भारत रत्न उस्ताद बिस्मिल्लाह खां की बरसी पर उनकी एक याद
व्योमेश शुक्ल
[आज की बहस का सबसे बड़ा सच यही है कि मुसलमान को बारम्बार यह साबित करना होता है कि वह इस वतनपरस्त है. आज भारत रत्न उस्ताद बिस्मिल्लाह खां की बरसी है. उन्हें और लता मंगेशकर को एक साथ भारत रत्न दिया गया था. आज से तकरीबन दस साल पहले. अब यह बदहाली का ही आलम है कि मदन मोहन मालवीय को पिछले साल भारत रत्न दिए जाने के बाद उस्ताद के शहर बनारस में ही यह हल्ला होने लगा कि बनारस को मिला यह पहला भारत रत्न है.
India mesmerises Yankees with food, folk art and fun
By Liz Mathew
New York, Sep 24 (IANS) There is dance and music, food and drink - and some business too - at a mini India in the heart of New York. And the vibrant city is pausing to say 'incredible', India @ 60.
The eponymous event to celebrate 60 years of India's independence, which got off to a colourful start at the Lincoln Centre here Sunday evening, is giving New Yorkers a taste of spicy Indian food, a dekko at Indian handicrafts and handlooms, and a glimpse of its rich traditions of folk and classical dance.
Bharat Rang Mahotsav promises 63 plays in 12 days
By IANS,
New Delhi : The 11th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, marking the 51st year of the National School of Drama (NSD), will open here Jan 7 and promises to be a theatre afficianado's delight - with 63 plays over 12 days. The focus this year will be two-pronged - contemporary plays and a journey into the past.
The festival will be inaugurated by secretary of culture Jawhar Sircar and stage and cinema veteran Zohra Sehgal will be the guest of honour. The event is set to open with "Awagha Rang Ekachi Zaala (Marathi)" directed by Ashok Samel at the Kamai Auditorium here.
UNDWC holds cultural event to enhance “Women for Peace project”
By KUNA
United Nations : The UN Delegations Women's Club (UNDWC), an association of women delegates to the UN and spouses of diplomats, hosted Tuesday evening a unique cultural event in the General Assembly Hall in connection with its "Women for Peace" project to mark the International Women's Day that was celebrated March 8th.
The event featured a special multi-cultural production that reflected the richness of diverse cultures and showed how differences among peoples can be overcome through song and dance.
Indian fashion goes for ISO certification
By Shweta Thakur, IANS
New Delhi : In their bid to go global, Indian fashion houses are applying for the ISO certificate. The first to get this global stamp of quality is Kimaya Fashions Pvt. Ltd., and another house, Shantanu Nikhil Design Pvt. Ltd., is to get it soon.
Manipuri theatre chants ‘Shree Krishna Kirtan’ in Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : A local Manipuri theatre group performed "Shree Krishna Kirtan" and a traditional art form "Natpala" at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy to celebrate its 12th anniversary.
"Shree Krishna Kirtan" is the troupe's 13th production. When the play was first staged, it was over three hours long. However, at its repeat performance here, the troupe had to whittle down the play to one hour and five minutes.
Shubhashish Shameer adapted the play from a medieval piece written by Baru Chandidas, local reports said.
Gunter Grass: a literary giant turns 80
By Mike Swanson
Berlin, (DPA) For some, Gunter Grass is a towering literary figure, a magnificent storyteller, who in the words of the Swedish Academy's Nobel Prize committee "has done mankind a genuine service".
For others, he is a self-appointed moralist for post-war Germany, a righteous polemicist who attacked his fellow countrymen for their collective amnesia of Nazism while at the same time failing to own up to his own lapses in recalling the past.
7 नवंबर को अज़ीम मंसूरी की जाएगी बारात , मगर एक दिन पहले...
विशेष संवाददाता। twocircles.net
कहते है "जब तुम किसी चीज़ को शिद्दत से चाहो तो सारी क़ायनात उसे तुमसे मिलाने की कोशिश में लग जाती है...
Lahiri’s new book joins Advani’s memoirs in bestselling list
By IANS,
New Delhi : First Jeffrey Archer, now Jhumpa Lahiri. BJP leader L.K. Advani continues to hobnob with celebrity authors in the bestselling lists. His autobiography is once again number one on the non-fiction list while Lahiri's latest "Unaccustomed Earth" is the predictable fiction favourite.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "My Country, My Life"
Author : L.K. Advani
Publisher : Rupa & Co.
Price : Rs.595.00
2. "The Secret"
Author : Rhonda Byrne
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Price : Rs.550.00
Ramadan begins in Kerala
Twocircles.net Staff Reporter
Kozhikode: Muslims in Kerala will begin fasting on Monday, following confirmations after the Ramadan crescent was sighted at Kappad on Sunday evening.
Qazis...
Indo-Canadian popularises ‘the blues of India’
By IANS
Toronto: An Indo-Canadian singer here is bringing several generations together with her music that combines ghazals, Punjabi folk songs and African blues, apart from other musical strains.
Many of India-born Kiran Ahluwalia's fans identify her as a singer of the "blues of India".
Kiran, raised in Toronto and now living in New York, is just back from performing in Marseilles, France, where she was a big hit - though people didn't understand her songs.
"It's such a global world now that many tastes are similar," said Kiran, a Juno award winner.
Jodhpur to host folk, international music festival
By IANS
Jodhpur : The desert city of Jodhpur will reverberate with vibrant folk music and contemporary world music at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF), starting Oct 25.
The festival will feature more than 150 artists from Rajasthan, other states of India, and many parts of the world, offering an unique opportunity to hear some of the most talented folk musicians working alongside with the world's finest classical and fusion artistes.
Taj Mahotsava to begin Feb 18
By IANS
Agra : Taj Mahotsava, the 10-day annual festival at Shilpgram near the Taj Mahal will begin Feb 18, promising a cultural extravaganza featuring international artistes.
The theme for this year will be Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (one world one family). It will be a grand festival of dance, drama, fun and exposition of local arts and handicrafts, said Divisional Commissioner S.R. Meena.
The festival organising committee has decided to institute the Taj Ratna award to be conferred on eminent artistes.
Stolen 525-year-old map found in Sydney
By DPA
Sydney : After a journey around the world, a stolen map from 1482 based on the work of the ancient astronomer and geographer Ptolemy has been recovered in a Sydney art gallery.
The find was reported Saturday in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
The map, known as the Ulm Ptolemy World Map, illustrates what was known about the world in the late 15th century. Spain's National Library, which owns the map, describes it as "perhaps the most famous and highly sought after of 15th-century world maps, and certainly the most decorative".
