Day 4 may turn out to be turning point for Navratri Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD/VADODARA: After a slow start and warming up which lasted three evenings, organisers of 'garba' and 'dandiya' across Gujarat are hoping that 'Super Saturday' on Day 4 of the Navratri would set the pace for the nine-day extravaganza. There is excitement in the air as the most colourful festival of Gujarat heads for the week-end which will send the crowds of gaily dressed dancers into the arenas.
Traditionally, it has been a slow start for the Navratri and organisers are really not disappointed by the thin crowds which have turned up at the grounds on the first three evenings. But the crowds had already started thickening on Friday. "You haven't seen anything yet, the real show will begin on Saturday and the tempo will spill over to the next week," said the entertainment committee chief of Rajpath Club in Ahmedabad, Jigish Shah.
'Garba' organisers are expecting the crowds to swell exponentially even in other urban centres of Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot where the dances have been organised at scores of places. It is of course going to be a nightmare driving to the hot-spots in the evening and getting a place to park one's vehicle.
The secretary of Karnavati Club, Girish Dani, said, "there is a huge demand for passes over the weekend, I think Saturday will be a defining moment in this year's Navratri." Most 'garba' organisers who had a lean start say that this is an annual feature and every year Navratri picks up only after three days. "The first day was lean, but on the second day, the crowds doubled and we are expecting a full house from Friday going through the weekend," said BITA president Dinesh Patel who is organising a 'garba' in Vadodara.
The festival is being held under the cloud of the US-led strikes on Afghanistan and the earthquake in Gujarat, and organisers were worried if they would be able to recover their investments -- almost up to Rs 1 crore in some cases. Yogesh Desai of Ace Promotions also said he expects a huge turnout over the weekend and once the tempo is built, the crowds would keep coming in till the festival peaks on October 26.
In Vadodara, organisers say though the festive spirit of Navratri already hangs thick throughout the city, the real Navratri tempo would pick up over the weekend when most 'garba' grounds would see their grounds chock-a-block with eager dancers. The weekend is a suitable time for most youngsters -- especially those who are working. "I plan to start from Friday night. Last year when I was a student I could bunk the early morning classes throughout the Navratri, but that is not possible any more as I now work and cannot take so much leave," said Kshama Bhatt. "I regret that I would not be able to dance on all the nine nights but I prefer to remain fresh and energised if I have work," she said.
This is a common trend seen among youngsters who pick their days for dances instead of dancing nine days on a trot which can be completely exhausting. Some MSU students who live in hostels also prefer to wait till the weekend. "It makes sense to take outstation pass over three to four days. I prefer to wait for weekends as that is when it's more fun when the ground is full of people. The first few days are dull in any case," said Juhi, a student at S D Hall. Shalini Muni, an FYBA student, said most hostel girls go to the faculty of fine arts' 'garbas' in the first few days. During weekends, they go to bigger venues, like United Way.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Day 4 may turn out to be turning point for Navratri Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD/VADODARA: After a slow start and warming up which lasted three evenings, organisers of 'garba' and 'dandiya' across Gujarat are hoping that 'Super Saturday' on Day 4 of the Navratri would set the pace for the nine-day extravaganza. There is excitement in the air as the most colourful festival of Gujarat heads for the week-end which will send the crowds of gaily dressed dancers into the arenas.
Traditionally, it has been a slow start for the Navratri and organisers are really not disappointed by the thin crowds which have turned up at the grounds on the first three evenings. But the crowds had already started thickening on Friday. "You haven't seen anything yet, the real show will begin on Saturday and the tempo will spill over to the next week," said the entertainment committee chief of Rajpath Club in Ahmedabad, Jigish Shah.
'Garba' organisers are expecting the crowds to swell exponentially even in other urban centres of Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot where the dances have been organised at scores of places. It is of course going to be a nightmare driving to the hot-spots in the evening and getting a place to park one's vehicle.
The secretary of Karnavati Club, Girish Dani, said, "there is a huge demand for passes over the weekend, I think Saturday will be a defining moment in this year's Navratri." Most 'garba' organisers who had a lean start say that this is an annual feature and every year Navratri picks up only after three days. "The first day was lean, but on the second day, the crowds doubled and we are expecting a full house from Friday going through the weekend," said BITA president Dinesh Patel who is organising a 'garba' in Vadodara.
The festival is being held under the cloud of the US-led strikes on Afghanistan and the earthquake in Gujarat, and organisers were worried if they would be able to recover their investments -- almost up to Rs 1 crore in some cases. Yogesh Desai of Ace Promotions also said he expects a huge turnout over the weekend and once the tempo is built, the crowds would keep coming in till the festival peaks on October 26.
In Vadodara, organisers say though the festive spirit of Navratri already hangs thick throughout the city, the real Navratri tempo would pick up over the weekend when most 'garba' grounds would see their grounds chock-a-block with eager dancers. The weekend is a suitable time for most youngsters -- especially those who are working. "I plan to start from Friday night. Last year when I was a student I could bunk the early morning classes throughout the Navratri, but that is not possible any more as I now work and cannot take so much leave," said Kshama Bhatt. "I regret that I would not be able to dance on all the nine nights but I prefer to remain fresh and energised if I have work," she said.
