Grand Master of Grand Lodge of India Vasudev Jamnabihar Masurekar on Saturday exhorted the members of Freemasons Lodge to add more love and affection in whatever they gave to the society.What matters is not how much we give but how much care we put while giving it to others, he said while speaking at the foundation stone laying function of the Masonic temple at Ibrahimpatnam.
Mr. Masurekar also inaugurated a Masonic library along with Mr. Arvind Prasad Chitra, Regional Grand Master of the Southern India. He released the members’ directory for the benefit of the lodge members. He inspected the drinking water plant built by Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87 for the neighbourhood locality and commended the work done by lodge members who generated Rs. 60 lakhs for the Huhhud cyclone victims . Grand Master B. Amarnaath, P.V. Krishnaiah, G. Harisiva Kumar and others took part in the both the functions.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – April 05th, 2015
A tribal museum and research centre is all set to come up on the city’s outskirts with the help of central aid very soon. The proposed museum and research center is proposed to be set up over five acres near Yendada at a cost of Rs 10 crore, of which Rs 1 crore has already been released by the central government.
According to sources, the tribal museum will showcase beliefs, customs, culture and lifestyle of various tribes in all the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh, which comprise nearly 4% of the state’s population. The museum will display typical ornaments, dress, hunting artifacts, musical instruments, utensils and other apparatus used by tribals. The tribal research center will study the inscriptions of various tribes, their culture and way of life.
Currently, Hyderabad houses a tribal museum and research centre and Araku has a tribal museum showcasing their heritage and culture.
“This is a central government funded project. We will monitor the construction of the project and everything will be taken care by the tribal welfare department. Tribal welfare department higher ups are scouting for suitable land for the project,” ITDA project officer Hari Narayan said. AP tribal welfare director M Padma, who recently visited the Port City, visited two sites at Yendada and PM Palem.
According to sources in the revenue department, initially the department asked for two acres and later requested the district administration for five acres but now the director of the tribal welfare department has sent a letter to the district collector seeking 10 acres land. “Providing 10 acres of land in the city is not possible for the district administration because it does not have major chunks of land in the city,” a source pointed out.
“The central government funded project will be taken care of by the state government. We have already shown the department officials land at two places. We are ready to provide them five acres near the NIO site, where we have kept aside a piece of land for the science center,” district collector N Yuvaraj told TOI.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Siva G, TNN / April 04th, 2015
Indian Idol 2010 winner Sreerama Chandra says he didn’t face any problems in singing Hindi songs, despite being from south
Singing is his passion while acting is his hobby. Winner of Indian Idol 2010, Sreerama Chandra Mynampati took the nation by storm by his consistent performance in the reality show.
“I have done a couple of movies too,” he reminds, quickly adding that there is a difference between singing and acting.
“Acting involves a lot of hard work while singing comes to me naturally,” he tells The Hindu on the sidelines of a musical show held in the city recently.
After doing two films, Sri Jagadguru Adishankara and Prema Geema Janta Nai , Mr. Sreerama Chandra has come back to what is closest to his heart — singing.
“Currently, I am based in Mumbai and working with almost all Bollywood music directors. In terms of career, the Mumbai platform is bigger and I want to focus on this city for now. I also want to work with A.R. Rahman and other leading composers. Being a Telugu boy, I love to sing Telugu songs,” he says.
A native of Prakasam district, Mr. Sreerama Chandra developed a passion for singing and started crooning from his school days.
He studied Intermediate in a corporate college in Vijayawada where he recently performed at a musical show along with singer Nagur Babu (Mano) and other singers.
In Telugu film industry, his favourite music directors are Devisri Prasad and Taman while M.M. Keeravani is an all-time favourite with whom he started his career.
When reminded of a popular perception that upcoming singers from south can’t sing Hindi songs perfectly, he begs to differ: “It’s wrong. I did not face any such problem.”
