Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Lucknow girl’s trip to highest lake fetches her a national record

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, Travel
Vartika is the first woman biker to reach Tsa Lhamo, which is the highest lake in India

Lucknow :

It was her passion and the desire to make a name for herself while pursuing it that 27-year-old Vartika Jain Srivastava put her motorbike in full throttle, felt the wind in her hair, meandered through rough roads and became the ‘first woman biker’ to reach the highest lake in the country, Tsa Lhamo, also called the Cholamu lake, in North Sikkim.

For her feat, the young woman has booked herself a place in the Limca Book of Records. While she made the trip between May 3-13, 2016, it was on Friday that the Limca book certified her national record.

As she covered over 2,616 kilometre from Lucknow to the lake situated at a height of 5,330 metre (17,490 feet) in less than 10 days, Vartika was accompanied by three close companions. Her husband Ambar, their friend Atul Ghosh and Vartika’s younger brother Pratyaksh, all of whom were also featured as the first group to reach the highest lake on a continuous bike journey in Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. Additionally Pratyaksh, at 20, became the youngest male rider for the same in the two books.

“It took me three months to get permission for the lake which is under the Army and cannot be accessed by civilians otherwise. Once I made it to the lake, the view was mesmerising. The water is in shades of green, blue and even purple with frozen edges, ice-capped mountains on one end and clean sand spread over acres on the other. The oxygen levels are low so we had to be quick,” she said.

Recalling the most difficult part of the journey, Vartika said, “Lachen is about 55 kilometre from the lake but it took us almost five to six hours to get there because of the bad roads. The end made it worth it all.” Starting as a rider only in 2007 when her husband, who was a friend back then, pushed her to learn riding, Vartika hasn’t looked back. She was the winner in the women’s open motocross category in Lucknow first motorsports contest held in April, 2016. She has also been featured in the Asia as well as India books of record.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News> Lucknow Girl / by Yusra Husain, TNN / January 28th, 2017

Kakori martyr barrack makes way for hospital

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
The dilapidated barrack

Allahabad :

When the entire nation is paying homage to martyrs Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Thakur Roshan Singh, who were hanged on December 19, 1927, for the Kakori incident, the district authorities have failed to conserve a historic site associated with Roshan Singh in the heart of the city.

Singh, who was kept in Malaka Jail, which presently houses SRN Hospital of MNL Medical College, was hanged in one of the barracks. The jail building has been demolished and a new building for super-specialty facility is being constructed at the site.

Singh was a member of the organisation founded by Chandra Shekhar Azad. he was punished by the Britishers for his role in Kakori incident when a train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was looted in Kakori. Despite protests by the defence com mittee, which was chaired by Motilal Nehru, Bismil, Ashfaqullah, Rajendra Lahiri and Thakur Roshan Singh were sentenced to death.

“We feel ashamed that despite our efforts, we failed to have a memorial. There is a memorial at Faizabad jail where Ashfaqullah was hanged and in Gorakhpur where Bismil was hanged,” Raju Jaiswal, son of a freedom fighter, said.

Principal of MNL Medical College, Dr SP Singh said “We have approached the administration for installing a statute in the new building.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Allahabad News / by Rajeev Mani / TNN / December 20th, 2016

Lucknow students’ artworks to be on station walls

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Lucknow :

After working for almost a year on the selected artworks by students of the city, Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has put up the first creation on the outer wall of Krishnanagar Metro station. The huge artwork is visible from afar on Kanpur Road and is made up of glass and mosaic tiles. It depicts historical monuments of the city.

Lucknow Metro has roped in an expert from Surat to develop the art pieces into huge panels through tile work. LMRC MD Kumar Keshav said, “We had shortlisted eight students in November last year based on their concept of art.”

Depending on the concept and availability of space at the stations, these artworks would be displayed on walls of other stations too.

LMRC had arranged a competition at Amity University last year to select artworks depicting the cultural heritage of the city. A total of 16 entries were shortlisted. Of these, eight were finally selected from Amity Institute of Architecture and Planning and Amity School of Fine Arts.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / December 15th, 2016

Bead jewellery of Kashi gets GI tag

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Lucknow :

The beautiful bracelets, earrings and necklaces tourists never fail to pick from Varanasi became officially exclusive to the temple town with Geographical Indication Registry of India registering the handicraft.

