Monthly Archives: February 2015

Municipal Corporation to light up memorial of 257 freedom fighters

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion

Bareilly :

The Bareilly Municipal Corporation is all set to light up the memorial of 257 freedom fighters who laid down their lives during the country’s first war of independence in 1857.

The tower built in their memory is situated in the compound housing the office of divisional commissioner.

Though the memorial was built in 2006, there are no lights at the venue, plunging the place into darkness after evening hours.

The municipal authorities will install high mast lights around the memorial so that the venue is well lit and easily visible to commuters on the road running in front of the park during late evening hours.

After divisional commissioner Pradyuman Yadav took over as Bareilly commissioner, he asked municipal authorities to light up the park where the memorial is situated

“It was disappointing to learn that the tower built in the memory of 257 freedom fighters is lying in darkness. A majority of the locals are unaware about the importance and historical significance of this place,” said Sheeldhar Yadav, municipal commissioner.

Teams of municipal corporation visited the park where the memorial tower is situated on Sunday to survey the area. “We will install white or cream-colour high mast lights around the memorial so that it is able to grab the attraction of commuters moving on the opposite side of roads,” said the commissioner, adding that the work will be completed in the next 10 days.

Explaining the significance of this memorial, Yadav said these 257 freedom fighters were hanged to death on the branches of the banyan tree situated next to tower. During the first revolt of Independence against the British, Bareilly was the headquarter of Rohilkhand region, which included districts of Bareilly, Moradabad, Badaun, Pilibhit, Bijnor, Rampur and Shahjahanpur. On May 31, 1857, the freedom fighters killed British officials, including the principal of Bareilly College, during the revolt.

After their victory, the freedom fighters had made Khan Bahadur Khan, who was the grandson of Hafiz Rehmat Khan, the ruler of Rohilkhand region. Khan formed his own government and ruled the region till May 5, 1858. However, on the morning of May 5, the army of British forces gheraoed the city from all four corners. The British forces defeated the freedom fighters the next day by bombarding the city.

“Khan, along with his trustworthy 257 sepoys, fled to Nepal but British forces, with the help of Nepalese, captured them,” said Abhay Singh, associate professor, department of ancient history and culture at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (MJP) Rohilkhand University.

On March 25, 1860, Khan was sentenced in the district jail of Bareilly, but 257 freedom fighters, who fought with him, were hanged to death with rope on the branches of the banyan tree in the presence of locals. The state government had constructed the tower next to the banyan tree in 2006 in memory of these freedom fighters.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bareilly / by Priyangi Agarwal, TNN / February 16th, 2015

79 tour operators from 27 countries to give global touch to UP’s first Travel Mart

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

Lucknow :

The four-day long UP’s first Travel Mart, which would begin on February 22 is likely to witness participation of as many as 79 tour operators from 27 countries. This also includes 25 tour operators from India. Director general of tourism Amrit Abhijat said that the Travel Mart would be inaugurated by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, and would be held at La Martiniere Boys College ground.

He further stated that earlier the event used to be held in Jaipur under the name of ‘great Indian Travel Bazaar’, but under an agreement between FICCI and UP Tourism, the event has been slated for Lucknow, and for the next five years, it would be held in Lucknow.

“The Travel Mart would prove to be useful both for domestic and international tour operators, and at the same time, it would add another dimension to the different tourist places of the state,” Abhijat said, and added that it will also help the foreign tour operators to design better tour packages keeping in mind the historical monuments of the state.

A meeting was also held recently to formalise the preparations of the Travel Mart. The meeting was attended by Amit Gupta (of FICCI), ASI director PK Mishra, head of Heritage Hotel Association PND Singh and Salim Ali and Tariq Khan (of Roomi Foundation). A meeting was also held under the chairmanship of Mahesh Kumar Gupta, divisional commissioner of Lucknow, which was also attended by Amrit Abhijat and other senior officials.

