Organisers go all out to woo 'garba' enthusiasts Thursday, October 18, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD/SURAT/VADODARA: 'Garba' organisers in Gujarat are trying out every trick in the book _ from the conventional to the bizarre _ to add the zing to the Navratri festivities this year. Crowd-pulling tactics alone could send the cash box rattling in an otherwise recession period, the organisers say.
No music festival, even something as traditional as Navratri, seems compete these days without VJs and a camera crew so as to rope in star-struck, TV-crazy teenagers. So the 'garbas' a Nova Village on the Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad highway will have Cyrus II and Mini Mathur from MTV to "pep up matters". If that was not enough, Zee TV and its bouquet of Alpha channels will be telecasting the show live for all those dancers fascinated by the camera.
Television characters are a major draw in Surat as well. The city will celebrate 'garba' with the likes of Mihir, Daksha Chachi, Payal of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' fame and Pallavi from 'Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani'. The Friend's Group has its finger firmly on the public pulse. For the sheer thrill of it, star performers from popular TV serials have been roped in, with Bollywood music bands providing the beats throughout the nine nights.
Although most 'garba' organisers have arranged for attractive prizes, the cherry on the cake will be at the My TV 'garba' with motorbike given away on the last day to the dancer adjudged the best. If that is not enough, Popular Club has arranged a lucky draw on the last day. The lucky one drives away a car!
Young men, not women, seem to be the focus of those promoting 'garbas' in Vadodara. At the Baroda Information Technology Association 'garbas', all the girls get for dancing is free soft drinks while the boys walk away with free SIM cards. All they have to do is buy participant passes to dance!
"We have offered many sops to our participants as we want our 'garba' to be traditional and fun. AT&T has offered these special prizes for male participants who buy the passes. There are over 1000 cards to be won," says BITA president Dileep Patel.
Many gifts have been lined up for each of the nights. Best male and female dancers would receive a variety of gifts. These include gift coupons from Lakme, Emami, Raymonds and Reed and Taylor. Those who win the final best dancers prize would be crowned Prince and Princess and would win trips to Malaysia.
Brijesh International, the group that has called in Bali Brahmbhatt to the city, have offered free participation for male dancers on the first Navratri.
Attracting students is another sop that at least two major organisers are using to get in the crowds in Ahmedabad. Last year SOI Entertainment had devoted a few hours exclusively for school children. This year, they have devoted a whole day for them where parents will have to be bystanders as children take the centrestage at their Drive-in venue.
"The event was very popular with children last year, despite being held for only a few hours," says SOI's Himanshu Shah. "So we decided to given them a whole day." About 25 schools from across Ahmedabad have agreed to send their children to the venue.
Ace Promotions on the other has organised a 'garba' competition where 19 schools will participate at Karnavati Club. They have in fact decided to pull in the crowds by allotting a day each to organisations like NIIT, NIFD and Lion's Club Karnavati. Outsiders can enter the venue after buying tickets.
Add to this the fact that Fun Republic, the latest in a chain of multiplexes coming up in Ahmedabad, has chosen to stay open till 3 am , acutely aware that going straight to home and parental control will be the last thing on the minds of the youngsters once 'garbas' end at 1.30 am. The multiplex will also be sponsoring a 'garba' competition involving 16 colleges in Ahmedabad.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Organisers go all out to woo 'garba' enthusiasts Thursday, October 18, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD/SURAT/VADODARA: 'Garba' organisers in Gujarat are trying out every trick in the book _ from the conventional to the bizarre _ to add the zing to the Navratri festivities this year. Crowd-pulling tactics alone could send the cash box rattling in an otherwise recession period, the organisers say.
No music festival, even something as traditional as Navratri, seems compete these days without VJs and a camera crew so as to rope in star-struck, TV-crazy teenagers. So the 'garbas' a Nova Village on the Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad highway will have Cyrus II and Mini Mathur from MTV to "pep up matters". If that was not enough, Zee TV and its bouquet of Alpha channels will be telecasting the show live for all those dancers fascinated by the camera.
Television characters are a major draw in Surat as well. The city will celebrate 'garba' with the likes of Mihir, Daksha Chachi, Payal of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' fame and Pallavi from 'Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani'. The Friend's Group has its finger firmly on the public pulse. For the sheer thrill of it, star performers from popular TV serials have been roped in, with Bollywood music bands providing the beats throughout the nine nights.
Although most 'garba' organisers have arranged for attractive prizes, the cherry on the cake will be at the My TV 'garba' with motorbike given away on the last day to the dancer adjudged the best. If that is not enough, Popular Club has arranged a lucky draw on the last day. The lucky one drives away a car!
Young men, not women, seem to be the focus of those promoting 'garbas' in Vadodara. At the Baroda Information Technology Association 'garbas', all the girls get for dancing is free soft drinks while the boys walk away with free SIM cards. All they have to do is buy participant passes to dance!
"We have offered many sops to our participants as we want our 'garba' to be traditional and fun. AT&T has offered these special prizes for male participants who buy the passes. There are over 1000 cards to be won," says BITA president Dileep Patel.
Many gifts have been lined up for each of the nights. Best male and female dancers would receive a variety of gifts. These include gift coupons from Lakme, Emami, Raymonds and Reed and Taylor. Those who win the final best dancers prize would be crowned Prince and Princess and would win trips to Malaysia.
Brijesh International, the group that has called in Bali Brahmbhatt to the city, have offered free participation for male dancers on the first Navratri.