The uniqueness of these beads, known as `kaanch ke moti’ (glass beads), could be gauged from the fact that `no two beads can be identical even when they show striking similarity’.

An application to this effect was presented in July , 2009 by export promotion commissioner, department of small scale industries and Banaras Glass Beads Association. The GI certificate, awarded on November 10, 2016, will remain valid up to July 2019. Raahul Dutta, counsel for the UP government who is pursuing the case, said, “The GI tag would benefit craftsmen by safeguarding its uniqueness which has been challenged by men and machines in China.The state would also be able to generate revenue from the work.”

Alok Kanungo -assistant professor, archaeology department, IIT, Gandhingar, who has studied glass beads of India -shared why the Varanasi glass beads are unique. “India has three major glass bead industries -Papanaidupet (Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh), Puralpur (near Hathras) and Varanasi -which are segregated on the basis of the technique used,” he said.

Asserting that Banaras glass bead was a pure handicraft, he added, “The technique used in Varanasi, called lamp winding, makes it unique. In this, glass is transformed into rods or sticks known as canes.Workers melt them at a small heat source, usually a lamp (hence the name). The glass is wound around a wire. While it is still hot, the bead may be shaped or given colour. Once cooled, beads are knocked down.”

President of Banaras beads association Ashok Gupta said more than 5,000 artisan families in Varanasi, parts of Mirzapur and Sonbhadra manufacture 50,000 varieties of glass beads in various shapes and sizes. A worker may take 5-20 minutes to make a single bead.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Lucknow News / by Shailvee Sharda / TNN / November 23rd, 2016

Professor Raj Bisaria to get Madhya Pradesh government govt’s Kalidas Samman for Theatre

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

profrajbisarialucknow13nov2016

Lucknow :

Renowned theatre personality and Padma Shri, Prof Raj Bisaria is all set to weave another feather in his cap with the Madhya Pradesh government honouring him with its prestigious ‘Kalidas Samman’ national award for 2015-16 for achievement in theatre. The ceremony will be held on November 10 in Ujjain, which is also the birthday of the 80 year old.

“I got a call from the ministry’s cultural department in the afternoon today and I am grateful to them for the honour. I will be the first person from Uttar Pradesh to receive the national award in the theatre category,” he said. “It is also the year that TAW-Theatre Arts Workshop that I established in 1966, has completed its 50th year of continuous run,” he shared.

The annual award constituted in 1980 awards personalities in the four fields of classical dance, classical music, theatre and plastic arts. Previously, the likes of Pandit

Ravi Shankar, Pandit Jasraj, MF Husain, Shambhu Mitra, Habib Tanvir, Ebrahim Alkazi among others have been its recipients.

With over 100 productions to his name, Bisaria started TAW with plays in English with the first play being Shakespeare’s Othello. Bisaria also founded the Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1975. Apart from theatre, TAW also introduced other allied performing arts for the very first time, including Irshad Panjatan’s Indian mine in 1967 and modern dance by an American dance company, Indian classical dance by Sonal Mansingh in 1970 and other forms including Hindi theatre, environmental theatre presentation, painting and miniature exhibits.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Lucknow News / by Yusra Husain / November 07th, 2016

MNNIT’s alumni meet begins today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Allahabad :

Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) alumni from all over the world will congregate for the two-day convention organised by its alumni association. On November 12, the institute is holding its 12th global alumni convention.

Institute director and patron of the convention, Prof Rajeev Tripathi, said, “The chief guest of the event would be SD Dubey, chairperson of central electricity authority, Union ministry of power and part-time director on the board of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. RN Mishra, chairman and managing director of SJVN Limited and an alumnus of MNNIT-Allahabad, will be the guest of honour.

The director said that events like the inaugural function, felicitation of retired faculty members, felicitation of ‘1966 Golden Jubilee Batch’ and ‘1991 Silver Jubilee Batch’ and ‘Dosti ke Pachas Varsh’ 1966 entrant batch have been scheduled on the first day of the convention.

