Spectacular change of guards ceremony charms morning crowd
By IANS
New Delhi : It was an unforgettable spectacle of smartly-turned out soldiers, including some on well-groomed steeds, marching to the tune of military music at the change of guards ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. But the ritual in its re-invented form, thrown open to the public Saturday, failed to attract much crowds.
Although a battery of still and television cameras were there to film the majestic ceremony, only a small group of school children and public were present before Rashtrapati Bhavan on a cold, but sunny morning.
Amitav Ghosh topples Archer as best-selling author
By IANS,
Mumbai : Amitav Ghosh's latest, "Sea of Poppies", debuts as the number one selling book in the fiction list, toppling Jeffrey Archer's "A Prisoner of Birth". Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" continues its successful run in the non-fiction category.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction categories are:
Non-fiction:
1. The Secret
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550.00
2. Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Bloomsbury books
Price: Rs.299.00
3. Love Delhi
Author: Love Travel Guides
Manoj Tiwari to start film on Sher Shah Suri in 2013
By IANS,
Patna : Bhojpuri superstar Manoj Tiwari is set to begin shooting for his dream project - a Hindi film on the life of emperor Sher Shah Suri, next year.
Jai Maharashtra, says Gauri Khan
By IANS,
Mumbai: Gauri Khan is doing what she does best -- managing the home turf for husband and Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan.
While Khan is attending the Berlin Film Festival, where his movie "My Name is Khan" received a red carpet premiere Friday, Gauri was out Saturday thanking Mumbaikars for the overwhelming response to the film.
Pakistani poet issued summons for using ‘derogatory words’
By IANS
Islamabad : The Supreme Court has issued summons to Urdu poet and singer Abrarul Haq for using the name "Parveen" in his song that forced a girl with the same name to drop out of college as she complained that the poet had used "derogatory words in the song".
India’s Nalanda among 9 new cultural sites added to World Heritage List
Istanbul : The World Heritage Committee on Friday added nine new cultural sites, including India's Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara, to the prestigious World...
Indra Sinha’s book on Man Booker short-list
By IANS
London : Indian writer Indra Sinha's book "Animal's People", which narrates a fictionalised story of a Bhopal gas victim, has been shortlisted with five others for this year's Man Booker Prize worth 50,000 pounds.
The winner of the prestigious prize will be announced on Oct 16 at an awards ceremony at the Guildhall, London. Last year's winner was Kiran Desai's "The Inheritance of Loss".
Australian academics explore stories from the Raj
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : Among the many Australian academics working on literary links with India now is self-confessed Indophile Ralph Crane, who is resurrecting the writings of a forgotten Anglo-Indian novelist Maud Diver.
Diver (1867-1945), author of more than two dozen books, was a regular on the bestseller booklist in Britain during her lifetime. But like many women novelists of the Raj, her star faded while those of her male contemporaries - notably Rudyard Kipling - never waned.
Delhi International Arts Festival goes to malls, historic sites
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF), the capital's answer to the Edinburgh festival, will reach out to the common man this year with interactive music and folk dance performances at malls and historic sites.
"The festival is bigger and spread out across more venues. It will be more interactive with more spotlight on children and related activities in public places such as DLF malls and Purana Qila," festival director Prathibha Prahlad told IANS.
Long neglected church in Goa gets official attention
By IANS,
Panaji : The Goa government is renovating the 430-year-old Santa Anna Church in Talaulim that has long been a victim of neglect.
Also known as the Church of St. Ann or Santana at Talaulim (Santa is the Portuguese word for 'saint'), some 10 km from here, it is known to be an impressive church in central Goa, built on the banks of the Siridao river amid picturesque settings.
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.
When music from the dark lit up Dubai’s heart
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS
Dubai : Just over four years ago, Benny used to eke out a living as a musician playing the guitar as a church choir member in Kochi once a week. Around the same time, Muthu, a flautist, made a living playing as an amateur artiste for different groups in Thrissur.
And in the case of Jaimon, a tabla player from Alappuzha, it was a story of late night functions playing for a small three-piece band and then catching public transport to somehow reach home and fall asleep.
TV18, Viacom join hands to launch entertainment channels
By IANS
New Delhi : TV18, one of India's leading media firms, Tuesday announced its strategic tie-up with US-based Viacom Inc. to launch entertainment channels.
Punjab celebrates harvest festival Baisakhi
By IANS,
Hoshiarpur/Amritsar (Punjab) : People loaded on tractor-trolleys, trucks, buses and private vehicles headed for destinations of their choice this Sunday. It was certainly a busy day for Punjab as the state celebrated the festival of good harvest - Baisakhi.
Sikh religious shrines - gurdwaras - were the main centre of attraction for most people from villages and those from towns and cities as they lined up to pray.
PM gifts Saudi king gold replica of Kerala mosque
Riyadh : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the second and final day of his bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia, gifted King Salman bin...
ICCR to open regional centre in Bhopal
By IANS,
Bhopal : The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is all set to open its 17th regional centre in the Madhya Pradesh capital.
Feast awaits book lovers at World Book Fair
By IANS
New Delhi : Book lovers from across India will get an opportunity to browse through millions of books and broaden their horizon of knowledge at the 18th New Delhi World Book Fair beginning Feb 2.
Organised by National Book Trust (NBT), an autonomous organisation under the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry, the nine-day knowledge extravaganza would be held at Pragati Maidan.
Government designs new strategy for revival & resurgence of handloom production
BY TCN News,
New Delhi: The government is aiming to increase handloom exports from about Rs. 2,500 crore at present to Rs. 4,500 crore in...
Osian aims to recreate cinematic culture
By IANS
New Delhi : Aiming to recreate cinematic culture in the country, the 9th Osian's-Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema - a new name for the capital's prestigious film fest - will focus on Japanese films with a tribute to Kenji Mizoguchi.
