A different Christmas from a different time, recall Anglo-Indians
By Ruchika Kher, IANS,
New Delhi : Trees decked with homemade decorations adding to the magic of crisp, cold, star-studded nights around Christmas might not be totally lost today, but for Delhi's Anglo-Indians much has changed down the years.
With another Christmas round the corner, many in this distinct community of people of mixed British and Indian ancestry recollect the festivities of the past with nostalgia, while others say it is best to change with the times.
Why don’t more Indian films do well globally?
By DPA
Cannes : The big cultural movie gap between India's vast film market and the rest of the world acts inhibits the nation's films from conquering new territory in global markets, a forum at the Cannes Film Festival was told Sunday.
Shivaji monument in Arabian Sea
By IANS,
Mumbai : An imposing statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji will come up one kilometre away in the Arabian Sea in the bay between Malabar Hill and Nariman Point in south Mumbai.
The decision to install the statue at this site, along with other tourist attractions, was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh Monday.
The statue will be visible from the entire "Queen's Necklace" - the Marine Drive - the promenade from Nariman Point to Malabar Hill.
Protestors prevent officials from entering Posco site
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Hundreds of protestors in Orissa Thursday prevented the police and officials from entering the site of a proposed mega steel plant of Posco-India, a subsidiary of Pohang Iron and Steel Co.
The protestors prevented the team of officials, led by district police chief B.K. Sharma, from entering the proposed Posco plant site at Balitutha village in Jagatsinghpur district, some 120 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. Two groups, one opposing the project and the other supporting it, organised rallies near the site Thursday.
The Fading Echoes of Delhi’s Urdu Bazaar: A Glimpse into a Disappearing Heritage
Devanshi Batra, TwoCircles.net
‘Dekho nigaahein naaz se Delhi ke nazaare, ye tehzeeb ki jannath Jamuna ke kinare,’ recited Mirza Sikander Beg Changezi, quoting the poetry...
Without Kolkata, I will die as writer: Taslima
By IANS
Kolkata : Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, who has been staying under tight security in New Delhi after she was bundled out of Kolkata following riots over her stay in India, Monday said she would die as a writer unless she could return to the city.
"I am not a rightist. I am rather a leftist and I always have believed in equality of all - men, women, poor and rich. I miss Kolkata and I would die as a writer if I am not allowed to stay there," Nasreen told the Bengali news channel Choubish Ghanta (24-hour) over phone from New Delhi.
India, Africa to create new symphony through culture, dance
By IANS
New Delhi : India and Africa will script a new cultural synergy coinciding with the India-Africa summit beginning here Monday by showcasing and merging the best of traditional music and dance from both the countries.
The ancient Sufi, Fellahin and Gypsy dances of sub-Saharan Africa, the Zulu warrior dance and the Royal Reed dance of South Africa will fuse with the Mohiniattam, Odissi and Kathak forms of India.
Young Indian weaves yoga magic in China
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS
Beijing : He is popularly known as "Kabbi Laoshi", or Kapil the Teacher. At just 27 years, Kapil Gautam is spreading yoga in China where many people believe it is the best way to stay slim.
Having mastered Japanese and Spanish in Delhi University, Gautam came to China two years ago to study a new language. He ended up in Shenyang town, about 700 km northeast of Beijing where temperatures dip in winter to a bone chilling -37 degrees.
‘Afghan Star’ show glimmers with hope in gender struggle
By DPA
Kabul : Arms folded tightly across her glitzy outfit and false eyelashes batting anxiously before the cameras, Lima Sahar clearly has more than the cash prize of $4,000 on her mind as she prepares to sing for millions of viewers across Afghanistan.
"If I blacken my eyes with eyeliner it will kill you, especially if I wear these bangles from Kandahar," the 18-year-old trills to a Central Asian synthesizer rhythm amid cheers and catcalls from the audience of 300 mainly Afghan men packed into the "Markopolo Wedding Hall" in eastern Kabul.
India, China sign Cultural Exchange Programme
By IANS
New Delhi : Adding another dimension to their burgeoning ties, India and China Wednesday signed a two-year Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) under which artists and officials will exchange visits.
Doyen of Hindi poetry Gopal Das ‘Neeraj’ passes away
By IANS:
Lucknow/New Delhi, July 19 : Doyen of Hindi poetry and legendary lyricist Gopal Das 'Neeraj' passed away at the All-India Medical Institute of...
Trinidad and Tobago celebrates Diwali in style
By Paras Ramoutar
Port-of-Spain(IANS) : Four days after Trinidad and Tobago's general elections, some 1.3 million people in this oil-rich Caribbean nation celebrated Diwali with fervour and merriment.
All thought the pre-Diwali celebrations here were stymied because of the hectic election campaign drawn over a five-week period.
However, putting aside political divisions, the cosmopolitan society here comprising some 1.3 million Hindus, Christians and Muslims, all came together to celebrate Diwali. Since 1966, Diwali has been celebrated as a national holiday here.
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.
For M.F. Husain, coming back is fraught with risk: Son
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : He does not want his illustrious father, M.F. Husain, to come back from Dubai. But that has not stopped Shamshad Husain from fondly painting the master artist's formative and defining years in India, replete with family memories.
In fact, family seems to be the theme for artist M.F. Husain and his brood this yearend.
Iqbal Khan signs first non-Balaji serial
By Subhash K. Jha
IANSMumbai : After a long break, TV star Iqbal Khan is ready to grace the small screen as an air force officer in a new soap to be aired on STAR One from July.
Sotheby’s to hold art auction for Kolkata museum
Indo-Asian News Service, IANS
New York : Famous modern Indian paintings, sculptures and photographs will go under the hammer here when Sotheby's holds an auction on behalf of the Kolkata Museum of Modern Art (KMOMA) next month.
