SARASWATULA Hanumatha Rao of Tadepalligudem gave an engrossing performance of Carnatic Ghata Tarangini with 11 Ghatams in the 36th edition of the Indian classical music concert organised by Tarakeshwara Foundation at Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan on Sunday.
It was the artiste’s first concert in the city. The classical music concert was first such in the city by any artiste in many years. The artiste rendered full nine compositions with Hanumatha Ramcharan on violin and Guntuka Venkata Rao on mridangam.
Hanumatha Rao gave performances across India and abroad and accompanied some of the eminent personalities of Indian classical music. He presented his master works in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Dubai, Muscat and West Indies. He was also honoured with the title of ‘Asthana Vidwan’ by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham of Kanchipuram.
Hanumatha Rao holds a diploma in mridangam and a B-high grade artiste of All India Radio both in ghatam and mridangam.
Visakha Dance and Music Academy founder CN Raju and Andhra Music Academy director MS Srinivas and others were present.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / May 16th, 2016
Mayor Pantam Rajani Sesha Sai, MLAs Akula Satyanarayana and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary going round the exhibition after inaugurating it in Rajahmundry on Sunday.— PHOTO: S. RAMBABU
Young tribal artisans from Maredumilli agency area, who honed their skills with a special training programme in making of artefacts, have made the audience spellbound by displaying a wide range of artefacts made of bamboo in a special exhibition arranged at Hotel River Bay here on Sunday.
As many as 30 artisans from the agency area were chosen for a month-long training programme conducted by the Balakavi Educational Seva Trust (BEST), an NGO, from April 1.
Master trainer Prabhal Saikia and his team from Assom helped the tribal youth to hone their skills in making artefacts by using bamboos.
MLAs Akula Satyanarayana, Gorantla Buchayya Chowdary inaugurated the exhibition.
Mayor Pantam Rajani Sesha Sai attended as special guest.
President of the BEST B. Padmaja thanked the ITDA and APSSDC for choosing their organisation for the training programme.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Rajamahendravaram – May 02nd, 2016
Uppada sari is among the products that obtained the prestigious tag. —File photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam
The brand is a direct way to penetrate the national market, says Vishesh Nautiyal, South India Director, Weavers’ Service Centre.
Ten handloom products of the State have obtained the India Handloom Brand (IHB) tag of the Ministry of Textiles, which will help promote them in the global market.
According to the Weavers’ Service Centre (WSC) in Vijayawada, prominent among them include Dharmavaram silk sari and Pavada of Anantapur district; Madavaram cotton sari of Kadapa district; Venkatagiri cotton sari of Nellore district; Polavaram cotton sari of Krishna district; Mangalagiri sari of Guntur district; and Uppada sari of East Godavari district.
“We are doing research for identifying eligible handloom products in Andhra Pradesh to recommend them for the IHB tag,” WSC Deputy Director K. Ravindra told The Hindu .
Mr. Ravindra said that the recent buyer-seller meeting held in Hyderabad yielded the expected result as the branded handloom products witnessed great demand.
Speaking over phone from Chennai, Weavers Service Centre’s South India Director Vishesh Nautiyal said that the work of the weaver or manufacturer would go beyond the borders through the IHB tag.
“The IHB speaks about the quality and standards of the respective product. The branded products are being sold by renowned retail malls in Indian cities. The brand is a direct way to penetrate the national market,” said Mr. Nautiyal.
The Ministry of Textiles has identified eligible individual manufactures/cooperative societies for production of IHB products.
The brand is a direct way to penetrate the national market –Vishesh Nautiyal ,South India Director, Weavers’ Service Centre
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by T. Appala Naidu / Machilipatnam – April 30th, 2016
ICONIC LANDMARK:Visitors enjoy traditional idli, dosa tiffins at the Babai Hotel at Gandhinagar in Vijayawada.— Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar
The eatery had become so famous that super stars like ANR, NTR used to visit it
The eatery had become so famous that super stars like ANR, NTR used to visit it
Seven-decade-old popular restaurant and no change in menu? That may come as a big surprise for the epicureans but Babai hotel, a city landmark, which has turned 73, does not believe in change for the sake of it.
