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Maharana Mewar Foundation honours icons of India at Udaipur

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, , , , ,

Udaipur, RAJASTHAN :

Carrying forward its glorious tradition of honouring the service of permanent value rendered to society, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) under the astute command of Arvind Singh Mewar, gave away the most  coveted Maharana Mewar Foundation 36th Annual Awards (MMFAA) to the highly deserving individuals in a grand ceremony held at The City Palace, Udaipur .

Started with the presentation of certificates to students from schools and universities in Udaipur and across the State of Rajasthan, the grand awards ceremony witnessed international and national awardees gathering on the dais to receive their awards from Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur, Chairman and Managing Trustee of Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, in the proud presence of Rashtrakavi Shri Balkavi Bairagi ji who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Amid the resplendence displayed by the City Palace of Udaipur, Maharana Mewar Foundation 36th Annual Awards (MMFAA) was received by  Professor John Stratton Hawley, USA, who is Claire Tow Professor of Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University; Suhasini Haidar the Diplomatic Editor of The Hindu; Dr. E. Sreedharan – ‘The Metro Man’; Raspreet Sidhu, captain of the Indian Basketball Women’s Team; Gafarbhai Qureshi, a farmer from Ramdechi, Talala, Gir Somnath District of Gujarat .

Salim Gafur Sheikh and Harsh Desai for rendering selfless service, rising beyond the call of duty in the face of immense hostility; Pandit (Dr.) Chandrakant Purohit (Munshi), a retired teacher; Dr. Sandeep Joshi, well-known name in the field of oriental research and preservation of Indian Heritage and ancient literature; Prof. Satyavrat Shastri, a highly decorated Sanskrit scholar, writer, grammar expert and poet from India and many other distinguished personalities who have precisely earned this award after their immense hard work and dedication shown to enhance image of Udaipur and the country on National and International platforms.

Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur, Chairman and Managing Trustee of Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Udaipur said, “It’s truly a proud moment for all of us and I take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners for their extraordinary contribution to the society. Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation is continuing with its commitment of pursuing its mission of nurturing cultural values in society by adopting innovative methods of communicating and impacting and this is another step forward in this direction.”

Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur, Trustee, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Udaipur said, “The whole purpose of MMFAA awards is to recognize and honour the contributions of the extraordinary individuals and leading light of the society in their respective fields. I thank all the attendees for participating in this ceremony with full zest and zeal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-ANI> Business / by ANI  / Udaipur(Rajasthan), New Delhi (India) / March 13th, 2018

RJD candidate Sarfaraz Alam won from Araria Lok Sabha seat

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , ,

Patna, BIHAR :

RJD candidate Sarfaraz Alam today won from Araria Lok Sabha seat by defeating his nearest rival BJP candidate Pradeep Kumar Singh by a margin of more than 50,000 votes.

State election sources said that Mr Alam defeated his nearest rival BJP candidate Pradeep Kumar Singh in Araria Lok Sabha seat.

By election to Araria Lok Sabha seat was necessitated following the death of RJD MP and former union minister Mohammed Taslimuddin, father of Mr Alam.

RJD also won Jehanabad assembly seat where party candidate Suday Yadav defeated JD (U) candidate Abhiram Sharma by a margin of 35036 votes.

On the other hand, BJP won from Bhabhua assembly seat where the party candidate Rinki Rani Pandey defeated her nearest rival Congress candidate Shambhu Singh Patel by a margin of over 16,000 votes

In the by election, Mr Alam and Mr Yadav retained Araria Lok Sabha and Jehanabad assembly seats respectively for RJD while Ms Pandey retained Bhabua assembly seat for BJP.

Jehanabad was earlier represented by RJD MLA Mundrika Singh Yadav while Bhabhua was represented by BJP MLA Anand Bhushan Pandey and by elections were held following their deaths. Suday Yadav is son of Mundrika Singh Yadav while Rinki Pandey is wife of Anand Bhushan Pandey.

UNI DH BM

— (UNI) — C-1-1-DL0214-1287968.Xml

source: http://www.news.webindia123.com / WebIndia123 / Home> News> India / Patna – March 14th, 2018

Find out what made Aamir Khan the World’s Biggest Superstar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, World Opinion, , ,

