BRAND iNDIA

Pumpkin Pie recipe made easy!

2015-11-26T04:17:00.001-08:00

Foods' a model Model

2011-11-28T00:14:00.000-08:00

Foods' been the best most difficult model I've ever worked with...
It's got the smallest modelling career life but if shot well... the frames feed eternity.
Two of my food photographs make for the cover of an international magazine.

4EQBv-dvzvW6k9-JG9hZDMMaZK8

Why This Kolaveri..? Music Beyond All Bounds

2011-11-24T20:46:00.001-08:00

Music can certainly not be bound by the barriers of language and geography. And it is once again proved with this Tamil song going viral over internet. In less than ten days of posting the song's buzzing with almost four million views...

Even the bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted: "Just heard #Kolaveri after much talk on it... it's so original and catchy... congrats Dhanush and Aishwarya (Rajni's daughter).. love".

This single released from the Tamil film ‘3’ by Tamil actor-singer Danush is fast emerging as the most shared video in India.

If literally translated “kolaveri di” means a burning or murderous rage in Tamil but in the song this very phrase has been used in a funny sense as a lover’s question to his girlfriend as to why he was dumped by her.

This song full of absurd lyrics, meaningless words and sung by an actor who sings as a hobby, has caught the attention of one and all. The credit to this can be given to the fact that even though the song may not make in-depth lyrical sense but it sure has a catchy tune and is extremely hummable. The signature line of the song itself must have been meaningless to non-Tamilians when it was initially released but it has transcended linguistic as well as spatial boundaries to become one of the most heard songs of recent times and that too in a very short span of time.

Music is fuel to soul, for sure!

Amazing India

2011-11-17T04:24:00.000-08:00

India is amazing for sure and I am more than lucky as I get to see the mesmerizing corners of this wonderful nation. Thankyou God for letting me be born and alive on this land... Thankyou...

Hello! Hello! that doesn't mean that I am not willing to see the remaining world...
...Am still awaiting for that globe tour wish to be granted...
Amen :)

Portraits

2011-11-16T10:48:00.001-08:00

Portraits, originally uploaded by jeetalex.

My mini portrait portfolio...

2011-11-16T02:54:00.000-08:00

Jama Masjid is amazing all the time, even more when sunsets and some great food is on offer all around... Even a non-foodie like me can't resist the temptation....

PUSHKAR: World’s Largest Cattle Fair

2011-03-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

Article By: Shilpi Shukla
Photos By: Lovejeet Alexander

Every November, in the pond-sized sleepy town of Pushkar, India comes alive with a riot of colors and a frenzied burst of activity, attracting visitors from around the globe to the famous Camel Fair.

(The complete article was featured in Little India, a US publication...)

Renowned for hosting the world’s largest camel fair, the quiet town of Pushkar exhibits a rare and fascinating combination of religious fervor and cultural effervescence every November. Around 50,000 camels are sold, decorated, shaved and raced during the Pushkar Fair, the largest cattle fair in the world.

Thefestival is quite a hit among foreign tourists. This year’s whopping 200,000 crowd inundated Pushkar’s 14,000 population. The profusion of colors that run riot in the desert sand, the glee and the contagious enthusiasm of the village folk charm every visitor. “Very few fairs in the world, if at all any, can match the liveliness of the Pushkar fair — the world’s largest cattle fair,” said Jamie Jay, a tourist from California, who has been attending the fair regularly for the last four years.

The ambience evoked during the seven-day festival is that of rustic Rajasthan, more so of rural India — vibrant, colorful and quintessentially Indian. Bards and poets recite and sing tales of valor and heroism of bygone days. Singers and dancers stage folk performances throughout the day. Various competitions, such as turban tying, tilak, water pot race, mandna, langari taang, Indian bride, moustache, and wrestling, etc., enliven the event.

“I like the turban tying and tilak competition. They are so Indian,” said Daniel Schwenegger, a tourist from Denmark.

