The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

PU notes
Seats for displaced Kashmiris
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13
Panjab University (PU) has created seats for wards of displaced Kashmiri persons for admission to various courses in its affiliated institutes for the academic session 2004-05. In a press note, PU has clarified that candidates who had appeared in the CAT entrance test for admission to MBA courses in PU are required to apply on plain paper along with attested copies of Kashmiri migrant certificate issued by a competent authority. The candidate is required to mention his or her old CAT registration number and UBS form number. The late date is June 25.

BE, B Pharm courses

Students seeking admission to BE and B Pharm courses at Panjab University will have to fill in the admission form for BE and B Pharm at the time of their reporting to the chairman, joint admission committee, Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, while taking admission. Admission will be based on the performance of students in the CBSE’s all-India engineering entrance examination Admission dates for open, SC\ST and physically handicapped categories will be notified by the Central Counselling Board, Allahabad.

For other categories, including sports, defence personnel, riot victim, freedom fighter, Kashmiri migrants, foreign nationals, NRI-sponsored students, PU will conduct counselling on July 21 and 22. For MCA admission, (all categories), counselling will be held on July 23 and 24. The second session of counselling for BE, B Pharm and MCA (all categories) will be held on August 11 and 12 at the university auditorium.

Aspiring students will have to submit the application form latest by June 28. The forms are to be submitted to the coordinator, joint admission committee, Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology.

BEd entrance

Panjab university has notified June 24 as the last date of receipt of completed application forms for the BEd entrance test. The entrance test is for admission to the BEd correspondence course offered by the Department of Correspondence Studies. The entrance test will be held on July 25.

Institute of film training inaugurated
Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 13
An institute for training students for film and television was inaugurated here today under the aegis of the Virasat Kala Kendra. The institute, Chandigarh Institute of Film and Television Training, will work under Punjab Technical University. ‘‘The institute will conduct short term and long term courses aimed at creating a balance of practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge to fulfil needs of media professionals,’’ said Ms Sukhi Brar, the Director of the institute.

Stating that the production team at the institute included professionals and qualified crew, who had a wide experience in cinematography and videography, Mr J.S. Dhaliwal, Chairman of the institute, added that a vast variety of courses were being offered to the students by the institute.

Starting with one year courses like post-graduate diploma in acting and presentation, a post-graduate diploma on camera and lighting techniques, post-graduate diploma in video editing and sound recording, diploma in cultural heritage of Punjab, the institute would offer six-month courses also. A large number of theatre and film personalities attended the inauguration ceremony at industrial area here.

LIFESTYLE

Preserving the past
Parbina Rashid

It is the lingering feel of the past that excites these romantics. Trips to old “havelis”, shady lanes or haggling in auction centres: nothing is too great a sacrifice for them when it comes to collecting an item that bears a slice of history. You have guessed it right: they are antique collectors in the city.

Viren Tanwar, an artist, could give away a chunk of ancestral property to get his hands on the heirlooms that his family possessed for generations; even if the items were as trivial as a handwoven and handstitched “cholis” handed down by his ancestors.

His beautifully done-up flat in Sector 48 in Chandigarh is steeped in history; there are about 20 terracotta figurines from different centuries, stone sculptures, antique jewellery, utensils and garments.

“When the hustle and bustle of daily life gets to me, I come back and seek solace in my terracotta collection, which immediately takes me back in the past, giving a sense of peace and tranquillity,” says Mr Tanwar.

Majority of his collections came from his own family in Hisar, except for a few minor pieces from here and there, during his many visits to different parts of the country and abroad.

For another collector in Sector 32, it is the story behind each piece that fascinates her. “I collect not for investment, but to appease my aesthetic sense, hence I am always on the lookout for something that suits my budget,” she adds. So most of the pieces in her collection, like the 18th century Viennese lamp, 100 years old “hukkah”, an old gramophone, bear some modifications. “My prized possession is this vanity box from the royal family of Bhopal that has many secret compartments for storing love letters,” she says.

Antique dealing in India is mainly through the word of mouth. Though there are a few auction houses in Kolkata and Mumbai, which have attracted many antique collectors from all over the country, Chandigarh offers none of such facilities to the buyers.

“I have always been drawn to antiques, but for me to collect a few items of my choice, I had to wait for a lifetime. Since there is no fixed market for antiques, it is a matter of being at the right place at the right time,” says a collector, residing in Sector 21.

Some are more specific in their taste than others. For Mr Ashok Kataria of Sector 47, collecting “hukkah” - of all shapes and sizes -is his passion. Among the 250 hukkahs he has collected so far, there are a few rare pieces with beautiful silver inlay work used by the royals of Nahan.

Though the city is awakening in terms of collecting old knick-knacks, it is still a long way from maturing as a collector’s city. “We do not have a single professional collector here, only whimsical art lovers, a majority of whom either go by the names of the artist or trends,” says Mr Diwan Manna, a photographer.

“A professional collector is one who buys art objects as a mode of investment,” explains Mr Manna. “The concept of trading art has caught up with youngsters in metro like Delhi and Mumbai, where such people keep track of artists, their works and their growth in the international and domestic market. They collect not to cater to their own tastes, but to sell these later to buyers at higher prices,” he adds.