This is a common trend seen among youngsters who pick their days for dances instead of dancing nine days on a trot which can be completely exhausting. Some MSU students who live in hostels also prefer to wait till the weekend. "It makes sense to take outstation pass over three to four days. I prefer to wait for weekends as that is when it's more fun when the ground is full of people. The first few days are dull in any case," said Juhi, a student at S D Hall. Shalini Muni, an FYBA student, said most hostel girls go to the faculty of fine arts' 'garbas' in the first few days. During weekends, they go to bigger venues, like United Way.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Jamnagar :: City to have multiplex Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
JAMNAGAR : The princely city once likened to Paris city is joining soon the bandwagon of multiplex entertainment. Film producer Mehul Kumar who belongs to Jamnagar, is setting up the Mehul Cinemas, the city's first multiplex cinema under the business firm Mehul Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Briefing reporters, Mehul Kumar said now there was a revolution in the world and multiplex cinemas were coming up rapidly and would thrive as they provide entertainment in multifarious ways.
He said such cinemas are coming up in India also and first one was designed by Ahmedabad's Ashok Purohit at Gandhinagar. He has now been entrusted to design such cinema in Saurashtra.
Mehul said the complex to be ready next December will have three theatres of which two will have capacity of 350 seats each and one will have 250 seats. All of them will have the latest sound system. His new film Kabhi Khushi-Kabhi Gam will be premiered in the midst of prominent Hindi film stars.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Jambughoda forest to offer a slice of Gir sans lions Saturday, October 20, 2001
BY SAJID SHAIKH, TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: The Jambughoda forest sanctuary is to offer a slice of Gir. The forest department is planning to turn a small part of the Jambughoda sanctuary into a tourist zone as part of its five-year forest management plan.
The tourist zone will have a Gir-like interpretation zone for easy sighting of wild animals in their natural environs. Guided tours for tourists will be carried out in the interpretation zone that will cover an area of 50 hectares.
The forest department also proposes to establish a tourist complex for the interpretation of wildlife, education and recreation. The complex will come up at Dhanpuri near Kada reservoir and Targol area in the forest.
Watch towers will be constructed at strategic sites to facilitate visitors to watch wildlife, birds and other moving creatures and the scenic beauty of the forest. Besides, a 5-km nature trail connecting the watch towers with the main track would also be prepared at strategic routes of the tourism zone to take visitors for trekking. Budgetary provisions of Rs 28.30 lakh has been proposed for these activities.
"We call this eco-tourism, which in this context, can be regarded as a means to promote interest and awareness in wildlife conservation. However the promotion of tourism will be given complete attention only when the sanctuary gets developed to the extent that wildlife is seen in plentiful," deputy conservator of forest (wildlife division) S K Mehta told Times News Network.
He said the tourism zone will have sub zones like low intensity use area, development areas and development sites to guide and control its recreational use.
"Nature education camp sites would be developed in appropriate locations close to water sources in the forest. Tents will be provided to visitors and nature lovers for camping. Trained guides will also be provided for proper understanding of forest life," Mehta said. He said the interpretation centre will furnish information on vegetation and wildlife in the forest to tourists. "Further facilities of wildlife films and slide shows will also be provided," Mehta said.
The Jambughoda forest boasts of a very rich biodiversity. It has 105 species of plants belonging to 88 genera and 42 families. The floral diversity is considerably high. The forest also has a host of medicinal plants.
The mammals found in the Jambughoda sanctuary include panther, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, rhesus macaque, common langur, common mongoose, porcupine and the Indian hare. Herbivores like cheetal and sambhar were present earlier. Wild boar, once in abundance, now have a depleted status. Besides the mammals and avifauna, the sanctuary exhibits abundant other fauna like reptiles -- poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, monitor lizards and chameleons; several fish species and many insects -- cicadas, butterflies and dragonflies. Among the snakes, python, cobra, common krait, russel and saw scale viper, wolf snake, checkered keel back etc., are present.
As per the 1996-97 census there are 34 panthers, 22 hyenas, 29 blue bulls, 18 four-horned antelopes and 31 mongooses in the sanctuary. Sloth bear has been occasionally reported to be seen in the forest, Mehta said.
Mehta has also drafted the management plan for Jambughoda forest sanctuary. According to the plan, the sanctuary area has been divided into core zone (2,321.40 hectare), intensive management zone (10,666.70 hectare) and tourism zone (50 hectare).
While habitat amelioration and wildlife protection works shall be carried out in the core zone, in the intensive management zone, provisions would be made for developing wildlife and forest resources.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Postal dept, couriers yet to wake up to anthrax threat Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: You've got mail ... with anthrax. This scare may have sounded an alarm in people worldwide but the postal department in Gujarat is yet to be put on alert.
"We have received no directive from the head office to remain alert about the anthrax scare," informed chief postmaster of Ahmedabad GPO, D R Sengal.
Justifying the absence of any directive to remain on guard, Sengal said majority mails are not opened by the post office personnel but handed over straight to the receiver and hence the threat is minimum to the postal employees.
Meanwhile, private courier companies confessed that while the anthrax scare was not very widespread in the country and the state, courier personnel have been directed to keep their eyes open while handling foreign packages, especially the US-bound.
"Standing instructions have been given to confirm and reconfirm any package being sent to the US. The personnel have been asked to exercise caution especially in cases where medicines are being sent," conceded Alkesh Bhavsar of First Flight Couriers.
"We have instructed all personnel to feel the packages and if any of them is suspected to carry powder-like substance, it should be immediately isolated and handed over to the police or a scientific laboratory for analysis," informed a senior official of DHL Worldwide Express.
Sources said most companies have asked their employees to avoid accepting US-bound packages. "The directives are to avoid accepting packages for the US in the first place. In case a big client is involved, we are expected to call up the receiver and cross-check if he/she is accepting the package or not," said an official of a courier company, pleading anonymity.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
| ALL ABOUT ANTHRAX |
 |
| |
