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Hurry, NRI gifting season is here (SPECIAL)
By Kul Bhushan

"With Navratri and Ramadan in full swing, the gifting season is here for NRIs," said Omar Patel, who has both Muslim and Hindu relatives in India. When you can't be there to celebrate with your dear ones in India, surprise them with a gift at their doorstep. Better still, treat them to a dinner or holiday.

Surf on the Internet and you can send flowers, dry fruits, Indian sweetmeats, chocolates, cakes, food hampers, toys, watches, jewellery, cameras, perfumes and aftershave lotions, handbags and leather goods, handicrafts, home furnishings, flower vases, saris, garments et all, as the list is endless.

You can also gift them dinner at a five-star hotel or a restaurant in their city or a complete holiday tour by pre-paying the transport, touring and hotel package. Yes, it's all possible at the click of a mouse and a credit card.

First, let's look at the festivals. Ramadan for the Muslims and Durga Puja and Navratri for the Hindus are going on right now. Id is the big celebration for Muslims after Ramadan. For Hindus, it is Karva Chauth Oct 10, followed by Diwali Oct 21 and both these festivals mean gifts galore for NRIs to send back home.

Brothers have to send special gifts to their sisters for Bhaiya Dooj or Tikka that follows a couple of days after Diwali. Then the Christmas season is not far off. The marriage season is about to take off too; so there must be some marriage in your extended family or among dear friends back home. Hurry, the NRI gifting season is here upon us.

Gone are the days when NRIs sent gift parcels by post and these were cleared through the customs after delays. No customs clearance is needed for gifts up to Rs.2,000 as long as you do not send alcohol, arms and ammunition, banned books and magazines, seeds and electronic items.

These will be - hopefully - delivered to the homes of your relatives or friends. Any gift over this amount requires a Customs Clearance Permit. To obtain this permit, you have to file an application with a letter from you as the donor, a pro-forma certified by you and application fee. All this red tape takes time; so go for the Internet option.

The days when the post office staff salivated at the 'phoren' gifts in parcels are long gone as everything 'phoren' is available aplenty in India. As an NRI, you can send cash gifts of any amount through a bank but remember that any sum over Rs.25,000 will be liable to income tax by the recipient unless he/she is getting married or getting it as inheritance or in contemplation of the death of the payer.

These days NRIs send gifts just to show their love at festivals, birthdays and other family events. And it has never been so easy. Going to a search engine on the Internet, I typed 'gifts to India' and within 10 seconds no less than 44 pages popped up with a dozen sites one each page.

That's 528 sites -- serving you to send gifts! These are not just websites but portals that have many websites as components. With a mind-boggling array of gifts lined up, one site offers express delivery in 24 hours to over 70 cities across India! Obviously, sending gifts to India is big business.

Here is another innovative way to send gifts and save money as well. Go to an auction site in India and see what they have on offer. Make a bid and if you manage to get that particular item for less than a song, pay for it and request them to deliver it to your relative or friend.

Obviously, the same principle applies to international auction sites as well. But bid well before the festival as these sites take more time to deliver as compared with 'gifting' sites that usually make the delivery in 24 hours.

Perhaps you may want to send your Indian gift from the US to your NRI relatives in East Africa, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago, Hong Kong or wherever Indians have settled. No problem. Some of these sites have links that can deliver to most countries in the world. Just surf the net and find out what vast choices you have to show and shower your love this festive season.

So whether it is Navratri or Ramadan, Diwali or Tikka, Christmas or a marriage, just surf the Internet and shop at leisure for the perfect gift for your loved ones in India as this festive season is in full swing. That is, if you cannot make the trip!

(A media consultant to a UN Agency, Kul Bhushan previously worked abroad as a newspaper editor and has travelled to over 55 countries. He lives in New Delhi and can be contacted at: kulbhushan2038@gmail.com.)
 

Austrian Radha dances to Indian tunes
By Liz Mathew,

Vienna, Sep 19  She is conspicuous in every Indian gathering here. With her kohl-lined eyes, prominent bindi, bright sari and perfect Sanskrit, Radha Anjali could be easily mistaken for an Indian, but she is actually a born Austrian.

