Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Cars turn canvas at Cartist Yatra

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Youngsters taking pictures with a vintage car at the second edition of the Cartist Yatra-2019 at Rajiv Smruti Bhavan in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
Youngsters taking pictures with a vintage car at the second edition of the Cartist Yatra-2019 at Rajiv Smruti Bhavan in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Vintage cars, some dating back to 1929, are on show at the exhibition

Art and automobile come together to create stunning masterpieces at the Cartist Yatra-2019, where cars, some as old as 1929, serve as a canvas for masterful artwork.

The second edition of the Cartist Yatra is under way in the city, and is based on the theme of ‘Automobile History of India’. Exhibits include an array of locally built cars such as the earliest models of the Maruti 800, the much-loved Fiat 1100D (popularly known as the Premier Padmini), Hindustan Ambassador, and the showpiece of them all – a 1929 Chevrolet convertible.

All the 10 cars are parked near the Rajiv Smruti Bhavan and will be there till Sunday.

Long journey

“In its second year, Cartist Yatra is traveling to 21 cities, 12 States and 2 union territories with pit stops at 10 prime locations, covering a distance of 8,100 km in a span of 80 days to unite over a thousand artists from different cultures and backgrounds,” said Himanshu Jangid of Cartist Yatra.

“The journey began on January 9 in Jaipur, and so far the yatra has covered Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka. Our next stop will be in Bhubaneswar,” Mr. Jangid said.

“Normally, we see artists depicting their work on canvas or other mediums. At Cartist Yatra, a car or an automobile is the medium. Showcase your creativity on an automobile and it can be a scooter, bike or auto-rickshaw, said Mr. Jangid.

“Cartist Yatra is an art event aimed at unifying people belonging to the art fraternity, as well as bridging the gap between society and artists,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam – February 09th, 2019

Action plan to bring back lost glory of Rajamahendravaram

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Rajamahendravaram known as the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its old traditions, culture and practices.

RajamahendravaramANDHRA07feb2019

Rajamahendravaram :

Rajamahendravaram known as the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its old traditions, culture and practices. The Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (RMC) is taking steps to restore the past glory of the city and develop it as a tourist destination.

The civic body has prepared a plan with an estimated amount of `40 crore to protect Rajamahendravarm’s cultural heritage.  of the historical town, named after Raja Raja Narendra around 1,000 years ago. They planned to develop the old municipal corporation building as a monument and museum. This building was constructed during the British period. In this process, Kambala cheruvu and Dr AB Nageswara Rao parks have been developed by providing infrastructure facilities like walking track, play area for children and gymnasium among others.

As per the information provided by municipal authorities, Kotipalli area, visited by Mahatma Gandhi on April 6 in 1921, and Devi Chowk which was called as Lantern street. People used lanterns to decorate the street to welcome Vizianagara Kings and hence the name for the area.

Havelock Bridge

The construction of this bridge started on November 11, 1897 and opened for traffic on August 30 in 1900. The bridge was named after Sir AE Havelock, the then Governor of Madras. As it  passed more than 100 years, this bridge named was decommissioned in 1997. This bridge was being converted as a walking track across Godavari river

Town Hall

This is a cultural centre of yesteryears built by great social reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam in 1891. He fought for widow remarriage and education for women. He was considered as the father of renaissance in Andhra. The Town Hall is now in bad condition and the District Collector has sanctioned `65 lakh for renovation so that it can be used to hold cultural events. These apart, there are many places worth a visit, including Kotilingala Ghat, ISKCON temple, Damerla Rama Rao Art Gallery, Rallabandi Subbarao Museum, Pushkar Ghat and the like.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / February 06th, 2019

Kondaveedu Heritage and Cultural festival from February 9

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

The Kondaveedu Heritage and Cultural festival would be held in a traditional manner at Kondaveedu Fort on February 9 and 10.

Ancient Swamy Lakshminarayana Temple on the hill top of Kondaveedu Fort of Guntur district
Ancient Swamy Lakshminarayana Temple on the hill top of Kondaveedu Fort of Guntur district

Guntur :

The Kondaveedu Heritage and Cultural festival would be held in a traditional manner at Kondaveedu Fort on February 9 and 10. Construction of the ghat road to Kondaveedu Fort was recently completed to help people visit the fort. Modernisation and repair works will be carried out in the fort soon. Helicopter ride, paragliding, hot air balloons, trekking and food courts will be on offer to visitors during the two-day festival. Dance and music shows reflecting the rich heritage of Kondaveedu dynasty would be showcased in the fort.

