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A magical contest in Delhi
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) This is one competition where wannabe Harry Potters can test their skill with the wand and the spells.

A "Jadu Utsav 2005" (magic festival), scheduled to begin here Friday brings magicians from across the world to New Delhi to try and outdo each other with their tricks.

With over 250 participants in this unusual contest, the organisers are hoping it will generate enough interest to be a success, especially with the immense popularity enjoyed by the exploits of fictional young wizard Harry Potter.

The organisers believe this competition will be a platform for promoting magic and magicians. Age is no bar, and the youngest artiste is just four years old.

On the first day, a competition for the junior artistes would be held at the Hindu Mahasabha building. Competitions would be held for senior artists Saturday.

"We are expecting performers also from Mauritius, United Arab Emirates and Malaysia to take part in the contest," said Rahul Kharbanda of the Indian Brotherhood of Magicians. 

These artistes would also cast their spell on the audience by performing out of the competition. The event will also try to spread awareness on AIDS and the harmful consequences of smoking.

Separate competitions are being held for disabled artistes. Kharbanda said the disabled were usually left out of such competitions.

The organisers are of the opinion that there is a greater need to make people aware of the science behind these tricks. 

Thus, more than 15 dealers from all parts of the country have come to showcase their magic wares for visitors. India has a total share of 64 percent in exporting magical goods.

"Magic could be the cheapest source of entertainment in the country but it is also an effective form of spreading awareness," claimed Shobhon Kumar from Kolkata who has come to perform in the competition. 

Christie's sets 13 world records at Indian art auction(LEAD)
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Sep 22 (IANS) An Indian art auction here by Christie's has set 13 world records, with Tyeb Mehta's painting "Mahishasura" going for $1.584 million, the highest amount ever paid for a contemporary Indian work of art. 

Bought by a private collector at the auction Wednesday, against a pre-sale estimate of $600,000-800,000, this hails an all-time high for the abacus of auction trends and the power and brilliance of Mehta.

"I never thought I would see this day in my life. It's an honour and a moment of humility for me and all other artists of the country," Mehta told IANS.

Christie's said in a statement: "This is the first time a contemporary Indian painting has sold at auction for more than $1 million and the result quintuples the previous world auction record, which was set at Christie's New York in 2002 when 'Celebration', a painting by the same artist, fetched $317,500." 

Arun Vadehra, Christie's main sourcing agent in India, said: "It's a long cherished dream. For an Indian artist to touch a million is what we have always dreamt of." 

As a work of art, "Mahishasura" has been referred to as a work in karmic origami, which depicts the traditional Hindu tale of the warrior goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon, Mahisha. 

However, Mehta's interpretation recasts Mahisha in this painting as a sympathetic figure in a seductive embrace with Durga, symbolising his spiritual transformation after union with the divine. He has given the painting a striking look using red, black, white colours.

Mehta is part of the vanguard Progressive Artists Group that drew stylistic inspiration from the European masters while re-interpreting distinctly Indian themes in the post-Independence era of the country from 1948. He is particularly inspired by Francis Bacon. 

Many critics say that Mehta is not a prolific artist due to his highly exacting and meticulous standards. Neither has he produced works aplenty like the patriarch M.F. Husain. 

The other records at the Christie's auction were set by works from M.F. Husain, Akbar Padamsee, Atul Dodiya and Ram Kumar. 

"We are elated to have been able to provide the international platform Indian art clearly deserves and look forward to continuing working with Indian artists and their very dedicated collectors," said Hugo Wiehe, the specialist for the auction.

Husain's "Trial", a work of 1969 in a light gradation of colour, went for $480,000 against its estimate of $300,000-$500, 000.

Padamsee's "Mirror Image", a work done in 2004, went for $419,200 against its estimate of $140,000-180,000.

Vadehra said: "This paves the way for the younger artists. They have to work hard. Talking of youngsters, of particular interest is the work of Atul Dodiya, whose 'My School in Angkor' fetched $180,000 early this year against its reserve of $40,000-$60,000.

"Out of two Souza's, `Girl With Hairpin And Girdle' went for $284,800 while 'A Still Life' went for $262,400." 

Ram Kumar, the abstract landscapist who recently had a show at Vedehras in Delhi, also saw new highs. His "Benares" of 1981 went for $385,600 while "Ladakh", another old work of 1983, went for $262,400.

An Indian thangka fetched a new record price of $174,000.

For Christie's the auction was a success and for Indian art, a long dreamt reality of hitting global registers. 

The entire Indian art sale mopped up $11,328,020, amidst the 366 lots offered and the 248 lots sold. 

Indo-Asian News Service

International drums festival opens in Sri Lanka
Xinhua

Colombo, Sep 22 (Xinhua) Nearly 100 of the world's most talented master drummers gathered in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo to kick off the first-ever WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) Sri Lanka Festival of Drums.


