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Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The Culture Edit: On travel, yoga and the myth of the melting pot
Come rediscover parts of our culture that don't always make the brochure, as told from the inside, out. Have a story to share? Drop us a mail at hello@ 'I like your 'Om' shirt - can you tell me about the 2,500-year history behind it?' It's the kind of question that would probably stop most people in their Lululemon-clad tracks. But it's one we should be asking - especially on a day like International Yoga Day. Cape Town is my home city. It's often described in travel as a 'melting pot of cultures.' It sounds poetic, doesn't it? But as a coloured South African, I've found that metaphor somewhat flawed. A 'melting pot' implies that heritage blends harmoniously into one smooth stew. But in South Africa - and especially in Cape Town - many of us carry cultures that were never allowed to flourish freely. Some parts were erased, others repackaged, and many still go unacknowledged. And there couldn't be a more opportune time to stir this pot for deeper context than on #InternationalYogaDay. What is cultural appropriation, really? Cultural appropriation isn't just about wearing 'someone else's stuff.' It's about power. As The Conversation explains, appropriation happens when members of a dominant culture take elements from a marginalised culture without understanding or respecting the original meaning, especially when that culture has been historically oppressed. In simpler terms, it's picking what looks cool or marketable from another tradition and leaving the context behind. And in the case of yoga, it's rampant. Yoga: From spiritual discipline to stretch-and-sweat Yoga is believed to have originated over 2,500 years ago in the Indus Valley. It's rooted in ancient Indian philosophy and spirituality. But today, when you search the term 'yoga' or scroll through Instagram, what do you see? More often, it's bendy influencers doing advanced poses in luxury studios or on private beaches. Expensive leggings and Sanskrit mantras on crop tops all accentuate the incense aesthetic. According to this Self Magazine feature by Rina Deshpande, who posed the opening "Om question" - Indian yoga teachers often feel invisible in global wellness spaces. The yoga Deshpande grew up with - a deeply personal, spiritual, and philosophical practice - has been commodified into something else entirely. She postures that the physical activity, or asanas, are just one of yoga's eight limbs. The others, such as breath control (pranayama), ethical conduct, inner discipline, and devotion, are often ignored or forgotten in modern times. This is where cultural appropriation becomes clear: when a sacred practice is stripped down, rebranded and sold back to the world without acknowledging the people it came from. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rina Deshpande (@rinathepoet) In Cape Town, this isn't abstract. A few years ago, a city-based studio faced backlash after hosting an 'Asian Night' where attendees wore bindis, kimonos, and chopsticks in their hair. While this can all be seemingly playful in intent - Asian community members considered it "flattening and offensive". The studio later issued a public apology, acknowledging the harm caused. South African context: When borrowing becomes erasure This conversation doesn't stop at yoga. Cultural appropriation shows up all over our public life - especially when money, branding, and media attention are involved. Take Die Antwoord, as highlighted in The Conversation piece. The internationally successful music duo from Cape Town draws much of its aesthetic - Kaaps slang, working-class Coloured identity, and gang iconography - from communities they don't belong to. Critics argue that the group profited off caricatures of Cape Flats culture while real people living those experiences continued to face systemic marginalisation. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DIE ANTWOORD (@dieantwoord) Another notable flashpoint this year was a viral video of New Orleans' annual 'Zulu Parade' during Mardi Gras - orchestrated by the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, which dates back to 1916. The troupe don grass skirts, ornate headpieces, and 'Zulu' warrior-inspired make-up, and South Africans took to social media to express outrage. Many argued the parade 'totally misrepresents' authentic Zulu culture - going beyond celebration into caricature - prompting heated and complex dialogue about diasporic. This incident crystallises how using a culture's identity - even with historical intent - can be deeply offensive when divorced from consultation or meaningful connection. The Kaapse Klopse, the iconic New Year minstrel festival, hits even closer to home. What began as a celebration of survival and cultural expression has been both treasured and troubled. Some performances still feature blackface or colonial minstrel costumes, raising questions about how cultural practices evolve - and whether they reinforce or challenge harmful legacies. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cape Town Tourism (@lovecapetown) Even something as beautiful and simple as the Basotho blanket has been co-opted by Louis Vuitton in a 2017 menswear collection, without meaningful credit or collaboration. In contrast, Cape Town-based designer Thabo Makhetha works closely with Basotho heritage and artisans, ensuring the cultural context remains at the heart of her work. Where a powerful brand like LV could have paid homage through collaboration, Makhetha has shown the difference. Appreciation involves context, collaboration, and consent. Appropriation doesn't. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thabo Makhetha (@tmakcc) What does this mean for us as travellers? Working in travel journalism - especially at a brand like Time Out, which has been spotlighting local culture since 1968 makes this conversation more relevant than ever. Travel is about curiosity. About crossing borders, meeting new people, and discovering unfamiliar traditions. But we have to ask: are we celebrating other cultures, or merely consuming them? The full-blown experience of travel is about walking through a city's backstreets, learning a few words of its language and buying handwoven cloth directly from the person who made it. Done well, travel builds bridges. Done carelessly, it just reinforces the same old power dynamics. I've recently taken on the role of City Editor for Time Out Cape Town and it's an invigorating time. We're backed by global experience and rooted in a hyper-local perspective. My goal isn't just to amplify Cape Town's position on the map. It's to tell stories that respect its layers. That invite people in with open arms, not open wallets. And that includes naming when something is off. We can't keep melting cultures down into smooth slogans. Sometimes the rough edges tell the most important stories. Yet, I genuinely believe there's space for meaningful cross-cultural appreciation. The kind that doesn't flatten identity but expands perspective. Travel (and yoga, at its best) invites us to sit with discomfort, to breathe into nuance, and to be still long enough to listen. If we approach culture not as something to consume but as something to be in a relationship with, we can all learn to move through the world with a little more awareness and maybe, just maybe, a little more lightness of being. * You've just read the first instalment of The Culture Edit, a new Time Out Cape Town series that digs deeper into the stories behind the streets, symbols, and experiences that shape how we travel - and how we live. This isn't your standard city guide. Each edition of The Culture Edit will explore cultural tension points that sit just below the surface of our daily lives: What does 'local' actually mean in a place with as many-layered identities as Cape Town? We'll look at everything from fashion to food, language to landmarks, sacred practices to public parties - asking not just where to go, but how to go there with respect, curiosity and context.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Police arrest Kalyani Deshpande in Andhra Pradesh
The Anti-Narcotic Cell of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police has arrested notorious criminal Kalyani alias Jayashree Deshpande from Rajanagaram in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Sandeep Doiphode (DCP Crime), Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, 'In May, our teams received information about Deshpande's whereabouts and her involvement, along with associates, in an illegal ganja network. We conducted a raid and arrested three people, but Deshpande managed to escape. Since then, we have been trying to trace her using multiple leads and technical surveillance. Recently, we received a credible tip, and a team was dispatched to Andhra Pradesh, where she was finally arrested.' Deshpande has been a significant figure in Pune's criminal underworld for over two decades, with more than two dozen cases registered against her. The charges include violations under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), as well as allegations of murder and financial fraud. She was previously known to be running a sex racket from her bungalow in the Sus area of Pune, with a network that reportedly extended across India and abroad. In 2016, Deshpande was convicted and sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment. According to police, she was released from jail in 2023–24 and allegedly resumed illegal activities with the help of her husband and close relatives. In the present case, acting on a tip-off, police raided the 'Kalyani Collection' shop in Bavdhan on May 24. During the operation, they arrested Kalyani Deshpande's husband Umesh Deshpande, her niece Aishwarya Ranawade, and Aishwarya's husband, Abhishek Ranawade, but Kalyani Deshpande yet again managed to escape. The arrest on Sunday marks a significant breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on narcotics in the region.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Pune sex racketeer Kalyani Deshpande arrested for ganja smuggling
Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch on Monday arrested infamous sex racketeer Kalyani Deshpande from Andhra Pradesh pertaining to 20.7 kg ganja seizure from her garment store and a flat on Sus Road area on May 24. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now An anti-narcotics cell of the crime branch, led by senior inspector Santosh Patil, received a tip-off that Deshpande was in the Rajanagaram in the East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. "Assistant inspector Vikram Gaikwad reached there and took Deshpande into custody with the help of our local informer," Santosh Patil told TOI. Patil said Deshpande has been handed over to the Bavdhan police for further investigations. The police on May 24 arrested her's husband, niece, and niece's husband after they recovered 20.7 kg of ganja from the basement of her garment store 'Kalyani Collection' and her flat on Sus Road. "We arrested the three people, but Deshpande managed to escape from there," Patil said. Patil said Deshpande has as many as eight cases against her, including a murder and running a prostitution racket, with the Pune city police. Her name has cropped up in numerous cases of high-profile prostitution rackets in the last 15 years. In 2022, however, Deshpande was convicted for seven years by a special court in Pune in a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for running a sex racket. She subsequently appealed against the conviction before the Bombay High Court and secured bail pending appeal. In Jan 2024, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police arrested Deshpande pertaining to a high-profile sex racket in Satara. "Currently, she is out on bail. For the last five months, she has started smuggling ganja. We busted her ganja racket before she could set it up," he said. "People can contact on cellphone number 9422008804 and share information about the drugs smuggling," Patil said.