British group faces strong hostility in Lucknow
Lucknow, Sep 25 (IANS) The proposed visit by a 42-member British group to the historic Residency to pay homage to their kin who died during the 1857 Indian war of independence (referred to by the British as sepoy mutiny) may be abandoned as the Britons got a hostile reception on arriving here.
Protests were staged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliated organisations well before their arrival and spilled over to the Lucknow railway station, where the visitors arrived by a train from Gwalior Monday evening.
His world is a stage – for 360 hours
By Azera Rehman, IANS
New Delhi : Living in a glasshouse can be fun, but allowing the world to watch you live in one is another matter. Yet, Harish Khanna has put his daily life up on show as part of a theatre festival.
The National School Of Drama (NSD) alumnus Khanna is living in a glasshouse at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav festival organised by the institute. He will stay there for 360 hours.
Aging Hindu temple undergoes elaborate makeover
By DPA
Singapore : Craftsmen from India have carved the tower of an 82-year-old Hindu temple with deities as part of an elaborate makeover, news reports said Tuesday.
The Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple, in the heart of Singapore's Chinatown, still retains the main sanctuary and coloured glass, but the walls were knocked down to create more space and better ventilation.
The temple will be re-consecrated Sunday. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony.
Temple officials told the Straits Times that the congregation had outgrown the sanctuary.
‘Porcupine man’ pierces 6,146 needles during Durga Puja
By Sujit Chakraborty, IANS
Agartala : Pharmacy shop owner Dilip Bharadwaj, 51, from Assam stunned Durga Puja revellers here by piercing more than 6,000 disposable needles into his body.
On Saturday night, Bharadwaj, who runs a pharmacy shop in southern Assam's Silchar town, pierced 6,146 needles into his body as thousands of curious onlookers looked on amazed.
Artistic tribute to Dr. Ambedkar planned to celebration his 125th birth anniversary
Yogesh Maitreya, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Photography Promotion Trust (PPT) and Ambedkar Institute for Social and Economic Change (AISEC) are planning to organise a massive exhibition of...
18 Indian designers to showcase work in New Zealand
By IANS,
New Delhi : Audiences here have been mesmerised by a dazzling preview of creative pieces of 18 budding Indian designers who are to compete at the World of Wearable Art (WOW) awards in New Zealand.
"It has been three years since our association with WOW, and it has been a great partnership. On an average, we have sent 10 to 12 entries from India. I hope, like last year, this year's entries also get us laurels," Rathi Vinay Jha, director general of Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), said at the preview Friday evening at the New Zealand high commissioner's residence.
Himachal to promote artefacts in foreign shores
By IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh will participate in international exhibitions to popularise its artefacts in foreign countries, officials said Saturday.
"To popularise the handicraft items and establish their market in foreign countries, we have decided to participate in international exhibitions," H.S. Kingra, managing director of state Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation told IANS.
Amid rising religious intolerance, communal harmony unites Assam
Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net
Guwahati : Even as religious intolerance continues to rise in the country, examples of communal harmony drew everybody’s...
Wasim Bareilwi gets first Firaq Gorakhpuri award
By IANS,
Agra : Noted Urdu poet Wasim Bareilwi, a regular feature at poetry soirees since the 1960S, has been given the first Firaq Gorakhpuri International Award here.
Bareilwi, considered the doyen of modern Urdu poetry, received the Rs.51,000 award and a citation from Minister of State for Home Shakeel Ahmed at an All India Mushaira late Sunday night.
Accepting the award, Bareilwi said: "It was a great honour bestowed on me in the city of Ghalib, Mir and Nazir. This award is an 'imtihaan' (test) for me."
Battle for Jinnah House will hot up now
By Quaid Najmi, IANS
Mumbai : The stage is set for a battle royale between the Indian government and Dina Wadia, daughter of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, over Jinnah House when the Bombay High Court resumes next week after the Diwali vacation.
Dina, mother of leading industrialist Nusli Wadia, has claimed to be the rightful heir to the sprawling green and white three-storey colonial building, facing the Arabian Sea, in what is one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the country.
Chinese oil painting fetches record $8.2 mn
By Xinhua,
Beijing : A Chinese oil painting has fetched a record price of 57.12 million yuan ($8.2 million) at an auction here.
"The Breeding Ground No.1", from the contemporary painter Liu Xiaodong's Three Gorges Series was bought by a private buyer at the China Guardian 2008 Spring Auction Monday for a record price for a single Chinese mainland oil painting.
The oil, 2.6 metres high and 10 metres wide, was drawn from 2005 to 2006, depicting 11 men in their underclothes playing cards.
Pixographic art, Vadodara art and diplomatic art
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : India is no stranger to ultra-modern art like installation art, digital art, mixed media art and video art. And the capital has just had a dazzling display of pixographic art.
On show is "The Abstract Haze of Reality" by designer-architect Khushroo Kalyanwala at the Windmill Gallery in Mehrauli. The exhibition is made of a series of photographic images, which have been interpreted graphically and touched up with digital technology to the point of abstraction.
Mian Biwi aur Wagah, Dubai’s famous original Urdu play on tradition of letter-writing, to...
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Dubai: Following a successful run at its home base in Dubai, “Mian, Biwi aur Wagah”- an original Urdu play based on...
Images of domestic violence through cross-cultural art
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Daddy tastes like tangy soup - if you have the gall to kill him and gouge out his lungs. The daddy broth by Estonian artist Marko Maetamm is part of a set of four graphic art compositions in water colour with accompanying texts.
"Mammy feels like crispy croquets" if strangled with a pillow in sleep and her legs and ears are cooked with carrots, milk, butter and breadcrumbs, says the artist. The dish can be served piping hot.
Shah Jahan’s dagger sells for 1.7 mn pounds
By IANS
London : An elegant personal dagger carried by emperor Shah Jahan was sold at a London auction for an astounding 1.7 million pounds - more than three times the expected bid.
"Of course we are very happy - it was a great sale," said a spokeswoman for auctioneers Bonhams minutes after the dagger went under the hammer Thursday.
She was unable to immediately disclose name of the buyer.
"Of course we are very happy - it was a great sale," said a spokeswoman for auctioneers Bonhams minutes after the dagger went under the hammer Thursday.
She was unable to immediately disclose name of the buyer.
India’s art fair ropes in big global galleries
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The second edition of the Indian Modern and Contemporary Art Fair 2009, the sub-continent's official art fair, will be bigger, better and more global this year with 16 international galleries, 64 speakers and 25 media partners from across the globe.
