Page 80

Reviving Language of Gods and Science in the hills

By
Tania Saili
-
0
From left: Principal head of Gorshali Ucchamadhyamika vidyalay, Samskrita Shikshak Muralimanohar Bhatt, Gorshali and Ananda Himani, volunteer teacher of Samskrita Bharati

Uttarkashi, Ananda Himani from Sweden has been a volunteer at a ten-day Spoken Sanskrit camp being conducted by Samskrita Bharati at the Government Inter College, Gaursaali, Uttarakashi for students from class 6th to class 9th since the 24th of April this year.

A medical nurse practitioner from Gothenburg in Sweden, Ananda Himani studied the ancient language of Sanskrit under the guidance of Samskrita Bharati, a non-profit organisation which has been working for the revival of the ancient language, she tells me over the phone in fluent Hindi, back from one of her classes.

“Sanskrit is not only a language, it is present in every sphere of Indian culture and society. The language not only contains scriptures pertaining to spirituality but that of science too like astronomy, architecture, astrology, mathematics, chemistry, medicine and more,” adds Ananda who has been learning one, amongst the 23 official languages of India and has now set out to teach one of the oldest languages, through Samskrita Bharati easy style of teaching through audio-visual technique.

Since 2017,  these ten-days Spoken Sanskrit camps have seen many enthusiastic takers, in the hill-state to a language also known as ‘Dev Bhasha’ or ‘Devavani.’

About the unique teaching technique, Ananda highlights the fact that Samskrita Bharati believes in inculcating folklore, theatre, dance, games, songs and even plays so that students can learn better. The syllabus of the classes include Sanskrit words for technical equipment and science terminology too so that the student could use up-to-date Sanskrit language in every day life, as the usage of English loanwords makes one forget the language.

As we come to the end of our telephonic conversation, I ask her about Uttarakhand, Ananda Himani signs off saying, “I feel a certain connect with its simple people, its mountains, rivers and forest!”

Agnipadma stitching magic: Aishwarya Bailwal

By
Tania Saili
-
0

Rishikesh,  Stories of people from small towns making it big in various fields is not uncommon. Today we share with you the success story of 23 year old Aishwarya Bailwal, from Rishikesh who has made her mark in the field of Fashion Designing, under the brand ‘Agnipadma.’

This ethnic Indian boutique, two of them in Rishikesh,  reflect the thought behind its product. Made from two Sanskrit words, Agni meaning Fire represents warmth and Padma meaning Lotus representing calmness, comes across in the young lady’s creativity.

Starting early as an Assessor for Skill India, Aishwarya worked closely in slums, jails and regular institutions the experience of which helped her in displaying her creativity on Facebook Page and Instagram, which then led to the opening of Agnipadma in the year 2015.  Post her Graduation, the young girl’s love and passion for art guided her to express herself through designing. Today both the boutique shelves are lined with ethnic wear, customised clothing in Indian fabrics, crafts, embroideries along with home fragrance products, accessories and novelty items.

What started of with just two employees is now a growing business, with half a dozen artisans working for Agnipadma at present. Her clients come from all over India as well as foreign shores with repeat clients from Netherland, Canada, United States of America and Germany.

Aishwarya’s constant inspiration and her biggest critic has been her mother, who has been designing for the past three decades and more. Her mother, Shakuntala Bailwal has trained many aspiring fashion students and encouraged young Aishwarya to learn new styles of garment designing.

At such a young age, Aishwarya has already earned the ‘Official Designer’ tag for Elite Modelling and Production House. Her clothes have cladded celebrities like Rannvijay Singh, Prince Narula, Varun Sood and also won her the ‘Best Designer of the Year’ at Mr. and Miss Elite Asia 2018.

All these achievements have been milestones in the life of the young talent who doesn’t believe in planning about the future, but pursues her gift of designing to the optimum with love and gusto.

For more, check out:www.instagram.com/agnipadmafashion 

PEN-India students spread the message of “Atithi Devo Bhava”

By
newspost
-
0

Doiwala- The opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on 7th of May 2019 officially starts the beginning of the annual Chardham Yatra to the hillstate of Uttarakhand. Students of PEN-India Foundation filled colours of their choices in drawing of various shrines spreading the message of Atithi Devo Bhava and inviting pilgrims and tourists alike, this season.

