MAY – JUNE 2014

INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS

NEWSLETTER President ICCR holds RAC Meetings

Regional Advisory Committee meeting of ICCR Srinagar, attended by nine RAC members under the chairmanship of Dr. Karan Singh, President, ICCR, was held on 15th May 2014. President ICCR briefed the members about the working ofICCR and its historical prospective. He also mentioned about the efforts made by ICCR in locating two Regional centers in the state.

Dr. Karan Singh, President ICCR, visited Kolkata to chair RAC meeting held on 29th June 2014 at Rabindranath Tagore Centre, ICCR, Kolkata. The meeting was attended by two Governing Body members and 7 RAC members. President ICCR, emphasized that Memorandum of Understand (MoU) should be sign with the local government to promote culture activities jointly. During his visit he met with Governor of West Bengal.

Prime Minister of Bhutan unveils Bust of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru The bust of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was unveiled and Siddharth Art Gallery was inaugurated at the Nehru-Wangchuck Cultural Centre by H.E. Lyonchhoen Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan and Ambassador V P Haran, on 7th May 2014.

First Lady of Uganda meets ICCR Scholars ICCR allotted 30 scholarships to students of Uganda for FY 2014 – 2015. Twenty two of them for B.Tech courses (9), Commerce (9) and other under – graduate schemes in India such as B.B.A etc. Ambassador Dr. A.V.S. Ramesh Chandra, accompanied by the twenty two students, visited the State House, Kampala, and were received by the First Lady of Uganda, Her Excellency Ms. Janet Museveni.

EXIM Bank support an ICCR Chair

An MoU was signed on 27th June, 2014 at Azad Bhavan, New Delhi by DG, ICCR and Yaduvendra Mathur, Chairman & Managing Director, EXIM Bank to jointly operate a Chair of Indian Financial Management at Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University, Nigeria.

DG ICCR signs MoU with MGI in Mauritius

Director General, ICCR signed a Memorandum of Understanding between ICCR and Mahatma Gandhi Institute on continuation of ICCR’s Chair at Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Moka on 12th May 2014. The signing ceremony was attended by Hon’ble Mr. Mookhesswur Choonee, Minister of Arts & Culture, Hon’ble Dr. Vasant Bunwaree, Minister of Education and Human Resources and Hon’ble Mr. Surendra Dayal, Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment. Director General, ICCR also called on H.E. Mr. Kailash Purryag, President of Mauritius and Hon’ble Dr. Arvin Boolell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and laid wreath at Aapravasi Ghat.

From Our Cultural Centres Abroad

Celebration of Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore The NWCC in collaboration with Embassy of Bangladesh celebrated the birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore at the Centre on 17th May 2014. Hon'ble Lyonpo Damcho Dorji, Minister of Home and Cultural Affairs graced the occasion. Other dignitaries including V P Haran, Ambassador of India to Bhutan, Jishnu Roy Choudhury, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Bhutan, Lyonpo Nado Rinchen, Secretaries and Head of Department of various offices of RGOB.

Bangkok Tabla Concert: “Layakari”

A solo tabla concert was presented by ICC tabla teacher Ustad Vasi Ahmed Khan on 17th May 2014. He performed 4 items, Vilambit Teen Taal of 16 beats – Vilambit Lay (Slow speed), Ek Taal of 12 beats – Madhya Lay (Medium speed), Drut Teen Taal of 16 beats – Lay Drut Teen Taal (Fast speed) and Upaj – creativity spontaneous (Thai-Indian beats). The programme was very well appreciated by the audience.

Sao Paulo Drama: The Dry Leaves Die Over The Sea A Tragedy drama written by Tomaz Chico and directed by Claudia Bonina was staged for the first time at ICC São Pauloon 8th May 2014. The drama uses characters of Greek mythology as a device to represent the condition of women all over the world. Based on Medea and Ophelia classical dramas, the very beginning of western theatre, it tells the story of three washerwomen and their striving to act against a cruel living. Between tears and laughter they reveal their hidden sides, sometimes revengeful.