Taj Mahal builders used Harappan measurement units that British discarded
By K.S. Jayaraman, IANS,
Bangalore : Designers of the 17th century Taj Mahal, the finest piece of Mughal architecture, employed the same unit of measurement used by the Harappan civilization as far back 2000 BC, according to a study by an IIT-Kanpur professor. These units were used by builders in India till the British imposed their own units in the 18th century.
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.
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.
US capital begins ‘Celebration of India’ with peep into Mughal era
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : An exhibition of Mughal era paintings opening a window into the world of the emperors of yore commences a two-year "Celebration of India" at Washington's National Mall.
Starting with an annual fund-raising gala of two American art institutions Wednesday, the exhibition "Muraqqa: Imperial Mughal Albums from the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin" displaying India's rich artistic and cultural legacy runs from May 3 to Aug 3.
Veteran Kannada lyricist, director R.N. Jayagopal dead
By IANS,
Bangalore : R.N. Jayagopal, who had written over 12,000 lyrics for Kannada films, acted in, scripted dialogues and directed a few films, died in Chennai Monday. He was 73.
His family members said in Chennai that he was being taken to hospital around 10.30 a.m. after he complained of uneasiness, but died on the way. He will be cremated Tuesday in Chennai.
The Kannada film industry reacted with shock as Jayagopal, son of late Kannada film legend R. Nagendra Rao, was a highly respected, multi-faceted personality in the Kannada film industry.
Zia’s murder mystery comes in new mango flavour
By Manish Chand, IANS,
Book: A Case of Exploding Mangoes; Author: Mohammed Hanif; Publisher: Random House; Pages: 295.
Who killed General Zia-ul Haq, the redoubtable Pakistani dictator who mysteriously died in an air crash 20 summers ago? Conspiracy theories, ranging from the bizarre to purely farcical, have never ceased since. Mohammed Hanif thickens this stew further and spices it up with a dash of dark wit to spin a page-turning thriller and an exuberant satire of the triple clichés of Allah, America and Army that colour popular perception of Pakistan.
Durga worshipped here as tribal goddess
By IANS
Ranchi : In Jharkhand the demon-slaying goddess Durga is worshipped as a tribal deity that protects devotees from snakes.
Known as the embodiment of feminine and creative energy, the goddess is venerated as Vishari Devi in the Navagarh village block of Dhanbad district, around 240 km from here. The goddess is worshipped for nine days during the Navratri festival which is on now.
The puja was started by the erstwhile rulers of Navagarh more than 100 years ago.
Pakistani spices curry favour with Indians
By Sahil Makkar, IANS
New Delhi : From chikan to the kitchen, the allure of Pakistan never fails to capture. As is evident from the long queues outside Pakistani stalls at the Trade Fair here with Indians stocking up on spices just as they buy the famed embroidered fabric for their wardrobes.
The aroma of Pakistani quorma and Sindhi biryani is wafting all the way across the border to the India International Trade Fair (IITF), which started Thursday and goes on till Nov 27. The tagline, 'The Original Pakistani Meal Express For India', aims to attract and it does.
Tyeb Mehta to trump Saffronart auction
By Uma Nair
IANS
Mumbai : The Saffronart summer online auction of modern Indian art works, featuring 130 works by 41 artists, will take place June 6-7. And the most prominent among them is Tyeb Mehta's "Kali" estimated at a hefty $875,000-$1.1 million (Rs.35 million-Rs.45 million).
Director Muzaffar Ali to make film on Sir Syed as part of educationist’s bicentennial...
By TCN News,
Aligarh: Noted film director Muzaffar Ali has agreed to make a film on Sir Syed’s life and contributions, which could be presented as a special tribute to the great social reformer and founder of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which could be presented as a special tribute to Sir Syed to celebrate his bicentennial birth anniversary.
5,000-year-old cemetery found in Egypt
By Xinhua,
Cairo : A 5,000-year-old royal burial ground has been discovered by an Egyptian archaeological mission in southern Egypt, the official MENA news agency has reported.
The ancient cemetery was found in Umm el-Ga'ab area, south of the historical city of Abydos in Sohag governorate, about 400 km south of Cairo, the report said Saturday.
The burial ground, which contains 13 tombs, is believed to be of senior royal employees or people who contributed to the construction of the cemetery.
Hope floats in Kolkata’s heritage zones
By Sujoy Dhar, IANS
Kolkata : On a quiet Sunday evening this August, a group of citizens came together in this erstwhile British India capital to begin an effort to restore the grandeur of its Raj era buildings and to preserve what's left of a heritage bequeathed by its former rulers who left 60 years ago.
Now, a ‘House of Poetry’ to promote Arabic works
By IANS,
Dubai : A new 'House of Poetry' will come up in this Middle East metropolis that will promote, research and document classical and contemporary Arabic poetry and strengthen its presence and profile within the Arab world and beyond.
Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has directed that a House of Poetry be established. The initiative will be set up by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.
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...
Firaq Gorakhpuri’s ‘ghazals’ now in Polish
By IANS
Warsaw : After legendary poets Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib, celebrated lyricist Firaq Gorakhpuri's 'ghazals' have been translated from Urdu into Polish.
Polish author Janusz Krzyzowski and Warsaw-based Indian poet Surender Zahid have done the translation, INEP news service reported.
Releasing a book of 'ghazals' last week in the presence of Warsaw literary elite, Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa congratulated the two.
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.
Potter mania grips Jharkhand
By IANS
Ranchi : Excitement gripped Ranchi as "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the seventh edition of the Harry Potter series, was released in the city early Saturday.
