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Overwhelming response for 2022 PFC-VoW book awards

By
Dr Tania Saili Bakshi
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Dateline Mussoorie: Forty odd publishers. Over Four Hundred books. Keeping its date with tradition the Valley of Words, Literature Festival received an overwhelming response for its 2022 PFC-VoW book awards given under eight categories.

In its sixth year running, the literary festival has grown in leaps and bounds creating new milestones along the way. The 2022 PFC-VoW Book Awards are being given to eight authors under the following categories: English Fiction, English Non-Fiction, Hindi Fiction, Hindi Non-fiction, Translation from regional languages into Hindi, Translation from regional languages into English, Writing for Young Adults and Picture/Children Books.

The longlist of close to twenty books in each category were dispatched to an esteemed jury settled all over the country and abroad. The jury has the uphill task of selecting ‘five best’ shortlisted books by mid-June. The final winner under each of the eight categories will then be announced at the grand finale to be held in November in Dehradun from 11 -13 November.

Together with its knowledge partner, the National Digital Library of India, the Valley of Words team plans to announce the shortlist during the four weekends of National Reading Month, starting June 19 in honour of   P N Panicker, the father of the Library and Literacy Movement in Kerala.

Talking about this year’s longlist, Festival Director Dr Sanjeev Chopra said, ‘I am overwhelmed by the response – we have some of the finest authors from across genres and across languages- almost every book which has been reviewed and discussed in the calendar year 2021 finds its place in the nominations. The Indian publishing industry certainly deserves a bouquet for all the offerings it has placed before the reading public.”

Our esteemed Jury consists of people who have left an indelible mark in their chosen field:

Prof Garima Srivastava: Hindi Fiction

Professor at JNU, eminent writer of Hindi. Has worked in many languages i.e. Hindi, Bengali.

Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed: English Non-Fiction

Professor Emeritus, eminent political scientist and historian, winner of the PFC VoW Book Award 2021

Menaka Raman: Young Adults

Former advertising copywriter, communications consultant and columnist, winner of the PFC VoW Book Award 2021  

Padmaja Ghorpade: Translations from regional languages into Hindi

Retired associate professor, Founder & President – ‘Parikrama’ Trust, eminent author, winner of the PFC VoW Book Award 2021  

Paro Anand: Picture/Children Books

Author of children books, young adults including novels, short stories and plays, winner of PFC VoW Book Award 2021

Rajeev Sharma: Hindi Non-Fiction

Poet, globe trotter, wildlife photographer, an administrator, winner of the PFC VoW Book Award 2021

Ranjita Biswas: Translations from regional languages into English

Well-known author, independent journalist and award winning translator of fiction from Assamese, winner of the PFC VoW Book Award 2021

Dr Surekha Dangwal: English Fiction

Academic, author and Vice Chancellor of the Doon University, Dehradun

Stay tuned to this page for more updates

Weekend Pop-Up Shops at Cafe Commune

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0

Dateline Dehradun: Making the most of the Covid lull Café Commune is stepping forward to host over a dozen local artists from Dehradun this Easter weekend.

With something for every age group, the colourful mix of Pop-up shops will showcase creations by local artists from the valley. As Co-owner Bhavna Bist fills us in, “We at Café Commune have always collaborated with artists to provide them with a platform to showcase their art. The Outdoor Pop-Up Shops is an effort to encourage and promote local artists and their handmade products this coming weekend.”

The two day event will be held in the garden of the Café on the 16th-17th of April from 1400hrs to 2200hrs. (2:00 -10:00 p.m.). The event will showcase trendy utility items, fashion clothing & accessories, décor pieces, souvenirs, stationery, art, planters, homemade pickles and the likes, Macrame art among others.

In the two and a half years Café Commune has supported umpteen community events be it their Community Bookshelf, Community Wall, events tailored around artists from Dehradun.

The on-going dot mandala exhibit by Rahul Khanduri a young graffiti & mandala artist beautiful collection has been well-received by those who come visiting the Cafe (up until this weekend) including a Burger making Workshop for young children have been completely sold out. With interactive sessions such as story-telling, baking, craft activities, youth interactive workshops listed for almost every weekend, the café has been able to stand out amongst its peers.