Buddha Purnima Celebrations Celebration of Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni was programmed on 14th May 2014. The function was divided in three parts: Meditation practice (Vipassana – the technique taught by Lord Buddha Himself) Lecture illustrated with slides on Budda’s teachings. Lecture and meditation were conducted by Arthur Shaker, practitioner and Counselor Casa de Dharma, Therevadin Buddhist Centre in the heart of São Paulo.

3rd Anniversary of ICC Sao Paulo ICC Sao Paulo, celebrated its third anniversary on 25th May 2014. The programme comprised of colorful performances of Hindi songs, Yoga, Odissi, Kathak, Bharatnatyam as well as contemporary dance by the students of ICC.

Meeting: Peace Culture ICC Sao Paulo, in association with WOPG and TPRF organized the meeting “Peace Culture” on 9th June 2014, which was an innovative educational programme, conducted by volunteers with videos focusing on specific subjects.

NWCC, Bhutan

Chairs for Indian Studies Collaborating with Indian Missions abroad, ICCR has established Chairs in reputed universities and institutions across the world covering various aspects of Indian studies, to promote knowledge and understanding about India as also for research and related high-end academic activities. The latest group of academicians appointed as Chairs include, Prof. M.J. Bhende as ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, and Dr. Chandra Bhushan Jha as ICCR Sanskrit Chair at Philips University of Marburg, Germany.

DG ICCR holds RAC Meetings

Director General, ICCR visited Shillong and Guwahati from 28th – 31st May 2014 for meeting of the Regional Advisory Committees and had discussions with senior officials. During his stay he called on H.E. Mr. K.K. Paul, Governor of Meghalaya and H.E. Mr. Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, Governor of Assam and met with ICCR scholars.

MACIC, Cairo India Day at Misr Public Library As part of its outreach activity, MACIC Cairo hosted India Day at the Misr Public Library, El Zawia on 16th June 2014. The newly-constructed Misr Public library caters to 57 schools in the region. After a brief tour of the library, Ambassador Navdeep Suri and Ambassador Abdel Raouf El Reedy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Misr Public Libraries, jointly inaugurated an exhibition on Indo-Egyptian relations.

Lecture by Indian Electoral Officers: ‘Lessons from Indian and Egyptian Elections’ Embassy of India, in association with the Egypt India Friendship Association (EIFA), organized a lecture on Indian and Egyptian elections at MACIC, on 28th May 2014, by two senior Election officials, Mr. Jaideep Govind, and Dr. Mona Sharma, with experience of managing elections in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, who were visiting Egypt to follow the Presidential elections. Dr. Maged Osman, President of Egypt-India Friendship Association, Managing Chairman of Baseera Opinion Polls for Public Opinion, spoke about the Egyptian electoral process. Ambassador Navdeep Suri delivered the opening remarks.

Lecture Demonstration on Kathak

MACIC organized a lecture-cum-demonstration on Kathak dance by Ms. Maria Krizhanovskaya, on 24th June 2014, at the Centre. Earlier in the month, MACIC conducted four sessions of introductory classes in Kathak dance by Ms. Krizhanovskaya, who trained for 6 years with Guru Prerana Shrimali at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi.

Suriname An Evening of Bhojpuri Music

Ms. Kalpana Patowary and her Troupe performed on 24th

May 2014 at the Indian Monument Gardens, Georgetown. She mesmerized the entire audience with her melodious voice. Hon’ble Minister for Culture, Youth & Sports, Dr. Frank Anthony was the Chief Guest.

