Dehradun, September 18
As many as 35 deaths have taken place and many more are feared dead in rain-linked incidents in Uttarakhand on Saturday.

A total of 17 persons were killed in cloudburst incidents at Baddi and Pilko villages in Almora district while 12 others were reportedly trapped under debris at Devli village.

However, district and Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation and Management authorities downplayed the deaths at Almora and Nainital.

Survaradhan, DM Almora, said that there were just four deaths in Almora that included three deaths at Pilko and one at Devli. The DM attributed these deaths to excessive rain.

Similarly, the Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation and Management authorities here in Dehradun confirmed a total of six deaths in Almora district.

According to senior disaster management official Rahul, five bodies had been recovered from Pilko and one death had taken place at Devli.

In Nainital, unconfirmed reports have put the death figure in the district at 11. However, DMMC sources said there were just three deaths due to excessive rain in the district, which included a death at Asora and another at Churidura village.

Among other rain-linked incidents in the state, four children and a lady died in a house collapse at Roorkee in Haridwar district. Similarly, two deaths took place at Reni village in Chamoli district of Garhwal.

Meanwhile, heavy downpour continued in Uttarakhand today spelling disaster, particularly in hill areas. Dehradun yesterday broke its 39-year-old maximum rain record.

Haridwar, September 18
Heavy rain in the entire district took a toll on human lives and property as various incidents of damage due to rain were reported throughout the day.

A major tragedy occurred in Roorkee when a temporary house caved in killing five persons who were sleeping at that time. The incident happened in Ibrahimpur village in Roorkee tehsil of Haridwar district.

According to reports, at about 4 am, the house with seven inhabitants at Ibrahimpur village collapsed as it couldn’t withstand the heavy rain that had been lashing the district for the past few days. Two persons were rescued by the neighbours.

District Magistrate of Haridwar R Meenakshi Sundaram has assured immediate monetary compensation to the family.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has expressed his sympathies. Nishank said that the state was going through a tough phase as natural disasters have been regularly occurring this monsoon in the state.

Meanwhile, a girl riding a scooty fell into a swollen canal while she was trying to avoid a vehicle from the opposite direction.

The incident happened in the morning when heavy rain was falling. According to onlookers, the scooty hit an electric pole and due to the impact, the girl fell into the canal.

For the second day today, the Roorkee-Haridwar highway was disrupted due to landslides at various places, particularly near Patanjali Yogpeeth. Similarly, traffic on the Haridwar-Bijnore national highway too was affected as the road had been damaged at various places.

Dehradun, September 18
The Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Finance and Revenue, said today that all SDMs had been directed to visit the areas which were affected due to incessant rains and provide immediate relief to victims.

He said all departments related to various areas had been asked to check the roads damaged due to the landslides and clear the roads immediately.

The ADM said they had received application from Aashish Pant and Rajinder Singh Rawat, residents of Sadar tehsil and Harbanswala (Indra Enclave), respectively, who claimed that water had entered their houses and it could cause danger to life as well as household items. He affirmed that the officials had been sent to the said location for inspection and required steps had been taken.

The ADM said Vibha Goyal, resident of the Tilak Road, had informed the Police Control Room (PCR) about the house that was in a bad shape and could fell any time. The team from the Municipal Corporation (MC) under the headship of Executive Engineer Ved Prakash Badhani had been deployed for the same who immediately visited the spot to inspect it.

He said they had also received information from Tyuni tehsil that the level of the Tons river was continuously increasing due to the rain and also the Kalsi-Minus-Tyuni road had been closed for the vehicles due to the landslides. The team comprising Nayab Tehsildar and Patwari had been asked to review the same.

Haridwar, September 18
Haridwar may appear to be a Hindu pilgrimage city from the outside, but when one takes an inside look, the pilgrim city is a perfect example of communal harmony.

Adding strength to this bond is the annual Gughal Mela which is celebrated by Hindus and Muslims in the Kankhal area in Haridwar.

Devotees from both communities have been celebrating this mela for the past century.

The fair is related to Jahar Veer Goga Veer Maharaj belonging to the Nath sect and has its origin in Rajasthan. Celebrated in the Sati Kund area in Jagjeetpur, the rituals are orchestrated by priests of the Nath sect.

According to the legend associated with the fair, holy mud and pebbles from Madi (small temples of the Nath community) from Rajasthan were brought a century ago to Haridwar and established at the Jahar Veer Goga Veer Maharaj temple near Sati Kund in Kankhal.