UTTAR PRADESH / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

AamirKhanMPOs14mar2018

Aamir Khan’s appeal in World’s 2 major countries not only makes him the World’s Biggest Superstar, but also the most recognized face globally. The recent past has been a testimony of the mass hysteria Aamir Khan and his work generates not just in India but the world over too.
The actor is not just a Superstar in India but also China. With the population of 1.4 billion and 1.35 billion in China and India respectively, Aamir Khan is undoubtedly the biggest Superstar in the world. The record-shattering earnings of his last 3 outings make for his films PK (2014), Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017), topping the list of Top 5 all-time worldwide grossing Indian Films.
While Dangal earned a whopping 1908 crores in China while Secret Superstar raked in 874 crores at the Chinese box office, his first release in the neighbouring country opened to a thunderous response of 831 cr.
Aamir Khan emerged as the most watched non-Chinese actor in China, hence proving his stardom in the neighbouring nation. Such is the unprecedented appeal of Aamir Khan that has his work garner a huge showcase across theatres of the World along with global audience base thronging to witness his magic on celluloid.
Speaking about the tremendous love he is garnered with from the adjacent nation, Aamir Khan said, “My popularity in China happened by accident. Not many people know that it all started with 3 Idiots (2009), which reached Chinese homes through piracy. I guess they really related with the subject of the education system. Then they followed my work, including PK, and even the TV show Satyamev Jayate. When Dangal released in China, they already knew me and my work. Also, the reason why the films did such business in China is the sheer number of screens. In India, we have around 5,000 theatres, while in China there are 45,000. Even though there isn’t as much difference in the population of the two countries (approx 1.35 billion in India and 1.4 billion in China). I play a cameo in Secret Superstar, even then the film was released by the exhibitors in 11,000 theatres in China. Just imagine the scale”. Through his work Aamir Khan has brought India and China together, binding them with a common thread formed by Entertainment.
Over the years, Aamir Khan has been the only actor to have received the tremendous love and appreciation for his films in China. The actor has made it possible to resonate the mindset of the two nations, which is a rare phenomenon. With the love, acclaim and adulation from two of the most populated countries of the world, Aamir Khan enjoys a massive fandom which accounts for nearly half of the World’s population, thus making him a Global favourite!
source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home> Entertainment / by FPJ Bureau / March 13th, 2018

Former RS member Begum Hamida dies at 101

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UTTAR  PRADESH :

Begum Hamida Habibullah | Photo Credit: Omar Rashid
Begum Hamida Habibullah | Photo Credit: Omar Rashid

She was the founder of SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association), which promoted self employment for women and the art of Lucknow’s famous chikankari.

Begum Hamida Habibullah, a former Rajya Sabha member and a pioneer in women empowerment, died here on Tuesday.

She was the daughter of Nawab Nazir Yar Jung Bahadur, Chief Justice Of Hyderabad High Court and wife of Major General Enaith Habibullah, who went on to become the first Commandant of the National Defence Academy.

Her grandson Saif Habibullah announced the news of her demise through his Facebook account.

Born on November 20, 1916, Hamida was 30 when India achieved independence and was a witness to modern India’s political history, stretching from the British rule to the bloody partition. She witnessed the building of new nation, glory days of the Congress Party and its subsequent decline to the present domination by the BJP.

Her son, Wajahat Habibullah, was India’s first Chief Information Commissioner of India and former Chairman, National Minority Commission.

Ms. Habibullah was known for working on women issues. She was the founder of SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association), which promoted self employment for women and the art of Lucknow’s famous chikankari ( thread embroidery).

She joined politics with the Congress after her husband returned from the army in 1965 and went on to become an MLA from UP’s Haidergarh seat in Barabanki from 1969 to 1974. From 1971 to 1973, she was a Minister of State in the U.P. government and a Rajya Sabha member from 1976 to 1982.

She held the Social and Harijan Welfare, National Integration & Civil Defence, and Tourism ministries.

Hamida passed senior Cambridge with Distinction in 5-Subjects before going on to get a gold medal in B.A. from Osmania University.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Other States / by Omar Rashid / Lucknow – March 13th, 2018

Bhatkal boy secures top position at All India Qirat and Hifz Competition

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , ,

Bhatkal (Uttara Kannada District) , KARNATAKA :

JaferMPOs13mar2018

Mumbai :

With his mesmerizing voice a little boy from Bhatkal has emerged the overall winner of at ‘All India Qirat and Hifz Competition’ organized by Idara-e-Dawatul Sunnah held in Mumbai on Sunday, March 11.

Jafer s/o Moulana Abdul Azeem Kazia(Vice Qazi, Jamatul Muslimeen Bhatkal) and a student of Maktab Jamia Islamia(Kargedde) has bagged first position in ‘All India Qirat and Hifz Competition’ while competing against 41 participants from across the country including 7 from his own hometown Bhatkal.

Jafer is also awarded an Umrah package for him and his parents by the organizers as a part of the winning prize.

The competition commenced on the morning of Sunday and continued till evening.

As soon as the news reached Bhatkal, social media platforms were full of congratulatory messages for the kid, as he turned a local social media sensation in no time.

Moulana Maqbool kobatte, President Jamia Islamia Bhatkal and other local institutions and their management congratulated the boy on his success.

