10-Day Book Exhibition at Banaras Hindu University

The Central Library, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is going to organise a 10-day book exhibition from December 21 to December 30 in its premises.

While talking to reporters on Wednesday, university librarian, Dr AK Srivastava, informed that the books written and edited by teachers, officers will be displayed as a part of BHU knowledge centre. He also informed that in coming years, BHU knowledge centre will be permanently established and books on BHU alumni, covering all research work, innovation, patents, varieties and local impact will be covered in it.

Meanwhile, a Mahamana Digital Library will also be inaugurated on the occasion. The books, thesis, photographs on Pandit Malviya have been digitalised under it and can be accessed through the digital library under BHU library website from anywhere in the world. A separate section on books related to Varanasi will be also be made on the occasion. The book exhibition is open for general public and no entry fee will be charged from visitors.

Conference on Asian Modernities today: In commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahamana Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya the Inter-Cultural Studies Centre, Banaras Hindu University is going to organise an international conference on Transcultural Asian Modernities at Dr Annie Besant Hall on Thursday.

According to organisers, the event has been co-sponsored by Indian Council of Social-Sciences Research, New Delhi and and Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Prof Arjun Appadurai, Paulette Goddard Professor of Media, Culture and Communication, New York University will deliver the inaugural address while Prof Martin Fuchs, Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, Germany will preside over the function.

Geeta Pravachan at BHU: The week long celebrations to mark the culmination of 150th birth anniversary year of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya begun with the inauguration of a five-day Geeta Pravachan Mala at Malviya Bhawan, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on Wednesday. Geeta Pravachan Mala will continue till December 24.

Seminar concludes: The two-day seminar on 'conflict management, peace economics and peace science' was organised by the department of sociology, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith on Wednesday.

Annual Day: Kendriya Vidyalaya, 39 GTC is going to organise its annual day celebrations 'Culrav-2012' in the school premises on Thursday.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Ganga Mahotsav To Begin From Friday

Update 4th November 2016 

The 22nd Ganga Mahotsav, scheduled to be held in the city from 11th November to 14th November 2016, will be inaugurated at Rajendra Prasad Ghat on Friday. 

Ganga mahotsav, a festival only one of its kind, is celebrated in the city of Varanas also known as the City of Spiritual Light. It is considered to be one of the oldest living cities in the world.

Meanwhile, several traditional sporting events including Ganga Marathon (from Sant Ravidas ghat to Dashaswamedh ghat) Kushti at Assi ghat, Boat race, Gada, Jodi, Malkham at Rajendra Prasad ghat will also be organised during the occasion. 

The Ganga Mahotsav will last up to five days. The celebration not only promotes the city of Varanasi as the cultural capital of India but also promotes the various classical dances and music.

In addition to sports events, group dance, solo dance, instrumental music, folk and semi-classical singing competitions will also be held for students of various schools at Sanskritik Sankul, Chowkaghat. 

As classical music fills the atmosphere, a mystique seems to envelop the environs awaiting a mood both celestial and soulful. The classical music rendered by maestros indeed imparts an unforgettable flavor. The attraction of the five-day-long Ganga Mahotsav is its message of faith and culture, that increase with the daily Shilp Mela and the unique Dev Deepawali with innumerable `Diyas´ or earthen lamps in chain, lit by devotees and which floating down the river on the full moon night of Kartik, a spectacle both mystical and heart winning.

The festival coincides with Dev Dipawali which adds to the charm of the festival.It is said that on the day of Dev Deepavali which is a full moon day according to the Hindu calendar month of Kartik, Gods descend on earth to take a bath in the river Ganges. On the day the banks are lit with diyas or lamps.The whole look of the banks of Ganges is enthralling. People from aceoss India and even abroad come to take a bath during the wee hours of morning. When the sun is ascending on the horizon, people take bath and do the "Surya Namaskar".

Contact Address:

Mahotsav Samithi
Office of Assistant Director Tourism
Urban Haat, Sanskritik Sankul,
Chowka-Ghat, Varanasi
Telephone & Fax No : +91-0542-2505033

Durga Puja 2012: Cops on alert ahead of the festival

Though the men in khaki have already geared up their preparations to maintain law and order during the Durga puja celebrations, the high number of puja pandals in sensitive and highly sensitive localities has kept them worried.

According to SP City SK Singh, the total number of puja pandals installed in city area is 175.

Out of them 20 puja pandals are considered highly sensitive either due to falling in mixed populated localities, or because of the routes used for taking the idols to pandals or carrying out immersion processions. The records of city police show that these puja pandals came in the category of sensitive and highly sensitive between 1980 and 1990 when anti-social elements succeeded in fanning communal tension frequently.

Fortunately no major dispute occurred except in Deonathpura locality after late nineties. The series of disputes that led to communal tensions during Durga puja celebration had started in 1985 when the police had to exercise hard to maintain peace in Katuapura area after a dispute generated on the issue of route for carrying out immersion procession.

In 1986 the police fixed the place of installing idols and immersion procession route but in 1988 tension gripped this locality again when fire caught in the puja pandal due to short circuit. After that police prepared separate security plan for the Durga puja of this locality and it yielded positive result.

Apart from it the exercises for police become hectic in Deonathpura especially when the idol is taken out from the narrow street to the main road for immersion. Most of the Durga puja, which are kept in highly sensitive categories, are held in densely populated localities of old city area. The officials said that keeping the ground realities of these localities in view the police stations concerned are instructed to keep sharp vigil with the beginning of preparations of the Durga puja in those localities while special security plan is placed from the day of installation of idols.

The SSP BD Paulson, who reviewed the preparations of police for Durga puja celebration in the city recently, said that intelligence units are also in alert mode and people of both communities are also interested in maintaining communal harmony.

This confidence in the government machinery had developed after terrorist groups failed to disturb the communal harmony and peace even after attacking the city on regular intervals. The people of both communities showed solidarity and sincerity at the time of crisis.

But, as none of the terrorist blasts, which took place between 2005 and 2010, could be worked and the presence of sleeper modules of terrorist groups have been noticed in the region even in recent weeks, the cops are not looking in a mood to take any risk.

The police officials are also worried to see that the festival of Bakrid is also falling just three days after Dussehra. The preparations of Bakrid like beginning of goat markets at the areas including Beniabagh, would start during Durga puja celebration.

As the possibility of utilising this opportunity by anti-social elements can't be denied the officials are emphasising on strengthening their network to collect intelligence inputs timely to avert untoward incident. The SP City said that more exercises for confidence building, seeking cooperation of traders and petty vendors and alerting the people to be vigilant towards suspicious activities and persons would be evident in city area in coming days.

Source : http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/