Ever since, the tradition of observing rituals and a fair at this time of the year has been observed without break by the Nath community as well as local residents.

According to Amar Deep Upadhyay, the temple priest, a chadi (stick), wrapped with blue coloured flags (dharma dhwajas), is set up on the temple premises on the day of the fair.

Devotees observe rituals, light lamps and tie blue clothes around the stick when their wishes get fulfilled.

“The ‘chadi’, on the eve of the fair, is taken out in a procession in the Kankhal area. Localites take the blessings of the ‘chadi’. The next morning, it is established in the temple.

“Late in the evening, the ‘chadi’ is brought down along with the blue flags wrapped in large numbers signifying the number of wishes that have been fulfilled,” said Upadhyay.

Besides the temple, a typical Indian rural fair is organised. Stalls selling eatables, cosmetics, scriptures, clay items, toys etc are set up. Local musical beats and ‘bhajans’ lend a unique colour to the fair.

“I can earn 30 times as much in a day of what I earn in a month at the day-long fair. The fair attracts a large number of people from other parts of Haridwar as well,” said Ajay, a stall owner at the fair.

People, irrespective of their faith, come to observe rituals at the Gughal Mela. Though the fair is held for one day, yet it concludes on Anant Chaturdashi which this year falls on September 22.

On that day, a ‘kanduri bhoj’ (mass lunch) is organised in which ‘kadhi-chawal’ is served.

Dehradun, September 18
Their dance had the energy and song the robustness to keep a young audience hooked. Neither a step was missed nor a beat overplayed as the Purulia troupe performed an over 200-year-old Chhau martial dance form today in Doon.

Performing at KV Upper Camp School under the aegis of Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture among Youth (SPIC MACAY), the pouring rain outside did not deter the Chhau dancers who synchronised their performance with nature.

As Tarapad Rajat, troupe leader, while speaking with The Tribune, said, “The dance is also popular for the decorative masks that artistes wear. These are made mostly of clay, paper and fabric.

“Chhau dance is popular in Orissa and West Bengal. The distinguishing feature of the Purulia Chhau dance is the mask that transforms the artiste into a celestial being.”

Mostly staged in Chaitra month (April-May) as per the Hindu calendar, an all-male dance form that celebrates the slaying of Mahishasur by Goddess Durga has over the years introduced newer elements in keeping with the interest of the audience.

“We have incorporated a special two-minute act of the lion which is the mount of Goddess Durga. There has to be perfect coordination between the two artistes who rhythmically prance around the stage wearing a lion skin and even bowing before the goddess,” said Tarapad Rajat.

As it is a martial dance, the opening itself is dramatic. First, artistes wearing masks of Lord Ganesh and Kartikeya and flinging swords take the stage. This is followed by somersaults and spins in the air.

“The artistes are mostly of short stature as they are expected to have gymnast-like agility and strength to perform a vigorous dance for a long duration,” said Kanihi Sahis, a performer.

Back stage, artistes continue to change their masks and are expected to play several roles. “The switchover between different characters requires precision and coordination. Any wrong move can be disastrous, but hours of practice ensures synchronisation that is appreciated by the audience,” emphasised Shriram Mahato, another artiste.

The musical score for the dance too is in keeping with the martial nature of the dance and instruments like nagaraas, shehnai and dholak are extensively used.

Dehradun, September 18
Originating from Hindu temples, nurtured and taught by Muslim teachers without barriers, dhrupad singing, a finest example of Indian composite culture to this day, continues to retain its traditional form.

Call it the dedication of the artiste or the guru-shishaya parampara, dhrupad singing has retained its pure form, the abiding link from the days of Tansen to the present, and continues to flow uninterrupted.

Never was it more evident as its was yesterday when Padam Shri Gundecha brothers Umakant and Ramakant took the centre stage at a concert at MKP PG College, organised by the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture among Youth (SPIC MACAY).

Speaking with The Tribune, Ramakant Gundecha said, “There is no harm in breaking tradition. We did it by singing compositions of poets Nirala and Mahadevi Verma’s in dhrupad style. But at the same time we are carrying forward the dhrupad tradition handed over by our gurus Ustad Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariuddin Dagar, a family that has continued uninterrupted singing for the past several years and now their 20th generation is into singing. In that sense we are carrying forward that legacy without any change”.