The meeting which is jointly organised by FICCI and UP Tourism is likely to see maximum participation of 8 tour operators from United Kingdom, followed by 7 each from China and Australia, 6 each from Germany and Thailand, and 5 from the USA.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Arunav Sinha, TNN / February 17th, 2015

Azamgarh boy to get Chancellor Gold Medal

Education, Records, All

The IXth Convocation of UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University would be held at Pt Madan Mohan Malviya convocation ground of Phaphamau campus on Saturday.

Vice-chancellor Prof M P Dubey said that governor and chancellor of the University Ram Naik would preside over the convocation. The convocation address would be delivered by Indian Space Research Organization’s Professor YS Rajan.

Nearly 12,500 students, who cleared examinations of December 2013 and June 2014 would be awarded degrees and diplomas at the convocation. Besides, 18 brilliant students would be felicitated with gold medals. The Chancellor Gold Medal has been bagged by MSc (Bio-Chemistry) student Brijbhan Yadav of Azamgarh who topped the December 2013-June 2014 examination and scored highest marks (82.08%) among all undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Other recipients of the University Gold Medal for PG course include Yadvendra Saroj, Bechan Chauhan, Vinit Kumar, Seema Kashyap, Sadhana Pandey and Brijbhan Yadav. UG students include Anamika Yadav, Kirti Gupta, Mohammad Wasim Sidhhiqui, Bhawna Sharma, Angad Kumar Yadav and Neha Verma.

Prof Dubey also said that donor gold medals would also be awarded to Kirti Srivastava, Seema Kashyap, Pooja Jaiswal, Kirti Gupta and Richa Tiwari.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / February 12th, 2015

Mirasis threatened by obsolescence

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Lucknow :

The predicament of the Mirasi community comprising Awadhi folk singers since ages is pathetic and they are bordering on extinction. Using the cultural platform at the on-going Lucknow Literary Festival, a group of five Mirasan’s hailing from Bada Gaon of Barabanki district who were invited to perform their local folkfare moaned that the government has never taken any concrete measures to save the traditional folklore of Awadh.

The musicians who were once considered an integral part of Awadh, invited to auspicious occasions like weddings, baby-shower, as well as during the mourning period of Muharram to recite soz, salam and nauhas (dirge) find no patrons in this day and age.

At present there are only around 15 mirasans left in Uttar Pradesh who despite all odds still practice the ancestral art of singing on different occasions when invited. Like every ethnic group Mirasis are a mix of Sunni and Shia sects and have their unique characteristics and social roles. They share common values as they are interrelated through marriages.

Rafia Khatoon, part of a group including four other females, said, “Our ancestors were pampered with sufficient clothing, food, residential facilities from the royal families of Awadh so the need for a permanent house was never felt but today we are struggling for survival and expect state government to recognize our talent and make arrangements for some kind of social security.”

She added that with no fixed allowance, housing or medical insurance or any kind of support from the government the community and the art may not sustain for long.

Blaming rapid advancement of technology in the field of entertainment and music industry marring the traditional roles played by Mirasans in nearly every house of Awadh, including both Muslim and Hindu families, another mirasan Firoza said, “It is difficult to generate income from our ancestral profession as now nobody invites us and our children have no option but to switch over to different professions.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Uzma Talha, TNN / February 15th, 2015

Akhilesh honours 56 achievers with Yash Bharti

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All

Lucknow :

Classical singer Shubha Mudgal, Bollywood playback singers Rekha Bhardwaj and Kailash Kher, journalist Vinod Mehta, theatre artists Urmil Kumar Thapiyal, poet Khushbir Singh ‘Shaad’, kathak exponent Kum Kum Dhar, as well as actors Jimmy Shergill and Nawazuddin Siddiqui were among 56 achievers who on Monday received the Yash Bharti Award for 2013-14 & 2014-15 at a grand ceremony held at Ram Manohar Lohia Park.

