Monthly Archives: February 2017

Devotees start arriving for Ravidas Jayanti

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All

Varanasi :

There are no bigwigs like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal among the visitors to commemorate the 640th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas falling on Friday.

Modi and Kejriwal arrived in the city in February last year to pay obeisance to preacher-philosopher Sant Ravidas at the temple in Seer Gowardhan area here. They also accepted the ‘prasad’ prepared at its community kitchen.

“This year, we are witnessing increased turnout of devotees from across the country as well as abroad. The devotees have been pouring in from different parts of states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand while foreign devotees from UK, US, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, New Zealand, Greece have also been thronging the temple premises,” general secretary of Sri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Public Charitable (SGRJAPC) Trust Satpaul Virdi said.

Against the 50 tents installed last year, the count has been increased to 75 to cater to large number of devotees, Virdi said, adding that even the main pandal had to be shifted 2-3 kilometres ahead. The district administration had also tightened the security arrangements.

The entire Seer Gowardhan village was abuzz with festivity as people, including men and women, had started congregating at the temple on Thursday. Small makeshift stalls and shops selling variety of articles like toys, artificial ornaments, books, pictures and posters of Sant Ravidas attracted people as well as kids.

Trust chairman Sant Niranjan Dasji Maharaj, who along with other devotees and saints reach on Wednesday evening, inaugurated the fully automatic chapati making machine donated by Phagwara-based Sri Guru Ravidas Charitable Trust, in collaboration with a trust based in Vienna, Austria. According to a volunteer Gyani Meher Singh, the machine can produce over 2,000 chappatis per hour.

Later in the evening, the statue of Guru Ravidas was garlanded at Ravidas Park situated on the banks of Ganga. On Friday morning, the religious flag will be unfurled by Maharaj.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Varanasi News / TNN / February 10th, 2017

UP pips Maha, is now top producer of sugar

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Records, All

Lucknow :

At a time when cane-growers in western UP, hit by demonetisation, missed the rabi season and were considering to quit farming, the fact that the state has surged past even Maharashtra to become the country’s top sugar producer might restore their confidence.

Maharashtra, which was so far the largest sugar producer, is struggling with around 40 lakh tonne from the earlier 110 lakh tonne a year because the water table sank alarmingly leading to drought like conditions. Majority of the sugar mills are shut and distressed and indebted cane-growers are reportedly facing near starvation.

The highest ever production estimation was revealed by a state delegation at a high-level meeting called by the Centre in Delhi two days ago to assess sugar production in the country. UP’s figures of around 80 lakh tonne surprised the Centre and representatives of other cane growing states as with this the state is all set to record the highest ever sugar production.

Talking to ToI, secretary general of UP Sugar Mills Association, Deepak Guptara said that the farmers deserve special mention for introducing varietal changes in the crop and researchers for the new high yielding crops, while the state government played a key role in implementation of the plans and programmes which resulted in another feather to UP’s cap. He, however, added that the climatic changes in Maharashtra were also a factor in sharp decline in sugar production in that state.

With the highest sugar production in UP this year, to be declared officially by March end, the sugar industry is all set for a revolution as cane and related activities are to get a boost and its benefits are to be harvested by the farmers, mainly nearly 35 lakh sugarcane growers.

The record production of sugar will not only stabilise the price of the product in the market, but would also result in timely payments to cane-growers, even as sugar mills would profit from selling more. In the previous cane year, the state had produced 68.55 lakh tonne. Guptara shared, “We are selling the sugar substantially in sugar deficient states this time.”

The record production in sugar is linked to increase of sugar recovery in sugarcane from around 9 per cent till last year to more than 10 per cent this year. It also got a push with growth in productivity from 59 tonne per hectare to 67 tonne per hectare. Moreover, the government has been able to overcome the barrier of transfer of hybrid and high quality seeds of sugar from lab to land.

The government is confident that a record sugar production will not only invite more investment in sugar mills’ expansion and modernization programmes, but also restore the faith of cane-growers in cane cultivation.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Subhash Mishra / TNN / February 10th, 2017

50 lakhs take holy dip on Maghi Purnima in Sangam

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel
With the Maghi Purnima snan, majority of kalpwasis started leaving the mela campus with unforgettable memories (TOI photo)

Sangam (Allahabad):

Amid tight security arrangements and pleasant weather conditions, around 50 lakh devotees, saints and Kalpwasi, on Friday, took a holy dip in the Sangam – the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati – on the occasion of Maghi Purnima, virtually the last bathing day of the ongoing Magh Mela.

The Maghi Purnima snan also marked the culmination of Magh month as well as month-long kalpwas. Around 50,000 kalpwasis, performing the rituals and seeking salvation on the banks of Ganga for the past one month, started leaving on the banks of Ganga after completing all rituals.

SSP, Allahabad, Shalabh Mathur told TOI, ” No untoward incident was reported, and the snan passed off peacefully.

Meanwhile, Magh Mela officer, Ashish Mishra told TOI ” with devotees and pilgrims arrived from all directions, there was heavy rush of devotees at all 17 ghats since wee hours and majority of them started returning due to badhra period.

He, however, said a strict vigil was being maintained in and around mela campus with senior police officials regulating the crowd at both entry and exit points.

With the Maghi Purnima snan, majority of kalpwasis started leaving the mela campus with unforgettable memories. The kalpwasis had also completed all the rituals before leaving the ganga banks. The strength of devotees returning had swelled manifold on exit routes.

Mela police officials claimed “devotees hailing from rural backgrounds started to congregate on the banks since Thursday night. Devotees threw themselves into the waist-deep water, forcing the Jal police personnel to intervene and stop them from going into deep water.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Allahabad News / by Kapil Dixit, TNN / February 10th, 2017

Gold medal winners show heart of gold that beats for poor

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features
King George’s Medical University

Lucknow :

A number of graduates who received gold medal at the 12th convocation of King George’s Medical University on Sunday would prefer to work in government sector-academics or practice to help the under privileged.

“Millions die every year for lack of proper treatment of neurological disorders, so I look forward to help those in need,” said Imran Rizvi, who bagged the Dr A M Kar centenary Gold Medal for best performance in DM (Neurology).

Recipient of the highest honour, Mohammad Tabish too wants to work in his home district comprising villages of Muzaffarnagar. Resident of Basti, BDS topper Abhishek Kumar Gupta said he ultimately wanted to open a clinic in Basti and serve in his home town. Similarly, Chancellor’s gold and university honours medal winner Avinash D Gautam too wants to serve the poor.

Sharing the dream of going abroad, Harsha A H and Shiva Rajan wish to work for the welfare of the society. “I wish to make discoveries and invent technologies that would help treat patients,” said Harsha, who received the ‘Sursari Dayal Memorial Gold Medal’.

The gold medal in the name of Vice Chancellor Prof Ravi Kant was conferred on Himanshu Yadav who believes in healing patients, rather than treating them. “I want to put in whatever I have learnt till date in serving impecunious,” added Yadav.

One of the gold medallists said she took up medical studies only to relieve the poverty-stricken. Vikram Holla, who will soon be joining as an assistant professor in a government medical college, said, “I am ready to work with any organisation that works ethically, and prioritises needs of the under- privileged.”

There was a good number of passouts who wanted to work in the government sector but Madhusudan Patodia, recipient of Prof T C Goel Gold medal said he would like to work in a private hospital since they are technologically more advanced. Patodia’s field of specialisation is kidney transplant.

source: http://www.timesofindia.inditimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / January 30th, 2017