Tag: ceremony

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Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi – A Spiritual Oasis for Global Harmony

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Marking a significant moment in the history of the UAE, around 5,000 devotees and well-wishers thronged to participate in and witness the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the BAPS Hindu Mandir. Volunteers began to arrive at the site location as early as 6:00 a.m., with participants arriving at 8:00 a.m. The Shilanyas Ceremony, which is an ancient Vedic ritual performed to bless and sanctify the main foundation stones, commenced at 9:00 a.m.

This ceremony signifies the beginning of the construction of the Mandir. The Vedic ceremony was performed by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. The occasion was also graced with the presence of His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community
Development and Member of the Executive Council, His Excellency Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and His Excellency Dr Ahmad Bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills.
Also present were His Excellency Navdeep Suri, Indian Ambassador to UAE, Vipul, the Consul General of India, and Dr. B.R. Shetty, Chairman of Mandir Ltd. After laying the foundation stones in position, water from the three main holy rivers of India was showered on the stones by His Holiness and the distinguished guests. The enthusiasm and devotion of all participants and volunteers was evident as they arrived for the Vedic ceremony. Continue reading “Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi – A Spiritual Oasis for Global Harmony”
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Mumbai Airport makes India proud @ ‘Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards’

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Mumbai International Airport bags the runner up award in the Favourite Airport Category at The 8th Edition Of Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards

Adding to its extensive list of laurels, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) administered by GVK MIAL bagged the runner up award in the ‘Favourite Airport’ category at the prestigious ‘Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards’.

The star-studded award ceremony, hoisted by bollywood diva Chitrangada Singh held at The Lodhi, New Delhi on 29th November, was attended by government officials, industry leaders, influencers and leaders from the travel and tourism fraternity. The annual Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards has set the benchmarks in the hospitality and travel industry year on year, since its inception in 1989 in the United States of America.

Selected by thousands of readers in a survey carried out by Condé Nast Traveller, the award reflects Mumbai airport’s excellence in service parameters that go towards satisfying the needs of travellers.

The accolade is an acknowledgement of GVK MIAL’s continuous efforts towards setting quality benchmarks and implementing best practices for the airport industry across the globe. Continue reading “Mumbai Airport makes India proud @ ‘Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards’”

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The City of Markham launches Indigenous History Month celebrations

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Today, the City of Markham launched celebrations for Indigenous History Month with a special ceremony that featured a friendship dance and ceremony of laying down the sacred medicine of tobacco. Indigenous Art Educator, J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth, was joined by Sue Croweagle to lead the celebration at the Markham Civic Centre.

“Celebrating the achievements of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples is an opportunity to listen to their stories, learn from their experiences and recognize the outstanding contributions of Indigenous communities,” says Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “At the City of Markham, we believe in building and nurturing strong bonds with our Indigenous communities, and I am proud that together, we have been able to create those connections through mutual respect, trust and cooperation.”

National Indigenous History Month is recognized during the month of June, providing the unique opportunity for municipalities across Canada to join together and take action towards reconciliation. Markham supports Indigenous History Month through the City’s award-winning  Diversity Action Plan – Everyone Welcome.

“In recognizing the history of Indigenous Peoples, Markham is demonstrating our gratitude to be able to call Turtle Island home,” says Cheryl McConney-Wilson, Senior Diversity, Accessibility, Wellness and Recognition Specialist at the City of Markham. Continue reading “The City of Markham launches Indigenous History Month celebrations”

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2018 New York Indian Film Festival(NYIFF): Limelight, Spotlight, Highlights !

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The 2018 edition of North America’s largest and longest-running Diaspora festival, NYIFF, will pay tribute to TWO Indian film industry icons who passed away in the last four months: Hollywood/Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor and the India’s first female superstar Sridevi. Kapoor’s tribute will comprise of two masterpieces from this year’s Academy Award Winner James Ivory’s wheelhouse: SHAKESPEARE WALLAH and HEAT AND DUST. The festival will also screen AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PRINCESS, starring New York author and chef Madhur Jaffrey, as part of its Merchant-Ivory Retrospective. To honor Sridevi’s memory, NYIFF will showcase the actress’ 2012 return to Bollywood in ENGLISH VINGLISH, shot primarily in New York City. Additionally, the festival, running from May 7th to 12th at the Village East Cinemas in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, will open with the U.S. premiere of Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi language film NUDE (with English subtitles) and close with the New York premiere of veteran NYIFF director Hansal Mehta’s biopic on Islamic fundamentalist Omar Saeed Sheikh, OMERTA. This year’s centerpiece slot will be occupied by Miransha Naik’s Konkoni language film JUZE (with English subtitles),making its North American premiere at NYIFF.The festival’s complete lineup will be revealed soon!

“NYIFF is known around the world for its top-notch, out-of-the-box programming, and this year is no different,” said founder Aroon Shivdasani. “The New York audience is sophisticated, well-traveled, educated and discerning; as such, our content reflects what we think will resonate with the cinephiles of this cosmopolitan city and will keep them coming back for more.” Continue reading “2018 New York Indian Film Festival(NYIFF): Limelight, Spotlight, Highlights !”

