Category: Lite Blogs

Categories
Books Lite Blogs

Methodical Reading Of The Sense Of Belonging

Shashi Tharoor.
The Battle of Belonging.

India is a rare example of the successful management of diversity in the developing world but the events of the past few years make it necessary to “reaffirm the patriotic idea of India enshrined in our Constitution” to build a “New India that will cherish and uplift” all its citizens, noted author and parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor writes in a scholarly new book that methodically takes the reader through the world of patriotism, citizenship and belonging…Writes Vishnu Makhijani.

“The healthy spirit of acceptance of difference, of constitutional encouragement of debate and discussion, fuelled by a thriving free media, contentious civil society forums, energetic human rights groups, assorted autonomous institutions, and the repeated spectacle of our remarkable general elections, are all assets for India’s civic nationalism.

“Together with a fractious and competitive political culture, sustained by the proactive framework of the Constitution, they have made of India a rare example of the successful management of diversity in the developing world,” Tharoor writes in “The Battle of Belonging – On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What It Means To Be An Indian” (Aleph).

“It is time to reaffirm the patriotic ‘idea of India’ enshrined by our Constitution, in order to build a New India that will cherish and uplift each and every one of us. This requires a conscious effort to defend the besieged institutions of civil nationalism, restore their autonomy and ensure their effectiveness,” he writes.

Shashi Tharoor.

Towards this, “we will need to separate the powers and roles of the legislature, the judiciary and the executive to ensure that the first two do not become mere rubber stamps for the third”, Tharoor states, harkening back to his book “India Shastra” in which he had advocated a Presidential form of government “with clear separation power, in order to ensure efficiency and democracy”.

Elected chief executives at all levels, from village, heads up to the President, would “have the mandate, the authority and the resources to deliver solutions in their respective areas, to be accountable to independently elected legislatures, and an autonomous judiciary, and to face voters at the end of fixed terms”, he writes.

The existence of such multiple power centres “would ensure decentralisation and prevent the emergence of a hyper-nationalist strongman, while celebrating patriotism and the best features of civic nationalism at all levels”, Tharoor maintains, even as he admits he is “conscious of how little support there is in India’s political class for a presidential system”.

Even so, Indianness is constantly being remade “in a continuous process of deliberation and democratic discourse, a process that must continue (and that civic nationalism permits and encourages) in perpetuity”, he asserts, adding: “To defend and strengthen our civic nationalism , with its unique overlay of everything that is good and valuable about India, we will also need to undertake a careful retelling of modern Indian history that is comprehensive, embraces all experiences, and refuses to see the past through the prism of any one faith.”

Recalling that Swami Vivekananda spoke of the religion professed by the majority in this country, Hinduism, as “one that does not merely tolerate other faiths but accepts them as they are”, Tharoor writes that this acceptance of difference has been “the key to our country’s survival, making….’unity in diversity’ the most hallowed of independent India’s self-defining slogans. It is that unity we seek, not uniformity; it is consensus we must pursue, not conformity”.

Noting that this requires a “rearmed liberalism, with a mass movement for the restoration of our civic nationalism” the author writes that the “battle of belonging in our country is a battle between two ideas — the idea of a civic nationhood of pluralism and institutions that protect our diversity and individual freedoms, pitted against the ethno-religious nationalism of the Hindu rashtra”.

To effectively wage this battle, Indian liberalism “needs new ideas, precepts, narratives and heroes. It must be rooted in genuine patriotism and refuse to cede ground to the Hindutva bakths on nationalism”.

“It also needs a wide social coalition as Gandhiji was able to build for his nationalism” and probably also needs to “move out of the Khan Market circles so beloved of the Lutyens elite, to the mohallas, the jhuggi-jhopris, the rural hamlets, and the streets of India”.

