Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

End of search for sports lovers; just login to book a playground

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

GroundwalaTELAN16jul2016

Hyderabad :

Struggling to find a place in the city to play cricket or indulge in other sports activities? Feeling deprived of physical activity due to lack of facilities in your neighbourhood?

It is a good news for sports lovers and fitness freaks, who are passionate about physical activity. ‘Groundwala.in’, a Hyderabad based startup, is offering a solution to people who are struggling to find a suitable place, time and team mates. One can just login to Groundwala.in and book a playground suiting their time and sport.

This new age startup, which was started in November 2015 by young entrepreneur Ankur Singh has become a hit with sports lovers and also playground owners, by attracting over 5000 active users in Hyderabad. From facility booking to sports event registrations, Groundwala.in offers a range of services to players, sports facility owners, and sports event organisers.

“Though it has been just seven months since we have launched operations, I have done lot of ground work before launching it to know about how sports events are conducted and how the venues are booked. Due to our home work and perfect planning, we could attract about 5,000 active users in Hyderabad. More than 125 sports venues have been registered with us,” said Ankur Singh, founder of Groundwala.in.

Drawing inspiration from the success story in Hyderabad, they have extended the service to other cities like Pune and Delhi. Groundwala.in is a team of six members and founder Ankur is looking forward to expand the team. While they are facilitating cricket and badminton matches right now, Ankur is planning to promote football, which is gaining popularity in the country. With big plans to extend the services of Groundwala.in to other cities, the team aspires to become a household name among sports lovers, over the next year.

But how come this young startup achieved success in just around six months of its launch? “The best investment in starting a successful startup is a good idea, which can give solution to a problem.

I myself had found it difficult to find a suitable venue to play a sport many times earlier. As Groundwala.in addresses the problems faced by sports lovers in today’s busy times, we were able to strike a chord with the customers,” stated Ankur.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. Deepti Nandan Reddy / July 13th, 2016

Music to tame a disturbed mind

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Science & Technology

Dr Kalpana G Sringar (Photo| Vinay Madapu)
Dr Kalpana G Sringar (Photo| Vinay Madapu)

Music hath charm to soothe a savage beast,” a misquoted version of a phrase coined by English playwright William Congreve seems to have clicked with Hyderabad-based mental health professional Dr Kalpana G Sringar and her patients.

“These are my patients who have finished their rehabilitation programme for the day,” she says pointing at the four middle-aged women with notepads, seated in her office. Her patients include those battling depression, phobia, post traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and autism.

Sringar pulls out a box of quilled earrings and photo-frames to explain the kind of therapy sessions that happen with the help of stationery items. Her box also contain colourful paintings of fish and parrots among others. “During the rehabilitation sessions, we use these paintings as props. Over the years, I have found that writing, sketching and painting work better than making them read newspaper or engaging them in storytelling. Depending on their skills and qualifications, rehabilitation is customised for each patient. But music therapy is for all,” she says.

While for most of us, music is a must during pumping iron, to kill time while driving from home to office, or to nurse a broken heart, for Sringar and her patients, the weekly 90-minute-long music therapy has been a way to overcome their illnesses for the past four years.

DrKalpana02TELAN11jul2016

But the therapist ensures that instead of just sitting and listening, she engages her patients with drawing mandalas. “Music brings emotions to the surface; you know when those suffering with schizophrenia draw these mandalas, they are all incomplete and disjointed, indicating that their thoughts and feeling are in disarray,” she says.

A learner of carnatic music, Sringar had trained under ghazal master Vithal Rao. Post his demise, she is now a disciple of Ustad Yakoob Ali and Talat Aziz—with whom she sometimes creates music for her therapy sessions. She devotes two hours regularly to her riyaz.

The healer who swears by ghazals and acoustic music, says the idea to incorporate music in her sessions hit her after she read several studies pertaining to it.

“After reading the impacts, I became conscious and I realised it actually helped. If it helped me, wouldn’t it help my patients too? I decided to give it a try,” she recalls.

After four years of trial and error, finding the right music for the right set of patients, today Sringar is one of the few specialised music therapists in Hyderabad.

While reiterating that music is universal and that the universe is based on rhythm with which everyone finds a connection, the doctor adds, “It (music therapy) is not a bandage therapy. It goes hand-in-hand with medication and rehabilitation.”

But the lack of scientific backing for music therapy makes a lot of people shy of it. She says, “It still has a long way to go, but for now I have seen music heal people.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> LifeStyle> Health / by Sadaf Aman / July 09th, 2016

Beauties on duty

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Hyderabad :

Amidst the flashy spotlights and clicks of cameras, contestants of the “Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva 2016” walked confidently on the ramp, showcasing their talents. Young aspiring models and college students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana participated in the event which took place on Friday afternoon. Of the six who will feature in the finals, three are from Hyderabad while two others currently reside in Bidar, Alwar and Marwar Junction. City girls Aashreya Reddy, Apoorva Rao and Srishti Shiva Vyakaranam are excited about the Mumbai finale.