So do mark your calendar for this weekend and be a part of this community event.

Latest from the pen of Archana Painuly ‘Aaj ki baat karen’

By
Dr Tania Saili Bakshi
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0

Archana Painuly adds another feather to her cap with her latest book ‘Aaj ki baat karen.’ A translation from Danish award-winning novel ‘Dette burde skrives i nutid’ by Helle Helle the Hindi translation was launched by Ambassador Pooja Kapur at a virtual event hosted by Uppsala University and Aarhus University.

Helle Helle a famous Danish writer received international fame for ‘Dette burde skrives i nutid’ that has been translated into twenty three languages, including Hindi published by Prabhat Publishers.

At the book release, Ambassador Pooja Kapoor stated, “Cooperation between Denmark and India is growing and this book will strengthen the relations between Denmark and India in social, cultural and literary form as well.”

The virtual session was moderated by Dr Heinz Werner Wesler, Uppsala University, Sweden.  Dr Vivek Shukla, Assistant Professor at Aarhus University said, “This is the first Danish novel ever translated into Hindi.”

The event was virtually attended  by several academicians, readers  and scholars from around the globe including Denmark, India, Bulgaria, and the UK. It highlighted the fact as to how the book helped understand readers about Danish society and culture, lifestyle in small villages and towns, cuisine, society at large and the relationship between men and women.

Dr Rashmi Singla, Associate Professor at Roskilde University stated, “Through this translation, Hindi readers will not only know the difference between the two cultures but also the similarity.”

Other speakers included Dr Anand Sharma, Dr Munnalal Gupta, Dr Madhuri Subodh, Smt Sarojini Nautiyal, and Dr Vanya Dhagat who  presented their views on the book and the translation.

Translator Archana Painuly said, “I want to build a literary bridge between Denmark and India and this translation was an effort in that direction.”  Uttarakhand’s daughter, Archana Painuly, M.Sc. B.Ed. has been blazing a trail in the world of Hindi literature since 1988. In 1997 she moved to Denmark to be with her husband. A teacher at the NIS International School Archana’s teaching career spans three decades but she finds writing and translation to be her true calling.

Archana’s forte remains, short stories, articles, and novels, translation into Hindi including a few in English that reflect on the current ethnic and migratory issues with special reference to the Indian community in Scandinavian countries.

Mussoorie: Paradise Lost

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0
Work in progress

Dateline Mussoorie: A three-day weekend is all it takes for Mussoorie to burst at it seams. With hoteliers boasting of 60-70% bookings in hotels for the Holi weekend, maybe some of you thinking of a quiet get-away, should give it a second-thought!

Courtesy the augmenting of the Payjal Nigam, 35-kilometer stretch of Mussoorie is all dug up. Executive Engineer Sujeet Kumar Vikas informs us, “Sanctioned in January 2020, out of the 112 kms to be covered under the given project 35 kms has been covered for distribution to-date. The work completed includes six out of the twelve reservoirs, three pump houses and more. 59% of the project has been accomplished in the last two years.”

Unable to make the most of the initial pandemic lockdown sighting lack of labourers, the present gang of workers are trying to make up for lost time.  Sujeet Kumar Vikas adds, “Our target it to complete pipe-laying on the Mall road until end of the month. Post which we will relocate to the rising-main area. Before that we will ensure that we have done hydraulic testing, that the roads are restored, and we have made sufficient arrangement for distribution system as well.”

In the meantime, the town deals with broken sewage channels; disrupted water pipes and telephone wires in a tangled mess. “The entire length and breadth of Mussoorie is riddled with potholes, mud-fill and dust. It is an adventure venturing out on foot let alone using your two-four wheelers to get around,” adds a Mussoorie resident.

As it were, the traffic snarls in Mussoorie are legendary, and adding to the new-found chaos is that the town is dug up!

SDM Mussoorie, Naresh Chandra Durgapal tells us, “PayJal Nigam officials have been instructed by the Dehradun District Magistrate to visit the site and submit a compliance report by today.”