Attracting students is another sop that at least two major organisers are using to get in the crowds in Ahmedabad. Last year SOI Entertainment had devoted a few hours exclusively for school children. This year, they have devoted a whole day for them where parents will have to be bystanders as children take the centrestage at their Drive-in venue.
"The event was very popular with children last year, despite being held for only a few hours," says SOI's Himanshu Shah. "So we decided to given them a whole day." About 25 schools from across Ahmedabad have agreed to send their children to the venue.
Ace Promotions on the other has organised a 'garba' competition where 19 schools will participate at Karnavati Club. They have in fact decided to pull in the crowds by allotting a day each to organisations like NIIT, NIFD and Lion's Club Karnavati. Outsiders can enter the venue after buying tickets.
Add to this the fact that Fun Republic, the latest in a chain of multiplexes coming up in Ahmedabad, has chosen to stay open till 3 am , acutely aware that going straight to home and parental control will be the last thing on the minds of the youngsters once 'garbas' end at 1.30 am. The multiplex will also be sponsoring a 'garba' competition involving 16 colleges in Ahmedabad.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Project to help children orphaned by quake Thursday, October 18, 2001
BY TRIDIV VAIDYA, TIMES NEWS NETWORK
BHUJ: One is amazed to find children who have become homeless or orphans in remote Kutch areas, fluently chant slokas during the weekly yagna at the Gandhidham Arya Samaj. The samaj has adopted these children under the project Jeevan Prabhat.
According to samaj general secretary Vachonidhi Arya these children were admitted at the Samaj after a survey undertaken soon after the 26th January quake.
In the first phase, over 25 children were admitted, but the number would touch 250 after the construction of a modern complex on the land provided by the Kandla Port Trust on a token rent. Of course, these children do attend a school. The Gandhidham Arya Samaj would look after them till they settle in their life.
These children stay at the samaj office but would soon be shifted to Vedic Sanskar Kendra, which is under construction.
"When brought to us, these children were in state of utter neglect, full of panic and in unhygienic condition", says Shri Vachonidhi Arya, First we had provided them good clothing and then medical aid. Pediatrician Rajesh Jashwani, entrusted with the task of looking after the children first administered various types of vaccination.
The birthday of each child is celebrated; even visitors offer gifts to these children. Fun trips are arranged regularly. Education in Vedic culture is being imparted to children who can now chanting slokas besides participating in Gaytri Yagna.
The samaj plans to set up a special library for students appearing at competitive examinations, including the IAS. It will be set up at the Vedic Sanskar Kendra where books and CDs will be provided to the students of Kutch.
To protect Indian culture and to create awareness among common people, 'street yagnas' are held in the Gandhidham complex every Sunday. "Gaytri Yagna is held in a street. People of the falia take part in it. So far over 2000 yagnas have been organised even in the slums area. The Medical Oxygen of the Samaj has also proved a boon for the people of Gandhidham complex.
Oxygen cylinder was available round the clock and during earthquake, providing them timely oxygen could save several people who were breathing their last beneath debris. Other activities include Satsang Samaroh, yoga classes. The samaj has so far organised over 2000 simple marriages.
The Jeevan Prabhat Project for children has also many unique elements like provision for providing jobs to widows, provision for job orientation programme and workshop. So far over 250 children have been identified for being sheltered under the project.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Modi keeping cards close to chest Thursday, October 18, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: Unlike his first ministry-making exercise where he went out of his way to consult senior state BJP leaders on whom to induct in his ministry, Chief Minister Narendra Modi is keeping his cards close to his chest on the eve of the expansion of his ministry on Wednesday.
Modi reportedly discussed the names of probable ministers at a 'core group' meeting at the Circuit House in the evening where both former chief minister Keshubhai Patel and present industries minister Suresh Mehta were present. However, these two leaders, who were individually taken into confidence before the first swearing-in on October 7, were feeling left out of the ministry-making process this time.
It is learnt that Modi has got clearance for the names from the BJP high command during his visit to New Delhi last week. Party insiders feel that only the state BJP president Rajendasinh Rana was in the know of things, while other leaders were quite clueless on how many ministers and who will Modi induct this time.
Arrangements have been made for accommodating at least 5,000 people in the pandal where new ministers would be sworn by Governor S S Bhandari at noon on Wednesday.
It is learnt from reliable sources that Modi has decided not to succumb to any pressures from within the state unit, but would prefer the guidelines he has received from the central leadership on selection of new ministers to be inducted on the lawns of Town Hall.
Some senior functionaries of RSS led by Prasar Pracharak Pravin Maniar on Tuesday met Modi and strongly pleaded the case of some legislators from Saurashtra . They also insisted that these men should be also allocated important portfolios like home, revenue and roads and buildings. They also met Keshubhai Patel and urged him to plead their case before Modi.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
14 IAS officers transferred Thursday, October 18, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: In the third round of bureaucratic reshuffle since Narendra Modi became chief minister, as many as 14 top IAS officers were transferred on Tuesday.
The major transfers include that of Manjula Subramaniam as principal secretary, energy. Her place at the urban development and urban housing department has been taken over by Sudha Anchalia, serving right now as sports, youth and cultural activities secretary.
P Paneervel, who was in the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority, is the new municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad. D Rajgopalan, MD, Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, has been made MD of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation. In Rajgopalan's place, R L Meena has been posted.
The other important transfers are that of D Jagatheesa Pandyan as MD, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Hasmukh Adhia as industries commissioner, P K Pujari as economic affairs secretary, K Kailashnathan as water supplies secretary and chairman of the Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and Sunil Sud as chief executive officer, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board.
Anil Mukim, who is in the CMO, has been given additional charge as information and broadcasting secretary.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
