Mappila culture: A harmonious mix of Arab and Kerala traditions
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
TCN Malabar series: Part 7
Suzuki method gains ground in German violin teaching
By Marco Hadem, DPA
Cologne (Germany) : Shut your eyes as little Lucia Gatzweiler plays the violin and it would be easy to forget she is just 10. From pianissimo to fortissimo, Lucia can span the full dynamic range as she plays Bach, Vivaldi, Paganini and Sibelius.
And she does it all without sheet music. That is the hallmark of the Suzuki method, which is popular in Japan and the US, but has never gained much traction in the orthodox world of German musical training.
सैय्यद हसन की याद में नज़्म
आह सय्यद हसन!
(अपने उस्ताद मुहतरम जनाब सय्यद हसन साहब, को मनज़ूम खिराज-ए-अक़ीदत)
By नदीम ज़फर जिलानी
हर शख़्स सोगवार है, हर आँख अश्कबार,
ग़ुंचे, लिपट के फूलों...
Woman priest, a mother – they fight cultural beliefs for change
By IANS,
New Delhi : At first glance, Suniti Gadgil doesn't look like a Hindu priest. One of the very few women who have broken yet another male bastion, Gadgil always wears a bright smile though not necessarily a priest's robes.
"My journey to becoming a priest has been a challenging one. Initially, people were not ready to accept it, even my husband did not support me. But now things have changed," Gadgil said at the UN Population Fund's (UNFPA) report release function Wednesday.
Historic Assam village in limelight for wrong reasons
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS,
Maishasan (Assam) : Dhananjoy Pal is a disenchanted man as he finds the name of his historic village, where over 100 Indian soldiers lost their lives at the hands of the British troops during the war of independence in 1857, hogging the media limelight for the wrong reasons.
The isolated village of Maishasan, about 370 km south of Assam's main city of Guwahati and located at India's border with Bangladesh in Karimganj district, is in the spotlight for being used as a route to push back illegal Bangladeshis by security forces.
SC refuses to allow Jallikattu
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to pass an interim order for allowing the bull taming sport -- Jallikattu -- during the...
Shaitan ki khala: Hinglish Vinglish
TwoCircles.net presents a new column by self-proclaimed "Shaitan ki khala" Asma Anjum Khana. TCN is not responsible for her shaitani ideas but they are worth reading and pondering.
By Asma Anjum Khan for TwoCircles.net,
English-Vinglish! #english#englishvinglish#sirsayyedahmedkhan#education
Ladies and gentlemen, have you got over your Mid May crisis? I did. Holidays, books and mangoes, helped. So now? Ready to take the new flight?
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.
Exhibition of contemporary art from Pakistan to commence in Mumbai on Saturday
NEW DELHI, Dec. 14: Indus Strokes an exhibition of contemporary art from Pakistan will commence in Mumbai on Saturday.
The exhibition being organized jointly by Ishi Jami from Pakistan and Ritu Jain from India in association with other organisations including Pakistan International Airlines, will be participated by twenty eight artists from Pakistan.
Leading Indian writer Javed Akhtar will be the guest of honour on the occasion. The Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah will also be guest of honour on November 18.
Bookmaking to puppetry, let your kid discover a new world
By Azera Rahman, IANS,
New Delhi : Calligraphy, puppetry, glass painting, theatre, clay modelling...Let that restless mind and those nimble fingers of your child discover her hidden talents at one of the many workshops in the capital this summer.
The summer workshops, which are timed carefully during school vacations at this time, are a joy for kids who are not always able to get their creative juices flowing amid the routine of classes and homework.
And they are certainly a relief for harried parents who don't want their children to while away their time during holidays.
Dad Hafiz Ali was a simpleton: Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
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.
Hyderabad’s history could date back to 500 BC
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Modern history tells us that Hyderabad is 419 years old but the discovery of an Iron Age burial site and Stone Age implements by archaeologists indicate that the city and surrounding areas could actually be over 2,500 years old.
The department of archaeology and museums has discovered an Iron Age site studded with megalithic burials near Ramoji Film City in Hayatnagar on the outskirts of the city. The archaeologists also discovered implements of the New Stone Age.
‘My memoir is on inter-relational experiences of caste’: Dalit rapper Sumit Samos
Sumeet Samos is a 28-year-old Dalit rapper whose memoir, published earlier this year, offers a fresh perspective on the Dalit autobiographical tradition.
Riya Talitha |...
Eighteenth century obituaries fathered current celebrity cult
By IANS,
Washington : The sudden rise in popularity of obituaries in the 18th century provided much of the impetus for the current world's obsession with the celebrity cult, a new study has found.
Elizabeth Barry, associate professor at the department of English, University of Warwick, has challenged perceptions that celebrity is a phenomenon born with the Romantic movement of the early 19th century.
Barry said people from all walks of life could now become famous for being eccentric, rather than for historically momentous achievements.
Archies, Barbies and glamourous morons
By Zohra Javed for TwoCircles.net,
Sometime back in a fashion show Bollywood star Katrina Kaif dressed up like Barbie and walked the ramp. That hit the front pages all over the country. And as if this was not enough, comparisons between Katrina and Aishwarya also started doing rounds and the reader was "informed" how the younger looking Katrina was more Barbie-like.
Four Indian authors among Man Asian Prize probables
By IANS,
Chennai : Four Indian authors have found a place in the long list of the prestigious Man Asian Literary Prize 2008.
All four Indians authors were published by Penguin, a statement from the publisher said Thursday.
The long list of the prize was announced July 22 and there are 21 writers on this list this year.
Facts and Fiction of Padmavat – the movie
By Misbahuddin Mirza:
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s recent movie – Padmaavat, is supposed to be based on the silly fictional tale written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi...
South Asian art fest to be held in Canada
By IANS
Toronto : An Indo-Canadian cultural group will hold an international art festival next month in Mississauga to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of Canada.
Farewell Faraz
By Sadia Dehlvi,
Lovers of Urdu mourn the death of Ahmed Faraz, undoubtedly the greatest romantic and revolutionary poet of our times. Earlier this week, Faraz was laid to rest in Islamabad, the city he made his home. One by one, the torchbearers of Urdu literature fade away.