Actor Nikhil Siddharth judged the girls on parameters ranging from elegance in ramp walk, perfect body,communication skills and more. Of the 30 participants who initially contested for the Miss Diva 2016 title, six were selected for the finals of slated to be held at Mumbai shortly. “Chase your dreams. Never give up,” he told the beauties.

One of the finalists, Apurva Ghale, said, “Physical fitness is crucial in beauty pageants. Besides that the way a woman walks and carries herself can define her,”she adds. Nisha won the Yamaha Miss Fascino title for her bold and outspoken nature that she displayed in all the rounds. After the event, the finalists posed for the pictures with the actor.

The show will be televised as seven- part reality series on Colors Infinity soon.

With Lara Dutta as the mentor, the search has begun for a girl who embodies beauty and beyond and has the spirit to conquer the universe.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Ambika Pradhan / July 09th, 2016

Ghadis fade into history in Telangana

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Changing times:The famous Kalleda Ghadi in Parvatagiri village has been turned into a free school for the local community in Warangal district.- Photo: M. Murali
Changing times:The famous Kalleda Ghadi in Parvatagiri village has been turned into a free school for the local community in Warangal district.- Photo: M. Murali

The awe-inspiring symbol of feudal power, Manor houses, locally known as Ghadi which are found across Telangana have faded into oblivion.

Ghadis are dwelling places of people who had wielded power on local communities during and after Nizam’s era in Telangana districts. Usually a feudal lord owned thousands of acres of land and had under his control over half a dozen villages and even more. The feudal lords belonged to all castes, mostly upper castes – Reddy, Brahmin and Velama communities.

The crumbled Ghadis and ruins can be seen now. The popular Ghadis in Warangal district – the one at Atmakur owned by Reddy community had collapsed over the decades as they left the place long ago. The one at Visnur in Palakurthy mandal owned by one Ramachandra Reddy is now locked and abandoned.

Another historic Ghadi at Kalleda village owned by Velama lords in Parvathagiri is intact and was converted into a free school for the local community by the descendents of Errabelly Veera Raghava Rao.

The Kalleda Ghadi is a place worth visiting. Built on six acres of land in 1936 with brick and lime stone it has completed 80 years of existence.

The roof is a combination of jack arch and Madras chajja. The height of the two-floor building is 40 feet and the compound wall is 20 feet. It has 40 rooms in all.

The majestic Kalleda Ghadi which inspired fear among the local people is now a happy place for children hailing from downtrodden communities.

Speaking to The Hindu , Errabelli Rammohan Rao said that over the decades their families thrived in the village. Now they thought it was time to give back something to the people who served them. Starting school in the Ghadi was the best thing. “Giving education is one of the best things you can do to anybody, particularly these children who cannot afford it at all,” he said.

Besides shaping all-round development of students, the Kalleda rural school had produced sportspersons of national and international repute.

The Ghadis which are dilapidated continue to be the private property of the families and their heirs. Not many owners visit them for various reasons known only to them.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao / Parvathagiri (Warangal Dt.) – July 08th, 2016

IAS officers learn about Telangana history and culture

About Telangana, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

Hyderabad :

For the next three days, IAS officers of the state will get an opportunity to reminisce their student life as they will be taught about Telangana’s history, culture, irrigation, finance and other subjects.

Realising the importance of teaching its bureaucrats about the needs of the state, the state government here on Monday organised an ‘Orientation programme for public servants in the context of Telangana.’

Speaking at the inaugural function, Dr Ch Hanumantha Rao, a former member of the Planning Commission of India and Professor, Center for Economics and Social Research (CESS), Hyderabad, said that in India even good things take decades to be implemented.

“NITI Aayog has been set up by the Centre for strengthening the planning process as a ‘Think Tank’ as well as cooperative federalism through greater participation of states. In fact way back in mid-eighties, the then PM Rajiv Gandhi planned to do this, but here it takes decades for good things to be implemented,” Rao said.

Rao said that to solve any issue it is important to go back to basics and see where the problem lies. Talking water problem as an example, he said, “The best way to solve water problem is by saving water.

We failed to use them economically and used up all the ground water. We failed to make better use of water bodies. So, to solve this problem, save water and to do that instead of having a uniform price, charge according to the volume used.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / June 28th, 2016

Not an average 8-year-old

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Suram Vignesh Arjun
Suram Vignesh Arjun

Suram Vignesh Arjun set a record in the Telugu Book of Records recently by reciting 100 Vemana poems in about five minutes

He is a just a class 4 student, and yet he can deliver many an extempore on a wide range of subjects. And, he has amazing memory.

Meet eight-year-old Suram Vignesh Arjun who set a record in the Telugu Book of Records recently by reciting 100 Vemana poems in five minutes and 45 seconds.

He shot to fame during the separate Telangana movement when he was only six years old. He eloquently spoke about the bifurcation movement and also about Jayashankar who espoused the cause.

Impressed by his extempore at one such meeting last year at Kakatiya University, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari presented him a cash reward of Rs. 10,000 instantly.

Son of Narender, a farmer, and Laxmi, a teacher, Suram is studying in Nachinapalli in Duggondi mandal.