Varanasi’s Heritage in Crisis? How City’s Iconic Crafts Are Disappearing
Aradhana Pandey, TwoCircles.net
Traditional livelihoods in Varanasi are not just allegedly vanishing — they are being replaced by modern alternatives; and with them, the unique skills...
Bhagat Singh’s commemorative coin sparks a row
By IANS,
Khatkar Kalan (Punjab) : The commemorative coins released Saturday on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh at his ancestral village Khatkar Kalan in Punjab's Nawanshahr district generated a political controversy with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal objecting to the photograph of the martyr used on the coins.
Badal pointed out to union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, who was present at the function here to mark the 101st birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, that his photograph in a hat, which has been embossed on the new coins, was not right.
Indian summer of art at British Museum
By IANS,
London : The British Museum will showcase Indian art and culture next summer to celebrate the country's emergence as an "emerging superpower".
The six-month extravaganza beginning next May is called Indian Summer. It will be an exhibition of paintings never before seen in Europe, installations, performances, film screenings and the construction of a typical Indian garden in the museum's forecourt.
For the first time, a collection of 55 paintings - Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur - will be seen in Europe.
India doesn’t need nationalism after 70 years of Independence: Nayantara Sahgal
By Milinda Ghosh Roy
Kolkata (IANS): India doesn't need any lessons on nationalism 70 years after Independence, feels eminent writer and member of the Nehru-Gandhi...
Salman living example of secularism: Kabir Khan
Kochi: Filmmaker Kabir Khan on Monday said he chose to work with superstar Salman Khan in "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" because of his secular leaning and...
Review: Aamir, a movie on modern day terrorism
an analysis of its message
By Feroze Mithiborwala,
Going by the positive reviews that 'AAMIR' has elicited in the secular press, my friend Kishore Jagtap and myself decided to see the movie, for the reason that it dealt with the modern scourge of terrorism.
Never wanted to be prime minister in 1984: Pranab Mukherjee
New Delhi : President Pranab Mukherjee reveals that he never wanted to be the prime minister after Indira Gandhi's death, as several reports have...
Court notice to government on Microsoft event near Taj
By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday asked the Indian government to explain if global IT major Microsoft's Windows Vista launch function in the backdrop of the Taj Mahal this year violated norms and laws regarding heritage monuments.
A bench headed by Justice S.B. Sinha asked the government and the Archaeological Survey of India to reply within a week, providing details of the event and identifying the government agency that granted the permission for the event.
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday asked the Indian government to explain if global IT major Microsoft's Windows Vista launch function in the backdrop of the Taj Mahal this year violated norms and laws regarding heritage monuments.
A bench headed by Justice S.B. Sinha asked the government and the Archaeological Survey of India to reply within a week, providing details of the event and identifying the government agency that granted the permission for the event.
Creating monsoon magic – kathak style
By IANS
New Delhi : From the pitter-patter of the first monsoon showers and the romance associated with the rains to the havoc it wreaks, kathak danseuse Sharmishta Mukherjee's ballet here encapsulated the many moods of the magical season.
'Varsha Malhar' by Sharmishta and her troupe - that Monday evening kicked off the annual Malhar Festival organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to celebrate the monsoons - caught the images and emotions linked with the rain through kathak swirls, intricate footwork and contemporary and traditional music.
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...
Hyderabad’s last Nizam had reconciled to Indian Republic, says his poem
By Mohd Ismail Khan, Twocircles.net,
‘Gandhi’, ‘Calcutta 71’ to be screened at Pakistan film festival
By NNN-PTI,
Lahore : The widely acclaimed Indian films "Gandhi" and "Calcutta 71" will be part of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) film festival that kicks off in Pakistan's cultural capital today.
"Calcutta 71", a Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen, will be screened on day two of the festival. Released in 1972, the film is based on four short stories, each presenting a study of the political turmoil of the 1970s.
‘New York’ on 9/11 repercussions to break dry spell
By IANS
New Delhi: Kabir Khan's second directorial venture "New York", about the repercussions of 9/11, is expected to end the prolonged dry spell at the box office when it hits the screens Friday.
Industry insiders suggest good initial takings courtesy the big names - John Abraham and Katrina Kaif - associated with it.
Produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films, "New York" also stars Neil Nitin Mukesh and Irrfan Khan in pivotal roles.
A.R. Rahman might sing for nephew G.V. Prakash Kumar
Chennai: Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman is most likely to sing in a composition by his nephew G.V Prakash Kumar in upcoming yet-untitled Tamil film...
Mohan Khan set to pay tribute to Mehdi Hassan
By IANS,
Mumbai: Ustad Mohan Khan, a disciple of late Pakistani ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan, is organising a concert here Saturday as a tribute to his mentor.
Farewell Faraz
By Sadia Dehlvi,
Lovers of Urdu mourn the death of Ahmed Faraz, undoubtedly the greatest romantic and revolutionary poet of our times. Earlier this week, Faraz was laid to rest in Islamabad, the city he made his home. One by one, the torchbearers of Urdu literature fade away.
London art fair to highlight Husain’s work
By IANS,
New Delhi : Leading Indian contemporary artist M.F. Husain's art will be the highlight of the 20/21 International Art Fair in London Feb 17-20.
A call for revolution, and romance: The poetry of Faiz
By Vikas Datta,
Is there any common ground between revolution and romance, as expressed in poetry and music? Lenin didn't think so, admitting he loved hearing a Beethoven sonata, but couldn't listen to music much since it made him want to pat people's heads, though his "devilishly difficult job" called for him to beat their heads instead. But it is not difficult to identify parallels - for one, both activities call for a great deal of passion. The Indian subcontinent can boast of several people who effortlessly straddled both spheres. One of them was Faiz Ahmed 'Faiz," who even won the Lenin Peace Prize.
‘Mela’ to spread Gandhian values in the capital
By IANS
New Delhi : Dance, drama, puppet shows, films, uninterrupted spinning of khadi and many more events will be organised in the capital beginning Sunday to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Oct 2.