The three-day fair will be held during August 19-22 at the Pragati Maidan, the capital's trade and exhibition hub.
Top authors of the week – Ramchandra Guha, Mohsin Hamid
By IANS
New Delhi : Ramachandra Guha's "India After Gandhi" continues to attract readers this week while Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" is back as number one fiction seller.
Tyeb Mehta to triumph at online auction
By Uma Nair, IANS
New York : Tyeb Mehta's untitled work of an androgynous falling figure is set to triumph at Saffronart's winter online auction of modern India art works.
The auction, which will take place Dec 5-6 on www.saffronart.com, is the 19th in the series by leading online modern art auctioneer Saffronart and features 110 works by 36 artists.
Tyeb Mehta's untitled work of 2000, a soft green and grey toned acrylic on canvas, is estimated at a hefty $400,000-$600,000. However, a sumptuous set of14 makes F.N. Souza the most coveted artist at the auction.
Six decades of dynamic filmmaking in India
By Prithwish Ganguly, IANS
New Delhi : From projecting the Nehruvian idea of nation building and giving the rebel a cause to candyfloss romances and evolution of parallel cinemas, Bollywood has churned out thousands of films over the past six decades and has interestingly never followed a trend.
"The industry has been very dynamic. Over the past 60 years, many good films have been produced but if we talk about great films, landmark films, we don't have many. Nevertheless, we are improving and showing signs of maturity," said veteran film scholar Derek Bose.
Kerala yet to warm up to Christmas
By Sanu George, IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : A merry Christmas? People in Kerala are not so sure this time. Global recession, the Mumbai terror attack and even the weather are playing spoilsport, they say.
"The one thing that really signals the arrival of the Christmas season is the winter that begins in the first week of December. This time my grandchildren are asking me why the morning nip is not there," said Pappachen in Kottayam.
Three Muslim women in Man Asia long list
Three Muslim women in Man Asia long list
New Delhi: Three Muslim women found themselves among the 21 selected for Man Asia Literary Prize. The long list of 21 unpublished works includes work from Anjum Hasan, Daisey Hasan, and Salma.
The 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize long list was chosen from submissions received from all over Asia. The largest single group of submissions was from India, followed by the Philippines.
A short list of five works will be announced in October 2008 and winner awarded in November.
Exhibition recapitulates spiritual master Sohan Qadri’s journey
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
“Poet reads Poet” programme to promote “Betel Nut City” in Guwahati
A “Poet reads Poet” programme was organised at ‘NEthing’ in Guwahati on Sunday evening in which Namrata Pathak read out from Shalim M Hussain’s...
Hues of India on London street
By IANS
New Delhi : Be it the music, the flavour on the palette or the feel of the fabric - everything that can be seen, heard or felt at London's premier Regent Street Sep 2 will be very much Indian.
The Regent Street Festival will bring a slice of India to the heart of London as part of the ongoing India Now campaign being organised by the Mayor of London.
Bihar: These Muslim women break taboo by learning Madhubani painting
A project for women to learn Madhubani painting saw mostly Muslim girls turning up to learn.
Sufi Parween | TwoCircles.net
MADHUBANI (BIHAR)—A bunch of Muslim girls...
Moore returns to Cannes with scathing look at healthcare
By Andrew McCathie
DPA
Cannes : The larger-than-life figure of US filmmaker Michael Moore jetted into Cannes this week stirring up the film festival with a screening Saturday of his latest polemic - a scathing look at the US health service.
Drums brought a ‘quantum of solace’ to Pete Locket
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Multi-percussionist Pete Lockett, who is touring India to promote a collaborative rhythm album with Indian associate Bickram Ghosh, is on a roll. His latest piece of music - in the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" - has just been released.
Lockett, voted the best percussionist in the world by the Rhythms magazine, had earlier worked on the soundtrack for several James Bond movies, including "Die Another Day", "The World is Not Enough", "Tomorrow Never Dies" and "Casino Royale".
Amitabh picks on Sinha in his blog
By IANS
Mumbai : Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in his blog has lashed out against Shatrughan Sinha's insinuations that the nominations list of the International Indian Film Academy awards were fixed.
Ambedkar Age Digital Bookmobile: Displaying centuries-old songs, and artworks on anti-caste struggle of Maharashtra
The project aims to collect Maharashtra’s long history of social reform, accessing 500-year-old traditions of song-writing, performances and poetry against caste-based exploitation and untouchability.
Riya...
Bihar Anjuman welcomes Sikh pilgrims to Patna on the occasion of Prakash Utsav
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Patna: Bihar Anjuman, a voluntary organization of Bihar, welcomed Sikh devotees during the 350th Prakash Utsav of Guru Gobind Singh in...
Eminent Indian artist Balu dies in road accident
By IANS
Bangalore : Eminent Indian artist Velachery Balu, 79, died in a hit-and-run road accident near his residence here, the police said Friday.
Basavangudi police inspector Ramalinga Gowda told IANS the accident occurred Thursday when Balu was hit from the side by a speeding two-wheeler while crossing the road after his evening walk.
"Balu was crossing the road towards his house from the nearby M.N. Krishna Rau Park when the unidentified scooterist knocked him down and sped away, leaving the artist bleeding with severe head injuries.
Oliver Stone wants to make biopic on Ahmadinejad
By IANS
New York : Talented filmmaker Oliver Stone has requested Iranian officials to allow him to make a biopic about their president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Environmenatlists oppose move to shrink eco-zone near Taj
Agra: Local environmentalists on Wednesday again voiced their opposition to the Uttar Pradesh government's move to reduce the eco-sensitive zone limit around Sur Sarovar...
Jordan returns 2,466 stolen artefacts to Iraq
By DPA,
Amman : The Jordanian government Sunday handed back to Iraq 2,446 artefacts which Amman said were seized from smugglers after the US-led invasion of the neighbouring country.
The treasures were handed over by Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Maha Khatib to her Iraqi counterpart Mohammad al-Oraibi during a press conference.
The antiquities were seized by the Jordanian customs authorities during 22 anti-smuggling operations, Khatib said.
Doyen of Urdu poetry Shaharyar is no more
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net
Lucknow: "Ek tum hi nahin tanha ulfat mein meri ruswa; is sheher mein tum jaise deewane hazaaron hain…" Shaharyar.
“I want to break the othering of Indian Muslims in media,” says film-maker Fahim...
In this free-wheeling interview, filmmaker Fahim Irshad of Aani Maani fame talks about the depiction of Indian Muslims in media, film, and society and...