Actors hone their skills in theatre workshops
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Schools have opened after their summer holidays. Now it is the turn of professional actors to hone their skills in theatre workshops and learn new techniques from experts.
Acting, as Russian actor and director Constantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski - the father of naturalistic acting - says, is a serious method where an actor uses his tools to portray reality.
Uttar Pradesh book fair to offer classics to cook books
By IANS,
Lucknow : Children's books, cook books, classics and a lot more will be on offer at a national book fair that begins here Sep 18, an organiser of the fair said.
The fair is being organised by the Federation of Publishers and Booksellers Association in India (FPBAI).
"The book fair will be a 10-day event that will start September 18 at the Balrampur Gardens," said Devraj Arora, the fair organiser.
Rahman releases new national anthem album
By IANS
Chennai : Noted composer A.R. Rahman Saturday released a new album based on the national anthem here.
The album was released just ahead of India's Independence Day at the Chennai Music World store in Spencer Plaza.
The DVD album was produced by BharatBala Productions, makers of the feature film "Hari Om" for the BBC, and the "Incredible India" advertising campaign.
The new album has 35 soundtracks, including tracks from Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsale, Balamuralikrishna, noted Carnatic singer D.K Pattammal and S.P.
Balasubramanium.
Indian art set to make waves at leading French institute
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian art is set to make waves at one of Europe's most avant garde multi-disciplinary institute of arts and culture - The Centre Pompidou in France - in a mega exhibition, 'Paris, Delhi, Bombay', in the spring of 2010.
The artists shortlisted to display their works include Subodh Gupta, duo Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, Anita Dube, Nalini Malani, Sudarshan Shetty and Shilpa Gupta.
The cache of exhibits will cover almost all genres of art - paintings, installations, performance art, video art, and derivatives (smaller art objects).
Malaysians to graduate in Indian classical music
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Come August and Malaysia will see the first batch of graduates and diploma holders in Indian classical music trained at a state-of-the-art school affiliated to an Indian university.
Malaysian students intending to study Indian classical music now pursue their interest in their own country through the Sangeetha Swara Laya, The Star said Monday.
The academy has 12 centres in Malaysia and is affiliated to the Alagappa University in Tamil Nadu, India, and the Alagappa Performing Arts Academy in California, US.
Zubin Mehta enthrals with his musical genius
By Surender Bhutani, IANS,
Warsaw : Zubin Mehta, who was born in Mumbai, enthralled thousands of Poles when he paid his musical tribute to the memory of millions of Jews who were killed by the Nazis during World War II.
The Polish government had specially invited Zubin Mehta, who is also the conductor of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Warsaw ghetto uprising. It was on April 15, 1943 that the remaining Jews of Warsaw came out from their ghetto to fight against Hitler's army with their Polish brethren.
Contemporary art is flavour of October auctions
By Uma Nair
London, (IANS) As back-to-back sales by Christie's and Sotheby's this month show, contemporary art at high-profile auctions is changing the complexion of interest in art.
"Contemporary art is becoming a global language; the interest is massive," Francis Outred, head of evening auctions and private sales at Sotheby's, told IANS.
"We've seen a generational change that is certainly here to stay," Outred said, adding that new "masterpieces are created all the time.
House full for Naseeruddin film in Pakistan theatre
By IANS
Lahore : Tickets for a Pakistani film starring Indian thespian Naseeruddin Shah and US actors were completely sold out at a new cinema hall here even as its release Friday was sought to be blocked through a petition before the Lahore High Court.
"Khuda Ke Liye" is paired with Hollywood blockbuster "Die Hard 4" at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), which was recently converted into a cinema hall.
Globalization on the silk route
Movie review: The Culture of Here
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Since 1980s, globalization has been a much used and rather abused word. But the fact is that trade between civilizations, countries, and continents have been going on for thousands of years. Until the middle of the twentieth century, borders between countries were never well defined.
Agra teenager sets world record for guitar playing
By IANS,
Agra : Fourteen-year-old Akash Gupta Tuesday set a new world record by playing his guitar for 45 hours here, Guinness World Records judge Ralph Hana said.
Akash began playing the instrument at the 162-year-old St. Peter's College Sunday and broke American Brian Engelhart's 2005 record of 44 hours at about 7 a.m. Tuesday.
However, the teenager continued playing, with the aim of breaking his own record of 52 hours and 48 minutes that earned him a place in the Limca Book of Records last year. Guiness does not recognise the Limca record.
Portugal becomes world’s seventh oldest nation
By Xinhua
Lisbon : Portugal has become the world's seventh oldest nation due to a falling birth rate and a rising proportion of senior citizens, the country's National Statistical Agency has said.
On average, a Portuguese woman has 1.36 children during her fertile years, down from the previous 1.41, the agency said in its latest report Wednesday.
The birth rate has been falling for 20 years. If the trend continues as it is, the nation will lose a quarter of its population by 2050, and will have a net population of 7.5 million people, according to the report.
Taiwan Bible Society brings fashion into Bible-selling
By DPA
Taipei : Fashion may not have any place in the spreading of the Christian gospel, but when it strides the stage of Bible-selling, something clicks and sales of the Good Book go up.
Since 2004, the Taiwan Bible Society has launched several versions of the Bible using trendy covers - jeans, army fatigues and leather - to appeal to young people and women.
The Bibles sold out fast, prompting the society to design more trendy versions of the Word of God.
Tamil Nadu lawyers protest heritage building demolition
By IANS,
Salem (Tamil Nadu) : Two lawyers Wednesday said they would move the Madras High Court to prosecute the Tamil Nadu government for alleged contempt of court following partial demolition of a heritage building.
State government officials demolished part of the 140-year-old collectorate here violating a stay order granted by a division bench of the high court comprising justices A.K. Ganguly and Ibrahim Khalifullah against the demolition, lawyers D. Damayanthi and N. Hari Babu told reporters here.