This exponent of Indian classical dances, who prefers to forget her given name for the one her guru bestowed on her, says she was "fascinated by India and Indian culture" at a very young age.

"I was fascinated by India and Indian culture through my parents. Both of them were in love with Indian philosophy and culture," said the light-eyed Bharatanatyam danseuse, who has vivid memories of her first journey to India.

"I travelled throughout India with my parents in 1972. We did not fly at all. We reached India by ship and then we crisscrossed the country by train. It was an unforgettable trip during which I learnt a lot about India and its beauty," Anjali told IANS.

Currently a classical dance professor at Sportinstitut of the University of Vienna, she also runs a dance school, Natya Mandir, in the Austrian capital, which has almost 100 students.

Although she hails from a family of architects, Anjali is considered the most prominent representative of the Bharatanatyam classical dance style across Europe.

After beginning her training at the age of eight, she met the Indian dancer Kama Dev in 1978. Fascinated by his personality and way of teaching, she intensively studied the "divine art".

Her love for the Indian arts brought her back to India frequently. She later became a disciple of Adyar K. Lakshman in his Bharatha Choodamani Academy of Fine Arts in Chennai. She studied dance from Kalanidhi Narayanan in her institute Abhinaya Sudha in Chennai as well.

Anjali has also been studying the ancient dance form of Seraikella Chhau since 1994 and is learning Kuchipudi at the Raja-Radha Reddy school of dance in New Delhi.

"I have been trying to translate the Sanskrit slogans into German. Although we succeeded, it's very difficult to retain the original meanings. I have attempted to integrate the language of Bharatanatyam into western dance," she said during an interactive session to discuss problems faced by the Indian community with visiting Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi in Vienna.

Her troupe has performed many Indian classical epics, including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

"She does not miss any Indian programmes," said Anup Kumar Mudgal, deputy chief of the Indian mission in Vienna.

Anjali travels throughout Europe and frequently visits India to perform.
 

Agra celebrates divine matrimony

Agra, Sep 19  The city of Agra wears a festive look as it is geared up for the Ram Barat or Hindu god Ram's wedding procession.

The barat, which started late Monday from the Ramlila ground here, is to take at least 12 hours to reach Balkeshwar, passing through the main city streets with nearly 30 musical bands belting out popular melodies.

The procession is complete with caparisoned elephants, horses, over 125 mobile floats depicting mythological events and characters and a huge crowd of 'wedding' enthusiasts dressed in their finery.

The annual tradition of three-day festivities goes back to about 125 years when Lala Kokamal, a cloth merchant, initiated these.

Actors playing Ram and his brother Lakshman will be decked up with gold and silver jewellery, apart from decorative crowns.

This year, high-tech floats with push-button operations will draw huge crowds, said an organiser.

The barat will be stationed in Janakpuri in Balkeshwar for three days, culminating in Ram's wedding to Sita. Artists from Kolkata and Mumbai were invited to build a special 105-foot-tall building called Janak Mahal, where the wedding party will stay.

A grand feast is on the cards Wednesday, a day after the royal wedding.

The entire Janakpuri area is decorated with spectacular lighting and flowers, backed by high-decibel music systems playing hit Bollywood songs.

"The Ram Barat is a unique event and quite unlike any such extravaganza in north India," said Raj Kumar, one of the organisers. "The sheer grandeur and scale of the show is mind-boggling and it attracts more and more people every year."

Over a million people from Agra, its adjacent areas and neighbouring districts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will gather to witness the royal wedding.

Said Pramendra Jain, a Bajrang Dal activist: "The Janakpuri celebrations are more like a big fete for the locals who eat, drink and shop, besides offering prayers to gods and goddesses."

Nearly Rs.10 million will be spent on the extravaganza, Kumar said. However, legislator Jagan Prasad Garg said civic authorities would spend an additional Rs.30 million on road maintenance and lighting.

Heavy security has been provided for the coming days and at least 1,000 paramilitary personnel have been deployed to avert any untoward incident. Fire engines have also been pressed into service.
 