About the upcoming singers in the music industry, he says the talented ones should have clarity on what they want to do in life. Before taking the plunge, they must learn the basics and focus on practising. “There will be more scope if they come up with their own music albums,” he adds.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by M. Srinivas / Vijayawada – April 05th, 2015
The Kambalakonda eco-tourism park is all set for a facelift and will soon sport dedicated conservation and visitor zones thanks to World Bank funding.
Visakhapatnam :
The Kambalakonda eco-tourism park is all set for a facelift and will soon sport dedicated conservation and visitor zones thanks to World Bank funding.
If the plans of the forest department are anything to go by, the Rs 8.45 crore World Bank funding given to the Kambalakonda forest reserve for Cyclone Hudhud relief will be used to create dedicated conservation and visitor zones as well as restoration work.
For the conservation zone, the forest department plans to spend Rs 2.95 crore in setting up a butterfly park, lay a self-guided nature trek path and create an arboretum for display of medicinal plants and biodiversity of the Eastern Ghats, said forest department officials.
“The department will also spend around Rs 1 crore for creation of 10-metre wide view-cum-fire lines, construction of trenches and check dams to harvest rain water,” chief conservator of forests Ampili Bharat Kumar told TOI.
As part of the visitor zone, the authorities plan to invest Rs 5.5 crore in creating facilities like eco-friendly cottages (20), multi-cuisine food court and amphitheatre for interactive animal shows. Plans are also afoot to set up a Bio-Park with evolution as its theme at a cost of Rs 1 crore. For the convenience of visitors, wash rooms, rest shelters and benches, drinking water facilities among other things will also be set up, sources said.
The eco-tourism park, spread over around 40 hectares, is part of the 7139-hectare Kambalakonda reserve forest area and wildlife sanctuary that was devastated by the cyclone that hit the Port City in October last year.
The cyclone caused damages of nearly Rs 15 crore to the Kambalakonda eco-tourism park, wrecking many boats, cottages, observation towers and uprooting thousands of trees. The wildlife sanctuary houses many animals such as leopard, spotted deer, jackals, sambars, among others
Kambalakonda, which was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2002 to protect the flora and fauna of the region, is part of the Eastern Ghats. Surrounded by many villages, Kambalakonda sanctuary falls under the Greater Visakha area but is under the control of the forest department.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Siva G, TNN / March 18th, 2015
The Coastal Museum that is coming up on the premises of the 127-year-old Victoria Museum on M.G. Road will be named after late film maker Bapu. During his visit to the city a few months ago, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had mooted the proposal to name the museum after Bapu who was also a music director, illustrator and cartoonist.
After the Chief Minister’s proposal, the Department of Archaeology and Museums prepared a report and sent it to the government.
Instead of naming the museum after the legendary director, the department, in another report sent to the government, said that a new museum coming up at Eluru in West Godavari district could be named after Bapu, as it was his native place.
“We are waiting for approval from the Chief Minister’s office on the issue,” the official said.
The construction of the museum is taken up at a cost of more than Rs. 4.8 crore.
The new three-storeyed structure, once completed, will be the biggest museum in the State. Rare coins, instruments and other artefacts of Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods will be showcased in the museum.
Galleries for coins
Interestingly, the new building will be three times bigger than the Victoria Museum, and it will house separate galleries to display coins used by various dynasties, besides paintings and stone-carvings.
Bronze sculptures, clothes used by the Mughal emperors, stones and label inscriptions, copper plates and ancient scripts will also be displayed. Weapons used during Vijayanagara and Nizam eras will be the other attractions, officials said.
They added that the construction of the museum was hit by shortage of sand, but works were on at a brisk pace. “We are hopeful of completing the works within a few months,” they said.
Sources said the government had planned to name the museum after Bapu who won international acclaim for his cartoons on Telugu women (Bapu Bommalu).
Through his unique style, he blended Telugu culture with modern techniques.