The award, given by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, carried a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a citation and a shawl. The Yash Bharti Award is one of the highest state-level awards conferred for excellence in literature, fine arts, classical music, folk music and sports. The awards were instituted in 1994 by Mulayam Singh Yadav to honor achievers in different fields. Addressing the awardees, Akhilesh said, “As these awards are given to generate social awareness in the society, I consider each of the recipients ‘real’ ambassadors of Uttar Pradesh, representing the state across the globe.”

Among the awardees, bhajan maestro Anoop Jalota donated his award to a city-based trust to promote Bhagwad Gita through spiritual concert ‘Ram Bhi Rahim Bhi’. Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui said his joy of receiving the award doubled as he also got a chance to visit the city which taught him the basics of acting and theatre at Bhartendu Natya Akademi

Kathak exponent Kumkum Dhar, said, “It certainly feels great when the government and people of your own state not only recognize your work but applaud you in such a grand way.” “Besides the support of my family, it is actually the blessings of my guru Lacchhu Maharaj that helped me sail through these 40 years of my career with such ease,” she added.

Renowned poet Khushbir Singh ‘Shaad’, who is currently settled in Punjab, expressed joy over receiving the award and said, “It is certainly a matter of pride for me that Lucknow still remembers me with the same love and affection.”

The other list of awardees include classical singer Rajan Saajan Mishra and Rita Ganguly, music composer Ravindra Jain, international level judo referee Munawar Anzar, educationist Jagdish Gandhi, Abhishek Yadav for special commando training, wrestler Aka Tomar, ghazal singer Rita Ganguly, lyricist Sameer, poet Bekal Utsahi, writer Maata Prasad Tripathi and Devi Prasad Pandey.

Along with these, two bravery awards were also conferred. While Resham Fatima was awarded Maharani Ahiliyabai Holkar Award, Seema Tiwari was given the Rani Laxmi Bai award.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / February 10th, 2015

Book explores the history of Nagore dargah

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All

Chennai :

When the Tanjore king Achuthappa Naik (1560-1614) was bedridden after he suffered a paralytic stroke, many believed it was due to some black magic. The matter was informed to a visiting saint who eventually restored the king to health. Whether one believes in miracles or not, Nagore still thrives on it.

“Nagore is known for its religious harmony for more than 500 years. It is all because of the saint Qadir Wali who is enshrined there in a place widely known as Nagore dargah to which people of all religions throng with faith and problems. The miracle has been happening since 16th century and it still continues,” said A S Mohamed Rafee, author of the recently released book, “The Ocean of Miracles: Life of Qadir Wali”.

Qadir Wali travelled to many parts of the world and stayed in Mecca, Medina, Turkey and Palestine for many years before he came to Nagore where he lived for 28 years. “At a time when the world is facing serious threats in the name of religion, it’s remarkable that Nagore still survives on harmony, a reason why more sandal smeared heads are seen in the Sufi dargah. Wali served the people of all religions with his miraculous powers,” said Rafee, who is associate professor at the Mazharul Uloom College, Ambur.

Qadir Wali was born in 1504 in Manikkappur, a town established by Firoz Sha Tughluq in Uttar Pradesh, some 60 km from today’s Ayodhya. His parents, Hasan Guddus and Fatima, were descendants in the lineage of Prophet Muhammad and Abdul Qadir of Jilan, a great saint of the 12th century in Iraq.

Nagore dargah was built on land donated by king Achuthappa Naik. Many important parts of the dargah were built by the generous donation of non-Muslims, a reason cited why it’s a symbol of religious harmony. “The dargah has five minarets and the tallest one is called Periya Minar. It is 131 feet high with ten storeys. It was built by king Pratap Sing of Tanjore (1739-17633) after his wish for a son was fulfilled by praying to Wali 200 years after his passing away. The Peer Mandapam was built by the Dutch.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of Ibdia / Home> City> Chennai / by M T Saju, TNN / February 09th, 2015

Yoga gets a unique platform

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Allahabad :

At a time when the marriage season is at its peak, the Sangam city witnessed a unique wedding on Wednesday night. Not only the nuptial knot were tied by the couple at the ceremony, it also promoted Yoga as the invitees attended the marriage ceremony and also watched various ‘aasans’ (postures) of Yoga displayed on the two large LCD screens installed at the venue.

