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Doodnath Singh to get Bharat Bharti Samman

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

City-based doyen of literature Doodhnath Singh has been selected for the state’s highest literary honour Bharat Bharti Samman by the Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan. The announcement was made in Lucknow. Singh would be felicitated with cash award of Rs 5 lakh, citation and a shawl.

Besides, litterateur Mamta Kalia would receive Lohia Sahitya Samman and Vibhuti Narayan Rao would be given the Sahitya Bhushan Samman.

Besides, Tamil litterateur M Govindrajan has been named for ‘Sauhard Samman’ for his works in Hindi while writer Dinesh Mani has been selected for ‘Sarjana samman’. Media analyst Dhananjay Chopra would be felicitated with Baburao Paradkar Samman.

Doodhnath Singh who was taking care of his wife admitted to a private hospital was not available for the comment.

It may be mentioned that 78-year-old Doodhnath Singh has authored popular novels like ‘Akhiri Kalam’, ‘Niskashan’ ‘Namo Andhakaram’, a collection of stories ‘Sapt Chehare wala admi’, ‘Dharmashetre Kurushetre’, a collection of poems, plays, memoirs and interviews. He has also edited several literary books.

Similarly 74-year-old Mamta Kalia is known for her lucid expression. Known for her short stories, she has also authored novels like ‘Beghar’ and ‘Narak Dar Narak’. She has been awarded with UP Hindi Sansthan’s ‘Yashpal Samman’.

She has also been awarded with ‘Bhartendu Samman’, ‘Sharad Joshi Smriti Samman’ and ‘Sahitya Bhushan Samman’.

Similarly, M Govindrajan has helped in propagation of Hindi literature in the Sangam City. City authors and theatre artistes have congratulated the litterateurs for their achievements.

“The honour will definitely motivate the writers to continue with their creative approach,” said Yash Malviya, noted lyricts and poet.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / November 01st, 2014

Murtaza restricts South Zone

Sports
Central Zone's Ali Murtaza being congratulatd by teammates after scalping four South Zone wickets. Photo: R.V. Moorthy / The Hindu
Central Zone’s Ali Murtaza being congratulatd by teammates after scalping four South Zone wickets. Photo: R.V. Moorthy / The Hindu

Central openers delight in the second innings

Central Zone was well-served by left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza’s four-wicket strike that restricted South Zone to 379 in its first innings on the third morning of the Duleep Trophy final here on Friday. At close, Central had established an overall lead of 111 runs with six wickets in hand.

Resuming at 308 for four, South faltered and lost the momentum against Murtaza’s sustained spell. After skipper Piyush Chawla foxed K. L. Rahul on a defensive prod, the South innings crumbled with the last five wickets contributing a mere 20. This was in sharp contrast to the character the team showed on the second day.

Vihari was the one to impress with his exceptionally timed strokes. He had mostly played second fiddle to Rahul but gifted his wicket when looking set to dominate. Rahul was dismissed for 185 (233 balls, 19×4, 2×6) while Vihari, who faced 97 balls, hit ten fours and two sixes.

Central was a transformed side when it batted the second time with openers Faiz Fazal and Jalaj Saxena demonstrating a refreshingly positive approach. They played their shots and grew in confidence to put on a 128 runs.

Saxena (71, 119 balls, 15×4) fell to his first false stroke. Soon, Fazal, batting attractively for his 139-ball knock 72 (11×4), succumbed to indiscretion when he swung and unerringly found the only fielder in the deep. It was a tame end to a brilliant innings.

The scores:

Central Zone — 1st innings: 276.

South — 1st innings: Robin Uthappa lbw b Saxena 80, K.L. Rahul b Chawla 185, B. Aparajith c N. Ojha b Pankaj 21, Dinesh Karthik lbw b Pankaj 0, R. Prasanna c N. Ojha b Pankaj 0, Hanuma Vihari b Murtaza 75, S. Gopal (not out) 13, R. Vinay Kumar lbw b Murtaza 2, A. Mithun lbw b Murtaza 0, P. Ojha c Saxena b Murtaza 1, H.S. Sharath c & b Saxena 0; Extras (lb-2): 2; Total (in 90.3 overs) 379.

Fall of wickets: 1-168, 2-231, 3-231, 3-233, 4-233, 5-359, 6-363, 7-366, 8-370, 9-378.

Central bowling: Pankaj Singh 20-3-67-3, Ishwar Pandey 17-2-72-0, Faiz Fazal 3-0-13-0, Ali Murtaza 13-1-59-4, Piyush Chawla 20.3-3-95-2, Jalaj Saxena 17-0-71-1.

