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Sangeeta Das works as Chief Sub Editor in the lifestyle section of TV9 English and News9 Live. With a flair for storytelling and an eye for detail, she brings beauty, travel, and mindful living to life through her words. She has 10 years plus experience, including editing in Newsdesk, both print and online media, spot reporting. Beyound professional commitments she loves traveling, writing poetries and fictions. Many of her creative works have been published in reputed newspapers like The Assam Tribune and Muse India's Your Space section. She loves to keep herself fit and healthy.

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Front-hand mehendi designs to look vibrant at every Lohri gathering

New Delhi: Lohri brings with it the warmth of crackling bonfires, rhythmic beats of the dhol, and the quiet joy of a season turning. Celebrated across north India, the harvest festival is rooted in togetherness, gratitude, and vibrant traditions passed through generations. Along with phulkari, jewellery, and festive attire, mehendi holds a special place during Lohri, adding softness and artistry to the celebration while complementing the earthy colours and spirited mood of the evening for families gathering under winter skies together. Applying mehendi during Lohri is not about heavy bridal patterns but expressive designs that reflect the festival’s energy. Front-hand mehendi works best for dancing, rituals, and photographs, keeping motifs visible and elegant. From symbolic harvest elements to playful festival lettering, these designs suit women seeking tradition with a light, contemporary touch during winter celebrations shared with family and friends alike. Here are the front hand...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 08, 2026 | 11:11 AM

Pongal 2026 in Tamil Nadu: Best places to witness authentic cultural experience

New Delhi: Pongal is among the most significant festivals in Tamil Nadu, marking the harvest season and expressing gratitude to nature, the Sun God, and cattle. Celebrated over four days, namely, Bogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal, and Kaanum Pongal, it brings together rituals, food, music, and community life. In 2026, Pongal falls between January 14 and January 17. Across the state, homes, temples, fields, and streets reflect a festive rhythm rooted in agriculture and shared traditions. What makes Pongal in Tamil Nadu distinctive is how each region celebrates it differently while staying close to its agrarian spirit. Chennai blends urban living with tradition, Thanjavur reflects rural harvest culture, Madurai highlights cattle rituals, and smaller towns preserve age-old customs. For travellers, this diversity offers a meaningful way to experience Tamil culture beyond temples and monuments during the festive season. Explore here. Best places to experience Pongal 2026 in Tamil Nadu 1....

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 07, 2026 | 06:50 PM

Kaanum Pongal 2026: Beautiful kolam designs to decorate festive homes

New Delhi: Pongal is a harvest festival deeply rooted in South Indian culture, celebrated with gratitude, colour and tradition. During this season, the entrance of almost every home transforms into a canvas adorned with kolam designs. These rangoli patterns, created using rice flour, reflect themes of prosperity, nature and devotion. For Kaanum Pongal in 2026, kolam continues to hold symbolic importance, welcoming positivity into homes while showcasing artistic expression passed down through generations of women across Tamil households worldwide. Women wake up before sunrise during Pongal to draw kolam, believing the practice invites good fortune and abundance. The four-day festival, observed between January 14 and January 17 in 2026, is celebrated by Tamils across the globe. Kaanum Pongal, the final day, often features elaborate kolam designs that balance tradition with creativity, making home entrances visually striking and spiritually meaningful. Here are the beautiful and easy...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 07, 2026 | 05:25 PM

Magh Bihu special: Til peetha and til gud ladoo recipes to enjoy festive flavours

New Delhi: Magh Bihu celebrates harvest, abundance and shared meals in Assam, with food forming the heart of the festival. The night before Magh Bihu, known as Uruka, brings families and communities together for feasts featuring rice, fish and duck. Preparations begin weeks in advance as women make special snacks using rice flour, coconut, jaggery and sesame. These items are stored, shared with neighbours and relatives, and enjoyed over several days, extending the festive spirit well beyond one day. Among the many traditional foods prepared during this season, til peetha and til gud ladoo hold special significance. Made using sesame and jaggery, these winter sweets are easy to store and rich in flavour. Prepared in large batches, they are served to guests throughout the festive period, making them inseparable from Magh Bihu celebrations across Assamese households. Here are the recipes. Magh Bihu special snacks 1. Til peetha or sesame rice crepes Til peetha is a traditional Assamese...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 07, 2026 | 04:37 PM

Magh Bihu traditions: Here’s why people steal wood and vegetables on Uruka night in Assam

New Delhi: Magh Bihu, also known as Bhogali Bihu, is Assam’s harvest festival celebrated on January 14, marking abundance, gratitude and community bonding. Observed alongside festivals like Lohri, Thai Pongal and Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu centres on food, fire and togetherness. Among its many traditions, one unusual ritual often intrigues outsiders, which is the practice of stealing vegetables and wood on the night before Bihu, an act accepted, encouraged and a crucial part of festive rituals. This playful tradition takes place on Uruka, the night preceding Magh Bihu, when villages come alive with feasts and preparations. What appears as mischief carries deeper cultural meaning, linked to harvest sharing, communal spirit and symbolic abundance. Understanding this ritual offers insight into Assam’s agrarian roots and its warm, inclusive approach to celebration passed down across generations. Ritual behind Magh Bihu’s ‘stealing’ tradition What is Uruka night Uruka marks the...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 07, 2026 | 03:43 PM

