja organisers have succeeded,” senior Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy said.

State Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said the UNESCO’s recognition was a gift for millions of Bengalis.

“This is a recognition for a culture that has been inculcated and built over several centuries. The UNESCO has recognized the superlative emotion behind the celebrations,” he said.

Yoga as an “ancient India practice” and the Kumbh Mela, considered the world’s largest congregation of religious pilgrims, were inscribed on the list in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the UNESCO list.

Credit : The Hindustan Times

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On December 14, 2021, UNESCO inscribed Arabic calligraphy a key tradition in the Arab and Islamic worlds on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A total of 16 Muslim-majority countries, led by Saudi Arabia, had earlier presented the nomination to UNESCO, "Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting Arabic script in a fluid manner to convey harmony, grace and beauty.

The practice, which can be passed down through formal and informal education, uses the twenty-eight letters of the Arabic alphabet written in cursive, from right to left. Originally intended to make writing clear and legible, it gradually became an Islamic Arab art for traditional and modern works. The fluidity of Arabic script offers infinite possibilities, even in a single word, as letters can be stretched and transformed in numerous ways to create different motifs, according to UNESCO.

Abdelmajid Mahboub from the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society, which was involved in the proposal, said calligraphy "has always served as a symbol of the Arab-Muslim world".

But he lamented that "many people no longer write by hand due to technological advances", adding that the number of specialised Arab calligraphic artists had dropped sharply.

The UNESCO listing "will certainly have a positive impact" on preserving the tradition, he added.

According to UNESCO, intangible cultural heritage "is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalisation".

Its importance "is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next".

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In October 2021, Geographical Indication (GI) tags were issued by the Chennai registry for 51 new products, including a German beer (Muncener Bier). Italian veined blue cheese (gorgonzola), plant resin (Chios Mastiha) from Greece, and a variety of seed cone (zatecky chmel) from the Czech Republic. As many as nine products in the latest list, including Banaras hand block print and Manu saree were from Uttar Pradesh. Kumaon chyura oil and Ringal craft were from Uttarkhand.

Meanwhile, five products in Tamil Nadu earned the GI tags- Kanyakumari clove. Thanjavur Netti works. Karuppur Kalamkari paintings, and wood carvings of Arumbavur and Kallakurichi Kuttiattoor mango and Edayur chilli from Kerala, and Lahauli knitted socks and gloves, and Chamba chappal from Himachal Pradesh too were part of the list. Others included telia rumal of Telangana, Sojat mehndi of Rajasthan, Manjush art of Bihar, Sohrai-Khovar painting of Jharkhand, Mizo ginger of Mizoram, and Dalle Khursani of Sikkim.

Kuttiattoor Mango, Edayur chilli is on the list from Kerala while Lahauli Knitted Socks and Gloves and Chamba chappal got GI tag from Himachal Pradesh.

Other new entrants to the GI club include Telia Rumal of Telangana, Sojat Mehndi of Rajasthan, Manjush Art of Bihar, Sohrai-Khovar painting of Jharkhand, Mizo Ginger of Mizoram, Dalle Khursani of Sikkim, among others.

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The Haridwar Kumbh Mela happened from April 1 to 30, 2021, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The Kumbh Mela Force, a government body, said at least 9.1 million pilgrims took the holy dip in the Ganga from January 14 till April.

The mega event was widely criticised for rampant violation of Covid-19 protocols and massive overcrowding during an alarming surge in cases that inundated hospitals and sparked critical shortages of medical supplies. The highest gathering of 3.5 million was reported for the Somvati Amavasya holy dip on April 12. The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar is held every 12 years.

Haridwar District Magistrate (DM) and officer in-charge of the Kumbh Mela, Deepak Rawat said, "We are appealing to the people and making them aware about Covid-19 safety protocol. We are asking people to wear masks but ensuring social distancing in this very small area (where the Kumbh Mela is being held) is going to be a really challenging task."

The Haridwar Kumbh Mela is being held at a time when India is battered by the second wave of Covid-19. For more than a week now, the country has been reporting more than 1 lakh cases every day. The highest was on Monday when India reported over 1.68 lakh cases.