PEN-India School which is an initiative of PEN-India Foundation provides free and quality education to underprivileged children from in and around Bhaniawala organised an art competition, to showcase the talent of young minds. The students enthusiastically participated in the event and filled colours to pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund Sahib. Dr Prakash Keshaviah, the patron of the Foundation stated, “the aim of the Foundation is to inculcate education along with basic etiquettes and manners in the students. Our parents have taught us from childhood how to behave properly and welcome our guests. The Foundation aims at incorporating all these etiquettes in the students which will make them good citizens in future.” Through the art competition, students beautifully depicted the rich heritage of Atithi Devo Bhava.

Anoop Rawat, the Chairperson and Founder of the Foundation said, “post Kedarnath tragedy, the tourism of Uttarakhand faced a major setback but now the conditions are back to normal. By painting the pilgrimage places of Uttarakhand, students of PEN-India school have invited the one and all to visit Devbhoomi.“

Santosh Budakoti, the Director of the Foundation added, “the education system of PEN-India school is activity-based for overall development of these students. The students are able to grasp the knowledge easily when they are given an opportunity to learn through various activities.“

During the event, volunteer teachers, Ritu Sharma and Deepalika Negi were present .

Veteran Saklani siblings remembered for their contribution

By
newspost
-
0

Tehri, In memory of martyr Nagendra Dutt Saklani,  veteran freedom fighter and revolutionary leader, who gave the supreme sacrifice while leading a peaceful demonstration of over a lakh people against the King of Tehri Garhwal on 11th January 1948 at Kirti Nagar, Tehri Garhwal  an annual fair was organised at his native place Satyoan,Saklana, Tehri Garhwal.

Celebrated annually on the occasion of Chaudagati Baisakh i.e.28th, this year the occasion was graced by Hon’ble MLA of Dhanolti Pritam Singh Panwar. Pritam Singh Panwar inaugurated the fair and paid tribute to Shri Nagendra Dutt Saklani and his younger brother Vriksha-Manav or Tree-Man Shri Visheshwar Dutt Saklani. He highlighted the contribution of the two veterans in their respective fields, one for freedom and the other towards the society and environment. He added that, “their work will be cherished and remembered by the future generations to come.”

Shri Mahavir Singh Rangar Chairman, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, District President of BJP paid floral tribute to the two siblings who gave such valuable contribution towards the society. He encouraged the youth to follow their ideals and spread their message.

Among others who paid tribute were Shri Akhilesh Uniyal, Gambir Singh Negi, Bharat Singh, Manohar Lal Saklani, Santosh Saklani, Digvijay Uniyal, Gram Pradhan of Jadgoan Shri Onkar Singh, all Gram Pradhan of Saklana, respected people and senior citizens.

There was a huge public gathering on the occasion and the event was celebrated with great zeal and fervour.

Gaadughadi: Badrinath’s first annual ritual

By
Tania Saili
-
0

Narendarnagar, Gaadughadi a ritual, commencing the opening of the Badrinath Shrine is being nursed and nurtured by the royal family of Garhwal in Narendranagar Palace, home to the erst-while rajahs of Tehri Garhwal with equal fervor as it were in the past.

Today, beating of drums welcomes the visitor to a tradition as old as the shrines of Garhwal Himalayas. Its the first ceremony heralding the opening of the Badrinath shrine. Gaadughadi, the extracting of sesame oil in the open courtyard by married womenfolk from nearby villages and some from as far as Rishikesh flock to the palace to partake in this age-old custom of collecting precious sesame oil that will be put into use to smear Lord Badrinath throughout the year.

Telling us more the raj purohit says, “It is the Maharani from the royal family who begins the ritual. After which married women join in the activity of sifting, pounding, kneading and extracting sesame oil.”

Handed down from generation to generation by the Kings of Garhwal and purohit of the Badrinath temple, this tradition holds a special place in the lives of women here. They turn out in all their finery, wearing yellow, a colour associated with Lord Vishnu/Badri. This revered ceremony begins at day break. Women dressed in yellow sing traditional songs, grinding and pounding the black sesame seeds, in sync with one another.

Over the years, Gaadu Ghaddi has gained popularity among young women, a positive sign that this tradition will live on. An delighted Tikashah Shrija added, “I think it is because of their vishvaas (belief) I find the younger generation taking part with such enthusiasm. It is very heartening to see and I hope this ritual will continue forever. ”

God and Goddesses; myths and legends; fable and folklore all come and mingle here in courtyard of the erst-while king of Tehri Garhwal. A ritual of such rare beauty that its most cynical of audience undergoes a divine experience.

Uttarakhand Chardham Yatra to begin in May

By
Tania Saili
-
1

Dehradun, Closed for nearly six winter months, the shrines of Uttarakhand, better known as the Chardham will re-open their portals for pilgrimage in less than three weeks.

