New Delhi, November 11
The explosion of mirth and gaiety which started with Diwali, was capped perfectly over the weekend with the Bhai Dooj festival on Sunday in celebration of the brother-sister bond.

Bhai Dooj, also known as Bhaiyya Dooj or Bhai Phonta in West Bengal, is celebrated on the second day after the moonless night of Diwali day.

On this day, sisters put a ‘tilak’ or vermilion mark on the foreheads of their brothers and perform his ‘aarti’ with a diya, praying that he be always protected from evil forces.

For Richa Misra of Bihar, the festival is celebrated in an elaborate manner.

“In our community, Bhai Dooj is celebrated much more than Raksha Bandhan,” Misra told IANS.

Explaining the rituals, she said that first ‘arpan’ or rangoli designs are made on the floor with rice powder and sindoor.

“After that, my brother and I sit opposite each other, and on his palms, I place betel leaves, betel nut, grounded rice and a coin while chanting shlokas in Sanskrit. I then touch his feet and give him sweets, while he showers me with gifts,” Misra said.

Among the Bengali community, on Bhai Phonta, sisters fast till they have put the sandalwood paste tilak on their brother’s forehead. Then they offer him sweets and pray for his long life.

“Bhai Phonta is celebrated in a major way among the Bengalis. Sisters fast religiously on this day for the well being of their brothers... and then, of course, there is an incentive of gifts from the brothers!” said Sanchari Das of Delhi.

Brothers too look forward to this day.

“My sister is an excellent cook and on this day she makes it a point to whip up all the delicacies that I love,” said Onir Roy.

“While Diwali is a festival which is celebrated with family and friends equally, Bhai Phonta is more a family affair. This is a perfect occasion to have a jolly good time with the family and re-bond,” Roy said.

In helping to make the celebrations a happier occasion for sisters, the Delhi Transport Corporation did not charge women passengers any fare on the day.

According to mythology, on this day Yamaraj, the lord of death and the custodian of hell, visits his sister Yami, who puts the auspicious mark on his forehead and prays for his well being.

So it is held that anyone who receives a tilak from his sister on this day would never be hurled into hell.

According to another legend, on this day Lord Krishna, after slaying the demon Narakasura, went to his sister Subhadra who welcomed him with a lamp, flowers and sweets, and put the holy protective spot on her brother’s forehead.—IANS 

New Delhi, November 11
The Commonwealth Games village proposed along the Yamuna here has hit a roadblock with the Delhi High Court issuing notices to the government on a plea seeking protection of the riverbed.

A bench comprising Justices Rekha Sharma and A.K. Sikri has issued notices to the Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Metro Rail Corp and the ministries of environment and forests as well as urban development to file a reply to the issues raised in the petition.

The petition, from India’s ‘water man’ Rajendra Singh, the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and People’s Action, has sought immediate stay on all construction on the riverbed and asked the court to direct the authorities to restore the riverbed as intended under the yet-to-be-notified River Regulation Zone.

Advocate Sanjay Parikh submitted that the river ecosystem has invaluable significance and that the wetland system and water recharge zone of the national capital needs to be protected.

Allowing the construction activity to continue would lead to floods in low-lying parts of Delhi, he warned, adding that DDA had gone ahead with clearing the area for the Games village even after experts of the environment and forests ministry advised against permanent structures on the riverbed.

The petition has experts to corroborate the relevance of ecological services of the river system.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who favours the Games village, says that with 10,000 hectares of land available on the riverbed, the city cannot afford not to do anything with it.

Dikshit has defended the Games village on the ground that the construction of the nearby Akshardham temple a few years earlier was allowed during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and because the Games village projects have received all necessary clearances.—IANS

Noida, November 11
After eating food at a house warming party at BDC’s house, a large number of guests fell sick since the food was allegedly cooked in adulterated cooking oil. Over 25 persons among them who complained of vomiting and loose motions had to be rushed to Bhardwaj hospital and the district hospital, Noida.

The police have arrested two brothers from whose shop the ration for party was bought.

BDC Vejinder Tyagi had thrown a house warming party in Banghel which was attended by a large number of his relatives and friends. After dinner many guests complained of vomiting and loose motions for which they had to be rushed to hospital at mid-night.

BDC Vijinder Tyagi said only those guests had complained of vomiting and loose motions who had consumed fried food. On his complaint Phase-II police have arrested Rajkumar and his brother Mool Chand, owners of the general store from where items for the party were procured. The police have sent bottles recovered from the shopkeepers for lab test to determine adulteration.

Greater Noida, November 11
Diwali night was chosen for vengeance killing and to get even with enemy, as the sound of gunshots was drowned by the Diwali crackers in Hajipur and Uttarawali villages in Greater Noida.

One farmer on way to his farm in Hajipur was shot dead in a hail of bullets while in Uttarawali two groups exchanged fire in which some people including women were wounded.