“We will continue the same tradition to serve the hungry stomachs and fill up the yearning hearts with great taste with our stock menu – idli, masala-dosa, godhuma ravva upma, podi-dosa and pongal – maintaining the quality and taste. We will not add any new recipe to our menu that brought us all round recognition”, said Babai Hotel proprietor Valveti Lakshmi Narisimiha Rao.
Among the best
“Our hotel has made it again. The world’s largest travel website, Trip Advisor accredited it as fifth best hotel out of around 116 restaurants in the city. The hotel got good reviews by many people in the site applauding the taste of the tiffins specially the ghee-soaked idlis and hot pongal.”
Mr. Narasimha Rao said that the hotel became a brand name in many five-star hotels as their menu-card read ‘Babai hotel idli’. Going into the history, the inspiration behind the name, Babai Hotel was established in 1942 by Patruni Samba Murthi. He became popular as ‘Babai’ to one and all. In turn, he used to greet rank and file affectionately with the same salutation – ‘Babai’. Former President Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy also expressed his gratitude for the services of the hotel.
Babai passed away in 1985, leaving name and fame of the hotel to his adopted nephew, Chanti (Valiveti Lakshmi Narasimha Rao) who is the current proprietor of the hotel. The bigwigs from the Telugu film industry like Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao (NTR), Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), Savitri, Chandra Mohan and a host of top politicians were frequent visitors to relish the tiffins at the Babai Hotel.
This despite the fact that the eatery was small for celebrities to come by, they took great liking to the food here as compared to what was served by many five-star hotels.
In the hands of heirs, the hotel was renovated into a two-storey building in October 2007. “It was great pleasure to have breakfast here at any time, the taste is awesome. Signature recipes unchanged despite passing of years; there is absolutely no change in the recipes including the mouth-watering chutneys of coconut and ginger with chilli powder, along with butter and ghee. The Idlis are literally soaked in ghee and topped with dollops of white butter for good measure”, said Syed Nadir Basha, a daily customer of this hotel since 1981. Basha is a native of Kurnool and settled in Vijayawada.
“Though the culture and structure of the city has changed, the unchanged part is the ongoing flocking of customers at the door in the early hours for the dishes of inexplicable taste. The breakfast is as sumptuous as it was in Babai’s times”, Mr. Rao said.
The eatery had become so famous that super stars like ANR, NTR used to visit it.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Sk. Rizwana / Vijayawada – May 02nd, 2016
Soda bottles manufactured in 1907 being showcased with early 20th century radio or television sets or wooden palkis (yesteryear’s mode of transport) on display with the model of a modern five-star hotel, violins with pocket watches and colonial era typewriters would surely confuse anyone who visits the heritage blocks of the Visakha Museum.
That’s not all. A life-sized statue of Sachin Tendulkar is being kept with models of tribal people, while modern portraits are kept with paintings of maharajas. Over 90% of artefacts and paintings in the museum are kept in a haphazard way without any proper legends or display boards mentioning the dates, description of the item, era or historical significance. As a result, visitors to the museum are clueless about the origin of any of the items.
Moreover, huge portraits of the royalty (again unidentified maharajas) are in a bad shape and almost non-decipherable.In the armoury section, a teenager was found asking his father about the guns, swords, spears and armours, but the parent had no answer about their history or chronology.
Nafisa Khatoon, a tourist from Kolkata, remarked, “The museum has such an awesome collection of artefacts spanning at least 10-12 centuries. But the display is so haphazard. I don’t understand the logic behind putting war helmets next to imported crockery, a Chinese or Japanese pagoda with astronomical instruments or models of industrial cranes in the same showcase as that of three autographed cricket bats.”
Pointing to the portraits of maharajas, another visitor Asmita Khanduri said, “It’s sad to see there’s no conservation at all. One can directly touch the portraits or paint as there’s no protective lamination or covering on them. I have been to the Baroda Museum and every artefact there is so beautifully arranged and identified as well as conserved.”
Even though the maritime block of the museum on the ground floor is well-maintained and the models of ships, submarines or aircraft have been identified with detailed maritime history, the generator is non-functional for the last three months and visitors have to go back in case of a power cut.