The three-day 'Gandhi Jayanti Mela' is being organised at Pragati Maidan here by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Delhi mayor Arti Mehra Saturday said, the event aims to spread the message of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, among the masses, which will inform people about its relevance in the contemporary world.
Surendran Nair, Atul Dodiya highlights of Saffronart auction
By Uma Nair, IANS
Mumbai : The Saffronart spring online auction of modern Indian art works will take place March 12-13 and feature 140 works by 55 artists. Paintings of Surendran Nair and Atul Dodiya will be the highlights.
The auction includes works of the younger lot of artists who have tasted success much earlier than their elders.
‘Pandal-hopping’ gathers momentum on Day Two of Durga Puja
By IANS,
Kolkata : The crowds at the marquees across the city became bigger, the aroma of incense sticks thicker and cultural programmes unfoleded in more numbers as Durga Puja - the biggest festival of West Bengal - entered its second day Monday.
With over 4,000 marquees or 'pandals' across Kolkata this year, people started 'pandal-hopping' early morning to avoid the rush. And the themes for pandals included unique and contemporary subjects.
Doyen of Urdu poetry Shaharyar is no more
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net
Lucknow: "Ek tum hi nahin tanha ulfat mein meri ruswa; is sheher mein tum jaise deewane hazaaron hain…" Shaharyar.
Indo-Canadian popularises ‘the blues of India’
By IANS
Toronto: An Indo-Canadian singer here is bringing several generations together with her music that combines ghazals, Punjabi folk songs and African blues, apart from other musical strains.
Many of India-born Kiran Ahluwalia's fans identify her as a singer of the "blues of India".
Kiran, raised in Toronto and now living in New York, is just back from performing in Marseilles, France, where she was a big hit - though people didn't understand her songs.
"It's such a global world now that many tastes are similar," said Kiran, a Juno award winner.
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
Remembering Ghalib’s angst through his life, poetry
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS,
'Aah ko chaahiye ik umr asar hone tak/
Kaun jeeta hei tirii zulf ke sar honey tak'
(The sighs of love a...
कोच आबिद अली के नमाज पढ़ने से आहत हुए हिंदूवादी संगठन,दे दी तहरीर
स्टाफ़ रिपोर्टर।Twocircles.net
उत्तर प्रदेश के पीलीभीत में हिंदूवादी संगठनों ने हाकी कोच आबिद अली पर स्टेडियम में नमाज़ अदा करने का आरोप लगाते...
Jethro Tull, Anoushka Shankar send message of hope through music
By IANS,
New Delhi : Jethro Tull, one of the world's best western music bands from Britain, and sitar exponent Anoushka Shankar Saturday sent out a message of hope to terror-ravaged India saying if London could withstand the blitz during World War II and the underground train bombings three years ago, India should be able to do the same.
They will perform in the capital Sunday at the Pragati Maidan as part of a five-city live tour presented by Seagram.
Salman pleads not guilty in arms case
Jaipur : Bollywood actor Salman Khan pleaded "not guilty" on Wednesday in an arms case in a court in Rajasthan's Jodhpur city.
Salman was in...
Legendary music composer ‘Khayyam’ of Hindi cinema passes away
TCN News
Mohammed Zahur 'Khayyam' Hashmi, popularly knowns as Khayyam passed away on Monday due to critical illness.
Born in undivided Punjab in Rahon, Khayyam was...
Aalaap: First movie out of Chhatisgarh will take on Naxalism head on
By TCN News,
Mumbai: Chhattisgarh is caught between Capitalism and Naxalism. A group of people who hail from the region are making a movie to change the perception of the region.
Newspaper, the new inspiration for contemporay Indian art
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Contemporary art in India is drawing inspiration from a collage of new mediums, the most striking among them being daily newspapers and the internet. And Vadodara-based contemporary artist Ashutosh Bharadwaj's works reflect just that.
Bharadwaj, whose works are on display at the Vadehra Art Gallery in the capital, is one among the current crop of contemporary painters who are falling back on alternative mediums, the internet and references from the past to colour their canvases with symbolic images and figurative forms.
Film about poisoned Russian spy to premiere at Cannes
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : A documentary about former Russian secret agent Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned in London at the end of last year, will be premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, the director of the film Andrei Nekrasov has said.
‘नक्काश’ बनारस के मंदिरों में काम करने वाले एक मुस्लिम कारीगर की कहानी
TCN News,
हिंदू-मुस्लिम सब्जेक्ट पर आधारित इस फ़िल्म की कहानी हर किसी का ध्यान अपनी ओर आकर्षित कर रहा है. प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी के संसदीय...
Bajrang Dal protests against ‘PK’ in Odisha
Bhubaneswar : The Bajrang Dal Tuesday protested at various cinema halls in this Odisha capital and demanded a ban on Aamir Khan's movie "PK",...
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...
ATUJ hails notification of Urdu as 2nd official language in Jharkhand
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Ranchi : The Anjuman Taraqqui-e-Urdu Jharkhand (ATUJ) has welcomed the notification issued by the State government by order of the...
Assam singer faces gender discrimination; barred from performance as she refused putting traditional chadar
By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: Even as several measures are being taken in minimizing the gender discrimination in the country, a female singer in Assam was barred from performing at a function, allegedly for not wearing a particular kind of dress.
Makeover planned for Red Fort neighbourhood
By IANS
New Delhi : The historic Red Fort here, granted the Unesco World Heritage Site Status recently, will be made more tourist-friendly as authorities plan a makeover of the area around the monument.
According to the proposed Comprehensive Research Conservation Plan (CRCP), the area around the 17th century Red Fort, always crammed with vehicular traffic, will be decongested to allow free movement of tourists by constructing more subways and underpasses.
Artists seeking publicity claim faking of their works: Neville Tuli
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Jaipur : Neville Tuli, chairman and founder of Osian's Connoisseurs of Arts - the country's biggest private art auction house, feels that the lack of authentication of art works in India leads to faking while many artists also claim that their works have been forged to gain publicity.