Several states have imposed night curfews and other restrictions to break the chain of transmission. There are reports of states facing shortage of Covid-19 vaccines and hospital beds for Covid-19 patients.

Credit : India Today

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Jean Grey is an evolved mutant with powerful telekinetic and telepathic abilities, further enhanced by the cosmic energies of the Phoenix Force. She studied at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and trained as a second-generation member of the X-Men under the tutelage of Professor X.

Jean experienced a transformation into the Phoenix in the X-Men storyline "The Dark Phoenix Saga". She has faced death numerous times in the history of the series. Her first death was under her guise as Marvel Girl, when she died and was "reborn" as Phoenix in "The Dark Phoenix Saga". This transformation led to her second death, which was suicide, though not her last.

Jean was enrolled at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where Charles recognized her limitless potential as a class five mutant. However, because most of Jean's power was tied to her unconscious mind, Charles decided to create a series of psychic barriers to isolate them from her conscious mind. This resulted in Jean developing a dual personality, which called itself the "Phoenix" in her sessions with Charles. The Phoenix was a purely instinctual being, comprised of Jean's deepest desires, joy and rage. It was unclear how much Jean was aware of the Phoenix, but for most of her life, the dual personality remained dormant.

Along with Scott Summers and Ororo Munroe, Jean was taught by Charles to control her powers. The three of them went on to become the X-Men, a team formed by Charles to protect the world from threats posed by dangerous mutants. Jean became romantically involved with Scott and eventually went on to become a medical doctor.

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Snowy is Tintin's Wire Fox Terrier dog and a protagonist of the series. The bond between the two is significantly strong, as they have saved each other's lives numerous times throughout the series. Snowy seldom "speaks", but is instead seen thinking. When we are in Snowy's mind, it generally consists of a debate between a "good" and "bad" version of Snowy's conscience. This usually ends up in catastrophe for Snowy, as usually the "wrong" choice is made. Finally, note the interesting evolution of the character over the albums, lost the gift of thought expressed in words to images and content become virtually silent. Snowy is clearly able to communicate with Tintin in the series. Like Captain Haddock, Snowy is quite fond of Loch Lomond brand whisky. Snowy rarely leaves Tintin's side intentionally, only doing so when the two have been forcefully separated. Unfailingly, the pairs are always reunited at the end of the adventure.

Throughout the series, Snowy is Tintin's sidekick and companion on journeys. Along with Tintin he is the only character to appear in all of the comic albums. In the debut album Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Snowy is a source of comic relief. Throughout the first eight stories Snowy is the series' co-star, able to understand human language, and communicates with speech bubbles. His verbal responses to various situations include jokes, expressions of fright, and pleas to Tintin to exercise caution. In the early albums he takes an interest in mechanics and geography; in Tintin in the Congo, he makes biblical references. As a dog, he also sniffs, tracks, chases, and bites.

The character of Snowy evolved through the course of the Tintin series. In early works he exchanges dialog with other characters, including animals, and provides a running commentary on the situation. His character then became affected by the introduction of Captain Haddock in The Crab with the Golden Claws. Before Haddock's appearance, Snowy was the source of dry and cynical side-commentary, which balanced out Tintin's constantly positive, optimistic perspective. When Haddock entered the series, the Captain took over the role of the cynic, and Snowy gradually shifted into a more light-hearted role, having dialog only with Tintin.

Snowy is portrayed as brave and is often fearless, even against much larger creatures when Tintin is threatened. He has no qualms attacking animals larger than himself, which consistently leads to him being sacrificed by humans, although he is always rescued. These can be seen in Cigars of the Pharaoh and The Broken Ear. He repeatedly frees Tintin from captivity, saving him from dangerous situations, and will sometimes identify a villain before Tintin. The Black Island and The Shooting Star show his only fear of arachnophobia. Snowy is loyal to Tintin and always wishes to stay by his master's side: in a scene in The Shooting Star when Tintin temporarily abandoned him, Snowy was inconsolable.

