Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Maharajas’ Express bags global luxury award

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

Allahabad :

Maharaja Express, the luxury train that offers royal tour on five routes, including Agra and Varanasi, was recently conferred the coveted ‘Seven Star Global Luxury Award’ in Indonesia. The award, launched in 2013, is given for excellence in the field of hospitality. The train is operated by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

Maharajas’ Express beat internationally renowned luxury trains like The Deccan Odyssey (India), the Rocky Mountaineer (Canada), Rovos Rail (South Africa) and other brands such as Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, Bali Food Safari and the Luxury Charter Yacht to win the award.

It also has the distinction of being voted as ‘The World’s Leading Luxury Train’ at The World Travel Awards for three consecutive years 2012, 2013 and 2014.

North-Central Region (NCR) public relations manager Pradeep Dutta said, “By bagging the Seven Star Luxury Award, Maharajas’ Express has cemented its brand and reputation as ‘The World’s Leading Luxury Train’. It is truly a special award that will bolster the reputation of the train internationally.”

Maharajas’ Express currently runs on five circuits across north-west and central India, covering a dozen destinations, mainly in Rajasthan, between the tourist months of October and April.

The Luxury Tour Circuits on wheels, allows one to explore exotic locales including trip to one of the largest dinosaur fossil parks at Balasinor with opportunity to meet one of the Indian royal family, a trip to erotic temples of Khajuraho, to participate in the exhibition elephant polo match at Jaipur, cocktail & barbeque sundowner on the sand dunes at Bikaner, champagne breakfast overlooking the immortal beauty of the Taj Mahal in Agra and boat trip on the Ganges at the Holy City of Varanasi.

Since its inaugural run in 2010, Maharajas’ Express has been redefining elegance and opulence, luxury and comfort, recreating lifestyle of the princely era and showcasing Incredible India.

All its carriages are equipped with an array of top notch facilities such as live television, DVD player and wifi. All coaches are equipped with individual temperature control, attached bathroom and water filtration plant. Besides round-the-clock valet service and a paramedic is available throughout the journey.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / by Ashraf Jamal, TNN / September 29th, 2015

On foot and two wheels, city finds its legacy

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

Luknow :

Nearly 200 citizens took part in Lucknow Heritage Walk-Kaiserbagh and Lucknow On Cycle (LOC), organised on the occasion of World Tourism day by the state department of tourism along with The Times of India and NBT with support from NGO Itihas which is working in the field of heritage conservation. Old and the young evinced special interest to know more about Lucknow.

Major General R S Malave who participated in the cycling event termed it as a good and timely beginning. “We are trying to create a similar heritage circuit in Lucknow Cantonment, which has heritage buildings such as Dilkusha and will co-ordinate with the district administration for the project,” said Malave.

Retired bank employee P K Shinde was of the view that such events must be held at frequent intervals. Shinde said, “Cycling on roads of Lucknow and on a Sunday was a fantastic experience. There were many things we came to know. Such events will help even tourists and visitors learn something about the city.” Ramkrishna from Hyderabad, along with Telugu speaking Lucknowites Satish and Satya Narayan said, “The Biryani link between Hyderabad and Lucknow is there, but events like this would attract people from far and wide.”

Conducting the walk, Smita Vats highlighted the cooling features of Taikhana. Meanwhile, a monkey hopped from a banyan tree and sat on a participant’s cycle for five minutes, giving all opportunity click pictures.

Buoyed by the availability of cycle tracks, Lucknow district administration is mulling some in Old City, especially in the Hussainabad area. District magistrate Raj Shekhar said, “We are proposing cycle tracks around Bada Imambara, Chhota Imambara, Clock Tower, Picture Gallery, KGMU, Tile Wale Masjid, etc. Once the cycle track is in place, Hussainabad Trust will start a free cycle kiosk with 100 bicycles for tourists at Bada Imambara, free of cost for 2-3 hours on deposit of photocopy of ID card.”

