Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
The Book Launch of Treasures of Lakshmi: The Goddess Who Gives
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| Menka Rai |
The air of anticipation and excitement was palpable. The book titled Treasures of Lakshmi: The Goddess Who Gives, edited by Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal, and published by Penguin Random House India, was launched on 8th October 2024 at the prestigious venue of the India International Centre, New Delhi. The work is the last of the “goddess trilogy” by the editors, the first two volumes being, In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology (2009) and Finding Radha: The Quest for Love (2018). The new book offers a plethora of academic and creative works including a diverse range of articles, research papers, translations from original texts, poems, as well as modern retellings on the goddess Lakshmi.
After the performance, Namita
Gokhale introduced the book to the audience. Gokhale, an eminent author and
festival director, emphasized the mystery and enigma surrounding Lakshmi in
diverse mythological traditions. She quoted Anand K. Coomaraswamy, “Myth
embodies the nearest approach to absolute truth that can be stated in
words”, to explain how the chapters included in the book unravel multiple
facets of the goddess. She spoke of the complex link between Saraswati and
Lakshmi--devotion to knowledge and the quest for material success. She further mentioned Lakshmi’s compassion for
her reviled sister Alakshmi, and the many stories about the chanchal goddess
that emerge from communities around the country. The book demonstrates that it is important to
recognise and understand Shri Lakshmi through sacred texts as well as modern
creative writings and interpretations. In Namita Gokhale’s words, “Shri Lakshmi
represents the order, stability and harmony of the universe.”
Lakshmi Puri, a former member
of the Indian Foreign Service, an ambassador, and having served for fifteen
years in leadership roles across various UN organizations, eloquently expressed
that the book "unveils the secrets of Lakshmi," providing profound
insights into the spiritual and cultural significance of the goddess. She suggested
that reading the book was equal to an act of worshipping the goddess in her
plenitude, experiencing her multifaceted nature. Puri further highlighted
Lakshmi's dual impact, describing her as a "Devi with a civilizational
impact and at the same time local." This statement highlights Lakshmi’s resonant
influence on the Indian subcontinent as a whole while also recalling her intimate
connection with local traditions and communities. Further, Lakshmi Puri found
the process of composing the edited volume similar to “churning the Kshira
Sagar of knowledge about Lakshmi to bring out the information for modern
readers”.
Malashri Lal, writer,
academic, and social worker, alluded to various manifestations of Lakshmi
portrayed in the book, emphasising that she is not just the goddess of material
wealth. The description of Lakshmi’s emergence during the churning of the sea
is to be read in this context. While rising from the ocean, she holds the Akshaya
Patra which is filled with gold and grain, signifying material wealth as
well as essential food. Also accompanying her are Kamadhenu-- the wish
fulfilling cow, Kalpataru-- the tree of hope, and Chintamani-- the wish fulfilling
gem. The details from ancient texts denote that Lakshmi is not just symbolic of
materiality, rather she is the goddess of holistic abundance and fulfilment.
Lal further posed the question “Why are we still talking about Lakshmi?”. The
relevance of Lakshmi in our contemporary times is explained through different
chapters of the book dealing with folktales, vrat kathas, Kuber, symbols
such as the lotus, the owl, and the elephants, Lakshmi’s influence on Buddhism
and Jainism, and her name being linked to the cosmetic brand Lakme, and to government
schemes for women, etc.
The book discussion provided
ample illustration that Goddess Lakshmi presides over the long span of time from
Vedic times until now. The programme concluded with a mesmerising musical rendering
by Vidya Shah of the Telugu song Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma (‘Come, O
goddess of Luck’).
Bio:
Menka Rai is an assistant professor (History) at Amity Law School,
Noida. She has published papers on themes such as the cult
of sixty-four yoginis, polyandry in ancient India, violence against
women, public policy in ancient India, etc. Her PhD research work is
‘Representations of Women in the Mah─Бpur─Бс╣Зas: Through the Lens of
Family, Caste and Class (c. 3rd to 8th centuries C.E.)’, where she
explored different social themes from a gendered perspective. She has
also worked on a project dealing with violence against women in the development
sector.