It will also have to be ensured that the South is not “provoked into political disgruntlement by Hindu chauvinism, financial inequity or centralised government. We must once again help Muslims and other minorities enjoy the assurance that they are integral parts of the Indian nationalist narrative. Only by maintaining civic nationalism, and its commitment, through liberal constitutionalism, to a democratic and pluralistic ethos, can new India be able to fulfil the aspirations of all Indians”, Tharoor contends.

If India is to “reclaim its soul”, he writes, “the urgent national challenge is to restore, empower, and renew the very institutions of civil nationalism that the BJP has commandeered and weakened. These are the institutions that can best protect the minorities and the marginalised, that protect free speech and the expression of unfashionable opinions, that elevate principles and values above the interests of politicians in power, that offer shelter and aid to the vulnerable, and so create the habits and conventions that make democracy the safest of political systems for ordinary people to live under”.

Such an India “can not only survive but thrive, if we reassert and rebuild the civic nationalism in which our Constitutions embeds it. We must remain faithful to our founding values of the twentieth century if we are to conquer the looming challenges of the twenty-first”, Tharoor concludes, but after a caveat: “Only then will we be able to look a questioner in the eye and say with upright stance and uplifted gaze: ‘This is my nation. I am proud to say that I am an Indian’.”

Also Read-Campaign To Stem Type 2 Diabetes Among South Asians

Categories
Arts & Culture Books Lite Blogs

“Moustache” Bags 25 Lakh JCB Prize For Literature

“Moustache” by S. Hareesh, translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil, was on Saturday named the winner of the Rs 25-lakh JCB Prize for Literature, India’s richest literary award, for the “agile and deeply insightful way” it deals with the caste and gender equations in the state’s Kuttanad region.

The winner was announced by JCB Chairman Lord Bamford in a first-of-its-kind virtual awards ceremony.

The book was chosen from among a shortlist of five which included “Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line” by Deepa Anappara, “Chosen Spirits” by Samit Basu, “Prelude to a Riot” by Annie Zaidi and “These, Our Bodies, Possessed by Light” by Dharini Bhaskar.

Hareesh’s debut novel, which is a contemporary classic mixing magic, myth and metaphor into a tale of far-reaching resonance, was the unanimous choice of the jury. It is the second debut novel as well as the second Malayalam translation to win the award.



Hareesh will also receive a trophy sculpted by Delhi artist duo Thukral and Tagra titled “Mirror Melting.” The translator will receive Rs 10 lakh.

The winner was selected by a panel of four judges comprising professor, cultural theorist and author Tejaswini Niranjana (chair); writer and translator Aruni Kashyap; playwright and director Ramu Ramanathan; and Head of the Arts and Culture portfolio at Tata Trusts Deepika Sorabjee.

“Moustache is a fine work of Indian fiction by a highly regarded Malayalam author whose work is now coming into English translation. Hareesh engages in an agile and deeply insightful way with the caste and gender equations of the Kuttanad region in this intricate and highly readable story. Jayasree Kalathil’s translation of the novel is fluent and energetic. She conveys the specificity of the context without missing the wood for the trees,” Niranjana said.

Hareesh is the author of three short-story collections: “Adam”, which received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award; “Rasavidyayude Charithram”; and “Appan”. He is also the recipient of the Geetha Hiranyan Endowment, the Thomas Mundassery Prize, and the V.P. Sivakumar Memorial Prize.

Jayasree Kalathil’s translation of N. Prabhakaran’s novella “Diary of a Malayali Madman” won the Crossword Books Jury Award for Indian Language Translation in 2019. Her translation of “Moustache” was published by HarperCollins India in 2020.
Jayasree is also the author of “The Sackclothman”, a children’s book that has been translated into Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi. Originally from Kottakkal, Kerala, Jayasree currently lives in London with her husband, Adley Siddiqi. “Moustache” is her second translation.