The DM went to Bada and Chhota Imambaras, Clock Tower, Rumi Gate, Satkhanda and Kaiserbagh. The DM said such events should be made a part of Lucknow’s annual tourism calendar. “It was a ride of around 6-7 kilometres. It was a great fun and also rare learning experience for us. It is a healthy tourism practice which will save lot of time, parking space and have added health advantage. But it needs more coordination with tourist police, co-ordination with LMC, traffic police, an escort vehicle with loud hailer and need of cycle track in the above areas. Once stabilised it will be a special attraction of Lucknow tourism,” the DM added.

Cold, filtered water 500 litres each at Bara and Chhota Imambara and 200 litres at Picture Gallery are also being planned. DG tourism Amrit Abhijat complained about the lack of cleanliness on Kaiserb

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / September 28th, 2015

SP committed to honour Social Heroes

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

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that one needs to search his role model from the society he comes from as they can be the guiding light for the generation to come and the government on its part should honor those personalities.

“Samajwadi Party (SP) government is committed for honoring these personalities because a small encouragement could send a positive signal among the masses,” Yadav said in a function held at his official residence where different personalities who contributed for the betterment of society were honoured.

Yadav said that, he expects that people will draw inspiration from these people. “The SP government is committed to provide an opportunity to these people and the youths of state, who have the will to struggle and work for the society,” he said.

“We always try to find fault among others. We never try to see goodness among the people around us. There are many who are struggling to make both ends meet. Their success story could be inspiring for the next generation,” he said.

The Chief Minister provided a monetary cheque to many of these ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, including the 13-years-old Harendra Singh of Noida, 15-year-old girl Sushma of Lucknow and an elderly typist of Lucknow, Krishna Kumar whose typewriter was broken by a policeman during an anti-encroachment drive.

The 13-year-old boy Harendra Singh has drawn global attention for his commitment towards his studies. He studies in the morning in a school and at night earns livelihood at Noida Metro station. His commitment has gone viral in the social media. CM gave him a cheque of Rs 5 lakh.

Earlier, Yadav had honoured eight personalities that includes photo journalist Ashutosh Tripathi, whose photo of police beating up typist Krishna Kumar became viral in the social media.

Other awardees were Ramjit Yadav of Mirzapur who recently saved 10 children from drowning in Ganga and was given Rs 10 lakh. Rajkumar, Sanjay and Pintu Sahani of Ballia were awarded Rs 1 each for saving public from crocodile.

CM also honoured noted urdu shayar Wasim Bareilvi, who was present on the occasion.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Chaudhry and ICDS Minister Kailesh Chaurasi were also present in the meeting.

source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> State editions> Lucknow / PNS, Lucknow / Monday – September 28th, 2015

UP Tourism Department to put Draupadi’s home town on the tourism map of the state

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

Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is collaborating with the Draupadi Dream Trust to put the Draupadi’s home town Kampilya in Uttar Pradesh on the tourism map of the state.

Neera Misra who is a resident of that area and has been carrying out a extensive research on Draupadi for the past several years said that they have already sent a proposal to the UP Tourism Department for the formation of the Kampliya-Sankisa Heritage Development Board for its development.

A senior Tourism official while talking to “The Pioneer” said that the the proposal for the Board has been sent to the various Government Departments for NOC. “After receiving the NOC from the various departments it will be sent for approval for the next cabinet” he said.

Neera Misra who has actively mooted for the project said that this it is necessary to highlight Draupadi who was the first iconic women who spoke against the prevalent traditions and was a great inspiration for women empowernment.

She said that the main aim of the exercise was to recognize the enhancement of the status of girls and women of this region, and UP as a whole and bringing positive change in attitude towards women “In the words o Ram Manohar Lohia –“If I have to Choose between Sita and Draupadi, I would always look upon Draupadi as the ideal woman. It is very important to highlight Draupadi” she said.

Giving a brief history of the place she said that Farrukhabad is under Kanpur Commissioner and formed part of erstwhile rich Panchala Janapada mentioned in ancient Texts which comprised of Kanpur, Farukhabad, Bareilly Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Etah, Etawah Mainpuri, Rampur districts.

She said that Draupadi’s Kampilya was now a kasba in Tehshil kaimganj and has as a Nationally Protected site of ASI

“If we talk about the highlights of Kampilya there is Kapil Muni’s ‘Tapasya Sthal’ and Kampilvasini Mandir, Rameshwar Mandir (Shiv linga) established by Shatrughana and Lakshmana, Kaleshwar Mandir established by Draupad. It was visited by Buddha, Chinese Traveler Fa-Hein and Alexzendar Cunningham, Surveyer General of ASI” she said.