Brussels festival to unleash united colours of Indian culture

Brussels, Sep 19  The Belgian capital will throb with Indian music, dance, poetry and philosophy during a four-month-long India Festival beginning Oct 7.

The festival, organised by Belgium's Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar) in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, will run till Jan 21, 2007.

Paul Dujardin, director-general of Bozar, told newspersons here: "There is one aspect of India, in my view a fundamental one, that remains relatively neglected and receives less media exposure: Indian culture.

"One of the key priorities of the artistic policy of Bozar is to open up to Europe. But this India Festival reminds us of an indispensable corollary to that priority: opening Europe up to the world.

"It is from this perspective that the Centre for Fine Arts decided to initiate this India Festival."

The India festival has developed into an ambitious project comprising a total of 106 events - music, dance, film, literature, talks, debates, the visual arts, and educational initiatives - are all included in this wide range of activities.

"The example of India shows us how it is possible to preserve those elements of a country's origins and traditions - intellectual, spiritual, and artistic - that go to make up a civilisation, while still being alive to today's world and the future," said Dujardin.

Members of Belgium's royal family and Karan Singh, chairman of ICCR, will inaugurate the festival on Oct 7, according to INEP agency.

Noting the importance that India attached to this project, Dujardin said the exhibition will welcome Sonia Gandhi, Congress party president, and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt on Nov 11.

He pointed out that it is not by chance that the festival was being launched just a few days before the 7th EU-India summit in Helsinki on Oct 13. During the festival, Nobel Prize-winner V.S. Naipaul will speak as a conscientious observer of his grandparents' country.

Prominent Indian artistes to perform during the festival include Asha Bhonsle, Ustad Hussain Sayueedudin Dagar, Zakir Hussein, Hariprasad Chaurasia and others.

Dujardin said: "Our societies of the future - and that future has already crossed our threshold - will be like India: with a multiplicity of ethnic origins and of cultures, and of mixtures and hybrids.

"How we respond to these socio-cultural challenges will to a great extent determine the human and social success of the European project. In this respect, and in our own cultural and artistic context, India must serve as an example."
 
British artist ordered to repaint elephant
 
Los Angeles, Sep 19 (DPA) British guerilla artist Banksy was ordered to repaint an elaborately decorated live elephant after animal welfare officials found that he had not used child-safe paint in the mammoth art piece.

Tai, a 38-year-old female Indian elephant, had been adorned in a fetching base colour of scarlet overlaid with an intricate fleur de lilles motif and formed the centerpiece of Banksy's inaugural exhibition here, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

She had been placed in a living room scene complete with furniture, painted walls and a chandelier to represent a physical embodiment of the metaphorical phrase "the elephant in the room" whom everyone pretends to ignore.

That did not apply to the city's Department of Animal Services, which Sunday ordered that "the elephant be completely scrubbed down to bare skin and that a child-safe face paint be used".

Though the paint used on Tai was non-toxic, officials said it was unsafe and was being used in contravention of regulations.

The setback did not deter the artist from pursuing his vision however. Though Banksy had not managed to procure enough child-safe paint to cover the elephant, Tai was placed unpainted in the room Sunday, and the exhibit continued to attract large crowds, the report said.

--DPA

IANS

 
Goswami, Sobti books head for Frankfurt fair
By Shinie Antony,

New Delhi, Sep 18  Books by Indira Goswami, Krishna Sobti and Maitreyi Pushpa will air the "rich, paradoxical continuum of Indian language literature" at the Frankfurt Book Fair, says Katha executive director Geeta Dharmarajan.

Goswami's "The Man From Chinnamasta", Sobti's "The Heart Has Its Reasons" and Pushpa's "Alma Kabutari" will be Katha's main English offerings at the fair that begins Oct 4.

"At the fair, Katha is showcasing the multi-dimensional literary traditions of Indian languages through translations," Dharmarajan told IANS here.

"Our new releases from brilliant writers who come from different geographical and cultural spaces, such as Goswami and Pushpa, present before the world the rich and paradoxical continuum of Indian language literature," she added.

Katha will carry 60 books, including 25 children's books, to the fair that honours India as a special guest this year.