"We have booked around 200 copies of the seventh edition of Harry Potter. The readers are not only children but also older people. More than 20 percent of the bookings are by older people," said Pradeep Kumar Burman, owner of Gyan Deep bookstall.
Gwalior to have India’s first wall painting museum
By Azera Rahman, IANS
Gwalior : With the completion of the restoration work of the 19th century Moti Mahal palace in Gwalior town of Madhya Pradesh in another year, India will get its first wall painting museum.
According to H.B. Maheshwari of the Gwalior chapter of the Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), the museum will constitute about 12 rooms of the royal palace that have intricate and exquisite paintings splashed across its walls.
Children’s drawing contest to spotlight young Russians’ image of India
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The publishers of Russia's oldest humour magazine for children have announced a contest for the best drawing about India.
"The contest is being held as part of the Year of Russia in India and is devoted to Russia's participation as a guest of honour at the 18th New Delhi World Book Fair," the head of the Vesyolye Kartinki Publishing House, Irina Deshkova, told RIA Novosti in an interview.
Mayawati to put up more of her statues
By IANS,
Lucknow : Undaunted by all the criticism from her adversaries, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is to get three more of her statues installed in the state capital where two imposing bronze memorials are already in place.
An 18-feet-tall statue is proposed in the neighbourhood of BSP's Prerna Sthal (inspiration home) where Mayawati had got her first statue installed inside an imposing stone structure shaped like a Buddhist stupa.
Shias and Sunnis to offer joint prayers in Delhi and Lucknow this Eid-ul-Adha
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: Once again, Delhi and Lucknow will witness a show of solidarity and unity on eve of Eid-ul-Adha when...
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, ...
Rajasthan’s dying folk music finds a voice
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Jodhpur : Traditional folk music from the remote villages of Rajasthan is finding high-profile voices to carry it mainstream.
A five-day Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF), which began Oct 1 at the sprawling Mehrangarh Fort, is promoting "unheard of music from the desert villages that is dying a slow death due to lack of patronage and popularity".
Sand-made phoenix displayed on Persian Gulf island
By IRNA,
Bandar Abbas, Hormuzgan prov : Iranian artists put on display on Sunday a colored sand-made design of a phoenix on the Hormuz island in the strategic Straight of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf waters.
Phoenix was selected as the symbol of Iran’s Islamic Revolution this year while Iranians are celebrating the 30th victory anniversary of the 1979 revolution. The celebrations would reach their climax on February 10 by massive ceremonies to be held nationwide.
Delhi ready for mega tryst with art and its business
By IANS,
New Delhi : The capital is gearing up to welcome what could perhaps be the country's most eventful art season. The first of three back-to-back mega art events in the capital starts Wednesday.
Global art auction house Christie's will get the ball rolling with a preview at the Imperial hotel here of a collection of South Asian modern and contemporary art for its Sep 26 New York auction.
The preview will be followed by the country's first art fair on an international scale at the Pragati Maidan Aug 22-24 - the India Art Summit.
‘Mohiniattam’ lecture-demo in Dhaka
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladeshi lovers of classical dance have been treated to a lecture-demonstration by renowned Indian artiste Pallavi Krishnan as part of a cultural exchange programme between the two countries.
Pallavi, who has trained at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal and Kalamandalam in Kerala, explained the history of how the dance has evolved over centuries and its nuances to a select Dhaka audience, The Daily Star said Wednesday.
Chandigarh residents out on heritage walk
By IANS,
Chandigarh : As part of the ongoing heritage festival in the city beautiful, a walk was organised here Tuesday morning.
Around 150 school students, 100 volunteers and many top officials of the administration took part in the heritage walk, flagged off by the city's administrator S.F. Rodrigues.
The walk started from the Open Hand Monument and concluded at Botanical Garden, covering a distance of around one and a half km. The walk was organised by the UT administration in collaboration with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
India mesmerises Yankees with food, folk art and fun
By Liz Mathew
New York, Sep 24 (IANS) There is dance and music, food and drink - and some business too - at a mini India in the heart of New York. And the vibrant city is pausing to say 'incredible', India @ 60.
The eponymous event to celebrate 60 years of India's independence, which got off to a colourful start at the Lincoln Centre here Sunday evening, is giving New Yorkers a taste of spicy Indian food, a dekko at Indian handicrafts and handlooms, and a glimpse of its rich traditions of folk and classical dance.
My love for love stories
By Zohra Javed for TwoCircles.net
I have joined what they call a mobile library. It works this way: you fill in a form, pay an annual fee in lump sum, and their man comes (at irregular intervals !!!) to your home with a bagful of novels and magazines, from which you can choose and keep the books for about a fortnight...or of course till the man shows up again. Suits a slow and relaxed reader like me very well. I was told that I can give my choice in advance also so that on his next round the librarian could cater to my request.
Advani bestselling author again with Jhumpa Lahiri
By IANS,
New Delhi : BJP leader L.K. Advani's autobiography retains its hold over readers in the capital as does Jhumpa Lahiri whose "Unaccustomed Earth" is number one in the fiction bestseller list.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "My Country, My Life"
Author : L.K. Advani
Publisher : Rupa & Co.
Price : Rs.595.00
2. "The Secret"
Author : Rhonda Byrne
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Price : Rs.550.00
3. "Common Wealth : Economics for a Crowded Planet"
Author : Jeffrey Sachs
Publisher : Allen Lane Penguin
Price : Rs.695.00
‘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.
India to get first taste of German Fluxus art
By IANS,
New Delhi : Take a sheet of paper. Shake it, rumple it and tear it. Place the act in the context of creative art, installations, short texts and theatre. You get a free-flowing genre of inter-disciplinary art called Fluxus art, an exhibition of which will be held here this month.
