Monthly Archives: July 2015

Yet another first for Sania Mirza

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Three-time Grand Slam winner, Sania Mirza.
Three-time Grand Slam winner, Sania Mirza.

First woman tennis player from India to be top-seeded in Wimbledon

Twenty-eight-year-old Sania Mirza has become the first woman tennis player from India to be top-seeded in the ongoing Wimbledon or for that matter, any Grand Slam championship.

“It’s a great honour to be the top-seed in what is considered to be the ‘home of tennis’,” said Sania from London, before leaving for practice on Friday, ahead of the next match.

“It’s a proud moment and is an official acknowledgement of Sania’s sustained, consistent performances at the highest level,” said her father, Imran Mirza.

Ms. Mirza, incidentally, is playing her 15th year at Wimbledon. She won her first major title there in 2003 at the first junior Grand Slam, in the girls’ doubles category. Sania’s best at Wimbledon in women’s doubles has been the semi-final appearance with partner, Vesnina. It also means she is now a member of the ‘Last-four Club’ in Wimbledon and enjoys certain privileges for a lifetime, including use of a special locker etc.

“No matter how many times you’ve been here, it is still really exciting. I have several beautiful memories associated with the ‘BIG W’,” said Mr. Mirza. His daughter’s performances at Wimbledon have been memorable, including the three-setter in singles, which she lost to the then reigning US Open champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, playing for the first time on the famed Centre Court, besides beating Japan’s Akiko Morigami.

The only Indians top-seeded in a Grand Slam earlier were Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the 1999 French Open edition men’s doubles. Ms. Sania Mirza, a three-time Grand Slam winner, is determined to complete a career Grand Slam, having won the mixed doubles titles in the Australian, French and the US Opens earlier.

Becomes the first woman tennis player from India to be top-seeded in the ongoing Wimbledon

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – July 03rd, 2015

NRI Kids Donate Rs 30,000 for Mission Kakatiya

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nri's / PIO's

Hyderabad :

Inspired by the state government’s effort to revive lakes in the state under Mission Kakatiya, a group of NRI children donated Rs 30,000 to irrigation minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday.

The children said the amount was raised by working during weekends by cleaning up gardens and cars in their locality.

Born in US and studying in prestigious schools in the city like Oakridge, Chirec, Delhi Public schools, the students run a social service organisation called Hill County Interactive Club.

Harish Rao congratulated them for their gesture.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / June 25th, 2015

Gadwal weavers spin a divine gift for Tirumala

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Mahbubnagar :

A family of weavers in Gadwal in Telangana receives a rare honour in the run up to the Brahmotsavams at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala every year. A month and a half before the festival, they get the honour of weaving the `Sesha Vastrams’ or the ‘Eruvada Jodi Panchalu’ made of cotton and silk for the Lord. And it is only after it is whispered into the ears of the deity by the head priest at Tirumala that the Sesha Vastrams have been received do the Brahmotsavams begin.

While the Brahmotsavams are held either in September or October every year coinciding with the Navaratri festival, family members of Mahankali Karunakar begin to look forward to an official communication from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams that usually arrives in August seeking commencement of the weaving of the Sesha Vastrams.

“We procure the cotton fibre from Chirala and the silk is chosen from local sources. Three colours used for the fabric, yellow, maroon and red and prepared from natural products,” Chaka Satyam, one of the six weavers who devote themselves to making the Sesha Vastrams for 41 days at a stretch.

The weavers follow a strict personal regimen and protocol during this period. The weavers, led by Karunakar, seclude themselves in a section of a house where a special handloom is located. “For 41 days, we stay away from the rest of our families and have no interaction with them. We cook our own food during this period. The special loom is used only for weaving of the Sesha Vastrams and once the work is completed, it is locked and reopened only the next year,” Karunakar told TOI.

The only sounds that one hears outside the room for six hours a day for 41 days are that of the loom and the `Govinda Namalu’ chanted by the weavers for the entire duration.

