|
|
|
|
Navankur heralds return of the theatre
Stone war of Devidhura
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Soon, SIDCUL centres at Haridwar, Pantnagar
Wildlife Conservation
|
|
Navankur heralds return of the theatre
Pauri Garhwal, August 4 But the advent of modern entertainment tools and lack of interest by the younger generation changed it all. Now, on the initiative and persistent efforts of a few residents , Pauri has once again begun to turn towards theatre. For the art connoisseurs, it this comes as a blessing in disguise. The success for the revival of theatre goes to a group called Navankur Natya Samooh. It has wooed back the audience, performing not only across the state but also the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh. It also participated in the Akhil Bharatiya Rang Mahotsava. The group enacts plays on social issues and causes. The journey of Navankur began in December 2003 when like-minded persons came together to once again bring Pauri on the cultural map of Uttarakhand. Initially, with only five group members, it was near impossible to convince people that their’s was a serious initiative. The first performance at the local auditorium saw a mere handful of spectators. They sat mesmerised throughout the performance. As the curtains came down, the artistes were given a standing ovation. This propelled the group members to work even harder. Yamuna Ram, one of the founders, feels theatre is a pwerfyl tool for social change and awakening. “Theatre artistes establish a direct rapport with their audiences. This enables them to become tools of change by provoking people to think about socio-political issues concerning their lives. The satisfaction we derive from this exercise is immense,” says Yamuna. Recalling earlier times, Ashok Baudai, head of the Navankur family, says when veteran artistes refuse to lend them a helping hand, “we decided to train school and college students so that theatre as an art form did not die in the region.” The turnaround for the Navankur family came in 2006 when it decided to host a national-level Rang Mahotsava every year. Cynics said the first attempt would bring down curtains on the Navankur group as hosting national-level theatre groups without any financial help was no easy task. Also, doubts were raised on people’s response as Navankur was still in its nascent stage with only a few shows till then. But all doubt vanished once groups from various parts of the county thronged Pauri and undertook a parade in their traditional attire. Thousands flocked the theatre venue and most shows went “house full”. Now, held in June, the theatre festival has come to be part of the region’s cultural calendar. Legendary singer Narendra Singh Negi has this to say about the group. “It’s no mean achievement that a group on its own organises a five-day national-level theatre show with limited resources. “ “I salute the group members for reviving the theatre culture in Pauri and providing local artistes a chance to learn the intricacies of the art from those outside the state.” This year, teams from Dhrishtikon from Chhattisgarh, Anamika from Uttar Pradesh, Jagran from Orissa, Bela Theatre from New Delhi, Vimarsh from Shahjahanpur and one from Assam showcased their talent at the festival. The participating groups were amazed by the efforts of Navankur in reviving theatre and the national-level show on its own. Said Subroto Sharma from Chhattisgarh: “Initially, we were reluctant on performing in a small hill town. We wondered at the turnout and if a new group without any state funding could successfully organise a five-day event. “But the kind of hospitality, reception and acclaim we got received from the local audience was an eye-opener. Now we are set for a second performance in the town.” Apart from the love of the audience, the visiting teams were bowled over by the beauty of the town and the and the simplicity of the local people. “The view of the Himalayan range is best from Pauri. To perform in such an environment and in front of such an appreciative audience is a moment to cherish,” said Chandra Mohan and Mahendra Saxena, artistes from Shahjahanpur. “The effort and vision of Navankur is commendable and to organise a mahotsava with public support alone makes the feat even more laudable,” remarked Yashpal Benaam, MLA from Pauri. Secretary of Navankur Anoop Gusain and team members Bhoopnesh Kumar, Pawan Kumar Swami, Vinod Pawar, Narendar Rawat and Shobhna feel that state help is imperative if the fsetival is to be held on a more grand scale. They nevertheless salute the support of the audiences.
