औरतों का मासिक धर्म, सेहत और रमज़ान
अफ़शां खान
‘जानमाज़ मत छूना… क़ुरआन से दूर हटो… अपने कपड़े अलग धो लेना… तुम्हारा रोज़ा नहीं, लेकिन सबका है, इसलिए छुपकर खा लो…’
क्या...
Abstract artist captures urban landscape, promotes green cause
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Leading abstractionist Sanjeev Varma's works promote the green cause, drawing inspiration from simple things like stray dogs longing for affection and the first raindrops.
His show "Little Does Matter", a spread of 37 canvases done in oil and tackled with a riot of "unadulterated" colour, comes at a time when art as an object of mass appeal is promoting a variety of causes in India.
First International Sikh Conclave begins on Thursday in Bihar
Patna : Nearly 150 Sikh luminaries from all walks of life from India and abroad are likely to participate in the first three-day...
175 years after death, Rammohun Roy’s tomb restored in Britain
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : After decades of neglect, the newly restored tomb of Indian visionary thinker and social reformer Raja Rammohun Roy was unveiled Sunday in his resting place in Bristol.
India's High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Mukherjee cut a ribbon to mark the completion of the restoration work on the tomb, which is located prominently in the Arnos Vale cemetery in the southwestern English city.
No pressure from BJP over Smriti, says Ekta
By Subhash K Jha
IANSMumbai : Televison producer Ekta Kapoor is rubbishing rumours of being pressured by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) to continue Smriti Irani's tenure as Tulsi on "Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thii", saying the party is too big to indulge in such trivial issues.
Encounters with Husain, Pyne, Bawa…An art critic remembers
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Shahnama: The book fit for kings
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
“Free admission, but capacity is limited to 15 and registration is recommended,” read the email sent to me the morning...
China’s tropical paradise Nanning – an Indian experience
By Shweta Srinivasan, IANS,
Nanning (China) : Flowers in full bloom, gushing streams, impeccable city planning, not to mention outstanding hospitality to tourists - the city of Nanning is an example of how every modern city should be like.
Nanning is situated in the southern Guangxi district of China, and it received the prestigious UN Habitat Scroll of Honour award earlier this month.
How about some alternative rock with Indian flavour
By Rishabh P. Nair, IANS,
New Delhi : Guitar and bass are passé. Now it's instruments like the tabla, sitar, flute and harmonium that are being used to create 'alternative progressive rock' - a new genre that is fast becoming a rage among the youth in urban India.
Although international bands and artists like Rasmus, Limp Bizkit, Nirvana and Linkin Park are popular in the country for playing traditional rock and heavy metal, homegrown bands like Euphoria, Parikrama, Indian Ocean, Avial and others are trying to explore new avenues in rock, with an Indian flavour.
German duo on voyage of discovery along the Ganges
By IANS
Patna : Two Germans have set out on elephant and camel backs for an innovative expedition to learn more about the history, culture and folklore of the river Ganges and the everyday lives of the people who live along it.
Pir and Gill aim to bring German and Indian cultures closer by their voyage of discovery of one of India's most important rivers that originates in the mountainous heights of Gomukh in Uttaranchal.
The duo, in the 30s, left Patna for Gomukh earlier this week on their 60-day trek.
Stories of freedom struggle played back on stage
By V.S. Karnic, IANS
Bangalore : Freedom fighters will take turns to narrate their experience of India's struggle for independence and minutes later these stories will be enacted on stage. What's more, the entire performance will be spontaneous!
This unique tribute will be paid by a group of young theatre activists - including software and marketing professionals - in Bangalore Saturday ahead of the 60th anniversary of Independence Day Aug 15.
Seven world wonders contest courts controversy
By DPA
Lisbon : Two millennia after the Greeks listed the seven wonders of the ancient world, a foundation created by a Swiss millionaire is about to announce seven sites elected as the modern world wonders in a global Internet vote.
Dad Hafiz Ali was a simpleton: Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
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.
Improper implementation of RTE Act a cause of concern: Former Member of Planning Commission
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Caritas India in a joint collaboration of Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) organized a National level interface on...
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.
Western literature influenced by Persian literati
By IRNA,
Tehran : Most of the great European and American writers have drawn inspirations in creating their works from the Iranian poets and literati.
Expressing this, noted literary figure Abulhassan Najafi said at a meeting on comparative literature and its scope late on Sunday that world-known Iranian poets such as Sheikh Mosleheddin Sa'di Shirazi, Khayyam, Hakim Abulqasem Ferdowsi and Khajeh Shamseddin Mohammad Hafez Shirazi have greatly influenced noted writers including Dante Alighieri, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Victor Hugo, Mark Twian, Ezra Pound and George Eliot.
Life studies to abstraction: 60 years of Ram Kumar on canvas
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Kipling’s bungalow to be made heritage museum
By IANS
Mumbai : A century-old wood and stone bungalow nestles in the sprawling campus of the famed J.J. School of Art here, but it has long fallen into disuse, with pigeons nesting inside. It is the place where legendary writer and poet Rudyard Kipling, the first Englishman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907, once lived. Thanks to the Maharashtra state government, the bungalow will now be converted into an art museum.
A tale of loss and love from Delhi’s gay parade
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Against a gathering storm, milling clouds and stray leaves strewn around by the wind, a lonesome figure - a frail young man of 32 with pierced ears and eyebrows and expressive kohl-lined eyes - cut a poignant figure.
He had returned to show solidarity with the community of LGBT - Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transvestites - three years after leaving it - by taking part in the capital's first gay parade christened "Queer Pride" Sunday.
Amitabh sings with Rashid Khan for 26/11 album
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai: Amitabh Bachchan has lent his voice to quite a few film songs but now the megastar is singing along with classical maestro Rashid Khan for an album dedicated to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai last year.
"Yes, Rashid Khan and I have sung together. The system of recording these days allows a lot of freedom to sing how one is comfortable. That's how I managed it," said Amitabh.