For Indians, bred on conventional art formats like paintings, sculptures and installations, Fluxus may seem a tad difficult to understand. Experts describe it as a spiritual experience which recontextualises traditional forms.
Pakistani filmmaker keen to make film on cross-border social issues
By Prathiba Raju, IANS,
Spanish writer Odon Betanzos dies
By IANS
Huelva (Spain) : Spanish writer Odon Betanzos has died in New York, the head of the author's foundation told Spanish news agency EFE. He was 82.
Antonio Ramirez said Betanzos died Monday morning at a hospital following a combination of a variety of ailments in recent years.
Among his works were anthologies like "Santidad y guerreria", "Hombre de luz", "La mano universal", "Poemas el hombre y las desolaciones" and "De ese Dios de las totalidades" as well as the novel "Dios dado de alto" about the Spanish Civil War.
Puppet show, music give message – ‘say no to drugs’
By IANS
New Delhi : A colourful puppet show, narration of real life experiences of the fight against drug addiction and some soulful music were part of events here Monday on the eve of the International Day Against Drug Abuse.
What Obama read as he went on to become US president
By IANS,
New York : Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography "The Story of My Experiments with Truth", The Bible, writings of Abraham Lincoln and Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" are among US president-elect Barack Obama's all-time favoured readings.
In an article headlined "From Books, New President Found Voice" in the New York Times ahead of Tuesday's inauguration of Obama as the US' 44th president, noted literary critic Michiko Kakutani writes that the much appreciated eloquence of America's first black president lay in his love for the written word right from his childhood.
Anjuman-e-Haideri condemns Paris attack, says will increase measures to counter IS propaganda
By TCN News
New Delhi: Joining a host of other Muslim organisations in condemning the Paris attacks, Anjuman-e-Haideri said the Paris attacks were a reminder...
Drums, dance drama to ring in I-Day in Bangalore
By IANS
Bangalore : Traditional dance dramas, a drum performance and movies and games for poor children at upmarket malls are among the programmes lined up in Bangalore to celebrate the 60th anniversary of India's Independence.
A replica of the Taj Mahal made with 26,000 roses, and a spaceship made with over 10,000 flowers at the famous Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in the city is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors on Aug 15.
India Broadcast Live welcomes court decision on domain name
By IANS
New Delhi : The US-based India Broadcast Live (IBL), which shows Indian TV programmes through the Internet, has welcomed a recent decision by the Delhi High Court allowing it to use its web address with a disclaimer.
After a petition filed by Rajat Sharma's India TV, the court had restrained IBL from operating the domain name - www.indiatvlive.com - in an earlier order delivered in January.
New Delhi : The US-based India Broadcast Live (IBL), which shows Indian TV programmes through the Internet, has welcomed a recent decision by the Delhi High Court allowing it to use its web address with a disclaimer.
After a petition filed by Rajat Sharma's India TV, the court had restrained IBL from operating the domain name - www.indiatvlive.com - in an earlier order delivered in January.
Muslim men come out in support to abolish Triple Talaq
By TCN News
New Delhi: A group of 225 Muslim men from across the country have come out in support of the...
Lesser-known Agra monuments cry for attention
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS,
Agra : Heritage protection in Agra is "Taj centric", ignoring in the process dozens of lesser-known protected monuments that are in a shambles, say conservationists as World Heritage Day is observed Friday.
Don’t just invest, collect art
By Shylashri Shankar, IANS
There really is no such thing as art, there are only artists, said Gombrich in his seminal work, "The Story of Art". Artists "are favoured with the wonderful gift of balancing shapes and colours till they are 'right', and rarer still, who possess that integrity of character which never rests content with half-solutions but is ready to forgo all easy effects, all superficial success for the toil and agony of sincere work," he wrote.
Weaver’s in Uttar Pradesh decry lack of govt support amid lockdown, worry for future
By Musheera Ashraf, TwoCircles.net
Uttar Pradesh: “While the country is struggling to fight the pandemic, the Uttar Pradesh government seems to have unleashed a war...
VHP protests against ‘PK’ in Hyderabad
Hyderabad : Aamir Khan-starrer "PK" Tuesday faced protest here as activists of right-wing Hindu groups held a demonstration outside a cinema hall, demanding that...
Artisans get a platform in Jharkhand
By IANS
Ranchi : Artisans and weavers in Jharkhand have now got a platform to exhibit their products, with the opening of Jharcraft, an exclusive showroom for them.
Jharcraft, inaugurated here earlier this week, exhibits handlooms and handicraft items prepared by the state's weavers and artisans.
The showroom, run by the Jharkhand Silk Textile and Handicrafts Development Corporation (JSTHDC) houses silk products, handicrafts of different varieties like bamboo, articles made from jute, besides potteries and statues.
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.
Rare contemporary art from Myanmar showcased in India
By IANS,
New Delhi: The colours of Myanmar are vivid, realistic and a little abstract on its contemporary canvas and, for the first time, collectively on display in India.
Shobha Deepak Singh makes London debut
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Shobha Deepak Singh, Delhi-based director of the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, has opened a spectacular exhibition here of her photographs, drawing admiration from the audience.
Singh was born into one of India's premier industrial families - the Shrirams of Delhi. Her father, the late Lala Charat Ram, headed Shriram Pistons and helped build up Delhi Cloth Mills (DCM).
Like her mother - and a vocalist cousin belonging to the other branch of the family - Singh's heart lies in the arts.
Festival celebrating tradition of theatre begins in Bangalore
By IANS,
Bangalore : The moving tale of the struggles of Binodini, a 19th century actress in Kolkata, came alive on a Bangalore stage Friday marking the beginning of a 10-day theatre festival celebrating the glorious tradition of 'Nataka Mandali' or company theatre in India.