Asia Nite

On 7th June 2014, the Embassies of India, China and Indonesia in Paramaribo jointly organized the cultural event "Asia Nite" in "Witte Lotus", the biggest local sports center. The event was attended by H.E. Robert Ameerali, Vice President of the Republic of Suriname, Don Tosendjojo, Minister of Trade and Industry, Stanley Sidoel, Director of Cultural Affairs and Representatives of Diplomat Corps and International Organizations. The "Asia Nite" consisted of two sections: exhibition of food & handicrafts, and cultural show. Gandhi Centre, The Hague

Kings Day/ Spring Event

Kings Day/Spring Event was celebrated at the Gandhi Centre in collaboration with Netherland - IndiaAssociation on 3rd May 2014. A variety of programmes including Hindustani Vocal performance, classical Kathak Dance, Bollywood Dance, Fusion Dances and Folk Dance by various artistes.

Dhrupad Recital

Gandhi Centre, The Hague, organized a classical evening presenting Dhrupad by Smt. Ashokaji Dhar Nandy one of the first female Dhrupadia from India on 23rd May 2014.

JNICC, Jakarta Dance Drama ‘Shri Krishna’ Choreographed by JNICC Kathak dance teacher Ms. Pratishtha Saraswat and her students, Dance Drama ‘Shri Krishna’ was performed at the Embassy auditorium on the occasion of farewell to Mr. Zahur Zaidi, Director JNICC on 11th May 2014.

Book Release: "Nucleus, Power Women: Lead from the Core" and Panel discussion: "women as leaders"

JNICC in association with Abha Maryada Banerjee, a well known motivational author from India, organized a well attended release of her book “Nucleus, Power Women: Lead from the Core” on 24th May 2014. The book was released by Ms. Neeru Singh, Indonesian author and activist. Program also featured a classical dance performance by JNICC Kathak dance teacher and students.The event included a panel discussion on “Women as Leaders”.

An Evening of Indian Classical Dance at Bali Arts Festival JNICC, Bharatnatyam dance teacher Ms. Sindhu Raj along with students of ICC Bali performed Bharatnatyam at the Bali Arts Festival held on 17th June 2014. Consul General A.S. Takhi welcomed the audience and also presented a memento to the Minister of Culture, Bali. The eveningbegan with a traditional Pushpanjali performed by Ms. Sindhu Raj and was followed by Alarippu, which literally means, “to bloom like a flower”. Ms. Sindhu ended the Bharatnatyam performance with “Bho Shambho”, an item dedicated to the lord of dance “Lord Shiva”.

MGICC, Port of Spain Indian Arrival Day To celebrate the Indian Arrival Day, MGICC and The University of Trinidad and Tobago organized a function on 27th May 2014. Secondary and Primary schools in South Trinidad were invited to this event to give them an exposure of authentic Indian culture. MGICC’s Dance, Vocal and Tabla Teachers presented their performances.

Kathmandu Indian Cultural Festival ICC Kathmandu organized Indian Cultural Festival from 17th

to 23rd of May 2014 covering food, vocal music, performing arts, folk dance, films, instrumental music, run for fun, and exhibition of Rabindranath Tagore’s paintings. These events were spread across different venues in Kathmandu.

Sri Lanka Buddha Rashmi Vesak Celebrations in Colombo ICC Colombo participated in the event by displaying a Vesak lantern modeled on the Mahabodhi Temple of Gaya, Bihar. The lantern was based on the architecture of the Mahabodhi Temple. The event was jointly organized by the Presidential Secretariat, Government of Sri Lanka and the Gangaramaya Temple from 15th to 19th May 2014 in Colombo, where India was special invitee.

Understanding Bollywood Cinema by Prof. Wimal Dissanayake ICC Colombo organized a lecture by Prof. Wimal Dissanayake on ‘Understanding Bollywood Cinema’ on Tuesday 13th May 2014. He discussed various aspects of popular Hindi films and what makes it appealing to a vast number of people across the world. Suva Shaam – e – Ghazal ICC Suva, organized Shaam-e-Ghazal on 21st June 2014. Mr. Iqbal Janiff, Chairman, University of the South Pacific, Mr. Hafizud Dean Khan, President, Fiji Muslim League and Mr. Anandilal Amin, President Ba Cultural Society were the guests of honor during the programme. Mr. Viveka Nand, ICC Tabla/Harmonium teacher with his students and local artists of Fiji hosted the Shaam-e-Ghazal evening.