Canadian Lit Fest 2024 Note and Pics
The second edition of the Canadian South Asian Literary Festival 2024 happened in Art Gallery of Burlington on August 17-18, 2024.
This year’s festival presented a special theme based on Dharma Literature.
The guest writers were, Arif Aajakia, Tufail Chaturvedi, Ami Ganatra, Neal Nathan and Kushal Mehra. Nalanda Awards 2024 were given to all guest speakers. There were over a dozen conclave discussions such as challenges to Dharma, Hindu civilization’s place in inclusive world order, Urdu and Hindi Literature in Canada, Punjabi language and Literature’s role in Canada, South Asians’ contributions to Canadian Literature, Urdu as a language of region not religion, Kashmiri Literary Journey through exodus of Pandits, New aspects of Indic history, Kushal Mehra’s podcast, Tahir Gora’s Bilatakalluf show on stage, Sangita Iyer’s documentary discussion on Gurukul Education, The festival featured annual Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English poetry session as well. Neal Nathan’s Novel Raaz Mahal and Dr Sangita Sharma’s poetry collection were launched during this festival. Consul General of India to Toronto, Mr. Siddhartha Nath and High Commissioner of India to Canada were the chief guests on both days of the Festival.
"It was an enriching experience for the hosts and guests alike," observed Tahir Aslam Gora, co-founder of the Festival, along with Haleema Sadia Gora, adding, "It is a way of showcasing the rich diversity and multilingual talents of the Diaspora for the Canadian audiences who turned up in good numbers for each session."
National Award for Anurag Sharma: A Brief Report
Big milestone!
Anurag Sharma, editor-in-chief and publisher of the monthly journal Setu has been awarded the prestigious Rashtriya Nirmal Verma Samman (National Nirmal Verma Award) for 2023.
Established in honor of the acclaimed Hindi author Nirmal Verma (April 3, 1929 - Oct 25, 2005) in 2015, this award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development and promotion of Hindi language and literature.
The award carries a cash prize of ₹ 500,000 INR, a citation, a shawl, and a sacred fruit.
The list of awardees so far -
2023 Anurag Sharma (USA)
2022 Dr. Hansa Deep (Canada)
2021 Shikha Varshney (UK)
2019 Dr. Krishna Kumar (UK)
2018 Archana Painuly (Denmark)
2017 Dr. Ramprasad Bhatt (Germany)
2016 Tejendra Sharma (UK)
2015 Suresh Chandra Shukla (Norway)
Anurag Sharma was also awarded the Apravasi Hindi Sahitya Srijan Samman, First Edition in 2016. He is the first litt├йrateur who received the highest literary awards given to diaspora authors of Indian origin from India and Mauritius.
Proud of you!
More to come.
Managing Editor, Setu (English)
VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL POETRY CONCLAVE – 14 MAY 2023
ORGANIZED BY CONNCECTING ACROSS BORDERS (CAB), INDIA
Connecting Across Border (CAB), India is an initiative of three diverse personalities Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy (President), Dr. Sridevi Selvaraj (Vice President) and Ms. Hema Ravi (Secretary), bound by a common passion – poetry.
CAB regularly organises thematic international poetry conferences and panel discussions by inviting eminent personalities from across the globe and India.
Recently, CAB organised an International Poetry Conclave via Google Meet on 14 May 2023 on the theme ‘Families Today’, aligning with the International Mothers’ Day on
14 May 2023 and the International Family Day on 15 May 2023.
Padma Shri Dr. Sitanshu Yashaschandra, acclaimed poet, critic, litt├йrateur and academic, former Vice Chancellor of Saurashtra University and Visiting Professor at Sorborne University, Paris, France, and University of Pennsylvania, USA, and recipient of several prestigious awards that include Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Kabir Samman, Gangadhar Maher Samman, and Kavi Kusumagraj National Award, to name a few, graced the Conclave as the Chief Guest.
