• Gandhi's philosophies and the current climate
• Goa's spirituality, not beaches, goes hip
• Honours for music maestro Balamuralikrishna
• The great ones Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• Kathakali dance drama inspires American musical
• Festival of India celebrated in Latvia

• 2,000 guitarists will knock on Guinness door
• Junk medicines, Swami Ramdev tells Toronto
• Satisfied with lives, Indians most optimistic: Survey
• Young ambassadors of culture
• 'India one of world's greatest cultures'

Activities were organised in Mauritius and abroad to mark the 138th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. His impact on humanity could best be described by the reaction to his death on this fatal 30th January 1948. The light this man of little size but of gigantic spiritual strength shed on civilization was felt by the heart-warming response from the then world leaders. Perhaps the most significant is from Professor Albert Einstein who described how 'Bapu' demonstrated "that a powerful human following can be assembled not only through the cunning game of the usual political manoeuvres and trickeries but through the cogent example of a morally superior conduct of life". The world is going through a phase of massacre, genocide, terrorism and war. We are watching while civilization is tearing itself apart, while fighting for whatever you may call it - more land, more money, more "freedom", humans are killing each other at an alarming rate. No other species has ever killed its own as humans have done over the past century - over 100 million. The irony lies in the fact that this was the century that Mahatma Gandhi had walked on this earth and for the survival of humanity, as Allied forces General Douglas MacArthur said in 1948, all men cannot fail to eventually adopt Gandhi's belief 'that the process of mass application of force to resolve contentious issue is fundamentally not only wrong but contains within itself the germs of self-destruction'.

Can his teachings answer the dramatic problems facing the planet today? While he had an intense spirituality, the Mahatma condemned inaction as the single most destructive force on earth. His message should not be lost on us. India's Prime Minister of the time, Jawaharlal Nehru, said when Gandhi died that his light that he brought upon his nation would be felt by those who seek solace in the years to come. The message today is simple: transform yourself and see the impact it does on the world around you. A little positive change is always the best start to improvement. Gandhi believed that perfect renunciation - fully renouncing to anger - is impossible without perfect observance of non-violence. During British rule of India, Gandhi quickly earned the hearts of his compatriots through numerous messages of peace. Gandhi said this in Bombay in 1917: "…We may no longer believe in the doctrine of 'tit for tat'; we may not meet hatred with hatred, violence with violence, evil with evil; but we have to make a continuous and persistent effort to return good for evil… Nothing is impossible." Gandhi did not believe in tit for tat- what he advocated though is that diplomacy and morality should prevail over aggression at all times. Admitting to a mistake is a quality often reserved to the very great and once, the Mahatma said that he always thought that "it is only when one sees one's own mistakes with a convex lens and does just the reverse in the case of others, that one is able to arrive at just a relative estimate of the two." Transformation and change were all along Mahatma Gandhi's vision of life: they were two crucial ingredients to create advancement and peace. To-day, nations need to co-exist peacefully and fully co-operate to make the world less violent. However, it is often believed that a period of non-war equals to peace. Gandhi believed in something else- true peace which starts from the depth of every individual's spirit and mind.

Courtesy: www.lexpress.mu, October 24, 2007

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Over 2,000 guitarists, both professional and amateur, will gather at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya for The World Record Guitar Ensemble during the autumn festival on October 26. Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum ( MTDF) is being organised the Shillong autumn festival. MTDF's vice chairman, Larsing M said on Monday that the tunes from guitar strings of the event would create a new record on guitar ensembles. "Our attempt shall be 2,000 plus guitarists performing Bob Dylan's Knocking on Heaven's Door. The guitarists will be from all over Meghalaya, the Northeast and will include tourists," said the MTDF vice chairman. Larsing M said celebrity guitarists from all over the country were contacted to be part of the record-making attempt. The current Guinness Book of World Records' guitar ensemble stands at 1,721 guitarists from Kansas City, US performing the rock classic Smoke on the water on June 4, 2007. On selection of Dylan's classic, the MTDF vice chairman said the popular song's lyrics match Meghalaya, which is also known as the 'abode of the clouds'. The participants' rehearsals for the gala event begun from Monday at Shillong , which is known as ' Scotland of the East'. MTDF has already invited an adjudicator from the Guinness Book of World Records. Last year, 7,951 drummers in Shillong had set a world record for the largest drum ensemble by performing for five minutes.

Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com, October 23, 2007

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Goa's sprawling beaches have more to them than rave parties, designer Wendell Rodricks sought to portray through his collection of fluid whites, inspired by the beach state's ancient yoga culture. Rodricks' "Goa Spa" line showcased late on Tuesday at the Lakme Fashion Week presented tunics, trousers, saris and shirts which used cottons, silk mixed with lycra and satins, all in white. "You generally don't associate yoga and ayurveda to Goa but it has one of the richest traditions which I have tried to showcase," the young designer said, referring to the ancient Indian medical science. "The spas of Goa use the state's ancient ayurvedic and yogic techniques which I have tried to bring out," he said of the scenic, palm tree-lined state which is more popular with tourists for its beaches than yoga or ayurveda. Rodricks juxtaposed his outfits with Indian geometrical shapes on silhouettes and also experimented with asymmetric cuts, leaf motifs and fine detailing to give the clothes a chic look. "Whites are in fashion all over the world for spring summer and I feel it was a very smart decision by Wendell to go ahead with white for international buyers," said Pria Kataria Puri, who owns a store in Kuwait. The five-day Mumbai fashion event which opened on Saturday has seen designers showcasing a wide color palette. Day four saw bold experiments with cuts and silhouettes. From varied necklines to innovations with the back, the designers created a wide range of body hugging tops and jackets using extensive embroidery and patchwork. "My collection is soothing to the eye and the body. The fabrics are as soft as cotton," Rodricks said. "I think buyers will love the clothes, specially in India, where it is very hot during the summers."

Courtesy: http://in.reuters.com, October 17, 2007

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There's hardly any disease that can't be cured through Pranayam, yogic breathing exercises, asserts Swami Ramdev, India?s well known yoga guru. "You do require medication for tuberculosis but not for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, stress, even for cancer, including leukaemia," Swami Ramdev said repeatedly and loudly in front of over 2,500 people who attended his 6-day yoga camp that concluded at Toronto's International Center on October 17. When Ramdev turned up at the venue at 6 am the place was already packed. The parking lot outside that can accommodate hundreds of cars seemed to be packed also. People were rushing inside with their bags with exercise mats, and other stuff. "There's no truth to the assertion by doctors that once you start taking cholesterol medication you have to take it for life. Similarly, there's no truth in their impressing upon patients that once they have blood pressure -- high or low -- and they start taking the medication, they have to take for life."

Courtesy: www.rediff.com, October 16, 207

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The US Congress has issued a Congressional recognition honouring Indian music maestro M. Balamuralikrishna for his stellar contribution to Carnatic music for the past seven decades. The proclamation, successfully piloted by Texas Congressman Nick Lampson, was presented to the music maestro at a function held here last weekend. New Jersey State Assembly's resolution paying a tribute to Balamuralikrishna was also read out on the occasion. A concert by the maestro followed the function. The event commemorated Balamuralikrishna's career spanning 70 years as well his 77th birthday. It was organised by Shri Vari Foundation, formed in New York to promote Indian music and dance in the US. Prakaash M. Swami, a journalist who has launched Shri Vari Foundation, described Balamuralikrishna as a living legend. His rich contribution to Indian classical music includes sustained efforts to resurrect forgotten ragas and innovating on the tala system. He has over 400 compositions to his credit including varnams, krithis, javalis, devotional songs and thillanas. He has sung in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Oriya, Kannada, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi and French. He has given concerts across the world and cut scores of albums. The acclaimed vocalist's duets with North Indian vocalists and instrumentalists such as Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar and Hariprasad Chaurasia have forged national integration through music. He is also an accomplished instrumentalist, playing the violin, veena, ganjira, viola and the mridangam with equal ease. The MBK Trust founded by him in Chennai is carrying out research on music therapy. Balamuralikrishna's contribution to Indian music has won him laurels at home and abroad. He is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest Indian civilian honour, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and Sangeetha Kalanidhi of the Madras Music Academy. France has bestowed on him the title of Chevalier des Arts et Letters (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris honoured him with the Gandhi Memorial Medal. Balamuralikrishna has been conferred honorary doctorates by 10 universities in India. He served as pro chancellor of Telugu University in Hyderabad and as first professor of Dr. Radhakrishnan Chair at the Central University, also in Hyderabad. Chennai-based Balamuralikrishna was born in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. Beginning to perform at the age of eight, he was a child prodigy.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, October 13, 2007