Also Read-Campaign To Stem Type 2 Diabetes Among South Asians

Categories
Health Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Campaign To Stem Type 2 Diabetes Among South Asians

Campaign To Stem Type 2 Diabetes

Notable community voices including celebrity chefs Atul Kochhar and Anjum Anand and media medic Dr Ranj Singh have joined forces to get behind the inaugural campaign from the NHS to urge South Asians to prevent or delay the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The call out, which is also supported by the South Asian medical community and faith organisations, including the South Asian Health Foundation, the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), British Sikh Nurses, British Islamic Medical Association and the Hindu Council UK comes as we are reminded that South Asians are up to six times more likely to develop diabetes than white people and that if not diagnosed, it can lead to blindness, kidney failure, loss of a limb and it also increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

The campaign is asking people from the South Asian community to know their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes through using the ‘Know Your Risk’ tool hosted by Diabetes UK. Anyone at moderate or high risk of developing the condition may be eligible to join their local Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, a joint initiative from NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and Diabetes UK. The programme supports people to make positive changes to their diet, weight and the amount of physical activity they do – to significantly reduce the risk of developing this disease.

TV Doctor Dr Ranj Singh said: “Although the risk of developing this condition is higher in people from a South Asian background, it’s not a given and can be prevented. Just making some simple changes could significantly reduce the chances. That starts with finding out more about your risk and the changes you can make.”

Professor Vinod Patel, Clinical Director Diabetes NHS England & NHS Improvement West Midlands and Trustee at the South Asian Health Foundation (SAHF) says: “There are several risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, some of which, such as your age or your family history that can’t be changed, however, it’s really important for the community to take heed that there are other risk factors such as your weight which are very much in your control – indeed, the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be reduced by getting support to lose weight, getting more physically active and eating healthy food. I urge everyone from the community to take a pragmatic and practical approach to this very serious health condition to reduce your risk.”

Food writer and TV chef of Indian Cuisine Anjum Anand said: “Type 2 diabetes is a serious issue within the South Asian community and that’s why I’m supporting this campaign from NHS England. A healthy and balanced diet is key to helping to reduce your risk but people often have the misconception that healthy means bland, which is so far from true. Whether it’s reducing the amount of ghee or butter, incorporating the rainbow of vegetables or choosing grainy breads such as chapatis, there are so many options within the South Asian diet open to us.”

Dr Bhasha Mukherjee, Celebrity Supporter of Diabetes UK, said: “As a clinician, I know only too well the devastating impact type 2 diabetes can have on South Asian communities. It’s time to talk about it, and it’s time to act. People from South Asian backgrounds are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but so many people don’t know it. Too many only find out when it is too late, and the condition can no longer be prevented or delayed – and every time it breaks my heart.”

“We must put a stop to this, but we can only do so by raising awareness. So please, make visiting the Diabetes UK’s Know Your Risk tool to find out your risk, your top priority. I promise you it will only take a few minutes and is completely free – all you will need is access to internet and a tape measure. Knowledge is power – if we all knew our risk, we can help each other in the fight against diabetes.”

The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme has continued through the pandemic via video calls and is also available digitally using websites and apps.

To find out your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, visit: www.diabetes.org.uk/knowyourrisk.

Also Read-Tracking Contamination In Hospital Rooms

Categories
Books Lite Blogs Science

‘Stephen Hawking’: Heart-warming saga of a real-life hero

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was just 21 when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative disease of the motor neurons that almost always causes death within two to five years after diagnosis, with only one in 20 patients living for 20 or more years.

He lived with it for 55 years and is noted for his breakthrough research on black holes, described as “some of the strangest and most fascinating objects in outer space” – and seminal books like “A Brief History of Time” and co-author of “The Grand Design”.

He was confined to a wheelchair for the major portion of his life, with a “peg” inserted in his belly through which his “carers” injected fluids and vitamins — he took 80 pills a day — directly into his stomach and fed him through an oversized spoon. He communicated through a speech-generating device, using a single cheek muscle to type out words and sentences on a computer.