"Works are not authenticated and art still comes without receipts. This allows room for art to be faked. Moreover, many artists like to claim that their works have been faked to seek easy publicity," Tuli told IANS in an interview.
Poet Hali instilled patriotism through his writings: Ansari
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Remembering the eminent poet and social reformer Khwaja Altaf Hussain Hali Panipati, Vice President Hamid Ansari said Hali had made efforts to instil a feeling of nationalism in the people through his writings.
Ansari Saturday praised the far-sightedness and the writings of Hali while addressing the gathering on the occasion of a two-day Hali Mela (Nov 22-23) which was organised by Hali Trust at Panipat town in Haryana, some 150 km from here.
US varsity sets up chair in Sikh musicology
By IANS,
New York : An endowed chair to study and teach Sikh musical traditions has been established in the department of religion of Hofstra University here.
The chair will focus on how Sikh music and scripture are historically intertwined.
The Sardarni Harbans Kaur Chair in Sikh Musicology is a gift from Hakam Singh, a retired chemist with a lifelong interest in Sikh music.
The chair "will add to Hofstra's growing expertise on the rich traditions of Sikhism", university president Stuart Rabinowitz said.
Tagore house to Twenty20, Rabindra Jayanti revelry sweeps Kolkata
By Sreya Basu, IANS,
Kolkata : Kolkatans made it a point to celebrate their "Bengaliness" Thursday. They may love their discos and lap up Bollywood-Hollywood through the year, but on "Pochishe Boishakh" only one name ruled their hearts - the famous bard of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore, whose 147th birth anniversary it was.
Indian dance and music weave magic in Vienna
By Mehru Jaffer, IANS,
Vienna : Imagine European audiences spending an entire month tapping their feet to Indian dance and music! That's exactly what happened at a festival here, as Indian artistes gave a glimpse of folk, traditional and even Bollywood art.
The occasion was the silver anniversary of Impuls Tanz, Vienna's international festival of contemporary dance where performances run parallel to workshops in a month-long celebration of every move that the human body is capable of making.
Artist working on creating Rashtrapati Bhavan’s digital legacy
New Delhi : As you walk into artist Pratap Morey's room, you are greeted with a panoramic art panel on which the multidisciplinary artist...
Marathi movie Khwada projects the rebel against upper-caste hegemony
By Yogesh Maitreya, TwoCircles.net
After Fandry, the Marathi movie Khwada, released on Oct 22, 2015, does a brilliant job of depicting lower castes’ struggle...
“Urdu represents India’s composite culture”
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Bangalore : Urdu is most often considered the language of Muslims. But the participants at the all-India conference of State Urdu academies, organised by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) say no to this erroneous concept. To call Urdu the language of Muslims is to deny its roots in the composite culture of India, they said.
In Iran showing US films is fine, writing about them not
By Farshid Motahari, DPA
Tehran : On the occasion of Noruz, the Persian New Year, Iran's state television network IRIB will broadcast 22 new Hollywood productions during the two-week holiday.
The Iranians welcome this decision and look forward to watching the latest movies, most of them blockbusters or academy award winning films from the "Great Satan", the term used by the Iranian political system for political arch-foe the US.
Sotheby’s stops auction of Sikh armour, to arrange private sale
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : Sotheby's Monday stopped the auction of an 18th century body armour after angry protests by Sikh groups in India, but said it would arrange a private sale for Sikh buyers.
"As per the seller's wishes, should anyone come forward to buy the item, we will then forward their offer to the seller," Sotheby's spokesman Simon Warren told IANS after the London-based firm house withdrew it from auction.
Ambedkarism on the canvas: Artist Navin Chahande’s attempt to bring caste to art’s discourse
By Daisy Katta, TwoCircles.net
Artist Navin Chahande does not like to prove his point using abstract forms. He says his art is direct. Navin is...
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.
Cremation ground near Taj Mahal gets new lease of life
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS
Agra : As the Taj Mahal fights for a place among the seven wonders of the world, the cremation ground near the love memorial is being given a facelift by artists here.
Exposure makes Indian art prices gallop in global mart
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The price curve of Indian art is shooting north in the global market because of "increased consciousness" about it, say experts.
This has been brought about by greater visibility of art and artists from the country and easy access to relevant information about Indian art from the internet, they say.
"Indian art is becoming a part of international consciousness, why is why we have seen a spectacular growth in this field," Yamini Mehta, director of modern and contemporary Indian art at the London-based Christie's, told IANS on e-mail.
5,500-years-old cave houses found in China
By Xinhua,
Xi'an : Archaeologists have unearthed the earliest man-made cave houses and privately-owned pottery workshops in China which date back 5,500 years.
After four years of excavation, a row of 17 cave houses were found on a cliff along the Jinghe River in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, said Wang Weilin, deputy director of the Shaanxi Archaeology Institute and chief archaeologist of the excavation.
They were built between 3,500 to 3,000 BC, near the Yangguanzai village of Gaoling county, 20 km away from the provincial capital Xi'an.
Musical protest at Vrindavan to save Yamuna
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS,
Vrindavan : The banks of the polluted Yamuna river came alive to the soul-stirring strains of a unique musical protest that bemoaned nature's bountiful beauty turning into a sewage drain and hoped for better sense that would one day revive its "divine glory".
The musical initiative of Acharya Jaimini Thursday evening drew cheers and support from activists, who have been alarmed by the construction frenzy, high level of industrial effluents and toxic waste finding way into the river.
In Photos: Stories of Communal Harmony in Jamia Nagar
Jamia Nagar in New Delhi has been vilified in certain sections of the mainstream press and called ‘mini-Pakistan’ and ‘unsafe for Hindus.’ This TCN...
Revisiting mannequins, Raja Ravi Varma and prehistoric relics
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Famous French photographer Bernard Faucon throws humans together with mannequins in his surrealistic photographs. But both the subjects are real to him, says the ace lensman, who is exhibiting in India for the first time after 250 international shows.