Urdu poet Hanif Akhgar Malihabadi is no more
By Afzal Usmani,
“Jo hai Taazgi meri zaat mein, wahi zikr-o-fikr chaman mein hai
Ke wajood mera kaheen bhi ho, meri rooh mere watan mein hai “
(Hanif Akhgar Malihabadi)
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.
Changing face of Muslims in Bollywood
By Priyanka Khanna, IANS
New Delhi : From indolent Nawabs chewing betel nuts to regular denizens going about their day-to-day life even as they surmount subtle signs of marginalisation and alienation, the caricature of Indian Muslims on Indian celluloid has undergone many changes.
The just released "Dhokha", revolves around a Muslim police officer in Mumbai who finds nothing in common with suicide bombers from his own community but is faced by the same questions that bog many in the minority community in India.
Assad performs Eid ul-Fitr prayers in Homs
Damascus : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday performed the morning prayers of Eid ul-Fitr in Homs, the media reported.
Usually the President performs the...
India Art Summit ends on mixed note in the capital
By IANS,
New Delhi : The curtain came down on the India Art Summit 2008 in the capital on a mixed note as a pall of gloom descended on the participants and the organisers alike with the news that M.F. Husain's exhibition was ransacked here.
But the organisers of the art summit - Hanmer MS&L, a multi-discipline communications and creative services firm - were happy that the fair was able to draw huge crowds, transact brisk commerce and thrash out issues facing the Indian art industry.
18th New Delhi World Book Fair 2008 begins, Iran present
By IRNA
New Delhi : A nine day long "18th New Delhi World Book Fair 2008" began in New Delhi Saturday with the participation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The second largest Book Fair in the world, inaugurated by K M Acharya, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource and Development, attended by 1200 publishers.
Apart from Indian publishing houses, participants from 23 countries including Iran have their stalls to showcase their publications.
Apex court directive may help non-Kannada films
By R.G. Vijaysarathy, IANS
Bangalore : A Supreme Court judgement calling for uniform entertainment tax for feature films in Andhra Pradesh may have far reaching box-office consequences for Kannada and non-Kannada films.
Ghulam Ali all set to perform in Lucknow
Lucknow: Ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali will perform at the Lucknow Mahotsava on Sunday night, and officials said they were taking no chances on the...
MyGov.in announces e-greetings design contest for Eid
New Delhi : An e-greetings design contest to mark and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr has been announced by MyGov.in, with the top three designs to be...
SC sets aside stay on Salman Khan’s conviction
New Delhi : In a setback to filmstar Salman Khan, the Supreme Court Wednesday set aside the Rajasthan High Court order putting on hold...
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.
Critical art writing has to be accessible: Experts
By IANS,
New Delhi: Does art writing need to change to suit the fickle intellectual attention span of the audience in an age of multi-cultural and multi-dimensional media?
Chronicling India’s tiger crisis in film
By IANS,
New Delhi : Filmmaker Krishnendu Bose has painted a grim picture of India's tiger crisis and the dwindling number of the majestic animals in a film called "Tiger: The Death Chronicles", which is being screened in the capital Thursday.
The 63-minute English film that is presented, written and directed by Bose, a conservationist, will premiere at the India International Centre here.
Fresh scripts fail to make cash counters ring in 2007
By Prithwish Ganguly
IANSNew Delhi : Bollywood's hope of recreating last year's box office successes has taken a big blow in 2007, with collections of only $5.8 million in the first six months compared to $135 million in 2006.
Indian dance and music weave magic in Vienna
By Mehru Jaffer, IANS,
Vienna : Imagine European audiences spending an entire month tapping their feet to Indian dance and music! That's exactly what happened at a festival here, as Indian artistes gave a glimpse of folk, traditional and even Bollywood art.
The occasion was the silver anniversary of Impuls Tanz, Vienna's international festival of contemporary dance where performances run parallel to workshops in a month-long celebration of every move that the human body is capable of making.
4,000-year-old treasure trove found in Uttar Pradesh
By Sharat Pradhan, IANS
Lucknow : A treasure trove of copper artefacts discovered by an Uttar Pradesh villager while tilling his land has been found to be at least 4,000 years old.
The discovery was made in Udaipurwa village of Auraiya district in central Uttar Pradesh last month. The farmer who found the artefacts tried to hide them but his neighbours found out and told the police. The district administration informed the state archaeology department, which rushed a team to the site, about 250 km from here.
Delhi boy Prashant smiles his way to small screen fame
By Arpana, IANS
New Delhi : Once a charted accountant and now a television actor, Delhi boy Prashant Chawla is one happy guy with his role in Zee TV's "Teen Bahuraaniyan" gaining huge popularity.
Amjad Ali Khan to perform at Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
New Delhi : Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, his sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan along with Pakistani qawwali maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan,...
Delhi plans a heritage museum at Lahori Gate
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: In order to introduce the history and civilization of historic Walled City area of Delhi to domestic and foreign tourists, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to establish a Heritage Museum and a Tourist Information Centre at Lahori Gate.
The museum will showcase the history of old Delhi in five sections: pre-Mughal period, Mughal period, 1857 Revolution, 1857-1947 period and 1947-2008 period.
In colours: A tribute to scarred Mumbai
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Three French artists - Dezer, Miguel and Keflione - have recreated the horrors of the terror attack on Mumbai in colour in the busy Connaught Place in the heart of the capital.
It is the trio's tribute to the city that was ravaged by militants' fire for three days beginning Nov 26.
The venue is the Religare Arts-I Gallery and the canvas is a wide swathe of the whitewashed wall that faces the busy thoroughfare.
Young Indian artists close in on masters at Christie’s sale
By IANS,
New Delhi : The gap in prices and stature of works between leading Indian contemporary artists and modern masters is narrowing.
A preview of 20 exclusive art works, held here Wednesday by global auction house Christie's, showed that contemporary artist Subodh Gupta was at par with master modernist Tyeb Mehta in terms of prices, along with bulk of the contemporary artists on the sale list.