Owner of a sweatshop at Baluaghat locality of the city, Ravi Shankar Yadav, propagated Yoga at the marriage ceremony of his daughter Reema, held on Wednesday. The interesting invitation card of the marriage carried a photo of Baba Ramdev. The inside page, besides mentioning the family details also carried the message, “Karen yog, rahen nirog” (stay healthy by practicing yoga).

Likewise, the last page of the card mentioned the message regarding the 1st World Yoga Day which is on June 21. Besides, the venue had several banners mentioning the benefits of practicing Yoga.

“Our guests were not served with mocktail drinks, rather various herbal products like different flavors of candy, juices, ‘churan’ were served,” said Yadav. The boxes of the return gift, having sweets of my shops, also carried the message regarding celebrating the 1st International Yoga Day with participating in the event in a big way.

“It is the inspiration of Ramdev and the execution of our Prime Minister that the entire world would be celebrating and getting benefit by yoga,” said Yadav.

Another interesting aspect of the family was the banners put up at the marriage venue which will mention ‘no-smoking’ as a message. “As we promote the idea of staying healthy, we also asked people to not only refraining from smoking in the function, but also quit smoking altogether,” said Yadav.

Similarly, the function did not had ‘pan’ (betel leaf) for the invites, informed Amit the eldest son of Yadav.

“As there were many invitation for today, my family was a bit confused as to where to go but after seeing the invitation card and the unique idea of promoting yoga, we made sure to attend this marriage,” said Sammer Jaiswal, an invitee.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Rajeev Mani, TNN / February 05th, 2015

This Folding Microscope Made From A Single Sheet Of Paper Can Save A Billion Lives

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

The Microscope is something we’ve mostly seen in our school labs and in a few health care centres. However, it is still largely an expensive instrument and requires elaborate amount of learning to use it regularly. It is also not easy to have them carried out into the field to do quick diagnosis of diseases.

This is where Manu Prakash and his team’s invention comes into the picture – they have invented a microscope (called Foldscope) that is made out of paper that is extremely easy to fold and use!

An entire working microscope is on this single A4 size sheet of paper!
An entire working microscope is on this single A4 size sheet of paper!

And this microscope costs approximately 50 cents (Rs. 30) only!

In this demo, Manu shows how his invention can really revolutionize healthcare. The best part is how versatile these paper microscopes are!

About Manu Prakash

Born in Meerut, India, Prakash earned a BTech in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur before moving to the United States. He did his master’s and PhD in applied physics at MIT before founding the Prakash Lab at Stanford.

Courtesy: Ted.com

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Innovation / by TBI Team / February 08th, 2015

Varanasi’s Gulabi meenakari awaits GI tag for revival

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

Varanasi:

Gulabi meenakari or pink enameling of Banaras, a unique art form of the city, is likely to join the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) club by April after being notified under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Rules, 2002 through Geographical Indications Journal issue dated November 21, 2014.

The famed Banarasi brocade and silk sari and Bhadohi carpet have obtained GI tag earlier. Another product of Varanasi, glass beads, is also likely to get GI certification along with Gulabi meenakari.

A flourishing and prosperous industry till a century ago, meenakari is confined to a few artisans today who are struggling to keep alive this art of colouring or decorating a metal surface by attaching or fusing pieces of different mineral substances over it. “It is considered as the most alluring and technical of all metal decorations. Earlier, Banarasi Gulabi Meenakari was done on gold but now we use other metals like silver and copper,” said meenakari artisan Kunj Behari Singh, who was awarded Ram Manohar Lohia Vishisth Pradeshik Puraskar at Lucknow for his mastery over the craft.

