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India gets its 37th WORLD UNESCO World HERITAGE SITE

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Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai declared as a World Heritage Property by UNESCO in Manama, Bahrain today

In yet another landmark achievement, India’s nomination of the “Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai ” has been inscribed on  UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at Manama in Bahrain today. As recommended by the World Heritage Committee, India accepted the renaming of the ensemble as “Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai”.

India has been successful in securing the inscription of the “Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai” on UNESCO’s World Heritage List under Criteria (ii) and (iv) as defined in the UNESCO’s Operational Guidelines.

This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. In the past 5 years alone, India has managed to get inscribed seven of its properties/sites on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. India now has overall 37 World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed sites. Continue reading “India gets its 37th WORLD UNESCO World HERITAGE SITE”

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#BollywoodMonster Mashup brings plenty of activities on Family Day

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The largest South Asian festival in Canada, #BollywoodMonster Mashup presented by TD, brings even more fun and free activities to festival-goers this time around at Mississauga Celebration Square. On July 21, as part of the #BollywoodMonster Family Day starting at 2pm, there will be a flurry of action to choose from including the KidZone with various games and activities, shopping, finger-licking food, free dance workshops and more.

“The KidZone is an integral part of the #BollywoodMonster Family Day experience, and we look to continue to grow it at this year’s festival. On behalf of the MonstrARTity team, we’d like to thank Toronto Area Ford Dealers for bringing the free mini car rides to the KidZone for #BollywoodMonster Family Day”, says Executive Director of MonstrARTity, Vikas Kohli. “It’s just as exciting that we will have some very skillful chefs who will be providing free cooking demos at the ever-expanding ChefZone. We have free parking for everyone so don’t miss out on the eighth season of this great festival that starts at 2 PM!

In collaboration with Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA), and Heritage Mississauga, the #BollywoodMonster KidZone presents an exciting array of free arts and crafts such as creating pinwheels, bowl painting and flyable kites. Free games will also be provided courtesy of #MonsterArts for Youth and The Vaarso Foundation, who will be bringing a giant snakes and ladders board game, Continue reading “#BollywoodMonster Mashup brings plenty of activities on Family Day”

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Bangkok witnessed a magnificent amalgamation of Music, Fashion & Etertainment at the Spectacular IIFA Rocks 2018

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  • The dynamic duo Kartik Aaryan and Ayushmann Khurrana hosted IIFA Rocks 2018
  • A never-before seen medley at IIFA Rocks 2018 by acclaimed Bollywood music director-singer Pritam along with Sreerama Chandra, Amit Mishra, Shalmali Kholgade, Antara Mitra, Nakash Aziz and Nikitha while Bollywood diva Nushrat Bharucha enthralled the audience with her energetic performance. Television starMouni Roy put on a rare stage performance.

The highly anticipated 19th Edition of NEXA IIFA Awards Styled by Myntra kick-started the celebrations in the most spectacular manner at IIFA Rocks 2018.  Transforming the magnificent Siam Niramit Theatre with a perfect mélange of glitz, glamour and star power, IIFA Rocks featured a stunning musical extravaganza, a number of surprises and entertainment all under one stage!

Captivating the audience with their dynamic chemistry, the evening witnessed the talented duo Kartik Aaryan and Ayushmann Khurrana host IIFA Rocks 2018 amidst much fanfare and revelry.

A musical spectacle befitting the largest film industry in the world, IIFA Rocks continues to be a platform to showcase musical talents from our industry in the global stage.

This year’s extravaganza saw acclaimed Bollywood music director-singer Pritam weave his magic along with talented singers; Sreerama Chandra, Amit Mishra, Shalmali Kholgade, Antara Mitra, Nakash Aziz and Nikitha as they Continue reading “Bangkok witnessed a magnificent amalgamation of Music, Fashion & Etertainment at the Spectacular IIFA Rocks 2018”

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Cirque de Solieil’s ‘Corteo’ Brings a New Kind of Circus to Town!