His works are poetic, personal and metaphysical - where dolls and children jostle for space amid toys, nature, schoolbooks and props. He uses empty swathes of the sky and open spaces to etch into sharp relief the complex compositions of his figures.
Ravishankar upbeat about fusion music
By IANS
Kolkata : Sitar maestro Pandit Ravishankar sees a great future ahead for fusion music.
"Fusion music will get stronger and stronger in the days ahead. It is one thing, which I always felt, was bound to happen. It is known by several names the world over like World Music, New Age Music, etc. The future belongs to fusion music," he told journalists at Calcutta Club here Thursday night, ahead of his concert with daughters Norah Jones and Anoushka Saturday.
When tremor hits, femininity shines
By Zhan Yan, Xinhua,
Beijing : When William Shakespeare wrote "frailty, thy name is woman," he may have no idea what women could do at times of extreme adversity.
As the 8.0-magnitude earthquake rocked southwest China's Sichuan province May 12, it let out not only the devastating power from the depth of the earth, but also the incredible strength within women.
A two-month-old girl baby was found on the day of the quake under the ruins in Longwan village in Beichuan county. She survived because she was shielded by her mother, who died protecting her.
Nine-year-old sings bhajans – in English!
By V. Vijayalakshmi, IANS,
Barshi (Maharashtra) : Saurabh Maharaj More is just nine years old but when it comes to singing bhajans, he is a veteran of 150 shows. And he sings these devotional songs not only in his native tongue, Marathi, but in English too.
Saurabh, a resident of Barshi Taluka near Solapur in Maharashtra, gave his 151st show in English at the request of his schoolmates who found Marathi a little incomprehensible.
Kolkata reacts with anger, relief to court ruling on book fair
By IANS
Kolkata : Book lovers are sad, helpless and angry following the Calcutta High Court's cancellation of the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair.
The decision has given a body blow to the Publishers and Booksellers Guild. But the residents and academic institutions around Park Circus ground where the fair was planned have heaved a sigh of relief.
The book fair stood cancelled with the high court Monday ruling against the organisers' decision to hold it in Park Circus ground, which is surrounded by schools, colleges, hospitals and residential quarters.
Legendary poet, Gopal Das Neeraj donated body to AMU before death
By TwoCircles.net
Aligarh, July 20: In line with India's rich heritage of harmony, tolerance and co-existence, 93-year-old, doyen of Hindi poetry and lyricist, Gopal Das...
Our country will break up: Pakistani theatre director
By Sarwar Kashani
New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The widening gulf between "fundamentalists" and "liberals" will perhaps end up in the partition of Pakistan, says Lahore-based theatre director and political activist Madeeha Gauhar.
"The growing intolerance shown by Taliban followers is proving lethal for the country," Gauhar, the founding member of Ajoka Theatre, told IANS in an interview.
"There is no overnight solution to the problem. I am afraid it will break up the nation," she said, adding: "I don't mind that but am only worried about the bloodshed the partition brings along."
Northeast can set off India’s second Green Revolution: ICAR director Ngachan
By Sujit Chakraborty
Agartala : The mountainous northeastern region, which comprises eight states, occupies eight percent of India's land area and is home to four...
Museum for modern art to be built in Kolkata
By IANS,
Kolkata : A museum for modern art will be built here by one of the world's leading architecture firms Herzog & de Meuron to revive the city's heritage, said a company official.
The Kolkata Museum of Modern Art (KMOMA) will be set up at the New Town area in Rajarhat on the outskirts of the city.
"We have signed the agreement with the trustees of KMOMA Monday evening and hope to start working on the $50 million project soon. This art museum is going to be the first of its kind in India," Harry Guggar, a company partner, told reporters at a press conference Monday.
The fading flavours of Pakistan’s ‘Little Hyderabad’
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim, IANS
Karachi : Tailor Shafi Ahmed peers disdainfully from behind his glasses. Specialising in stitching sherwanis, the Karachi resident bemoans the loss of Hyderabadi culture that has meant fewer footfalls at his shop.
"Gone is the kurta pyjama and with it the Hyderabadi 'saqafat' (culture) with all its 'adab' (etiquette) and murawwat' (consideration)," said 58-year-old Ahmed, wearing a shalwar kameez.
Benazir Bhutto’s story tops best sellers’ list
By IANS,
New Delhi : Journalist Shyam Bhatia's political biography of the slain former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, "Goodbye Shahzadi", debuts on top of the non-fiction best sellers' list while ex-IITian Chetan Bhagat's "The 3 mistakes of my life" is on top of the fiction list.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction categories are:
Non-fiction:
1. Goodbye Shahzadi: A Political Biography of Benazir Bhutto
Author: Shyam Bhatia
Publisher: Lotus Roli
Price: Rs.295.00
2. Crossed Swords: Pakistan Its Army, and the Wars Within
Author: Shuja Nawaz
Publisher: Oxford
Lahiri, Byrne are top authors this week
By IANS,
New Delhi : "The Secret", a motivational book by Australian author Rhonda Byrne, has come back to occupy the top slot in this week's non-fiction list while Jhumpa Lahiri's "Unaccustomed Earth" continues to be the favourite in the fiction category.
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. "My Country My Life"
Author : L.K. Advani
Publisher : Rupa & Co.
Price : Rs.595.00
3. "The New Asian Hemisphere:The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East"
Manish Malhotra joins hands with Nerolac Paints
New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) Fashion designer Manish Malhotra, known for using an aesthetic blend of colours in his collections, has now joined hands with Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. to launch 'Colour Styles of 07-08'.
An endeavour to precisely chart colour trends in India and understand the logic of colour transition, Colour Styles 07-08 gives a glimpse into how colours and moods are strongly linked with each other.
"It is good to see that a paint company is now exploring the emotional aspects of consumers while connecting with them," Malhotra said at the launch here Friday evening.