A lesser mortal would have long thrown in the towel but not Hawking, as Leonard Mlodinow, himself a theoretical physicist and co-author of “The Grand Design”, writes in “Stephen Hawking — A Memoir of Friendship and Physics” (Allen Lane/Penguin Random House) — a heart-warming saga of what a human being can achieve, no matter what the odds.

“After his diagnosis, it took about a year of intense emotional struggle for Stephen to come to grips with is fate. In defining an ever-growing universe of physical activities he could not do, his disease magnified the value of the mental activities he could. It left him with a choice of wasting away in spirit as well as body or finding a world of the mind in which he could still function. Where some in his situation would have found God, Stephen found physics. He decided to finish his Ph. D. (from Cambridge). He found to his surprise, that he liked the work,” writes Mlodinow, who closely worked with Hawking for 11 years on (the condensed) “A Briefer History of Time” and “The Grand Design”.

Hawking’s career started after his doctoral dissertation, written in 1966, when he was 24.

“In that work, he showed that Einstein’s general relativity required that the universe had begun with the big bang. That made him famous in the cosmology world, but not yet the dominant figure that he would later become. His dominance grew out of his next project, in which he combined general relativity and quantum theory, conflicting theories that presented vastly different conceptualizations of the universe, of the nature of space and time, of force, of motion, even of the sense in which the present affects the future.

“It was in his embrace of the contradictions in those two theories that one sees the roots of his ideas about mode-dependant realism. And in deftly moving back and forth between those two theories, he became the first to apply both to the same important physical process, this leading the way for others. That work was his research on black holes, culminating in his discovery of what is now called Hawking radiation,” Mlodinow, who constantly shuttled between Caltech, where he taught, and Cambridge during the collaboration, writes.

“Hawking radiation was important because it represented the first important instance in which general relativity and quantum theory were applied to the same system. We still have no complete theory of quantum gravity, but by having black holes as a mathematical laboratory for mixing general relativity and quantum theory, physicists have been able to learn something about the properties and principles of that elusive theory,” Mlodinow writes.

So, how is it that Hawking was never considered for the Nobel prize?

“One consistent principle the Nobel committee seems to adhere to is that a theoretical advance will not bring a prize unless it is confirmed by observation or experiment” and indirect evidence supporting Hawking radiation finally came only in 2019, a little more than a year after his death.

“Had Stephen survived, that might have been enough for the Nobel committee, but another thing, the Nobel committee does not do is make posthumous awards,” Mlodinow rues.

Interspersed with all this, is the human element.

“That Stephen attracted nurturing (from a veritable army of carers, friends and admirers) was easy to understand. But he also attracted affection. I felt that for him almost from the start. Part of it was his eyes, blue and full of character. They could impart great warmth. They could speak to you. They could make you feel connected. To those who were his friends, they were affectionate. To those who didn’t know him, they were inviting. To those who were annoyed with him, they were disarming. When he was in pain, he’d scrunch them up, and you’d feel that, too. And if you made him angry, his eyes made you wish you hadn’t,” Mlodinow writes.

That’s not all.

“There are many words one could use to describe Stephen. Courageous. Stubborn. Skeptical. Visual. Passionate. Playful. Determined, Brilliant. Fun-loving…In the eyes of the public, Stephen quickly became not one of the greatest physicists of his generation, but one of the greatest minds since Plato…Stephen’s fame didn’t go to his head. He’d always had a certain arrogance e as do most people who are that smart and accomplished e but he also appreciated that, smart as he was, nature is smarter, as all theorists know from experience,” Mlodinow writes.

photo by www.facebook.com/MartinHaburajPhotographer

Thus, the completion of “The Grand Design” was the “end of an era” in Mlodinow’s life and he wondered whether their paths would cross again.

“After being together in the trenches for years, writing two books, arguing cooperating sharing our meals and our thoughts would our connections now fade,” he wondered.