In addition, many animal competitions, such as camel decoration, camel dance, horse dance, fast milking, gir and cross-breed and champion cattle contests delight visitors. “The lumbering beast of burden, the camel all decorated in finery, imagines itself to be an ostrich, and rushes through the race like one. It’s such fun. I have never seen anything like this before,” said Australian college student, Diana Wheat.

Visitors are particularly enamored by the musical chairs competition. “As the music stops, the beautifully decorated camel is supposed to manage to stick its long arching neck between two poles, each camel owner guiding its entrant by means of a silken cord attached to its nose ring. This is really interesting,” said Mac Matusow, a 10-year-old boy from Denmark.

(To read the complete article, visit the site of Little India, a US publication...)

Reverse Take

2011-03-01T01:46:00.000-08:00

Returning to the villages in India visited by US. presidents after the camera lights have turned off and the make-up washed away.

Cover Story for the magazine - Little India - the largest circulated Indian publication in the United States, as well as the largest circulated overseas Indian publication in the world.

Like three of the five previous U.S. presidents to visit India before him, Pres. Barack Obama took the customary pilgrimage to an Indian village. Unlike his predecessors, however, he did not actually set foot in one. Instead, in a tip of the hat to India’s vaunted high tech sector, he visited with the residents of Kanpura — a non-descript village, 40 kms. from Ajmer in Rajasthan — via a video link from Mumbai.

The video conference purportedly allowed Obama to observe firsthand the IT revolution powering grassroots democracy in rural India at the gram panchayat level, the smallest unit of democratically elected bodies in India.

Obama was suitably impressed by “this terrific experiment in democracy,” raving: “One of the incredible benefits of the technology we’re seeing right here is that in many ways India may be in a position to leapfrog some of the intermediate stages of government service delivery, avoiding some of the 20th century mechanisms for delivering services and going straight to the 21st.”

Unbeknownst to Obama, the real efficiency of the hi tech experiment — possibly the most important one for Indian officials — lay in the fact that it prevented real life village conditions from intruding upon the shining and spectacular, ready-for-business India on display for the world’s preeminent visitor and his accompanying international media entourage. Far from the range of prying foreign cameras, the marvelous technological efficiency of the video conference masked the lack of the very transparency and accountability that the U.S. president was at that moment extolling.

For this investigation, Little India reporters fanned out to the villages blessed with U.S. presidential visits during the past half century to report on what happens after the camera lights have been turned off and the cosmetics and make-up washed away.......

BEING CRAFTY!

2011-02-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

By Shilpi Shukla Alexander

(This article was published in The Hindu newspaper

Photo: Lovejeet Alexander

Handicrafts Cluster Creations at Dilli Haat brought in the best that the States could offer...

The Handicrafts Cluster Creations 2011 that was on at the Dill Haat till recently saw avid shoppers thronging the place even during weekdays. Welcoming the fresh hues of spring, the handicrafts exhibition-cum-sale allowed visitors to indulge in a world of traditionally rich and awe-inspiring craftsmanship. With an exquisite range of metal, brass, wood and bamboo handicrafts to those in iron, marble and clay, the fair had something for everyone.

The stalls from the North-east came laden with exciting bamboo and cane craft pieces.

Handloom rugs, carpets, floor mats and durries came were made to floor anyone! “I bought two Kashmiri carpets richly adorned with traditional chain-stitch embroidery. The collection in the fair was really exciting this time,” said Ritu Malik, a teacher.

Zardozi and jamdani silk from Benaras, kantha silk from West Bengal, chanderi and tussar ghicha silk from Madhya Pradesh, cotton handloom from Uttar Pradesh, pashminas from Kashmir and the many silks from the South were a delight for the textile connoisseurs. For those interested in rich traditional work, there was kalamkari work and crochet embroidery from Andhra Pradesh, crewel embroidery and patchwork from Jammu and Kashmir, and kinnari work from Himachal Pradesh, among many others. “I particularly loved the Kashmiri crewel embroidery and kinnauri shawls from Himachal Pradesh,” said Su Li, a tourist from China. Decorations for home ranged from beautiful terracotta to wicker work, papier-mâché bowls to wooden trays, and lac items to kolhapuris.