32 eminent poets from Albania, Canada, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Poland, Sri Lanka and India participated in the Conclave.
Welcoming the poetry luminaries who had assembled at the Conclave, Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy reiterated that it is our family that supports us through thick and thin, in times of confusion; and when we are down and out, they lift us up. She further added that the thematic poetry reading on ‘Families Today’ was bound “to discuss issues and solutions to the problems of our highly polarised world, where the concept of family seems to be slowly disappearing.”
Applauding the initiative, the Chief Guest, Dr. Sitanshu Yashaschandra remarked that such a platform creates a “space” for writers to delve into the roots of their own traditions, “The tree also throws up its branches into the sky to give shade to all…. We create an alternate world – a vikalpa vriksha or an alternate way to live and to interact.”, he further added.
All the distinguished poets presented their sensitively penned poems on the theme “Families Today” with great vigour, infusing their insightful sensitivity and a sense of bonhomie.
Recapitulating the poems presented at the meet, Dr. Sridevi Selvaraj observed that the poems strongly represented two or three metaphors – the power of ‘touch’, the familial ‘nest’ and ‘light.’ “Domestic space is the place where individuals gain confidence to develop spiritual strength, no individual can be ignored. Every member of the institution is to be taken care of! Family guides us step by step, brick by brick. Even in cyberspace, we are closer, and Love doesn’t fear distances. The family system will continue to remain strong. In the history of patriarchy, motherhood is celebrated; in today’s transition period, the importance of family is recognised, even while people are adapting to living across the globe,” she said.
Ms. Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy and Ms. Hema Ravi ably anchored the Conclave, inviting each poet to read their poem by introducing them through a reading of their brief bio. Ms. Vishnupriya provided excellent technical support through a digital presentation of the past CAB events, participating poets’ bios, poetry readings, etc.
The live recording of the Conclave can be viewed on:
CAB functionaries can be reached at: cab.poetry@gmail.com.
Tapestry of Women in Indian Mythology: Book Launch in DC South Asian Literary Festival 2023
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| Lopa Banerjee |
Lopamudra Banerjee
“Indian mythology has fascinated me for such a long time, and when I started doing my research on the subject, I questioned myself, how come there are so many men characters represented in Indian mythology and not many women characters?”
Thus spoke Dr. Meenakshi Mohan, author, poet, educator and editor of the anthology ‘Tapestry of Women in Indian Mythology’ (Hawakal Publishers, 2022), while recounting her journey with the book in the august company of fellow writers and poets, as she addressed the audience at an in-person launch of the stellar anthology at the 3rd Annual DC South Asian Literary Festival on May 6, 2023.
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| Tapestry of Women in Indian Mythology |
“There is no denying that the woman enables the flow of life and the never-ending streams of creation in every civilization.” She writes in her preface to the collection, and also with her own cultural understanding of the subject, she emphasizes on the fact that feminism is not a new phenomenon, but “as old as the prehistoric, ancient times.”
“It was because of her sacrificial devotion and offerings to Gods
you were blessed with four sons.”
She addressed the sociological questions that accompany the marginalization of such women characters integral to the idea of the epic through her voice in the poem and also in the unique way in which she defined the theme of the book. The contributing authors and poets in the collection, including Neelam Saxena Chandra, Dr. Sunil Sharma, Dr. Seema Jain, Ipsita Ganguly whose poetry readings were featured in a video presentation before the panel discussion, corroborated the thoughts and the vision upheld by Dr. Mohan. Their poems represented their collective consciousness in the diverse ways in which they all addressed the quintessential role that women like Draupadi, Sita, Urmila, Gandhari et al play in decoding the prevalent themes of women’s subjugation in Indian mythological texts.
