Culture Archives - Page 22 of 26

Lotus feet Tradition: Standard of beauty or a barbaric act

4Dec

By Aqsa Azam2 Comments

Culture

Lotus feet Tradition: Standard of beauty or a barbaric act

To increase beauty or enhance marriage eligibility, Lotus feet tradition scared lives for a millennium. We hope you never experience the pain and suffering Chinese women had to go through in the past. Beauty is really cruel in nature. From wearing corsets in Victorian era to genital mutilation in Africa, it always been a horrible experience for women. Another painful example is Foot binding tradition in China. It lasted for almost 1000 years. Started in 10th Century under Song Dynasty because king loved one of his ballerina's feet. Dancer wrapped her feet in a way that it looked like a blooming lotus. It decorated with intricate embroidery and stones. After watching that king ordered girls in his kingdom to wrap their feet like this. He called this custom as lotus feet or special shoes...

Chand Baori: Eccentric stepwell with a hint of terror

29Nov

By Aqsa Azam1 Comment

Culture

Chand Baori: Eccentric stepwell with a hint of terror

Hidden gem of Rajasthan that shows the marvelous job of ancient engineers. Featured in many movies Chand Baori is one of the unique location in India. Legends suggests the other side of story as well. India has the oldest civilization in the history of the world. Few of its legends and stories followed allover the world religiously. When most of the world struggling for digging a hole properly, There were artisans in India who built an amazing deepest stepwell in the country. That stepwell now known as Chand Baori. Other names of baori are Bawdi or Baoli, Vav, and Pushkarni in local language, that means well. It built in 600 AD but most geologists believes that it built in 8th or 9th Century. It built to preserve water as it was massive shortage and people were suffering. Chand b...

Temple of Adonis, Symbol of Beauty and desire turns into ruins

24Nov

By Aqsa Azam1 Comment

Culture

Temple of Adonis, Symbol of Beauty and desire turns into ruins

Temple of Adonis turns into ruins due to civil war and time. Once a symbol of power in Lebanon now disguises the rich and colorful history of the country. FARQA, LEBANON - Around a drive of an hour from Beirut, you can find ruins of a building formally known as Temple of Adonis. It is situated at the altitude of 1500 meters from sea level. It is said that temple was built in 3rd century AD or CE 43-44. Temple was originally built by Romans and it was the symbol of safety at that time. They believed that Romans used Faqra as a signal post to communicate via fire signals over the Lebanese mountains from the coast to Baalbek or Heliopolis. Nobody knows the exact time of its construction and purpose. Its façade has six Corinthian columns and the sanctuary partially built into the ...

Kakure Kirishitan, The “Hidden Christians” of Japan

19Nov

By Aqsa Azam2 Comments

Culture

Kakure Kirishitan, The “Hidden Christians” of Japan

Kakure Kirishitan, also known as Hidden Christians of Japan are slowly fading away. After decades of ban and persecution new generation is not ready to carry old traditions. IKITSUKI ISLAND, NAGSAKI - World is full of eerie surprises. One of them is Kakure Kirishitan or ''Secret Society of Catholic Christians'' in Japan. They came into being when Christians were forced to leave their religion or leave the country in 17th Century. In 1614, Military Government of Japan imposed a ban on Christianity. Tokugawa Bakufu (Military Government that ruled Japan from 1604 to 1867, also known as the Tokugawa Shogunate) outlawed Christianity, tearing down churches, and expelling the missionaries who taught it. Japanese Christians exiled to remote islands, tortured, martyred, or forced to comm...

Pakistan issues 3000 visas to Sikh Yatris on Guru Nanak Jayanti

13Nov

By Aqsa Azam1 Comment

Culture

Pakistan issues 3000 visas to Sikh Yatris on Guru Nanak Jayanti

Pakistan High Commission exceeds the number of visas for Indain Sikh Yatris. It issued under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974. Guru Nanak considered as the most sacred personality in Sikhism. Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as Guru Nanak Gurpurab, celebrates the birth of the first Sikh Guru and considered one of the most sacred festivals among Sikhs. The day celebrated on the full moon day of the Kartik month as per the Hindu calendar. It also marked as Kartik Poornima. This year the day falls on November 19. It will end on November 26. It included the visit of all Gurdwaras and pays their respect. This is 552nd birth anniversary of the prestigious personality this year. Pilgrims will remember his sayings and offer their sacrifices to him. They wi...