The festival, in its fifth edition, is in celebration of the Natak Mandali tradition, one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the early part of the 20th century.
Raghu Rai tells India’s story in Dhaka exhibition
By IANS,
Dhaka : Renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai's exhibition here narrates the "unending story" of his country through evocative photographs.
"They say a good photograph is worth a thousand words. But a thousand words can be a lot of noise. How about some silence -- a moment in space which is non-negotiable," Rai said at the opening of the exhibition here Wednesday.
"The emergence of the unseen and revelation of the unknown leaves me amazed! The experience becomes a 'darshan'. What a country of mine!" said Rai.
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?
Sunil Abhiman Awachar: An inimitable voice in Dalit poetry and painting in contemporary India
Dr Sunil Abhiman Awachar is clearly an antithesis to discourse on contemporary Indian art.
By Yogesh Maitreya, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Dr. Sunil Abhiman Awachar is well known as a poet and painter, also an assistant professor with the Department of Marathi in University of Mumbai. Meanwhile, he is full time activist in dalit human rights movement. He has published four anthologies of poetry, all in Marathi, that include ‘Global vartamanachya kavita (2008)’ ‘Mi mahasattechya darashi katora gheun ubha rahanaar nahi,’ ‘Bravo! Fox minds of capitalist’ and ‘Poems of the occupied everything’.
Uttar Pradesh dance troupe thrills Trinidad audience
By Paras Ramoutar, IANS,
Port-of-Spain: A scintillating performance by an Uttar Pradesh-based dance troupe has enthralled the audience at this Trinidad and Tobago capital.
Charkula Arts Academy dance troupe performed Wednesday night to a packed audience at Divali Nagar.
Uttar Pradesh was one of the main states from which the Indian diaspora in this country was sourced. Nearly 148,000 people came here from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 to 1917 to work on sugar plantations.
Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra gave a short address on Holi.
Over 1,000 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath Yatra
Jammu : Over 1,000 pilgrims of the first batch of this year's annual Amarnath Yatra left Jammu on Wednesday for the high-altitude cave shrine...
Sports is chauvinistic, but I’ve changed mindsets: Mandira
By Prithwish Ganguly, IANS
New Delhi : TV anchor Mandira Bedi, who brought noodle strap blouses into serious cricket talk, says much of the controversy she attracts has to do with her being a woman in the male-dominated world of sports.
11th century Cambodian temple to be renovated by India
By Devirupa Mitra, IANS
New Delhi : An 11th century temple in Cambodia, located near its border with Thailand and the subject of lingering tension between the two Southeast Asian countries, will now be renovated by India.
The Preah Vihear temple has been in the limelight this year over Cambodia's bid to get a Unesco world heritage status for it, but was objected to by Thailand.
Karnataka to help fight AIDS with folk art
By IANS,
Bangalore : Music passes the message quick and well, and Karnataka intends to do just that by using state's popular folk art to spread awareness among the masses about HIV-AIDS and to wash the stigma attached to it.
"People of the state have traditionally been inclined towards art and culture. Hence, we have decided to use the powerful tool of folk art to educate people on HIV-AIDS and create further awareness on the disease among rural and illiterate people," Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) Planning Director R. Jannu told IANS.
Marathi film ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ is India’s Oscar entry
By IANS,
Mumbai : Marathi film "Harishchandrachi Factory", Mumbai-based theatre actor-director Paresh Mokashi's debut movie, will be India's official entry for the Oscars.
Mokashi told IANS Sunday that his film has been nominated by the Film Federation of India as the country's official entry in the Foreign Language Film category.
The movie is on the making of "Raja Harishchandra", India's first full length feature film made in 1913 by the pioneer of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke.
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).
Jahangirabad Institute organizes colourful graduation ceremony
By TCN News,
Jahangirabad (Lucknow): Alumni of Jahangirabad Institute of Technology (JIT) were on cloud nine after receiving their degrees at the first graduation...
Pran was versatile cartoonist: Modi
New Delhi : Comic book character Chacha Chaudhary's creator Pran Kumar Sharma was a "versatile cartoonist who brought smiles on the faces of people",...
1,000-year-old mystery Buddhist steel case opened in east China
By Xinhua,
Nanjing (China) : Chinese archaeologists Wednesday opened a 1,000-year-old steel case that was believed to contain Buddhist relics.
A pagoda top wrapped in silk emerged after archaeologists removed two steel panels of the cube-shaped case, which is 0.5 metre long, 0.5 metre wide and 1.34 metres high.
Hua Guorong, vice curator of the Nanjing City Museum where the case was opened, said an initial analysis showed the object was a pagoda about 1 metre high.
Four generations a facet of contemporary Indian art: Gulammohammed Sheikh
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Indian art travels abroad this summer
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Indian art is going places this summer. Contemporary artist Manish Pushkale is heading to Europe and says "it's vacation time".
He will exhibit jointly with senior artist S.H. Raza during the Venice Biennale at Gallery Bugno. The biennale begins June 7. On June 9, Pushkale's show opens at the Galerie Muller & Plate at Munich.
Vidya Balan thanks Big B for selfie with ‘Bengal tigresses’
Kolkata: Actress Vidya Balan, who was longing for a selfie with veteran actresses Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bachchan and Moushumi Chatterjee, finally got her wish...
Building brands through art and culture
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi: Liquor bottles with commissioned drawings, art themed around a ketchup brand, music projects sponsored by leading beverage
Indian women artists’ works on Poland tour
By IANS
Warsaw : An exhibition of paintings by well-known Indian women artists, including Illoosh Ahluwalia, Natasha Parinja, Anita Tanwar and Kakoli Sen are on display in Warsaw after having toured several Polish towns.
