Eco-friendly, “green” Ganesha Idols for the Festival

Here’s an announcement I got via Hasiru Usiru:

Those who want unbaked, uncoloured Ganesha vigrahams of the size that can be dissolved at home in a bucket of water and poured back to join your garden soil, can contact

3419177 or 9342303247

or email Chandra Ravikumar at

chandraravikumar@hotmail.com

Here’s an announcement I got via Hasiru Usiru:

Those who want unbaked, uncoloured Ganesha vigrahams of the size that can be dissolved at home in a bucket of water and poured back to join your garden soil, can contact

3419177 or 9342303247

or email Chandra Ravikumar at

chandraravikumar@hotmail.com

Identifying Traditional and Responsible ways of Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi

A One Day Workshop for Children ( Ages 9-14)

Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu God. As we all know, He is a very popular god in India and has become a popular symbol around the world too. Ganesha in different art forms has broken many boundaries of caste, race, religion, and nation and has found a space in many living rooms around the world. He is a favorite among the children too. The story of his birth and the variety of delicacies made on this day are enjoyable for children. Over the last few decades, there has been a considerable shift in our societies across the country from celebrating the festival in a traditional way to a more ostentatious occasion, with little regard to the socio-economic, cultural and environmental impacts.

The workshop is aimed at helping children identify the traditional and historical significance, ways in which it was celebrated in the past, the importance of the traditional foods made on this day and ways in which the festival can be celebrated without causing harm to the environment around us.

The workshop will take children through interesting stories, videos, making clay idols, learning to make traditional decorations, learning through some games and learning to take responsibility.

Workshop Date: 30th August 2009

Timings: 9.30 am -4.30 pm

Registration Fees: Rs.300/-

Venue: ESG office

Contact Details:

Environment Support Group

1572, 100 feet Outer Ring Road, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bangalore-70

Telephone: 91-80-26713559/60/61 Email: divyarrs@esgindia.org/esg@esgindia.org

Website: www.esgindia.org

Mango Party at Ranga Shankara

The annual mango party is back at Ranga Shankara and will be held on Saturday May 23rd from 2 PM to 6 PM. A one of its kind event in the country dedicated to the Mango, one of India’s special gifts, Mango Party is all about celebrating the mango every year in so much abundance and variety.

Keeping in tune with the Indian tradition wherein the mango is seen as a community fruit, Ranga Shankara has celebrated the Mango Party annually with great zeal involving large numbers of people. With the theatre community being in attendance one can look forward to spontaneous songs, scenes and entertainment.

This year there will also be special entertainment for children and others in the form of mango stories by Padmavati Rao, mango games, Paint-a-mango, on-the-spot story writing contests, best mango recipe (send your recipe to rstheatre@gmail.com to enter the competition) and much more.

The party is open to all. All one needs to do to enjoy the party is bring a kilo of mangoes and eat as much as one can from the pool. Ranga Shankara will strive to bring as many varieties as possible to the pool.

—
Ranga Shankara
36/2, 8th Cross
J P Nagar, II Phase
Bangalore – 560 078
P: 080-26493982 / 26592777
E: rstheatre@gmail.com
W: www.rangashankara.org

The Choe Khor Sum Ling Center in Bangalore is holding a Tibetan film festival from May 14-19. The CKSL is a center for the study and practice of Mahayana Buddhism following the lineage and example of Lord Buddha. The Center, whose name means ‘The Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma’ was founded in 2003 by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the request of HH the XIVth Dalai Lama.

The festival started with two movies yesterday: “The Tibetans: Life in Exile”, Robb Bradstock and “Kundun” by Martin Scorsese. The first movie showed how the exiled community mainly in the Dharamsala area and the challenges it faces, including the monks and nuns. It was quite an interesting look at the problems of the community.

The second – Kundun – is a 1997 film written by Melissa Mathison (at the behest of the Dalai Lama himself) and directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet. It stars Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, a grand nephew of the Dalai Lama as the adult Dalai Lama. It traces his life in episodes from the time he was “found” to the time when he had to flee Tibet. Kundun was nominated for four Academy Awards.

The rest of the schedule is as follows:

Friday, May 15
5.30 pm, “DREAMING OF TIBET”, Will Parrinello
6.40 pm, “WINDHORSE”, Paul Wagner

Saturday, May 16
5.30 pm, “THE LOST WORLD OF TIBET”, Emma Hindley
7.10 pm, DREAMING LHASA”
8.15 pm, “LEAVING FEAR BEHIND”

Sunday, May 17
5:30 pm, “UNWINKING GAZE”, Joshua Dugdale
6:50 pm, “THE CUP: AN INSPIRING TRUE STORY”, Khyentse Norbu
7:10 pm, “H.H. The DALAI LAMA in conversation with RAJIV MEHROTRA”

Monday, May 18
8:10 pm, “TIBET’S CRY FOR FREEDOM”, Lara Damiani

Tuesday, May 19
5:30 pm, “ART IN EXILE”, Nidhi Tuli, Ashraf Abbas
6:10 pm, “DRAMGYEN: THE LUTE”, ashi Eugyalaversion
6:30 pm, “RICHARD GERE IS MY HERO”, ashi Wangchuk, Tsultrim Dorjee
8:10 pm, “UNDERCOVER TIBET”, Channel 4

CKSL also offers courses in various Buddhist meditation techniques and teachings on the various aspects of the graduated path to enlightenment. Teachings are offered free to the public and are conducted in English or in Tibetan (with translation in English). In addition to regular teachings every few weeks the Center invites senior Lamas to give talks on important aspects of the Buddhist path.