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| Anurag Sharma at the dinner party of DC South Asian Lit Fest |
Co-panelist Lopamudra Banerjee in her talk, emphasized on the role of poets/writers in seeing womanhood as a power of elemental nature. ‘How do we see women as creative, fluid entities who are capable of breaking the shackles of patriarchy, to reclaim their own universe? The answers lie in this very depiction of women in Indian mythology. The poem ‘Chitrangada’ in the collection revolves around the age-old construct of femininity and how the character of Chitrangada challenges that very construct and carves a niche for herself through her feminine consciousness, her self-exploration, regaining her self-identity.’ She said.
Co-panelist Manju Gupta emphasized on the unusual roles and perspectives of minor women characters like Gandhari in the epic Mahabharata, and her talk on the subject was also a beautiful eye-opener. In her poem titled ‘Gandhari: The Ideal Wife,’ she unfolded the narrative around princess Gandhari’s marriage to the blind Dhritrashtra, and the consequences that followed after years of her willful decision to blindfold herself to be the ideal wife of her husband. Her reading of the poem added to the collective consciousness of the poets regarding the voices of women in the mythological texts and adds a unique dimension to the discourse.
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| With Geeta Singh and Manoj Singh |
The book launch was followed by a dinner party and a ‘mehfil’ (soiree) of poetry recitations in English, Hindi and Urdu at Dr. Mohan’s residence on May 6th evening, attended by many stalwart poets and artists who were part of the literary festival. In the august company of such talented souls, the truth of these lines by Aristotle shone in their eternal splendor: “Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular.” Long live the fine nuances of poetry and its true connoisseurs!
Wordsmiths as Actors
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players;” thus spoke Jacques in Act 2, Scene 7 [As You like it].
I recall fumbling through my lines as Jacques years back, and the
audience gushing over my histrionics; their na├пvet├й confusing the butterfly-
dance in my stomach with acting!
Theatre had gripped me right from school, and I wrote and directed many skits
in Hindi and English. Later, our theatre group, Navankur, staged
many plays, to thunderous applause. I was audacious enough to translate Agatha
Christie’s The Mousetrap into Hindi, making our quaking
students jump headlong into the theatrical maelstrom, little knowing that their
debut performances would take our breaths away!
I later translated my novella, The Mystery of the Relic, into
Hindi, staging it before an appreciative audience, as Meri Kahaani
Sunogey?
Recently, I had the good fortune of being a small part of a
spectacularly enriching on- line rehearsed reading of King Lear by India
Poetry Circle’s IPC PLAYERS. IPC Players’ Macbeth was a
resounding success in 2021. This year’s performance of King Lear,
in association with the Shakespeare Society of India, was equally
successful.
The following wordsmiths- actors wrote a new chapter in Shakespearean theatre,
through their single-minded commitment and long- hours of rehearsals.
Santosh Bakaya, as Doctor, and Lalit Magazine as Servant and
Herald, were eleventh-hour entrants, rehearsing
for less than a month. The others rehearsed for more than eight months,
allowing no technical glitches, thunder, lightning, or rain to
dampen their spirits.
Result: A scintillating attempt at recreating the Bard’s classic on an online
platform, which floored those who watched it live on zoom on 15 December 2022.
Director and King Lear: Jairam Seshadri
Goneril: Sumitra Kumar
Regan: Urna Bose
Cordelia: Shashi Kothari
Earl of Gloucester: Paul Mathew
Earl of Kent: Anju Kishore
Edmund: Cathy Syldo Wilkes
Edgar: Sumita Dutta Shoam
Duke of Cornwall: Subha Bhardwaj
Duke of Albany: Gita Bharath
Fool and King of France: Geethanjali Dilip
Messenger: Aparna Suresh
Oswald: Kanupriya Iyer
Stage Manager: Vidya Shankar
Let me mention, that all the actors are award-winning
wordsmiths, with many books to their credit.