1,500-year-old Vishnu statues stolen from Dhaka airport
By IANS
Dhaka : Two 1,500-year-old terracotta statues of Hindu god Vishnu, bound for an exhibition in Paris, have been stolen while in the custody of Air France at the Zia International Airport (ZIA), embarrassing Bangladeshi as well as French authorities.
Named "Vishnu" and "Bust of Vishnu", the statues are from Gupta era of the seventh century. They were discovered in a dig at Mahasthangarh of Bogra district and were in the custody of National Museum here.
The two statues were moved to the airport premises recently to be part of the consignment headed for Paris.
‘Satyameva Jayate’ is for all those who love India: Aamir Khan
By Uma Ramasubramanian,
Mumbai : Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan returns with the second edition of his much appreciated talk show "Satyamev Jayate" and says it...
Picasso works stolen from diplomat’s home in Austria
By IANS
Vienna : A pencil drawing by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso valued at some $250,000 was stolen in Austria from the private collection of a Russian diplomat, Spanish news agency EFE said quoting the police.
Nitish gives full marks to ‘PK’
Patna : Former Bihar chief minster Nitish Kumar Wednesday gave "full 10 marks out of 10" to Aamir Khan's film "PK", saying it is...
Musical extravaganza from the banks of Brahmaputra
By IANS
New Delhi : It was a pleasant February evening which complemented the ambience created by dancers, singers and musicians from Assam who weaved a web of magic around the capital's audience at the Festival of Arts from the Banks of Brahmaputra programme at the India International Centre Sunday evening.
In her soulful voice, which could carry the sky-high notes and immediately touch some lower ones with equal élan, noted Assamese singer Madhumita Acharya Biswas sang some of the well-known compositions of the legendary singer and composer, Bhupen Hazarika.
Artist working on creating Rashtrapati Bhavan’s digital legacy
New Delhi : As you walk into artist Pratap Morey's room, you are greeted with a panoramic art panel on which the multidisciplinary artist...
Pakistan to attend Int’l Tourism exhibition in June
By APP
Beijing : Pakistan has been invited to participate in the 2008 Beijing International Tourism Exhibition (BITE) being held at the first half of this year. Revealing the details of the exhibition the Deputy Director General of Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA) Mrs Xiong Yumei said that the exhibition would be held between June 19 to 21.
Another senior official Mrs. Gu Xiao Yue speaking on the occasion said that invitations for the exhibitions have also been extended to a number of countries and region for their participation.
Oscar-winning British director wants to explore India for stories
By Natalia Ningthoujam
New Delhi: He has never had a "direct experience" in India, but wants to visit the country, which has an "interesting relationship"...
Chandrasekaran’s book in non-fiction award shortlist
By IANS
London : A book by Indian-origin author Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a former Washington Post bureau chief in Baghdad, is among six books short-listed for the Samuel Johnson non-fiction prize worth 30,000 pounds.
The book, "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" (Bloomsbury), says that the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq gave a 24-year-old who had never worked in finance the job of revitalising the Baghdad stock exchange.
A wave of change in Indian contemporary art
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS
New Delhi : Meet India's first artist duo of Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, aged 30 and 28 respectively. The communication designers with black spectacles, nerdish faces and little goatees paint the angst and aspirations of Punjabi youth hooked to fake designer labels and a passage to "Amreeca".
In November, T&T, as they are monikered, converted a gallery in New Delhi into a "departmental store selling fake goods" for their art exhibition.
Aadesh teams up with Grammy winner
By Subhash K. Jha,
Indo-Asian News Service
Mumbai : If all goes well, the sound of the Indian dhol will rise and swell in the US. Composer Aadesh Shrivastava has teamed up with Grammy award winning Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean for a song and used 60 dhols in the score.
"Wyclef, who has sung with Shakira in 'Hips Don't Lie' has asked me to contribute to his solo album. I'm composing and arranging the strings and rhythms. I'll be billed the co-producer of his album," Shrivastava told IANS.
The Wyclef track with Shrivastava is called "Immigration".
Limited prints help art lovers during economic meltdown
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : For those with stretched resources in times of recession but with a passion for art, the market is bending backward to match the fragile strength of their purse.
Till a few years ago, serigraphs or affordable screen printed versions of paintings allowed buyers to take their favourite artists home. It was followed by Giclee or ink jet prints of art works, which stormed the imagination of buyers after Fuschia Tree, a Hong Kong-based online gallery, brought it to India.
It’s mission India for Hollywood
By Priyanka KhannaIANS New Delhi : While an Indian court's decree to arrest Hollywood star Richard Gere for kissing in public has been hogging...
Huge piece of Berlin Wall helps Newseum tell media story
By DPA
Washington : Even removed from Berlin, the watchtower has a threatening mood to it. Along with the 11-metre wide section of the defunct Berlin Wall - said to be the largest outside Germany - it provides visitors of Washington's newest museum a formidable insight into what life behind the wall in Berlin might have been.
It may seem strange to find these relics of Cold War history in the Newseum, which is to open Friday on Washington's fabled Pennsylvania Avenue and is dedicated to the media and freedom of the press.
Zakir Hussain’s first Sydney concert a sell-out success
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain dazzled Sydneysiders by demonstrating his ability to fuse orchestration, virtuosity and showmanship into a seamless outpouring of music.
The tabla maestro's first-ever concert at the Sydney Opera House Sunday was a sell-out success, featuring the traditional repertoire on tabla in solo and duet, as well as collaborations exploring the frontier between traditional and contemporary, folk and classical.
Appeals, warnings against pruning, cutting green trees for Holi-eve bonfires ignored in Bihar
By Imran Khan,
Patna : Ignoring appeal and warnings against pruning or cutting down green trees to collect firewood for bonfires on Holi eve, hundreds...
Earth inspires fashion gurus at WIFW
By Azera Rahman, IANS
New Delhi : With earthy shades like browns, beiges, greens and olives colouring the ramp, one thing is evident at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW): that the roots of what inspires some of our top notch designers are embedded in Mother Earth herself.
Dressed in an olive green bag pants that looked very much like - but only in a more exaggerated form - the Patiala pants Indian women wear with kurtas, Siddartha Tytler said his collection at the fashion week is "all about our planet".
Tytler's theme was titled 'Fusion Earth 3000 A.D.'
Trafalgar Square to light up for Diwali in London
By IANS
London : Trafalgar Square, London's favourite point of assembly, will light up with Diwali lights for this year's celebrations of the festival of lights.
Organised by the Mayor of London and the Diwali in London Committee, and sponsored by Tilda Basmati, the free event Oct. 28 will be open to all and will see the cemented square transformed by magical light displays, floating lanterns, and music and dance performances.
Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Dussehra after two decades
By IANS
Srinagar : A towering effigy of demon king Ravana was set afire followed by bursting of crackers as Kashmiri Pandits celebrated the popular festival of Dussehra in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of full 20 years.
The Kashmiri Pandit Sagharsh Samiti (KPSS), an organization of the Kashmiri Pandits, this year restarted the celebration of the popular festival in Kashmir as per the "age-old tradition".
The celebrations were held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium here.
Indian classical dance now a global heritage
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Once confined to temples, Indian classical dance is crossing the seas, creating new cross-cultural idioms and churning out foreign exponents.
Classical dancers of foreign origin say genres like bharatanatyam, kathak and mohiniattam have become fashion, wellness and cultural statements among GenNext in Southeast Asia and in the West because of their heritage and mystic pull.
Polish-born artist completes 40-metre picture of late pope
By DPA,
Muenster : A Polish-born artist has completed a 40-metre-long painting depicting Pope John Paul II, and said she believes it is the largest oil painting ever of the late pope.
Made up of a series of 26 canvasses, each 2.5 metres tall, the composite picture is to go on public view from Wednesday until April in a theatre in the northern German city of Muenster.
"Oh Karol" depicts Polish-born Karol Wojtyla, who was pope from 1978 till 2005, at various stages of his papacy.
Salman has Rs.200 crore riding on him
Mumbai : The verdict is out -- Salman Khan was on Wednesday sentenced to five years in jail for a 2002 hit-and-run accident. And...
Hyderabadi culture celebrated in Mississauga
By TCN News,
Toronto (Canada): Hyderabadi culture, in all its dazzling glory, was in full display at the annual Mehfil-e-Hyderabad gala event held on June 19, 2010 at the Versailles Convention Center in Mississauga. There was music, authentic Hyderabadi food, speeches, a raffle featuring round trip air tickets to Hyderabad from Etihad Airways, and above all great company.
Raza’s ‘La Terre’ fetches $2.5 million at Christie’s
By IANS,
London : Indian artist Syed Haider Raza's "La Terre" has fetched a record $2.5 million at Christie's Post War sale here.
The leading highlight "La Terre", a work done as far back as 1973 by Raza (b.1922), one of India's leading modern artists, sold for 1,273,250 pounds (over $2.5 million) setting a new record Sunday.
Three works by Subodh Gupta were unable to set any records against the high pressure bidding of international favourites, said a bidder in London who felt that Gupta has been hyped by market conditions.
Book calls for ‘religious disarmament’ on conversions
By IANS
New Delhi : Religious conversion is a complex and emotionally charged issue but fundamentalists of all hues exploit it, liberals confuse it and many do not comprehend what the fuss is about, says a new book.
Queer fest, celebrating alternative sexuality
By IANS
New Delhi : An unwaxed pair of hands adorned with silver bangles holding a man in an embrace, two girls with their lips locked - these were just some raw emotions on display Tuesday at a photo exhibition here, part of the Queer Fest that celebrates alternative sexuality.
India, foreign artists join hands to raise environmental awareness
By IANS,
New Delhi : Art is set to go green with one of India's biggest community art projects, 48°C, being undertaken in the national capital to raise awareness about the spectre of global warming.
Spread across eight urban localities in Delhi, the Dec 12-21 project will be carried out by both Indian and foreign artists, including big names like Ichi Ikeda from Japan, Mary Miss from US and Delhi-based Subodh Gupta.
Shehnai on the verge of extinction in Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : Shehnai, a wind instrument, is on the verge of extinction in Bangladesh, laments a music exponent.
Shamsur Rahman, who partly learnt to play the shehnai by listening to records of India's celebrated Ustad Bismillah Khan, has said it is "almost impossible" to survive in Bangladesh as a shehnai player.
The tradition is almost becoming extinct in Bangladesh and it has compelled Rahman to concentrate more on flutes, though he says "my heart always seeks the soothing melodies of the shehnai", the New Age newspaper reported Wednesday.
Muslim families make stoves for Hindu festival
By Imran Khan, IANS
Patna : Many Muslim families in Bihar are currently busy making 'chulhas', or earthen stoves, used to prepare the holy offering for the Chhath festival of the Hindus, in yet another example of communal amity in India.
Mohammad Nizam, along with his wife and children, has made the special stoves for Hindu devotees who use it during the four-day Chhath that began Wednesday. His family is one of a dozen Muslim families engaged in making earthen chulhas in Patna and elsewhere.
Paintings at antique shop 27 years after theft
By DPA
Bamberg : Four masterpieces by painter Lucas Cranach, the Elder (1472-1553) have been discovered in a German antique shop, 27 years after thieves ripped them from a church in communist-run East Germany.
The foldout pictures on wood, each about 1 metre tall, depict the birth of Saint John the Baptist.
The set would be worth several hundred thousand euros, art experts said. The thieves who took the paintings from the Lutheran church at Klieken near Wittenberg in 1980 were never caught.
Bamberg : Four masterpieces by painter Lucas Cranach, the Elder (1472-1553) have been discovered in a German antique shop, 27 years after thieves ripped them from a church in communist-run East Germany.
The foldout pictures on wood, each about 1 metre tall, depict the birth of Saint John the Baptist.
The set would be worth several hundred thousand euros, art experts said. The thieves who took the paintings from the Lutheran church at Klieken near Wittenberg in 1980 were never caught.
In the office of Kolom, a Kolkata-based newspaper, Hindus join Muslims for Iftar
By Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net
Over the last two years, starting from the inhuman killing of Akhlaq to the recent lynching of Pehlu Khan in...
Kolkata bids to become Unesco’s World City of Literature
By IANS
Kolkata : The failure to hold this year's book fair may be haunting Kolkata, but the city of poets and writers has thrown its hat in the ring for the World City of Literature title bestowed by Unesco.
At a hotel this week, the city's intelligentsia gathered under the auspices of the British Council to formally launch its bid for Unesco's coveted World City of Literature title.
Scotland's capital Edinburgh is the first, and till date, the only city designated by Unesco as a World City of Literature under its Creative Cities Network programme.
Indian designers show the art of being crystalline
By IANS
New Delhi : Five top Indian designers are partnering Swarovski to use crystals not only in their clothing line, but also in shoes, jewellery and interiors, in an indication of what would be in vogue in the upcoming spring-summer season.
The designers - Tarun Tahiliani, J.J. Valaya, Manish Arora, Rohit Bal and Suneet Verma - used the crystals in a variety of media to showcase their creative brilliance on the theme 'Art of Being' at a press conference here Tuesday.