Titled "Sound Of Peace", the project has been helmed by composer Aadesh Shrivastava.
Soon, Wagner soirees in the Gulf
By DPA
Dresden (Germany) : Operas by German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) may become regular events in the Gulf, according to the secretary of the Abu Dhabi Wagner Society, Ronald Perlwitz.
The Society is sponsoring a March 8 concert by the Saxon State Orchestra of Dresden in the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi to introduce Gulf audiences to live Wagner music.
Perlwitz believes Arab audiences' special affinity for Wagner comes from the close bond between music and text in his works.
Tribal art, Mughal architecture in Jharkhand church
By Soudhriti Bhabani, IANS,
Dumka (Jharkhand) : Bright fibreglass windows, arches shaped like onion domes and a statue of Jesus Christ bearing resemblance to tribal art are some of the unique features of a church in Jharkhand.
The Mount Carmel Church in Murugini village of Dumka district is a blend of Santhal tribal art and Mughal architecture.
Subrata Ganguly of Church Art, a Kolkata-based designing agency that helped build the church, said a number of new interior décor concepts were implemented in the church.
‘Durga Puja losing its essence’
By IANS,
Kolkata : With Durga Puja festivities peaking Wednesday, many eminent Bengalis feel its essence is being lost in the rush for commercialization and media publicity but nevertheless associate with it "goodness" and "magic" that make it a "larger-than-life" celebration. Durga Puja is like a real life cinema, thinks noted film director Gautam Ghose.
Husain to paint K. Asif’s granddaughter
By IANS
New Delhi : After painting Bollywood actors Madhuri Dixit and Tabu, M.F. Husain is all set to make a portrait of Haya, granddaughter of K. Asif who made the magnum opus "Mughal-e-Azam", on her 18th birthday.
Husain, who is a fan of Asif and an admirer of "Mughal-e-Azam", has created a birthday card for Haya, who turns 18 Saturday.
"The card is a wish from the heart, a creative first in my career of several decades as a painter and more so as an artist," said the 93-year-old painter in a statement.
With 200,000 English titles, it’s a book mall!
By Mukta K. Gupta, IANS
Mysore : So you thought the book-reading habit was on the decline? A bookstore that has opened here with over 200,000 titles in English and 80,000 in the local Kannada language is set to prove you wrong.
Sapna Book House, a multi-level 18,000 sq ft fully air-conditioned mall in Devraja Mohalla of Mysore city of Karnataka, in southern India, claims to be the largest book showroom in the country.
Dam-displaced tribal students of Narmada Jeevanshalas celebrated Balmela with gusto
By TCN News,
Gopalpur (district Nandurbar, Maharashtra): Around 600 tribal children and students (studying at primary level) from nine Narmada Jeevanshalas participated in the 16th annual Balmela (Children’s fair) – from February 12 to 15 – here with gusto and renewed enthusiasm.
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.
Janmashtami celebrated in Britain
By IANS
London : More than 65,000 people, including many from the Indian-dominated London borough of Harrow, celebrated Janmashtami at the Bhaktivedanta Manor here this week.
The Bhaktivedanta Manor was owned by former Beatle George Harrison. Apart from London, the event was celebrated in several places in Britain, such as Leicester, Manchester and Birmingham.
Thousands attend the lecture of Dr Zakir Naik at the closing night of Dubai...
By Mohammed Hidayathullah
Dubai: The 14th Dubai Ramadan Forum, organized by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in Dubai under the patronage of...
Animated film on the life of Buddha
By DPA
Bangkok: Thailand's first animated film of the life of the Lord Buddha will open in cinemas on Dec 5, commemorating the 80th birthday of the much-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, media reports said Thursday.
The 100-minute production received the backing of eight government agencies on Wednesday, said the Bangkok Post.
Producer Valapha Pimthong said she chose to make a cartoon version of the Life of Buddha to make it easier for young people to understand the Buddha's teachings.
Dance performance by Egyptian troupe at Jamia Millia Islamia
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia organized a dance performance by a troupe from Egypt last week at the open air theatre with over 4000 audience including students and staff of the university.
Fashion show campaigns for ‘cool’ cotton
By IANS
Kolkata : A unique fashion show here showcased only pristine cotton creations - a strong endorsement for the natural fabric as a cool choice for making a style statement in the scorching Indian summer.
Indian dancers barred from invocation ritual in Malaysia
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Authorities in Malaysia's Perak state barred dancers of an Indian dance school from performing the invocation ritual for Nataraja before a performance, a media report said Wednesday.
The directors of the Indian classical dance school were upset as they were not allowed by the new state director of the unity, culture, arts and heritage ministry (Kekkwa) office at Ipoh, Perak's capital, to conduct the ceremony before their annual performance this year in Taman Budaya city, The Star newspaper said.
Kathak by Chinese, kathakali by German at global fest
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatnatyam by a Malaysian and a South African, kathak by a Chinese dancer and a German performing the kathakali dance-drama form - eight exponents of Indian classical dance cutting across religious and geographical divides showcase their talent in a three-day international festival here Aug 2-4.
The festival to be presented by the Indian Council For Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the Kamani Auditorium will host dancers from Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Russia, Germany, China and Mauritius.
Chennai remembers Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer with 100-hour concert
By IANS,
Chennai : Lovers of Carnatic music here are marking the birth centenary of legendary musician Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer with a hundred-hour concert.
The event, organised by the Global Carnatic Music Association, began on July 31 and ends Monday night, with nearly 40 artistes performing for the last four days.
Srinivasa Iyer was born July 25, 1908, at Semmangudi village in Thanjavur district, and began his music training at the age of eight, under gurus like Gottuvadyam Sakharama Rao and Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer.
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.
Lilette Dubey play on Gandhi gets standing ovation in Sydney
By Neena Bhandari
Sydney : The Australian premiere of "Sammy! A Word That Broke An Empire", a play tracing Mahatma Gandhi's life, has drawn applause from people here with its only performance receiving a standing ovation in Sydney.