While delving into the origin of this form of singing, Umakant explained that dhrupad is the mother of all singing. “Other forms of singing in India have emerged from this form. It takes its name from Dhruv star that is always stable. As such our renditions go back to a point (stanzas) that is repeated again and again. Dhrupad even finds mention in the Sam Ved and Bharat Natya Shastra. The singing reached its zenith in the court of Emperor Akbar,” explained Umakant.

Known to be a male preserve not long ago, inrecent years women too are joining the ranks and breaking shackles. “Women singers like Aliya Rashid and Roopa are already making their mark and now more and more female students are joining music schools,” said Umakant.

Dismissing fusion music increasingly being experimented by Indian and western artistes, Gundecha brothers said they were not in favour of such a mélange.

“Let me add, no music is inferior. Western classical music is based on certain principles, while Indian classical music has its own principles. The fusion in our opinion will only dull the experience of appreciating music that has different language and grammar,” averred the brothers.

Casting a spell on the audience, Umakant and Ramakant began with varied compositions that left the audience breathless and asking for more. They began with Raga Gurjari Tori, went on to sing Raga Malhar “Ghan Ghamar Nabh Gajarat Ghora” followed by poet Nirala’s poem in Raga Sohni and climaxing with Shiva, Shiva Shankar Adi Dev.

Nainital, September 18
Adviser to the State Planning Commission and eminent academician Prof SP Singh has called for the creation of an extensive data base and field work to generate maximum study material on the Himalayas so that it comes in handy to mitigate emerging issues like climate change.

Professor Singh was delivering a keynote address on a seminar on Research Methods in Forestry and Climate Change held at the Hermitage Building of Kumaon University. The event was organised by the Department of Forestry of the university.

Professor Singh spoke at a length on the indicators of climate change, but at the same time called for an extensive research to back these indicators. “The problem is that we do not have the required research on the Himalayas. It needs to be encouraged and what is required more is the muscle work in the field,” he said while pointing out that the general interest towards pure sciences and research is on the wane.

He began his lecture by pointing out that while the developed world was more at fault when it comes to the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, at the same time it was the developing world which was responsible for the accumulation of the black carbon in the atmosphere. He said while the black carbon contributed to the snow melting through its emission, its accumulation caused further meltdown when it led to the snow absorbing more heat.

An interesting fact that he elaborated on with regards to the black carbon about Uttarakhand was that a large number of women continued to climb trees to get poor quality fodder for an equally poor quality of animals. “Apart from a social and economic problem, it is also a stigma. One development index can be the frequency of women climbing trees,” said Professor Singh.

He also recalled having discussed with the former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, that biomass burning contributed to the premature death of 20 million women globally every year and the latter agreeing to the fact that states like Uttarakhand should be given additional subsidy on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to promote alternate clean and healthy fuels. He said Dr Kalam had indeed written to the Chief Secretary on the issue, but nothing came of it.

Coming back to the black carbon emission, he said the advantage with regards to it was that it could be removed and immediate action on it was possible because of the available technology. “There are filters that can reduce 99 per cent of black carbon coming from the burning of diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG) is another solution,” he asserted.

Coming to the issue of climate change, Professor Singh admitted that he was an ecologist having interest in climate. He said predictions on climate change had come way back in 1890 in Switzerland, but were ignored.

He said the Himalayas made the climate of the sub-continent and provided several eco-system services and bio diversity. The Himalayas were referred to as the third pole on the globe as they had the maximum amount of snow along with the North and South Polar regions.

An interesting aspect related of the Himalayas was that there had been no erosion of the Gangetic plains even after the practice of agriculture having survived there for thousands of years. It is because the soil is replenished by the rivers coming from the Himalayas.

Professor Singh said more efforts should be made in preserving the water sources in the Himalayas than the glaciers.

Dehradun, September 18
The participants at the Ghummakkad Narain, the Travelling Children’s Literature Festival, at The Heritage School interacted with eminent writer Jaishree Mishra, who conducted a creative writing workshop at the school here yesterday.

Addressing the students, Jaishree emphasised on the importance of having a sense of fondness and excitement in life to become a good writer and also to recognise one’s inner capabilities. She said a logical pattern for the beginning, middle and conclusion was the essence to a good story.

She has penned five novels, all of which have been Indian best sellers. An MA in English literature from Kerala University and two post-graduate diplomas from the University of London, one in special education and the other in broadcast journalism, Jaishree until recently worked at the Board of Film Classification in London, but she now divides her time between England and India.