In fact, due to their differing schedules, they rarely met in the four years after the completion of the second book and Hawking’s death on March 14, 2018.

“His passing has left a black hole in the lives of all who were his friends,” Mlodinow concludes.

Also Read-US hits record-high average daily COVID-19 cases

Categories
Arts & Culture Lite Blogs Travel & Tourism

Unveiling The Paradise

A selection of photographs taken over a period of twenty years in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, is currently on exhibition online. The show of photographs taken by Kishore Thukral runs till November 15…writes Siddhi Jain.

Titled ‘Spiti – Paradise Unveiled’, the online exhibition is divided into five sections – Gateway to Paradise; The Incredible Moonscape; Life in Paradise; The Lamaseries of Paradise; and Serene Snowscapes. It is available to see on the website of India International Centre.

Kishore Thukral, who has to his credit a number of photography exhibitions and illustrated lectures on Spiti, Dangkhar and Vajrayana Buddhist art, has trekked, photographed and researched extensively in the western Himalayas, especially the remote valley of Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. He has authored ‘Spiti through Legend and Lore’, a book that documents the legends and folklore of the valley both in text and in photographs. He was instrumental in setting up Dangkhar Initiative, a project for the restoration of the ancient Dangkhar monastery in Spiti. Through his efforts, Dangkhar was recognised by the World Monuments Fund in 2006-07 as one of the hundred most endangered historical sites in the world.

Imagining Spiti brings to mind a remote valley high up in the western Indian Himalayas, abutting Tibet — a valley that is a world within a world. Spiti derives its name from a combination of two local words e bi (hidden) and ti (water/river/valley), though some believe it is rooted in chiti (paradise). Be that as it may, sandwiched between perennially snow-capped mountains, the valley has only recently started to garner the attention of the Indian traveller. The approach to it is not easy e the narrow, rough road leading to it takes one through canyons, across streams, beneath overhangs and over high mountain-passes.

Tibet is barely a day’s walk away. Little wonder then that Vajrayana Buddhism has flourished in Spiti for over a thousand years, a period that also saw the founding of magnificent monasteries such as Tabo, Dangkhar, Ghungri, Tangyud and Key, and smaller temples like the Ser Khang in Lhalung.

The mystique of the land is palpable. Spiti’s history is for the most part unrecorded, yet it boasts a priceless heritage and a landscape that presents a frame wherever you turn your camera.

Also Read-US hits record-high average daily COVID-19 cases

Categories
Bollywood Celebrity Films Lite Blogs

Bhumi wants to leave behind a legacy

Bhumi Pednekar: Want to leave behind a legacy with good cinema.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SndY2oYrio

Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar-starrer ‘Bala’ was released in Hindi cinema one year ago on this day. The actress says she definitely wants to leave behind a legacy and thinks that only can be done with good cinema.

“Bala”, directed by Amar Kaushik, revolves around a young man suffering from premature balding and struggles to measure up to social beauty standards.

Talking about the movie, Bhumi said: “‘Bala’ is a very special film. It’s again a film where I got a chance to experiment with a powerful character. To start with, what made this collaboration really special was my collaboration with Ayushmann.”

Bhumi Pednekar

“Bala” marked the third collaboration between Bhumi and Ayushmann. The two have also worked in movies like “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” and “Shubh Mangal Saavdhana”.

She added: “This was the 3rd time we were collaborating and as luck would have it, it was again a successful one and thank God for that,” Bhumi said.

Bhumi said that what makes “Bala” special for her is the fact that she got to play a character that again “questions a lot of stereotypes that exist in the society”.

She said: “Latika stands for integrity, confidence, and stands for breaking every stereotypical beauty standard in a country like ours. There has always been a colour-based bias in India and she breaks that norm. She is a very strong character.”

Bhumi says the script of “Bala” had floored her instantly.

Bhumi Pednekar: Want to leave behind a legacy with good cinema.