While the regal touch came with marble artefacts, miniature sandalwood and silver items, reasonably-priced pottery and ceramic work from Maharashtra was surely not worth a miss. Foreign tourists seemed particularly fascinated. According to Marc Jacobs from Canada, “The marble artefacts from Agra and these beautiful miniature paintings from Rajasthan exhibit marvellous workmanship, which is the USP of India indeed.”

Other attractions were the gems and jewellery at the Rajasthani counter. Also, bead necklaces and footwear of Nagaur, textiles printed in Ajmer and Jodhpur, brassware of Jodhpur and Jaipur and colourful puppets.

For those who had their fill of shopping, the exhibition featured interesting cultural shows, live performances, food from the states, and interesting competitions.

HINDI: Lost in the homeland?

2011-02-08T00:37:00.000-08:00

Ashok Chakradhar talks to Lovejeet Alexander about promoting Hindi that people speak in their everyday life...

Interview: Ashok Chakradhar - for The Hindu Newspaper

They become stars overnight by delivering impressive dialogues in Hindi films and then these actors of Hindi cine-industry shy away from giving interviews in Hindi. Hindi probably doesn't match their class. Hardly are any celebrities heard speaking in Hindi. For most youngsters, (and now even toddlers in our metros), the usage of spoken Hindi is considered behind the times. When did Hindi become a language of the old-fashioned and semi-literate? When did we start disgracing our national language?

In a candid interview, eminent Hindi poet, writer, anchor and activist Ashok Chakradhar highlights people's apathy towards our national language and offers practical solutions towards saving Hindi.

In fact, even before you ask him about the state of Hindi, Chakradhar, the vice president of the Hindi Academy, speaks his mind, “I accept that Hindi is losing its prominence and popularity among the young generation. It is said that in 20-25 years from now, Hindi will become the language of rickshaw pullers and vegetable sellers and the like. Still, Hindi has the power to sustain and also spread and ‘truly' become the language of every Indian. All it needs is some serious conscientious thinking and planning by one and all, especially by the Government, linguists and Hindi departments of our universities towards making it a common man's language.”

Sanskrit-laden

Not that English has gained popularity in recent years. Chakradhar says, “We have always had ardent English speakers. Most of them having been educated abroad, even our well-read freedom fighters used to converse in English amidst themselves.” Soon after the British left India, efforts were made to help Hindi gain back its stature in the nation.

However, the immediate steps were not so effective. “The idea was to make Hindi the official language by the year 1961. For this purpose, a relaxation period of 10 years was granted by the Constitution during which all the Government departments and Ministries had to start using Hindi for all correspondence. However, the kind of Hindi language used officially was too Sanskrit-laden and literary and hence, too unlike that of the common man's.” This way, the steps taken to promote and popularise Hindi proved fatal as it led to citizens preferring simple English to archaic Hindi.

A witness to the gradual decline in the popularity of Hindi since Independence, Chakradhar says the times of classical Hindi are far from tover for the masses. An ardent promoter of modern Hindi, he adds, “If they truly intend to promote our national language, it is time the Government, linguists and Hindi organisations switched over to Hindustani, the simpler version.” Citing the perfect example, the poet says, “The only department that has adopted the easy-to-follow version of Hindi language is the Railways. Railway platforms, junctions, stations, coolies etc, are all English words that have now been adopted as part of Indian Railways' Hindi vocabulary. Other departments should follow suit.”

Hindi for net

Technological advancements must also be made for recording and preserving languages. For example, Unicode should be used for documenting languages other than English. “We should also have Hindi social networking sites,” proposes the well-known writer.

The great Hindi lover is quite saddened that there are not many promoters of Hindi language. “Promoting regional languages is never a problem for we always have respective masses willing to work for the cause. Unfortunately, when it comes to Hindi, those willing to advocate this rich language are really few. This is a major hold-up in this case.” The strong-willed man soon regains his composure and focus to add, “We maybe few in number but our love for the cause of reviving our mother tongue is undying.”