Amitav Ghosh topples Archer as best-selling author
By IANS,
Mumbai : Amitav Ghosh's latest, "Sea of Poppies", debuts as the number one selling book in the fiction list, toppling Jeffrey Archer's "A Prisoner of Birth". Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" continues its successful run in the non-fiction category.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction categories are:
Non-fiction:
1. The Secret
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550.00
2. Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Bloomsbury books
Price: Rs.299.00
3. Love Delhi
Author: Love Travel Guides
Not choppers or limos, NRI groom’s party travels on rickshaws
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Flaunting designer clothes, loads of jewellery and expensive accessories, a London-based NRI family chose a rather different way to travel to the wedding venue - pedal-rickshaws and horse carts.
NRI Murli Vohra’s son Pawan ignored the usual mode of chartered aircraft, helicopters and limousines that rich people travel in to make a style statement on weddings.
National Manuscripts Mission to be enlarged
By IANS
New Delhi : With only a few months left for the National Manuscripts Mission, it will be "evolved and enlarged", says the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, which recently took over the direct control of the programme from the culture ministry.
The mission was started in 2003, with IGNCA as the nodal agency, but operating relatively in an autonomous fashion directly under the culture ministry. But, with just six months left in its mandate, NMM director Sudha Gopalkrishnan had resigned following differences over direct supervision by IGNCA.
Another Taj project runs into trouble
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS,
Agra : Yet another mega project in the name of promoting tourism around the Taj Mahal has run into trouble with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) opposing a plan for a ropeway behind the world famous monument.
The project, to build a ropeway, a suspension bridge across the Yamuna river and a giant ferris wheel for an aerial view of the Taj, was apparently drawn up by the Agra Development Authority without seeking clearance from the ASI or the Supreme Court.
Indian artists and their craft gain from art camps
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Kolkata : Indian art is being enriched with a free flow of ideas and concepts between creative people at exchange forums like art camps, which are gradually breaching the divide between the old and new order of artists.
Art camps and live workshop-cum-interactions, where not only do artists execute new works of art but also cull influences from each other, help spawn new artistic concepts.
ICCR will bid for Gandhi letter: Pranab
By IANS
Jalpaiguri (West Bengal) : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday said the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) would bid to acquire a rare letter of Mahatma Gandhi that is up for auction at Christie's in London next week.
Tamil singing legend laments state of Indian music
By Fakir Hassen, IANS
Durban : Legendary south Indian singer T.M. Sounderarajan has urged Indian musicians everywhere to go back to their roots and first learn classical Indian music, as most of them leave him unimpressed.
"Classical music is the foundation on which all successful singing is based," Sounderarajan said as he started a two-week tour of performances at various towns in Kwazulu-Natal province to help raise funds for a temple at Verulam, about 30 km north of here.
Child’s play: Building easy shapes in ceramics
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Ceramics as a medium of sculpture is like a child - malleable, easy and yielding.
An exhibition of contemporary architectural ceramics, "In Free Verse", which will run at the Visual Arts Gallery at the India Habitat Centre during Jan 12-15 will showcase a large body of ingenious ceramics, stoneware and pit-fired clay sculptures by a creative trio, Leena Batra, Rekha Bajpe Aggarwal and Sonia Ramaswamy Dhingra.
Over 9.5 lakh NCC cadets performed yoga at 1,805 centres
New Delhi: Over nine and a half lakh cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), participated in the International Yoga Day on Sunday.
"The organisation...
President Patil gets kids from all over India for rakhi
By IANS
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil celebrated Raksha Bandhan in a unique way Tuesday by inviting children from different parts of the country to Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was the first time that kids tied rakhis on a woman president on the festival that symbolises the love between brothers and sisters.
Elton’s South Africa tour jogs memories of Sun City
By DPA
Johannesburg : As ageing British pop star Elton John prepares for the start of what has been billed as his first tour of South Africa on the weekend, locals are recalling his real first in front of South African audiences at the height of apartheid 25 years ago.
If John can claim today he never played in South Africa it's because Sun City, where he played 25 years ago, was back then part of Bophuthatswana - one of the nominally independent, overcrowded "homelands" where the apartheid state dumped millions of blacks.
Heritage Times Celebrates the Glorious Past of Bihar on Bihar Diwas
TCN News
By Syed Amjad Hussain
Bihar Diwas or Bihar Foundation Day celebrated on 22nd of March every year was organised earlier owing to the upcoming...
India’s first art summit to be held in Delhi
By IANS
New Delhi : India's first art summit scheduled for August this year in the capital will not only offer a platform to showcase the Indian art but also will facilitate discussions by all stake-holders.
"We are very late in coming to this stage. Nevertheless, it's good that it has finally happened. Like the rest of the world, artists here will now have a platform to discuss various subjects related to art," renowned artist Anjolie Ela Menon told IANS on the sidelines of a press meet here Thursday.
Ganesh art show cut short in Goa after threats
By IANS,
Panaji : An art exhibition by renowned installation artist Subodh Kerkar with god Ganesh as its theme will now be held for two days instead of the planned 12 days, that too under police protection, after it was opposed by Hindu rightwing groups.
"We are going ahead with the exhibition. We have limited it to two days only though. We will not cow down to these forces," Kerkar, a former member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told reporters at the North Goa police head quarters in Porvorim.
Peaceful start to Chhath Puja in Mumbai amid heavy security
By IANS,
Mumbai : Police, paramilitary forces and CCTVs kept a close watch over scores of Chhath Puja venues here Tuesday despite Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's assurance about not disrupting celebrations.
There are 19 main locations around various beach fronts in the city, including the oldest and most popular venue, Juhu beach, where nearly half a million devotees are expected in the evening. The festival is primarily celebrated by people from Bihar.
Lucknow Zardozi Artisans Are Hanging By A Thread
Hasan Zia Rizvi | Twocircles.net
Lucknow has carved out a niche for the world-famous art form of Zardozi. In recent years, the art form has...