A visitor from Hyderabad, Suresh Jain complained, “I came with my family especially to view the maritime section as my children are interested in defence-related subjects. But there was a power cut when we were about to enter and were asked to go back or wait till power is restored. We came to know their generator is not working. The souvenir shop of the museum was also closed.”
When asked, museum curator MNA Patrudu conceded that conservation is urgently required, but dearth of funds is the main hindering factor. But quite naturally, civic issues and not the museum is in the priority list of the GVMC. “We require at least Rs 50 lakh for conservation of the paintings and artefacts. We have contacted the conservation unit of Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), Bhubaneswar, who are to do the restoration works. We have also sent the proposal to the government regarding this and the file is under process. We are trying to tap funding from GVMC and other sources.”
As for maintaining display boards and legends, the curator said the process is on and a fortnight may be needed to get them ready. “We need proper research and professional help for the authentic details. Some of the donors are not alive and their families may not have the required information. We are doing our best to get the boards in the heritage block ready. The generator is also non-functional for the last three months. Files keep moving slowly in government setups. However, if funds arrive, conservation of paintings and artefacts will be done followed by installation of a lift and CCTV cameras,” Patrudu added.
source: http:/www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ The Times of India /News Home> Visakhapatnam / Sulogna Mehta / TNN / April 19th, 2016
Padma Vibhushan Yamini Krishnamurti says that she is planning a production that speaks through rhythm alone.
In an era that lacks icons there is often enough a marked debate around the conferment of the Padma awards, by which the Government of India recognises the achievements of eminent civilians in any field. But Yamini Krishnamurti is a rare icon in this world. So the great classical dancer being conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civilian honour, can hardly give rise to a dissenting opinion.
Yamini Krishnamurti receiving the award from President Pranab Mukherjee. Photo Sandeep Saxena
She received the award, announced in January, from the President this week. Yamini exemplifies a person immersed in the practice, development and contemplation of her art. Such immersion leaves scant room for pretence. Art may be described as an imitation or a reflection of life, but at the heart of true replication is an unquenchable, childlike honesty. Thus her joy at being named among the Padma Vibhushan recipients of the country is palpable.
“Bharatastu yashovaham,” she quotes in Sanskrit, “The glory of Bharat (India) is our culture.” The veteran explains, “It was said, when talented people are recognised the country will prosper.”
Talented artists have been many over the decades since independence. What marks out Yamini as a unique performer is that she made each dance form she essayed her personal expression. In the process she gained mastery over Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi. She was considered not merely a brilliant performer of Bharatanatyam, but also largely responsible for putting Kuchipudi on the world map.
Yamini has performed through the decades across the continents. Her combination of dancing energy and mythological richness has won her admirers everywhere. She was a young, fiery dancer in the early decades after independence, when India’s educated elite took pride in rediscovering the country’s indigenous traditions, philosophies and arts.
It was back in 1960 that she performed in Pakistan. The decade also saw her tour Afghanistan and Iran. Why these countries come especially to mind in today’s polluted climate is that the classical arts are often sought to be hemmed into a closed definition circumscribed by fundamentalist views.
On what is the place of classical dance in such a scenario, the maestro emphasises, “The dance has nothing to do with religion. Beauty is the most powerful thing for all human beings. Other things are not essential.” She continues, “This is my religion. When I see a beautiful tree, a beautiful lady, I go gaga! Beauty is the most essential thing.”
It is the opportunity to create and contemplate beauty that makes her particularly happy to teach dance. “I am making a lot of youngsters dance,” she notes, describing the joy of seeing that “a person who doesn’t even know how to walk, walks out beautifully like a swan.”
Apart from the precision of her postures, the heady speed of her compositions and the variety of themes she presented, learning from her gurus and guided by the intellectual inputs of her father Krishnamurti, she is known for her brilliance in grasping the mathematics of rhythm.
Today the unparalleled dancer takes the stage relatively seldom. However, she remains in her cosmos of light and rhythm through classes and workshops.
