Kashmir Book Trust Pvt Ltd today inaugurated its first online book store by the name “Online Book Store”.
The book store was inaugurated by Kashmir University Chief librarian AM Baba, Deputy Director, DIQA Showket Shafi and Director, Centre for Career Planning and Councelling Farooq Ahmad Khan at second floor Auqaf complex opposite Sir Syed Gate, Kashmir University.
During the inaugural function AM Baba while applauding the initiative said, “To have online book stores is the need of the hour. During the recent devastating floods many rare books were washed away, they would have been saved, had we made online editions of these books”.
“We started this endeavour in order to give an extra edge in education system in Kashmir keeping in view the various problems the Valley students face, who don’t have easy asses to subscribe e books. The students, who hail from far flung areas can also avail benefit from our free door to door delivery system”, said Sameer Nazeer and Mudasir Ahmad, Managing partners of Online Book Store.
source: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com / Daily Excelsior.com / Home / by Excelsior Correspondent / Srinagar – November 03rd, 2014
Thousands of devotees of all faiths from all corners of the state and neighboring states offered prayers at Bara Shaheed Dargah and exchanged rotis at Nellore Tank on the first day of Rottela Panduga
Nellore:
Thousands of devotees of all faiths from all corners of the state and neighboring states offered prayers at Bara Shaheed Dargah and exchanged rotis at Nellore Tank on the first day of Rottela Panduga on Tuesday.Water level in the Nellore tank has been increased from 10 feet to 12.5 feet by releasing water from Somasila for the benefit of the devotees. Police and expert swimmers mounted on special boats kept a tab on the devotees entering the tank to exchange rotis.
For the first time mobile E-Toilets have been arranged besides bathrooms exclusively for women. Officials have arranged temporary facilities and illumination at parking lots since hundreds of devotees have been sleeping at the parking lots itself during nights. Authorities have instructed the managements of colleges and educational institutions in the city to be ready to accommodate the pilgrims in case of heavy downpour.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / November 05th, 2014
Megastar of M’Town, Mammootty has won the Lifetime Achievement Award in Kashmir Film Festival, 2014 for his contribution to Indian Cinema. Also his movie Balyakalasakhi, won its director Pramod Payyannur the award for the best director and script.
Meanwhile, Jordan movie ‘When Monalisa Smiled’ has been adjudged the best film and the Turkish movie Spring is Rebellious, won the award for the second best film in the feature.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Malayalam> Movies / by Radhika C. Pillai, TNN / August 26th, 2014
Organised during Muharram, the Majlis or religious gathering serves as a reminder of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his 72 followers at the battlefield of Karbala. For women orators or zakiras addressing these gatherings, however, the majlis is increasingly evolving as a platform to espouse the cause of women’s rights and empowerment.
Taaj Bano, a zakira, considers her responsibility to educate azaadars (those who lament the death of Imam Hussain) that there is much more to a majlis than just the narration of atrocities faced by Imam Hussain.
“The ruthless battle of Karbala gives a strong message to the women of today teaching them how to live a life of dignity, understand their rights and duties by following the footsteps of Bibi Zainab, who despite all odds stood up against the tyrant ruler Yazeed,” said Bano, who has been addressing majlis since she was four.
In the bylanes of Raqabganj, zakira Massarat Fatima is deeply concerned over the increasing number of divorce cases. This year, she addressed azaadars on what should be the ideal the character of a mother and wife.
“The pious character of Bibi Fatima Zehra who never made any demand from her husband Hazrat Imam Ali initiated the nuances of Islamic studies in me,” she added.
Being a zakira is a matter of pride for Dr Naseem Subhi Rizvi who feels that a woman must receive the highest degree of worldly knowledge by seeking education in top most universities but remain close to her religion.
“Hadees (sayings of Prophet Mohammad) recited during majlis teaches working women to strike a balance between office and household chores,” she said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Uzma Talha, TNN / November 03rd, 2014
Dr Aziz Indori’s school is not affiliated to any board, but the curriculum is well thought through. Amit Jaiswal/HT Photo
It is 10 am sharp when Kavita, 13, reaches the school in Khajrana. The teacher may have been impressed with her punctuality, but quickly draws attention to her unkempt hair.
Tidiness is among the many lessons this sprightly teenager from the slums of Khajrana and 84 of her schoolmates are being taught at Indori’s Paathshala.
The school takes its name from Aziz Indori, 80, who scripted an education revolution in the heart of Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital.
After retiring from the city’s Islamia Karimia Degree College in 1995, Indori took up the task of educating poor Muslim children. The doors of his school are, however, open to children from other communities also.
The retired Urdu teacher is a bundle of energy despite his age. His experiment with 10 children has blossomed in the last two decades. The two-storey school now accommodates eight times its original number of students going right up to Class 8. The school is not affiliated to any board, but the curriculum has been well thought through and gives the children of the local daily wage earners a shot at a better life.