“This will be followed by alumni interaction with students. Later a cultural programme will also be held,” said Avanish Kumar Dubey, vice-president, alumni association and chairman of the convention. Dubey added that the convention would conclude on November 13.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Allahabad News / TNN / November 12th, 2016

Lucknow girl wins ‘PETA India’s cutest vegetarian next door’ contest

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Travel
Allankrita Sarkar, a 23-year-old LLB student of Lucknow University, beat nine other female finalists to bag the ‘PETA India’s Cutest Vegetarian Next Door’ online contest. (Ashok Dutta/HT photo)
Allankrita Sarkar, a 23-year-old LLB student of Lucknow University, beat nine other female finalists to bag the ‘PETA India’s Cutest Vegetarian Next Door’ online contest. (Ashok Dutta/HT photo)

Allankrita Sarkar, a 23-year-old LLB student of Lucknow University, beat nine other female finalists to bag the ‘PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) India’s Cutest Vegetarian Next Door’ online contest. Allankrita will feature on PETA’s website and will also receive a certificate, sash and trophy.

Vaibhav Upadhyay of Indore won in the men’s category. Winners were selected based on several factors, including vote count.

The contest was aimed at selecting youngsters who could help create awareness on issues concerning animals, urge people to go vegetarian and raise their voice against cruelty to animals.

“I feel that I won this competition as the blessings of animals are very powerful. I have a strong connection with animals and yes, my friends and relatives also voted for me. Winning this contest will hopefully help me in raising people’s awareness regarding animals. I am looking forward to helping more animals in need,” said an elated Allankrita, adding that she went vegetarian after witnessing a chicken being cut up at a butcher’s shop.

“I turned vegetarian when I was in class 6. I saw a chicken being cut at a meat shop. It was a scary sight. Its cries still echo in my ears,” she said.

Allankrita has three pets at home and is also taking care of 8-10 street dogs of her locality in Aliganj. “I prepare food for the street dogs in my colony. They come to my gate at different times of the day to eat it,” she said.

“I feed all the dogs of my locality and look after their basic first aid. I also create shelters for them during winters. People in my locality call me if they find any animal in distress,” she added.

Allankrita comes from a family where early on she was taught to be compassionate towards animals. “I carry a first aid box in my scooty. In case I find any needy animal on the road, I stop there to treat it,” said the youngster who works with the animal welfare NGO Jeev Ashraye.

Neerja Khede, PETA India campaigns coordinator said, “Whether it’s about improving your health, reducing pollution from greenhouse gases or sparing animals from suffering and terror in factory farms and slaughterhouses, going vegetarian is always a winning proposition.”

Vaibhav, the male winner of the competition, strongly opposed harming and killing animals. He believes that the beauty of nature lies in animals and plants.

A communication from PETA read: “While the consumption of animal-derived foods contributes to a person’s risk of developing cancer, heart disease, obesity and other ailments, a plant-based lifestyle can give us clearer skin, help prevent heart attacks and even reverse heart diseases”.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Education / by Rajeev Mullick, Hindustan Times,Lucknow / November 02nd, 2016

At 150kg, Gorakhpur diya may be the biggest in world

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

worldrecorddiyaupfirst02nov2016

Gorakhpur :

A group of 11 youth of Sri Sri Laxmi Puja Samiti in Mohanlalpur in here claimed to make the world’s largest earthen diya, weighing around 150kg and having a capacity of 101 litre in 45 days. They dedicated it to the martyrs of the Indian army on Monday evening at Soorajkund pond in the city.

The diya was carried to the pond in a procession on Tuesday evening. Thousands of people gathered at the spot to see the huge diya.

Famous bhajan singer Nandu Misra lighted the diya amid Vedic chants. He congratulated the Puja samiti members for the feat.

General secretary of the Puja samiti Amar Deep Gupta said, “This year we thought to make a big earthen diya and afterwards decided to make the biggest one. We asked Shibban Lal Prajapati to help us. The diya was ready in 45 days. The material cost us around Rs 8,000. We have also applied for Limca Book of Record and we dedicated the diya to the Indian Army martyrs.”