The nature of a performing career makes it understandable if not palatable that even the greatest of artists are easily ignored once they leave centre stage. Not so for this veteran. “I see this recognition as essential for further creative inspiration of art. So I am very thankful I got this award, and it gives me great pleasure to continue my work,” she says.
If life depends on breathing, says Yamini that is the quintessential rhythm. Thus, on her plans, she says, she looks forward to creating a production that speaks through rhythm alone. “That’s my inspiration,” she says. “I’m waiting for that.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / Anjana Rajan / March 31st 2016
Vintage illustration of the State Crown of Queen Mary, Consort of George V, part of the Crown Jewels of England (chromolithograph), 1919. The crown contains 2,200 diamonds, including the famous Koh-i-Noor, Cullinan III and Cullinan IV gems. / Getty Images
British press pick up Indian Solicitor General’s submission before the SC that the heirs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave the gem as “voluntary compensation.”
New claims over the Koh-i-Noor diamond make their periodic appearance in the United Kingdom. Most of them flounder and finally sink as they make their way through the law courts — or indeed the court of public opinion, getting a day or two of media light at best. However, the relinquishment of a claim to the much-contested gem is a different matter and a cause for interest, as we just saw.
The Indian Solicitor General’s submission before the Supreme Court that the heirs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave the diamond to the British as “voluntary compensation” for the expenses incurred in the Anglo-Sikh wars was widely picked up by the British press, with the leading British parliamentarian of Indian-origin, Keith Vaz, even issuing a statement in support of the Government of India’s “stand.”
A gem of a debate again
The government’s subsequent clarification dissociating itself from the view of its Solicitor General brings the debate over the 106-carat symbol of British colonialism, which at present glints harshly from the crown once worn by the former Queen Mother, back to where it was.
Questions about ownership, authorship, theft and possession in the context of colonialism and today were raised at a recent exhibition at Tate Britain, Artist and Empire, which brought together a vast and unexpected array of works from collections across Britain.
Says Javed Majeed, a historian at King’s College, “The current Koh-i-Noor diamond controversy [comes] at a point in history when the terms “Indian”, “English” and “British” are in crisis again. In India we have a strong Hindu nationalist government which has re-defined what “Indian” means and thrown secularism into disarray. Claims have also been filed in Pakistan to return the diamond to Punjab there, from where it was gifted or taken [depending on your point of view]. In 2000, even the Taliban in Afghanistan asked the Queen to return the gem because of its brief association with that region at one point in time.”
Brexit and monarchy angst
In an era of economic and political uncertainties — in Britain associated with Brexit and what it portends — “anxieties about the future of the monarchy have intensified, and not surprisingly the focus of this worry is the crown itself as an actual object as well as an institution,” Dr. Majeed argues.
“Moreover, Britain’s imperial past surfaces in obvious and sometimes surreptitious ways in all these current debates, from the question of who owns the diamond to ideas of British power in the world should it leave the EU.”
Legacy control and mistrust
Legacy-control and legacy-mistrust can happen on both sides. A senior curator at a prominent British national collection in London told The Hindu that the authorities of the Victoria Memorial Museum in Kolkata refuse to lend their works from their collections to British museums.
The collection includes works by Johan Zoffany, William Hodges and Thomas and William Daniell. “Britain put in several requests to borrow art but they have all been turned down,” the senior curator, who did not wish to be named, said.
Correction
This story has been corrected for a factual error. Changed “Anglo-Maratha” war into “Anglo-Sikh” war
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> International / by Parvathi Menon / London – April 20th, 2016
Green’s The Lunch Box owner Y. Sarat Chandra with hot packs. —PHOTO: V. RAJU
It is a boon for the working woman. For bachelors it offers the luxury of timely lunch in the comfort of their office dining hall instead of a crowded restaurant. The Green’s Lunch Box is being launched on April 25. The modern Dabbawala will service the meal in a hot pack with four compartments for Rs 75. The contents are standard — three phulkas (or two chappatis), curry, flavoured rice and curd rice.
Woman entrepreneur Srilakshmi Yadvalli who is launching the service said ‘The Lunch Box’ was meant for executives who do not have the time and the elderly and others who do not relish hotel food.