Singh, a resident of Lalghat, is also the secretary of Sahbhagi Welfare Samittee that applied for GI registry for GI tag in January 2013. “We are in this field for generations. In the past, the city had over 250 artisans of this craft but today only 50-60 people are engaged in it,” he lamented.

“Escalating cost of gold and silver has diminished its demand. We are hopeful that it will thrive after getting GI tag for its uniqueness,” he said adding, “I hope that the GI tag, a sort of intellectual property right, will go a long way in promoting this art form.”

According to specification given in GI notification, Banaras gulabi meenakari is basically an ancient form of art in India that has been praised since its introduction for the superb designs and combination of colours. It is characterized by pink strokes on white enamel. Unlike the vibrant enamelling in red, green and blue of Jaipur and Delhi, where the white enamel is left stark, the Varanasi craftsmen delicately add pink to the predominant white enamel. The motifs have been lotus blooms and buds. It is said to have been introduced in Varanasi by Persian enamellists who had come to India in early 17th century at the peak of Mughal court.

“The artisans are called meenakars. It is a unique craft in which meenakars make items like religious figures of gods and goddesses on silver and gold sheet, various types of traditional ornaments and decorative items, motifs, including flowers and birds and animals on gold and silver metal. The specialty is artistic quality. It is remembered by people for having a significant taste for design and fashion, which means something special for them. The colours used in the Banaras Gulabi Meenakari are predominately natural and leadless dyes,” an artisan informed.

Human Welfare Association, an NGO, is also facilitating the art to get GI tag. “The process of getting GI registration is in final stage. This tag will be a proof of uniqueness of Banaras Gulabi Meenakari,” said HWA director Rajani Kant.

Rai Krishnadas, founder director of Barat Kala Bhawan of Banaras Hindu University, had also written that Banaras stands next to Jaipur in the art of enamelling and the nature of Banaras pink is similar to Jaipur red. In 19th century and early 20th century, pink enamel was famous throughout the country and was much sought after by princes and the aristocracy, he said.

Unlike the red enamel of Jaipur, which has still maintained the high quality and fine workmanship of the 19th century, the pink enamel of Banaras was short-lived. It ended here in the first quarter of 20th century when its last hereditary master Babbu Singh passed away in 1923. After a gap of about half a century, there has been a revival of pink enamelling in Banaras, chiefly as a trade to meet the demands of tourists and of women, who have taken to old jewellery more as a fashion than out of love for its charm and grace. National Museum of India, New Delhi and Bharat Kala Bhawan have collections of this art.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Time of India / Home> City> Varanasi / by Binay Singh, TNN / January 31st, 2015

HBTI launches community newsletter

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Kanpur :

In a bid to bridge the gap with teachers and alumni, Harcourt Butler Technological Institute (HBTI) students have come up with their first in-house newsletter – HBTI Akhbaar. The newsletter will provide a platform to students’ creative skills.

The newsletter will include stories focusing on topics ranging from features, sports activity within the community along with sketches and cartoons made by engineering students. The newsletter is a joint initiative of HBTI Alumni Association HBTI and Literary Sub Council (LSC) of the college. Appreciating the efforts, director in-charge Prof A K Nagpal said, “It is an innovative initiative by students and will motivate them to come up with creative ideas and work on it. The initiative is first of its kind.”

LSC secretary and third-year student of Civil Engineering Rohit Rajput said that the paper also contained interviews of successful alumni and Gate rankers. “It is a 14-page newsletter that will be published quarterly. We were planning it for the last two years. Lots of efforts went into the launch of the newsletter. It will be distributed free-of-cost among students and faculty and keep them updated about happenings on the campus. The newspaper contains a number of inspiring interviews by alumni as well as toppers of the college and other successful people. It also has placement records and academic calendar,” he said.

Rajput said that till now they have distributed 2,000 copies on the campus. “It took a lot of hard work, and a bit of fun to produce the newsletter. It is an activity that keeps all students united,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kanpur / TNN / February 03rd, 2015