Snowy loves whiskey, and occasionally gets drunk (as occurred in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Tintin in Tibet and Tintin and the Picaros. His appetite for food is the basis for several short, comical sequences. The dog's biggest lust is for bones. This is repeatedly the centre of moral dilemmas, as Snowy has to decide between carrying out important tasks, such as carrying an SOS message, and picking up a bone, as evidenced in King Ottokar's Sceptre. Snowy indulges in rowdy behaviour chasing the Siamese cat at Marlinspike Hall until the two become friends at the end of The Calculus Affair. Snowy often adds to the story in notable ways. For instance, Snowy is the only character in Flight 714 to Sydney to escape mass hypnosis and to know of their abduction by aliens.

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Lightning McQueen is the main character of the Cars franchise. He is a main character in Cars and Cars 3, and a supporting character in Cars 2. He also appears as Mater's sidekick in Mater's Tall Tales. He is a red 2006 rookie race car. He races for the sponsor, Rust-eze.

Before getting into Radiator Springs, Lightning McQueen is flashy, brash, and supremely confident and had a lot of drive. A real whiz on the track, he's determined to race to victory on his first attempt in the prestigious Piston Cup. Lightning loves all the attention and adulation that comes with being famous. He has his eyes on a new lucrative sponsorship deal with Dinoco, which would replace his current deal with second-rate rust removal ointment Rust-eze. For Lightning, this would mean more money, fans, free helicopter rides, and even more fame.

Since the race track is always so well lit, Lightning McQueen isn't equipped with any headlights. Instead he wears a pair of fake headlight stickers. Lightning takes a dim view of those cars who find this fact absolutely hilarious.

Although Lightning McQueen finds his lifestyle a real gas, deep down something is not quite right. Concentrating so much on winning has cost him all of his support team, and he has no real friends apart from his loyal driver truck, Mack. Often lapsing into daydreams, Lightning doesn't seem to know how to enjoy the here and now.

After getting into Radiator Springs, his time in the town has taught him what's really important, like true friends. Lightning values time with his girlfriend, Sally Carrera, and his friends, especially Mater, in Radiator Springs. He learned most of what he knows about racing from the late great Doc Hudson, and he is looking forward to passing this knowledge on as he enters the next phase of his career.

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a historical fiction book written and illustrated by Brian Selznick and published by Scholastic. It takes place in France as a young boy finds his purpose. The hardcover edition was released on January 30, 2007, and the paperback edition was released on June 2, 2008. With 284 pictures between the book's 533 pages, the book depends as much on its pictures as it does on the words. Selznick himself has described the book as "not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things". The book won the 2008 Caldecott Medal, the first novel to do so, as the Caldecott Medal is for picture books, and was adapted by Martin Scorsese as the 2011 film Hugo.

The book's primary inspiration is the true story of turn-of-the-century French pioneer filmmaker Georges Méliès, his surviving films, and his collection of mechanical, wind-up figures called automata. Selznick decided to add an Automaton to the storyline after reading Gaby Wood's 2007 book Edison's Eve, which tells the story of Edison's attempt to create a talking wind-up doll. Méliès owned a set of automata, which were sold to a museum but lay forgotten in an attic for decades. Eventually, when someone re-discovered them, they had been ruined by rainwater. At the end of his life, Méliès was destitute, even as his films were screening widely in the United States. He sold toys from a booth in a Paris railway station, which provides the setting of the story. Selznick drew Méliès's real door in the book, as well as real columns and other details from the Montparnasse railway station in Paris, France.

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Up is a 2009 American computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film centers on an elderly widower named Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) and an earnest boy named Russell (Jordan Nagai); by tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets out to fulfill his dream to see the wilds of South America and complete a promise made to his late wife, Ellie. The film was directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Bob Peterson, who also wrote the film's screenplay with Docter, as well as the story with Tom McCarthy. The music was composed by Michael Giacchino, who had also composed music for The Incredibles and Ratatouille.