Central — 2nd innings: Faiz Fazal c Aparajith b Vinay 72, Jalaj Saxena lbw b Ojha 71, Robin Bist (batting) 26, Naman Ojha c Uthappa b Gopal 27, Ashok Menaria lbw b Gopal 0, Mahesh Rawat (batting) 11; Extras (b-6, lb-1): 7; Total (for four wkts. in 62 overs): 214.

Fall of wickets: 1-128, 2-160, 3-195, 4-201.

South bowling: Vinay Kumar 10-1-56-1, A. Mithun 8-1-25-0, Pragyan Ojha 22-7-52-1, S. Gopal 10-2-43-2, H.S. Sharath 9-3-22-0, B. Aparajith 3-1-9-0.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Vijay Lokapally / New Delhi – October 31st, 2014

30,000 farmers attend Kisan Mela

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

The three-day Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Mela conducted by Chandra Shekhar Azad Agriculture University concluded on Friday. More than 30,000 farmers from different villages participated in the fair and gained knowledge about latest agricultural techniques.

During the closing ceremony, textile minister Shiv Kumar Beria said that organic fertilizers, seeds and other technologically advanced farming equipment should be provided at low cost to farmers for better yield. “India is an agricultural country. It is must that farmers are provided necessary equipment at a low cost. Farmers should also look towards animal husbandry,” Beria said. Kalyanpur MLA Satish Nigam was also present.

The highlight of the event was ‘Krishak Conference’ that gave a platform to farmers to discuss their farm and crop related problems with agricultural scientists and got useful tips. During the conference, the farmers also shared their beneficial experiences with others. A quiz session for farmers was also organised and the winners got prizes. As many as 92 stalls were set up that included 20 stalls by different departments of the university.

CSA vice-chancellor Munna Singh highlighted the achievements of the university in terms of education and research work. He asked farmers to adopt crop diversification and integrated farming system.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kanpur / TNN / November 01st, 2014

Nawabs and their love to see self on canvas

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Lucknow :

Narcissism omnipresent now in the form of ‘selfies’—pictures people click of themselves—was manifest in the form of portraits the high and mighty got painted of themselves for posterity. Nawabs of Avadh contributed immensely to the Company School of Painting, a genre of portraits during the British Raj, providing opportunity for many artists. They created vivid testimonies of the socio-cultural practices of the period.

The nawabs’ patronage to painters became a tradition. At a workshop in the city, Indian and Bangladeshi painters drew inspiration from ‘How nawabs patronised the palette’.

* Tilly Kettle’s Father and Son

Tilly Kettle (1735-86) was a portrait maker from London who traveled to India with the East India Company. He met Shuja ud Daulah in Calcutta where he painted his portrait and later accompanied him to Faizabad. He captured many facets of the aristocratic life but his most famous work was portrait of Shuja-ud-Daulah with his heir apparent Asaf ud Daulah. “The nuances of their work are remarkable. The intricacies as in the bejeweled ‘bajuband’ (armlet), and poise on the face of the two kings is an inspiration,” says Vipul Varshney, a city architect. Painters from Delhi such as Mir Kalan Khan also found refuge in Avadh with Mughal aristocracy declining.

* John Zoffany’s Cock-fight

The tradition of patronising painters was inherited by Asaf ud Daulah. This benevolent nawab is given credit for making Lucknow a subject for painters. The grandeur of his personality was captured on paper by Johann Zoffany (1733 – 1810), a painter of German origin and the work became a stencil for many local artists. Myraid representation of cock-fight match in the court of Avadh speaks volumes of the times. Claude Martin and another painter Ozais Humphery (of the Jane Austen portrait fame) are also in the picture. Later, Martin became a route for entry to the nawab’s court. Ozais made the painting of Haider Beg Khan (1786), a royal in nawabi court. The work, now in Victoria and Albert museums of London, showed that painters found clientele in people other than nawabs too.

* William Hodges, the first professional

Better known for a voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Hodges came to Avadh in 1778, under the patronage of Warren Hastings. He was one of the first British professional landscape painters to visit the country. He remained here for six years, staying in Lucknow with Claude Martin in 1783. His painting of (Fatehpur Sikri) is in Sir John Soane’s Museum. His depiction of the nawabi palace in Faizabad is noteworthy.