The Nehru Centre, London Kathak Dance and Yoga for Nourishment

The Nehru Centre London, hosted a very unique event – a combination of Yoga and Dance for nourishment, balance and transformation – by Yogi Amrit Raj and Ms. Arushi Nishank. The presentation was inspired by the spiritual hermits of India who would push their physical, mental and spiritual boundaries to attain Moksha.

WWF Tiger Talk Exhibition

WWF Tiger Talk Exhibition was commissioned by ICCR and has been displayed at venues around the world. In collaboration with WWF, The Nehru Centre showcased the exhibition on 21st May 2014. WWF has been working to protect the tiger and its habitat through its work across India for nearly 40 years.

Remembering Begum Akhtar – Dr. Radhika Chopra The Nehru Centre London, organized a musical evening by Dr. Radhika Chopra in remembrance of ghazal singer BegumAkhtar on 12th June 2014. Dr. Chopra presented some of Begum Akhtar’s most famous Ghazals, Thumris and Dadras along with some interesting anecdotes of her life.

Exhibition: Monaraa by Monika Kalra

On 30th June 2014, The Nehru Centre London, showcased an exhibition titled “Monaraa” by Monika D. Kalra, a contemporary Indian artist, whose style is characterized by vibrant concoctions of bold, colorful and unique subjects.

Kuala Lumpur An evening of Bharatnatyam dance ICC Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with Soopanam Arts organized ‘An Evening of Bharatnatyam dance’ on 12th

June 2014. The performance was presented by three senior disciples of Ms. Chitra Visweswaran from India.

Osaka - Kobe Kala Utsav 2014

Kala Utsav 2014, a concert of Indian Dance and Music was organized at Osaka on 6th June 2014. The guests included political leaders, prefectural dignitaries, senior government officers, members of diplomatic societies, and prominent members of the local Indian community. Kala Utsav has grown in popularity and has been effective in spreading awareness about Indian culture and strengthening cultural ties between India and Japan. Astana International Dance Competition

ICC Astana, participated in the international dance competition “World of the Dance” organized by the Kazakh Music and Drama Theatre, Astana on 29th May 2014.Students of the ICC participated in different categories and competed with many other foreign dance troupes in Astana. The ICC junior students claimed the first place in the junior dance category.

Maldives Inauguration of Library and its Official ICC Facebook Page

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mr. Mohamed Maleeh Jamal and the High Commissioner Rajeev Shahare inaugurated the new library in the ICC Male and its official Facebook Page on 17th May 2014. The ICC library has an excellent collection of books on Indian cultural tradition, art forms, biographies of eminent personalities, novels in Hindi, magazines, etc. It also hosts a digital section with selected Bollywood movie DVDs, documentaries and music CDs. China Glimpses of India Festival

The ‘Glimpses of India Festival’ in China commenced on 8th – 15th June 2014, with an investment promotion seminar featuring the state of Maharashtra. The wide-ranging events showcase Indian performing arts, exhibitions of modern Indian art, visual and photographic exhibitions on Buddhist heritage of India and its links with China, food festivals, and film festivals, as well as events involving eminent Indian and Chinese scholars and writers. This was followed by dance performances by the renowned Chennai - based Kalakshetra Dance Troupe in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu. Portugal Folk Dance Performance

Folk dancers from Rajasthan performed at the Orient Museum, Lisbon on 11th June 2014 in the presence of Mayor of Setubal. The performance was organized by the Embassy of India in Lisbon and Fundacao Oriente, with the support of ICCR.

Turkey Colors of India Festival The ‘Colours of India’ festival was organized at the prestigious Sainte Pulchérie French High School on 7th May 2014. The event show-cased Indian songs and dance performances, Indian cuisine and a fashion show.