Jairam Seshadri, the founder of IPC,
who has authored Mantra Yoga [Rupa, 2021] Woof songs
and the Eternal Self- Saboteur [Partridge, 2019], Jesus
Sahasrnam-the 1008 names of Jesus Christ [AuthorsPress. 2018], enacted
the role of King Lear with a rare finesse, enthralling everyone with his tone,
diction, and dialogue delivery. In the last scene, when he enters with the body of Cordelia,
lamenting her death, not an eye among the audience was dry;
“Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones:
…
She's gone forever!”
He excelled in this debut foray of directing a
full-fledged Shakespearean play.
Anju Kishore who scintillated as Kent in King
Lear, and as Macbeth in Macbeth last year, is
an award-winning writer, poet, and editor, recently nominated for the Pushcart
Prize for
her haibun, Drumbeats by Triveni Haikai, India. As Kent, She impressed with her expressive
energy, sense of timing, and diction; her lines sparkling through every
emotion.
Paul Mathew, an actor since 1968, also an actor-trainer and
playwright, enacted the role of Gloucester with amazing panache. For him, it
was indeed fascinating to rediscover and demystify the bard through this play.
His poetry book, SPIRIT LAKES and Other Poems: An Actor’s Journey, is
a riveting read.
Gita Bharath, who charmed the audience as Duke of Albany is
an award-winning writer, with six published volumes of poetry, devoting herself
full-time to writing and blogging after her retirement from a
thirty-four-year-old bank career.
Subha Bhardwaj, a versatile writer, and member
of Indian Poetry Circle having many publications in IPC,
Chennai Poetry Circle, Haiku universe, and Literary
Vibes, was malevolence incarnate as Lear’s
son-in-law, Cornwall, evoking repugnance about the villainous character.
Aparna Suresh is an award-winning poet, writer, academic,
editor, and translator, with many published works. Speck of
a Soul [2019] was her first published anthology. She excelled in the
small, but important role of the messenger.
Geethanjali Dilip, The brain behind Yercaud Poetry Festival
says that she ‘converses with her soul in soliloquies echoing in her poetry,
which mirror the truths and beauty of life,’ played the Fool with great aplomb.
As she spoke and sang, all those endearing quirks of the fool bubbled
effervescently. She also performed the role of the Duke of France with finesse.
Urna Bose, Recipient of the prestigious Nissim International Prize for
Poetry, 2021, poet and editor, right now editing TSL Humour Anthology, What’s
the Fuss? was the very personification of evil, while enacting the role of
Reagan, the evil sister, the scorching fury in her eyes, so palpable.
Founder of Adisakrit, a publishing house, Sumita Dutt Shoam’s debut novel, The Heart of Donna Rai, has been well-acclaimed. As Edgar, her nuanced acting, powerful rendition, impassioned intensity, and creative innovation provided a virtual feast for the senses.
Sumitra Kumar is a passionate poet and blogger, whose debut poetry book Romance with Breath [April 2022], portrayed the evil sister Goneril’s wicked machinations, jealous treachery, and aggressive ambition with flawless acumen.
Shashi Kothari, a bilingual writer, with 7 poetry books- 6 in Hindi, and one in
English, enacted the role of Cordelia, bringing out her pure, compassionate
nature, impeccably.
Poet, and short- story writer, Cathy Sydlo Wilkes, figures in
various international anthologies, and is the recipient of the Nissim Prize [Second,
2022] in Poetry, and has authored two books, Facets: a collection of
uncommon poetry and Fowl Play: Commotion at the chicken
yard and other nontraditional Animal Stories.
She took Edmund’s role to new heights with her deft manipulation of voice and
excellent emoting, leaving the audience spellbound.
The young, talented author, poet, and actor, Kanupriya Iyer has
authored two novels, Humsuffers and The Family
Lockdown. As Oswald, she enchanted everyone with impressive
dialogue delivery, her sword-wielding laced with a fiery ferocity.