She said that as per the Development Plans Phase I, II they had proposed DPR – Infrastructure Development to Develop Farrukhabad (U.P.) as Tourism Destination. As per the Development Proposal Phase II they have proposed Creation of Yajna-Kunda on Vedic lines, renovation of ancient temples

“We have proposed the creation of Panchal Cultural Heritage University for Vedic studies, Buddhist and Jain studies, Ayurvedic Centre, Food Technology and Fashion Technology “ she said.

In the Development Proposal Phase II (contd.) they have proposed the establishment of Draupadi Museum (at Kampilya)– Diorama, facilities for showing Mahabharata – Panchala history and Culture of Ancient to British Period through Art, Artifacts and Interactive Information Technology including a cultural journey like Akshardham Temple Delhi.

“We have also proposed establishment of Food Park to popularlize and conserve agro heritage , Charak Memorial Ayurvedic Center for health care management, Annual Panchala Mahotsav – Cultural and Trade Promotion Festival with Draupadi Samman Award ceremony for women empowerment” she said.

Neera said that there were various misconceptions regarding Draupadi, “She was the Princess of Panchala Kingdom, and thus called Panchali and not because she had five husbands. Draupadi, did not emerge out of the fire, but was born to the Queen of Panchala Kingdom, after King Drupad performed the Fire Sacrifice ritual to beget a warrior child. Few realize the intense emotional turmoil Draupadi experienced when her mother-in-law asked her to take five Pandav as husbands. But she converted a challenge into an opportunity, to emerge a victor of gender parity” she said.

“She was the first ever woman to openly raise her voice against injustice and inequality towards women, refusing to succumb to evil desires of men. Being a Queen, she still worked as a Hairdresser to another Queen, during exile, teaching us the dignity of labor and the value of developing the talent for self empowerment. The dialogues for women’s empowerment cannot run on western concepts. It is our classical liberated women who stand heads above all as examples who lived the most progressive lives and took decisions that established gender equality” she said.

source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / Daily Pioneer / Home> State edition> Lucknow / by Sharmila Krishna, Lucknow / Thursday – September 10th, 2015

Harappan settlement razed to expand farmland, build houses

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All
The 5,000-year-old Indus Valley settlement, discovered in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh in 1957, stands abandoned and unprotected. Photo: Parvez Khan
The 5,000-year-old Indus Valley settlement, discovered in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh in 1957, stands abandoned and unprotected. Photo: Parvez Khan

A 5000-year-old Indus Valley settlement located in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, stands abandoned and unprotected.

The archaeological site, discovered in 1957 in Alamgirpur village of the district, is regarded as one of the most historically significant finds in the country as it showed for the first time evidence of habitation pertaining to the Harappan period in the Upper Doab region between the Ganga and the Yamuna.

However, at present the settlement, which lies just 70 km. from the national capital, faces destruction by the villagers who have flattened the centuries-old structures to expand their cultivable land.

Worse, some of the villagers have built houses, memorials and temple-like structures on top of the settlement, where excavations till last year had given crucial insights about life and society during the Harappan period, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization.

During excavations of the site which dates back to the Harappan period of 3300-1300, the ASI archaeologists found ceramic items like roof tiles, dishes, terracotta cakes and figurines of a humped bull and a snake.

After its discovery the site was declared “protected.” But it is anything but that now.

The chief of the ASI Agra Circle, Bhuvan Vikram, underlined the importance of the settlement but also accepted the complications which led to the encroachment by the villagers.

“The settlement marks the eastern most limits of the Harappan culture and belongs to the late Harappan phase, a period starting around 1900-1800 BC when the Indus Valley Civilization, popularly known as the Harappan Culture, began to decline,” he said.

The civilization, which is known for its superior urban planning, is believed to have flourished in the period between 3300 BC and 1300 BC in what is today Pakistan, northwest India and parts of Afghanistan and Balochistan.

With the continued encroachment by the villagers, the overall area of the protected settlement has been reduced from 28 bighas to just 6 bighas now.