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SOULFUL SINGERS’ PRAYER FOR PEACE

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Whenever Salim-Sulaiman, Bollywood’s top musicians, headline a concert in Toronto, their Indo Canadian fans come out in large numbers to immerse in their melodious and soulful performances. The scene was no different on March 17th when during their live concert the duo drew in thousands of music fans to the Powerade Centre in Brampton.

The band   opened with a glittering start, singing “Ishq Wala Love song from the movie Student of the Year “, against   colorful flickering lights and a wonderful backdrop. The team, which included  Indian Idol winner Vipul Mehta, Raj Pandit, Sukriti Kakkar rendered one hit after another for three straight hours, taking their fans into a frenzy. They brought back the old-world charm by rendering some of the evergreen hits and all-time favorites of Bollywood.

Sulaiman informed the packed house, “If we were to   sing all of our compositions, we would be here until tomorrow, so we will sing from our playlist…a love mashup.” So, the audiences were treated to plenty of songs, many devotional ones like Bismillah, Noor E Ilahiand Ali Maula.

A prayer for Syria was included as well, and songs from other genres as well. Enthused by the audiences’ reactions, they continued their tightly-spaced set, which included songs like “Marjawaan”, “Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai” from the Shah Rukh and Anushka Sharma film. Continue reading “SOULFUL SINGERS’ PRAYER FOR PEACE”

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ANNUAL SIKH REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONY HONOURS CANADIAN SOLDIERS

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Minister of National Defence, Harjit Singh Sajjan delivers keynote address

KITCHENER, ON – The annual Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony was held on, Sunday, November 5 at the military grave of Canadian World War I hero, Private Buckam Singh in Kitchener Ontario. This year, chief guests included Canada’s Minister of National Defence, The Hon. Harjit Singh Sajjan and Major-General Simon Hetherington, Commander Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre Headquarters.

Almost 300 people including Canadian Forces soldiers, cadets, police officers, Royal Canadian legionnaires, veterans and elected officials from all levels of government gathered for the ceremony, weathering the rain at the only military grave in Canada of a Sikh soldier from the world wars.

Defence Minister Sajjan observed that it was 1914 when the ship Komagata Maru and its 300 South Asian passengers were turned away from Canada by force, yet one year later Buckam Singh enlisted in 1915. “It just goes to show the dedication he had for Canada, for doing the right thing and for a sense of service.”

“We owe our gratitude and our prosperity to the giants who give their lives for this country. Pvt. Buckam Singh is representative of all those who have served not only in the past but of those who are serving today. Pvt. Buckam Singh and all those who gave everything for us gave us a gift – a gift of freedom, a gift of prosperity,” remarked Minister Sajjan. Continue reading “ANNUAL SIKH REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONY HONOURS CANADIAN SOLDIERS”

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Royals and Rockstars honor Invictus Heroes at Closing Ceremony!

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Last night, the Invictus Games capped off a weeklong event of sports competition at a closing ceremony in Air Canada Centre. The ceremony celebrated war-wounded athletes’ successes and passed the torch to the 2018 hosts from Sydney, Australia. The two-hour show brought out two famed rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams together on stage for the first time ever.

Prince Harry presented a participation medal to the captain of each team after the 17 country parade of nations. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau delivered a warm message saying “These Invictus Games are a celebration of your fearlessness,” she said.

Video screens across the theatre displayed highlights from the week and musical performances by Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Coeur de pirate, Kelly Clarkson and Bachman & Turner were interwoven between speeches.

United Kingdom’s Mark Ormrod was the winner of the Jaguar Award for exceptional performance, determination and dedication. Team Afghanistan won the Land Rover Above and Beyond Award for sportsmanship, commitment and spirit.

Ontario’s Premiere Kathleen Wynne also thanked the volunteers and introduced the flag handover segment as Invictus Games Foundation chair Sir Keith Mills passed the flag to the Australian delegation. Continue reading “Royals and Rockstars honor Invictus Heroes at Closing Ceremony!”

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Invictus Games 2017 Opening Ceremony: Fusion of Salutations and Celebrations!

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Toronto’s glittering culture and its talent for visually striking performance powered the Opening Ceremony of Invictus Games last night, at Air Canada Centre. Organizers unleashed parades, bands, drums, singers and dancers in a display aimed to delight a worldwide audience.

Prince Harry, the founder of the games was present at the spectacular ceremony   to initiate the proceedings and mark the official opening. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who was the first speaker, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Melania Trump joined him at the festivities.

The evening was abounding with inspiring speeches and entertainment, starting with Luca “Lazy Legs” Patuelli, a Montreal break dancing performer with arthrogryposis, a neuromuscular disease that affects the use of his legs.

The show   kicked-off with a parade that celebrated the arrival of more than 500 athletes from 17 countries in the stadium.  In the Parade of Nations, where the athletes walk through the stadium, the delegations were announced in alphabetical order and the Canadian Team, led by flag-bearer Phil Badanai made a grand debut amidst loud cheers at the end.

Mike Myers, a Canadian comedian and Ambassador for the Games said “he was Brit by birth, American by God’s Grace and Canadian by divine intervention.” He spoke about his military family as both parents served in the Second World War. Rick Hansen and Captain Trevor Greene also gave emotional, awe-inspiring speeches. Continue reading “Invictus Games 2017 Opening Ceremony: Fusion of Salutations and Celebrations!”