King Nasir-ud-Din Haider’s role

This nawab would be remembered more for promoting local artists. One of the paintings of the King with an English lady, probably the wife of Lord Bentinck, is quite striking. It shows the influence of British lifestyle on Avadh. A research work by Neeru Mishra has studied over 300 paintings on Krishna done by artist Ram Prasad who was known to be patronised by Nasir-ud-Din Haider, bringing to fore the nawab’s faith in the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.

Fusion of genres

Researcher Pran Neville has noted that Indian artists took the opportunity to work for their new British patrons, especially because the traditional patronage of Indian rulers and their courts was rapidly declining. “While adopting some features of Western art they took care to preserve traditional elements. Since their own skills were more than adequate, they did not need formal training from the British,” he writes. Scholars at Colombia University also noted that Zoffany was being imitated by local artists. One of his famous works, portrait of Nawab Asaf-ud-daulah, has seven versions besides the original.

Price of vanity

Getting a portrait made was a costly affair. Artists even advertised in newspapers to reach out to clients. One such advertisement that appeared in April 1798 was given by one lesser known artist named Morris. He charged 15-80 gold mohurs for different sizes such as bead size, three quarters, kit cat, half length and whole length. Zoffany charged Rs 2,500 from the wife of a British officer. “The well-to-do, in fact, were ready to spend any amount to get their portraits made for it was a fashion statement,” suggests Neville.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Shailvee Sharda, TNN / November 02nd, 2014

14 countries to attend carpet expo this year

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, World Opinion

Varanasi :

The 28th Indian Carpet Expo, organised by Carpet Expert Promotion Council, will start from October 10 to 13 at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University (SSU) in Varanasi under the aegis of Union ministry of commerce.

Manufacturers from Varanasi, Bhadohi, Panipat, Mirzapur, Jaipur, Srinagar and Agra will exhibit wide range of hand-knitted, tufted carpets and floor coverings at the expo. The event provides an opportunity for traders to directly deal with buyers. The organisers would offer reimbursement of $500 for return air-ticket as well as free accommodation for two nights for potential buyers.

The guest of honour would be SSU vice-chancellor Prithvish Nag and textiles secretary Sanjay Kumar Panda will inaugurate the event. Around 400 carpet importers from 57 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Russia, Germany, Britain and US are expected to participate. Buyers from countries like Bulgaria, Malaysia, Israel, Mauritius, Thailand and other 14 countries would also attend the expo.

Ex-Chairman Siddhant Singh said, “The rate of exports have increased and currently we have reached Rs 7,010 crores witnessing around 21% growth. Priorities have also been given to women in handicrafts and in the coming two years the growth rate is expected to cross 50%.”

He further alleged, “The present government might be better in other aspects but in terms of banking they are relatively slow. I also wish to inform that the UP government is not co-operative in terms of providing us space to organize the expo.”

CEPC Chairman, Kuldeep R Wattal complained about space for organising the expo, he said, “It would have been better if the vent was held in Sanskrit Shankul which is far-stretched as compared to the Sanskrit University.” He highlighted the problems associated in conducting the expo and said, “The interest rates are around 12% but since April, the interest submension is not fixed which used to be around 3%. On the other hand, the service tax is around 12.50% but even this is being overlooked by the government. As far as the appeal for Krishi Udyog is concerned, the government is still in doldrums about it.”

He further added that, “Prime motive behind holding Carpet Expo in Varanasi is to provide business opportunities to all the carpet buyers. We wish to make sure that the carpet importers and manufacturer-exporters are equipped with proper business environment.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / October 09th, 2014

Begum Akhtar’s legacy to be honoured by UP government

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Lucknow :

To mark the birth centenary of ghazal queen Begum Akhtar, Uttar Pradesh government has directed its cultural department to take forward its four proposals that stand to bring back Begum to our times.

The government will rename two roads after her — one in Lucknow and the other in Faizabad, her birthplace. An award in her name is set to be christened, while the house in Faizabad, where she was born, would be restored.

While the directive had come in over a month now, the house in Faizabad is yet to be acquired and converted into a museum of her relics. With the present owners of the house unwilling to part with the property, the district administration is focussing on an alternative land or building in Faizabad to replenish the musical genius of Mallika-e-Ghazal, said a senior officer.

The draft for the award in Begum’s memory has been set, ready to be sent to the cabinet, after which it will be finalized and given the green signal.