Once the clothes are ready, a special puja is performed and then the Sesha Vastrams are carried to Tirumala and handed over to the temple’s main priest. “It is an honour for us and a divine opportunity to be allowed till the final threshold of the temple a day before the Brahmotsavams begin,” Karunakar said.

The weavers are also bestowed the rare privilege of being allowed to perform aarathi to the deity after handing over the clothes. “It is an experience that I cannot describe in words. The chief priest, after collecting the clothes, whispers into the ears of the deity `we have received Gadwala Sesha Vastram (Jodi Panchalu).’ The Brahmotsavams begin only after this ritual,” Karunakar said.

Three other weavers, Shanmuka Rao, K Murali and Ramesh, who take part in the manufacture of the Sesha Vastrams said that though many decorations adorn the deity, the constant feature is the presence of the Sesha Vastrams for the entire year till the next set of the clothes is presented to the temple.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Pradeep Mandhumala, TNN / June 30th, 2015

Nonagenarian doctor’s relentless service to patients

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel

At the age of 91, Daram Nagabooshanam, the senior most chest physician of Karimnagar district, hates Sundays and holidays and says, “I feel happy and healthy only if I work and go to my clinic to treat my patients”.

This elderly doctor still arrives sharp at 9 a.m. at his clinic by walking, from his house and treats patients coming from far flung places of Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad and Medak districts and also adjoining Chhattisgarh State.

He is still continuing his crusade against the Tuberculosis (TB) disease.

Dr. Nagabooshanam, who is popularly called as the TB doctor, is native of Jagtial and completed his medicine from Osmania Medical College in 1952. He also completed his TDD in 1960.

He practiced medicine in the government sector for 13 years till 1964 and later started private practice in Karimnagar town since then. When TB was considered as dreaded disease like cancer, this doctor instilled confidence in people with his proper diagnosis and appropriate prescription.

Varied interests

He was the first person in the district to conduct X ray screening facilities for treatment. Recently, he had won the State government’s “Vayo Shrestha Samman” award for Lifetime Achievement category. He is a multi-faceted genius and a man with varied interests. He has passion for collection of rare artefacts, drift wood, philately, numismatics, crystal stones and ancient historic tools and preserving them in his museum set up in memory of his wife Daram Susheela Memorial Museum in Karimnagar.

He also won accolades for launching campaign against corruption and usage of plastic bags.

This doctor also serves gruel during summer season every year to quench the thirst of people in the town. Dr Nagabooshanam feels proud to serve the needy patients even at this age.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by K. M. Dayashankar / Karimnagar – July 01st, 2015

National pledge author gets due credit at last

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In a significant move, the Telangana government has finally credited Pydimarri Venkatasubba Rao, the authour of national pledge, for his work by giving his name in text books. The recognition comes 51 years after it was first published in textbooks.

Poets, writers, family members of Venkatasubba Rao hailed the government’s decision for acknowledging his work.

Born on June 10, 1916 at Anneparthy village near Nalgonda town, Rao had flair for writing since his childhood. One of his works appeared in ‘Golkonda Kavulu’ published by noted writer Suravaram Prathap Reddy in 1934, when Venkatasubba Rao was just 18 years-old.

Cultivating patriotism

Later, he joined Treasury Department and worked in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh until he retired in 1971. When he was working in Visakhapatnam in 1960s, India was at war with China in 1962.

With an aim to put the nation together and cultivate patriotism among the younger generation at the crucial juncture, the writer penned ‘National Pledge’ in Telugu which appeared for the first time in textbooks of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 1964, but the government did not give him credit for reasons unknown. Later, it was translated to English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and many other Indian languages and included in textbooks by many States.

Shockingly, he was not even informed about the inclusion of Pledge in school books. He came to know about inclusion after his retirement when his granddaughter read it aloud.

Speaking to The Hindu , member of Text Book review committee and noted poet from Nalgonda, Venu Sankoju said all the members of the committee had pressed for credit for Venkatasubba Rao and Telangana government accepted it.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by T.Karnakar Reddy / Nalgonda – June 30th, 2015