‘Time was right to create Indian character in Archie comics’
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Raj Patel, the Indian-American teenager introduced in recent Archie comics, will be a very active character in the Archie universe and is here to stay.
"We did a lot of research and back story for Raj. We have only scratched the surface with him," Rik Offenberger, public relations coordinator of Archie Comic Publications, told IANS.
Artist Subodh Gupta to receive award
New Delhi : Leading contemporary artist Subodh Gupta will Nov 18 receive the 2014 Dayawati Modi award for art, culture and education, the organisers...
This Ramzan, be a good husband: Say No to domestic abuse
By Asma -Nama
I know, it must sound odd to you.
A woman giving a piece of advice to men?
What’s more, asking them to...
‘Razia Sultan’ zooms in on women’s empowerment
New Delhi : "Razia Sultan", a new historical show on the first woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, aims to bring the message of...
Wannabe innovator? Dig into these success stories
By Papri Sri Raman, IANS
Book: "How Innovators Connect"; Authors: Rohit Agarwal and Patricia Brown; Publishers: Himalaya Publishing House; Price: Rs.950
Kaleem Ajiz takes charge as chairman of Bihar Urdu Standing Committee
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Patna: Padmashree Professor Kaleem Ajiz took the charge as the Chairman of Bihar Urdu Standing Committee (Bihar Urdu Mushawarati Committee) on 25th June. He was given a warm welcome in the secretariat office after assuming the office.
Author of several books and classical ghazals, Dr. Ajiz is a retired professor of Patna University and a recipient of the much coveted Padmashree award for his contributions to Urdu literature. True to his love to Urdu, he sent the government information about his joining the committee as the chairman in Urdu language.
Guha and Hamid continue to interest Delhi readers
By IANS
New Delhi : Delhi readers obviously can't get enough of Ramachandra Guha's "India After Gandhi" and Mohsin Hamid's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" with the two books continuing as bestsellers.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction categories this week are:
Non-Fiction
1. "India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy"
Author : Ramachandra Guha
Publisher : Picador India
Price : Rs.695.00
2. "India's Unending Journey: Finding Balance in a Time of Change"
Author : Mark Tully
Publisher : Rider
Price : Rs.450.00
Museum in Tagore’s Bangladesh estate short of funds, care
By IANS,
Dhaka : The headquarters of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's erstwhile family estate in Bangladesh's Shahzadpur, now a museum, is lying neglected due to shortage of funds and care, a media report said.
The Rabindra Kachharibari in Shahzadpur and the memorabilia it houses are in a shabby state. Preservation, funds and staff are desperately needed.
Nahid Sultana, custodian of the museum, told The Daily Star that many visitors come to the Kachharibari every day but the accommodation for them is not satisfactory. There is no guest house or toilet in the premises.
गुरुग्राम : जहां मुसलमान पढ़ रहे थे नमाज़ ,वहीं हिन्दू संगठन करने लगे कीर्तन
जिब्रानउद्दीन।twocircles.net
बीते शुक्रवार, गुरुग्राम के सेक्टर 47 में मुस्लिम समुदाय के लोगों को एक बार फिर जुमे की नमाज़ अदा करने में दिक्कत का सामना...
Indian artist crafts tribute in sand to Obama
By IANS,
Puri (Orissa) : As the United States Wednesday elected Barack Obama as its 44th president, across the seas in India's eastern Orissa state artist Sudarsan Patnaik busied himself crafting a four feet sand image of the first African American in the White House.
Patnaik used three tonnes of sand to pay tribute to Obama in Puri, 56 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. He also created a colourful image of the US national flag with the message, 'Congratulations'.
Hundreds of tourists thronged the beach to see the sand sculpture by Patnaik and his students.
Documenting the ground realities of pollution in Agra
By Paras Nath Choudhary, IANS
Book: "Taj Mahal In Pollution Cauldron"; Author Brij Khandelwal; Publisher: RK Books, Darya Ganj, New Delhi; Price: Rs.175
The earth's atmosphere bristles with heat-trapping gases and serious changes in climate. If carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere continue at the present rate, a whopping increase in temperature is inevitable by the end of this century with frightening consequences.
After Paris decades, S.H. Raza wants to assimilate with India
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Pakistani poet who advocated better ties with India is dead
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistani Ahmed Faraz, considered one of the greatest Urdu poets and an ardent advocate of better ties with India, died here at age 77.
Faraz, who died Monday night, is survived by his wife and three sons. He had taken ill during a visit to the US and had spent over a month in a hospital in Chicago.
Born in Nowshera (Pakistan) Jan 14, 1931, Faraz was often compared with the legendary Faiz Ahmed Faiz. He belonged to the category of litterateurs such as Firaq, Ismat Chugtai, Saadat Hasan Manto, Mohinder Singh Bedi, Ali Sardar Jafri and Makhmoor Jalandhari.
Religious fervour marks Gurpurab in Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh : Holiest of Sikh shrines 'Harmandar Sahib', popularly known as Golden Temple, in Amritsar and other gurdwaras elsewhere across Punjab and Haryana saw...
Bollywood heads to Kashmir for filming
By Sheikh Imran Bashir, AIP,
Srinagar: With the arrival of summer season, many Bollywood stars have landed in Jammu and Kashmir, for shooting of their upcoming films amid the picturesque locales.
Once a favourite with Bollywood filmmakers, Kashmir had lost out after being rocked with insurgency for over 20 years. The scenic valley is, however, once again being noticed by filmmakers.
The latest film unit to land in Srinagar city is the cast and crew of Bollywood film 'Saat Khoon Maaf' directed by filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.
Roman sex artefacts on show at Germany’s Trier museum
By DPA
Trier (Germany) : Erotic carvings and excavated Roman artefacts connected to sex will go on display Saturday in Germany's best-preserved ancient Roman city Trier.
The temporary exhibition, 100,000 Years of Sex, comprises 250 items, mainly archaeological.
They date back to the Stone Age and show how our ancestors experienced lust and procreation, said Mechthild Neyses-Eiden, deputy director of the museum.
Film on legendary Sikh warrior released
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the mini-parliament of Sikh religion, Wednesday released a one-hour telefilm "Baba Banda Singh Bahadar" to pay tribute to the legendary warrior.
The telefilm, made to mark the 300th anniversary of Bahadar's Sirhind Fateh Divas (win) in May, was released by Gurbachan Singh, jathedar (head priest) of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion.
This is for the first time that a live character has been allowed to play the role of a prominent personality from Sikh history.
Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan conferred with Padma Vibhushan
New Delhi : Cinema icons Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan were conferred with Padma Vibhushan -- India's second highest civilian honour -- by President...