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–By Nita Balani

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ opened at The Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa for a limited engagement of six shows until Sunday June 24 and will be doing the Canadian tour with stops in Toronto (December), Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver, amongst other cities.

Thought to be inspired by the work ‘The Portrait of an Artist as a Clown (National Gallery of Canada)’, the production has enthralled 8 million people worldwide since its debut in 2005 and is now seen in a more contemporary version. It brings the circus world of tumblers, acrobats, jugglers, celestial creatures, and many more wondrous acts to life. Corteo, which means a joyous procession, is a festive parade by a clown, Mauro, who has passed on and is a celebration of his life and the people he left behind. The sets are simple yet spectacular to portray the celestial world and the one we live in as Mauro pictures his life and funeral taking place through various enthralling acts. The show depicts quiet, graceful angels taking care of Mauro and is juxtaposed with the humorous buffoonery of his friends and circus colleagues.

The spectacle is divided into several acts each of which display a different type of art or circus skill. It opens with the mastery of the acrobats on swinging chandeliers which is breathtakingly beautiful and unique. Continue reading “Cirque de Solieil’s ‘Corteo’ Brings a New Kind of Circus to Town!”

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Yoga is Beautiful because it is ancient yet modern: Shri Narendra Modi

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Instead of Increasing Suffering, Yoga Heals, Yoga is Beautiful because it is ancient yet modern, It is Constant yet Evolving: Prime Minister of India
4th International Day of Yoga celebrated

Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi has stated that the way to lead a calm, creative & content life is Yoga. “It can show the way in defeating tensions and mindless anxiety. Instead of dividing, Yoga unites.” He was addressing the main event of the 4th International day of Yoga, which was celebrated at the Forest Research Institute(FRI) in Dehradun here today. Shri Krishna Kant Paul, Governor, Uttarakhand; Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of AYUSH and Shri Harak Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand State Minister (AYUSH) also attended the event.

During his address the Prime Minister further said that, “Instead of increasing suffering, Yoga heals. Yoga is beautiful because it is ancient yet modern, it is constant yet evolving. It has the best of our past and presents and a ray of hope for our future. In Yoga, we have the perfect solution to the problems we face, either as individuals or in our society. Continue reading “Yoga is Beautiful because it is ancient yet modern: Shri Narendra Modi”

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ART OF BANKSY HITS TORONTO OFF THE WALLS!

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— by Nita Balani

Toronto’s art scene reached a height with The Art of Banksy hitting the circuit with its North American premiere right here in The 6ix. It is especially promising for Toronto’s art circle to have Banksy’s prized exhibits on display here in our city as it further cements our place on the art map. There are over 80 pieces on display all installed with perfect lighting and is the largest blockbuster Banksy exhibit ever.

Banksy of the U.K. needs no introduction to most art lovers and graffiti artists. He rose to popularity from his illegal street art on the walls and buildings all over London and the United Kingdom because his satirical commentary on the political and social environment hit home with the general public. He grew rapidly from graffiti artist to an internationally acclaimed personality because he spoke a universal truth that resonated across all borders and cultures. And yet nobody knows who he is. His real identity has never been revealed!

The Art of Banksy’s curator (and former manager/friend) Steven Lazarides and his dream Team – co-curator Chris Ford, Live Nation and Starvox Exhibits, have done an exceptional  job of presenting Banksy’s chefs d’oeuvre with a unique flair.

None of the art pieces on display have been pulled off the walls or streets. Continue reading “ART OF BANKSY HITS TORONTO OFF THE WALLS!”

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India to host European Union Film Festival

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24 latest European movies from 23 European countries; Festival to traverse through 11 cities in India; Slovakian Movie Little Harbour to be the opening film for the festival
 

Putting a spotlight on the latest European cinema, the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will premiere in New Delhi on 18th June, 2018 at the Siri Fort Auditorium. With a selection of 24 latest European films from 23 EU Member States, this years’ film festival brings some unusual stories for the world cinema enthusiasts. The European Union Film Festival is organized by Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India partnering with the Delegation of the European Union and embassies of EU Member States in various city film clubs.

