Month: October 2016
Need of the hour is bigger aircraft and more seats
Etihad Airways and its equity partner Jet Airways will add three new cities and an extra 28 flights a week in India from next year.
The temple town of Tiruchirappalli in the southern state of Tamil Nadu is to be the first addition, from February 1. Next up in the second half of the year are Kannur in Kerala and Chandigarh, the twin capital of Punjab and Haryana states in the country’s north.
Etihad adds flights and cities to India sector
My comments: The need of the hour is bigger aircraft which will add more seats. Specially to destinations like Bengaluru and Cochin. These two sectors attracts maximum transit passengers via Abu Dhabi. This increase in demand cuts the seat availability option for passengers from the UAE. This is an area Etihad has to address at the earliest as the news reports about Emirates operating soon from Al Maktoum airport will be an easy choice for many to opt.
Narada: What is there in a name?
I am always fascinated by news and media. True, from my childhood, it was a regular feed of English and Malayalam news through The Hindu, Mathrubhumi and Malayala Manorama. The odd Russian news magazines and Illustrated Weekly that used to come to our village public library augmented additional nutrition to my reading quest.
The zest for reading never died. Later on at some stage of my life in the college days, it developed to writing. One thing progressed to another and then it became a passion, which turned one other day to become my profession.
The art and cultural upbringing within me took different twists and turns as years passed. It took a creative turn with a quality element embedded in it as my life journey progressed.
First it was the Team1Dubai email groups.
Then came the highly interactive blog initiative, TalentShare.
Team1TalentShare was created on 6 October 2008. A first of its kind during that time, and even now, with the key message “A Talent or Knowledge within you is to be Shared” targeted children with interest in non-performing arts and their parents to do creative projects in multiple disciplines like painting, drawing, poetry writing and even poetry rendering or story telling on video. Social media was not very active that time and blogger at the beginning stage was the platform used and then with supporting and sharing links through a dedicated FaceBook page helped this creative initiative to benefit about 400 dedicated users. Many of them were initially shy and hesitant but came out of their inhibition and exhibited their brilliance in creativity.
Almost at the same time followed my initiative to promote those with interest in photography through “Passionate Photographers” group which was created on Facebook.
Passionate Photographers on Facebook, created with the key message “Every photo clicked is a history. You will never be able to re-create that precious moment” is a dedicate d group to all those who are passionate about photography. It has now more than 4000 members.
The journey progressed and ideas and thoughts developed and one day it merged together in the form of a master site by the name “ClicksandWrites”.
It is combination of everything I can offer. Music, arts, culture, life, safety, security, Quality or whatever that comes into my mind. Either I click and then connect it with my writing or I write and then search and find a good click that can go along with me.
The journey continues and I look around for interesting subjects.
An interesting name and site caught my attention recently. The name attracted me as well as the contents they regularly carried. It is none other than the news portal “naradanews.com”. I used to think, why such a name, when everyone goes for modern names. Today, I found their motives behind naming it naradanews through one of their post
How Narada News Has Got Its Name?
They had interesting justifications, not one but many. Named after the first journalist, or so called investigative journalist in the universe Narada from the puranas, Narada had a great news sense. He took news from one world to another and served it with a tinge of his perspective. Although he was keen in making news entertaining, he never did misinterpretation for the sake of sensationalism. He was truly a gentleman.
I am sure the site will justify their name in the coming days feeding its readers with topics of relevance and interest. Setting sites on readers through English, Hindi and Malayalam sites with regional topics and news item of interest, it will be festival time for those who wish to read, read and read on.
Let creativity and innovation flourish.
Can we all look forward to this new portal, just as we listened to vedic sage Narada in his form as a traveling musician and storyteller carried news and enlightening wisdom, patience and perseverance for peace and harmony, which is what, the need of the hour.
Visit and enjoy reading: Narada news in English, Malayalam and Hindi
Best wishes to its team for a successful journey ahead.
Lasyatarangini launched to promote Mohiniyattam in UAE
Lasyatarangini UAE Chapter, an art initiative dedicated to the promotion of Mohiniyattam, was launched at the Kerala Social Center (KSC) Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 20th October 2016 by the doyen of Kathakali, Padmasri Kalamandalam Gopi Asan.
The ceremonial launch was held on the sidelines of the three day Kathakali Festival held in Abu Dhabi in which Asan launched Lasyatarangini Logo and Kerala Social Centre (KSC) President Sri Padmanabhan announced the inaugural edition of Lasyatarangini UAE Chapter’s activities.
The first of the performance series titled “Mohiniyattam Arangu”, will be presented on Friday 11th November 2016 at KSC with a Mohiniyattam Katcheri by renowned dancer Aswathy Srikanth.
Aswathy is the daughter of legendary writer and filmmaker Sri M T Vasudevan Nair and eminent guru Smt Kalamandalam Saraswathy.
A documentary titled “Spatial Rhythms” commemorating Sri Kavalam Narayana Panicker, the inimitable Indian dramatist, theatre director, and poet will also be screened at the event.
Lasyatarangini is a collective of Mohiniyattam artists, scholars, and art enthusiasts seeking to promote Kerala’s supremely graceful dance form. Born as an online forum 6 years back, it has led to the coming together of like-minded individuals from across the globe dedicated to this cause. Eminent gurus Kalamandalam Kshemavathy, Bharati Shivaji, Neena Prasad, Vijayalakshmi, Gopika Varma and Smitha Rajan among others are the Patrons of group.
Lasyatarangini aims to expand its reach to communities worldwide, bridging barriers in a bid to promote Mohiniyattam. The UAE chapter is their first step outside India towards this goal.