|
|
Stone war of Devidhura
Pitthoragarh, August 4 No, they are neither getting ready to take out old grudges nor for any public nuisance, but for celebrating the age-old festival of “Bagwal”, which is dedicated to a local goddess known as Barahi - the spouse of Lord Baraha, the first incarnation of lord Vishnu. The tradition of Barahi worship is prevalent in Nepal as well. Preparation for the festival begins on “Shrawan Shukala Ekadasi” when locals chant prayers and worship the throne the goddess Barahi sits on. Those who take part in the festival are divided into four clans - Valic, Lamgarhia, Chamyal and Gaharwal. They first collect at the temple and offer prayers, after which the brave men among various clans, known as “dyokas”, are selected. These are the ones who take part in “Bagwal” - the stone war. After selection, the warriors are treated with reverence, especially in their families, and served food before others. According to legend, during ancient times human sacrifices were made at the altar of the goddess Barahi each day from among members of the four clans. However, when the turn of the only grandson of an old lady of Chamyal clan came, she prayed to the goddess for mercy. Since that day, the goddess decreed that sacrifices would be stopped and “Bagwal” played among able males of the all four clans till blood measuring a single body is shed. On the day of “Bagwal”, warriors used to gather outside the temple complex with bamboo shields in one hand and stones in other, and after the priest gave a go-ahead they start pelting stones at each other. This continued till blood measuring one man’s body was shed. Noted historian Dr MC Bhatt relates “Bagwali” tradition to “shakti puja”. “Various forms of ‘shakti puja’ were prevalent in times of yore; worship of ‘shakti’ in ‘Bagwali’ form was one of them,” he said. Every person who participates in this battle maintains sanctity and purity of feelings. “When the ‘dyokas’ (the brave) of rival clans prepare for this fight they are friends and remain so even after the ‘Bagwal’ ends,” said RP Gahtori, a local villager. However, now, unlike days of yore, only a symbolic stone war is held under the watchful eye of the district administration and police officers. “During the past, this stone war sometimes lasted for more than an hour, leaving many participants wounded.Now, the time has been shortened,” said Kriti Ballabh Shastri, the temple priest. Some historians also relate “Bagwal” to the epic Mahabharata, where it is mentioned that some “Pahari” tribes participated in the battle with stones in their hands. “It reveals that stones were traditional weapons in the armoury of Himalayan tribes and 20 places related to the stone battle (‘Bagwal’) still exist,” informed MC Bhatt, an eminent historian of the Himalayan region. “Bagwal” is also an expression of the culture of the hill people. During the festival, villagers from interior parts of Kali Kumaon sing various folk songs. The entire atmosphere turns electric.
|
|
Soon, SIDCUL centres at Haridwar, Pantnagar
Dehradun, August 4 The SIDCUL has already established industrial estates, but the thinking behind the latest decision is to take industrial development in the state to a higher level. Besides giving a fillip to the investment, it is also expected that new employment opportunities would be created. The proposed hubs would be constructed in Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) mode. According to DGM (Technical) AR Gairola, the SIDCUL had already identified land at both places. The facility would be developed on 13 acres at Haridwar and 21 acres at Pantnagar, at a proposed investment of Rs 50 crore and 32 crore, respectively. When fully developed, it would also benefit existing industrial units at both places. The proposal is part of the master plan prepared for industrial development. Under this, banking, insurance, parking and storage facilities for the finished products would be constructed. A business service centre would also form a part of it. At both places, leading brands including Tata Motors, ITC, Dabur, Lakhani, VIP et al have set up their manufacturing units. Tata Motors is manufacturing Nano cars at Pantnagar. Gairola added that tenders have already been invited from construction companies. The decision on them was expected by August 11. Construction work is scheduled to start by the end of September after completion of all formalities. It is expected that the facilities would be completed in a minimum of three years.
|
|
Wildlife Conservation
Dehradun, August 4 A need to spread conservation awareness among Tibetans living in India and Tibet arose as many members of the community were involved in crime against wildlife in the past. The WTI had done a study in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and found the involvement of Tibetans in illegal wildlife trade. Some Tibetans were found to be transporting wildlife products from India to Tibet via Nepal. Though Uttarakhand does not have a history of involvement of the Tibetans in the trade but taking into account their numerical strength in the region, its border with China and close ties with Himachal Pradesh, it too has been in the focus of Tibetan-centric wildlife conservation activities. Wildlife products were used in traditional Tibetan medicine and skins are used as decorative items in many Tibetan homes. On April 6, 2005, the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Tibetan Conservation Awareness Campaign (TCAC), a joint venture of the WTI and Care for the Wild International (CWI), supported by the Rowell Fund. The campaign, which aimed at spreading conservation awareness among Tibetans, hoped to reduce the use of animal organs by Tibetans and their involvement in illegal wildlife trade. Before the launch of the campaign, a survey was undertaken in select Tibetan settlements in Uttarakhand and Delhi. The survey was meant to test their awareness vis-à-vis wildlife conservation. The survey revealed that only 20 per cent of the respondents were aware of Tibet’s wildlife heritage. Over half of the respondents were unaware of the declining tiger population and even the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. Almost all respondents were unaware of the use of wildlife products in Tibetan medicine even as more than one-third admitted to having used these medicines. Now, four years after the campaign was launched, the WTI will be assessing the impact of the campaign. A post-campaign survey has been initiated in Uttarakhand and Delhi. The results will be used to analyse the efficacy of the campaign. Sheren Shrestha, Assistant Programme Officer, WTI, held that the campaign was a success and hoped the results of the post-campaign survey would turn out that way.
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