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Empowered by a deep sense of satisfaction with their lives and career as the first priority, Indians are the most optimistic lot about their future life, a latest survey revealed. About 87.2 per cent of Indians are most optimistic about their life for the next five years, according to a recent global survey by AXA Asia-Life, part of the AXA Asia Pacific Holdings of the global insurer. Spread across India, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, AXA's Life Outlook Index showed that the most optimistic people after Indians were Filipinos who polled 85 per cent. The Indian regional average was just 71.6 per cent on the index based on a scale of 1 to 100, from least to most optimistic. Further, 85 per cent of Indians are satisfied with their current life, the highest for any country, whereas the regional average is only 49 per cent for the mass affluent Asians. "India and the Philippines stand out as the most satisfied markets while the more developed markets of Hong Kong and Singapore show the least current satisfaction," says the report. According to the study, job security and the opportunity to use one's skills in the next five years have the greatest impact on career outlook. Also, India and China attribute optimism mainly to job security, prospects and work-life-balance; but China also attributes it highly to the opportunity to use one's skills and ability. Interestingly, Singaporeans were the least optimistic about their future life (59.2 per cent) compared to 75.1 per cent of Chinese people.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, October 12, 2007

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Raja Ram Mohun Roy (May 22, 1772 - September 27, 1833) emphasised the basic oneness of all religions and stressed the need for a rational approach to religion. Raja Ram Mohun Roy, scholar, writer, journalist and social reformer,, is considered the inaugurator of the modern age in India and the harbinger of Indian renaissance. He fought for individual liberty, freedom of the press and the rights of women. He emphasised the basic oneness of all religions and stressed the need for a rational approach to religion. He condemned religious superstition. One of Ram Mohun Roy's successful fights for the uplift of women was the abolition of Sati. He proved from ancient scriptures that the self-immolation of a widow was nowhere enjoined as a duty. A life of piety and self abnegation was considered more virtuous. His persistent efforts resulted in the Government's abolition of Sati in 1829.

An idealist
While appreciating the finer aspects of western education, Ram Mohun wanted Indians not to lose sight of their basic culture and values. He propagated the philosophy of Vedanta, by founding a Vedanta College. He founded the Brahmo Samaj, where he envisaged that people professing different religious beliefs could worship God in a common and cosmopolitan temple of prayer. It was an idealistic Unitarian vision. Ram Mohun Roy wrote and published 15 books. His ideas became the nucleus for the Indian National Movement.

Courtesy: www.hindu.com, October 12, 207

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I am excited, not nervous," exclaims Hariganesh Muralidharan, age 13, budding singer, dancer and mridangam player from SBOA Junior College and student of Shobana Bhalchandra. This seems true of each of the 12 dancers going by the excited chatter that filled the room as soon as the rehearsal came to an end. The 'International Young Performers,' between the ages of 12 and 18, are preparing for a 'Creative Connections, 2007 International Young Performers Tour' to North America. For two weeks - October 26-November 11 - they will be cultural ambassadors of India. They will stay with American families, visit their primary and high schools and educate them on Indian culture through dance performances, workshops and classroom sessions.

The brainchild behind this project is Creative Connections, a non-profit international cultural exchange organisation that coordinates 'live exchange' programmes between American school children and their counterparts from all over the world. They have a long list of such cultural exchanges from Ugandan Storytelling Musical Theatre to Russian Folk Dance to Irish Music and Dance, the latest edition of which is the Bharatanatyam and Folk Dancers' troupe from Chennai. The local partner school is Bharata Kalanjali Academy, founded by eminent gurus V.P.Dhananjayan and Shantha Dhananjayan. The repertoire for this tour of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, includes Punyakoti, an animal story from Karnataka, Mohini Bhasmaasura, a mythological presentation, folk dances like Bhangada, Santhali, Raas and Kurathikummy, besides classical pieces. But what do the young artists like best? "We love Bhangada!" pat comes the reply from 14-year old Krupaa Lakshmi Visweswara, student of PSBB and disciple of Shobana Bhalchandra. The youngsters chosen from various schools through an elaborate audition have been practising for six months now. Besides the presidential awardees Yatin Agarwal (Guru Anita Guha) and Madhavi Chandran (Guru Girija Chandran & Dhananjayans), the candidates are: Gautam, Hariganesh, Sachin (Kalari-Guru:Shaji), Dasarathi, Aarabhi, Krupaa, Krithika, Reshma, Swapna and Priyanka. Right now they are honing their skills and are ready for this 'adventure across the seas' accompanied by the excited but 'bit nervous' staff members from Bharata Kalanjali, Sumathi Sriram and Divya Shivasundar. The group, meanwhile, will present a special programme on October 14, 10.30 a.m., at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. The Guest of Honour is David Hopper, U.S. Consul General in Chennai and Susan Hopper will be special guest. Seats will be on first-come-first served basis.