Yamnotri, Gangotri Shrines will be the first to open their portals on the 7th of May, at 11:30 a.m. followed by Kedarnath on the 9th of May  at 5.35 a.m. and then Badrinath shrine at 4:45 a.m. on the 10th of May.

The Sikh pilgrimage site of Hemkund Sahib, tucked away it into the mountains, will be the last to open on 1st of June, with the work to clear seven feet of snow enroute to the shrine to begin from 28th of April. Along with these famous-four, off-the-beaten Chardham route temples dedicated to Lord Shiva such as Tungnath will re-open on 10th of May, followed by Rudranath on 19th and Madmaheswar on the 21st of May with the world famous Valley of Flowers to reopen on 1st of June as well.

Located in the inner reaches of Rudraprayag and Chamoli district these off-the-beaten-track temples are visited by thousand of tourists and pilgrims alike when they reopen for pilgrimage, each year. Nestled in one of the most picturesque environs, these temples  fall under the panch-kedar and hold reverence amongst local habitants and outsiders, too.

Traditionally, the annual world-famous Chardham pilgrimage comes to a halt close to Diwali, before the shrines become inaccessible due to heavy snowfall in the long winter months. Following spring, around Basant Panchami, dates for the re-opening of the shrines are announced as per ancient rites and rituals giving people ample time to plan their pilgrimage into the hill districts of Uttarakhand.

The Uttarakhand State administration has been working overtime, even in the heart of severe winter, under the watchful eye of the Centre to ensure that facilities and all-weather-road safety norms are in place before pilgrims from home and foreign shores start arriving in droves in ‘Devbhoomi’ as the hill-state is rightly called, to partake in what is considered, a pilgrimage of a lifetime.

Chardham Opening dates:

Yamnotri : 7th May

Gangotri : 7th May

Kedarnath: 9th May

Badrinath : 10th May

Off-the-beaten-track temples:

Tungnath: 10th May

Rudranath :19th May

Madmaheshwar: 21st May

Hemkund: 1st June

Students of Bajela celebrate Earth Day

By
newspost
-
0

Almora, Earth Day was celebrated with great fanfare at Government Primary School, Bajela where children participated in various activities and celebrated this day with glee, the thought behind the celebration was that, ‘The Earth has enough to fulfil everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed.’

Everything in the world around us is built upon the Earth, grows on the Earth, or depends on the environment of the Earth in some or the other way. As we know this is the only planet where survival is possible so it becomes our duty to save our Mother Earth. With the view of educating our little kids about what we have and what we are losing by acting in ways that aren’t environment friendly or energy efficient and reminding them that we need to take action now to protect our environment before it’s too late.

Keeping this in mind, Government Primary School, Bajela celebrated The Earth day on 22nd April, 2019. A special assembly was conducted where in the students of Std IV and V shared their views about the importance of saving Earth and the measures that can be adopted to save our planet Earth. Also, a hand out was given to the students based on the significance of our planet and the steps to keep our environment clean and green.

Later, a talk was conducted in the classes so that every child can come out with his environment friendly ideas of Saving Earth. The children were made aware that EVERY DAY IS AN EARTH DAY and the purpose of celebrating Earth Day is to help to keep our grass green and our skies blue with more trees and less pollution.

Weaving her own destiny: Hathkargha

By
Tania Saili
-
1

Dehradun, 31 year old Shubha belongs to Roorkee, Uttarakhand and it is here that this talented young lady fell in love with the fine art of designing, embroidery and the world of handlooms. Recalling her childhood, Shubha tells us, “As a child I used to assist my mother in her boutique store and it was at that young age, that I was smitten by art, design on cloth coming from across India.” Adding, “Ajrakh from Gujarat, Rajasthan’s hand block print, Chanderi sarees from Madhya Pradesh and my favourite Ikkats from Pochampally and Sambalpur added colour to my childhood.”

Cutting short her studies from becoming a lawyer, Shubha pursued a course related to textiles from National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi  and thereafter did a short stint with Fab India.

Her maiden store Hathkargha is now five years old and counting. Located in Dalanwala in Dehradun her clients come pan India. After multiple exhibitions in cities all over the country, and running a successful online portal detailing her work for four years, Shubha choose Dehradun to set roots in. “It is where Hathkargha fits in,” she tells us, “the perfect environ of the city. We are running in our 5th year of this endeavour and totally love the feel, the struggle, the tug and pull. And here I am weaving my dream.”