"We are also taking U.N. Singh's collection of poems originally written in Maithali. His second person singular springs from the ancient land of Mithila and looks at language as an ironic link between human spaces," said Dharmarajan.

Maestros of modern storytelling will rub shoulders with Chitra Katha award winner Komilla Raote's "The Princess With The Longest Hair", Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyaya's "The Mountain Of The Moon", Abanindranath Tagore's "Raj Kahini" and Naiyer Masud's "The Myna From Peacock Garden".

Gurdial Singh's "The Survivors", Sundara Ramaswamy's "Suraa", Thi Jaa's "Remembering Amma", Alka Sarogi's "Over To You", Kiran Nagarkar's "Seven 6s Are 43", Paul Zacharia's "Two Novellas", Ashokamitran's "Water" and Kamleshwar's "How Many More Pakistans?" are the other Indian books that Katha will transport.

In the poetry section, Shah Abdul Latif's "Seeking The Beloved" will sit next to Tamil anthologies by poets like Na Pichamurthy and Kanimozhi.

Added Dharmarajan: "Such fairs help us explore the possibilities of presenting to the world the variegated traditions of Indian 'bhasha' literatures."

"The Man From Chinnamasta", translated from Assamese by Prasant Goswami, is the portrait of a shocked conscience where the author startles with her sensitive explication of various aspects of the Kamakhya myth.

In "Alma Kabutari", translated from Hindi, Pushpa delineates the old Kabutari tradition of sexual slavery to the Kajjas. The onus of breaking this vicious circle of subjugation and securing a human status for the Kabutaris falls upon young Alma.

"Alma Kabutari" is a story of both her extraordinary achievement and also a window to the lives of marginalised tribes, says a release from Katha.

"The Heart Has Its Reasons", originally "Dil-o-Danish" in Hindi, has 1920 Delhi havelis - mansions - and a love triangle with the heart for canvas.

Goswami has bagged the Jnanpith award in 2000, while Pushpa is a Sahitya Akademi winner and Sobti won the Hutch Crossword award this year.

 
Monograph on Bismillah Khan launched

New Delhi, Sep 18 Admirers of late shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan and lovers of Indian classical music can leaf through a monograph on the musical legend.

The autographed monograph was launched in India on Sunday to mark the 'chaliswan', last day of rituals following his death on Aug 21.

Bismillah Khan had released the monograph on March 25 on the occasion of his 91st birthday in Benaras.

Delhi-based Om Arora of Variety Book Depot is distributing the monograph. He plans to make the book available to music lovers throughout the country and abroad, especially the US, Britain, Germany and France. "It's a priceless book and a noble way to pay respect to the legend," said Arora.

The proceeds of the sale are aimed to support artistes and educationists who have excelled in their fields.

The has been brought out by a Delhi couple Neena Jha and Shivnath Jha, who were great admirers of Bismillah Khan.

The book has a foreword by noted Hindustani vocalist Rita Ganguli. Bismillah Khan had autographed the monograph after writing the first words with which the Koran begins - "Alham-Do-Lillah (God be praised) - Bismillah Khan".
 
Entries invited for Harishchandra awards for Hindi writing
New Delhi, Sep 18  The Indian government Monday has invited entries for Bharatendu Harishchandra Awards for books/manuscripts in Hindi on journalism and mass communication, women's issues, national integration and children's literature.

October 31 is the last date for receiving entries for the awards, which are given by the Publications Division of the information and broadcasting ministry, an official release said.

In the journalism and mass communication category, the award is given to encourage original and creative writing in Hindi on the subjects like journalism, publicity, advertisement, radio, television, film, printing, and publications. The first prize will be of Rs.35,000, the second of Rs.25,000, and the third of Rs.20,000, besides five consolation prizes of Rs.5,000 each.

In the women's issues category, the award is given to women writers for books on current issues concerning status of women in society. The National Integration Award is given for books on topics relating to national integration. In the children's literature category, the award is given for books for children.

There is a first prize of Rs.15,000 and a second prize of Rs.10,000 in each of the three categories.