Kondaveedu Fort Development Committee convener K Siva Reddy said the State government has sanctioned Rs 3 crore to conduct the festival at Kondaveedu Fort and Rs 4 crore for lighting on the hilltop. He said the 5.1-km-long ghat road (with 17 ‘U’ turns) has been completed.

Reddy said the fort would be renovated with Rs 12 crore and a road would be laid to reach entrance of the fort at a cost of Rs 11.70 crore. The ancient damaged Swamy Lakshminarayana Temple would be renovated at an estimated Rs 75 lakh, while Rs 2 crore has been allocated for construction of a children’s park and for developing the small ponds on the hilltop, he added.

Forest Minister Sidda Raghava Rao and Civil Supplies Minister P Pulla Rao said, “The government was developing the Kondaveedu Fort at an estimated cost of Rs 87 crore; we are making efforts to complete it (the task) before deadline as per Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s directions.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / February 05th, 2019

Journey of a lifetime for tribal youth

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports
CRPF’s 198 Battalion Commandant K.S. Deswal and officer Kanchan Yadav learning the dhimsa dance form, from the youth team, in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
CRPF’s 198 Battalion Commandant K.S. Deswal and officer Kanchan Yadav learning the dhimsa dance form, from the youth team, in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

30-member team ventures out of the hills for the first time as part of Youth Exchange Programme

Eighteen-year-old Manga, hailing from a nondescript village in Pedabayalu mandal, had never set foot beyond the verdant hills of the Visakha Agency.

As part of a 30-member 11th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme, Manga ventured out of the cool confines of her village for the first time to experience the world beyond her hills, and was floored by the hospitality that she received in the northern town of Panchkula in Haryana.

‘All excited’

Like Manga, it was an experience of a lifetime for the rest of the group, as it was for the first time that they travelled by train or rode in a cab.

Jagapathi Naidu, from an interior village in G. Madugula, even picked up a few words in Hindi, that too in the Haryanvi accent, and a few lines from popular songs of Haryana’s singing sensation Sapna Choudhary.

Interacting with The Hindu here on Friday at the 198 CRPF Battalion campus, the tribal youth enthusiastically narrated their experiences. Bhavitha Kumari from Munchingput, who is also training in general nursing, sang the patriotic song ‘Hind Desh ke Niwasi’. She stood second in the singing competition at the exchange programme.

“Though we had problems with the food, we quickly adjusted and made a lot of friends. The weather at Panchkula was also chilly, but we are used to similar weather back home during this part of the year,” Bhavitha said. The programme was organised by CRPF and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan — Visakhapatnam.

New culture

According G. Chandana of NYKS, about 30 tribal youth including 15 girls were selected to undergo the programme.

“Five 30-member teams from Visakhapatnam in AP, Khammam in Telangana and teams from Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Bihar, were part of the programme,” she said.

Commandant of 198 Battalion K. S. Deswal said the youth were selected based on their interest in being part of a cultural exchange programme.

“Most of them were picked up from interior villages in AOB region, where there is considerable Maoist influence. The idea is to give the youths an exposure to a different world,” said Mr. Deswal. The team visited Panchkula from January 23 to 29 and apart from sightseeing, were exposed to classroom sessions where they were briefed about various welfare schemes and scholarships offered by the Central Government. All the teams were selected from LWE-affected districts.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Sumit Bhattarcharjee / Visakhapatnam – February 02nd, 2019

GMC’s Class of 1958 meets again in city

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Veteran doctors at a reunion in Vijayawada on Saturday.
Veteran doctors at a reunion in Vijayawada on Saturday.

The 1958 batch of the Guntur Medical College (GMC) met for a fond reunion at the Haritha Berm Park here on Saturday.

There were 120 students in the batch, but only 50 of them could make it for the batch reunion. Dr. Janardhana Reddy, a surgeon in the U.S. and Mangaraju, an orthopaedician also settled in the U.S,, flew to India just to attend the gathering. Vijayawada-based ENT surgeon C.V. Ramana Rao and Guntur physician K. Vasudeva Rao welcomed their classmates.