Prajapati said that the diameter of the diya is 130 cm and the inner diameter in 121 cm. The height of the lamp is 48 cm.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Varanasi / Arjumand Bano / November 02nd, 2016

Stories of UP attract travel writers

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel, World Opinion

Lucknow:

For travel blogger NP Prasad, Uttar Pradesh is a “land of many Indias in one place.” “Everything you can think about India is there is Uttar Pradesh. “Each of these has an interesting story behind,” said Prasad.

Prasad is a part of a team of 44 travel writers and bloggers from across the world who were here to participate in the second edition of the UP Travel Writers’ Conclave.

Organised by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Worldwide Media Private Limited, the effort aims at promoting places of interest in and around Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow – the three destinations in the Heritage Arc, the tourist corridor being developed by UP government.

The itineraries, which span four days, cover the length and breadth of the three cities that form the core of Uttar Pradesh’s cultural heritage.

The participants would get to explore the various facets of the state — from food, heritage to wildlife, textiles and landscapes. The travels will culminate into a travel writers’ conclave in Varanasi on October 16.

Fourteen persons of the large group chose Lucknow over Varanasi and Agra. Their journey began on Wednesday with the inauguration ceremony at chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s residence here. In his interaction with team, the chief minister said: “Historic places in UP are interesting because of interesting anecdotes of existence besides their living traditions. I think you will have enough material to pen down.”

“I have come to see the heart of Uttar Pradesh,” said Lakshmi Sharath from Bengaluru. She has been to Agra earlier but is convinced that the land of the Taj is not UP’s heart. “It’s too touristy,” she remarked adding, “I look forward to the crafts and culture and their stories in Lucknow.”

Travel journalist from Delhi Malavika Bhattacharya confessed that Lucknow appeared to be more beautiful than her expectation. “I can feel a good mix of architecture and food in Lucknow,” she said.

Award-winning travel journalist from Ireland Isabel Conway was also impressed by the partly-Colonial nature of Lucknow’s heritage. “I have to visit the Residency,” said the resident of Ireland.

Anita Raokashi is another foodie travel writer from Bengaluru. “I look forward to the original Tundey (famous kebab makers in Lucknow),” she said . Sejal, editor of Mumbai based nature and focus portal, was more interested in getaways from Lucknow. All set for Dudhwa and Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuaries, she said, “Wildlife in UP is being talked about.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Lucknow / by Shailvee Sharda / TNN / October 14th, 2016

Kumbh’s ‘lost-and-found’ baba passes away

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Travel

KumbhLostnFoundBabaLUCKNOW22aug2016

Allahabad :

Raja Ram Tiwari or ‘Bhule Bhatke Walon ke Baba’, known to the world as the one who ran ‘lost and found camp’ on the banks of the Sangam during Kumbh and Magh Melas for the past 71 years, died here on Saturday. He was 88. Tiwari, according to a conservative estimate, united over 14 lakh adults and around 21,000 children with their families during his self-less service spreading over seven decades. His latest passion was cleaning the Ganga.

“Babuji initiated his new venture, that of undertaking massive cleaning work of Ganga from Purnima (full moon) of April and wanted to do the same on every Purnima, but could not do much,” said Umesh Tiwari, youngest among his four sons. Raja Rama has left behind a family of 28 members including 20 grandchildren and his wife Shanti Devi (85 yrs) who lives in his native village of Gura Pure Badal of Nandu Ka Pura, Raniganj Tehsil of Pratapgrah district.

Starting the noble cause at the age of 18 along with his nine associates (in 1946), Raja Ram continued his work relentlessly for the past 71 years, starting from a handmade crude loudspeaker to a full-fledged camp having a strong team of over 150 volunteers during the previous Kumbh Mela in 2013.

When asked how his work will move forward, his long-term associate Pushkar Upadhayay said, “Such selfless service cannot stop after the demise of a person, especially the one who started it. No doubt we will miss his guidance in running the camp, but at any cost his name and work would continue, with more passion and commitment.”

Although the iconic man earned several awards and citations, including being featured in TV programme Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi (broadcast on October 15, 2015), his family members feel that his services were not recognized by the Central government.

As his body was brought from his native village to his house at Om Gayatri Nagar colony of the city, several senior officials of the district administration and prominent citizens visited his house to pay their last respect.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / by Rajeev Mani / TNN / August 22nd, 2016