The road around her residence after marriage with Barrister Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi, on Fawn Brake Avenue in Lucknow and the one around her maternal home ‘Mushtari ka Makaan’ in Faizabad are the two proposed to be renamed after Begum Akhtar. The municipal corporations of the respective cities have been directed in this regard, awaiting the final work to be taken up, said joint director, culture department, Anuradha Goel.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / October 30th, 2014

Meet the master behind flutes, big and small

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

Agra :

Dinesh Shandilya, now 76, made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for designing and playing a five-feet long and 3.5 inch diameter width flute made of plastic pipe way back in 1996, but his passion for crafting the wind instrument in new shapes and sizes has not diminished even a bit over the years.

After a lot of experiments in the flute design, his latest creation is a 25-feet long flute with one inch diameter which he plays with ease. His name has also been recorded in Limca Book of Records for playing the smallest flute, just 4.5 inches long, in 2000.

For this engineer-turned-musician, the inspiration for playing flutes of various lengths came from his eagerness to play some difficult ‘ragas’. He says he could not find bamboo of desired quality and diameter even after extensive search, after which he used PVC pipes to make his longest flute to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.

What’s more, he used sorrow as a motivating force to come up with something unique and beautiful. “I suffered from nervous breakdown and depression after the death of my younger brother and later, my wife. No therapy could cure me. I, at last, got solace in Vrindavan, where I heard devotional music in temples and flute recitals of Hari Prasad Chaurasia which helped me recover from illness,” says Shandilya.

Grief-stricken, he found solace in soul-stirring flute recitals, which led him to create something which has likely lent new dimensions in the mellowness and depth of notes in the flute.

Over the years, he has made several flutes of bamboo and fibre in sizes ranging from 9 inches to 25 feet, enabling him to produce notes of around 6 to 6.5 octaves. He has specially made bass flutes of different diameters so as to unfold elaborate rendition of profound and classical melodies of ragas like darbari, marwa, pooriya etc.

In the process, he says he has devised a new technique of finger manipulation suitable for playing different sizes of flute.

“Playing a flute is not easy, one needs to have strong lungs to start with. This can be achieved with practice. I spend more than four-five hours daily practicing the instrument. While designing new types of flutes, one has to keep in mind the quality of bamboo. It has to be lightweight and not have knots. The best bamboo is found in Assam,” he says.

In September 2014, Shandilya was conferred doctorate in record breaking ‘honoris causa’ for largest and smallest flute by the World Records University. His feats have been recorded several times by India Book of Records and Limca Book of Records since 1996.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Aditya Dev, TNN / October 31st, 2014

Art students’ brush with maestros from across border

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Lucknow :

The year was 1957-58 when Dhiraj Choudhury was denied admission to the Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts by its Principal. In 2014 Choudhury, now an eminent painter, was invited to the same institution for an interaction with its current batch of students on Wednesday. As part of the ‘Art beyond Borders’ programme, 20 painters from India and Bangladesh have come together to initiate dialogue between people of the two countries through their art.

In 1957, Choudhury was in Nainital when he had opportunity to reach Lucknow in a vehicle deployed for former prime minister late Pt Jawaharlal Nehru’s public rally. He drew sketches at the rally and was profiled in media. His exhibition of portraits drawn on the streets of Nainital was inaugurated by V V Giri, then Governor of UP. Despite the fame, he was unable to study in Lucknow. The principal was not impressed by the feat before reaching Lucknow. Later, the first exhibition of State Museum in Lucknow in 1964 featured paintings from Chaudhury’s collection, he said, recalling his bitter-sweet connect with the city.

As present Master’s students observed techniques and mediums of various artists, Choudhury’s simple yet extravagant expression made an impact on them. Figurative painter Jatin Das explained to them the importance of sketching for enhancement of their painting skills.

“It’s the way you express your thoughts on canvas more than the technique you use, is the important lesson I am taking with me today,” shared Arun Kumar, a first-year MFA student. Chhitij Sahu, a 2nd year student said “it was a golden chance for us to meet the eminent artists right here on the campus. Their breezy brushwork and their brisk movements have inspired me.”

The art on glass and the colour flow technique of painting impressed the students with its close-to-life feel. “Their ideas have made an impression on not just the canvas but on our minds too and will stay with us for life,” said Aprajita Tripathi.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / October 30th, 2014

Colours of devotion flow free at Gomti ghat on Chhath

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Lucknow :

Festive colours suffused the ghats of Gomti as devotees poured in to pay their obeisance to Chhath Mata and to perform the first Arghya to the sun god on Wednesday. Puja ceremonies kicked off at sundown, but saw thousands of people gathering on the banks of Gomti well in advance.