“It is true that the area is protected but the land rights of the place are still with the farmers and the villagers cannot be stopped from farming on the land.” The ASI, he said, was making efforts to ensure that there was no further encroachment.

‘Harm already done’

“Whatever has been encroached, we cannot take back from the villagers. Our priority now is to prevent further encroachment,” he added.

However, a senior ASI official in Meerut told The Hindu on condition of anonymity that given the construction and flattening of the protected mound, there was a likelihood that the ancient heritage might have already suffered great harm.

“The farmers and villagers have in the last few years cut the mound and reduced the protected area at a disturbing pace to increase their farming land. I am afraid that important articles of the ancient heritage might have already been destroyed,” he said.

He also said that the ASI had written to the State repeatedly to prevent encroachment and fence the area off to prevent further encroachment. But there was lack of awareness in bureaucratic circles about ancient heritage. ASI officials also expressed helplessness.

The ASI notice warns the inhabitants against any kind of construction within a radius of 100 metres of the protected site. But the warning has never been heeded.

Locals recall how they built, one by one, four samadhis, on top of the mound without any objection from the administration or the ASI.

“The four samadhis were built in memorial of the great souls of the village,” said Dharmendra Raghav, a villager in his late thirties who had seen the mound since he was born. While pointing to the huts, built atop the protected mound, he said it was “good” that the “old structure” was of some use to the villagers.

“We got to know that old things were found during excavation in this mound. But, you tell me, is archaeology more important than farming. How can you ask a farmer not to till his land and grow crops. What will he eat if he doesn’t get the land to do farming,” said Raghav, who works at a construction site in Delhi, while questioning the logic of not flattening the mound for farming.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Other States / by Mohammad Ali / Meerut – September 14th, 2015

Students get AIDS awareness lecture in Sanskrit

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Meerut :

To spread awareness about AIDS among children, a lecture on the life-threatening disease was organized at Bilveshwar Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Sanskrit on Thursday.

The lecture was given by Dr Tungveer Singh Arya, nodal officer, Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre, who is quite well-versed in the language. The function was inaugurated by Dr MS Fauzdar, district tuberculosis officer and was conducted in collaboration with Sunil Dutt, a social activist.

Giving details, Dutt, said, “A total of 100 students from Classes 8 to the graduation level participated in the event. Though Dr Arya conversed with the students in Sanskrit, he also spoke in Hindi as the gathering included other people as well.”

The students were informed how AIDS is transmitted through the route of shared needles and syringes or engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners.

Addressing the students, Dr Arya, said, “AIDS awareness is just like Satya Narayan Katha; it will do good only if you tell it in front of others. All of you should spread the word so that the disease does not spread further.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Meerut / by Ishita Bhatia, TNN / September 11th, 2015

Star parade in UP’s roadshow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Mumbai :

The UP roadshow was studded with not only business honchos but also stars from Bollywood. A galaxy of cinema icons attended the day-long event and an entire session was devoted to them as chief minister Akhilesh launched the single-window portal of Film Bandhu to facilitate filmmakers.

“Now, film makers need not come all the way to Lucknow just for paper work as to support production of films in the state, the government has facilitated filling up of form from anywhere. They can send it to us and we will respond,” Navneet Sehgal, principal secretary, information and chairman of Film Bandhu, adding “the applications will be cleared in a time-bound manner.”

The session was attended by film personalities including veteran actor Sanjay Khan, producer Boney Kapoor, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Manoj Bajpai, directors Ketan Mehta, Sudhir Mishra and Anurag Kashyap, producer-director Pooja Bhatt and Bhojpuri Ravi Kissan. All the film personalities present on the occasion praised the newly launched initiatives of UP government.

“Filmmaking has become very convenient in UP,” said Sanjay Khan, the first to share his experience, adding, “Now, we find government officials ever ready to help us out.” Boney Kapoor, too, had a similar experience while shooting in the state.

Anurag Kashyap was all praises for Film Bandhu. “It has emerged as a friendly institution for filmmakers,” he said. “The fact that the CM is taking personal interest has come as a great boost for the film industry,” added the director of ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, shot in Mirzapur.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Subhash Mishra, TNN / September 11th, 2015

Renaissance hotels debuts in North India by launching first hotel in Lucknow

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

Lucknow :

Renaissance Hotels, a hotel brand known around the world for helping the next generation of business travelers to discover unexpected cultural experiences has announced the opening of its first hotel in North India, in the city of Lucknow. With 16 floors and 112 stylish rooms, it is the tallest hotel to open in Lucknow and offers stunning views of the Gomti River and the city’s landscape.