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.
Vice president expresses sorrow over Kerala temple tragedy
New Delhi : Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Sunday expressed grief over the fire tragedy in a Kerala temple that killed nearly 100...
‘Spider-Man 3’ is endearing and exasperating
By Subhash K. Jha
IANS
Film: "Spider-Man 3" (Hindi); Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco; Director: Sam Rami; Rating: ***
Actress Vani Tripathi turns to politics
By Shweta Thakur, IANS
New Delhi : Popular television actress Vani Tripathi has taken to politics seriously and has become the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) youth wing. The TV star believes she had the "courage" to join the political system instead of just being a critic.
‘India contributes big time to online art’
By Devapriyo Bhattacharjee, IANS,
Mumbai : Online art auctions have grown more than 10 times in the last five years and India has made a major contribution to this growth, says Dinesh Vazirani, co-founder and director of leading auction house Saffronart.
Vazirani said online art auctions have gone up from Rs.200 million ($5 million) to Rs.2.4 billion ($60 million) globally in five years. He said the industry is expected to grow further to nearly Rs.10 billion in the next five years.
New York Aligs names Shamsur Rahman Faruqi for Lifetime Achievement Award 2010
By TCN News
New York: The Aligarh Alumni Association of New York has announced that the eminent literary critic, poet and novelist, Mr. Shamsur Rahman Faruqi will be honored with this year's "Sir Syed Day Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Literature, Poetry, Arts or the Sciences.'
This award will be presented at the Association's annual Sir Syed Day Dinner and Mushaira to be held on October 2, 2010 at Akbar Restaurant, Garden City, New York. The award includes the presentation of a plaque and a cash purse of Rupees one lakh.
‘Jodhaa Akbar’ trimmed in Patna
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS
Mumbai : Is it the end of the road for long films? Although director Ashutosh Gowariker refused to shorten his "Jodhaa Akbar", the exhibitors in the smaller centres have taken matters into their own hands.
The magnum opus that weaves its story around the romance between Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar and Rajput princess Jodha Bai is 3 hours 20 minutes long.
Vital sequences amounting to a good 30 minutes of playing time, including Hrithik Roshan's elephant fight and Aishwarya Rai's culinary conflict with Ila Arun, have been edited out from the film in Patna.
Was Mumtaz really buried at Taj Mahal?
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS
Agra : Even as the world excitedly talks about the recently discovered mummy believed to be of Egyptian queen Hatshepsut, in India the mystery surrounding Mumtaz Mahal's burial at the Taj Mahal has deepened with several Mughal historians asserting that her body was not mummified.
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the 17th century Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died delivering their 14th child in Burhanpur, a town in Maharashtra.
Creating unique identity through animated reality
By IANS
New Delhi : Oblivious of mainstream cinema and the hype around television channels, a new form of creativity is silently but firmly taking root in India and abroad. It is called animation filmmaking.
Dev Anand remembers Mohammed Rafi
By IANS,
New Delhi : Veteran actor Dev Anand remembered Mohammed Rafi on his 31st death anniversary Sunday, saying the legendary singer was one of the greatest souls.
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...
‘Mozart of Madras’ A.R. Rahman turns 42
By IANS
Mumbai : Few of his fans may be aware that music maestro Allah Rakha Rahman, or A.R. Rahman as he is better known, started his career composing jingles for advertising films.
That was 20 years ago. Today, as he enters the 43rd year of his life, the eminently gifted Rahman is credited with creating one of the richest legacies of film music any modern music director has ever crafted.
Ganesh idol immersed with great fanfare near Sydney
By Neena Bhandari
Sydney, Sep 17 (IANS) An idol of Hindu god Ganesh, decorated in all finery, sat firm as thousands of devotees followed in a procession chanting "Ganpati Bappa Morya" to Stanwell Park beach here, as part of colourful celebrations for the Ganesh festival.
The elephant-headed god was immersed in the Pacific Ocean to the sounds of beating drums and chants Sunday as waves on low tide lashed the sandy beach, about 50 km south of Sydney's central business district.
Muslim towns of medieval era discovered in Ethiopia
By Xinhua
Addis Ababa : Some three medieval Muslim towns, now ruins, have been discovered in north Ethiopia's Amhara State.
How did Mina Stampede happen – Who is Responsible for it – Saudi Arabia...
By Dr.Ajmal
769 Haj piligrims died in the Mina Stampede, and the preceding week around 107 died in the Crane Crash in...
Cuba accuses Spain of ‘veiled attack’ through Delhi art show
By IANS,
New Delhi : A month-long exhibition of paintings by eminent Cuban novelist, dramatist and artist Severo Sarduy brought to the capital by the Spanish embassy Saturday has ruffled the Cuban government, which alleges that the exhibition is "launching a veiled attack on Cuba through its catalogue".
Cuban Ambassador to India Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos protested the "contents in the catalogue which touched upon of the humiliation writer-painter Sarduy suffered under the totalitarian regime in Cuba".
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...
Turn these pages for some water wisdom
By Papri Sri Raman, IANS
Book: "Towards Water Wisdom - Limits, Justice, Harmony"; Author: Ramaswamy R. Iyer; Publisher: Sage Publications, India; Price: Rs.350.
In the 21st century world, water is the most contentious of elements, its ownership more disputed than land and space.
The laws regarding water are less clear than those on land and space. For land, territories can be established and rights claimed. For space, technology determines ownership.
Ghulam Ali to perform in Delhi in December: Kejriwal
New Delhi: Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali has agreed to regale his Indian fans at a concert here in December, says Delhi Chief Minister...