In the absence of a well-established market, the buyers are left in the lurch when it comes to ascertaining the genuineness or purity of an item. A diehard antique collector gives a piece of advice: “Every antique piece has a tale to tell. Make sure that it has a happy past; only then can it bring happiness.”

Teaching bhangra is his passion

“I want to teach people living abroad our culture, especially bhangra”, says city-based artiste Avtar Singh Chana, a member of the International Dance Council, UNESCO. He has recently judged two international bhangra events in the USA. He was a judge at “Bhangra Blowout” held in Washington.

He was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award by Bhangra Nation Multicultural Society in Canada.

“While we love and learn salsa, ballet and other western dances, it is sad that bhangra is being ignored in its land”, he observes.

He goes to the USA every month for conducting bhangra workshops. “I am impressed by the commitment of the artistes abroad. They devote a lot of energy to learn any form of art. No wonder they outdo Indians even in bhangra competition, says Avtar.

He has also performed for Gurdas Mann, Mehar Mittal and Malkit Singh. He said he was passionate about bhangra since childhood but he never dreamt that bhangra would give him opportunity to represent his country in foreign land.

He maintains that his family has always been supportive. His son Navdeep Chana, who is in Class XII, is his greatest fan.

Besides holding a postgraduate diploma in public relations and advertising from Punjabi University, he has a private pilot licence and has also been declared best pilot of North India and second best pilot of India. He has been presented with a gallantry award for bravery by the NCC for saving the life of a cadet. OC

School that spurs creative development

Here is a school which can make all the difference to your child’s mental and creative development. It’s called Mango Grove School in Sector 20, Panchkula. It was started a year ago to nurture tender minds in a positive ambience.

Spread over three acres, the school has five classrooms. Painted in natural colours of terracotta, rusts , greens and beiges, the building of the school seems to merge with the greenery around.

As the name indicates the school is surrounded by mango trees. Children between the ages of 2 and 6 years can explore their creativity in the lap of nature.

The school’s philosophy is that children’s education must go beyond mere acquisition of information. Education must make a shift from teaching the same lessons to all children in a class to an approach which begins with an understanding of each child, his needs and inclinations.

New teaching methods are experimented at the school. The children are taught gardening, clay-modelling and music under the loving care of teachers.

“Machans” and small niches under trees create a serene environment while imaginative swings enhance playfulness. Tiny-tots here can also imbibe the concept of pet-keeping. Dogs, rabbits and ducks enliven their imagination.

Since the stress is on holistic teaching, story-telling , dramatics and poetry are other activities to communicate with the children. The school does not lag behind in teaching relaxation techniques and yoga. One thousand books stocked in library are meant to inculcate reading habits among them.

Mr Karan Thandi , director of the school, said increasing stress among children gave him the idea to set up a school where they can get education in a stress-free and non-competitive atmosphere.

The novel concept of the school was arrived at after studying the educational models of the Montessori system, Sri Aurobindo and J. Krishnamurty’s philosophy and the Indian home school model.

Ms Monica Kohli, a school teacher, says “Children here are given a chance to explore while we teachers act as facilitators". OC

Asim Singh excels on synthesiser

Yesterday was a big day for nine-year- old Asim Singh. He gave his first public performance on a synthesiser by the Sukhna lakeside .The show was organised by Citco. As he played “Pyar hua ikrar hua” on the synthesiser, the audience gave responded warmly. People later gathered to congratulate Asim.

Apart from his parents, his teacher, Mr Jaswant Singh, has been a great inspiration for him. Mr Jaswant Singh recognised his hidden talent and instilled in him the confidence to perform in the public.

A Class IV student of Vivek High School, Asim is widely travelled . He has been to the USA and Thailand. He has visited Canada thrice and likes it so much that he wants to settle down there. Apart from travelling, he loves playing tabla.

He is regular in his music lessons and wants to become a musician or painter when he grows up. OC

Seasons from the eyes of a painter

An avid painter, Bharati Sharma is back with her canvases. Put together to celebrate the beauty of nature and its manifestations, the show titled, “Seasons in Patterns”, is about colours, flowers and flourish.

The ensemble is soothing to the senses, as it draws from the limitless forms of nature which have their own way of expressing beauty. In most of the works, Bharati works on seasons using colours and shades as her tools for distinction. The seasons have been portrayed through patterns that are vibrant and imposing.

Each frame tells a different tale, either of sun or of shade. The one showing summer is laced with colours of brown and yellow. Hues of fire dominate the canvas here, to depict the fury of a summer sun.

Patterns reflect radiations, drying leaves and withering branches. Some works surprise the viewer with their sheer brilliance, like the one on Holi and its rainbow colours. Monsoon as the leitmotif also take hold of the canvas, as the artist uses marine colours to voice her imagination.

Divali is another attraction in the exhibition, which also features works on spring and autumn. Other themes include Red Sun, Fish, Mushrooms, Flames and Peacock. TNS

‘Yaadon ki Mala’ released

An album of garwali songs “ Yaadon ki Mala” of Virender Chauhan was released today at Hotel President by Mr B.B. Bahal, President of the Tribunal Congress Committee, Chandigarh.

There are eight songs in the album which are based on love themes and satires. Music has been composed by Mr Harish Mangoli and lyrics have been given by Mr Shayam Lal Pauri. OC