From our Regional Centres in India Shillong: ICCR, Shillong under its Horizon Series programme organized a cultural programme “Music by the Lake” on the occasion of the World Music Day on Saturday, 21st May, 2014 at the Ward’s Lake, Shillong.

Gujarat:

A unique program of ‘KAVIYATRI SAMMELAN’ was organized by ICCR Gujarat on the 21st of May 2014. Eight renowned poets of Gujarat participated in the program

Hyderabad:

ICCR Hyderabad organized a two day cultural festival “Kuchipudi Nrithya Neerajanam” in association with Sri Sai Nataraja Academy of Kuchipudi Dance on 11th & 12th June 2014.

Bhopal: ICCR Bhopal, in collaboration with The Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya, organized a ghazal programme ‘Tarannum’ under its Horizon Series Programme on 29th

May 2014. Noted ghazal singer Krishna Nand presented the vocal recital.

Guwahati: ICCR Guwahati organized Sattriya Dance Programme by Smt. Rumi Talukdar & her group on 18th

May 2014. Chief Secretary of Assam Shri J. Khosla was the Chief Guest. The programme was well attended and highly

appreciated by the audience.

Goa:

ICCR - Goa in collaboration with Ravindra Bhavan Goa,organized “An Evening of Instrumental Music” on 31st May 2014 at the Black Box Auditorium, Ravindra Bhavan-Margao under the Horizon Series. Pandit Milind Tulankar, a young and promising artist from Pune presented the Jaltarang Recital. Kolkata: ICCR, Kolkata in collaboration with Ahang, New Delhi celebrated 154th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore - “ANANYA ; Tagore’s unparalleled women” – a multi-media production 9th May 2014. The programme was inaugurated by First Lady Smt. Padmini Narayanan, Prof. Bharati Ray and Smt. Rajashree Behera, Regional Director ICCR, Kolkata.

Jammu: ICCR Jammu celebrated its 3rd Foundation Day on 25th May 2014 at Police Auditorium Jammu, featuring the presentation of a unique show ‘Dance Diversity of Jammu and Kashmir’. This presentation was aimed at glorifying the regional diversity and the cultural co-existence of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Air Commodore P.E. Patenge, YSM VM Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Jammu was the special guest on the occasion.

Forthcoming Events in New Delhi Horizon Series for August – September 2014 Venue – Azad Bhawan Exhibitions: 1st – 6th August 2014 – Painting Exhibition by Ms. Upasana Bajpai Tripathi. 22nd – 27th August 2014 – Painting Exhibition by Ms. Priyanka Banerjee, Delhi based artist. 29th August – 3rd September 2014 – Painting Exhibition by Shri Birendra Kumar Singh, Patna based artist. 12th – 17th September 2014 – Painting Exhibition by Shri Vaishnavacharya Sumit Goswami, Mathura based artist. 26th September – 1st October 2014 – Sculptures Exhibition by Shri Amit Kumar Gaur, Lucknow based artist. Dance and Music: Friday, 8th August 2014 – Bengali folk music by Shri Tapan Kumar Roy. Friday, 22nd August 2014 – Carnatic vocal recital by Ms. Manasi Prasad. Friday, 12th September 2014 – Shri Sunil Kant Gupta, Flute, Mumbai. Friday, 26th September 2014 – Dr. Shalini Ved, Hindustani Vocal, U.P.

Feedback/Contact us: Printed by: Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Azad Bhavan, I.P. Estate, New Delhi – 110002 Tel: 011 – 23379309, 23379310 Website: www.iccrindia.net Inputs: Padam Talwar, SPD, ICCR Email: splspd.iccr@nic.in, Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/iccr.newdelhi

Programmes held in May – June 2014

Painting Exhibition by Shri Ramesh Nambiar

Odissi Dance by Shri Rajib Bhattacharya

Light Classical music by Ms. Swarn Vijh

Painting Exhibition by Shri Apurba Pal

Sattriya Dance by Ms. Anwesa Mahanta

Light Classical music by Ms. Swarn Vijh