“When I read the script, the first thing that stood out for me for Latika was her strength and I imbibed a lot of her strength into my personal life. Another exciting part was about how I got to work with Amar Kaushik.”

Talking about what she wants to achieve as her legacy, Bhumi, who will soon be seen in “Durgavati”, said: “I definitely want to leave behind a legacy and I think you can only do that with good cinema. Good cinema has to come with a strong message, with strong content. So, the idea is exactly that.”

She says she wants her films to be remembered even when she is not there.

“Even when I am gone and only a powerful film can do that. Nobody remembers how many crores a film rakes in but what people remember is how they were moved emotionally by the experience of the film. Those films go down in history.”

Also Read-Anupam’s Third Book On Journey Of Self-Discovery

Categories
Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

‘Bala’ Celebrates First Anniversary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SndY2oYrio

The Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Bala had released on this day a year ago, and the actor says he wanted to tell people to love themselves through the film, because everyone is special and unique.

The Amar Kaushik directorial also starred Bhumi Pednekar and Yami Gautam. The narrative discussed premature balding among men and the taboo associated with dark complexion in India.

“With ‘Bala’, I wanted to normalise the fact that perfection is a human-made myth, and it creates immense discrimination that breaks hearts and families. Through this film I wanted to tell people to love themselves because everyone is special and unique in their own way. I wanted to tell everyone to not fall prey to stereotyped notions of beauty because that has divided people,” Ayushmann said.

“I tried to tell people how counterproductive the pursuit of this so-called perfection is, and I was happy that audiences showered our film with so much love,” he added.

Ayushmann is all praise for director Kaushik and producer Dinesh Vijan, because he feels the team was committed to bring about a positive change in society.

“I must credit my director, Amar Kaushik, for his brilliant and sensitive vision to make a truly clutter-breaking content film that was also immensely entertaining at its core because of the inherent social satire. I must also thank my producer Dinesh Vijan, who has shown his penchant to back content that stands out. ‘Bala’ was a brave film and it wouldn’t have been possible without a strong-willed producer like Dinesh,” said the actor.

Ayushmann always aims at leaving a social message through his entertaining films. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan dealt with same-sex relationship while Article 15 touched upon caste politics.

National Award-winning actor Ayushmann Khurrana has struck gold at the box office once again as his latest release “Bala” hit the century mark, and he feels happy on “contributing towards the growth of industry”.

“When you set out to change perceptions and beliefs, you will need to trigger a dialogue, you will need to start a debate. I have strongly believed that constructive conversation can help us improve society at large. My films have tried to do just that and I’m extremely proud of my body of work,” said Ayushmann.

“Films can be a true mirror to society and through my films, I constantly try to bring focus on matters that needs society’s attention. I would like to believe that I can do my bit to normalise issues and ask people to rethink on the preconceived notions about our world. I would want to shatter as many stereotypes as possible and there is a lot of work to be done,” he added.

Also Read-Anupam’s Third Book On Journey Of Self-Discovery

Categories
Bollywood Celebrity Lite Blogs

Kajal Shares honeymoon snaps from Maldives

Kajal Aggarwal gives a sneak peek into her honeymoon.
Kajal Aggarwal gives a sneak peek into her honeymoon.

After making headlines with her wedding in October, actress Kajal Aggarwal is now holidaying with her husband, Gautam Kitchlu, in Maldives.

On Sunday, Kajal took to her Instagram and shared a series of pictures from her honeymoon.

From posing against the backdrop of the azure blue waters of the Indian Ocean along with Gautam to flaunting her red dress, Kajal’s pictures are surely a feast for the eyes.

In one of the images, she showed her “beach essentials”.

On October 6, Kajal had updated her fans about her wedding.