So long as we have people like Ashok Chakradhar, there lives a hope for Hindustani becoming the language of every Hindustani as Mandarin is for every Chinese and Japanese (the language) is for Japanese.

MONUMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY

2011-01-29T22:17:00.001-08:00

MONUMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY, originally uploaded by jeetalex.

PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY

2011-01-27T10:48:00.001-08:00

PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY, originally uploaded by jeetalex.

RELIGION

2011-01-25T10:16:00.001-08:00

RELIGION, originally uploaded by jeetalex.

A glimpse of my work...

Indian Classical Music: Medicine in melody

2010-12-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

The Healing Ragas

Six-year-old Radhika was in coma and only support from medical science was a ventilator which made her breath. All efforts to make her move failed. Then the doctor tried a relatively wild idea. Putting a head-phone around, they made her to listen Carnatic music. Guess what, the comatose broke. Radhika showed movement in a week and with the music playing, she was partially out of total paralysis in less than two months. Lovejeet Alexander explores the healing power of Indian ragas.

READ THE COMPLETE STORY

The story published in the December 2010 issue of THE INDIAN - a monthly tabloid - published from Australia catering to the tastes of an ever-changing Australian-Indian diaspora.

CELEBRATING JUGAAD

2010-11-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

The Commonwealth Games were a triumph of Indian Jugaad

India may be staking a claim as a global economic superpower, butjugaad remains an Indian obsession. And it was on glaring public display at the Commonwealth Games in the nation’s capital in October...
CLICK HERE for the complete story
Cover Story for the magazine - Little India - the largest circulated Indian publication in the United States, as well as the largest circulated overseas Indian publication in the world.

TWIN CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

2010-11-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

Mohammadpur Umri, a small non-descript village near Allahabad, where India’s twin sacred rivers Ganga and Yamuna meet, is the twin capital of the world.

CLICK HERE for the complete story

Cover Story - Little India
October 2010

The hamlet of 300 households boasts 54 pair of twins. With twins in every fifth home Umri has the highest proportion of twins anywhere in the world.

Animals too are born twin
PHOTO: by Lovejeet Alexander

Legend has it...
The twin birth phenomenon in Umri dates back atleast 40 years with the birth of twin sisters, and, villagers say, it roughly coincides with the setting of an Air Force base station near the village.

This article was originally published as the cover story (October -2010) by the largest SouthAsian magazine published from the US - Little India.

Vrooming in India too!

2010-10-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

It’s official. India for the first time in history will be hosting Formula One Grand Prix. Only condition is that the track needs to be ready by July 30 and achieves an FIA homologation. Lovejeet Alexander visits the tracks for The Indian to find the turns and bumps hidden in each lap of the circuit projected to be one of the fastest and most entertaining of any other all across the globe.

The high-tech city of Greater Noida, situated around thirty kilometres from New Delhi has been known to the world for giving the best of the racing video games. What seems to be inspired from the gaming outsourcer’s virtual design, Jaypee Group is constructing a real motor racing track in the city. Stature of the project could be judged by the mere fact that recently, following an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris, the calendar announcement for GP 2011 included the venue too. Addition of the Indian GP to F1 calendar will make 2011 a 20-race season, longest in the history of the sport.

Read the complete story on THE INDIAN - a monthly tabloid -sized newspaper that caters to the tastes of an ever-changing Australian-Indian diaspora.

NETAGIRI IN AMERICA

2010-09-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Indians have politics running in their blood...
So goes a popular saying. In the Indo-American community, which is blessed with political gyan and rational aptitude, political ambitions are bound to sprout. After successfully capturing crucial administrative seats in the White House, Indo-Americans now set their targets higher. Keep reading for an insight on the increasing number of Indians jumping into the American political arena.

A couple of years ago, former British Conservative Party deputy chairman Lord Archer, while on tour promoting his novel A Prisoner Of Birth, made some very unusual comments. He said, “Britain is going to be taken over by Indians. And I don’t joke. Indians are taking over the local councils. There are mayors all over England who are Indian.” Pointing to a young journalist he said, “You are young enough, I suspect, to live to see an Indian prime minister in England.”