No question of taking back Sahitya Akademi award: Bengali poet
Kolkata : Bengali poet Mandakranta Sen, who recently gave up her Sahitya Akademi award, on Friday refused to take it back, saying though...
Satellite survey of Nalanda ruins begins in Bihar
By IANS
Patna : Scientists from the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) are conducting a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey in Bihar's Nalanda district to trace the location of the buried ancient structures.
Officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Patna circle, said Thursday a five-member team of scientists from the NRSA has begun a four-day GPR survey in Nalanda.
The GPR survey is being conducted for the first time in Bihar. GPR survey has proved beneficial across the world in exploration of archaeological structures.
Government designs new strategy for revival & resurgence of handloom production
BY TCN News,
New Delhi: The government is aiming to increase handloom exports from about Rs. 2,500 crore at present to Rs. 4,500 crore in...
Indian poet felicitated by Romanian Writers Union
By IANS,
Bucharest : Indian poet, writer and journalist Surender Bhutani was felicitated by the Romanian Writers Union Saturday when a collection of his poems was released in Romanian language.
George Anca, a famous indologist of Romania, has translated Bhutani's poems from English and Urdu into Romanian. Bhutani' s earlier works have been translated into Polish.
A known Urdu poet, Bhutani has written six volumes in the language and has now started writing in English also.
Rahman talks nothing, but music: Yash Chopra
By IANS,
New Delhi: Oscar winning composer A.R. Rahman's dedication to work has left filmmaker Yash Chopra amazed.
Alisadr, world’s most fabulous water cave
By IRNA
Hamedan : Alisadr Cave in Hamedan province, as the world's most fabulous water cave and one of the most beautiful natural phenomena, attracts thousands of tourists towards itself every year.
It is the only national cave turned into a tourist attraction, which annually attracts over 300,000 visitors to Hamedan province.
Hamedan : Alisadr Cave in Hamedan province, as the world's most fabulous water cave and one of the most beautiful natural phenomena, attracts thousands of tourists towards itself every year.
It is the only national cave turned into a tourist attraction, which annually attracts over 300,000 visitors to Hamedan province.
Indian Cinema has lost its tradition: Muzaffar Ali
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Noted film producer and director Muzaffar Ali has said that films are the powerful media to revolutionize the society. Lamenting the present scenario of the film, he said that Indian Cinema has lost its tradition and sub standard films as been being produced.
‘Queens Boulevard’: Indian dressing in multicultural salad
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Its hero may be an Indian American, it may be inspired by a Kerala dance form, and its final denouement reminiscent of the Shakuntala-Dushyant story, but the musical "Queens Boulevard" remains essentially a celebration of mutli-culturalism epitomised by the Queens borough of New York.
The play's restless writer, Charles Mee, avowedly seeks out influences from foreign lands and cultures. For his latest offering running till Jan 3 at Signature Theatre's off-Broadway production, he found the inspiration while in Kerala.
Back to basics: Masters show importance of lines and strokes
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : In this age of digitisation of art, lines, drawing, figures and manual artistic skill have taken a backseat. To highlight the importance of these basics, the capital's oldest art display house, the Dhoomimal Gallery, is holding an exhibition of 100 works by 80 artists.
"Drawing: The Essence II" shows the importance of line, strokes and basic drawing in the journey of Indian art - from its pristine classical forms to modernism, abstraction and complex digital play.
President to join Asiatic Society celebration
By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil will go to Kolkata Saturday to take part in the celebrations of the 225-year-old The Asiatic Society and a 150-year-old public library, it was announced Friday.
This would be her first visit to West Bengal since she became president.
During her two-day visit, she would participate in celebrations of The Asiatic Society Saturday and the 150th year of the Uttarpara Jai Krishna Public Library at Hooghly Sunday.
Cremation ground near Taj Mahal gets new lease of life
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS
Agra : As the Taj Mahal fights for a place among the seven wonders of the world, the cremation ground near the love memorial is being given a facelift by artists here.
Lack of development of AMU Malappuram may hurt chances of IUML’s Manjalamkuzhy Ali
By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Kozhikode: The AMU Malappuram centre was established in 2010, but even after six years, it is no secret that the off-campus...
Exacavation on to trace Nalanda varsity’s main gateway
By IANS,
Patna : Excavation work has started to find the main gateway to Bihar's 2,500-year-old Nalanda University, considered to be one of the world's first residential universities.
A part of the ruins of the ancient university is still standing but its main entrance is yet to be found.
A team of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started excavation work last week at Ghorakatora mound near Giriyak in Nalanda district, about 100 km from here, to find the main gateway.
Bollywood makes Hindi popular among Australian students
By IANS
Sydney : Bollywood has made the Hindi language course offered by the University of Sydney's Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) quite popular among Australian students.
Jodhpur to host international folk festival
By Anil Sharma, IANS
Jodhpur : About 250 artistes from India and across the world will gather in this desert city for a five-day Rajasthan International Folk Festival Oct 25-29.
"The audiences will be able to watch them face to face through various interactive educational events, stage performances and late night jam sessions, with the unparalleled beauty of the Mehrangarh Fort forming the backdrop," Mahaveer Sharma, trustee of the Jaipur Virasat Foundation, told IANS.
Curbs on Tamil TV shows, Hindu priests in Malaysia
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia's Information Ministry has decided to ban screening of Tamil dramas imported from India and shown on its TV2 channel.
Former minister and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy Vellu said that the decision to ban such dramas was surprising as India was the only country that produced Tamil dramas for Malaysian viewers, Malaysia Namban newspaper said.
Vellu said that the MIC secretary general and Human Resources Minister S. Subramaniam had raised the matter at this week's cabinet meeting.
Sudhir Kakar probes connect between psyche and spirit
By IANS,
New Delhi : It has been a rather profound journey for psychoanalyst-author Sudhir Kakar from translating the Kamasutra into English to exploring Indian sexuality to probing the existence of the mad and divine in today's materialistic world.
Sudhir Kakar's latest book, "Mad and Divine: Spirit and Psyche in the Modern World", released in the capital Thursday, deals with the separation of the spirit and the body favoured by psychoanalysis.
ग्राऊंड रिपोर्ट : दलितों की बस्तियों का नाम बदलने से नही सुधरेगी उनकी हालात
आलोक राजपूत twocircles.net के लिए
BJP सरकार के द्वारा सभी राज्यों एवं केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों को ये आदेश देने के बाद कि सरकारी...