Business Standard
09-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Persistent Systems gains on re-appointing Dr. Anand Deshpande as MD
Persistent Systems added 1.22% to Rs 5,747.85 after the company's board has approved the re-appointment of Dr. Anand Deshpande as the managing director (MD) of the company for a next term of 5 consecutive years. Dr. Anand Deshpande is the founder, chairman, and managing director of Persistent Systems since inception and is responsible for the overall leadership of the company. He is also the promoter shareholder of the company. Dr. Deshpande received his Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech.) with Honours (Hons.) in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, in 1984 and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA in 1986 and 1989 respectively. He has been recognised by both his alma maters - as a Distinguished Alumnus by IIT Kharagpur in 2012 and with the Career Achievement Award by the School of Informatics of Indiana University in 2007. Dr. Anand is a founding trustee of the Persistent Foundation, a trustee of the VLDB Endowment, the co-chair of the Biotechnology Research Innovation Council (BRIC) set up by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and the Chairman of the VJTI Board of Governors. He is also an honorary Adjunct Professor of Practice at the Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship at IIT Bombay. He is on the Board of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Pune, a trustee on the Board of BAIF and has served industry associations as a past President of Software Exporters Association of Pune (SEAP), Pune Chapter of Computer Society of India (CSI), and CIIs Pune Zonal Council. Dr. Deshpande does not have any inter-relationship with any other director. Persistent Systems is a global services and solutions company delivering digital engineering and enterprise modernization to businesses across industries. Its net profit advanced 6.1% to Rs 395.76 crore on a 5.87% increase in revenue to Rs 3,242.11 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q3 FY25. However, on a year-on-year basis, the company's consolidated net profit gained 25.51% on a 25.15% increase in revenue in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24.
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Despite hike in PMPML bus fares, commuters see no improvement in services
On June 1, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) decided to increase its fares. This, the transport body said was necessary in the face of increased cost of operations and to help it offer better services. But passengers have slammed this increase, which they said was uncalled for. Software engineering Amol Deshanpde is a regular user of the transport body and used to buy a daily pass priced at Rs 50. 'My office is in Baner and I used to take the bus from Akurdi station till Baner. However, the last mile connectivity was always an issue – thus I had to take an autorickshaw from the bus stand till I reach office. The press statement said this was done to improve services – but from personal experience I feel this would be far from being achieved,' he said. Every day, Shirish Mohite travels from Bhosari to MaNaPa (Pune Municipal Corporation) to reach his office in Deccan. Mohite, who works as an office assistant in a private office said the present fare hike is a bit too steep for comfort. 'My monthly pass costed me Rs 900 now its Rs 1,500. The buses on my route are really not first class – the seats rattle and the windows do not close. If I get the AC bus its fine- else it's a pain,' he said. Mohite says the rise in monthly fare has made him uncomfortable- but with no other options he has to make do with it. Suraj Raut, an HR professional, travels from Jamabhulwadi to Lohegaon and used to buy a daily pass of Rs 40 which has now gone up to Rs 70. 'I work for 26 days in a month, so my cost used to come to Rs 1,040, which has now increased to Rs 1,820,' he said. Raut like others have a heap of complaints against the transport body – from unclean buses to the ACs in air conditioned buses not working. 'Imagine a full bus with AC not working – it is suffocating,' he said. Raut has complaints about the frequency of buses from Lohegaon also. 'At times there is no bus for two hours – will the frequency increase after the rise in fares?' he asked. When it come the transport body, many commuters have complaints like Raut. Deshpande said PMMPL is supposed to be a feed service for the metro, but has failed. 'There is a metro every 10 minutes while the feeder service buses are not there for hours together. This completely defeats the definition of a feeder service,' he said. Deshpande who is a member of the PMP Pravasi Manch said they have asked for shorted fare hikes. 'If some one travels for just 5 km they have to pay Rs 20 – which is a steep rise,' he said. Deshpande called for robustness in the management of the transport body. Frequent break downs are also a concern, which sees many people stranded in the middle of the road. As per officials PMPML buses see breakdowns in the range of 300-600 per month. According to officials , most of these breakdowns were due to engine issues, while some were due to tyre issues. Currently PMPML operates 1,916 buses, including owned and hired buses. A recent study by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy highlighted that Pune had only half the buses it needs, with the 4,500 buses required. Pune District Planning Committee's Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) also said that the city requires over 6000 buses. On top of this, between 300-500 buses are off road on average every day. PMPML's fleet has remained constant since the last few years. In April 2022 the fleet number stood at 1959, in February 2023 at 2083, in February 2024 at 2009, and in February 2025 at 1916. To be fair the number of the buses is not the only thing that has remained constant. This was the first fare hike made by the transport body after 14 years. The problem is that the hike has not been bin proportion to increased efficiency or service. A press statement issued by PMPML post the hike said on day 1 of the hike they saw a revenue increase of Rs 55 lakh. Deepa Munde Mudhol, CMD of the transport body, said fares were hiked after a long time. Asked if this would affect passenger numbers, she said ' As of now commuters have not decreased. The statistics of the number of passengers in June and July will be analysed. Only one week has passed. No effect on passengers figures as of now.' Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