The award-winning play, written by Pratap Sharma and directed by Indian actress Lillete Dubey, received a standing ovation from the 700-odd people at the National Institute of Dramatic Art here Sunday evening.
Sunil Gangopadhyay’s Bengali translation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to be released
By IANS,
Kolkata : A Bengali translation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" by late author Sunil Gangopadhyay will be released at the Kolkata Book Fair that begins Jan 29, 2013.
Sibal recalls July 22 trust vote with poetic rage
By IANS,
New Delhi : Exactly a month ago, when some opposition politicians tossed wads of currency notes in parliament claiming they were bribed, they did not know that one of their tribe will freeze this moment of "betrayal and trust" in his mobile and turn it into a poem.
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...
Stilettos, motorbike – a slice of Italian avant garde art
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : In the carnival days when the horrors of war were yet to break upon Italy, fashion crossed over from the showrooms to the sidewalks in Italy - and the other way round. Everyday bric-a-brac became objects de art. But it was in the post-war years when America rushed to rescue Italy's designer art that these objects presented themselves to the world.
And that is how chamois leather stilettos (shoes) patented by the lifestyle giant Salvatore Ferragamo in 1955-56 and even earlier in 1947 and 1898 came to be looked upon as exquisite works of art.
For 12 years, he pilgrimages with aged mother on his shoulders
By Nityanand Shukla,, IANS,
Ranchi : Tales of people ill-treating their old parents are not hard to come by, but Kailash Giri Brahmachari's story is refreshingly different. Like a character in the epic Ramayana, he has been carrying his aged, blind mother on his shoulders to various pilgrim spots for the last 12 years.
Kailash, 36, is a resident of Wargi village in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. His incredible journey of physical endurance and moral courage began in January 1996. He has so far covered over 3,000 km and reached Jharkhand.
पाठा का अमूल्य पानी : भौरा तेरा पानी ग़ज़ब करी जाए,गगरी न फूटै, खसम...
चित्रकूट से ज़ियाउल हक़ Twocircles.net के लिए
जैसे जैसे गर्मियां बढ़ती है वैसे वैसे पाठा के जलश्रोत सूखने लगते हैं। आलम यूं हो जाता है...
Exhibition shows India is changing: Ban Ki-moon’s wife
By IANS,
New Delhi : Ban Soon-taek, wife of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, inaugurated a rural handicrafts exhibition in the capital Friday and said it was proof that change was not limited to Delhi but was spreading across India.
Calling the six-day long exhibition at the Chinmaya Centre "a celebration of sustainable and participatory rural development", Ban Soon-taek said India had progressed a great deal since the 1970s when she had stayed here during her husband's first diplomatic assignment.
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.
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.
UNESCO to step in for promoting Kashmir art, literature: Governor
By News Agency Of Kashmir
Jammu : The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is stepping in to assist Institute of Kashmir Studies towards the development and promotion of art, culture, literature and philosophy of Kashmir.
Frankfurt Book Fair: the world’s biggest deal in publishing
By DPA
Frankfurt : When the world's biggest annual trade fair devoted to books begins Oct 10 in the German city of Frankfurt, a fresh crop of up-and-coming writers will be introduced to publishers from round the globe.
This year, 7,300 exhibitors from 110 nations will attend the Frankfurt Book Fair, hoping to sell foreign rights for everything from school textbooks and calendars to poetry anthologies.
Deals on translation and re-publishing rights as well as printing contracts and bulk book sales are negotiated during the fair.
Saffronart auction notches $9.7 mn sales, Subodh Gupta on top
By IANS,
Mumbai : New Delhi-based contemporary artist Subodh Gupta's untitled work of steel vessels soared past S.H. Raza's "Germination" to record a high of Rs.57 million ($1.43 million) at Saffronart's summer online auction, which registered a total sale value of Rs.390 million ($9.7 million).
Indian art has moved from a miniscule $2 million to a huge $400 million market over the last seven years and the latest Saffronart auction, which closed yet another record sale Thursday evening, is an indication that the art business is only set to grow further.
Husain, Souza highlights of OSIAN’s auction
By IANS,
New Delhi : Modern master M.F. Husain's composition "Figures", estimated at Rs.36 lakh (nearly $78,000), and F.N. Souza's "Couple" are among the highlights of an auction of 101 rare modern and contemporary art works by OSIAN's-Connoisseurs of Arts in Mumbai June 23.
"Figures" is an acrylic on wood composition mounted on a canvas-lined wooden background.
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.
Agra welcomes drive against encroachment
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra: Agra is breathing easy as there are fewer road jams in the Taj city following a major drive launched two weeks...
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.
English translation on Sanskrit classic released
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Noted Kashmiri writer Kshemendra's 11th century Sanskrit classic about the life and travels of a courtesan has now been translated into English.
Former diplomat A.N.D Haksar has translated the 'Samaya Matrika,' a satirical tale by Kshemendra about a courtesan living thousands of years ago and the social conditions prevailing then.
Riots film screening disrupted at Bengal varsity
Kolkata : The screening of a documentary on the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots at the Visva Bharati Unversity (VBU) was stalled by police midway into...
Pulianthope: Muslim-dominated area in Chennai faces marital insecurity
By Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net,
In Chennai, thickly populated Muslim areas such as Pulianthope, Triplicane and Royapettah are considered very important. Pulianthope is an area once thought to be very sensitive for communal disharmony especially during Hindu festivals Vinayaga Chaturthi and the Ganesh Utsavs. Decades ago these were causes for communal flare-up. Nowadays this Muslim dominated area is rampant with broken marriages even when there is improvement in their educational, social and economic condition and there is low graph of crimes.
No fees for girls upto higher secondary level in state schools, says J&K government
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: In a significant move which will benefit thousands of girls studying in state run schools in Jammu and Kashmir,...