Agra boy scales musical heights to enter Limca records
By IANSAgra : A 13-year-old boy from this Taj Mahal city has entered the Limca Book of Records for playing the guitar - 45...
Andhra Pradesh swept by Pottermania
By IANS
Hyderabad : Die hard fans of Harry Potter queued up outside bookstalls in Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam since the wee hours of Saturday to buy "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the seventh and last book in J.K. Rowling's popular fantasy series.
Some fans were lined up outside the bookstall since 2 a.m. though the sale of the book began only at 6.30 a.m. "I had booked the copy two months ago but did not want to take any chance. I wanted to be the first person to grab the book," said Subhash Reddy, a software professional.
India a hot destination for Pakistani rock bands
By Shweta Thakur, IANS
New Delhi : The Indian music terrain is proving to be a huge draw for Pakistani bands, thanks to big money, fame and Bollywood prospects. And Indian listeners who find their music soul stirring are certainly not complaining.
When asked why he wants to perform here, budding Pakistani singer Adeel retorted: "Why not India?" He recently launched his album "Koi Chehra" in the national capital.
वंचितों के तालीम के मसीहा पद्मश्री डॉ. सैय्यद हसन
By Afroz Alam Sahil, TwoCircles.net
सदी के महान शिक्षाविद डॉ ज़ाकिर हुसैन ने कभी कहा था -
‘हमारे देश को गर्म खून नहीं चाहिए जो...
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.
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...
नन्हें रोज़ेदारों की दिलचस्प दास्तान
फ़हमिना हुसैन, TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली: रमज़ान के पाक महीने में रोज़े के साथ इबादत का मज़ा ही कुछ और है. तभी तो बड़े तो बड़े बच्चे...
Jodhpur fort to resonate with soulful music again
By IANS,
New Delhi : Come October, the historic Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan's Jodhpur town will come alive to the sounds of folk and classical music again, during the four-day Rajasthan International Folk Festival.
This is the second edition of the festival, which has been billed as one of the top five music festivals in the world by British newspaper The Guardian. Mick Jagger, the lead vocalist of the popular pop-rock band "Rolling Stones", attended the festival in 2007.
भोजपुरी फिल्मों की मशहूर अभिनेत्री सहर अफशा ने इस्लाम के लिए छोड़ी फ़िल्म इंडस्ट्री
स्टाफ रिपोर्टर।Twocircles.net
उत्तर प्रदेश में बेहद लोकप्रिय भोजपुरी फिल्मों की अभिनेत्री सहर अफशा ने अभिनय की दुनिया को खुद से जुदा कर करते हुए...
India highlight of prestigious European art fair
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian art will be the highlight of one of Europe's best-known contemporary art fairs - ARCO Madrid 2009, which will be held in February 2009 and showcase the works of stalwarts like Subodh Gupta, M.F. Husain and Tyeb Mehta.
The 28-year-old fair's special section Panorama, which features art from guest nations, will be dedicated to India.
The Indian cache, curated by leading contemporary artist Bose Krishnamachari, will comprise 13 leading galleries, including three from Delhi, featuring works and photographs by 50 artists.
Once upon a time…the storytelling event begins
By IANS
New Delhi : Iran, Uganda, Egypt, Pakistan...storytellers from across the world, some even dressed in colourful costumes to enthral their young audiences, got together for the first day of the International Conference on Storytelling here Monday.
As many as 40 narrators have assembled with their tales for the three-day event aimed at inculcating the reading habit among children.
One year after launch, Lok Sabha TV losing its way
By Faraz Ahmad
IANSNew Delhi : Nearly a year after its launch, Lok Sabha TV (LSTV), touted as a "milestone for Indian democracy", has lost its way somewhere in the thicket of mushrooming television channels with most cable operators refusing to show it on the plea there is "no demand".
Lata Mangeshkar to sing for Shiv Sena on Maharashtra Day
By IANS,
Mumbai: Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar will sing a specially-composed patriotic song May 1 at a celebration organised by the Shiv Sena to mark the golden jubilee of Maharashtra's formation.
Making the announcement, Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray told mediapersons here Saturday that the song would be composed and set to music by well-known music director Anil Mohile.
"He is famous for his musical works. We have requested him to perform his magic with a composition for this momentous occasion," Uddhav said.
Many firsts to mark 10th edition of fashion week
By Shweta Thakur, IANS
New Delhi : International models walking the ramp, 10 designers debuting, a new and bigger venue - the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) that kicks off Wednesday has many firsts. And why not? It's celebration time as the event turns 10.
"It is the 10th edition and this makes it a very special one," beamed Rathi Vinay Jha, director general of event-organiser Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), as hectic preparations were underway at the Pragati Maidan exhibition complex to ensure the Sep 5-9 event runs like clockwork.
Channel 4 to telecast rare Diana crash images
By IANS
London : Britain's Channel 4 is embroiled in a row over it's plans to screen graphic images of the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
Asia’s biggest theatre fest will host 63 plays
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The 11th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the much-awaited annual theatre festival of India's National School of Drama (NSD) that begins here Jan 7, will feature more new faces, experimental forms and a revival of old classics. Billed as the biggest in Asia, the Jan 7-19 festival will host 63 plays - 51 from India and 12 from abroad.
It will also have an exhibition devoted to legendary playwright Badal Sircar.
Potter mania strikes at dawn in Kerala too
By IANS
Kochi (Kerala) : Children dressed up as various characters of the Harry Potter series arrived on horsebacks at a bookshop here early Saturday morning for the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
The children carried copies of the book to the Ravi bookstore here and a special function was held inside the shop during which the books was taken out from a box amidst huge applause from people who had arrived to buy J.K.Rowling's latest offering.
Writer Kamala Das is dead
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Poet and writer Kamala Das, well known for her works in both Malayalam and English, passed away in Pune early Sunday, family sources said. She was 75.