He also had an enormous impact on contemporary Telugu arts and movies, they added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by M. Srinivas / Vijayawada – March 27th, 2015
Indian cricket captain Mithali Raj with author Vattikuti Sambasiva Rao in Hyderabad.– PHOTO: V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
For someone whose first love is agriculture, Vattikuti Sambasiva Rao, a farmer hailing from Guntur district, has scripted his way into the Telugu literary world by penning two unique books on cricket – Bharat Ratna and Jayaho Bharat . While one signals the end of the Sachin Tendulkar era, the other is on India’s performance graph in recent times. Interestingly, this 65-year-old, whose earlier notable contribution to literature was his book on late Chief Minister and Telugu matinee idol N.T. Rama Rao, developed an interest in cricket only a decade ago. But it seemed enough to spur him to try his hand at writing books in cricket, which he says is his ‘first love’.
Encouraged by his children, he seems to have mastered the art of interspersing his knowledge in the language with cricketing terms, which catch the imagination of the average cricket lover.
The books were formally released by Indian women’s cricket captain Mithali Raj and Andhra Jyothi Editor K. Srinivas here on Monday.
‘Huge Tendulkar fan’
“I am a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar and am longing to meet him at least once. I consider it God’s grace that I wrote my first book on him,” he remarked. Mr. Rao said that he was almost ready with another book on India’s progress in the ongoing World Cup.
Pens two unique books on cricket – one signalling the end of the Sachin Tendulkar era and the other on India’s performance graph in recent times
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – March 27th, 2015
Thrikuteswara Swamy temple at Kotappakonda in Guntur district | Express Photo
Kotappakonda (Guntur):
The famous hill shrine of Trikuteswara atop the Kotappakonda in Guntur district witnesses lakhs of devotees during ‘Maha Sivaratri’. But on normal days, though it has much to offer to tourist year around, there are lesser takers.
In a bid to change this and ensure that Kotappakonda comes alive with tourists and pilgrims, efforts are being made to make the place a ‘tourist haven’ and make the tourists visit again and again. It is not just the endowments or tourism department, but every department is chipping in and taken up projects worth several crores, which are nearing completion.
According to the temple officials, the devasthanam with the help of endowments department has taken up beautification works at the cost of Rs 2.86 crore. The flooring of the temple premises has been changed with non-slippery tiles. In front of the temple entrance, the moving area has been extended and the area between Lord Ganesha statue and Gollabhama temple have been fortified with railing and a pathway of 17-foot width having interlocked bricks has been developed. Pilgrims visiting the place can have an unhindered view of the scenery from the place.
To facilitate those trekking to the hill shrine from foothills, a 40 feet shed covered with galvanised sheets is under construction. The exit area on the north side of the temple is being extended. ‘Pravachana Mandap’, ‘Yagasala’ and ‘Navagraha Mandapam’ are under construction. “We are also constructing a pilgrim hall, ‘Potu’ (temple kitchen), ‘prasadam’ counters and coconut breaking points,” explained temple executive officer D Srinivas Rao.
He added that a proposal for constructing a 300 m-long ropeway from foothills to the hill shrine will be taken up under public-private partnership mode and the works are expected to be completed in a year.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has chipped in for the development of the region and is setting up a ‘Veda Pathasala’ aside from a pilgrim amenities complex with more than Rs 10 crore.
The forest department, on its part, has taken up development of the ghat section by working in tandem with the road and buildings department. An eco-park and a children park have also been constructed, which have giant working models of dinosaurs. The R&B, on its own, is constructing an island and waterfalls, while the tourism department is engaged in constructing Pagoda-style waiting halls and the RWS department has undertaken the beautification works of the temple.
Once all the works are completed, the temple will emerge as a major tourist attraction, much near to the proposed capital city on the banks of River Krishna in Thullur, the temple officials hoped.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by S Guru Srikanth / March 19th, 2015
Schoolchildren and Telugu movement leaders paying tributes to Telugu scholar Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad in Vijayawada on Monday.—Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar
Floral tributes were paid to Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad, Joint Director of Social Welfare Department, who died in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Leaders of the Telugu Movement G.V. Purnachand and Congress party official spokesperson Kolanukonda Sivaji said the contribution of Mr Prasad to the enrichment and promotion of Telugu language was immeasurable.