Vidya Shankar, a well-known, awarded poet, excelled as the Stage Manager,
tackling technical glitches\soundbytes, and filling in for the actors who
suddenly disappeared from the scene due to connectivity problems.
Let me conclude with a few lines from Paul Mathew’s poem, which he wrote
immediately after the success of the play:
‘The glitches and heartbreaks
The generosity of fellow actors
The surprising performances
Far beyond the rehearsals
The bonding and the joy
of having climbed a formidable peak together.’
Some more of Paul
Mathew’s lines from The Actor and Space [Dream Poetry:
Restore Space, AuthorsPress, 2022]
‘the magic
of the actor’s body
weaving space into an illusion
that a hundred others share.
theatre-
the sacred relationship between
man and space.’
Well, my belief in magic
was reaffirmed when I saw wordsmiths donning the mantle of actors, ‘climbing a formidable peak together’,
providing a sensory delight for those who watched.
‘Poetry Conclave’ of Kolkata is Global Now
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| Rajorshi Patranabis |
Rajorshi Patranabis
Poetry Conclave, one of the popular platforms of poetry reading, discussion and poetry book launch, celebrated its ninth poetry reading session, on line on the 20th day of September, 2020. In all these sessions, reputed and upcoming poets from India and abroad read their poems, alongside poetry book launch and discussions.
Like many important inventions, Poetry Conclave happened accidentally when two Kolkata-based poets, Gopal Lahiri and Rajorshi Patranabis met over coffee at a cafeteria in southern part of Kolkata. Although they had been meeting for quite some time, this time around things took a different turn and they decided to start a conclave for English poetry in Kolkata. There were not many forums for young and unknown talents in Indian English poetry in Kolkata to showcase their creativity at that point of time. A constructive discussion with two esteemed poets, Aneek Chatterjee and Sharmila Ray followed and it helped strengthen the idea of a poetry forum in the city where poets would read and discuss their creations, along with launch of new poetry books. Thus the ‘Quad’ started their poetic journey. Soon Poetry Conclave became a favorite platform of city based poets writing in English.
Initially the Conclave took place regularly at a Coffee shop in Kolkata, where poets read and discussed their poems and had ‘adda’ with coffee and snacks. A few conclaves were held in big auditoriums in Salt Lake and New Town areas in and around the city of Kolkata.
Poetry-Conclave-3
After the outbreak of Corona virus, Poetry Conclave went on line with poets from different parts of India and abroad taking part regularly with zeal. Poetry Conclave is honored to have poets from Kashmir, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata in India, and poets from Pakistan and Bangladesh reading their creations in different episodes so far. Respected poets like Sunil Sharma, Ayaz Rasool Nazki, Aminur Rahman, Sekhar Banerjee, Amanita Sen, Nandita Samanta, Masooma Ali and others read their compositions in different episodes of Poetry Conclave. Young poets like Jagari Mukherjee, Nikita Parik, Urna Bose, Sreetanwi Chakrabarty and many others presented their Creations in different versions of the Conclave.
The ‘Quad’ is especially thankful to noted poet Sunil Sharma for his support to the Conclave. The tenth episode of Poetry Conclave will take place on the virtual platform on 18th October, 2020. As usual poets from different parts of India will participate and read their poems in the tenth episode. Poetry Conclave has plans to invite more and more poets from India and abroad to enlighten the sessions. The Conclave received tremendous encouragement from poetry lovers all over the world, as evident from increasing viewership of its programs. The journey will continue.
Bio: Rajorshi Patranabis is a bilingual poet and translator. A food consultant by profession, his poems have appeared in many national and international journals and anthologies.
The Crossover - Love beyond Eternity is his collection of English poems.
Feriwala
is his collection of Bengali poems
Norjon Soikot -Luit Hooghly is a translation project of Bengali and Assamese poetry,
wherein he has translated and his Bengali work has been translated. This
collection is releasing very soon in the near future.
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