In addition to the performance series “Arangu”, Lasyatarangini UAE Chapter also aims to conduct its academic series “Samavesh”, national and international Mohiniyattam seminars, lecture demonstrations and documentary screening aimed at generating academic interest in the dance form. Lasyatarangini conducted Samavesh in India from 2011-2013 bringing together scholars, artists and enthusiasts from across the globe.
“Mohiniyattam provides a very aesthetic experience. Unfortunately there aren’t enough opportunities in UAE to watch this graceful dance form. The patrons of Lasyatarangini believe their effort will bridge this gap and bring Mohiniyattam closer to a wider cultural audience”, said Priya M Nair, one of the curators of Lasyatarangini UAE Chapter. The first event “Mohiniyattam Arangu” will be held on Friday 11th November in association with Kerala Social Centre, UAE Xchange and Etihad Airways will have Aswathy Srikanth performing for the first time in UAE.
For further details contact: priya.mnair@gmail.com
Navdeep Singh Suri to be new Indian ambassador to UAE
Navdeep Singh Suri – an Arabic and French speaker, has a masters degree in economics and has written on India’s Africa policy, on public diplomacy and on the IT outsourcing industry. Suri is taking up India’s top diplomat’s post here when the two nations have elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. On October 2, New Delhi said Shaikh Mohammad will be the chief guest at the Indian Republic Day on January 26, 2017.
The ambassador designate is eager to take up his new role at a time when India and UAE relations are witnessing an unprecedented upswing. “I look forward to the new assignment at such an important time in our bilateral relations,” Navdeep Singh Suri, who is currently serving as the Indian High Commissioner to Australia, tweeted on Monday.
As per available data 2.2 million Indians live in the UAE.
My sincere wishes to him for a successful tenure in the UAE.
Follow him on Twitter @navdeepsuri
News and image source: Gulf News
Also read in The National: New Indian ambassador to the UAE to start next month
You may also visit Embassy of India website for regular updates.
Research data and links: Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
ANORA men perfects Thiruvathirakali
Thiruvathirakali is a traditional dance performed by women in Kerala, in order to attain everlasting marital bliss, on the Thiruvathira day in the Malayalam month of Dhanu (December- January).
Today, Thiruvathirakali has become a popular dance form for all seasons.
As innovation is key for the success of any event, a group of men from the ANORA association (Ananthapuram Non Residents Association) based in Abu Dhabi practised and perfected it to perform on the day they celebrated at the India Social and Cultural Centre main hall.
This form of dance is a celebration of marital fidelity and the female energy, for this is what brought Kamadeva (the god of love) back to life after he was reduced to ashes by the ire of Lord Siva.
The sinuous movements executed by a group of dancers around a nilavilakku, embody ‘lasya’ or the amorous charm and grace of the feminine. The dance follows a circular, twirling and roating pattern accompanied by clapping of the hands and singing.
As the men performed, the women keenly encouraged them from the backstage watching each step eagerly.
Well, they did excellently well, considering the fact that it was for the first time some of them taking the centre stage!.
Team members (from left to right) Raghu, Joseph George Anicattil, Nahas, Manilal, Parbhu, George,Godfrey Antony and Shamnad.
Choreography was done by Mini Joseph George Anicattil
Watch the video and encourage them with your comments.
Source for narration: keralatourism.org
Photos and video by: Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
More photos:
When Passion meets Profession
Photography guru Radhakrishnan Chakyat‘s new baby on the road. An extremely useful addition to have for a professional like him, who likes to drive, travel, click and then continue to click… Congratulations and what I can do is to just complement with him with a Passionate Photographers signage…. with wishes from www.clicksandwrites.com too, where one clicks to writes or writes to click. Both ways it is passion personfied.
Alliance Française a organisé une «Journée du livre gratuit»
Alliance Française a organisé une «Journée du livre gratuit»
Lié avec l’Année de lecture dans les EAU, organisée par le gouvernement, l’Alliance française a organisé une «Journée du livre gratuit» aujourd’hui 9h30-17 heures. Des milliers de livres ont été affichés dans les locaux de l’Alliance Française pour les familles avec enfants à ramener à la maison pour encourager la lecture. Jean-Yves Carnino Directeur de l’Alliance Française a parlé exclusivement
Kanda Kumara Vadivela – Sai Bhajan by Rajashree Menon
Kanda Kumara Vadivela – Sai Bhajan by Rajashree Menon
Tabala – Master Sayeesh / Harmonium – Prashanth /Chorus – Sathyam Abu Dhabi
Video and photo: by Ramesh Menon, taken during a recent visit to Palani.
Vidhyarambham – 11 October 2016
Vidhyarambham – 11 October 2016
Vidyarambham (Malayalam: വിദ്യാരംഭം) is a Hindu tradition observed onVijayadashami day mainly in Kerala andKarnataka, where children are formally introduced to music, dance, languages and other folk arts. It involves a ceremony of initiation into the characters of the syllabary.
The Vijayadashami day is the tenth and final day of the Navratri celebrations, and is considered auspicious for beginning learning in any field. The process of learning and initiation on this day is also closely related to the Ayudha Puja ritual. It is usually on Vijayadashami that the implements kept for puja are taken up again for re-use. This is also considered a day when the Goddess of learning,Saraswati, and teachers (gurus) must be revered by givingGurudakshina. This usually consists of a betel leaf,Areca nut, along with a small token of money and a new piece of clothing – a dhoti, mundu or saree.
The ceremony of Vidyarambham (Vidya means “knowledge”, arambham means “beginning’) for children is held in temples and in houses. It is common practise for thousands of people to visit temples to initiate their children into learning.
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