INTACH’s first seminar in Mizoram draws huge response
By Sangzuala Hmar
IANSAizawl : A two-day seminar on protecting the tradition of the northeast and sectors suffering from neglect saw many speakers from the political class and artists debate fervently on what ails the region.
Happiness ‘rising steeply’ in India: survey
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Indians may not be the happiest people in the world yet but happiness in India shows "steeply rising trends" as the world becomes happier by the day, suggests a new survey.
The happiest country in the world is Denmark with its democracy, social equality and peaceful atmosphere, according to the World Values Survey, funded by the US National Science Foundation.
मां चराती थी भैंस ,पिता बनाते थे ट्रक की बॉडी ,बेटा है देश का...
मोहम्मद अली Twocircles.net के लिए
नींबू बेचकर एवं मैकडॉनल्ड्स में नौकरी करके अपनी पढ़ाई पूरी करने वाला जाकिर खान एक ऐसा नौजवान है जिसके...
Jaun Elia: A Concealed Philosopher Poet
By Mohammad Suhail
Yeh hai ek jabr Ittefaq nahi
Jaun hona koi Mazak nahi
(This is a hardship, not the coincidence
Being Jaun is not a joke)
(Jaun Elia)
Mostly...
A first step in understanding IT services
By Papri Sri Raman, IANS
Title: "Blind Men and the Elephant"; Authors: Was Rahman and Priya Kurien; Publisher: Sage Publications; Price: Rs.395 (Paperback)
It would be wrong to say Was Rahman and Priya Kurien are trying to demystify Information Technology (IT) in their book "Blind Men and the Elephant". The industry is too much of a behemoth for one book to be able to do that.
Title: "Blind Men and the Elephant"; Authors: Was Rahman and Priya Kurien; Publisher: Sage Publications; Price: Rs.395 (Paperback)
It would be wrong to say Was Rahman and Priya Kurien are trying to demystify Information Technology (IT) in their book "Blind Men and the Elephant". The industry is too much of a behemoth for one book to be able to do that.
20 साल की सादिया शेख ने उठा रखी है अपने पूरे गांव को शिक्षित...
जिब्रानउद्दीन।Twocircles.net
जहां कोरोना महामारी के बाद देशभर में हज़ारों बच्चों की पढ़ाई छूटती हुई देखी गई, वहीं बिहार की रहने वाली सादिया शेख़ ने अपने...
Dissent essential in open society: Hamid Ansari
By IANS:
New Delhi, July 17:Dissent is of critical importance in an open society and its suppression could metamorphose it into an illiberal and ethnic...
Urdu Magazine Ma’arif completes 100 years of publishing
By TCN News
Bijnor (UP): To commemorate 100 years of Ma’arif, a monthly Urdu magazine, a symposium titled, “Hundred years of Ma’arif: a...
Italian singer adds new facet to Rabindra Sangeet
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's music transcends geography and culture. For Italian singer Francesca Cassio, a blue-blooded Roman, it is both a passion and vocation.
Cassio received a resounding ovation at the India International Centre Tuesday evening for her rendition of Tagore's songs, Rabindra Sangeet, in English.
She sang to a packed house accompanied by pianist Ugo Bonessi.
Cassio, who grew up listening to her family playing the grand piano, fell in love with Tagore, his poetry and his music at the age of 15.
Yamuna activists march to warn of threat to Taj Mahal
Agra: Activists and environmentalists here marched to demand release of water from upstream barrages to sustain the ecology of Yamuna and provide moisture to...
Musician in UAE, magician with a cause in Kerala
By IANS,
Kozhikode : P.K. Ummer Bhai teaches music at a school in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). But back home in Kerala he dons the robe of a magician to tell children the truth behind superstitions and black magic.
Ummer, who is based in the Umm al-Quwain emirate, has taken four months' leave to spend time in his native state, but he has no time to sit at home as he prepares to stage magic shows in the schools of Malappuram and Kozhikode.
Egypt discovers Ptolemaic tomb with black sarcophagus in Alexandria
By IANS
Cairo, July 2 (IANS) An Egyptian archeological mission discovered on Sunday a tomb with a large black granite sarcophagus dating back to the...
Rudyard Kipling’s Allahabad bungalow in a shambles
By S. Neelam, IANS,
Allahabad : A bungalow close to Allahabad University where Rudyard Kipling - the renowned author of such classics as "Kim" and "The Jungle Book" - lived for a year in the late 19th century is now in a shambles.
With successive governments in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and Allahabad University turning down requests from the bungalow's owners to purchase it, it is gradually collapsing for want of upkeep. A major portion of the land where it was built has already been sold off.
India first global venue for rare Russian winter art
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Thirty-three rare paintings, all classical 19th and 20th century Russian winter landscapes by leading artists, have stepped out of the Russian Museum at St.Petersburg for the first time in the archive's 115-year-old history for a show in the Indian capital.
Coinciding with the visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, "Russian Winter" will be thrown open Friday at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RCSC).
Subodh Gupta in Asian top ten with $1.2 million at Christie’s
By IANS,
Hong Kong : New Delhi-based Subodh Gupta was the sole non-Chinese artist to break into the top ten Asian contemporary works sold, with his "Saat Samundar Paar (10)" (Across the Seven Seas) fetching $1.2 million at the Christie's Asian Contemporary Art Evening Sale here over the weekend.
Auction records also fell for individual artists from across Asia, including Indonesia and South Korea.
‘Naya Daur’: another B&W film goes colour
By IANS
Mumbai : In a tribute to his father B.R. Chopra, filmmaker Ravi Chopra will release the coloured version of the evergreen black and white classic "Naya Daur" (1957) all over India June 22.
Rafi was dedicated singer, compassionate man: Khayyam
By Jivraj Burman, IANS
Mumbai : Had Mohammed Rafi been alive, the legendary playback singer would have celebrated his 83rd birthday Monday (Dec 24). Perhaps, he would still have been singing.