Bhatkallys.com also takes this as an opportunity and congratulate Jafer, his family and his mentors and management of Jamia Islamia, and also prays to Almighty Allah to protect the kid from all the evil eyes and grant him more success in years to come so as to turn him into an asset for the community and to Islam.

source: http://www.bhatkallys.com / Bhatkallys.com / Home> Latest News / by Bhatkallys News Bureau / Mumbai – March 12th, 2018

On Women’s Day, a lesson on courage and defiance

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

WomensDay01MPOs13mar2018

Urdu medium Bombay Girls High School on Mohammed Ali Road celebrated womanhood with inspiring stories of women who succeeded against all odds.

They come to their school on Mohammed Ali Road early in the morning from the slums of Wadala and Sewri, and when they return home, some of them must help in household chores like washing the clothes and cooking, before they can finally sit down to study. Sometimes, they have to skip school in order to look after their younger siblings. Playtime is an unknown concept.

Some of them even admitted to not opening their books at all at home. We don’t feel like it, they said. And nobody at home cares enough to try and persuade them. On the contrary, there are some who will have to persuade their parents to allow them to continue studying till Class XII.

WomensDay02MPOs13mar2018

Yet, their aspirations know no bounds. From teaching to fashion designing to becoming a doctor – these are their dreams.

On this International Women’s Day, their hopes got a huge boost when they got to hear the success story of someone just like them at a program at their 50-year-old Urdu medium Bombay Girls High School. They learnt that giving up was not an option from one of their own.

Dr Roshan Jahan, daughter of a vegetable vendor, lost both her legs in a train accident when she was in Std XI. Debarred from getting into a medical college because she was 86 per cent disabled, she approached the Bombay High Court, fought a long-winded legal battle and won the right to study medicine in 2011. Last year, she completed her MBBS with a first class from the renowned GS Medical College attached to KEM hospital.

The young doctor was the special guest at the function.

“Never give up on education,” she told the wide-eyed students, recounting her struggle. “Education alone will make you self-sufficient and take the community forward. Instead of wallowing in selfpity about discrimination, resolve to reach a position in society where no one can discriminate against you.”

The Women’s Day program was organised by Reshma Momin, a former journalist, who now runs the Quresh Nagar Women’s Welfare Society. She too had been a shy, self-effacing teenager, she told the students, but her father had taught her to aim high.

“Never feel you are any less than others just because you are poor and study in an Urdumedium school.”

Earlier, special invitee Dr Indrani Salunkhe gave a talk on menstruation and overcoming the problems that accompanied it. She also spoke to the Class VII- IX girls about the adverse link between menstruation and junk food.

source: http://www.mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com / Mumbai Mirror / Home> Mumbai> Others / by Jyoti Punwani, Mumbai Mirror / March 09th, 2018

Sufi legend Begum Yaman passes away at 52

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

New Delhi :

Famous sufi singer and daughter of legendary Sitar Maestro (late) Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan, Begum Yaman K. Khan has passed away after multiple organ failure.

Khan was admitted to the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana for the treatment of liver failure and breathed her last at 3 a.m.

Her mother Begum Mohnisha Khan has confirmed her sad demise.

The singer’s body will be brought to Delhi and the last rituals will be performed.

Begum Yaman was the granddaughter of Ustad Inayat Khan and daughter of Ustad Vilayat Khan of the Imdadkhani (named after her great-grandfather Imdad Khan) or Etawah Gharana.

Born in Mumbai, Begum Yaman K. Khan had a musical pedigree that goes back seven generations: her grandfather, Ustad Enayat Khan; her great-grandfather, Ustad Imdad Khan; and her great-great-grandfather, Ustad Sahebdad Khan – all leading artists and torchbearers of the Imdadkhani gharana with its roots in Mymensingh (present day Bangladesh).

She has one brother, sitarist Hidayat Khan and one sister, Zila Khan who is a sufi singer.

Begum Yaman used to sing all forms of Indian semi-classical music and was probably the only female singer in India of Sufi style of music in its purest form. She was the recipient of ‘Hasrat Amir Khusrao Award’ by Urdu Press Club International and an award for her excellence and contribution to semi-classical and Sufiana kalam by Balkan-Ji-Bari International.