Mother Teresa faced crisis of faith: book
By IANS
London : A new book on Mother Teresa has published her letters that reveal that she faced a deep crisis of faith in god during the last 40 years of her life, reports from Rome said Friday
The correspondence, which spans most of Mother Teresa's life, shows that she felt alone and in a state of spiritual pain from around 1949, roughly the time when she started taking care of the poor and dying in Kolkata.
Italy-based artist Kammie Soni in India to help challenged children
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Veteran Italy-based designer-cum-abstractionist Kammie Soni, who left India over 40 years ago to pursue her passion - travel and art - is back in the country to help challenged children.
Soni, who belongs to the generation of senior artists like Kishen Khanna and Satish Gujral and is a student of doyen Biren De, has worked for international fashion houses like Valentino, Versace and Paloma Piccaso - legendary painter Pablo Picasso's daughter.
The artist, in her 70s, shares a special friendship with Paloma, with whom she discusses her art.
Himachal to get 50 rare miniature paintings
By IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh will get 50 "rare miniature paintings" from the Delhi-based National Museum, an official said here Wednesday.
"National Museum will provide 50 rare 'pahari' miniature paintings to us. These will be displayed at Dharamsala's Kangra Arts Museum," Art, Language and Culture Department director Prem Sharma told IANS.
He said a memorandum of understanding in this regard was signed between the state government and the National Museum in Delhi Wednesday.
India exhibits ‘incredible’ image to woo Scandinavian tourists
By IANS,
New Delhi : A series of 'Incredible India' roadshows was held for the first time in the Scandinavian countries - Finland, Sweden and Norway - to promote India as a preferred holiday destination, the tourism ministry said Tuesday.
‘Spider-Man 3’ – most mistake-filled movie of the year
London, May 10 (IANS) The recent blockbuster "Spider-man 3" has been declared the most mistake-filled movie of the year by website moviemistakes.com.
The site has counted at least 16 slip-ups in the movie, reports ananova.com. Some gaffes pointed out by the site are:
- In numerous scenes Spider-Man is wearing contact lenses - although earlier movies established that Peter Parker's (Tobey Maguire) spider powers give him perfect vision.
President presents Akademi awards to 34 artists
By IANS
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil Tuesday conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards on 34 artists from the field of drama, dance and music at a function here Tuesday.
Eminent scholar and professor of aesthetics Sushil Kumar Saxena was awarded the Akademi Fellow for the year 2007 in recognition of excellence in the field of arts.
The awards are the highest national recognition in the field of performing arts.
Rahman wins Best Original Song Award in Los Angles
By IANS,
Los Angles: Music maestro A.R. Rahman won the Best Original Song award at the 16th Critics' Choice Movie awards Friday.
Chhattisgarhi language to get official status
By IANS
Raipur : The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to table a bill to give official language status to Chhattisgarhi in the winter session of the state assembly beginning Monday.
"The people of Chhattisgarh have been seeking official language status for Chhattiagarhi for the past several years, now the government has decided to bring in a legislation in the assembly beginning Nov 26-Dec 7," a senior minister told IANS Sunday.
Chhattisgarhi is an Indo-Aryan language having an estimated 12 million speakers mostly in rural areas.
Scary time for artists, writers in the country, says Nandita Das
Kolkata (IANS): Actor-filmmaker Nandita Das has described the current situation in the country as a "scary time for artists and writers" as things that...
Famous Italian tenor Pavarotti dies at 71
By Xinhua
Rome : Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti died early Thursday at the age of 71 in Modena, Italy, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Pavarotti, hailed as the greatest tenor of his generation, underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer last year and had been staying at his villa in Modena in north-central Italy.
Pavarotti had been preparing to leave New York in July 2006 to resume a farewell tour when doctors discovered a malignant pancreatic mass. He was operated upon in a New York hospital and was forced to cancel his remaining concerts in 2006.
Aadivasi’s cultural identity in Jharkhand’s under assault
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
As I boarded the Rajdhani express from New Delhi for Parasnath for my intended visit to Jharkhand...
Over 200 exhibitors participate in Airport Show 2010
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai : Over 200 exhibitors from 34 countries are participating in the Airport Show 2010 that opened here Sunday, an official said.
The three-day exhibition showcases latest technologies and advances in the airport industry from around the world, and hosts industry professionals who will share their expertise and insights on enhancing the operational efficiencies of airports.
Salman Khan’s ‘Sultan’ to release on Eid 2016
Mumbai: Salman Khan's fans have another reason to rejoice as the Bollywood superstar's upcoming film “Sultan” has booked Eid 2016 as its release date.
Produced...
First Amritraj-Reliance Entertainment film to hit screens Oct 1
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Indian-American producer Ashok Amritraj and Anil Ambani's Reliance Entertainment will Oct 31 unveil their first film under a unique five-year, co-production deal - a comedy "The Other End of the Line".
The film stars Jesse Metcalfe of "Desperate Housewives" and Shriya who recently starred opposite Rajnikanth in the Indian blockbuster "Sivaji: The Boss." Shot in Mumbai and San Francisco, it also features Anupam Kher.
Saffronart auction features 43 Indian artists
By Uma Nair, IANS
Mumbai : As many as 115 works by 43 Indian artists will feature in the Saffronart autumn online auction of contemporary Indian art works that will take place Sep 5-6.
This auction is the eighteenth in the series by Saffronart - exclusively on www.saffronart.com.
On the cover of the catalogue is Atul Dodiya's "Chikoo Drawing". Signed and dated in English (verso) 1989, this oil on canvas is estimated at Rs.6 million-8 million ($150,000-200,000).
Archaeologists unearth ancient temple in Yemen
By DPA
Sanaa : A team of archaeologists has discovered an ancient temple dating back to seventh century B.C., the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) said Tuesday.
The discovery was made during excavation works in the ancient Sabaean town of Sirwah, at the central province of Marib, the DAI said in a statement.
Sirwah formed the most important centre of the Sabaean kingdom next to the ancient metropolis of Marib during the first millennium B.C.
Amitabh to recite father’s poetry in New York
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is set to recite his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's poems at a literary and cultural festival here next month.
Exposure makes Indian art prices gallop in global mart
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The price curve of Indian art is shooting north in the global market because of "increased consciousness" about it, say experts.