Rafi Sahab, as he was fondly referred to in Bollywood, died 27 years ago. But his legacy of thousands of songs, including ghazals, qawwalis, bhajans, rendered during four decades of his singing career lives on, virtually unchallenged and un-imitated.
No country has shown the kind of emergence as has India: Big B
Mumbai: On the occasion of the World Population Day on Saturday, megastar Amitabh Bachchan has "thanked" the world for addressing the world's second largest...
Indian art attracts over $1.7 mn in Sotheby’s spring auctions (Lead)
By IANS,
New York : Works by Indian artists Subodh Gupta, Anish Kapoor, T.V. Santosh, Chintan Upadhyay, Riyas Komu, Raqib Shaw and Bose Krishnamachari attracted high prices at Sotheby's spring series of contemporary art auctions here, exceeding expectations with the total sale amounting to $1,748,500.
The highlight of the May 14-15 auctions was a work by Gupta, one of the most important contemporary artists to emerge from India in a generation. His "Saat Samunder Paar VII" fetched $825,000, a record for the artist at auction.
ABVP activists stall screening of documentary on Muzaffarnagar riots at DU College
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Activists of right wing students’ body Akhil Bharaitya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) stalled the screening of a documentary film on...
Music is the healer, think Afghan musicians as they perform in Guwahati
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: On most of the occasions, when we talk of Afghanistan, it’s either Taliban or the prolonged conflicts at the land locked country. The country was almost devastated by many from both inside and outside yet there are some beautiful things to be appreciated in the country.
No Oscar, but Pookutty still had a blast at awards
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai: He wasn't nominated for the Oscars this time, but Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty struck a deal for his second major international film after "Slumdog Millionnaire" and met one of his idols, Quentin Tarantino, while he was in the US to attended the awards ceremony.
Mosques in Britain opt for ‘open days’ to explain faith
London: Over 90 mosques across Britain are opening their doors to visitors to allow Muslims to "explain their faith beyond the hostile headlines".
The...
Pakistan to allow screening of Indian films
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Bowing to pressure by powerful film distributors, the Pakistan government has finally decided to allow "regular" screening of Indian films in the country's theatres that have been reduced to just 200 from 1,400 in the 1980s.
"The proposal for approval is with Prime Minister (Muhammadmian Soomro) and a formal notification can be issued any time," a senior official in the PM's secretariat told IANS.
Mazars in Malda reminder of advent of Islam in Eastern India
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
TCN series on Malda and Murshidabad : Part 2
Globalisation taking purity out of ghazals: top Pakistani singer
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Tina Sani, one of Pakistan's most popular classical and semi-classical ghazal exponents, feels that globalisation, the widespread culture of pop and rock music and the end of royal patronage are taking their toll on the popularity of ghazal in south Asia.
"Not just the pop and rock culture, globalisation to some degree has taken the purity out of ghazal. Musicians now want to play to the gallery and are commercialising ghazals to cater to popular taste.
Mr. Bean’s merchandise to hit Indian markets
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Merchandise related to popular film and television character Mr. Bean will soon be available in the South Asian markets, including India.
Ramadan Special: Bandipora’s tribal girl promotes cultural heritage during the holy month of fasting
Tauseef Ahmad, TwoCircles.net
Bandipora: Shabnum Bashir, a 21-year-old tribal girl from Bandipora in Kashmir valley, is reviving a forgotten tradition of breaking fasts in open...
Sokourov’s Alexandria: A war film without war
By Andrew McCathie
DPA
Cannes : Despite the bloody conflicts grinding on in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world, war has not featured prominently at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Asian art on sale at Christie’s
By IANS
Hong Kong : A dazzling array of cutting-edge Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian and Pakistani art will take pride of place at Christie's Hong Kong Asian Contemporary Art sale to be held on May 27.
Reflecting a wide and dramatic variety of styles, media and forms, these exceptional works capture the creativity and extraordinary concepts by eminent artists in Asia, as well as the exciting art scene throughout the region.
My father was too versatile to establish poetic identity: Javed Akhtar
By Subhash K. Jha,
Mumbai : Hindi film industry's renonned lyricist Javed Akhtar remembers his father and poet Jan Nisar Akhtar on Father's Day Sunday...
Army decries opening of symbolic book fair in Kolkata
By IANS
Kolkata : The Indian Army has taken umbrage at the holding of the symbolic book fair at Kolkata Maidan from where it had been banished last year on environmental grounds.
"It is totally unauthorised and acceptable. No permission was taken from us for holding the symbolic fair on the Maidan," defence spokesman Group Captain R.K Das said told IANS.
"We have sent a letter to the police and Booksellers and Publishers' Guild, the organisers of the Kolkata Book Fair, not to hold the fair on the Maidan," Das said.
अजमेर के हिन्दू दुकानदार मानते हैं उन पर है गरीब नवाज की रहमत का...
अजमेर में ख़्वाजा गरीब नवाज दरगाह स्थानीय नागरिकों को आर्थिक रूप से सक्षम बना रही है। इनमे दुकानदार ज्यादातर हिन्दू समुदाय से आते हैं।...
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...
`India’s classical languages – Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Kannada, Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil are the four classical languages of India, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni informed the Rajya Sabha Tuesday.
Soni said the government has not taken any view in classifying Malayalam as another classical language as they have not received any representation from the Kerala government.
She said Kannada and Telugu were notified as classical languages Oct 31 after the proposal was cleared by a committee formed by the culture ministry.
Nawazuddin ready to act in Hollywood
Mumbai : Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has made his mark in Bollywood with films like "Gangs of Wasseypur 2", "Kick", "Kahaani" and "Bajrangi...
I intend to paint women forever: Suhas Roy
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS
New Delhi : He is one of the biggest and the most enduring names in the genre of Indian modern art. Often dubbed the father of female figurative forms, Suhas Roy says he still draws inspiration from beautiful women at the age of 71.
"It is basic instinct, age has nothing to do with sensuality," Roy told IANS in an interview.