“Initially, we used to meet every year and then the meetings were held once in two years because some of the batchmates migrated to other countries,” Dr. Ramana Rao said. The batch will meet again in two years, Dr. Ramana Rao said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – February 01st, 2019

Flying start to Aero Sports Festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports
Aero Sports Festival catches attention of everyone in Seethampet on Sunday. | Photo Credit: arrangement
Aero Sports Festival catches attention of everyone in Seethampet on Sunday. | Photo Credit: arrangement

Various events at ‘Sahasam Seyara Dimbaka’ thrill tourists from A.P., Odisha

Hundreds of visitors from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha enjoyed themselves at the first Aero Sports Festival ‘Sahasam Seyara Dimbaka’ which was organised at Seethampeta of Srikakulam district on Sunday.

The entire premises adjacent to Seethampeta Adventure Park wore a festive look with various events, including hot air balloon, para motoring, power hang-gliding, parasailing and others. Weather was clear for all the sports events, which were normally conducted in Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhaptnam and other major cities. The well trained pilots guided the tourists in moving in hot air balloons, parasailing and others.

Good response

District Collector K. Dhananjaya Reddy and Seethampeta Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Director L. Siva Sankar expressed happiness over the overwhelming response from the tourists for the festival. “Seethampeta is going to be a major tourism destination. It will certainly provide employment to many tribal youngsters and improve economic activity,” Mr. Dhananjaya Reddy said.

Mr. Siva Sankar said that the entire department had taken it as a challenge to conduct the event as the infrastructure was little when festival was proposed. “We are going to construct resorts, museum, and eco-park very soon. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams will construct Lord Venkateswara Swamy’s temple at a cost of ₹3 crore. This step will improve temple tourism also,” he added.

Many public representatives, including Narasannapeta MLA Baggu Ramanamurthy and Patapatnam Legislator Kalamata Venkata Ramana and others, came along with their family members to watch the colourful festival. They hoped that the event would ensure huge number of tourists visit the district which had many other important tourist places like Telineelapauram, Kalingapatnam beach and others.

A few families expressed happiness over the arrangements, including the best food court in adventure park. “Well maintained Adventure Park is really a big gift for the district. We decided to come to this place whenever we come to our native Srikakulam district,” said K. Samyukta, a techie from Hyderabad.

The festival will continue on Monday and Tuesday. It is expected to draw more number of visitors with the festival holidays.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Srikakulam – January 14th, 2019

ASI faces flak as encroachments creep up around ancient Dutch Armoury

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
A cattle shed that has been built on the prohibited area of the Dutch Armoury at Bandarkota in Machilipatnam in Krishna district.
A cattle shed that has been built on the prohibited area of the Dutch Armoury at Bandarkota in Machilipatnam in Krishna district.

Excavation, construction activities in full swing on Nizam Hospital premises

Uninterrupted excavations being conducted by locals in the prohibited areas around the ancient Dutch Armoury here are posing a grave risk to the safety of the protected monument, with the Archaeological Survey of India reportedly remaining a mute spectator.

Earlier, locals bulldozed a brick wall of the old building (known locally as Nizam Hospital, according to ASI) located within the prohibited area of 100 metres from the armoury.

Illegal structures

Since last December, a cattle shed was built in the prohibited area by taking up excavation work and erecting iron poles. Plans were afoot to bulldoze another wall of the roof-less building by erecting wooden poles to build another structure.

Attempt by locals to demolish a wall in the protected area was stopped after the police intervened in 2016.

Speaking to The Hindu, ASI (Amaravati circle) Conservation Assistant Venkata Satyanarayana Murthy said, “The activities of excavation and construction of the shed have been taken up by a private party within a distance of 50 metres from the existing Dutch armoury which is under our conservation. The family that engaged in disturbing the area and the old building (Nizam hospital) did not seek permission from ASI to take up any such activity in the protected area.”

“No person, other than an archaeological officer, shall carry out any construction in any prohibited area (100 metres from the border of the protected monument,” says The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010.

Communication gap

Mr. Satyanarayana Murthy said that the Machilipatnam civic body has been instructed to stop the work in the protected area.