This has been brought about by greater visibility of art and artists from the country and easy access to relevant information about Indian art from the internet, they say.
"Indian art is becoming a part of international consciousness, why is why we have seen a spectacular growth in this field," Yamini Mehta, director of modern and contemporary Indian art at the London-based Christie's, told IANS on e-mail.
Hit Kerala play to be staged in UAE
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : Expatriate Indians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are in for a treat this winter when the hit Malayalam play "Chayamukhy", starring superstar Mohanlal and Mukesh, is staged here.
The play, which has revived theatre culture in Kerala, will be staged in Dubai Oct 30, in Abu Dhabi Oct 31 and in Ras Al Khaimah Nov 2. It will also be staged in other Gulf nations in November.
Delhi to host first Saarc cultural festival
By IANS
New Delhi : Food to titillate your tongue and vet your appetite, music and folklore to lift your spirits and a fashion show to soothe your eyes... all that would be brought for you in the first ever Saarc cultural festival, being held in the capital from Nov 30 to Dec 9.
The cultural festival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in the capital will be a mixture of flavours and music, foods and fashion for people to savour in this festive season.
Modi, Jaitley lend support to art auction
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have supported an art auction along with prominent celebrities like M.C. Mary...
IIFA: Oscar winner Rahman gets best music director award
By Radhika Bhirani, IANS
Macau: Internationally acclaimed and double Oscar winning composer A.R. Rahman was Saturday named the best music director at the IDEA International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards here for his soulful compositions in the historical romance "Jodhaa Akbar".
Rahman couldn't attend the event and director Ashutosh Gowariker received the award on his behalf.
Raza’s foundation plans legal action against forgers
By IANS,
New Delhi : S.H. Raza, one of the great masters of Indian modern art, is contemplating legal action after he discovered 30 fake paintings bearing his name and forged signature on show at the Delhi-based Dhoomimal Gallery, one of the country's oldest.
“We are in touch with a Supreme Court lawyer to discuss the legal modalities to proceed against the person who supplied fake works by the artists to the gallery," said Ashok Vajpeyi, chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi and president of Ekatra, a new multi-cultural platform with which the Raza Foundation has been merged.
Exhibition on Iran’s 7,000-year-old civilization opens in Seoul
By IRNA,
Beijing : An exhibition of Iran's 7,000 year-old civilization dubbed as "Glory of Persia" inaugurated in Seoul, capital of South Korea, Monday afternoon.
In the exhibition, which will be be open five months in two cities of Seoul and Taegu, 206 articles belonging to the different periods of Iran history, especially Achaemenian and Sassanid dynasties, will be displayed.
In the inauguration ceremony in Seoul, around 400 scientific and cultural personalities and heads of foreign representatives in South Korea were present.
He hones the great art of small things!
By Asit Srivastava, IANS,
Senapat (Uttar Pradesh) : You may need a magnifying glass to see some of his works. Atul Kashyap has perfected the art of miniatures, a fingernail-sized book on socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and earthen lamps no bigger than wheat grains being among his creations.
It's hard to believe that the 23-year-old has mastered the art without undergoing any training. Some people lovingly call him "chhote kalakar" in his native Senapat town in Farrukhabad district, 300 km from Lucknow.
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.
Dhaka holds exhibition, talk on Ramkinkar Baij
By IANS
Dhaka : Art enthusiasts in the Bangladesh capital were treated to the works of legendary Indian artist Ramkinkar Baij, with an expert saying his paintings and sculptures were a confluence of Eastern and Western aesthetic ideas.
Sufi music fest begins in Kashmir
By IANS,
Srinagar : "Daag Ko Koun Dene Wala Tha/Jo Diya Hai Khuda Diya Tune" - the Urdu ghazal of well-known poet Daag Delhvi sung by a Sufi singer set the mood for the three-day Sufi festival of music and dance that began here Thursday evening.
Artists from Egypt, Syria, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are scheduled to perform at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex during the festival. It has been organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy jointly with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
Meghalaya to strum Friday for world record
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS
Shillong : Bob Dylan's classic number "Knocking on Heaven's Door" will reverberate in the hills of this picture-postcard capital of Meghalaya Friday with more than 2,000 guitarists performing a record-breaking strumming session to top the current Guinness Book of World Records guitar ensemble.
Bengali actor Subhendu Chatterjee dead
By IANS
Kolkata : Eminent Bengali actor Subhendu Chatterjee, who essayed significant roles in films of maestro Satyajit Ray, passed away in a city hospital Thursday night. He was 71.
Bengali literature has bright prospects, says Sunil Gangopadhyay
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bengali literature has bright future, with growing readership in both Bangladesh, India and wherever the Bengali-speaking diaspora resides, India's best known Bengali poet and litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay said.
He visited Madaripur, his birth place in Bangladesh's Faridpur district, to open a three-day "Sunil Mela", a literary fair that ended Sunday, to celebrate his 75th birthday, BSS news agency reported.
Sunil Literature Practice and Research Centre organised the fair in his ancestral home at Purba Maijpara village under Kalkini Upazila (sub-district).
European cultural capital Stavanger looks beyond oil
By DPA
Stavanger (Norway) : Norway, as Norwegians see it, has four capitals: Oslo, the seat of the country's government; Bergen, a focal point of art and culture that belonged to the medieval trade association known as the Hanseatic League; the historic city of Trondheim; and Stavanger.
India takes giant stride with first global art fair
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Come Aug 22, and the sprawling exhibition hub in the heart of the Indian capital will resemble Basel, a small town in Switzerland which has been hosting the world's biggest art fair for the last 38 years.
More than 200 stakeholders, including 34 galleries, in the art industry will come together at the "India Art Summit 2008" at the Pragati Maidan fairground to showcase 400 works of art and interact with a new segment of investors for three days.
Kirdaar Art Academy to organize national Urdu drama festival in Mumbai
By M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Governments keep changing, I keep hoping: Husain
By IANS,
London : With India's Supreme Court ruling in his favour, artist M.F. Husain has spoken of hopes that the changing political scenarios in the country will ease his return home after eight years in self-exile.