Consequently, his recent body of works, "Drops of Silence", executed in oil, pastels and pen-and-ink etchings on backdrops in watercolours, are all studies of "sad, slightly surreal nude women floating in a void".
India Ink: Meet 3 friends who simplify history for us
India Ink summarize's long research papers into short, easy-to-read articles, and make animated explainer videos that explore how history affects us today.
Riya Talitha...
Honour Indian artistes, Bangladesh scholar says
By IANS
Dhaka : Indian artistes such as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Suchitra Sen should be honoured by Bangladesh, says a renowned scholar here.
Bangladesh should enact a law to felicitate Bengali artistes and foreigners who contributed to the country's freedom movement, writer and music enthusiast Fakhruddin Ahmed has said.
Ahmed cited Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and the late Beatle, George Harrison, as those who needed to be honoured, the Daily Times reported Sunday.
Art carnival adds colour to Bangalore’s tech image
By Maitreyee Boruah, IANS,
Bangalore : A bus bay in this overcrowded city provided a rare sight - art aficionados admiring paintings at a bus bay and asking artists what motivates them to paint.
About 1,500 artists from Karnataka and other parts of the country displayed their works on both sides of the busy Kumara Krupa road near Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat (KCP), the state's prominent art school-cum-gallery Sunday.
Christie’s sale of South Asian masters to fetch $7 mn
By IANS,
London : Christie's sale of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art here June 11 will feature 112 works including noted Indian artists like F.N. Souza and Tyeb Mehta. It is expected to fetch more than 3.7 million pounds (over $7 million).
The works, including those offered from the Harmony Art Foundation in association with Barclays Wealth, will also feature artists from Pakistan.
Cartoonist Laxman’s common man turns fifty
By IANS
Pune : Although cartoonist R.K. Laxman describes his "Indian Common Man" as timeless and immortal, it was in 1958 that he created the simple yet thoughtful cartoon character, who continues to enthral generations of readers.
Wednesday evening, when his common man turned fifty, saw Laxman with former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam commemorate the eight-feet-tall statue that adorns the Symbiosis Vishwabhawan Auditorium here.
The statue of the common man, was unveiled by then president K.R. Narayanan on Dec 19, 2001.
Zing, colour and drama: China tourism night had it all
By IANS
New Delhi : Their bodies seemed to be made of rubber, sans any bones, as they twisted and turned with ease and grace. Dressed in short red dresses, for the five Chinese acrobatic dancers, making a perfect 180 degree by twisting their bodies was no big deal - setting the stage on fire and leaving the audience gasping.
The acrobatics team's performance was one of the many that entertained an audience of more than 200 Monday evening on a China Tourism Night held as part of the 'India-China Year of Friendship Through Tourism-2007' celebrations in the capital.
India signs art and culture agreement with Brunei
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Thursday signed an agreement with oil-rich Brunei, ruled by one of the richest men in the world, to strengthen cooperation in the fields of culture, arts and sports.
The agreement would result in the exchange of students, artists, academics and sports persons.
Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni and Brunei's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which a joint consultative committee (JCC) would be constituted for carrying out its provisions.
Redecorating your home at little cost and effort
By DPA,
Berlin : A few new cushions on the sofa, a wall covered with floral wallpaper and a redecorated dining table... it does not take much effort or expense to transform your home.
"You can do a lot with colours and fabrics in particular," said Sam Bohr, a member of Die Wohnberater, a Berlin-based interior decorating consultancy.
"Anything that's fresh is trendy now ...such as in green and blue."
‘Slumdog Millionaire’ kid writes memoir
By IANS,
London : Nine-year-old "Slumdog Millionaire" star Rubina Ali is writing her autobiography, expected to be released next month.
Ali's life story, "Slumdog Dreaming: My Journey to the Stars", will be released in Britain and the US July 16, reported contactmusic.com.
"(Ali) tells her own incredible story, from playing marbles with her friends beside the sewers of Garib Nagar in Mumbai, to dancing along to the Bollywood films she and her family watch on their old television set," said a statement issued by publishers TransWorld.
Two killed, over 100 hurt in Manipur Holi revelry
Imphal : Two people have died and over 100 injured, including 20 critically, in the five-day Holi revelries in Manipur that would last till...
A time to elope among Bhil tribals
By Sanjay Sharma, IANS,
Bhopal : Elopement is not frowned upon at this time of the year among the Bhil tribals of Madhya Pradesh. The colourful seven-day Bhagoria festival that precedes Holi is a celebration of romance during which young people are encouraged to elope with their soul mates.
This is the time when in village after village of West Nimar and Jhabua regions of Madhya Pradesh, young men and women gather in large numbers. They take part in the festivities, during which they decide if there is someone they want to elope with.
India, Israel explore new partnerships in culture and education
By IANS,
New Delhi : India and Israel are exploring new partnerships in culture and education to consolidate bilateral ties.
An India-Israel Colloquium 'Preserving Cultural Identities in Today's World' Wednesday probed the intellectual synergy between the two nations in the context of the historical relationship between the two countries.
Corporate giants reach out to underprivileged kids
New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Magic shows, movies and a whole lot of goodies. Children from humble backgrounds across the capital Tuesday had a field day as two corporate giants, PVR and Nirulas, on two separate occasions, entertained them - and promised them something even bigger: education.
South Korean potters bring Zen tea ware to India
By IANS
New Delhi : Indians might soon be sipping tea from delicate Korean ceramic bowls thanks to a group of 67 artistes from South Korea who have brought their exquisite crockery, developed according to Zen Buddhist traditions, to the country for the first time.
Assam tea baron’s biography reveals encounters with ULFA
By IANS
Guwahati : Noted Assamese tea industrialist Hemendra Prasad Barooah has revealed in a new book some gripping insights into his life that include being tracked by ULFA militants while holidaying in Philadelphia and searching for Bhupen Hazarika's lost Rolex watch on a street.