Bangladeshi Sufi-Baul musician enthralls Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi : Fifty-year-old Kangalini Sufia sings of freedom and god. The wandering minstrel from Bangladesh is a Baul folk musician of the Sufiana tradition - a blend of Bengali baul (village folk music) and the Islamic Sufi music that originated in Persia and subsequently travelled to India.
A follower of Bangladeshi Sufi-baul legend Lalon Fakir, Kangalini was in the capital to perform at the ongoing Delhi International Arts festival with her nine-member band at the Ashok amphi-theatre Sunday.
Goa to host Know India Programme for diaspora
By IANS
New Delhi : Goa is all set to host the latest edition of the Know India Programme (KIP), an orientation event held by the government to help diaspora youth know more about Indian way of life and culture that starts Aug 29, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said here Monday.
Ravi said this year's event, which will go on till Sep 15, would specially target Indian origin youth rather than non-resident Indians (NRIs).
‘Indian art market is becoming global’
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The high and mighty in the world of Indian art and its western promoters are now in the sprawling arena of the capital's exhibition grounds to take contemporary Indian art and a few foreign exhibits to the masses.
In the process, it is pushing the boundaries of trade and appreciation of the medium beyond galleries and stray shows.
Mauritius PM announces $250,000 for ancestral Bihar village
By IANS
Patna : Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam late Monday announced $250,000 for the development of roads and a hospital in his ancestral village in Bihar and also annual scholarships to two students from the state.
Describing Bihar as his motherland, Ramgoolam announced $250,000 for Harigaon village in Bhojpur district. He is to visit his ancestral village on Tuesday and spend about three hours there. He will also take part at a public reception in his honour.
Indian awards will overtake Oscars: Kamal Haasan
By IANS,
Chennai : Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan, whose latest release "Dasavatharam" is making waves across the country, says Indian film awards will soon overtake the globally famed Oscars.
"The day when Hollywood would yearn for awards from India rather than (us) running behind the Oscars is not far off going by the improving quality of our films," Kamal said while releasing the audio of the forthcoming film "Kodaikanal" Monday.
Kadar Khan fine, upset with death rumours
By IANS,
Mumbai: Veteran actor Kadar Khan is hale and hearty and says his family is really upset with rumours about his death doing the rounds on the social-networking sites.
Panel studying classical language status for Telugu, Kannada
By IANS,
New Delhi : A committee of experts is examining whether to grant Telugu and Kannada the status of classical languages. Tourism Minister Ambika Soni conveyed this to visiting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy here Thursday.
During the half-hour meeting, Reddy urged Soni, who is also the culture minister, to grant classical language status to Telugu.
Soni said an experts committee is examining the issue of granting Telugu and Kannada classical languages status.
Worshipping Krishna – child, lover, god, philosopher
By IANS
New Delhi : Millions of Hindus in India and abroad Tuesday celebrated Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, one of the most popular Hindu gods, with special prayers, spiritual discourses, dance and music.
The day started with people thronging Krishna temples, with devotion in their hearts and prayers on their lips.
Many temples wore a festive look, bedecked with flowers and illuminated by lamps. Several places of worship also had floats depicting scenes from Krishna's childhood.
World’s first oil paintings discovered in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Paris : Scientists using advanced methods to investigate cave paintings in the Afghan region of Bamiyan say they may have identified what could be the first images produced using oil pigments, the France-based European Synchroton Radiation Facility (ESRF) said Tuesday on its website.
The paintings were found in the caves located behind the site on which the Taliban destroyed two ancient Buddha statues. The caves had also suffered from damage by the Taliban and the environment.
Ramachandra Guha, Khaled Hosseini outsell others
By IANS
New Delhi : Readers continue to be fascinated by Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and Ramachandra Guha's "India After Gandhi", with both books outperforming others in the best-selling fiction and non-fiction lists yet again.
Brotherhood and fellowship mark Iftaar mehfil hosted by GMCH
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The faculty members and students of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) have been hosting Iftaar mehfils for the medical...
Harmony Art Show opens in Mumbai
By IANS
Mumbai : The 13th Harmony Art Show opened here with great pomp and style with almost 350 works by 173 artists from all over the country going up on display.
The art show, which is a brainchild of Tina Ambani, wife of industrialist Anil Ambani, broke its own record of last year that displayed 250 art works. The show was inaugurated by film personalities Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi at the Nehru Centre in Worli, central Mumbai.
Faith tree of Buddhism not keeping well
Bodh Gaya, May 10 (IANS) The Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, which is sacred to millions the world over since Lord Buddha attained enlightenment there about 2,550 years ago, is threatened by an unknown disease.
"Hundreds of fresh leaves of the holy tree are falling off daily like never before. Something is wrong with the tree," said a monk at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, about 100 km from Bihar's state capital Patna.
Different similarities – daughters of legendary Urdu poets recall fathers
By Vikas Datta,
Jaipur : They were among the best known Urdu poets of their day, and though their life trajectories unfolded differently, both cultural activist Salima Hashmi's father Faiz Ahmed Faiz and actress Shabana Azmi's father Kaifi Azmi had some important things in common - belief in poetry as an instrument of social change, hope for the future and refusal to peddle hatred.
Government finalises draft on Sethusamudram affidavit
By IANS
New Delhi : The cabinet Thursday gave the go-ahead to a draft affidavit on the Sethusamudram shipping canal project to be filed in the Supreme Court where critics have challenged the scheme.
The decision was taken at the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA). The government is expected to submit the affidavit next week.
This was CCPA's second meeting this week to finalise its stand on the draft affidavit. Last year, the government withdrew its affidavit after a row because it was seen challenging the existence of Hindu god Ram.
Project to plan teaching through art in Jammu
By IANS,
Jammu : The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Wednesday organised, for the first time, a workshop here aimed at integrating art into education.
Mega art competition to coincide with Commonwealth Games
By IANS,
New Delhi : Children from more than 2,000 schools will take part in a painting competition to pay tribute to the country's artistic talent as part of the arts and culture bouquet of the Commonwealth Games 2010.
The competition with theme "My Dream Sport" will be a platform for emerging Indian artists to lend colour to their creative imagination hinged on the country's rich legacy of sports. The competition is being billed as one of the largest in Asia.
Delhi celebrates Makar Sankranti with fervour
By IANS,
New Delhi : Children on the capital's terraces cheered as their kites soared higher, while the adults made sure the supply of sesame-seed sweets did not run out - that is how the harvest festival of Makar Sankranti was celebrated Wednesday.
The day started early for most families with visits to the temple as the Sun started its annual swing northwards, according to various Indian calendars. Harking back to the traditions of the harvest festival, devotees offered fresh sugarcane, rice or sesame to the Sun god.