This story is from January 30, 2019 BHOPAL: Folk music performances, dances and exhibits marked day four of the Lokrang festival here on Tuesday. Shivartan Yadav and group wowed the audience with Bundelkhandi folk songs, while Vibha Sharma and group from Bhopal presented the Nimadi traditional folk music. Shilu Rajput’s group wrapped up the day with ‘Alha’, which is a melange of folk tunes sung in the glory of Alha, who was a successful commander of Parmal — a Chandel Rajput king. The highl

Rescue workers from Uttar Pradesh capture the gharial at Kaliasot dam on Thursday. A large chunk of fishnet wa... BHOPAL: A rescue team from Lucknow, led by Arunima Singh of the NGO Turtle Survival Alliance, was successful in capturing the gharial by setting up three traps at the shallow side of the Kaliasot dam on Thursday. Starting from 8am, the team completed the rescue operation successfuly at 4pm.The gharial that has a large chunk of fishnet entangled in its upper jaw was spotted at the da

An Armyman holds a poster of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, as people in Bhopal celebrate the return of ... Some of the revellers distributed sweets among passers-by and burst firecrackers. BHOPAL: City erupted in joy as young and old alike celebrated the homecoming of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who returned from Pakistan on Friday.Youngsters were seen carrying 'Welcome Back Abhinandan' posters and dancing to the tunes of patriotic songs like 'Maa Tuj

This story is from March 14, 2019 BHOPAL: Sanjana Singh Rajput adjusts her sari as she sits in a chair outside her house in Ashoka Garden. She has just come back from her office at the department of social justice and disability welfare. Sanjana scripted history by becoming the first transgender to be employed in government service in Madhya Pradesh . She has been employed as a personal secretary to social justice department director Krishna Gopal Tiwari. Wearing a confident smile, Sanjana

This story is from April 8, 2019 Department of social justice employee, Sanjana Rajput and activist Venu Balan interact with the participants o... BHOPAL: A discussion on sexual orientation and the LGBTQ community was held at Baithak The Art House on Sunday. It was organised by AAWAJ Madhya Pradesh , under a new series 'Rubaru', which aims to empower the oppressed and marginalized towards protecting their constitutional rights through regular public discussions on different topics. Social

This story is from April 9, 2019 Bhopal: ‘The Remember Bhopal Museum’, curated by victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, is on the verge of closing down due to lack of funds. Probably the first oral history museum in India, it depicts the stories of one of the world’s worst-ever industrial disasters that claimed thousands of lives. Speaking to TOI, the trustees of the museum said they are finding it difficult to maintain the building, pay the electricity and water bills, besides arranging fo

This story is from April 9, 2019 Bhopal: ‘The Remember Bhopal Museum’, curated by victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, is on the verge of closing down due to lack of funds. Probably the first oral history museum in India, it depicts the stories of one of the world’s worst-ever industrial disasters that claimed thousands of lives. Speaking to TOI, the trustees of the museum said they are finding it difficult to maintain the building, pay the electricity and water bills, besides arranging fo

This story is from May 29, 2019 BHOPAL: Throwing light on the importance of men's participation in initiating dialogue about menstruation, social activists discussed strategies on World Menstrual Hygiene Day on Tuesday. The event saw men come together to throw some light on the misconceptions about menstruation that they learnt in the absence of comprehensive education. Neeru Diwakar of Ansh Happiness Society has been vocal about the need for men's involvement in raising awareness and breakin

BHOPAL: With monsoon having arrived in the MP capital, nature lovers have reported seeing vibrant birds nesting at various locations. Different types of cuckoos — Jacobin cuckoo , Indian cuckoo and common hawk cuckoo — can be seen in areas around Kerwa dam, Van Vihar, Samardha and the lush gardens of the city. At present there are 18 species of migratory birds in Bhopal , said DFO SP Tiwari.Jacobin cuckoo, a migratory bird travelling all the way from African countries, is one of the winged visit

This story is from July 3, 2019 BHOPAL: Children with special needs bonded over music at a two-day workshop organised by NGO Arushi on Tuesday. Mumbai-based professional guitarist Mayukh Sarkar conducted the workshop, which aimed at breaking the stereotypes and promoting inclusivity. "I was enthralled by the performances. These kids are quick learners and show no hint of boredom. We created tunes together and it gave us a chance to bond over music. The aim was to connect and create their own

This story is from September 21, 2019 Youngsters demonstrate in Bhopal on Friday to express solidarity with global climate strike. BHOPAL: A group of young people came out on the streets here on Friday to stress on the importance of taking immediate action to arrest the climate crisis. The demonstration was part of the global climate strike, taking place in over 150 countries, ahead of a UN summit. Carrying posters with slogans like ‘Planet Before Profit’, ‘Humari Prithvi Jal Rahi Hai’ (Our

This story is from September 21, 2019 Several stretches of Bhopal roads are in a very bad condition and need urgent repair work. BHOPAL: If there is a civic issue in any colony , the first person the citizens look for help is the area's corporator. But, is he/she able to provide them the necessary relief promptly, and if not, why? TOI spoke to several incumbent corporators and their predecessors to find an answer. A majority of them said red-tape and procedural delays render their efforts to

This story is from September 30, 2019 BHOPAL: As October 2, the date of enforcing ban on one-time-use plastic items draws closer, everyone associated with the state’s plastic industry — manufacturers, traders and workers — have their fingers crossed. Not only is there little clarity on what constitutes one-time-use plastic, but the greater fear is of hundreds of plastic manufacturing and recycling units shutting down, leaving at least 1 lakh people jobless. “For me, everything made of plast

This story is from October 18, 2019 BHOPAL: Draped in a yellow and red sari, Devi Rani prepares the thaali for the Karwa Chauth puja. Her bangles clink as she puts ghee in the diya. Her eyes expectantly look outside, waiting for the moon. “Every day you can see the moon as early as 7 in the evening. It is surprising how it manages to come out late only on Karwa Chauth,” Devi Rani says with a laugh. This is her ninth Karwa Chauth fast. Devi Rani and other members of the transgender community h

BHOPAL: Covid helpline counsellors are on their toes to ensure that efficient assistance and information related to Covid-19 is available to people. More than 500 counsellors are attending up to 70,000 to 80,000 calls related to several concerns ranging from food shortage to essential services. Sarita Ghamal, a helpline executive, said, "Since we are witnessing a pandemic, people are panicking. Most of the calls are from people seeking details of testing laboratories, quarantine centres, treat