After Ellie's death, Carl has become negative, ill-tempered, and bitter and misses his wife terribly. Though with Russell's help, he became nicer.

Carl has the typical obstinate character of a man his age but deep down he's a kind person, but has his limits in patience and temper. He found Russell, Dug, and Kevin to be aggravations and obstructions in his goal to fulfill Ellie's dream of moving their home to Paradise Falls, but after he read her final message to him, he did what was right and rescued Russell and Kevin, and accepted Dug as his dog.

When he lost his and Ellie's house, he was depressed but realized Ellie would have done the same, stating "It's just a house".

Carl vouched for Russell at his ceremony and gave the young scout the very same soda bottle cap that Ellie gave him the day they met, having come to love Russell as the son, or perhaps grandson he never had.

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The Hobo is a unnamed character in The Polar Express film. He is a ghost who lives on top of the Polar Express and rides it whenever he feels like it for free. He does not believe in Santa Claus or Christmas, but his negativity tests Hero Boy's faith. Throughout the film, Hero Boy is the only character who sees and directly interacts with him.

The Hobo first appears sleeping in a hammock underneath the train during the ticket journey scene. As the wind blows Hero Girl's ticket underneath the train, it lands on his face before being blown away again.

When Hero Boy tries returning Hero Girl's ticket, he sees the Hobo's shadow on the roof of the observation car from inside. Thinking it is Hero Girl with the Conductor, he climbs onto the car's roof. He meets the Hobo, preparing coffee over a fire while humming "Good King Wenceslas" and playing a hurdy-gurdy. Hero Boy says that he is "looking for a girl", though the Hobo laughs, thinking he meant a romantic partner. When he shows Hero Girl's ticket, the Hobo recognizes its value and suggests Hero Boy puts it in his slipper. He goes on to explain how he rides on top of the train for free whenever he likes and claims to be the king of both the train and the North Pole. He also offers Hero Boy a cup of coffee, though the boy spits it out when he finds out the Hobo washes his socks in it. Afterwards, he questions him being the king of the North Pole, thinking that role would belong to Santa Claus, which leads to the Hobo mocking Santa by putting on a Santa hat and pretending to be a department store animatronic Santa. The Hobo asks why he wants to see Santa and Hero Boy explains that he wants to believe. The Hobo then hints that everything is just a dream and asks Hero Boy if he "believes in ghosts." When Hero Boy's replies "No," all Hobo says is "interesting" as he mysteriously appears and vanishes in the snow.

The Hobo comes back and puts Hero Boy onto his shoulders to get ready to head to the locomotive, explaining that they must make it before they reach Flat Top Tunnel, which is only one inch taller than the locomotive. However, when the train goes up a hill, they slide towards the back of the train. The Hobo stops them by grabbing the top rung from the train ladder with one of his ski sticks, but Hero Boy falls off his shoulders and starts hanging off the edge of the train. The Hobo uses his other ski stick to save him and puts him onto his skis in front of him. The train begins going down the hill and the two ski down the train, jumping from one car to the next. As soon as Flat Top Tunnel's teeth fly out, Hero Boy jumps into the tender of the locomotive just in time after the Hobo mysteriously disappears.

Later, the train ends up on the Ice Lake and crashes through an iceberg, causing it to lean sideways and Hero Girl to nearly fall off. Hero Boy and the Conductor grab her and try to save her to no avail. Luckily, the Hobo appears and after putting a finger on his lips telling Hero Boy not to say anything, he helps them get Hero Girl back on board, then disappears before anyone else could see him.

On their way back to the passenger cars, Hero Boy, Hero Girl and the Conductor go through the abandoned toy car where the Hobo, hiding on top of the car, uses a Scrooge marionette to scare Hero Boy.

He appears again on the speeding runaway observation car, tapping on the manual brake wheel to show Hero Boy where the brakes are while drinking another cup of coffee. He disappears again when the car rushes through a tunnel.

The Hobo makes one last appearance near the end of the film when Hero Boy is dropped off at his house. He waves goodbye to Hero Boy from the roof of the train before disappearing one last time.

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