For those interested in Tibet, its history and the present day problems and issues, this is a good chance to catch a few of these films. And do pass the word around!

For more information, you can check out the The Center’s Website or call them on 080-41486497.

Brinjal Festival

Brinjal, badanekayi, is the king of vegetables which comes with its own crown! This is an event that will celebrate the diversity of Brinjals and contemplate our role in protecting it.

Don’t Miss the first-ever Brinjal Festival in Bangalore

Venue: MHS Hall, Lalbagh (Double road gate)
Date/Time: April 5th Sunday, 11am – 7pm

Good Food, Healthy Food, Safe Food… should be a primary concern of all of us. The Brinjal festival is an attempt to bring a better consciousness and respect for our rich diverse food. Genetically Modified (GM) food crops pose a grave threat to the diversity and to our health as consumers. Let us all make informed choices about food, one of most fundamental necessities.

What’s in store?

* Food Stalls with brinjal specials for you to savour
* Cooking competition for innovative Brinjal dishes
* Drawing competition and more fun events for kids
* Brinjal Diversity Exhibition showcasing more than 30 varieties of brinjal
* Screening of Mahesh Bhatt’s film Poison on the Platter
* Awareness campaign about GM foods and the risk to our health and environment.
* Meet scientists, farmers, doctors and Ayurveda practitioners and some well known celebrities.

To register for competitions, visit http://bangalore.aidindia.org/cms/?q=brinjalMela.

For any queries:

E-mail: brinjalfest@gmail.com

Contact:

Sejal – 9901201279 (sejalrparikh@gmail.com)
Siddesh – 9880600840 (tosiddesh@yahoo.com)
Pulkit – 9916173750 (pulkitparikh@gmail.com)
Guru – 9845294184 (mguru.aid@gmail.com)

Organized by

Association for India’s Development (AID)- Bangalore
Sahaja Samrudha
Samvada
Jaivika Krishi Society (JKS)
Mysore Hoticulture Society (MHS)

On the 27th and 28th of March,2009, Wishdom Productions is staging a play, “Twelve Thousand Little Pies And Other Delicacies ” at Ranga Shankara, at 7.30pm, both days. It is a combination of theatre and a culinary experience.

Tickets are priced at Rs.350, and are available at Ranga Shankara,

www.rangashankara.org

2659 2777 and 26493982

and at

www.indianstage.in

Click

here

for more details

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Ranga Ugadi ’09 at Ranga Shankara on Sunday, Mar 22

Highlights:

a. Two full-length plays from outside Bangalore will perform for the first time at Ranga Shankara
b. Rangayana will bring their well acclaimed production of Mahesh Elkunchwar’s “Chirabandi Wade”. T B Dam Kannada Sangha brings Jayant Kaikini’s “Jothegiruvanu Chandira”.
c. Yakshagana comes to the Ranga Shankara stage for the first time.
d. Vidwan R Paramashivan, who is among the oldest living exponents of Kannada Nataka Sangeetha leads the Theatre Songs category

Ranga Ugadi ’09 at Ranga Shankara on Sunday, Mar 22

Highlights:

a. Two full-length plays from outside Bangalore will perform for the first time at Ranga Shankara
b. Rangayana will bring their well acclaimed production of Mahesh Elkunchwar’s “Chirabandi Wade”. T B Dam Kannada Sangha brings Jayant Kaikini’s “Jothegiruvanu Chandira”.
c. Yakshagana comes to the Ranga Shankara stage for the first time.
d. Vidwan R Paramashivan, who is among the oldest living exponents of Kannada Nataka Sangeetha leads the Theatre Songs category
e. Two young prodigies present a flute recital
f. Manavi Kala Tanda, an all women team present the “Tamate Nruthya” — a unique group dance
g. The entire Kannada theatre fraternity will come together to sing theatre songs
h. Exquisite Kannadiga cuisine at the Ranga Shankara cafe
i. Day long programme — starts at 11:15 AM and goes up to 10 PM, on Sunday, March 22.

Ranga Shankara
36/2, 8th Cross
J P Nagar, II Phase
Bangalore – 560 078
P: 080-26493982 / 26592777
E: rstheatre@gmail.com
W: www.rangashankara.org

I found this site quite appealing..instead of cards and chocolates and jewellery…gift the person you love…flowers instead!

More details at here

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May everything you’re looking forward to, come true –
wherever you are in the world.

Ananya initiated the ‘Hadu Hakki’ project with the aim of introducing and encouraging learning and appreciation of Carnatic music among children. Supported by a grant from the India Foundation for the Arts, ‘Hadu Hakki’, a series of 19-episodes were aired through all the All India Radio stations of Karnataka, last year. The series were designed as simple interactive sessions to present the children with an overview of Carnatic music and were accompanied by articles for children in Ananya’s monthly magazine ‘Ananya Abhivyakti’.

As a fitting finale to this, Ananya now presents ‘Hadu Hakki Habba’, a festival that aspires to encourage an exciting and fun-filled approach to the learning and appreciation of Carnatic music among children through activities such as essay, collage, quiz, games, presentations, group events and interactions with senior musicians, all based on the theme of Carnatic music.

All the episodes of Hadu Hakki that were aired on AIR will be released as a set of ten CDs at the festival.

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