The festival will traverse through 11 cities in India including New Delhi, Chennai, Port Blair, Pune, Puducherry, Kolkata, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Thrissur, Hyderabad and Goa from 18th June till 31st August. Celebrating diversity, the EUFF will screen movies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. Continue reading “India to host European Union Film Festival”

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YYZ Live music series returning to Toronto Pearson International Airport

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Building upon the positive response from audiences and artists alike, YYZ Live, a musical celebration featuring live performances by local musicians, has taken to the stage again in Toronto Pearson International Airport’s Terminals 1 and 3. The encore music series starts this week and will run until the end of the year.

“We are pleased that this successful partnership will continue and generate more paid performance opportunities for Toronto musicians,” said Mayor John Tory. “YYZ Live is a program that helps reinforce Toronto as a music city to visitors and residents alike.”

Produced by the City in partnership with Toronto Pearson International Airport, YYZ Live will present up to six free, live music performances a week for the enjoyment of passengers. Shows are scheduled for 6 to 6:40 p.m. and again from 7 to 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights at the YYZ Live stages in the Terminal 3 Departure Gate Area (past security) and the Terminal 1 International Arrivals meet and greet area (pre-security). The program was initially launched last summer and featured 150 performances in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday.

YYZ Live 2018 kicked off yesterday with a performance by alternative singer-songwriter Jong Lu in Terminal 3. The YYZ Live performance schedule is available at http://www.torontopearson.com/yyzlive and social media users can follow #yyzlive for schedule updates. Continue reading “YYZ Live music series returning to Toronto Pearson International Airport”

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Escape the city. See great art.

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The Return of the McMichael Art Bus
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is excited to announce that the McMichael
Art Bus is back this year – just in time for summer. Perfect for the urban-dwelling art lover in need of an escape, the Art Bus departs from downtown Toronto to the McMichael and back for only $15 plus general admission.
 
Every Sunday from June 10 to October 28, round-trip transportation to the McMichael leaves from the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival headquarters’ parking lot located next to 80 Spadina Avenue (King and Spadina) at 10:30 am, and heads back downtown at 3:30 pm.
 
Art-goers can also purchase tickets for one of the McMichael’s Signature Performance Series: Acoustic Conversations which take place on select Sundays this summer, intertwining conversations and a live performance with influential Canadian hip hop talent such as Michie Mee, Maestro Fresh-Wes, and more.

The McMichael Art Bus provides a convenient and hassle-free transportation option for Torontonians to access and visit the gallery. The McMichael boasts 100 acres of grounds to explore, a Sculpture Garden, and hiking trails, which provide a relaxing and uplifting summer escape. Continue reading “Escape the city. See great art.”

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Yoga, the discovery of your Self

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By Rangarajan

The Sanskrit word ‘Yoga’ simply means ‘reunion’. Reunion implies an existing state of separation. You are separated from your real Self and blissfully unaware of it too! Ignorant of your Self, you identify with your body, mind and intellect and endlessly chase the world for happiness. Yoga is the search and pursuit of your real Self, culminating in Self-discovery, the native home of happiness.

Yoga is pursued fourfold. Hatha yoga, predominantly addressed to the body and vital pranas, ward off lethargy, indulgence and energy dissipation. It renders the body conducive to spiritual quest.

Karma yoga is dedicating actions to a higher ideal vis-a-vis working for a mundane, mechanical survival. Bhakti yoga relieves your mind from the self-inflicted bondage of attachment to stable identification and devotion. Jnana yoga shifts the direction of intellect from unending terrestrial concerns to transcendental enquiry upon the Self.

Since every human is composed of body, mind and intellect, the pursuit of the fourfold yoga, in proportion to individual constitution is indispensable for evolution. Due to its relative ease of demonstration, practise and immediate appeal to the body, postures and breathing in hata yoga, has hit worldwide eminence in no time. Continue reading “Yoga, the discovery of your Self”