Kavita recites multiplication tables up to 4, while her junior Anamika (another Hindu student) writes the English alphabet with a flourish. Daily wage earner Ghulam Mohammed, father of Firoz, 11, who studies in the school says, “I could not study much, but did not want my child to loiter on the roads. Given my means, I could not afford to educate him… then one day I came across Indori sahib’s school.”
Indori, a doctorate in Urdu, derives immense satisfaction from his work. “I have always stood for the education of the poor. Rich have the means and resources. Who cares for the poor?”
Indori chacha, as he is known to his students, says, “I want to break this tradition in the Muslim community that the child of a cart-puller will be a cart-puller.”
MP’s slide in the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2011-12 — the largest survey of what children across the country are learning — makes Indori’s effort more praiseworthy. According to the report released in January, attendance in primary schools (Classes 1 to 5) of MP has dipped to 54.5% in ’11 from 67% in ’07.
Till date, Indori has not involved any politician or religious leader in his project. “It is with the help of 4-5 friends that I’m running this project.” His Muscat-based brother-in-law, Dr Abdul Rashid, donated the building that houses the school.
With age catching up, Indori has roped in two persons to care for the students. “One is paid Rs. 800 and the other R1,200 per month by my friends.”
The students, who make do with well-worn clothes, are provided stationery and winter clothing — all for a nominal fee of R20 per month. With no examination system, students are judged according to their daily progress. The system has worked. Nearly 20 of the school’s students have gone on to complete their matriculation, some of them from a state-run school in the locality.
An alumnus of the school, Parveen, who studied up to Class 10, says, “I am thankful to Indori chacha.” Parveen, who is getting married today, also got the opportunity to learn tailoring, and contribute to her family’s earnings, at another Indori initiative — the Jan Shikshan Sansthan. This is Indori’s effort to provide vocational training to girls in the slum. The programme already has more than 75 trainees.
Indori says, “I feel satisfied. I wanted to educate and make poor Muslim girls self-reliant. I didn’t want them to get just a degree, but also knowledge.”
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> / by Vijay Swaroop, Hindustan Times / Indore – May 03rd, 2012
The following are the winners of the ‘Face of the Year- 2014′ fashion event, organised by Arris Ventures at a resort in city recently.
In the girls category, Shilpa Irdal was declared winner, Deekshitha – 1st runner-up, Priya – 2nd runner-up, Rooshan bagged ‘Miss Beautiful’ award and Nathasha bagged ‘Aspiring Model’ award.
In the boys category, Ali Sher was declared the winner. Daryl D’Souza – 1st runner-up, Faizan Khan – 2nd runner-up, Yaseen bagged ‘Mr. Handsome’ award and Salman bagged ‘Aspiring Model’ award.
The event was choreographed by Nousheer.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Thursday, October 30th, 2014
One of the things I find unique about Bengaluru is its tradition of public celebrations and ceremonial processions that have come to occupy a permanent space on the city calendar. These demonstrations often define community identity and unite its past with the present; ancient agrarian festivals (Kadle Kai Parishe) reclaim modern suburbs, temple and church `car festivals’ mark ritual routes across the city (Poo Pallakki and St Mary’s Feast), ooru habbas recall rural antecedents and the Karaga procession re-imagines a lost community identity. The events are marked by active public participation and are a valuable reminder of the all-encompassing nature of our city.
Hosur Road’s annual Ashura juloos (procession) too occupies a significant place on this list. While Johnson Market (a heritage municipal market in the area) is known primarily for its kebab joints, hole in the wall chai cafe’s and eateries, once a year, the coal burns here not for the epicureans, but for the pious. Sounds of mourning rent the air at public and private gatherings (majlis) in the locality as sombre men and women dressed in black gather during the holy month of Muharram, the first in the lunar Islamic calendar to commemorate the tragic Battle of Karbala. Men walk over coals in the symbolic fire walk or ‘aag ka matam’ on the 9th night and the grieving intensifies in a juloos (procession) on Ashura, the 10th and culminating day of battle.
The procession moves from Arab Lines near Johnson Market towards the 19th century Persian Shia Cemetery on Hosur Road. The road is closed to traffic. Sacred Alams, symbolising ancient battle standards, are carried. Nauhas and Marsias (elegiac poetic genres) are recited over loudspeakers. Children climb astride the Zuljenah, symbolising the Imam’s faithful horse, for blessings. A young man weeps as he carrys a blood-stained cradle. Curious bystanders watch the synchronised breast beating of the `matam’, a ritualistic sign of mourning. Zanjeers (blades attached to chains) connect with skin. The community understands its significance. It is a symbolic reliving of the battle, a personal declaration of solidarity with the martyrs.
The juloos has been a part of our cityscape for over a century. It finds its roots in the 7th century, a turbulent time in the history of Islam. Racked by schisms and discord, the tribes turned upon each other in a relentless quest for power. While on his way from Mecca to the town of Kufa in Iraq in 61 AH (around 681 CE) with his army-entourage, Imam Hussein, son of Imam Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib and grandson of the holy Prophet Mohammed, was intercepted by the opposing army of the Ummayid Caliph and tyrant, Yazid I. Vastly outnumbered, they were denied food and water before being massacred on the scorching sands of Karbala. Hapless women and children from the Prophet’s household were then subjected to unparalleled atrocities.