The legendary planter, who has remained away from media glare, shares many intimate details of his life with journalist Wasbir Hussain in "Life and Times: Story of an Assamese Tea Baron", an authorised biography.
India, China to rule New York sale: Sotheby’s
By IANS
Mumbai : Veteran artist F.N. Souza's 1955 oil on board titled "Head of a Man" will be the costliest work to go under the hammer at Sotheby's March 19 auction of Contemporary Indian Art.
It is expected to rake in $280,000-380,000.
The preview of the works going under the hammer will be on display Thursday at Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel here.
Other works by Indian artists on display will be those by Arpita Singh, Syed Haider Raza, Anjolie Ela Menon and Jagdish Swaminathan.
Shaken by attack, Mumbai artists dedicate works to victims
By IANS,
Mumbai : The Mumbai terror attacks seem to have shaken the city's artists and painters from their blissful lives, with many deciding to dedicate their works to the victims of the 26/11 tragedy.
Senior journalist Prakash B. Joshi will hold a solo exhibition of his recent works entitled "Subtle Change", dedicated to the victims of the mayhem in Mumbai. The five-day exhibition will open Dec 22 at Kitab Mahal, Fort area, barely a stone's throw from the terror-hit Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
Federalism festival unfolds India’s flavours
By IANS
New Delhi : Delicacies from across the country, colourful handicrafts from various states, spell binding musical performances, intellectual discussions... the lush green lawns near the India Gate hosting the Federalism arts festival was abuzz with activities Monday.
Celebrating the 4th International Conference on Federalism being held in the capital, the five-day parallel 'Sanjha Safar' arts festival started Sunday.
Re-living the legacy at Gwalior Heritage Festival
By Azera Rahman, IANS
Gwalior : Hundreds of earthen lamps floated around, throwing their soft beam on the artistes as they performed on a stage set in the midst of a pond at the picturesque Moti Mahal Palace, making the Gwalior Heritage Festival a truly royal experience.
Re-living Gwalior's legacy could have hardly got better than this. As artistes performed, the audience sat around on the steps, getting washed over by the brilliance of the evening.
India’s first art summit kicks off
By IANS,
New Delhi : India joined the elite club of global art hotspots Friday, with the India Art Summit 2008 being inaugurated here as a showcase of modern and contemporary art from the country and abroad modelled on international art fairs.
The three-day summit Aug 22-24 was inaugurated at Pragati Maidan by Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni. The summit is showcasing 400 works by 200 modern and contemporary artists - a diverse spread that includes paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed media canvases, video art, installations and drawings.
Gender campaign reaches out with rock music
By IANS,
New Delhi : A celebrity campaign against gender rights violation and sexual harassment of women which began in Mumbai soon after the JW Marriott molestation case is now using music to reach out to people.
The campaign called Fight Back was started by Zubin Driver, creative network director of the TV 18 group after a newly-married woman was molested outside the plush hotel in Mumbai on New Year's eve.
10 facts about Rehman Rahi, Kashmir’s greatest 20th century poet
Rehman Rahi's death on January 9 was mourned across Kashmir.
Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net
SRINAGAR (JAMMU AND KASHMIR) — Professor Abdul Rehman Rahi, a well-known Kashmiri...
’39 Clues’ to succeed Harry Potter?
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Those gnawed by emptiness following the completion early this year of the Harry Potter series of books by J.K. Rowling can take heart. Scholastic, the books' US publisher, has unveiled plans Tuesday to launch what it hopes will be a follow-up blockbuster series.
Called "The 39 Clues", this series of mystery novels will feature 10 books - the first of which will be released next September - as well as related Web-based games, collectors' cards and cash prizes.
MF Husain and citizenship
By Zohra Javed for TwoCircles.net
M F Husain in his car, as it drove past me on a 1st January some years back in Mumbai's Fountain parking area. I went almost running behind him much to the amusement of my children ! Just as he had got down from his car I was beside him, children in tow. He looked at them and smiled.
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.
After Saudi Arabia, Kuwait group warns against Valentine’s Day
By IANS
Dubai : Protests against Valentine's Day celebrations are building up with the Saudi Arabian moral police banning the sale of red roses and an Islamic group in Kuwait issuing a stern warning to the media against "glorifying the pagan celebrations".
Thawabet Al Umma, while condemning the Feb 14 celebration, has warned the media against misguiding Muslims "by glorifying such pagan celebrations", according to a report in the Arab Times website.
Chetan Bhagat’s three remedies for resurgent India
By IANS,
New Delhi : Chetan Bhagat, one of India's top selling authors in the English language, Saturday prescribed three remedies for a resurgent India to meet the challenges of the new century - ending the politics of differences, shunning the culture of eliticism and embracing English with greater gusto.
The author was addressing the penultimate session of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.
The session, anchored by Vir Sanghvi, advisory editorial director of the Hindustan Times, was also addressed by Lord Karan Billimoria, founder of the Britain-based Cobra Beer Limited.
Colourful kites, sesame sweets and prayers on Makar Sankranti
By IANS
New Delhi : Entire families on the terrace cheering as their kites soared higher, mothers and grandmothers making sure the supply of sesame-seed sweets did not run out - that is how parts of India spent a happy Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival, Monday.
London to host three-month India festival
By IANS
London : Come July and London will turn into a mini India with a three-month festival that will showcase India's popular culture, arts and cuisine.
Over 300,000 marriages on Olympics opening day in China
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Here's one Olympics competition where China definitely set a record: at least 314,224 couples tied the knot across the nation Friday, or 08/08/08, the opening day of the 29th Olympic Games, according to official statistics.
As expected, that was a one-day record for marriages since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Saturday.
In Beijing alone, the host city of the Olympics, 15,646 couples got married, 23 times the daily average.
Government ushers boom time for actors on stage
By IANS,
New Delhi : The 11th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the annual theatre festival of the National School of Drama (NSD), has begun on an optimistic note here for theatre artists and troupes.