However, when contacted by The Hindu, Machilipatnam Municipal Commissioner P.J. Sampath Kumar confirmed that he did not receive any such communication from the ASI regarding the issue till Saturday (January 12).

A three-acre site on the campus of the old building (Nizam Hospital) has been cleared by the locals for construction activity within the prohibited area in the absence of the conservation measures by the ASI.

The Monument Assistants deployed at the Dutch armoury have reportedly been threatened by the private party, restricting them from entering the premises of the protected area when they tried to stop the excavation work, they said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh /  by Appala Naidu Tippana / Bandarkota(Krishna) – January 13th, 2019

Discover Araku from a hot air balloon in the second edition of the festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

HotAirBaloonANDHRA10jan2019

Floating over the skies of Araku Valley, thrill seekers will soon get a unique bird’s-eye view of familiar sights. The picturesque Araku Valley will play host to the second edition of the International Hot Air Balloon Festival. Twenty hot air balloons from 15 countries across the world will dot the pristine skies of Araku, a hill station near Visakhapatnam, from January 18 to 20 as part of the festival, organised by AP Tourism in association with E-Factor. The balloons will sail over the verdant valley with its tribal hamlets and agricultural fields.

The highlight of the festival will be the specially-shaped balloons like Baby Car and Flying Honey Bee from Brazil, Bruno Clown from Slovakia and Happy Chicken Egg from the Netherlands. The three-day festival will also see international champions and paramotorists from Europe providing some thrilling displays and stunts.

The tickets for hot air ballooning are not available for sale. However, there are lucky draws and contests available on the website visakhautsav.in and people can try their luck and win seats for the morning flights and tethers.

While the balloons will soar in the skies in the early mornings, don’t miss the Night Glow Show at NTR Grounds on all three days of the festival, when the balloons inflate and light up to the beat of music at the centre of the valley. One of the highlights of this festival is the luxury camping facility set up near the venue with around 40 well-designed tents for travellers.

Tourism on the rise

The world over, governments and promoters are recognising the importance of using hot air balloons as a tool for tourism and employment generation. Places like Cambodia’s historic Angkor Wat, Turkey’s UNESCO World Heritage site of Cappadocia and Myanmar’s ancient temples of Bagan have seen a surge in tourist inflows after hot air ballooning activities were started. According to industry figures, the Hot Air Ballooning industry has been growing in India for the last three to five years at around 20 % year-on-year growth.

“The response for the first edition was phenomenal and has helped establish the brand name Araku from a much larger national perspective.

The tourism impact of this has also been extremely positive since all the hotel inventories were sold out during the festival time. The same situation is envisaged this year as well,” says Samit Garg, CEO and co-founder of E-Factor.

Joseph Llado, a veteran ballooning pilot from Barcelona with 38 years of experience, was floored by the undiscovered charm of Araku when he came for the first edition of the festival. “This is a gem of a place for hot air ballooning. Araku’s beautiful, hilly terrain makes it a fascinating place to explore,” he remarked.

According to Rick Astral, a ballooning pilot from Chile, his visit to Araku last year opened up a new vista of adventures. “Every moment we got to experience a new splendour,” said Rick Astral, a balloon pilot from Chile. Sukhbir S. Sekhon, a Malaysian pilot, who went up to one of the highest levels on the first day of the balloon festival last year, was overwhelmed by the “spectacular” green stretches of fields and hills. “It was a sight to behold! We went across a small hill and it was quite a discovery,” he said.

Landing her compact hot air balloon on the lush fields in a village of Araku, Atiqah Khairudin from Malaysia added, “This place is a beautiful piece of jewel and a great a discovery for balloon pilots. It can be a wonderful way to showcase its beauty to people who want to experience the grand panoramic view from the hot air balloon.”

The concept of hot air ballooning was almost unheard of about a decade ago. Today, hot air balloons soar over Indian skies like colourful confetti and is fast picking up as a great adventure sport in cities like Agra,Pushkar, Lucknow, Jaipur and even Tamil Nadu.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Travel / by Nivedita Ganguly / January 09th, 2019

Dutch love for Andhra Pradesh’s Kalamkari

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

They have been learning the famous Kalamkari from the artisans of this small village.