Police force has been deployed in Uttarawali in view of the prevailing tension.

The children of Durgapal and Lekh Raj had clashed one and a half years ago. Durgapal, allegedly with the police connivance, got Lekhpal detained in the police station, and the police publicly beat up members of Lekhpal’s family.

On Diwali evening, Durgapal was going to his fields when some people shot him on the way.

The sound of gunshots was drowned in crackers and explosions of Diwali. When his family looked around for him, they found Durgapal had been shot dead.

Durgapal’s son, Rajiv has lodged an FIR against Satyander and four others.

Rajiv has alleged that his father was killed by these very people. He has sought their arrest.

Ghaziabad, November 11
Three youths, including a photographer, were killed in different incidents in the district in the last 48 hours.

The photographer Manoj Kumar, 32, was shot dead when he went to present Diwali gifts in Durgapuri locality of Modi Nagar town. Ramesh Chander of Shivpuri Mohalla lodged a report with the police that his son Manoj had gone to present Diwali gifts to some relatives. His girlfriend had invited him to her place in the evening. When both of them reached Tibra Road in Durgapuri at 7 pm, he was shot at. He was rushed to hospital in a serious condition and was declared brought dead by doctors.

Police said Manoj was married to Meeno of Gali No. 5 who had later married Amit. Manoj and Meeno had continued to meet even after that. Meeno had invited Manoj to her house but her husband Amit had seen the two in a compromising position so he shot dead Manoj, police said. Meeno and Amit have been arrested.

A youth, Farman was shot dead in Mohalla Pathanan for eve-teasing. One Salim had lodged a report with the police that Nadim and his friend used to tease girls in Mohalla Kot. Farman objected to it. Consequently, Nadim with the help of some other friends shot at Farman who was rushed to hospital where he died later.

In Mussori village, Irshad, 35, was stabbed to death by his neighbour Ali Hasan in a quarrel that had started among children. 

New Delhi, November 11
A famous jewellery designer, who owns a shop in the Saket district centre mall, was beaten up by a bouncer on Thursday. The whole incident sparked off after a minor tension between the designer and the owner of the neighbouring shop.

According to the police, the designer has alleged that she had problem with the security guard of the next shop. On Thursday she went to the owner of the shop to complain against him. However, things came to a boil and the bouncer working in a pub owned by the same shop owner started assaulting her. Further, the designer was allegedly beaten up in public at around 7.30 pm.

Ranjit, the accused bouncer was taken in by the Malviya Nagar police. He was later released on bail.

The jewellery designer has designed jewellery for quite a few actresses in Bollywood. 

New Delhi, November 11
More and more young people are committing suicide in the Indian capital, and experts are blaming a variety of factors: from the fast-paced lifestyle to family and professional demands.

According to Delhi Police statistics, 784 people, including 449 males and 335 females, in the age group of 15-29 took their lives in the city in 2006.

This was a rise from the 651 suicides (370 males and 281 females) in 2005 and 625 (342 men and 283 women) the year before.

A Delhi Police spokesman said that suicide by hanging was the most favoured method to die.

In 2006, 295 young men and 199 young women hanged themselves, up from 233 males and 146 females the year before.

A few days ago, a young woman hanged herself from the ceiling fan of her residence in south Delhi’s R.K. Puram area, apparently over her poor performance in exams.

Sunita (name changed), 27, was pursuing masters in business administration. Police said she had been depressed for a few days, and this might have forced her to take the extreme step.

Earlier, a 24-year-old woman engineer working in a call centre in Noida, in suburban New Delhi, committed suicide, after possibly suffering from depression.

Namrata, who lived in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar area, was rushed to hospital after she collapsed in the washroom of her Tech Mahindra’s Noida office. Police said her post-mortem revealed that she had consumed poisons pills.

“Her family had fixed her marriage with a Bangalore boy and Namrata apparently was not happy over this,” a police officer said. “She had said so to some of her colleagues.”

Explains Sameer Malhotra, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist with Fortis Hospital here: “The social support system for youngsters has gone down drastically with the proliferation of more nuclear families and live-in relations.

“They (youths mainly form middle-income class) are finding it difficult to keep pace with the fast-moving metro life and growing demands made on them. Youth have created an undue pressure upon themselves. To cope with stress, they are also dragging themselves to alcohol and drugs.

“The rise in such cases among youth is an indication that we are persistently failing in our efforts to provide them a reason for a meaningful existence,” Malhotra said.— IANS

New Delhi, November 11
The National Centre of International Amateur Theatre Association, a corporate body of UNESCO, is organising the 11th International Children’s Theatre Festival from November 14 to November 19 at the LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg here.

The hallmark of the festival is the performance of hand picked plays by skilled child artistes. Theatre groups from various states and some from the neighbouring countries like Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh are scheduled to participate in the five-day festival.