Renaissance Lucknow Hotel is the brand’s second hotel in India after almost 14 years, with the first Renaissance hotel being based out of Mumbai city. On its launch, Rajeev Menon, Chief Operating Offer – Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International said, “Lucknow is fast emerging as a cultural and business hub in Uttar Pradesh and makes for the perfect location for a Renaissance Hotel. Renaissance Hotels is a global, lifestyle hospitality brand that seeks to inspire and provoke its guests to discover something new and different each and every time they visit.”

The Renaissance Lucknow Hotel features a contemporary design that is juxtaposed against the heritage background of Lucknow. The centrally located hotel provides easy access to business hubs as well as popular leisure destinations in the city. The Renaissance Lucknow Hotel has 96 tastefully appointed rooms and 16 suites that offer modern luxury to guests.

The hotel features a variety of dining options that include international cuisine all day dining restaurant, the Awadhi specialty fine dining restaurant, the hotel patisserie that specializes in freshly baked pastries, sandwiches, cakes and brewed coffee and a poolside bar located on the 16th floor offering exquisite wines, cheese boards and an exclusive range of International beverages. Leisure facilities at the hotel also include a well-equipped fitness centre, a yoga studio and a rooftop infinity pool and Jacuzzi.

Conveniently located in Lucknow city centre, the hotel offers extensive facilities for social events and meetings. Spread over 26,000 sq ft, the versatile indoor and outdoor space features the Renaissance Hotels signature R.E.N. meetings program, designed to bring live entertainment and the best of the local destination to business and social gathering. “The Renaissance Lucknow Hotel brings a modern, new face of hospitality to Lucknow and is sure to set benchmarks in the city,” said Rahul Maini, General Manager, Renaissance Lucknow Hotel.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Priyanka Singh, TNN / September 11th, 2015

Rare artifacts on display at museum

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

Allahabad :

The Allahabad Museum celebrated Janmasthami by displaying rare exhibits of Lord Krishna and episodes from his life at the Central Hall. 68 artifacts and paintings depicting Krishna and incidences from his life, stories related with him, were on display.

The exhibition titled ‘Krishna in Indian Art’ included a collection of Rajasthani, Pahari and Deccan style miniature paintings ranging from 18 to 20th century. The exhibition was inaugurated by ex-governor, Rajasthan, Anshuman Singh.

Rajesh Purohit, director, Allahabad Museum said, “Rajasthani or Rajput syle of painting evolved in royal court and are known for their distinct features with Lord Krishna as one of the main themes. The exhibits including ‘Bal Krishnaleela’, ‘episode from Bhagwad’, ‘Krishna as a milkman’, ‘Krishna on Yamuna Bank’, ‘Krishnaleela’ and ‘Krishna rearing cows’ are among the most the possession of the museum. The Deccan style paintings included ‘dancing Krishna’ and ‘Krishna playing flute’.”

“Pahari style is known for its unique strokes. The stories included ‘Krishna and Brahma’, ‘Krishna and cowherd’, ‘Yashoda holding infant Krishna’ among others. The artifacts from 19th and 20th century were the centre of attraction,” he added.

Meanwhile, a seminar on Lord Krishna was organised at Nirala auditorium of Allahabad University as part of Janmasthami celebrations.

Addressing the ceremony, vice-chancellor, AU, professor A Sathyanarayan highlighted the three features of Lord Krishna. He said, “Lord Krishna’s character can be divided into three parts wherein first his act reflects innocence during his childhood when he was caught stealing butter, secondly his political thoughts during the treaty between Kaurava and Pandwa. Thirdly, he is adored as a guide to mankind during the battle between them.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / September 07th, 2015

Lucknow to host the country’s first Mahabharat festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel

Cultural performances, art exhibition, interactive sessions and a Mahabharatthemed food festival will be part of the event.