Directors, actors and groups can look forward to a bigger slice of the largesse doled out by the government and the NSD at the inaugural function Wednesday night to help them survive.
Bastar artisans net Rs.1 million at Goa exhibition
By IANS
Raipur : A group of 22 artisans from Bastar in Chhattisgarh has sold indigenous handicrafts worth Rs.1 million at an eight-day crafts exhibition in Goa's Madgaon city earlier this month.
"Traditional handicrafts made from wood, terracotta and bell metal were a hit at the Handloom and Handicrafts Exhibition in Goa's Madgaon city that ended Jan 18," Krishna Kumar Rai, chief of Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board told IANS Monday.
‘Rise in terrorism linked to decline in arts’
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan's most famous puppeteer Farooq Qaiser has drawn an unusual link between the growth in extremism and a decline in interest in the arts, prompting a leading newspaper to say the idea "needs further study and assessment".
The linkage "is a fascinating one" and "needs further study and assessment as we attempt to understand the violence and militancy that has today become a part of life," The News said Monday in an editorial titled "Outlet for anger".
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".
Subodh Gupta joins million-dollar league with Christie’s sale
By IANS,
London : Artist Subodh Gupta, known as New Delhi's Damien Hirst, has moved into the record making million dollar bracket alongside
Francis Newton Souza and Tyeb Mehta with the sale of his untitled installation of steel pots for $1.2 million at Christie's sale of Indian
contemporary art here.
Rohingya refugee and Ramadan: A story of hope of a 16-year-old boy
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Jammu: Muslims all over the globe are observing fasts in the holy month of Ramadan, so is Anamul Haq,...
Manoj ‘Night’ Shyamalan gets Padma Shri
By IANS
New Delhi : Indian-American actor, director, producer and writer Manoj "Night" Shyamalan, whose two films - The Village and The Sixth Sense - earned nominations for Academy Awards, will be honoured with Padma Shri for his distinguished contribution to cinema.
Manoj Nelliattu Shyamalan or M. "Night" Shyamalan is known for his supernatural plots, which usually end with a twist. He is also famous for filming his movies in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and enacting small roles in most of his films.
2nd visual arts festival to feature 2,500 works
By IRNA,
Tehran : Display of 2,500 visual artworks at the Second Visual Arts Festival due to open on February 1 indicates remarkable presence of Iranian and foreign artists at the event.
Secretary of the festival, Abbas Mirhashemi said that a total of 9,427 artworks by 3091 artists have been submitted to the secretariat.
Of 3,110 paintings and 348 sculptures, some 115 and 50 respectively were selected for the competition section, he said.
In the categories of pottery and ceramics and miniature sections, 75 and 194 respectively found their ways to the competition section.
Filmmaker Ravi regrets not catching Rajiv Gandhi murder mastermind
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Malayalam filmmaker and retired army commando Major Ravi still rues that he could not catch Sivarasan, the mastermind behind former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, in Bangalore due to a delay in storming into the house where Sivarasan was hiding.
Ravi was heading the six-member National Security Guard Commando team that stormed into the house where Sivarasan was hiding. Karthikeyan, the chief of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the assassination, was in Hyderabad when the team neared the house on Aug 18, 1991.
Gandhi letter withdrawn from auction
By IANS
London : The man selling Mahatma Gandhi's last letter has withdrawn it from auction to enable the Indian government to acquire it, Christie's announced Monday.
Elaborate arrangements in UP for ‘alvida namaz’
Lucknow : Elaborate arrangements were being made across Uttar Pradesh (UP) for the "alvida namaz" on Friday, police said on Thursday.
The 23rd day of...
Lupe: A Swiss-Indian exhibition that blends stories with art
By IANS,
New Delhi : Storytelling is a form of art. And, in times of terror, offers a healing touch. The tradition of storytelling, often described as the root of all formats of expression is fast becoming a separate genre of popular literature-art with contemporary artists borrowing from the tradition to create comic book or animation art.
The gatekeeper of Ghalib’s grave
By Amit Basole
ہوئے مر کے ہم جو رسوا ہوئے کیوں نہ غرقِ دریا
نہ کبھی جنازہ اٹھتا نہ کہیں مزار ہوتا
hue marke ham jo rusva hue kyun na gark-e-darya
In MIT, a celebration of Faiz’s life and works
By TCN News
Cambridge, Massachusetts: A program to celebrate the life and works of one of Urdu’s greatest poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz attracted a room full of Faiz fans to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on June 27, 2010.
Son decries Husain’s exclusion from annual art fair
By IANS,
New Delhi: As the country gears up for its annual art fair - India Art Summit - August 19-22, the name missing from the summit rolls is of self-exiled Maqbool Fida Husain.
For the second time in a row, the summit has failed to bring India's best known face in international art to the three-day fair.
Mumbai to host film fest dedicated to peace
By IANS
Mumbai : Peace will be the main theme highlighted at the third '7 Islands International Film Festival', which begins here Saturday and cinema buffs will be treated to as many as 18 acclaimed movies.
The fest opens with German film "A Song For Beko" at the Bhavan's College auditorium in Andheri, northwest Mumbai. The movie, directed by Nizamettin Aric, has won seven international awards, including the Audience Award at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival and the Angers European Film Festival in 1993, festival director Bankim Kapadia said here Friday.
Patnaik to participate in Berlin sand sculpture championship
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Orissa-based sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has been selected to participate in the Berlin International Sand Sculpture Championship this year for the fourth time in a row.
Manoj Bajpayee’s ‘Aligarh’ to release in February
Mumbai: Filmmaker Hansal Mehta's reality drama “Aligarh”, which is based on the real life incident of doctor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from...
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.
Centre to set up Classical Tamil Institute in Chennai
By IANS
New Delhi : The union cabinet Thursday decided to set up a Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai to preserve and develop the language.
"The cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave its approval to a proposal by Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here.
"The main objective of this decision would be preservation and development of Classical Tamil, which is an integral part of India's composite heritage."