“The Lunch Box with homely hot lunch will be delivered at your office table at 1 p.m. and the empty hot pack will be collected at around 3 p.m.,” she said. The curry and flavoured rice would be changed from time to time.
Those interested in taking the lunch box will have to order in advance. The marketing staff say as an introductory offer lunch would be served even if the order was given the same morning (before 10 a.m.).
But gradually the customers will be given coupons for a minimum of 15 days. If for some reason the person does not attend office on a day the service provider should be informed in advance.
Those taking The Lunch Box regularly can order for their friends. “The friends of those who are getting Lunch Box regularly can use these coupons and enjoy the service,” explained Sarat Chandra, partner and husband of Ms Srilakshmi.
The meals will be served only against coupons purchased in advance. This kind of service was being provided for the first time in the Telugu states, he claimed.
LIC employee N Y V Vijayalakhmi says Lunch Box will be particularly convenient for working women. “Preparing lunch in the morning, carrying the box and then carrying the box back can be avoided if we order The Lunch Box,” she says.
Those interested can also place an order on email –greenslunchbox@gmail.com or by calling 7382256666.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – April 20th, 2016
Proud moment:This is the longest Kalamkari art produced so far, says Siva Prasad Reddy
A.P. Kalamkari artist comes up with a 47×11-ft record piece for posterity
He was not aiming for a record; his eyes were set much higher. “Creating the record was a by-product. I had started out with the idea of doing something that will help me pass on this treasure of art to the next generation,” says K. Siva Prasad Reddy, a master craftsman of Kalamkari art from Tanguturu village of Banaganapalle mandal in Kurnool district.
Pointing to his 47×11-ft Kalamkari art piece, completed in 2002, which is a pictorial depiction of more than 2,000 images from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwad Geeta, he declares with a glint of pride in his eyes:
“This is the longest Kalamkari art produced so far.” Mr. Reddy is the recipient of several awards that include one from the UNESCO, the President’s award and the State award and many other laurels.
Today, the 60-year-old man is a contented soul. “I was desperately seeking a means to preserve this art for posterity. It took me two years to finish this. While I was working on it, I was hit hard by financial crisis as I had no other income. My children’s education was at stake but I was determined not to stop half-way. I sold my three-acre farm land to support the family during the two years. The decision was hard then but today, I am happy having done what I did,” he says emphatically.
Mr. Reddy comes from an agriculture background but he was a reluctant farmer. “A newspaper ad on free training in Kalamkari art was reason enough for me to leave farming and join the training programme. I soon realised that this was my calling,” he says.
Despite the hard work involved in Kalamkari, finding marketing avenues was very difficult. “Fortunately, fashion designers came to our rescue. Once they embraced this eco-friendly fabric, people from elite sections started buying it,” he recalls, pointing out that the fabric is now used in home furnishings, apparel and accessories.
“Foreigners outnumber Indian buyers as they like the fact that the dyes used in the cloth are obtained by extracting colours from parts of fruits, vegetables, roots and leaves with mineral salts of iron, tin, copper and other metals serving as mordants (that helps bind the colour to the fabric).
‘Growing awareness’
“The growing awareness among people on the harmful effects of dangerous chemical dyes has come as a boon to us. They have started developing a taste for naturally dyed fabrics and what more, Kalamkari is the best specimen of natural colour artwork,” he says.
The duplicate version of Kalamkari fabric flooding the markets worries Mr. Reddy. “These fake designs are ruining the Kalamkari industry. But then, it also makes me feel happy that only products that are in great demand in market spawn replicas,” he adds with a smile.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by P. Sujatha Varma / Vijayawada – April 19th, 2016
On the occasion of the 136th birthday celebrations of veteran journalist Sir C.Y. Chintamani on Saturday, print and electronic media journalists in the town paid rich tributes by garlanding his bust size statue at Ambati Satram Junction here and distributed fruits to inmates of deaf and dumb school at Perla Vaari Street.
C.Y. Chintamani, a native of the town, had enlightened people during the freedom movement with his bold and uncompromising articles in The Leader and The Spectator. APUWJ leaders B. Chakravarti, Patro, Vijaya Kumar and others were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / Vizianagaram – April 10th, 2016