“It gives me immense joy to share that I am getting married to Gautam Kitchlu, on October 30, 2020, in Mumbai, in a small, private ceremony surrounded by our immediate families. This pandemic has certainly shed a sobering light on our joy, but we are thrilled to start our lives together and know that all of you will be cheering us on in spirit. I thank you for all the love you have showered upon me over the years and we seek your blessings as we embark upon this incredible new journey. I will still continue doing what I cherish the most – entertaining my audience – now, with a whole new purpose and meaning. Thank you for your unending support,” she had written.

Also Read-Anupam’s Third Book On Journey Of Self-Discovery

Categories
Bollywood Books Lite Blogs

Anupam’s Third Book On Journey Of Self-Discovery

Anupam Kher’s new book celebrates strength of positive thinking.

Celebrated actor, author and former Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India Anupam Kher on Saturday announced his third book, which he describes as “a journey of self-discovery, willpower, small triumphs and the strength of positive thinking”. The book will be released worldwide on December 5.

“Your Best Day Is Today!” will not only act as a companion “in these dark times, but also serve as a guide to know one’s self better. Drawing inference from personal experiences, it is a compilation of learnings and observations that are aimed towards motivating the reader to adapt to changes in their surroundings and adopt a positive approach towards their life,” the publisher, Hay House India, said in a statement.

Kher said the book has been on his mind ever since he first heard about the novel coronavirus.

“In my 36-year-long cinema career, I had never taken a day off for the simple reason that when you do what you love and have a deep passion for it, everyday seems like a holiday and a day well spent. My friends and family know that I am a restless person and someone who is always on the move — creating opportunities to channel my thoughts and passion.

“This book is an attempt to reach out to everyone and share common experiences — a journey of self-discovery, willpower, small triumphs and the strength of positive thinking. The battle ahead of us is long, but together we will persevere. Our resilience will bring us back on the path of glory. Something tells me that all of us wrote the future during this unprecedented time. A future where the world would be healed…a future where the coming generations will look up to us as the pioneers of the healed world,” Kher said.

A gold-medalist from the National School of Drama, New Delhi, Kher is one of India’s most prolific actors with over 530 films (in several languages, both at home and in the West), 100 plays and numerous TV shows to his credit. He is a winner of two National Film Awards, eight Filmfare Awards and a BAFTA nomination besides been conferred with the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri for his contribution to cinema.

Starting his career with films such as “Saaransh” and “Daddy” in India, he has featured in mainstream Hollywood films such as “Silver Linings Playbook”, “Hotel Mumbai”, “The Big Sick” and “A Family Man”.

He has worked with directors such as Ang Lee, David O. Russell, Woody Allen, Gurinder Chadha and Lana and Lilly Wachowski. He is also the author of “The Best Thing about You Is YOU!” which has been translated in six languages and is in its 22nd reprint.

Kher presently shuttles between Mumbai and New York, where he is one of the lead actors on the recently premiered hit TV show “New Amsterdam” on NBC Entertainment.

Also Read-Modi Congratulates Joe Biden

Categories
India News Lite Blogs

Tirupati To Reopen In Three Months

'Telangana's Tirupati gearing up for re-opening after makeover'

The renovated Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Telangana’s Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district is likely to be ready in two to three months.

The much-awaited works of the famous temple, often described as Telangana’s Tirupati, are nearing completion.

With the completion of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s dream project, the cave temple located at Yadadri (earlier known as Yadgirigutta), about 60 km from Hyderabad, will get a complete makeover.

The chief minister directed the officials to expedite the works so that the temple complex is inaugurated in two to three months.

While leading the movement for statehood to Telangana, Chandrasekhar Rao had vowed to develop the temple on the lines of the famous Tirupati temple if Andhra Pradesh was divided.

After formation of Telangana state in 2014, KCR, as he is popularly known embarked on his mission to renovate the temple and beautify its surrounding at a whopping cost of Rs.1,800 crore. He decided to club adjoining nine hills to make it a mega centre of pilgrimage.

It was in 2016 that Yadadri Temple Development Authority (YTDA) was constituted for the purpose and the same year the foundation stone was laid for the ambitious temple.

