Instagram is normally perceived as a platform for celebrities and their posts, reels, and memes or videos related to dancing or cooking. However, certain pages have started using Instagram for posting something totally different – short stories about the history, culture and offbeat places in India.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by editors
One such page is Desh which was created by Taggify.in and provides stories that do not normally get talked about – whether it be about an unknown historical character or an interesting tradition of a region in India.
The major issue with history and culture-related topics on social media is how to retain the audience's attention. It seems that Desh addresses the problem through the presentation of its topics in videos instead of elaborate descriptions.
A reel could be about some rare event from history, some unique culture, some unknown individual, or even some place which is unlikely to be mentioned in common travel guides.
The formula is quite simple: provide some interesting fact or story, illustrate it visually, and make it short enough to be presented on social media.
It allows making the topics more attractive and understandable to younger audiences.
India's history and culture are filled with stories that often receive limited attention online. Desh's content revolves around this space.
Its posts explore different parts of the country and cover subjects ranging from historical events and personalities to traditions, landmarks and lesser-known facts.
The appeal is largely based on curiosity. A viewer may come across a story they have never heard before and watch the reel simply to find out what happened.
This is also where short-form content can work differently from traditional educational material. Instead of presenting a topic as a long lesson, the story is broken down into a few minutes or even seconds.
People scrolling through Instagram are unlikely to stop for a lengthy explanation unless the subject immediately catches their attention.
Pages focusing on information and history therefore have to compete with a huge amount of entertainment content. A strong opening, interesting visuals and a clear narrative can make the difference between someone scrolling past a post and watching it till the end.
Desh's content follows this short-story format, using images, videos and narration to present information in a way suited to Instagram.
The page also taps into something that has become increasingly common on social media: people discovering history, travel destinations and cultural facts through reels rather than traditional articles or documentaries.
India's diversity means there is no shortage of subjects to explore. Different regions have their own histories, customs, food, architecture, festivals and local personalities.
Social media pages such as Desh are increasingly using this material to create bite-sized content for audiences who may not actively search for it.