Saturday, October 26, 2013

Manna Dey : A melancholic vacuum has been created


A melancholic vacuum has been created. A big loss!

One of Bollywood music’s biggest stalwarts, Manna Dey, was battling illness for quite some time. And news of his death reached me while I am in Mumbai today. Manna Dey breathed his last in Bangalore.

Had his final rites been organized in Mumbai, I would have paid my last respect to him and only then returned to Delhi.

His death doesn’t mean the passing away of just a singer. For Indian music he was an era unto himself. His voice touched the soul directly. Even as Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar were being celebrated by the music fraternity; Manna Dey not only made his presence felt but many musical geniuses acknowledged his brilliance.

Can the present generation, though, truly understand this legendary personality’s worth? The new generation cannot really comprehend the difference between having Manna Da among us and the void created by his death. Many might have even heard Manna Da’s name today for the first time, only when news of his death is making headlines on news channels.

For many, Manna Da could have been just a singer who lent his voice for the popular number ‘Yaari Hai Imaan Mera Yaar Meri Zindagi’ from the film ‘Zanjeer’.

But for me, Manna Dey is not just that, but a voice that expressed a variety of emotions and connected with the heart. A voice that could make you laugh, cry and wonder about the complexity of life. It’s not just me; people from the older generation know how magical Manna’s Dey voice was.

My favorite Top 10 Songs of Manna Dey - ‘Zindagi kaise hai paheli haaye...kabhi to hasaye...kabhi yeh rulaye, from the film ‘Anand’ easily interprets the meaning of life. When I saw the film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, I instantly liked it and this particular song kept resonating in my ears. Rajesh Khanna’s screen presence and Manna Dey’s voice mesmerized me. And today, both the legends are no more.

It is difficult for me to specify just one song. A number of songs sung by him are my favorites. ‘Laaga chunri mein daag’, ‘Tu pyaar ka sagar hai’, ‘Aye meri zohra jabeen’, ‘Yeh raat bheegi bheegi’, ‘Aaja sanam madhur chandni mein hum’, ‘Qasamein vaade pyaar wafa sab’. Each of his songs is a class apart. And, Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s ‘Madhushala’ rendered by Manna Da is evidently incomparable.

God gave a long life to Manna Dey. He lived a humble and spotless life. He dedicated his life to music but never lent his voice to ‘Chalu’ or cheap music. Even until recently, Manna Da performed at various stage shows in order to connect with his admirers and spread love through his music.

I have no complaints against God, but it is impossible to forget Manna Dey.

Manna Dey please come back...come back and make your presence felt through a child’s voice, for there was a child in you, which sometimes flew a kite or played little pranks. You had said, “I wanted to grow old when I was a kid, because I felt I would get freedom when I grew up. But after growing up, I realized what I had lost.”

Manna Da... My eyes are moist and I have your song on my lips... ‘Zindagi kaise hai paheli haye’

Top 3 Questions and Answers on "Manna Dey" A Indian Music Legend"

1. Question: What is the significance of Manna Dey's contribution to Indian music?
   
Answer: Manna Dey was not just a singer but an era in Indian music, his soul-stirring voice touched hearts, earning recognition alongside legends like Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar.

2. Question: Why is Manna Dey's impact on the present generation of listeners different from those who grew up with his music?
   
Answer: The present generation may be discovering Manna Dey's name for the first time, missing the profound emotional connection and complexity of life expressed through his songs.

3. Question: What were some of Manna Dey's most beloved songs, and what emotions did they evoke?
   
Answer: Manna Dey's repertoire included classics like 'Zindagi kaise hai paheli haaye,' 'Laaga chunri mein daag,' 'Aye meri zohra jabeen,' and 'Madhushala,' each conveying a unique and timeless message through his exceptional voice.

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Friday, October 18, 2013

Estella Pyfrom : Estella's Brilliant Bus


Yeah! It is true that the US citizen Estella Pyfrom used her life savings to create "Estella's Brilliant Bus," that provides tutoring for thousands of low-income students.