"The Supreme Court judgement is there. That is the judgement," the painter, who works out of London and Dubai, said Wednesday.
"I never said I won’t go back. I didn’t feel it was time. Because the political scenarios keep on changing, so I’m hoping… all the time," he told an audience at the Nehru Centre in London.
Encounters with Husain, Pyne, Bawa…An art critic remembers
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
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.
Remembering Hindi litterateur Prof KP Singh
By Dr Mohammad Sajjad,
It is quite befitting for a reputed and historic university to commemorate its distinguished and accomplished academics: people who combined...
Lucknow Muslims setup water stall on Hanuman’s Bada Mangal
By TCN News
Lucknow: Living upto the ganga jamuni tehzeeb in the city of nawabs, the Hussain Day Celebration and Welfare Society organised a bhandara and drinking water stall outside Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) office on Tuesday. The stall was organised to celebrate the second Tuesday of the Jyestha month as per Vikram Samvat calendar.
Dilip Kumar turns 92, B-Town icons recollect his best
By Subhash K. Jha,
Mumbai : On Dilip Kumar's 92nd birthday Thursday, a host of Bollywood icons, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan and songstress Lata Mangeshkar, as well as his wife Saira Banu went down memory lane to pick their favourite among the veteran actor's popular filmography.
Mappilappattu singer Eranjoli Moosa no more
By Najiya O, TwoCircles.us
Renowned Mappilappattu singer Eranjoli Moosa passed away yesterday at his residence at Gopalpeta in Thalassery . The 79-year old has been undergoing...
Father-daughter duo who helped Bapu learn Urdu
By Danish Khan
Few weeks back, The Times of India had reported that the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha will soon have a portrait of Abbas Tyabji (1853-1936). Tyabji, the surname is quite familiar and is associated with philantrophy and education.
Abbas Tyabji (in pic with Gandhiji) was the nephew of Badruddin Tyabji (1844-1906), the first Indian to be appointed chief justice of Bombay High Court. Like his uncle he too joined the Congress and played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle.
Indian summer of art at British Museum
By IANS,
London : The British Museum will showcase Indian art and culture next summer to celebrate the country's emergence as an "emerging superpower".
The six-month extravaganza beginning next May is called Indian Summer. It will be an exhibition of paintings never before seen in Europe, installations, performances, film screenings and the construction of a typical Indian garden in the museum's forecourt.
For the first time, a collection of 55 paintings - Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur - will be seen in Europe.
Vice President greets people on Christmas eve
New Delhi : Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari has greeted countrymen on the eve of the festival of Christmas.
Ansari said the festival reaffirms our...
Britain, India working to conserve culture: British Museum director
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's culture ministry and the British Museum are working closely to conserve Indian art, architecture and traditional textiles, says director of the museum Neil MacGregor.
He is part of the British cultural delegation touring India with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Kuchipudi dance enthrals IBSA delegates
By Fakir Hassen, IANS
Johannesburg : Politicians and delegates at the India-Brazil-South Africa Summit (IBSA) here were treated to an enthralling performance of India's traditional kuchipudi dance by Swathy Somanath.
The programme, put together by the South African Ministry of Arts and Culture headed by Pallo Jordan, also included Brazilian guitar quartet Maogani and several South African musicians and dancers.
For over 200 delegates of the summit, the programme came as welcome relief from a long day of business and political negotiations.
Dubai to have museum of Middle East modern art
By IANS,
Dubai : Work on a new museum of Middle East modern art has been launched here at the initiative of Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Located in Dubai’s Culture Village on the banks of Khor Dubai or Dubai Creek, the museum is being designed by Netherlands-based architectural firm UN Studio, which would bring together elements of the sea and Dubai’s tradition of seafaring, the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
Rare Leonardo da Vinci painting recovered in Scotland
By DPA
London : A rare painting by Leonardo da Vinci that was feared lost forever after it was stolen in 2003 has been recovered in Glasgow, Scotland, the police said.
The masterpiece, "Madonna with the Yarnwinder", was at the centre of a worldwide search after it was stolen from a private castle in August 2003, with the FBI putting the painting on its list of 10 most wanted pieces of stolen artwork.
It is estimated to be worth at least 30 million pounds ($60 million).
TV serial on Mohenjodaro civilization in the making
By IANS,
Mumbai : Tired of watching endless "saas bahu" dramas on television? A new serial on the ancient Mohenjodaro civilization would now take viewers back in time to show how those highly evolved people lived and dressed and their culture.
To be made on the lines of widely-appreciated serials like "Discovery of India" and "Chanakya", the serial titled "Sambhav" will depict the life style of people of the ancient civilization with various dramatic elements.
A burst of art and colour awaits at Bangalore Habba
By IANS,
Bangalore : Around 1,000 Indian and international artists from diverse genres like art, craft, dance, music, theatre and films will celebrate the spirit of this city with the 10-day long 'Bengaluru Habba' from Friday.
The cultural carnival, in its seventh year, is being organised by the Artistes' Foundation for the Arts (AFFA), a city-based voluntary organisation working for the promotion of arts, in association with Bharti Airtel Ltd and Kingfisher.
Spotlight on South in Mahindra theatre festival
By IANS,
New Delhi: The spotlight has turned on the South Indian stage at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards with six of the 10 productions from the region this year.
“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...
At 16, Arsh Ali is India’s youngest archaeologist at work
By Mohit Dubey
Lucknow: At his age, teenagers loaf around and look for fun and adventure. Not so for the 16-year-old Arsh Ali.
He not...
The fading flavours of Pakistan’s ‘Little Hyderabad’
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS
Karachi : Tailor Shafi Ahmed peers disdainfully from behind his glasses. Specialising in stitching sherwanis, the Karachi resident bemoans the loss of Hyderabadi culture that has meant fewer footfalls at his shop.
"Gone is the kurta pyjama and with it the Hyderabadi 'saqafat' (culture) with all its 'adab' (etiquette) and murawwat' (consideration)," said 58-year-old Ahmed, wearing a shalwar kameez.