Another speaker at the festival was senior television journalist Sumit Pandey. He talked on impacts of the electronic media on viewers. He discussed at length on journalism as an upcoming industry.

An animation film, “Finding Nemo”, was also screened at the school for students of Classes II to V. The children were greatly thrilled to view the movie. Principal B Gill expressed gratitude to Jaishree Mishra and Sumit Pandey and presented mementos to them.

The Travelling Children’s Literature Festival is being organised under the aegis of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in assistance with NIVESH and the Himalayan Hub for Art, Culture and Heritage (HHACH) and was launched at The Heritage School, Dehradun, by Governor Margaret Alva on July 30.

Dehradun, September 18
Editor of Uttranchal Gunjan MPS Kandari will launch Uttarakhand DIG Kumar Vishwajeet’s forthcoming book of poems on October 2.

This was announced during a press conference held by the magazine here on Thursday. The magazine is likely to conduct patriotic songs competition “Patriots” soon.

Vishwajeet has also contributed 72 patriotic songs composed by him and other indigenous writers of the state.

While addressing mediapersons, Kandari said he would also conduct patriotic songs competition at 50 schools and colleges of Dehradun from October 5 to 15 that would be inaugurated by all chief of the Education Department.

Dehradun, September 18
Guru Nanak Academy (GNA) and Carman School, Premnagar, registered victories in their respective semifinals today to reserve a berth in the final at the ongoing Council Schools Junior Football Tournament under way at Col Brown School here. The final of the championship will be played on Monday at 4 pm.

In the first semifinal, GNA blanked GRD, Niranjanpur, 5-0. Pratyush helped GNA post an emphatic victory scoring three goals (12th minute, 37th and 45th). Ayush (10th) and Himanshu Mal (37th) also netted a goal for GNA.

Carman School, Premnagar, defeated St Thomas College 3-1 in the second semifinal. Kautilyam opened the account for St Thomas in the 15th minute. The first half ended at 1-0 in St Thomas’ favour.

Carman made a good comeback in the next half. Riyan forced the change with his fine brace for Carman. He struck goals in the 42nd and 50th minute. The rival team, instead of scoring the equaliser, scored a self-goal in the 45th minute to end the game in Carman’s favour.

Dehradun, September 18
Local footballer and Mohun Bagan player Manish Maithani has been selected for the national camp for the forthcoming Asian Games in China.

Manish is a student of the Dehradun-based Maharana Pratap Sports College and last year, he joined the Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan.

Last year, he was selected in the Indian team for the SAF Football Cup in Dhaka that was won by India. Injuries had forced Manish to skip some Kolkata League matches last season.

Now, Manish has fully recovered from his injury and is in great nick. If he manages to get selected in the Indian side for the Asian Games, he will become the seventh Doonite to represent the Indian football team in the Asian Games. So far, Chandan Singh, Ram Bahadur, Shyam Thapa, Amar Bahadur, Bir Bahadur and CB Thapa have played in the Asian Games. CB Thapa was the last Dehradun footballer to play in the Asian Games, way back in 1982.

The current form of Manish makes him one of the favourites to get selected in the Indian squad. The camp for Asian Games is slated to take place in Cuttack from October 6 to 23.

Dehradun, September 18
Matches in the under-19 singles and doubles categories were played on the inaugural day of the District Badminton Championship today at Parade Ground here.

In the under-19 girls doubles, Shivangi and Stuti of Aryan School beat Vrinda and Sreela of Welham Girls School 21-13, 21-14. In the u-19 girls singles, Stuti of Aryan School beat Radhika of Welham 21-10, 21-9. Nayan got the better of Aman 21-13, 21-19 in the u-19 boys singles.

Meanwhile, the organisers said that they had received 400 entries for participation and more entries were still coming.

Dehradun, September 18
Poly kids celebrated with gaiety and fervour the Grandparents Day at their Vasant Vihar branch here today. Despite heavy rains, grandparents attended the programme enthusiastically.

Little children, along with their grandparents, participated to show their talent. The younger and older generation played various games like painting competition, extempore speech and dumb charade etc for which prizes were given to them.

Teachers also presented a small cultural programme that was thoroughly enjoyed by the grandparents.

Director, Poly Kids, Nandita Singh, Capt Rohit Singh and Ranjana Mahendru were present on the occasion. Guests present expressed their opinion about the role of grandparents in constructive child development. Others present were Headmistress Shivani Mazzari, Nidhi, coordinator Monica Nigam and all other staff member.