The narrative is filled with powerful themes like pre-determination, martyrdom, suffering and sacrifice. It is renewed annually with fresh emotional intensity as Hosur Road transforms into a site of symbolic meaning – a blood drenched battlefield.
Across the country, non-Muslims too participate in Muharram rituals. They make paper ‘Tazias’ and offer water and `sharbat’ to processions. Poets of all faiths write eloquent elegiac poetry-nauhas and marsiyas. Several Islamic sects in Bangalore also commemorate it in different ways. The Ashurkhanas (shrines) and Imambaras are open to people of all faiths. Ashura blurs the distinctions between castes and communities. The language of grief is universal.
The writer is a cultural documentarian and blogs at aturquoisecloud.wordpress.com
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Others / by Aliyeh Rizvi, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / November 02nd, 2014
The name Aswathy Mathen may not ring a bell in today’s Malayalam cinema. But her name certainly deserves to be written in bold letters in its annals. Nearly five decades ago Aswathy set the industry agog by becoming the first woman scriptwriter in the language. And 2014, this year, marks the Golden Jubilee of the film for which Aswathy first wrote the script.
A poster of Manavatty
The film Manavatti was produced by her husband Raju Mathen for Thankam Films and released in 1964. Aswathy scripted a story with a Christian background thereby marking the beginning of a new era in women’s writing. In fact, Aswathy wrote this story much before Malayalam literature had such definite gender divisions. Before Aswathy came into the scene women in Malayalam films were limited to actors alone.
Born on October 18, 1930, in Kalloopparambil family at Pallom, near Kottayam, Aswathy completed her schooling at Balika Madom, Thiruvalla, and her higher studies at Women’s Christian College, Madras. She met Raju Mathen, son of C.P. Mathen a Quilon-based Industrialist, who was then studying at Loyola College, Madras. Their frequent visits blossomed into love and they got married on May 3, 1951.
Aswathy spent the early years of her marriage with her husband in Quilon. She was a typical homemaker involved in gardening, cooking and reading. She also assisted her husband in his bus service business.
In 1963, Raju Mathen decided to produce a movie. His decision had the strong backing of Aswathy. Both of them shifted to Madras as part of their new project. And when Aswathy expressed her desire to write the story and script Raju supported her to the hilt.
K. S. Sethumadhavan, the director of Manavatti, and noted dramatist K.T. Muhammed, gave her valuable help and Aswathy completed the script well within the time given to her. Manavatti was a box office hit. The songs from this film are still fresh and alive. Written by Vayalar Rama Varma and set to music by G. Devarajan the film had immortal songs like Idaya kanyake povka nee… andAshtamudikkayalile annanada thoniyile… These and the other songs contributed hugely to the film’s success. The film had top stars like
Sathyan, Ragini, K.R.Vijaya (her debut Malayalam film), Aranmula Ponnamma, Adoor Pankajam, Madhu, S. P. Pillai, Bahadur, Baby Vinodini, Bharathi, Gopinath (Suresh Gopi’s father) and others.
The thumping victory of Manavatti inspired Thankam Movies to produce four more films. But Aswathy did not write the story or script for any of these. One reason for this was that Aswathy disapproved of any changes in her stories. The other reason was that Aswathy, who was also well known for her original recipes, had started her own condiments business. She wrote a cookery book titled Ente Tharavadu Pachakom. Aswathy had two children, Thankam and Ashok Mammen. She died on July 4, 2007, while convalescing after a surgery.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Saju Chelangad / November 02nd, 2014
The Umar Alisha Rural Development Trust plans to plant 10 lakh trees in cyclone hit Visakhapatnam district to bring back the district’s greenery.
Addressing reporters after launching the project after planting a tree at their Viswa Vignana Spiritual Centre at Bheemjuniatnam in the district here today, Chairman of the Trust Umar Alisha said the trust would plant 10 lakh trees in the district within five years. He said 70 to 80 per cent of trees in Visakhapatnam have been destroyed due to cyclone.
‘Make Vizag Green’ is a project taken up by the Umar Alisha Rural Development Trust to replant lost greenery in Visakhapatnam.
He said it is everybody’s responsibility to protect the environment and plant trees which provide oxygen.
“Every tree will provide oxygen, which is very important for human beings,” he said.
Umar Alisha said that the trust would select trees which could withstand even wind speeds of 200 kilometres per hour during natural calamities like cyclones.
The project plans to use information technology, crowdsourcing, geocoding and social media to encourage people to participate.
He said the trust would plant 200 trees in various places in Bheemunipatnam today and also plant 1,100 trees in various places as well as both sides of the national highway.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Visakhapatnam – November 02nd, 2014
