Gunadala Mary Matha festival begins

February 10, 2019Arts, Culture & Entertainmentadmin

Priests at the holy mass marking the beginning of the Mary Matha festival at Gunadala in Vijayawada on Satuday. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR

Thousands participate in inaugural holy mass

The annual three-day Gunadala Mary Matha festival began on a grand note with thousands thronging the premises of the Bishop Grassi High School to take part in the inaugural holy mass offered by the priests on Saturday morning.

Priests Fr. Chacko Thotakara, Fr. Sebastian Kotturu, Fr. Antony Kumar and Fr. Rajappa, along with Vijayawada Catholic Diocese bishop T. Joseph Raja Rao and other priests from across the State offered the holy mass amid a large gathering of devotees, nuns, brothers and others.

Meanwhile, devotees from various places visited the shrine at the foot of the Gunadala hill and also ascended the hill to seek blessings and to worship the statue of Mother Mary called as ‘Statue of Our Lady’ installed in a grotto in 1925. Some of the devotees also trekked to the top of the hill and offered prayers at the huge cross of Jesus Christ.

Arrangements made

Municipal authorities and police in collaboration with the Gunadala shrine management made necessary arrangements for the devotees, particularly those coming from far off places.

Several devotees with families stay at the shrine overnight as part of a ritual.

A bigger turnout is expected on the second day, as it is a Sunday. The festival will conclude on Monday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Vijayawada – February 10th, 2019

Cars turn canvas at Cartist Yatra

February 10, 2019Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

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

February 7, 2019Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

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

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

Honour for NCC contingent

February 6, 2019Leaders, Records, Alladmin

Air Commodore NN Reddy presenting an award to a cadet at a function in the city on Tuesday.

The contingent of 116 cadets from Andhra Pradesh & Telangana NCC Directorate bagged the fifth position amongst the 17 directorates that participated in the Republic Day camp at New Delhi from January 1-30.

The contingent also got the following medals and trophies: All India best cadet senior division (Navy) 2nd position to Cadet B Shanmugam; All India best cadet junior division (Navy) 1st position to Cadet Shaun Jimmy and All India best girl cadet trophy in horse riding to Cadet PT Sri Rakshitha. Cadet Harshita Jain was adjudged the ‘Best NCC Cadet’ for 2018 and was presented the Col. Choudhary medal.

The contingent also bagged the runner up trophy in national integration awareness programme and Directorate General Horse Riding trophy. Air Commodore NN Reddy, deputy director general of NCC Directorate AP & TS, presented medals and trophies to the cadets on Tuesday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – February 06th, 2019

Kondaveedu Heritage and Cultural festival from February 9

February 5, 2019Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, Alladmin

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

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

February 4, 2019Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sportsadmin

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

February 3, 2019Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinionadmin

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