‘Telangana’s Tirupati gearing up for re-opening after makeover’

The temple was originally located over 2,500 square yards but after completion of the works, the temple complex will be spread over four acres (19,360 sq yards).

According to YTDA Special Officer G. Kishan Rao, black granite stone, known as Krishnashila, was procured from a quarry in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh for the renovation works.

Film art director B Anand Sai designed the masterplan under the guidance of well-known seer Chinna Jeeyar Swamy. The officials said every care was taken to follow Agama, Vasthu and Pancharatha shastras.

As part of the renovation plan, the hillock was blasted to level the land and build massive retaining walls and gopurams or ornate monumental entrance towers.

The new temple has seven gopurams. The seven-storied sapthathala maharaja gopuram is constructed over the original cave temple. The other six towers are five-storied.

‘Telangana’s Tirupati gearing up for re-opening after makeover’

The authorities hired the services of over 500 sculptors to carve the hundreds of idols and pillars for the temple complex. The craftsmen were brought from Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.

Apart from expanding the original temple area, the authorities have taken up construction of cottages, lodges and shelters for pilgrims and a presidential guesthouse. Landscaping and road widening also form part of the grandiose plan.

A controversy hit the renovation plan in September last year when carvings of KCR’s face and car, the symbol of his Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) were found on some pillars. The chief minister came under criticism from BJP, Congress and other opposition parties for acting like medieval kings who used to inscribe their names on the temples and monuments they built. BJP alleged that KCR is trying to portray himself as god.

As it threatened to snowball into a major row, the government directed the temple authorities to remove images of KCR and all other political leaders. They were asked to ensure that except the symbols related to the god and the temple, no other symbols should be used.

The government claimed that some sculptors on their own engraved images of KCR, Indira Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi and symbols of certain political parties.

KCR, who reviewed the progress of the works on Saturday, directed the officials to take up the beautification works of the temple complex and surroundings to reflect the peace and spirituality.

He also asked the officials to enlist the services of the sculptors involved in the making of Ayodhya, Akashardham temples in the making of the Yadadri temple.

“Yadadri temple is being developed on par with other prestigious temple complexes in the country. Devotees all over the world are eagerly waiting for the inauguration of the Yadadri temple. The state is fast recovering from the Corona pandemic. Since the government is releasing the funds, the works on the temple complex should be expedited. The officials should ensure that the Yadadri temple complex should be inaugurated in two or three months,” the CM said.

He reviewed the development works on the Bus stand, construction of cottages, beautification of the Yadadri temple surroundings, landscaping as well as the temple complex and offered his suggestions. He also reviewed the works on Bus ways to the hill, VIP car parking, Kalyana Katta, Pushkarini Ghats, Brahmotsavam Kalyana Mandapam, police outpost, Anna Prasada Complex, Shopping Complex etc.

The CM wanted parking place should be developed in 11 acres of land to accommodate 3,000 cars. He wanted the Food Courts should be arranged with strictly south Indian vegetarian dishes and also north Indian and inter-continental cuisine.

Since Yadadri is close to the capital city of Hyderabad, there would be rush of tourists to the place. KCR wanted that all the works pertaining to the Yadadri temple should reflect the spirituality and devotion of the place.

The Gandi Lake in Yadadri should be developed to organise the annual Teppotsavam. The CM wanted a huge stadium should be planned in 90 acres of land to organise religious and spiritual discourses for the devotees. He wanted the temple’s Vimana Gopuram should be covered with gold.

KCR, who had had visited the temple complex and inspected the progress of the development works in September, said the entire infrastructure should be developed in such a way that the visiting devotees whatever great their number be should have a comfortable darshan and stay.

The CM also suggested that the specialist goldsmiths from Pembarthy be engaged to provide gold cover to the Rajagopuram and the main gates.

Also Read-Modi Congratulates Joe Biden