By IANS,

New Delhi : India's love affair with gemstone carvings dates back nearly 5,000 years ago when Alexander the Great invaded the country. They flourished during the reign of the Mughals, though never finding a place in the genre of conventional Indian art - but they will now be available to aficionados.

Jaipur-based Ma Passion, a house of gemstone crafts, is giving this ancient Indian tradition the legitimacy of contemporary Indian miniature art with the country's first-ever auction of gemstone sculptures in Mumbai Oct 22.

By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,

New Delhi : The taste of Sweden may be a bit bland for the Indian palate bred on spices. But for those with a yen for delicately flavoured pickled fish and green vegetables that are low on spices but high on preservatives and cheese, a Swedish platter is just the fare.

Consider a spread of pan fried shredded potatoes served with bleak roe, crème fraiche, red onions and lemon; or portabella lasagne served with tomato crème and rocket salad for lunch - accompanied by Swedish rye bread and Vasterbotten cheese.

By IANS,

New Delhi : The Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Week was inaugurated in the capital Saturday, coinciding with the announcement of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner.

The Nobel Memorial Week, inaugurated by the Swedish ambassador to India Lars-Olof Lindgren, will promote awareness about the awards, the culture of the host country - Sweden, and boost bilateral ties between India and Sweden that nurture a shared history of global peace initiatives.

By IANS,

Kuala Lumpur : Elegant 'Anarkali' churidar-kurta women's dresses in layered fine cloth, a throwback to India's Mughal era, are becoming a big draw with Malaysian Indian women as they begin shopping for Diwali.

The shops here in Brickfields, Jalan Masjid India and other avenues popular with ethnic Indian shoppers are stocking up on Anarkali Suits, named after the beautiful Mughal era courtesan Anarkali, with whom Prince Salim, who later became Emperor Jehangir, fell in love.

By IANS,

Agartala : A seminar-cum-exhibition titled 'Spirit of Northeast' will be held in New Delhi next month to highlight the region's traditions and culture, officials said here Friday.

The 10-day-long event beginning Nov 19 is being organised by the New Delhi-based Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

"The 'Spirit of Northeast' would showcase the varied arts, culture, customs, food habits, dress, musical instruments, and rituals," said Tripura Information Minister Anil Sarkar.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Contemporary sculptor Prithpal Singh Ladi, who has created waves with his futuristic stone monuments, steel dragonflies and frog torsos, is coming to the capital with his first solo show in 10 years on Oct 15.

Born in Shillong in 1955, Ladi studied sculpture at the M.S. University in Baroda. He was conferred the National Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) Award and the Gujarat LKA awards and won a scholarship to Ecole Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. He later taught at the School for Architecture, Ahmedabad, and the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi.

By IANS,

Kolkata : Five days of Durga Puja festivities finally ended as West Bengal bid a tearful adieu to the goddess and her children Thursday, marking another yearlong wait for her autumnal homecoming.

The frenzied immersion ceremony of the idols of Durga, accompanied by elaborate processions, dancing, beating of drums and lusty cheers by youngsters, saw people making the most of the carnival.

By IANS,

New Delhi : The nine-day Navratra celebrations came to an end here Thursday evening with the immersion of idols of Goddess Durga and the burning of the effigies of demon king Ravan.

Amid hollering crowds and the frenzied beating of drums, hundreds of idols of Durga and her four children were immersed in the Yamuna river here, with many devotees bidding a tearful farewell to the deity.

By IANS,

Mysore : The grand finale of the 10-day Dussehra fest began on a spectacular note Thursday, with pageantry and festive spirit marking Vijayadashami in this cultural capital of Karnataka, some 140 km from India’s IT hub.

Witnessed by thousands of people, from India and abroad, the colourful Dussehra procession led by the elephant Balarama took off from the illuminated Mysore palace of Wadiyars to Bannimantap grounds on the other side of the city.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Avant-garde theatrical performances, exhibition of multihued traditional art forms from different states and a stimulating workshop - two major children's festivals at the National School of Drama (NSD) will begin in the capital Friday, provid7ing a treat for the kids.

Serving 22 productions from all over the country on a platter, 'Jashn-e-Bachpan', the National Theatre Festival for Children, will be on for 10 days beginning Friday.

As a special feature, there will be participation from the international arena as well in the festival.