And until such time that any concrete action is taken, the Mussoorie Mall remains to have more craters than the moon!

Yellow Marigold adds another feather to its cap

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0
Ella and Ami, Happy times

Dateline Dehradun: Yellow Marigold at the Berry House played the perfect host for an exclusive Table Styling Workshop held recently in the city.

Ella Garg of Yellow Marigold tells us, “Though we launched in 2019, the pandemic stalled things a bit. We always wanted to bring such ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas to the city. Yellow Marigold plans to have many a ‘firsts’ in the city in the coming months bringing joy in our customer’s homes, through our products and such curated experiences.’

Conducted by Ami Kothari from Dining Couture a Mumbai based company, the two-hour session showcased how one could spruce up their table and make it the focal point of your dining room. Simple yet elegant techniques showcased by Ami made an instant connect with the select yet engaged audience.

Ami stressed on how easily one could transform everyday items lying around the house into personalised and pretty tablescapes such as fresh or faux flowers, empty glass bottles, candles and the like. In Ami’s words, “The highlight of the afternoon was actually having male participants which actually goes to show that gender roles are finally evolving. The participants particularly enjoyed the beach theme, the night setting as well as incorporating daily household items for table decor.’

Ami Kothari’s class in progress

With complementing colours and textures being the key, Yellow Marigold (an upcoming home decor brand from Dehradun) exclusive tableware designs and colours blended well with the themes. The Wild Rose collection with its bright plum colours brought out classiness, while the Sunflower yellow plates made for the stylish beach look. As the green Oyster plates complemented the festive colour scheme. At the workshop, one also got a sneak peak into Yellow Marigold’s latest collection ‘Daisy Dreams’, a youthful flower design to be launched this summer.

Those present at the venue walked away acquiring new skills of how to set up a special ritual for all your meals. As Namita Mumgain, one of the participants felt, ‘The workshop was fantastic, how one serves really enhances the eating experience. This was the first-of-its-kind event at Dehradun. Hats off to Yellow Marigold & the Dining Couture team. Those who weren’t able to attend have missed something really magical.’

Looking forward to many such magical experiences via Yellow Marigold in the near future.

www.yellowmarigold.in

The Art of Tea Blending 

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0
Glenlicious Tea

Dateline Mussoorie: For many, the pandemic was not the end of the road, but an opportunity to chase their dreams. One such example comes from Mussoorie.  Proud parents and their doting daughters settled across the globe have carved a niche for themselves when it comes to TEA, the aromatic beverage.

Located in Mussoorie, Glenlicious has become the prime manufacturer and supplier of a range of speciality tea products. The tagline for this is “Delicious from the Mountains.” Although the town doesn’t have any tea plantations, yet as its head-quarters, the blending, tasting, packaging and shipping is managed from their Mussoorie office & subsequent branch office in Chandigarh.

Years ago, Mussoorie resident Inderjeet Singh co-founded Le Zeit Business Ventures Private Limited with his three daughters, today the company has ventured into Le Zeit Watches, Le Zeit Home décor items and Glenlicious food products. The company strongly believes – “It’s really important to us that people know they matter and their requirements matter. We constantly thrive to produce products that are responsibly sourced and will make a difference to our customer base. We wouldn’t have it any other way!”

The Glenlicious family

Pallavi, Shail and Ravi all co-founders of the company, have their roles cut out. While Pallavi has an eye for detailing. She is the creative mind behind the entity, in her words – “I want to contribute to the industry through design and responsibly sourced quality products. My motto remains:  be observant and thrive to make a creative difference.”

On the other hand, Shail is the skilled hand. Her prime responsibilities lie in growth of customer base and channel partners. In her own words – “We are not just creating profits for ourselves, but we are ensuring healthy products for our customers as well without compromising on taste or health.”

The youngest among the three sisters Ravi, handles the marketing and is the technical brain behind the business. Ravi passionately voices her thoughts around the products – “Whether it’s your strong, milky morning cup of immunity boosting tea, or punchy, tangy, fruity or floral non-milky flavours, or a traditional Kashmiri Kahwa, the objective is for the customer to experience smoother, deeper and richer taste. Our tea is not ‘just’ a cup of tea. It’s a conversation starter,” she signs off.