He was a key member in the task force constituted by the State government to strive to get classical status for Telugu language. He was also a key person for making the World Telugu Conference held in Tirupati a great success.
With his head in Andhra Pradesh and feet in Telangana, Mr Prasad was popular with people of both the States, they said. Former MLA Malladi Vishnu, other leaders like Chennupati Seenu, ‘Hindi’ Vallabha Rao and others paid floral tributes at Prasad’s portrait placed behind Hanumantharaya Grandhayalam. Mr Prasad’s death was a big shock to Telugu language admirers, they said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – March 17th, 2015
A girl bringing water to fill earthen pots kept for birds at Indigo Street of Balayya Sastry Layout.— Photo: C. V. Subrahmanyam
Taking forward the initiative of the residents of Indigo Street in Balayya Sastry Layout, students of architecture have taken up beautification.
The transformers and electric poles had been beautified with art work which students took up with their hands.
The beautification had been taken up as a part of “Urban design learning process” by students of Varaha College of Architecture and Planning.
To improve greenery in the street after the devastation caused by cyclone Hudhud, residents launched a plantation drive in December last.
To give it a character, they had planted saplings that give indigo flowers. The beautification was a continuation of that.
The students also conveyed a message to residents by painting a slogan thanking Hud Hud for reminding them of the value of nature’s motherhood.
With summer setting in, in a timely gesture, they have also put earthen bowls to provide water and grains to birds. The exercise is aimed at inculcating a sense of ownership among residents of the street, says architect Y. Narasimha Rao who lives there.
The entire exercise was carried out on Saturday and Sunday and residents were quite supportive by providing snacks, tea and butter milk and encouraged them.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam – March 17th, 2015
Savouring Telugu flavours:Stefan Binder from Germany. —Photo: V. Raju
As part of my Masters, I started learning Telugu and Sanskrit and in the last semester, I opted for Telugu. By the end of it, I was able to translate Telugu in German
There is a Chinese proverb which says learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.
Stefan Binder of South Germany is an insatiable learner basking in the glory of Telugu language in Vijayawada city.
A student of cultural anthropology back home in Berlin where he lives, his first visit to India was a couple of years ago.
“As part of my Masters, I started learning Telugu and Sanskrit and in the last semester, I opted for Telugu. By the end of it, I was able to translate Telugu in German,” he says.
Starting with locals
And then, he started learning the language on his own. In the beginning, he had problem in speaking Telugu with locals but later got used to it.
By sheer coincidence, he landed in Andhra Pradesh for his research project. “The Telugu taught in the university was very technical unlike the colloquial one. Now I am confident of striking a conversation in Telugu, even if it is about my research project,” says the 29-year-old scholar with an emphatic nod.
Ask him about the most difficult part of Telugu and he points to its “syntactic structure which is different from European languages.
“Theoretically I can understand it,” he hastens to add. The best part, he says, is that the Telugu grammar is not too complex compared to Sanskrit or “my own mother tongue German.” Give him a lot of time and a dictionary and he can translate Sanskrit too. “Actually, my Hindi is better but my vocabulary is shrinking because of late, I have been focusing only on Telugu,” he says.
Films his passion
He enjoys watching Bollywood films. “ P.K and Haider were the latest ones and I also plan to see Dum laga ke haisha ,” he adds.
As far as food is concerned, the German youth is having a delicious time tucking into his favourite dosasin breakfast and delicacies like pulusu (gravy) made with sweet potato and ladies finger.
“I love the combination of mudda pappu (dal) and allam pachchadi (ginger pickle) with ghee,” his smile returns.
Mr. Binder calls his visit a learning experience. “My first visit was to an undivided Andhra Pradesh. I returned after a gap to find two different States with boundaries redrawn. I have friends on both sides. But regardless of physical barriers, I find the emotional chord intact,” he says.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by P. Sujatha Varma / Vijayawada – March 03rd, 2015