With little time to do anything else, Shubha pursues her passion with zest and love. There is something for everyone in her unique store. As the lady is not the one to believe in limiting her passion to just saris. Gradually, Shubha has ventured into unstitched suits, home range textiles and ceramics too. The customized needs of her clients keep her busy through the year.

“When people tell me they started to love wearing saris, because of me, its then when I feel the most contented!” she happily signs off.

Do visit: www.hathkargha.in/insta: Hathkargha: to get a glimpse of Shubha’s work

NSD brings ‘Garh-Gatha Mughal Shehzada’ to Dehradun

By
Tania Saili
-
0

Dehradun, The school theatre at the Olympus High School, Dehradun came alive with two and a half hour long gripping play put together by 35 odd students.

This wasn’t your regular school show. These children had trained under the best that the hill-state had to offer. National School of Drama conducted a month long theatre workshop and under the supervision of Shrish Dobhal of National School of Drama fame thirty-five novices from Delhi, Himanchal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were guided, assisted and polished in theatre art in this month long venture.

Giving it their all, some students skipped Holi at home, others gave up their Sundays to put in eight hours religiously learning nuances of theatre production from experts in the field.

Not only did the dedicated troupe complete the course with flying colours, they also brought to the forefront a production called “Garh Gatha-Mughal Shehzada.” This historical play was based on the tumultuous times of Dara Shikoh’s promising young son Sulaiman Shikoh in exile in Garhwal. After being obstructed by allies of Aurangzeb, Sulaiman Shikoh had to disband his army of brave soldiers and seek refuge in Garhwal, with just his family and seventeen skilled craftsmen-cum-soldiers in tow and of course his, treasure. Written by Mr. Kamal Rawat the play is based on historical events of 17th century, which highlights human values; principles, commitment and tolerance; amidst greed for power, treachery, disbelief and chaos.

Young artists Mahi Papra from Pithoragarh, Anoop Kumar Singh from Lucknow, Rakesh Arya and Sakshi Sharma from Dehradun along with Malliah Malla, were casted as main characters in the play.

A list of experts from various fields such as Acting Improvisation, Make-up, Theatre, Production and Designing Dr Suwarn Rawat, Sudarshan Juyal, C. Basavalingaiah, Prof. Devendra Raj Ankur, Dakshina Sharma, and Abhilash Pillai trained the young minds.

 

National School of Drama graduates like Himanshu B. Joshi and regional experts from Uttarakhand like Narendra Singh Negi regaled the students about folk element in theatre, Manorama Negi shared with them movements and choreography.  Dr. Manoj Rangarh taught them about Meditation in Acting. Anurag Verma along with Sanjay Badoni were Assistant Director and Coordinator for the workshop.

Former NSD Director Professor Devender Raj Ankur stated, “Uttarakhand has given many graduates to National School of Drama, it is the duty of an experienced artist to work towards the growth of theatre in their region, even if they are occupied with main screen cinema.” Adding further, “theatrical events should be organised in Uttarakhand every year by various organizations or with the help of the State government to get Uttarakhand theatre recognition at national level.”

And witnessing the audience reaction to “Garh Gatha-Mughal Shehzada,” this initiative is a small step in the right direction.

Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, son of Late ND Tiwari passes away

By
Tania Saili
-
0

Dehradun, Late today evening, as the news of 39 year old Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, son of former Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Late Shri ND Tiwari trickled in, shock waves swept through the hill-state. Rohit was brought in dead to Max Saket Hospital, New Delhi from his house in Hauz Khas Village, late this evening.

While the exact cause of his passing away was yet to be revealed. DCP South Delhi Vijay Kumar issued a statement to confirm the death. He said, “Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, son of late former Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand CM ND Tiwari, has been brought dead to Max Saket hospital. Further details are awaited.“

The young lad was last seen in Haldwani with his mother retired professor mother Ujjwala Sharma casting their vote at  Lal Kuan,  this 11th of April, 2019 for the Lok Sabha elections. Rohit Shekhar came to fame years ago when he won a paternity suit against his father senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Shri Narayan Dutt Tiwari.

While ND Tiwari passed away on his birthday i.e.19th October last year, six months later Rohit’s untimely death has left everyone shocked and saddened. Condolences messages poured in from all quarters with former PCC Chief Kishore Upadhyay stating, ” I am shocked beyond words. May god give him (Rohit) place at this feet and may the family find strength to carry on.” Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat tweeted, “I am shocked to hear about Rohit Shekhar’s untimely demise. May god give his family the strength to carry on.“

1...798081...934Page 80 of 934

Editor's Choice

Popular Posts

©