With superior class tea leaves sourced from tea gardens of Assam, Darjeeling and Kashmir  Glenlicious sources most of its natural blends locally from the hill state.  In the not-so-far-future Glenlicious plans to introduce a range of Chocolate blends, Hot Chocolate blends and Coffee blends.  But for now, you are spoilt for choice: Rose Tea, Mint, Jasmine, Chamomile, Lemongrass, Immunity Boosting Tea, Peach & Apricot including Kashmiri Kahwa each packaged in attractive zip lock Swiss packs, Jars, Tea bags & variety of gift bags ready to be shipped to their growing number of customers across India.

To order now call: +91 72898 61166 or click on https://www.amazon.in/s?k=glenlicious+tea&crid=4PM8ILKP5WSI&sprefix=glenlicio%2Caps%2C157&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_9

Shardul Shines at the 35th SJOBA Rally

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0

Dateline Dehradun:  Uttarakhand’s Enduro Rally Champion, Shardul ‘Shas’ Sharma participated in the  St. John’s Old Boys Association aka SJOBA Rally held in Chandigarh recently.  With his unwavering perseverance and absolute dedication the young star emerged as the unrivalled champion for the 2022 edition.

Sponsored by the likes of KTM, Harjee motorsports, Maxperience, Rynox, Nikko Helmet, LBS Racing and  Team Evolution,  Shardul took on 55 Bike Riders from the from 4th to 6th of March in the 35th edition of the SJOBA Hero Rally that traverses through a two hundred kilometer long, technically diverse and fast paced course.

Winner of a dozen championships in the past, this was ‘Shas’ debut in ‘Group A’ motorcycle event. Flagged off from St. John’s School in Sector 26 of Chandigarh, the rally was a test of endurance and skill for two-wheelers.

Shardul’s extraordinary speed, combined with great athleticism and vigor comes from a decade of intense training, sweat, and multiple injuries sustained over the years along with strict discipline that prepared him to take the track in top form.

In his own words, an elated Shas shares, “The 35th edition came with a lot of technicalities and fast paced course which I enjoyed a lot. I am grateful to my parents and friends and it is their love and blessings that have made me win this  race this event.’ He further added, “I extend my gratitude to the sponsors  without whose trust and belief, the vision could not have turned into a reality. I send out my heartiest love and respect to all the people who support me in my endeavor and always push me to go even bigger and achieve more.” 

Signing off, Shardul is hopeful that his contribution to this adventure sports will go a long way in opening doors for more grass-root level veterans from the hill-state.

2022 Chardham Yatra begins in May first week

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0

Dateline Dehradun: Following tradition, announcing the dates for the opening of the portals of the world-famous Char Dhams begins with Basant Panchami. In 2022, the four famous shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath will open to pilgrims in the first week of May.

Calling Chardham Yatra “the center of our faith,” ex-chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat flagged off last years pilgrimage in the second week of May. For each State government the Chardham Yatra is seen as a litmus test that decides the government’s competency and capability. This significant annual event adds to the economy of the hill-state as over 30% of the state’s GDP depends on tourism, including spiritual tourism such as this event.

Year after year the State machinery goes on over-drive mode  to facilitate pilgrims by making adequate arrangement for drinking water, sanitation, sign-age, landslips along with other basic facilities enroute to the four shrines and those off-beat as well. With mandatory photometric registration of each devotee at Rishikesh’s Chardham Yatra terminal from 15th April. Instructions have been given by Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar to the Public Works Department to clear snow enroute to the Dhams, Jal Sansthan has been asked to  repair water tanks. Border Road Organisation and National Highways Authority of India need to ensure that roads are pothole-free with ample parking arrangements. Just a few ‘must-do’ for the State administration with over two months to go.

For Uttarakhand, a State that thrives on tourism, two years of pandemic have hit home hard. With recent relaxation in covid protocol, the State hopes to have a successful run hoping for a phenomenal increase in the number of devotees making their way to Devbhoomi, during the Chardham Yatra.