After capturing the imagination of TV and filmmakers, the Ma habharat is coming to Lucknow, thanks to a first-of-its-kind festival on the epic. Scheduled for October 2 and 3, the event is being organised by UP Tourism in association with the Draupadi Trust, and will showcase the Mahabharat era and also give people a peek into the characters of the epic through exhibitions, interactive sessions, quiz, cultural programmes and also a food festival!

Why a Mahabharat festival

“Our plan is to highlight and bring people’s attention to this place called Kampil in UP , which was a prominent place in the tale of Mahabharat. But despite the epic being so well-known in the state, places like Kampil are yet to be explored for tourism. We want to attract tourists to destinations like these and also educate our own people about our rich heritage,” says Amrit Abhijat, DG UP Tourism. “We expect a lot of school kids, college students and people who must know about the relevance of the Mahabharat, to be there,” he adds.

Neera Misra, who has collaborated with the government on the initiative, says there is still a lot to be done, but that they will make sure that people love this festival. “It comes as a surprise to most people that the maximum characters of the Mahabharat were from places that come under the present day Uttar Pradesh. Panchali, or Draupadi was born in Kampil, which is near Farukkhabad. There are still remnants of the palace that used to be there during that time, which was discovered a few years ago. Then there’s Mathura, the Krishna Janmbhumi, Hastinapur, Kashi where Amba, Ambe and Ambalika belonged to, Naimisharanya, where Mahabharat was narrated to the rishis and Allahabad which was then the Kaushambi region. South Panchal used to be where you have present day Kampil, near Farrukhabad, and North Panchal was where we have present day Bareilly , Amla and other places. So the purpose of having this festival is to let people know about all these places and to inform tourists across the world that UP has a big part to play in the history of the world and to mark these places on the tourist map,” adds Misra.

What’s in store

The festival as it is planned, will have an exhibition of paintings made on the Mahabharat through centuries. “For art lovers this will be a visual treat as we have planned an exhibition of the timeline of the Mahabharat through art. We have found references of the epic in Mohenjodaro where a plaque was discovered of Krishna and Balram picking up a tree.Then there’s also a book on Mahabharat written by Persian artists commissioned by Mughal Emperor Akbar. We will be putting up paintings from that book and also paintings by Raja Ravi Verma made on the epic,” shares Neera Misra. There will also be manuscripts which talk about the Mahabharata. “Students of the Government College of Arts and Crafts and the Dr.Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University will be making other paintings based on their interpretations of the epic and its characters. We will also have the war strategies or the Vyuhas like the Matsya Vyuha, Chandra Vyuha, and the Ardh Chandra Vyuha, depicted through sketches for people to understand what advanced level of planning went into fighting the war,” informs Neera.

Apart from interactive sessions with guests and school children, there will also be a small section on Draupadi as the empowered woman with a pictorial depiction of key episodes in her life and how she took the decisions which changed the history of the world. The scene of Draupadi’s swayamvar with Arjun piercing the fish eye will be depicted through live models dressed as courtiers and a life-size model of Arjun.

The evenings, meanwhile, will be reserved for cultural programmes. “These too will be centred around the theme, with Teejan Bai, the famous Pandvani, performing at the festival and also a dance ballet by renowned dancer Sharon Lowen,” informs Amrit Abhijat.

For more involvement of the people from the city, a play based on students interpretation of the characters of the epic is also being prepared by the students of Bhatkhande Music University .

“With the purpose of having something for everyone a food festival is also being planned based on the theme with dishes we can only imagine were eaten by people of that era,” says Abhijat. “The food festival will also focus on the food typical to that area. So from Varanasi or Kashi we will have chiwda, aloo papad and Bheem laddoo. From Mathura we will have fresh makkhan and peda. The Panchal region will have a Panchal thaal serving five dishes and from Hastinapur the Vidur Ki Thali with daalbaati and chokha,” informs Neera.

The handicrafts of these regions will also be displayed at the festival with brocade and zardozi and wooden toys from Varanasi, block printed cloth and zardozi and also Draupadi ka lehenga from Kampil, Gangajal and Geeta Saar from Naimishranya and Allahabad and Banaras. We have also called artisans from these places to put up their stuff too,” says Neera.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Itishree Misra, TNN / September 05th, 2015