She had devoted her life to practice, teach music and perform all over India as well as internationally.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / b y ANI / April 21st, 2017

Grand reception held for J&K Wushu players

Sports, World Opinion, ,

JAMMU & KASHMIR :

J&KWushuMPOs09mar2018

Srinagar:

Indian wushu team won 17 medals – three Gold, five Silver and nine Bronze – in the recently concluded Moscow Wushu Championship held at Moscow from February 16 to 22.
Four players from Jammu & Kashmir participated in the championship and secured two silver medals.
Abhishek Jamwal secured the silver medal, while loosing to Armania  in the final stage.
He is equipped with nine medals in the National events of Wushu, also presently serving as a coach in the J&K State Sports Council.
On the basis of his performance, Jamwal has reserved his berth for the forthcoming 2nd peace and friendship Wushu cup which will be held in Iran from 2nd to 4th March 2018.
Another player Hashim Ashraf of Budgam secured a silver medal in the under-17 category, losing to  Russia in the finals.
He had also recently won Silver in the school national games held in Jammu.
Hamid and Umar Bhat other participants could not earn medals for India as both the players lost in quarter-final bouts.
Kuldeep Handoo, National chief coach of India, praised the Indian team for their performance in the championship, along with congratulating Jamwal and Ashraf.
He also congratulated Nisar Ahmed Secretary District Budgam for the achievement.

source: http://www.kashmirmonitor.com / The Kashmir Monitor / Home> Sports / by Monitor Sports Bureau / February 26th, 2018

Keeping alive a shining legacy

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, NRI's / PIO's,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Some of the silver items collected by Riaz Ziaee
Some of the silver items collected by Riaz Ziaee

Meet the Hyderabadi  ‘heritage buff’ trying to preserve precious silverware that belonged to the city’s royalty.

Hyderabad:

Riaz Ziaee, a blue-blooded Hyderabadi, has provided a worthy home to silver antiques that were made around the world for the city’s former royalty and nobles.

The techie-turned-real estate developer has two homes, one in Hyderabad and the other in Toronto, Canada, where he keeps dozens of pieces of original silver artefacts that salute the culture of a bygone era, the “time when people had time”, as he puts it.

A regular visitor to his ancestral home in Hussaini Alam, Riaz (47) spoke to Telangana Today from Toronto about the heritage he is trying to preserve.

Riaz Ziaee
Riaz Ziaee

For Riaz, the collection is a reminder of his roots. “I preserve these pieces, most of which are more than 100 years old, so that I can show my children, relatives and friends how we used to have the luxury of time when we were growing up in Hyderabad,” he said.

According to Riaz, a lot is being missed out due to life in the fast lane these days. “These collections, along with other heritage symbols, were our prized possessions. My ancestors collected antique silver artefacts, especially those pertinent to Hyderabadi culture,” he said.

Some of the items were inherited and many other pieces were collected later by Riaz. “Though several homes in Hyderabad still have such antiques, most are unable to use them due to the sheer lack of time. The importance of such precious aspects of our culture is losing ground with the new generation of Hyderabadis,” he pointed out.

In his exquisite and finely maintained collection are rare items such as kaandaan, which is different from paandaan in that it was used to keep fresh paan in its original heart-like shape.

“I also have an atardaani with pure silver filigree and a tray made in Italy for the Nizams. I collected these items from Hyderabad and from flea markets around the world. We also have silver scrolls, which were used to hold rolls of important documents,” Riaz revealed.

There is a bidri tray which was used for serving nuts and dry fruits to guests, and which has lovely calligraphy on it. There is a gulab pash, which was used to sprinkle rosewater on guests during Eid and other functions. “I still use these items on special occasions and maintain them regularly so that they stay on in our home as a reminder of where we come from and what we have lost,” said Riaz.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Hyderabad / by  Sharjeel / March 05th, 2018

Hyderbabad karate star feted

Sports, World Opinion, ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Syeda Falak being felicitated by Rajnikanth on the occasion of International Women’s Day in Chennai on Thursday.
Syeda Falak being felicitated by Rajnikanth on the occasion of International Women’s Day in Chennai on Thursday.

The Hyderabadi had won the gold medal in the International Open championship in Kolkata late last year.

For the 23-year-old Syeda Falak, a martial arts expert from the Old City of Hyderabad, it was a day to remember as she was felicitated by superstar Rajinikanth at his residence in Chennai on Thursday.

Falak was conferred with the ‘Best woman achiever in karat’ award.

Falak informed The Hindu that it was an unforgettable experience. “I was meeting him for the first time and when Karate Association of India’s President Karate R. Thiagarajan and general secretary Bharat Sharma introduced me and said I am from Telangana, Rajini sir started talking in Telugu,” she said.

“I was really taken aback as he was speaking fluently in Telugu, even as I was struggling. He then enquired whether I spoke Telugu. When I replied ‘koncham, koncham’ (little bit), he had a hearty laugh and then switched over to English,” Falak recalled.

The Hyderabadi had won the gold medal in the International Open championship in Kolkata late last year, besides finishing third in the WKF Series in Istanbul, Turkey. The superstar advised her to keep working hard and win more laurels, said Falak, who is an English post-graduate student from Osmania University.

The three-time gold medallist in the Nationals in the 68+ senior female kumite category is currently waiting for final clearances to take part in international events later this year.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – March 09th, 2018