Chardham Opening dates:

Yamunotri : 3rd May

Gangotri : 3rd May

Kedarnath: 6th May

Badrinath : 5th May

Off-the-beaten-track temples:

Rudranath: 19th May

Watch this space for more updates.

Uttarakhand’s folktales in comic format

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0
Chaukal

Dateline Pauri: How about reading your favourite folktale from Uttarakhand that too in Garhwali and in a comic book format?

Launched on 1st February, 2022 by Chakhul  ‘Devbhoomi Comics’ bring alive the folktales of Uttarakhand. The books are bilingual as they come in Garhwali and Hindi both so even those who don’t speak or read Garhwali can understand fables that have become an  intrinsic part of the hillstate’s culture and tradition.

A team of young people handpicked folk stories from the hills and after two months of hardwork and research they launched their first comic book ‘Kafal Pako,’ in Garhwali. The comic book retells the folk saga behind the famous seasonal berry ‘Kafal.’  Colourful illustrations and simple Garhwali prose add substance to this nominally priced soft cover book that is easily available online.

Talking to Newspost Ankit Bhandari the visionary behind this idea says, “The idea was simple. This comic book series hopes to promote folk stories and regional languages of Uttarakhand. We want to inform people all around the globe as to what makes Uttarakhand  Dev bhoomi,’ and to bring alive our heroes from the past.’

Chakul a must-read

The folktales bring alive the hillstate’s glorious history, its culture and heroes. It aims to promote local regional languages through its young audience. Their future titles include the tales of Phulari, Garhwali krishn leela, Chalda Mahasu, Kali Kumaon in Garhwali, Kumaoni as well as Jaunsari in the near future.

Ankit further adds, “we wanted to print comic books that would be enjoyed by all age groups ranging from school going children to the elderlies at home.” He tells us about another noble thought behind buying the comic series, “10% funds collected from the sales of ‘Devbhoomi Comics will be given to Kothari Parvatiya Vikas Samiti that has been working on self-employment in rural Uttarakhand.”

To get your own copy, click here:

https://www.amazon.in/sme=A3B1AKUAZDND8N&ref=sf_seller_app_share_new

Perils of snowbound Mussoorie

By
Dr. Tania Saili Bakshi
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0
Mussoorie magic

Dateline Mussoorie: After two-days of continuous snowfall, Mussoorie’s snow magic wanes.

After weeks of sub-zero temperatures and windchill factor, the first snowflake waltzed into town on Thursday morning and continued late into Friday night. From eight inches to over two feet in the higher reaches of the town, its abutting areas like Dhanolti, Kanatal too were covered under a thick blanket of snow.

Marauders poured into the hill station in cars and two-wheelers skidding and sliding into the hill-station risking everything much before the dreaded weekend frenzy began.  Residents struggled with burst water pipelines, snapped phone and electricity lines, no internet and traffic jams making movement impossible.

Marauders on a roll

Local police has been on its toes, trying to step in and assist marauders who are totally unprepared for the cold and the perils of snow. Extra police force man crucial entry and exit points such as Bataghat, Mullingar, Kulri, Zero Point, Kincraig. SHO Mussoorie, Girishchand Sharma adds, “on an average, the hill station sees over two thousand vehicles entering town, but as it has snowed and it’s a weekend we are expecting over three thousand vehicles a day starting tomorrow.”

Learning lessons from the past, three JCB’s which have been stationed in and around the town worked late into the night clearing snowbound roads.

Local businessmen and hoteliers are happy as cash registers ring, but they too have a word of caution, Hotelier Prateek Karanwal says, “the town has come alive with the recent snowfall. Social media reels of tourists and Bollywood stars such as Akshay Kumar enjoying the snow has brought in good business  but a sense of chaos prevails with bumper to bumper traffic bringing things to a grinding halt.”

Mussoorie covered under a white mantle

If there is any silver lining at this point of time, it is that the Met Department promises sunshine over the next few days before another squall threatens to come this way.

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