A polio victim who can play 23 musical instruments
By Soudhriti Bhabani, IANS,
Kolkata : An Indian man who learnt to play 23 Indian and foreign musical instruments with equal ease despite being struck by polio is seeking opportunities to make it big in television and movies.
Ashoke Kumar Seal, 56, has scored music for several foreign short films and is a regular on All India Radio. He has also directed music in several non-commercial radio dramas.
He regularly features with popular Bengali singers like Subir Sen, Arati Mukherjee, Indrani Sen, Banoshree Sengupta and Amar Pal.
Malayalam director Shaji to make documentary on M.F. Husain
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Veteran film director Shaji N. Karun is set to make a full length documentary on master painter M.F. Husain.
Speaking to IANS, Shaji as he is popularly known, said that he has spoken to the 94-year-old legendary artist, who has agreed for it.
"The documentary would begin in October and is slated for release next year. We are soon going to meet. More details can be revealed after we meet," said Shaji.
A rare display of social harmony on Chhath in Bihar
By IANS,
Patna : It was an occasion for all - rich and poor, lower and upper castes. A rare show of harmony was on display when people cutting across social barriers gathered Tuesday to celebrate Chhath, one of the most popular Hindu festivals in Bihar.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees, mostly women, attired in new colourful clothes, sang folk songs and offered prayers to the sun god in the evening on the banks of rivers, at tanks and ponds, and other water bodies in the state.
‘Spider-Man 3’ hitting Indian screens with 700 prints
By Arpana
IANS
New Delhi : Hollywood's much-awaited comic book-based action adventure "Spider-Man 3" is releasing in five languages in India Friday.
Based on the legendary Marvel Comics series, "Spider-Man 3" will open with 700 prints and has been dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bhojpuri. This is the first time Indian audiences will watch Spider-Man delivering his dialogues in Bhojpuri.
Bhopal gas victims take the musical route to protest
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bhopal gas tragedy victims, who have been protesting in the capital to demand rehabilitation and compensation for themselves and their children, have now found a new way to voice their demands and express their anguish - music.
Singer Rahul Ram of fusion band Indian Ocean performed for their cause Monday - the latest to join their protest through music.
Indian art at great heights: Raza
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Indian contemporary art has reached unprecedented heights in the world, said Sayed Haider Raza, one of India's most prominent and critically acclaimed modernists, at the inauguration of his first ever retrospective in the US.
He attributed the phenomenon to Indian painters' "understanding of Indian culture as well as of today's world".
Visually challenged dancers to perform classical Indian dance in Boston
By TCN News,
Boston: The event promises to be a unique experience with a group of visually challenged dancers to perform Indian classical dance in Boston.
In Photos: Kashmir celebrates Eid-Milad-un-Nabi
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: Unmoved by freezing temperatures, devotees in the city flocked to offer special prayers on the occasion of...
UAE hosts Picasso exhibition, showcases his Arab influence
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi : An exhibition of paintings by Pablo Picasso tracing the various stages of his career will open Tuesday in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first time, WAM news agency reported.
Abu Dhabi is the second stop in a nine-nation tour of the exhibition that started in the Reina Sofa museum in Spanish capital Madrid.
The exhibition, featuring 186 paintings, sculptures and drawings will be housed at the Emirates Palace and will run till Sep 8.
Hindi translation of the book “Prisoner No. 100” released
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar : The book, “Prisoner No. 100,” which unveils the ordeal of women separatist leader, Anjum Zamrooda Habib...
Patil’s love for Maharashtra
By Liz Mathew, IANS
On Board Air India Special Aircraft : President Pratibha Patil could not hide her special love for her native state Maharashtra during her trip to Latin America that began Saturday.
While interacting with media, Patil specially referred to the contribution of a person from her state to the bilateral relations between India and Mexico.
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.
Voting for first ever Kashmir’s ‘Youth Icon Awards’ to start from June 6
Half of money generated through the sale of tickets to be donated to a cancer patient
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net, ...
Bid for masters in country’s first live, online art auction
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS
New Delhi : Art lovers can now bid for masters like Tyeb Mehta and M.F. Husain in India's first simultaneous online and live auction to be held in Kolkata Feb 23, which will see a cache of 89 works go under the hammer.
The auction is a debut venture by the latest entrant in big-time auction mart, Kolkata-based Emami Chisel Art, a tie-up between the Emami Group and Chisel Craft.
The Ghalib I like to remember
By Amit Basole
Ghalib's haveli in Ballimaran
On occasion of Mirza Ghalib's death anniversary (Februrary 15th) once again, we can expect articles on the man and...
Murthy, Gates bag Indian & American Achiever Awards
By Arun Kumar,IANS
Washington : Infosys chairperson N.R. Narayana Murthy, Microsoft chief Bill Gates, music composer A.R. Rahman, Hollywood actor Richard Gere and the late Dhirubhai Ambani have won the Indian & American Achiever Awards.
While Murthy and Gates won the award for innovation, science & technology, Rahman and Gere were honoured in the arts, entertainment and media category. The Gandhi lifetime achievement awards went to Ambani and Gates. Data Group of India and New York Life Assurance were given the award for multinational companies.
Tribals seek Gojri programmes from DD Kashmir
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : Tribal Research and Cultural Foundations has alleged that the Doordarshan Channel for Jammu and Kashmir, DD Kashir, launched by the Government of India with the objective of countering Pakistani media propaganda from across the border, has failed to serve its purpose in Tribal Language-Gojri-spoken by nomad Gujjars of the State.
Manmohan’s daughter exposes ‘systemic’ torture in US prisons
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : The US-based daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has co-authored a book which gives substantial evidence that torture and abuse of prisoners in US detention centres abroad were widespread and systemic and not confined to Abu Ghraib in Iraq.
The book "Administration of Torture: A Documentary Record from Washington to Abu Ghraib and Beyond" has been co-authored by Manmohan's daughter Amrit Singh, an attorney who works for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).