Top looks show Bollywood celebrities’ obsession with black dresses

New Delhi: Black continues to dominate Bollywood fashion, proving its timeless appeal across red carpets, holidays and festive evenings. From Paris streets to celebratory gatherings, leading actresses are embracing black silhouettes with renewed confidence. Structured gowns, sharp jackets and fluid dresses show how the colour adapts to moods and moments. In whatever way the black outfits are styled, such as with dramatic stoles, sheer layers or sculpted waists, these remain a reliable statement of elegance, strength and understated glamour in contemporary celebrity wardrobes today, worldwide right now effortlessly everywhere. Recent appearances highlight how black serves different personalities without losing impact. Minimal gowns, edgy jackets and playful prints coexist effortlessly. Each actress interprets the shade through fit, texture and layering, proving black never feels repetitive. Instead, it offers endless styling possibilities that continue to influence fashion moodboards...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 07, 2026 | 12:03 PM

Beating Retreat ceremony: History, significance and why it marks end of Republic Day celebrations

New Delhi: The Beating Retreat ceremony marks the formal conclusion of India’s Republic Day celebrations and takes place every year on January 29 at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. Set against the illuminated Raisina Hill, the event brings together military music, precision, and patriotism. In 2026, the ceremony commemorates India’s 77th Republic Day, offering citizens a final, reflective moment after days of parades, pageantry, and national celebration that emphasises unity, discipline, tradition, remembrance, continuity, pride, and collective respect across the nation annually. Rooted in military custom, Beating Retreat signals the moment when troops withdraw after ceremonial duties. The Indian ceremony blends historic practice with contemporary symbolism, honouring the armed forces. It allows the public to witness a dignified closing ritual that balances celebration with solemn respect and shared national reflection each year for citizens. Read further to know about its history and...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 06, 2026 | 06:27 PM

Tiger grass in skincare: How this Korean beauty ingredient calms and repairs skin

New Delhi: Korean skincare routines are increasingly focused on tiger grass, an ingredient now seen across beauty product labels. From serums and moisturisers to masks and makeup bases, the ingredient shows up everywhere. This rise is not driven by novelty. Tiger grass has been used for centuries in traditional Asian medicine and is now finding renewed relevance in modern skincare because of how gently and effectively it works. Also known as Centella Asiatica or cica, tiger grass is often described as a skin-calming powerhouse. The name traces back to an old belief that injured tigers rolled in the plant to heal their wounds faster. While the story is folklore, the science behind the ingredient supports its reputation. Rich in skin-repairing compounds, tiger grass helps calm stressed skin without overwhelming it. Let’s explore why tiger grass is a standout Korean beauty ingredient. Why tiger grass is standout Korean beauty ingredient 1. Soothes irritation and redness Tiger grass...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 06, 2026 | 05:32 PM

World's tallest Buddhist stupa stands in Bihar’s Kesariya; explore nearby key attractions and popular food

New Delhi: The Kesariya Stupa in Bihar stands as one of India’s most imposing Buddhist monuments, believed to be the tallest and largest stupa in the world by volume. Located in Kesariya town of East Champaran district, around 110 kilometres north of Patna, the site dates back to the 3rd century BCE. Its sheer scale, layered structure, and spiritual legacy make it a landmark that quietly narrates India’s ancient Buddhist history through time, faith, architecture, memory, devotion, continuity, and regional identity today. History mentions that the stupa was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka during the Maurya period to mark Lord Buddha’s final act of donation before attaining Nirvana. Archaeological excavations later revealed its religious depth, artistic richness, and continued relevance as a site of pilgrimage, history, and cultural preservation under the Archaeological Survey of India, protecting one of India’s most significant ancient sites. Let’s explore more. Kesariya...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 06, 2026 | 04:17 PM

Mrs Deshpande actress Madhuri Dixit’s fusion wardrobe is masterclass in timeless elegance

New Delhi: Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit has always been synonymous with grace, timeless beauty, and impeccable style. The veteran Bollywood actress, fondly known as the ‘dhak dhak girl’, continues to charm audiences not just with her performances but also with her evolving fashion sensibility. Her web series, Mrs Deshpande, has emerged as the most viewed series in India, surpassing even Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 5, reaffirming her enduring popularity across generations. Now at 58, Madhuri Dixit proves that style only deepens with confidence and experience. Her recent fashion appearances highlight a strong love for fusion silhouettes that seamlessly blend Indian elements with contemporary tailoring. The actress’s wardrobe choices, ranging from structured drapes to modern lehenga sets and elegant gowns, reflect sophistication, versatility, and an effortless sense of glamour. Here are the latest looks of Madhuri Dixit that turn heads. Fusion fashion moments that define...

  • Sangeeta Das
  • Updated on: Jan 06, 2026 | 02:18 PM
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