Books/manuscripts written during Jan 1-Dec 31, 2005 will be considered for the awards, which are open to all Indian authors. If more than one individual has authored a book/manuscript, the prize money will be equally divided among them.

In case of a book/manuscript written by more than one writer, each writer should fill separate entry forms.

Books/manuscripts relating to poetry, drama, novel, short stories, and biographies are not included in this award. This, however, does not apply to the books and manuscripts in the children's literature category.

The entries should be sent to the Assistant Director (OL), Room No. 342, Publications Division, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi-110003 in the prescribed proforma duly filled in, along with six copies of the book/manuscript, two unstamped envelopes of 10x22 cm size and a brief life sketch in not more than 100 words.

IANS
 

Bangladeshi artists showcase 'water and life' on stage
New Delhi, The colours of life in the lap of verdant hills and pristine river banks came alive as a troupe from Bangladesh presented an evening of folk dances and music in the national capital. Fourteen young artists from the neighbouring country Wednesday performed songs and dances - including Baul, Bhatiali and Bhawaia - at the conclusion of the three-day Music and Dance Festival organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Kamani Auditorium here. The festival began Feb 13 with a performance by the Shillong Chamber Choir, a prominent music group from the northeastern state of Meghalaya, while folk artists from Sri Lanka took the stage the next day.  ( Read full news ) 
  
Amartya Sen, Susan Kurosawa top bestseller lists
New Delhi, Amartya Sen's "The Argumentative Indian" continues to top the non-fiction bestseller list while Susan Kurosawa's "Coronation Talkies" makes its debut as the number one fiction favourite this week.

The top 10 non-fiction and fiction categories are:

Non-fiction

1. "The Argumentative Indian - Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity"
Author : Amartya Sen
Publisher : Penguin Books
Price : Rs.295.00


2. "Jaipur Nama: Tales From The Pink City"
Author : Giles Tillotson
Publisher : Penguin Books
Price : Rs.295.00

3. "Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan?"
Author : Hiranmay Karlekar
Publisher : Sage Publications
Price : Rs. 320.00
 

 ( Read full news ) 

 
Nepali children's labour of love for tsunami victims
Kathmandu, A NGO set up by an Indian philosopher has organised an exhibition of paintings in Indonesia by children from around the world to pay tributes to those orphaned by the tsunami disaster. Students from Kathmandu's Budhanilkantha School, Galaxy Public School, Alok 
Vidhyashram, Rai School and Brihaspati School worked after school hours to create paintings that would bring comfort to the victims. "Drawings of Love", a collection of 22,000 paintings done by children from 33 countries including Nepal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, America, Australia and New Zealand began in Jakarta Wednesday. ( Read full news ) 

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Orwell's writings probably influenced by TB, infertility

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Lahore comes alive in Delhi!

Kashmiri Pandit who is an Urdu and Persian litterateur (SPECIAL)

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Ramzan - a pious month of abstinence from evil (SPECIAL)

Rajasthani miniature paintings a hit with art lovers

Pakistani scholar, Rushdie team up as bestselling authors

35 vintage and classic cars for Delhi-Shimla Heritage Drive

Gujarat invites investment in tourism

PMK, DPI doublespeak on Khushboo controversy

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With relaxed deadline, Navratris could get more sponsors

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Sculptor Chintamani Kar passes away

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At 75, veteran plays his 57th Ramlila role

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Bright as an unshed tear (BOOK REVIEW)

Donate blood, get free Navratri passes

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Apex court stays proceedings against Dominique Lapierre

Pondicherry's palm leaf manuscripts to be on UNESCO list

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For ASI, 15 Mughal gold coins and Rs.15 are same!

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Asterix faces 'The Falling Sky

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Tyeb Mehta's painting sold for record $1,584,000

Partition's 'untold story', Rushdie are top favourites

It's gift of time at this Sufi shrine

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Frankfurt book fair joins the World Cup game

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Fishing in troubled waters of the 70s (BOOK REVIEW)

M.F. Husain, patriarch of Indian art, turns 90

Britain used Jinnah to partition India for 'great game'

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Sen, Salman again top bestseller lists

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Indian creative legacy needs private attention: Tuli