Although his prediction may look more like a satire, the prophecy rightly catches the trend on track. Migrant Indians, after taking over boardroom seats, are now aiming for political thrones. Which other nation could offer a better land to set that example, if not America? The United States has always been a fertile land for Indian talent to breed. The ambitious Indian community in the US has started trying its luck in the government with full vigor.

Cover story for the American magazine DeshVidesh (September 2010). Desh-Videsh magazine, is widely circulated in the southeast US. Readers hail from Florida, Georgia, Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The magazine reaches a varied audience of over 50,000 Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshi, and Indo-Caribbeans.

I Heard The Crows Call For Rain

2010-08-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

As scientific tools falter in predicting rain patterns, Indian scientists turn to the Vedas and traditional knowledge for some fine tuning.

Nearly 70 percent of India’s population relies almost exclusively on agriculture, so accurate weather forecasts are extraordinarily important. During the past 100 years, the monsoon has been normal 85 times, so predicting an uneventful season is relatively safe. Nevertheless, during the last two decades, the official rainbow chasers have gone terribly awry.

Retired Air Vice Marshal Ajit Tyagi, director general of Indian Meteorology Department (IMD), admits, “The extremes are really difficult to forecast.” The 135-year-old department, supported by dedicated satellites and hordes of sophisticated Doppler radars, predict the amount of rainfall (in percentage) annually. Every year, IMD projects precipitation levels on a scale, in which it predicts either a normal monsoon, a drought or a flood. The country’s economic fortunes and rural lives hang on its projections.

TO READ THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

Published in the magazine - Little India - the largest circulated Indian publication in the United States, as well as the largest circulated overseas Indian publication in the world.

Hari's flute, Krishna's tune

2010-08-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Music was not a genetic bequest for Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. His father, a wrestler of international repute, wanted him to enter the world of muscle combat. But his interest lay in the much softer and mellower notes of life.

At the age of 15, Chaurasia embraced music for life. When asked how difficult it was to switch from the game of muscle to the play of chords, he says, “It was difficult, but at the same time, fascinating too.”

Panditji began learning classical vocal from Pandit Raja Ram of Benares. The journey had just begun. His destination still looked hazy and distant. It was after attending a flute recital by Pandit Bholanath that the foundation for a flute legend was laid. Call it love at first sight or at first sound, the flute became his soul, his essence of life. His flute knows the delightful art of conveying delicate levels of feelings through subtle manipulation of tones and intervals.

Avoiding all pinpoints he says, “I treat my each concert like first and last, so each one of them is memorable to me.” For audiences, this is definitely the case. “Music is my prayer and each auditorium a temple,” he adds. Pandit Chaurasia is a musician who is credited for developing a style that is respectful of tradition, yet full of novelty. Touching the chords of every heart, even his critics remain in awe of his style.

Cover story for the American magazine DeshVidesh (August 2010). Desh-Videsh magazine, is widely circulated in the southeast US. Readers hail from Florida, Georgia, Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The magazine reaches a varied audience of over 50,000 Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshi, and Indo-Caribbeans.

The Gurus Go Green

2010-08-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

What started as a journey to nirvana now seems to be heading towards a greener destination.

Spiritual Gurus who had been leading their followers on sacred paths until recently have now begun directing them to greener trails. Vowing to save the dying ‘Green’ Planet, many saffron-clad babas can now be spotted campaigning to save the environment. Using their wide reach and strong influence, the Gurus of India are successfully sketching and running climate cause campaigns - much to the shame of government ministries and professional organizations that have failed to make any impact so far.

CLICK HERE for the complete story...

Khabar is a monthly magazine for the Indian community ONLY in GA, AL, TN & SC. Besides Indian-Americans, Khabar also reaches other South Asian immigrants in Georgia; those from countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka who share common needs for good and services.

Money to my home

2010-08-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

A recently released data by the World Bank officially records that remittance flowing back to developing countries from the bank accounts of their migrants was equal to a sum of $338 billion in the year 2008. What’s interesting here is that out of this huge sum, more than $50 billion was the contribution of Non Resident Indians only.