His uncle, Ch. Venkat Reddy, who is also a teacher, said the boy developed amazing memory when he was very young.

Whatever was taught to him, he would say the same again, said Mr. Reddy.

Having developed multi-skills, the boy came second in the sloka recitation competition, rendering 29 slokas from 11th chapter of Bhagavad Gita.

He also bagged second prize reciting C. Narayana Reddy’s poems at the Balotsav in Kothagudem in national-level competition.

Speaking to The Hindu , Suram said he spends time reading books or browsing internet searching for information for his speeches.

He does not have a television at home, which is seen as a major distraction for children.

“I want to become the Chief Minister like Mr. K. Chandrasekhar Rao or the Prime Minister like Mr. Narendra Modi after growing up,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao / Warangal – June 27th, 2016

Fondly remembering poet Kesava Dasu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Renowned poet Chandala Kesava Dasu, widely regarded as Telugu cinema’s first lyricist, was remembered at separate functions held in connection with his birth anniversary in the town as well as at his native place, Jakkepalli in Kusumanchi mandal, on Monday.

The event was observed for the first time, with the district administration organising meetings in honour of the legendary poet at the Collectorate office here and also at Nayakangudem, where Kesava Dasu spent the last days of his life.

Kusumanchi mandal parishad president Venkat Reddy, ZPTC member Ramachandra Naik, and tehsildar Kishore Kumar, among others, paid floral tributes at the ‘samadhi’ of the great poet at Nayakangudem in the morning.

Kesava Dasu’s daughter, Andalamma, and son-in-law, Narsaiah, were among those who attended the programme.

Family members and relatives of the renowned poet were felicitated at a meeting held in the town later in the day.

Speakers hailed Kesava Dasu’s pioneering contribution to Telugu literature, theatre and film industry as a poet, dialogue writer, and a theatre personality. Terming him a “multifaceted personality”, they said Kesava Dasu earned the unique distinction of being the first lyricist in Telugu film industry by writing lyrics for the first Telugu film ‘Bhakta Prahlada’.

Stating that the gifted poet made invaluable contribution to Telugu theatre, they emphasised the need for promoting his literary works for posterity.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Staff Reporter / Khammam – June 21st, 2016

Music4thought launches song, music production facility

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Hyderabad :

Hyderabad-based start-up Music4thought on Monday launched one-stop-lyrics to high quality song and music production facility.

The facility will cater to individuals, short film producers, animation filmmakers and gaming title makers.

“At music4thought facility you can create original custom songs, written, composed and sung based on your feelings. For passionate writers, aspiring singers, or hobbyist the facility offers recording original songs of top label quality,” the company said in a statement.

Founded by young professionals turned first generation entrepreneurs Preeti Sinha, Rohit Shrivastav and Parikshit Sharma, the bootstrapped start-up has created about 37 original content and hopes to expand the number in coming days.

“It is the perfect platform to try out new ideas. For individuals wanting to convey their unspoken feelings, gratitude or love for someone, or for lyricists, singers, and hobbyists to record their original songs and for short film makers and animation film producers wanting to produce original scores and sound effects and looking to collaborate with the best in the industry,” said Sinha.

One of the biggest assets the startup up owns is the experience and expertise of music producer Sharma who is part of core management team and carries two decades of experience in the industry having worked with Shankar Mahadevan and produced the album “Breathless”.

Music4thought has roped in Zoheb Ahmed, Hindustani and Western music exponent, who has performed with many international artists.

–IANS

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / IANS / June 20th, 2016

Lyricist G Anjaiah dead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

GudaAnjaiahTELAN22jun2016

Hyderabad :

Guda Anjaiah, noted lyricist of Telangana, who contributed to the Telangana statehood movement, died of heart ailment on Tuesday. He was 61.

Guda Anjaiah, fondly called as Anjanna, was born in Lingapuram in Dandepalli mandal in Adilabad district in 1955. Anjanna’s parents were Lakshmaiah and Lakshmamma.

He had more than 300 songs to his credit. ‘Ee Vooru Mandaira’ song was translated into more than 16 Indian languages.

Anjanna actively participated in 1969 Telangana movement. “Raaji gaa Vori Raaji gaa” song moved the masses and elite equally during the Telangana movement. Anjanna breathed his last at his residence in Raganna Gudem in Rangareddy district on Tuesday. The final rites will take place here on Wednesday. Anjanna was selected for Suddala Hanumanthu-Janakamma National award for this year.

Meanwhile, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed shock over the sudden demise of Anjanna and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / June 22nd, 2016

UoH scholar to showcase play in South Korea

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, World Opinion

Research scholar from the University of Hyderabad, Shaik John Basheer, who is also a children’s theatre practitioner, has been invited to participate in the International Theatre Exchange Workshop and Festival by Mindulle Theatre Village, a leading theatre company in South Korea.

Basheer will direct a play and tour across South Korea from July 1 to 29 starting with Hwaseong City.

As a part of this tour, he will showcase his play at well-known theatre festivals, including the PUM Theatre Festival.

Basheer was honoured with a Nandi Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh in 2010.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – June 21st, 2016