As they began the second of their two-day fast, believed to be the toughest there is, the men and women observing the fast showed little sign of stress. As they arrived at the ghats in bright clothes and carefully decorated puja thalis, the banks reverberated with sounds of bhajans and chanting, even as bhog was dished out to devotees. Wearing a bright red and green sari, Geeta Devi, who performed the Chhath puja, said “even though puja can be performed at home, the sentiment at the ghat is completely different. This is a community festival and nothing can match the joy of celebrating it with the entire community. As a result, I have made it a point to come here for 15 years.”

Devotees, many of whom will remain at the ghat until the end of the two-day fast, said this was the toughest part of the six-day Chhath celebrations. A devotee Surabhi Tiwari said, “This is among the toughest fasts observed by the believers. There are very stringent rules people follow. What makes it special is that Chhath remains one of the few festivals where the entire community comes together to celebrate.”

Festivities were not limited to the puja the devotees performed. Bhojpuri artistes were especially commissioned to sing for the crowds and they added to the celebratory mood. The ghat of Lakshman Mela ground resounded with folk music and bhajans sung in Bhojpuri. General secretary of the Bhojpuri Samaj, Manoj Singh, said, “Nearly 1 lakh people performed the pehla arghya, while hundreds of families who came here from distant places are expected to stay at the ghat, overnight. These families will also remain here for the concluding ritual (dusra arghya) today.”

In a separate function organised by the All India Bhojpuri Samaj, Samajwadi Party bahu Aparna Yadav and UP chief secretary’s wife Surabhi Ranjan participated and sang festival songs to add to the celebratory fervour. The function was also attended by former Member of Parliament Rewati Raman Singh and SP minister Abhishek Mishra.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / October 30th, 2014

Owl festival: A time to crack jokes

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Varanasi :

Hundreds of thousands of people in this Hindu holy city — and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency — in Uttar Pradesh are eagerly looking forward to a time for cracking jokes on anything under the sun and merry making, when the annual “Uloo Mahotsava” (Owl Festival) takes place. The festival, which has become part of the city folklore, helps people find ways to be happy and laugh at themselves.

The Mahotsava — to be celebrated at the Town Hall — is one such moment when the happy-go-lucky Banarasis get together in the midst of Diwali celebrations to crack jokes on virtually almost everything.

A proper puja called “Kotar Pujan” was held on the eve of Diwali at the Town Hall grounds attended by a huge crowd. A large cutout of an owl was prepared and prayers were offered to the bird, generally linked to foolishness!

A ‘ullu aahvahan’ was held amid chanting of religious hymns. The owl cutout was then strung to a tree and was followed by an ‘aarti’.

This, old timers say, has been done for “quite some time now”. Radha Singh from Dahesar, said she thoroughly enjoys the Diwali festivities, which culminate with the ‘Ulook Mahotsava’.

Rajendra Dwivedi, an organiser, said a ‘Ullu Yatra’ (owl procession) will be held in the evening in which a 2.5-feet tall owl cutout will be placed on an ox cart and taken around the city.

The procession will be accompanied by music bands and shehnai players. People will raise slogans in honour of the owl before the event culminates at the Town Hall.

An evening of jokes will follow where jesters will regale the crowd with their puns on contemporary politics. A recital of the ‘ullu chalisa’ will sign off the day.

The Hindu pantheon is filled with interesting and entertaining stories about the various gods and goddesses and their vehicles.The owl is a prominent one, considered the vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi, the provider of wealth and prosperity.

The owl is called Ulooka in Sanskrit and its partial blindness is inferred by many as indicative of a seeker’s tendency of going toward the pursuit of the higher goals of spirituality instead of spiritual wealth.

The owl, in the Bhagavad Gita, is likened to an enlightened ‘sthita prajna’ (the one who remains unwavering in any situation, whether happy or sad).

Goddess Lakshmi is also said to be the mistress of spiritual wisdom. By keeping the owl as her vehicle, she teaches us to open our eyes to the light of the wisdom residing within us.

This ‘Karunamayi (compassionate one) Mother’, hence, symbolically keeps ignorance under her control, said pandit V.M. Shastri.Wildlife conservationists, however, feel such practices sound the death knell for this nocturnal creature which is hunted and sold during the festival season.

Ram Lakhan Singh, former chief wildlife conservator of Uttar Pradesh, said people blinded by outdated religious beliefs, black magic practices and fake advice by soothsayers, mistake the owl trade as part of religious rituals. But for the average Banarasis, this Sunday like in the past will be a time to let their hair down and have a blast.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / IANS / October 27th, 2014