Ten on ten
India has consistently topped the chart for almost a decade now being the highest recipient of worker’s remittances. According to the World Bank figures, India received remittances worth $45 billion in the year 2008.

The World Bank acknowledged being surprised with the figures as South Asians proved to be stronger than all the expectations of the Bank. Report says that the remittance flows to Pakistan also increased by 24 per cent in the first eight months of 2009 on a year on year basis. Flows to Bangladesh and Nepal increased by 16 and 13 per cent respectively in the same period.

Creditable India!

Widening the smile further comes an estimate from Indian Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC). Under the chairmanship of eminent economist C Rangarajan who has also been the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, PMEAC has suggested that the remittance flow to India will grow strongly in the financial year 2009 – 2010 (which runs from April to March). Inward private transfers accounted to have already reached $27.5 billion in the first half of the current financial year. PMEAC predicts that India will receive not less than $30 billion in second half of the financial year taking the total annual figure to over $57 billion, a nearly 30 per cent hike over the previous financial year’s total.

Credit for credit

In the era of recession the promotion in cadres and salary hikes could definitely not be credited for the funds credited by NRIs. It’s the liberalisation of rules and regulations added to more flexible exchange rates. The convenient remittance services provided by Indian and International banks and several other organisations also encouraged shifting of channels from informal ones like hawala to official and proper banking channels.

The heavy inflow could also be credited to several attractive schemes and Indian government’s policy initiatives keeping NRIs in focus. Reserve Bank of India’s report sites factors like Rupee depreciation, increase in interest rate ceilings on NRI deposits, etc. The uncertainty in Oil prices also encouraged NRIs looking for an hedging opportunity to park their money in India and expect relatively better growth prospects.

Middle-East Vs West

A study on invisibles by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the balance of payments comprising income from transaction in services and overseas investments, besides permanent transfers such as remittances by the Diaspora, has said that the Gulf has accounted for 27 per cent of the total remittances from NRIs globally.

The Central bank has quoted a survey on remittances by overseas Indians conducted in November 2009 that in comparison to a similar survey last done by RBI in 2006. The comparative data says that remittance from North America has dipped from 44 per cent to 38 per cent in three years as compared to rise in remittance from Gulf countries from 24 per cent to 27 per cent and from Europe – 13 per cent to 18 per cent.

Adding on to GDP

In developing nations like India where every dollar counts a lot, the remittances make up more than three per cent of the total national GDP. That’s a big contribution. For countries like Tajikistan, Tonga and Lebanon remittances contribute 25 to 50 per cent of their respective national GDP, similarly for Guyana, Nepal and Honduras the add-up is between 15 to 25 per cent of the GDP, remittance to such nations is nothing less than a lifeline to country’s economy...

FOR COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

Originally appeared in an American magazine DeshVidesh (August 2010). Desh-Videsh magazine, is widely circulated in the southeast US. Readers hail from Florida, Georgia, Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The magazine reaches a varied audience of over 50,000 Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshi, and Indo-Caribbeans.

2010-07-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

FIFA Fever In India

In a country where cricket is divine, FIFA fever makes you wonder whether the new generation is headed for a religious conversion.

India is ranked 133 in the world football ranking and the team has no chance of qualifying for a berth in the FIFA World Cup anytime soon. Nonetheless, it ranks third among all countries in online “world cup” searches. There’s an enormous appetite to watch football in the country. A Nielsen Global Online survey reported that half of all Indians claim to be fans and plan to watch the World Cup — the 10th highest in the world.

From southern Kerala to eastern Kolkata to northern Punjab, the country is in grip of football fever. Veteran sports journalist Raja Ramanna says, “Football’s not a sports story at all, it’s a love story, a long distance relationship, which is totally short of any logic behind it, as if any love story has one. For some this love story even turns into a matter of life and death.”

TO READ THE COMPLETE STORY OF FOOTBALL FEVER IN INDIA... CLICK HERE

2010-06-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Kingdom of Dreams!