She was suffering from diabetes and was recently hospitalised with pneumonia. The end came in a private hospital.
Ghazal singer croons for 24 hours
Agra, Sep 17 (IANS) In a rare feat, city-based ghazal singer Ranjan Deb Nath crooned for 24 hours to promote the unique form of singing.
"This is my humble way of promoting this beautiful singing style which has so many fans and admirers all over the world," Ranjan said after his feat Sunday.
Ghazals are surviving despite the increasing popularity of remixes and pop music because proponents like Ranjan have been passionately devoted to this art form, one who heard Ranjan singing said.
All artists must have copyrights on their works: fake-hit Raza
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Syed Haider Raza, the master of Indian contemporary art, was deeply disappointed to find fake paintings being displayed at an exhibition of his early works in one of the capital's oldest galleries. To prevent this, he feels all artists must have copyrights on their works. Raza has filed a case.
"The making of fake paintings is sad. There are certain things in life that are important for a writer, painter and researcher working in their own domains - integrity and commitment," Raza told IANS in an interview.
A new documentary challenges notions of mainstream anti-caste movement
Caste-ing Space raises serious questions about the prevalence of caste in social spaces and underlies crucial concerns in anti-caste circles.
Muhammed Nihad PV | TwoCircles.net
KERALA — A...
Shimla summer festival from June 2
By IANS
Shimla : Music, songs and a beauty pageant will be the highlights of this year's five-day Shimla summer festival set to begin June 2.
Rhonda Byrne, Wilbur Smith the ace authors this week
By IANS
New Delhi : Reader fascination with Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" continues as it tops the non-fiction category while "The Quest" by Wilbur Smith dominates the fiction section in the best-selling list this week.
Here are the fiction and non-fiction lists:
Non-Fiction
1. "The Secret"
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550.00
2. "Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything"
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Bloomsburry
Price: Rs.350.00
3. "Delhi Metropolitan: The Making of an Unlikely City"
Author: Ranjana Sengupta
De Niro helped by Taliban for movie?
By IANS
London : Oscar winning actor Robert De Niro reportedly met with ex-KGB spies and fired guns with Taliban soldiers to research for his latest movie "The Good Shepherd", reports contactmusic.com
Oscar would help do bigger things: A.R. Rahman
By IANS,
New York : An Oscar award would be a "great honour" and help do "bigger things", says Indian music maestro A.R. Rahman, a hot favourite to take home a trophy for his music in "Slumdog Millionaire".
"It would be a great honour," Rahman told the New York Times in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where he was preparing to perform at the ceremony.
"It would help me to do bigger things."
Asked to elaborate, Rahman named "some Western directors he would like to work with". "Baz Luhrmann... Ridley Scott. I'm a big fan of Ridley."
Indian sand artist to create image of Lord Ganesha in Japan
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik Wednesday said he will create a 5.20 metre long sand sculpture of Lord Ganesha with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in Japan next month.
"I have been selected to participate in the World Sand Sculpting Contest Japan 2009, which will be held at Tottori city from April 5 to 15," Patnaik told IANS on phone from his home town Puri, 56 km from here.
"The image I will create include that of Lord Ganesha with his father Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati," he said.
Heritage Meet in Bhopal on Dec. 17
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: The novel and unique meeting between investors and owners of palatial buildings named as 'Heritage Meet' would be held at Bhopal on Monday, December 17. All the preparations of this meet have been completed.
Rajasthan folk festival will come alive with gypsy, flamenco music
By IANS,
New Delhi : The sprawling Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur will come alive with the sounds of European gypsy music, flamenco, urban folk music and the traditional music of Rajasthan sung by the minstrels of Langa and Mangania communities Oct 1-5 at the Rajasthan International Music Festival (RIFF).
Write more cookery books in Hindi: Sheila Dikshit
By IANS
New Delhi : More cookery books should be written in Hindi to enable these reach a wider audience, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit suggested Thursday.
"I am very happy that authors are trying to teach the art of cooking, not only cooking but cooking good and healthy food to live a healthy life," Dikshit said here at the lunch of "Everyday Healthy Cooking" by debutant author Meenakshi Kumari.
It’s a musical, it’s old and it’s not Broadway
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : You could call it India's answer to a Broadway musical, but a Marathi play that has bowled over people in the capital actually revives the glorious 130-year-old theatre tradition of Sangeet Natak.
"Awagha Rang Ekachi Zala", which was staged here as part of the ongoing National School of Drama (NSD) festival, is a musical play. It seeks to bring forth the conflict between traditional and modern kirtan, a genre of devotional music which is under pressure to adapt to the dictates of time.
Indian TV channel Nepal1 staff ends strike
By IANS
Kathmandu : The staff of Indian television channel Nepal1 here have called off their 18-day strike after an agreement with the management, media reports said.
Sotheby’s puts Delhi on art map after New York, Paris, London
By IANS,
London : Delhi is now firmly on the world art map with auctioneer Sotheby's deciding to provoke buyer interest in India's capital for its future London auctions.
A step in this direction is Sotheby's putting up a pre-auction show of select works of famous artist and sculptor Damien Hirst at Delhi's Oberoi Hotel next Thursday.
Next month's London auction of his works is already making waves after Hirst decided to offer 223 new works directly to the public, bypassing the artist's usual dealer and gallery. The works are estimated to be worth more than £65 million.
Plans for a Madame Tussauds in Berlin
By DPA
Berlin : London has one, so does Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Washington. Now it seems that Berlin is about to get one, too - a Madame Tussauds Waxworks Museum on the city's prestigious Unter den Linden boulevard.
The British-based Merlin Entertainments Group, which operates a diverse network of pleasure facilities worldwide, including Legoland, Heide Park and the famous London Eye, seeks to open a Madame Tussaud's at premises on the boulevard this summer, if an agreement is reached with the Berlin authorities.