European Union Film Festival to be held in India
By IRNA,
New Delhi : The 14th European Union Film Festival is to begin later on Thrusday in India and would continue until April 22 in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kozihodhe, Chennai and Jamshedpur.
A selection of contemporary film productions of nineteen European countries are to be screened during the festival which is to be inaugurated Thursday evening at Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi.
The "Czech Dream" will be the inaugural film to be screened in New Delhi.
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.
Penguin launches Davidar’s new book
By IANS
Chennai : Penguin Books India Friday launched here the Indian edition of noted publisher David Davidar's second book, 'The Solitude of Emperors'.
David Davidar (48), publisher of Penguin Canada, is now based in Toronto.
He was born in South India into a military family in 1962 and educated in India and at Harvard. As publisher of Penguin India, he has published Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy, Amitava Ghosh, Rohinton Mistry and many others.
‘The Silent Raga’ – a finely told story of everyday humiliation
By Papri Sri Raman, IANS
Book: "The Silent Raga"; Author: Ameen Merchant; Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India; Pages: 452, Price: Rs.395.
A man's rare insight into a woman's plight? A sentence in Ameen Merchant's first book gives away the empathy, which made him delve so deep into women's minds.
Mubarak Manzil: Agra’s 17th-Century Monument Demolished
TCN News
The demolition of Agra's ancient Mubarak Manzil, a 17th-century Mughal heritage site, has sparked criticism and claims of complicity between officials and a...
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.
Madhya Pradesh to bring out dictionary of tribal words
By IANS
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh is planning to prepare a Hindi dictionary of tribal phrases and words which have unique meanings in tribal dialects, official sources said.
The state's Tribal Research and Development Institute will hold a workshop in Bhopal Feb 18-25 during which 72 people of various tribal groups will gather to discuss the compilation of the dictionary.
This would, perhaps, be the first dictionary to have references to cultural peculiarities and history of various tribal groups. These references would be included in alphabetical order.
Selja inaugurates British photography exhibition
By IANS,
New Delhi : Culture Minister Kumari Selja Thursday inaugurated an exhibition of contemporary British photography at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) here.
काशी की मस्जिद : बोर्ड, कमेटी का ऐलान, फैसले के खिलाफ हाईकोर्ट में लड़ेंगे
आकिल हुसैन।Twocircles.net
वाराणसी की फास्ट ट्रैक कोर्ट ने काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर-ज्ञानवापी मस्जिद मामले में मस्जिद परिसर की पुरातात्विक जाँच कराने के आदेश जारी किया...
Non-resident Gujaratis add colour to Ambaji festivities
By IANS,
Palanpur (Gujarat) : Among the nearly 300,000 devotees who have come to the Ambaji temple here in the past four days to witness Durgashtami celebrations, are 3,000 non-resident Gujaratis who fly down at this time of the year to offer prayers and celebrate.
Devotees have come from the US, Australia, Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and other European countries.
"Approximately 3,000 NRGs have come to the temple town for Navratri but Durgashtami has a special significance for most of them," Ambaji temple administrator P.K. Jadeja said.
मौलाना राबे हसन नदवी के हाथ मे पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड की कमान
आकिल हुसैन।Twocircles.net
ऑल मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड की बैठक में मौलाना सैयद राबे हसन नदवी को सर्वसम्मति से ऑल इंडिया मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड...
Play on Gandhi gets standing ovation in Sydney
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : The Australian premiere of "Sammy! A Word That Broke An Empire", a play tracing Mahatma Gandhi's life, has drawn applause from hundreds of people - Indians, foreigners, young and old.
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 at Sydney.
PM greets nation on Raksha Bandhan
By IANS
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday greeted the nation and Indians living abroad on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates the love and affection between brothers and sisters.
"The festival is a special occasion to celebrate the bond of love between a brother and sister. It also marks a re-affirmation of traditional family values," the prime minister said.
Celebrated on the full moon of the Hindu month of Shravana, Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi falls on Tuesday this year.
Naseeruddin’s film lauded in Pakistan, draws crowds
By IANS
Lahore : Pakistani film "Khuda Kay Liye", starring Indian thespian Naseeruddin Shah and US actors, has drawn huge crowds and won popular acclaim for displaying "a soft, lenient image" of Islam that could fight Western notions that have influenced the treatment of Muslims in the post 9/11 era.
Saad Cheema, a Pakistani cine fan on a visit from the US, said the Americans had "a very rigid view of Islam" and were apprehensive of Muslims, and therefore, discriminated against them.
Of Beautiful vistas, perfect past and future tense
All this wealth produced by them goes out of their hands and reduces them into welfare recipients from the government. All this great wealth...
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.
Bestselling books of the week – ‘The Secret’, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhiites continue to snap up copies of Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" and Jhumpa Lahiri's "Unaccustomed Earth" that top the non-fiction and fiction lists respectively.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "The Secret"
Author : Rhonda Byrne
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Price : Rs.550.00
2. "Rivals: How the Power Struggle Between China, India and Japan Will Shape Our Next Decade"
Author : Bill Emmott
Publisher : Allen Lane
Price : Rs.695.00
Power and Piety: An exhibition of Islamic talismans on the battlefield
By Misbahuddin Mirza for TwoCircles.net
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s (the Met, New York) fabulous exhibition - Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield...
Farmers who made history haunted by Terracotta Warriors
By DPA
Xian (China) : In modern China with its brutal pace of development, it was a very unremarkable death. Racked with disease and with no money to pay for a visit to the doctor, peasant farmer Wang Puzhi waited until his family were out, slipped a rope around his neck and ended his suffering.
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.