Courtesy: www.hindu.com, October 12, 2007

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A major off Broadway musical, Queens Boulevard, that will premiere here in November, has been inspired by a Kathakali dance-drama titled Kalyanasaugandhikam. Produced by the well-established Signature Theatre Company, Queens Boulevard is written by its playwright-in-residence Charles Mee and will start previewing in November. Opening in December, it will run for the entire month at the company's 160-seat Peter Norton Space in Manhattan. Promoted as a celebration of life, love and community, Queens Boulevard has an Indian American named Vijay as the romantic lead.

On his wedding night, his Japanese American bride named Shijuko mentions how she loved a flower - called the flower of heaven - which someone gave her. Vijay slips out to get another one just like it and is thrown into a series of adventures in the streets of Queens in New York, including being mistaken as an agent for illegal immigrants and landing in a lock-up. Finally, he gets back home with the flower. The story of Kalyanasaugandhikam (The Flower of Good Fortune) takes off from an episode in the Mahabharata about the time when the Pandavas were living in a forest. One day Draupadi comes across a beautiful, sweet smelling flower and implores husband Bhima to get her more. Bhima goes through a lot before the mission is accomplished. On setting his play in the Queens, which does have a road named Queens Boulevard with storefronts and apartment buildings running through it, Mee said: "Queens is like no other place on earth. Forty-six per cent of its residents are foreign born." He said this makes it a convenient backdrop for creating colour, conflict and costume drama. "Charles Mee is a master of showing that even the classics can be made very current," said Geeta Citygirl, who is overjoyed to be in the musical's cast. The cast includes three other South Asians - Amir Arison, Satya Bhabha and Debargo Sanyal. They are among the 15 actors playing 40 roles in an ensemble piece. Mee, with many plays to his credit, is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award in drama from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He currently teaches playwriting at Columbia University's School of the Arts. Davis McCallum, the director of "Queens Boulevard", and choreographer Peter Pucci are also veterans in their fields. Signature is a not-for-profit organisation committed to presenting good theatre at an affordable price and offers subsidised $20 tickets. Off Broadway theatres are those with 100 to 499 seats.

Courtesy: www.sify.com, October 05, 2007

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London Mayor Ken Livingstone has described India as one of the world's greatest cultures and said he is looking forward to his forthcoming visit to India next month. After a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee here on Wednesday, the Mayor said, "India is an emerging economic superpower and one of the world's greatest cultures. The importance of London's relations with India is already very great and is only going to grow further. That is why London was proud to stage India Now, a three-month celebration of India in the summer. "I am looking forward to my forthcoming visit to India and opening London offices in Mumbai and Delhi. These will further strengthen our ties in business, society and culture." During his meeting with the External Affairs minister, the Mayor welcomed the further strengthening of the capital's ties with India. The Mayor stressed the importance of London's links with India in all spheres and the contribution made by the Indian community to London in both business and culture. The Mayor told Mukherjee that joint economic benefits from close relationship between London and India would be part of the focus of his visit to India.

Courtesy: www.economictimes.indiatimes.com, October 04, 2007

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Indian ambassador to Latvia, Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, inaugurated the festival to mark the 60th anniversary of India's independence. Many high officials of both foreign and culture ministries of Latvia were present when Harish Gangani gave a robust performance of Kathak dance. Speaking to IANS, Wadhwa mentioned that for long there had been a request from the Latvian people to organise a multi faceted programme of Indian culture. A number of programmes, including music concerts, exhibition of paintings, lectures and seminars on India, Buddhism and Satyajit Ray have been planned. 'We are also organising a film festival. Bollywood has become a buzzword for the Latvian people also who are very eager to see the latest movies. India is no longer a secluded corner in their sub-consciousness and they want to see the latest crop of stars, apart from Nargis and Raj Kapoor about whom they had heard from their elders,' said Wadhwa.

Courtesy: www.earthtimes.org, October 04,2007

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