The festival, which is scheduled to last five days until Sep 25, will showcase 16 performance groups from 11 countries, an official from the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) said late Wednesday.

The SLTB-sponsored festival is the first WOMAD festival entirely devoted to the celebration of drums, rhythms and percussions.

Celebrating the island's association with drums, going back over 2,500 years, the festival consists of indoor and outdoor concerts and workshops in Colombo and other major Sri Lankan cities.

The WOMAD was created in 1981 by a group of individuals, including the English singer and artist Peter Gabriel and Thomas Brooman, Artistic Director of WOMAD. 

Since 1981, WOMAD has produced over 145 music events in 23 countries, always aiming to offer audiences an insight into cultures other than their own through the enjoyment of music. 

The Sri Lankan government hopes the festival will help the country's tourism sector recover from last year's tsunami that devastated two-thirds of its coastal area.

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka for the first eight months increased by 11.7 percent over the same period last year. 

A total of 51,216 tourists arrived in August, showing an increase of 5.2 percent compared to the corresponding month in 2004.

IANS

West Bengal Court sets aside ban on Taslima's book
Indo-Asian News Service

Kolkata, Sep 22 (IANS) A special bench of the Calcutta High Court Thursday set aside the West Bengal government's order banning Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen's autobiographical work, "Dwikhandito" (Split in Two).

The state government had banned the publication, printing and sale of the book in November 2003 under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) since it was alleged that the book could spread enmity and disturb communal harmony.

Responding to a petition filed by Sujata Bhadra of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, the three-member bench of Justice Dilip Seth, Justice Alok Basu and Justice Soumitra Pal observed that the book does not fall in the parameter of the section 153A of the IPC.

The book upholds high ideals of secularism, the court noted in the verdict.

The book, the third volume of the author's autobiography "Ka", is banned in Bangladesh.

Ancient Chinese bells to chime in European orchestra
Xinhua

Wuhan, Sep 22 (Xinhua) A chime bells orchestra from central China's Hubei Province will give five performances in the Netherlands and Belgium from Sep 25 to Oct 15.

The orchestra was founded in the 1980s by the Hubei Province Museum and will give the performances with a set of 10-tonne chime bells from the tomb of Duke Zeng, a prince in Chinese history's Warring States period (475-221 B.C.).

Wan Quanwen, vice curator of the museum, said the performances are an important part of the music festivals held in the two countries, during which more than 100 pieces of ancient musical instruments will also be displayed to European visitors.

The orchestra will play the music edited or rewritten from ancient Chinese music and folk songs, which recorded the lives of different classes of society, Wan said.

The orchestra has more than 20 members and they have given performances in Japan, Luxemburg, Singapore, United States, Germany, France, Hong Kong and Taiwan, receiving warmest welcomes from the audiences there. 

IANS

Tyeb Mehta's painting sold for record $1,584,000
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Sep 22 (IANS) Tyeb Mehta has improved upon his own record to fetch a whopping $1.584 million for his painting "Mahishasura", which is the highest ever amount to be made by a contemporary Indian work of art. 

The painting was sold at New York at an auction organised by the leading international art auction house Christie's. 

Bought by a private collector for $1.584 million, against a pre-sale estimate of $600,000-800,000, this hails an all time high for the abacus of auction trends and the power and brilliance of Mehta.

"This is the first time a contemporary Indian painting has sold at auction for more than $1 million and the result quintuples the previous world auction record, which was set at Christie's New York in 2002 when 'Celebration', a painting by the same artist, fetched $317,500," said Christie's. 

As a work of art, "Mahishasura" has been referred to as a work in karmic origami, which depicts the traditional Hindu tale of the warrior goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon, Mahisha. 

However, Mehta's interpretation recasts Mahisha in this painting as a sympathetic figure in a seductive embrace with Durga, symbolising his spiritual transformation after union with the divine. He has given the painting a striking look using red, black, white colours.

Tyeb Mehta is part of the vanguard Progressive Artists Group that drew stylistic inspiration from the European masters while re-interpreting distinctly Indian themes in the post-Independence era of the country from 1948. Mehta is particularly inspired by Francis Bacon. 

Many critics opine that Mehta is not a prolific artist due to his highly exacting and meticulous standards. Neither has he produced works aplenty like the patriarch M.F. Husain. 

The artist, who was present during the auction, launched his monograph - featuring "Mahishasura" on its cover - at Christie's last Sunday.

"For Indian art, this is a watershed," M.F. Husain told IANS Thursday morning. Both these artists were together at the launch of Husain's "Lost Continent" exhibition in London two months ago. 

Mehta, who lives in Mumbai, now works only on a few canvasses in a year. "They are for my children, I have stopped selling to anyone," he said. 