“Poet reads Poet” programme to promote “Betel Nut City” in Guwahati
A “Poet reads Poet” programme was organised at ‘NEthing’ in Guwahati on Sunday evening in which Namrata Pathak read out from Shalim M Hussain’s...
105-year-old sister ties Rakhi on 98-year-old brother
By IANS
Jaipur : For almost a century, this sister has been praying for the long life of her brother. Though she has failed to visit him on Raksha Bandhan every year, this time, 105-year-old Gopi travelled all the way to her 98-year-old brother Gopal's village to celebrate the occasion.
Gopi, a resident of Charanwala village in Jaipur district received a warm welcome from the villagers when she reached Chamtali, about 50 km from here, to tie the Rakhi on her brother Tuesday.
India’s art fair ropes in big global galleries
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The second edition of the Indian Modern and Contemporary Art Fair 2009, the sub-continent's official art fair, will be bigger, better and more global this year with 16 international galleries, 64 speakers and 25 media partners from across the globe.
The three-day fair will be held during August 19-22 at the Pragati Maidan, the capital's trade and exhibition hub.
Obama’s background makes him pro-Indian: Historian Simon Schama
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : New US President Barack Obama's background makes him pro-Indian and "he is going to do a lot for India before this spring is out", says noted historian Simon Schama.
A professor at Columbia University in the US, British historian Simon Schama foresees a favourable run for India vis-a-vis bilateral ties with the US during Barack Obama's government.
Why? "Obama's background - his mother was a hippy adventurist and his Indonesian link - makes him very pluralistic and very pro-Indian," Schama told IANS in an interview.
Hundreds celebrate Chhath in Bihar jails
By IANS,
Patna : Hundreds of prisoners, including women undertrials, have been performing Chhath puja inside the jail premises across Bihar, observing fasts and offering prayers to the sun god, officials said Tuesday.
Nearly 30 prisoners, including 22 women, in Patna's Beur jail participated in the festivities and prison authorities said they had given new clothes to the inmates.
The prisoners have also been provided the materials needed for the rituals associated with the festival - like fruits, rice, sugar and coconuts.
Fake toe on mummy may be world’s oldest prosthetic
By Xinhua
Beijing : An artificial wood and leather big toe discovered on the foot of an Egyptian mummy could be the world's earliest functioning prosthetic body part.
The fake toe from the Cairo museum in Egypt was found in 2000 in a tomb near the ancient city of Thebes. Archaeologists speculated that the 50- to 60-year-old woman the prosthesis came from might have lost her toe due to complications from diabetes.
Beijing : An artificial wood and leather big toe discovered on the foot of an Egyptian mummy could be the world's earliest functioning prosthetic body part.
The fake toe from the Cairo museum in Egypt was found in 2000 in a tomb near the ancient city of Thebes. Archaeologists speculated that the 50- to 60-year-old woman the prosthesis came from might have lost her toe due to complications from diabetes.
Kerala cultural centre opens school in Kashmir
By Sanu George, IANS
Kozhikode (Kerala) : With teachers from Kerala, a Muslim cultural centre here has set up a school in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district where hundreds of needy children in the violence-hit region are provided education.
The Sunni Cultural Centre (Markazus Saquafati Sunniyya) has been running the school in Rajouri district of Jammu for a year. It also sponsors some 500 school children in Kashmir Valley.
Kids juggle, trapeze to inspire smiles
By Timira Gupta, IANS
Panaji : They are kids who once stood at car windows and begged with tears in their eyes. Now they walk on stilts, juggle and do acrobatics for a theatrical street performance, an attempt to bring a little fantasy to life and to inspire all to smile.
They are part of the 'Laboratory of Smiles', a group of 25 underprivileged children trained by an Italian theatre troupe, Teatro Per Caso, for a performance that is touring the three cities of Mumbai, Pune and Panaji this month.
Arts and culture pump $84.6 billion into Canada’s economy
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Canada's thriving arts and culture contributed a record $84.6 billion to the nation's economy last year.
Highlighting the economic significance of the sector, a report by the private think-tank Conference Board of Canada released Tuesday said it accounted for as much as 7.4 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).
The report comes amid the government's decision to cut funding for various cultural and arts programmes by $45 million.
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.
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.
50 world classics being translated in Gojri: Dr Rahi
Says Neelmat Puran, My Experience with Truth among 12 Publications completed this year
By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu : In a major initiative to widen the access to classic and foreign languages, 50 rare and greatest works in English, Persian and Sanskrit stands chosen to translate in a daring, long-term project to bring landmark works in Gojri –the language of Gujjar Tribe, said Dr. Javaid Rahi, Head, Gojri Wing of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of art, Culture and Languages, here today.
32 South Asian artists showcase power of art in Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi:Thirty-two artists from eight SAARC countries and Myanmar showcased the soft power of art at a day-long exhibition titled "Puducherry Blues" here Saturday.
The artists had met in a camp at the Dune Eco beach resort in Puducherry for a South Asian artists' camp in early March.
The theme of the camp was blue.
And the locale was the heritage French quarters of the town which cradled the elegant boutique resort in a quiet corner. For a week, they worked in unison - first tentative in their interaction with each other and then in the spirit of bonhomie.
Odisha to conserve 700 sacred groves to protect tribal culture
By Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar : An integral part of tribal culture, 700 sacred groves in Odisha -- out of 2,100 identified by the state government...
Globalization, religion and Hindi Press: A Case Study of Nav Bharat Times, New Delhi
Read First Part here:
Communal agenda and Hindi press in a globalizing India</a
Read Second Part here:
Religious Diversity and Hinduisation of press</a
Dr Arvind Das,
Global...
Azadi Express rolls on, celebrating India’s freedom struggle
New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) Blazing in the colours of the tricolour, Azadi Express, a mobile train exhibition capturing defining moments in India's freedom struggle, including the first war of independence in 1857, began its journey Friday to different parts of the country.
The train, flagged off by Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh from the Safdarjang railway station here, would first arrive in Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation, on his 138th birth anniversary Oct 2.
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...