Gurgaon, a hi-tech city in India is now home to a new international travel destination. Touted as India's answer to Sydney's Opera House, Paris's Moulin Rouge, Singapore's Esplanade and London's Broadway , Kingdom Of Dreams aims to become the ultimate live theatre and leisure hub in the world with the technological wizardry of modern era.

India’s first live entertainment spot, Kingdom Of Dreams exhibits a complex blend of India’s art, culture, heritage, craft, cuisine, and performing arts.

Sprawling across six acres of land and run by the Great Indian Nautanki Company, KOD has two theatres - Nautanki Mahal and Showshaa Theatre. Other highlights of the Kingdom are the cultural street named as Culture Gully and Patli Gully, a spiritual walkthrough adorned with numerous idols of Indian gods including a massive 110 feet long sleeping Buddha.

The design of Nautanki Mahal, the 846-seater state of the art theatre, mimics a grand Indian palace. Every bit of the outside wall is carved with Khajuraho-inspired exotic figurines and the windows are beautiful stained glass. Showshaa Theatre is a 250-seater, air-conditioned, dome-shaped amphitheatre. A grand and colourful drama porch with a maypole like tent roof and interactive seating is intended to showcase lavish productions of the ancient Indian epics.

Culture Gully is another boulevard spread across 90,000 square feet showcasing diversified architectural designs, iconic of several Indian states aimed to have street performances, artisans and handicraft stores. There will be theme restaurants and over 350 exotic food preparations by certified chefs from over 14 states of the country.

Credited to be the visionary behind Kingdom, Viraf Sarkari, one of the directors says, “I dreamt of building a world-class musical stage and the best theatre in the world, engulfed in the colossal grandeur of India. Nothing could have been better than the portrayal of an imposing palace, bringing to life the Indian traditional architecture.”

“The challenge was handed to us clubbed with an excellent hurdle on way,” discloses Kunal Kuwadekar, the architect behind the project from Naren Kuwadekar & Associates. “The company took on lease, an under-construction auditorium from the State government to develop the centre. The existing structure, which was not supposed to be totally dismantled, had to be doubled in length, breadth and height. Adjustments to site conditions were paramount. ”

Dilip Chhugera, the director of Sanderson India Group - the thematic architects of the project, told that more than 200 engineers, architects and workers toiled day and night for over one and a half year to complete the project. “Amalgamation of various architectural styles from across India was an uphill task. Styles inspired by palatial buildings and details like domes, jaalis (carved curtain), ornate columns, motifs were all recreated painstakingly,” says Dilip.

Roof & Façade Asia is a trade publication published from Singapore and circulated within a qualified readership in the building industry in Asia .

2010-05-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Visit to Haridwar Gateway to the Lord

The largest gathering of people in the world was scheduled in the country. What would it look like? I was both eager and anxious to witness the scene. This is how I finally landed in Haridwar, the city I have wanted to visit for years. Kumbh Fair 2010 became the ultimate driving force.

Once I made up my mind, I wasted no second in making a move to the holy city. I boarded a bus from New Delhi. The fight to grab a seat on the bus for the overnight journey amidst the huge mob wanting to reach Haridwar was a preview to the war ahead and to the challenge of not getting lost. More than 20,000 visitors got lost and were later found at this mammoth human fair. On entering Haridwar, I found myself either stepping on or being stepped on by someone. People, people everywhere, and even during the twilight hour! I soon realised that I should have visited here before to save myself from the large mob. Attending the fair on the last big day wasn’t a great idea either! Instead of witnessing 2.5 million people (on the first day of Maha Kumbh – January 14) taking a dip in the Ganges, I was witness to more than 15 million devotees. The rare planetary position at the time of Shahi Snan on April 14 occurred just once in 4,444 years and attracted this huge crowd to this holy town...

TO READ THE COMPLETE STORY... CLICK HERE

Cover story (Travel) for the American magazine DeshVidesh (May 2010). Desh-Videsh magazine, is widely circulated in the southeast US. Readers hail from Florida, Georgia, Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The magazine reaches a varied audience of over 50,000 Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshi, and Indo-Caribbeans.