Partition's 'untold story', Rushdie are top favourites
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) A former diplomat's take on the "untold story" of partition has toppled Amartya Sen as number one on the Indian non-fiction bestselling list this week, while Salman Rushdie's "Shalimar The Clown" retains its prime position in the fiction category. 

The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction categories are as follows:

Non-fiction

1. "The Shadow of the Great Game: The Untold Story of India's Partition"
Author : Narendra Singh Sarila
Publisher : Harper Collins
Price : Rs.500.00

2. "The Argumentative Indian"
Author : Amartya Sen
Publisher : Penguin Allen Lane
Price : Rs.650.00

3. "Thug: The True Story of India's Murderous Cult"
Author : Mike Dash
Publisher : Granta Books
Price : Rs.895.00

4. "Chasing the Monk's Shadow: A Journey in the Footsteps of Xuanzang"
Author : Mishi Saran
Publisher : Penguin Viking
Price : Rs.495.00

5. "Begum Akhtar: The Story of my Ammi"
Author : Shanti Hiranand
Publisher : Viva
Price : Rs.1,295.00

6. "Imperial Grunts: The American Military on the Ground"
Author : Robert D. Kaplan
Publisher : Random House
Price : $22.50 (Rs.987)

7. "The 21st Century Ambassador: Plenipotentiary to Chief Executive"
Author : Kishan S. Rana
Publisher : Oxford
Price : Rs.495.00

8. "Guardian of Dawn"
Author : Richard Zimler
Publisher : Constable
Price : £5.95 (Rs.472)

9. "Times Su-Doku"
Author : The Times of India Presents
Publisher : Times Group Books
Price : Rs.135.00

10. Doordarshan Days
Author : Bhaskar Ghose
Publisher : Penguin Viking
Price : Rs.395.00

Fiction

1. "Shalimar The Clown"
Author : Salman Rushdie
Publisher : Jonathan Cape, London
Price : Rs.595.00

2. "The Kite Runner"
Author : Khaled Hosseini
Publisher : Bloomsbury
Price : £3.25 (Rs.258)

3. "Arthur & George"
Author : Julian Barnes
Publisher : Jonathan Cape, London
Price : £11.50 (Rs.913)

4. "The Historian"
Author : Elizabeth Kostova
Publisher : Little Brown
Price : $9.00 (Rs.395)

5. "On Beauty"
Author : Zadie Smith
Publisher : Hamish Hamilton
Price : £4.50 (Rs.357)

6. "The Unspoken Curse"
Author : V.K. Madhavan Kutty
Publisher : Tara Press
Price : Rs.295.00

7. "Season of The Rainbirds"
Author : Nadeem Aslam
Publisher : Faber and Faber
Price : £3.25 (Rs.258)

8. "Babyji"
Author : Abha Dawesar
Publisher : Penguin Books
Price : Rs.295.00

9. "Saturday"
Author : Ian McEwan
Publisher : Jonathan Cape
Price : Rs.795.00

10. "Eldest"
Author : Christopher Paolini 
Publisher : Knopf 
Price : Rs.695.00

(Source: Bahri Sons, New Delhi, www.booksatbahri.com)

It's gift of time at this Sufi shrine
By Saeed Khan, Indo-Asian News Service

Ahmedabad, Sep 22 (IANS) A Sufi shrine near a Gujarat town is studded with wall clocks - offerings by its devotees.

This small tomb of Bala Pir has been an object of curiosity for many on the National Highway No. 8 that links Ahmedabad and Mumbai. It is located near Vasad town on the bank of the river Mahi, around 90 km from here. 

Devotees usually offer flowers and shrouds at Sufi shrines, but at the Bala Pir tomb the offerings come in the form of wall clocks.

Each time a devotee seeks a wish from god, he or she places a wall clock at the shrine.

"Offer him a clock and Bala Pir will bless you," Haribhai Patel, who looks after the shrine, told IANS explaining the belief behind the ritual. Patel is a Hindu and lives in a nearby village.

"People come here and offer clocks. This is a tradition. I don't know when and how it started. Truck drivers always blow the horn twice when they pass by Bala Pir," he added.

Legend has it that a truck driver, in a hurry to go home, had promised to offer Bala Pir a wall clock if divine powers help him reach his destination in time. When the wish was fulfilled, the driver returned to the shrine to offer a wall clock. That was the beginning of the tradition.

The other lore traces the tradition back to a couple living in Vasad. They offered a wall clock when their wish got fulfilled.

Patel soon faced the problem of storing all those offerings. He had to build two extra rooms in his house to store those clocks received at the shrine.

"I cannot sell them as they are actually offered to Pir. So I donate them to schools, village bodies and hospitals," Patel said showing heaps of clocks lying in his house.