Ahead of Putin visit, an ‘Indian Poem’ by a Russian artist
By Biswajit Choudhury,
New Delhi : There is a large canvas, perhaps familiar to those who have visited Kolkata's Victoria Memorial, by Vasily Vereshchagin, a large part of whose work embodies the foundations of the India-Russia connection but who has remained largely unknown in this country.
‘Lunatic In My Head’: a migrant’s view of Shillong
By Azera Rahman, IANS,
New Delhi : She calls her debut novel "polyphonic", echoing voices belonging to different ethnicities and cultures. Set in the picturesque Shillong in the northeast, Anjum Hasan's "Lunatic In My Head" is a reflection of the soul of the place through the eyes of three characters.
College lecturer Firdaus Ansari, IAS aspirant Aman Moondy and eight-year-old Sophie Das - Hasan's three protagonists - have all been born and brought up in Shillong like her.
Ramadan to begin in Kerala on Monday
Thiruvananthapuram : The islamic holy month of Ramadan would begin in Kerala from Monday, announced Muslim clerics here.
P.V. Suhaib Moulavi, the Imam of the...
Kolkata techniques shine at British light festival
By IANS,
London : The northeastern British city of Durham is all lit up, thanks to a light festival that has an Indian flavour. Lighting techniques from Kolkata have been used to creatively illuminate the Framwellgate Bridge.
The "Enlightenment: Durham International Light Festival" was switched on Thursday night, with four of the city's landmark bridges illuminated. Initiated by Durham City Arts, with support from Durham City Vision, the festival is part of their 'Culture10's East08' - a celebration of contemporary Asian culture. It lasts till this weekend.
Hindi Diwas celebrated in BHEL Bhopal unit
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: "Hindi Divas is a festival of commitment and dedication towards Rajbhasha Hindi, said RK Singh, Executive Director, BHEL, Bhopal in his address as chief guest on the occasion of Hindi Divas at BHEL Cultural Hall.
Singh said that BHEL Plant is committed towards compliance of statutory requirements like its production target. Highlighting the importance of Hindi as a language of business in the market today, he emphasized on increase in the use of Hindi. CK Pani, General Manager (IT & PDX) chaired the function.
Google celebrates MF Husain’s birth centenary with doodle
New Delhi : Google is celebrating the birth centenary of renowned Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain who died in London on June 9, 2011...
Ramachandra Guha, Hosseini emerge as favourites again
By IANS
New Delhi : Ramachandra Guha and Khaled Hosseini continue to be hot reader favourites this week with their respective books "India After Gandhi" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" topping the best-selling lists yet again.
Former union minister P.C. Chunder dead
By IANS
Kolkata : Eminent academician, Congress leader and former union education minister Pratap Chandra Chunder died in a city hospital Tuesday afternoon. He was 88.
Chunder was ailing for sometime. He is survived by wife Leena Chunder, four sons and grandchildren. Chunder served as education and social welfare minister in the Morarji Desai ministry between 1977 and 1979.
A family member said the body of the veteran politician and educationist will be brought to his central Kolkata home. His last rites will be performed Wednesday.
American tribute artist to spin Elvis magic in India
By IANS,
New Delhi : The music of rock'n'roll legend Elvis Presley still spells magic even 31 years after his death. Award-winning American artist Stephen Kabakos will pay a tribute to Elvis for the first time in India in a live concert here Wednesday.
The tribute by Kabakos, one of the most popular Elvis look-alikes, will be held at the Radisson Hotel.
Liquor giant United Spirits Limited is sponsoring the show.
End of a golden age: Artist Paritosh Sen passes away
By IANS,
New Delhi : High priest of Bengal modern art Paritosh Sen passed away in Kolkata Wednesday evening. He was 90.
The artist is survived by his wife.
Sen was admitted to the hospital Sep 5 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was on life support. Sen was cremated Thursday.
Fair, fireworks to kick off Diwali festivities in New York
By Parveen Chopra
New York, Oct 10 (IANS) An important date in the city calendar and a tradition with the Indian-American community, the Deepavali Festival at the southernmost edge of Manhattan is scheduled for Oct 14 and will be complete with fireworks, a mela (fair), Indian food, music and dance.
Spectacular fireworks lasting 20 minutes on the waterfront is the highlight of the festival at South Street Seaport, a popular mall and entertainment arena.
The festival, now in its 20th year, is organised by the Association of Indians in America (AIA) New York chapter.
Satellite survey of Nalanda ruins begins in Bihar
By IANS
Patna : Scientists from the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) are conducting a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey in Bihar's Nalanda district to trace the location of the buried ancient structures.
Officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Patna circle, said Thursday a five-member team of scientists from the NRSA has begun a four-day GPR survey in Nalanda.
The GPR survey is being conducted for the first time in Bihar. GPR survey has proved beneficial across the world in exploration of archaeological structures.
Elephants missed at Republic Day parade
By IANS,
New Delhi : The huge disappointment of this year's Republic Day was the absence of the elephants that normally carried children recognised for exemplary bravery. When the boys and girls came aboard open military vehicles, they failed to generate the usual attention and cheer.
In contrast to earlier Republic Day parades, the ride did little to lift the spirits of the 20 young ones. Eventually the shy youngsters sat waving to rather placid crowds.
***
Bollywood heads to Kashmir for filming
By Sheikh Imran Bashir, AIP,
Srinagar: With the arrival of summer season, many Bollywood stars have landed in Jammu and Kashmir, for shooting of their upcoming films amid the picturesque locales.
Once a favourite with Bollywood filmmakers, Kashmir had lost out after being rocked with insurgency for over 20 years. The scenic valley is, however, once again being noticed by filmmakers.
The latest film unit to land in Srinagar city is the cast and crew of Bollywood film 'Saat Khoon Maaf' directed by filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.