Artists from Netherlands trying their hand at Kalamkari at Pedana in Krishna district. (DC)
Artists from Netherlands trying their hand at Kalamkari at Pedana in Krishna district. (DC)

Vijayawada:

Four artists from the Netherlands who are trying to trace the roots of textile works that are on the display at the famous Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam have reached a nondescript village, Pedana in Krishna district.

They have been learning the famous Kalamkari from the artisans of this small village.

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands and contains a beautiful old collection of ‘sits’, the Dutch word for Kalamkari textiles. These four artists work in the education department of the Rijksmuseum.

“Our history says the Kalamkari artwork reached Rijksmuseum in the 17th century from this small village. Those days the Dutch settlers brought Kalamkari to the Netherlands from Andhra Pradesh. The Kalamkari used to be expensive and exclusive and not everyone used to possess them since they come by boat. Now we want to know the art for ourselves and came here,” Irma Anne De Bruijne, heads of the arts programme at Rijksmuseum told this newspaper..

“We were welcomed in this little paradise. It is very important that they make textiles in the traditional, sustainable and slow process with the use of organic cotton and natural colours and of course the technique of block printing by hand,” said Anita Manshanden, another artist with the group.

The Dutch artists were bowled over by the talent of the artisans as well as the hospitality extended to them.

“The most important motivation of the Pitchuka family is to maintain and pass this heritage on to the next generation and keep the art alive. The third generation, Pitchuka Varun, is into this traditional art, following his grandfather Pitchuka Veera Subbaiah who is the founder of Kalamkari art in Pedana and father Pitchuka Srinivas,” said team member Elma Van Imhoff

They said Kalamkari contained a great number of techniques and complex processes built up during seven generations of craftsmanship.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by SNV Sudhir / January 08th, 2019

Historic Masonic Temple celebrates 110th anniversary in New Year

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Newly-elected body decides to allow people to have glimpse of antiques on the premises

Lodge Nicopolis No.81, which is generally known as Vizianagaram IV Masonic Temple, is going to get special attention in the New Year, thanks to the initiatives of newly-elected body for the preservation of its rich heritage and culture.

The Nicopolis No.81 constructed in 1909 by the then Maharaja of Vizianagaram Princely State Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju-IV will celebrate its 110th anniversary in the New Year. The programmes have been planned throughout the year to create awareness about the greatness of the temple which was founded on October 1, 1909.

Poly clinic

As part of the celebration, the new team of the Masonic Temple decided to allow common people to have glimpse of antiques on the premises. An exclusive room for the display of antiques is being created, according to the Worshipful Master of the temple Motamarry Srinivas. The temple also decided to take up service activities such as running poly clinic to ensure medical assistance to poor people at very nominal charges. “Our temple was instrumental in establishment of Polytechnic College in Vizianagaram. It has allocated its prime land for the construction of APSRTC complex, adjacent to the building. We will continue to take more activities in the year 2019-20,” he added.

According to him, the then Raja Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju-IV insisted for the service activities after he was inspired by the activities of such Lodge located in Kolkata. The members of such Lodges were called as brothers. The head of the Lodge is called as Worshipful Master. After serving as a ‘brother’ in Kolkata Lodge, he bought a few acres of prime land from Thotapalem Zamindars. He obtained permission from Scotland for its establishment in Vizianagaram. After serving one year, Mr. Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju relinquished the post and allowed local dignitary C. Mangayya Naidu to take charge Worshipful Master. Only four members of Raja’s family headed the institution.

Former Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju served as Master in the year 1973 and year 2009 on the eve of centenary celebrations.

According to Past Master D.S. Raju, free masonry is directly descended from associations of operative masons who travelled through Europe, employing secrets and skills of their crafts. The cathedral builders of the Middle Ages started to accept others ‘entry into their profession and it led to establishment of Grand Lodges across the world. Masonic Lodge is the basic unit of all Grand Lodges.

“Although the movement started with different reasons, now its primary objective is to serve the society. Honesty in business, fairness in work, love for one another and reverence for the God are promoted through the temple. All these objectives are being fulfilled by Vizianagaram Masonic Temple,” Dr. Raju said. Another Past Master G. Shiva Kumar said that the temple was offering its premises for functions, marriages and other programmes at nominal charges as part of the serving the society.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K Srinivasa Rao / Vizianagaram – January 01st, 2019