Estella Pyfrom of West Palm Beach is taking on the digital divide. At 76 years young, she is determined to bridge the technology gap between the haves and the have-nots. "It's not just a bus. it's a movement," Pyfrom said. "And we are going to keep making a difference."

Estella's Brilliant Bus is a high-tech classroom on wheels that's ready to go to wherever needed - a football field, a park, city hall, - you name it - in order to bring much-needed resources to the underprivileged and undeserved communities.


The brainchild of this former educator whose career spanned 50 years, her "brilliant" bus is a rolling learning center equipped with sleek computers and monitors, high-speed Internet, swivel chairs that are adjustable for small children or larger adults, a huge monitor in the front of the bus, a microphone, and a laptop in back of the bus - just in case. Estella, as she's affectionately known by many, decided that a lack of transportation wasn't going to stop underprivileged children and families from getting the resources they need in order to get ahead in life.



But it's not just computers that she brings to the people, but an array of services that she offers: tutoring for GED preparation, college prep, FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) prep, anti-bullying, character building, entrepreneurship training for youth and adults, feeding the hungry and much more. "Anything you can do in a building; we are capable of doing."


We listen, we learn, and we implement, "she says. Her slogan for Estella's Brilliant Bus organization is "HAVE KNOWLEDGE, WILL TRAVEL."

Top 3 Questions and Answers on "Estella Pyfrom: Estella's Brilliant Bus"

1. Question: What inspired Estella Pyfrom to create "Estella's Brilliant Bus"?

Answer: Estella Pyfrom was inspired by the desire to bridge the technology gap and provide resources to underprivileged communities, using her life savings to create the mobile learning center.

2. Question: What services does "Estella's Brilliant Bus" offer to the underprivileged communities it serves?

Answer: The bus provides a wide range of services, including tutoring for GED preparation, college prep, FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) prep, anti-bullying programs, character building, entrepreneurship training, and food assistance.

3. Question: What is the mission and slogan of Estella's Brilliant Bus organization?

Answer: The mission of Estella's Brilliant Bus is to bring knowledge and resources to underserved communities, and its slogan is "HAVE KNOWLEDGE, WILL TRAVEL."


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Thursday, October 17, 2013

Rohini Nilekani : Pratham Books


Yeah! Rohini Nilekani, a philanthropist, founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit publisher that uses innovative ways to put low-cost books in the hands of millions of kids.

"My mission is to put a book in every child's hand," says Rohini Nilekani. That's an ambitious goal anywhere, but especially in India, where there are more than 30 crore children, most of whom can't afford books, or even read. Nilekani is founder-chairperson of Pratham Books, a nonprofit publishing house that uses innovative ways to tap India's vast market.



"The children we reach are first-generation readers," she says. "Their parents probably don't know how to read. They may never have bought a book in their lives." Set up in 2004, Pratham Books is an offshoot of Pratham, one of India's largest nonprofit groups, which supports education across India. Eight years later, Pratham has published more than 1 crore books with 225 titles in 11 languages. Most of the books are priced at less than 25 rupees.

Pratham Books is able to price its books so low partly because it's a nonprofit, subsidized by capital from Nilekani is unapologetic about this and says that while financial sustainability is a goal, Pratham Books's first priority is social impact. But Pratham Books also keeps its costs low through continuous innovation.

One of its biggest recent successes has been story cards, sheets of laminated paper folded to make a story and priced at only 2.5 rupees. Children who can't afford books can share and trade these easy-to-read, easy-to-store cards. One crore has been sold already.

Pratham Books is also trying out "sachet" books in retail stores across India - tiny, cheap books targeted at poor rural customers." We are constantly trying out new things," Nilekani says. "Some work, some fail, but because we don't have to worry about the financial bottom line, we can take risks."

 Rohini Nilekani has spent about Rs. 215 crore for philanthropy activities since 2005.

Rohini Nilekani Sells Infosys Shares, Raises $27 Million For Charity.

Rohini Nilekani pours her wealth into getting books to India's poorest children

Salute to Rohini mam... 

Top 3 Questions and Anwers on "Rohini Nilekani: Pratham Books"

1. Question: What is the mission of Rohini Nilekani and Pratham Books?

Answer: Rohini Nilekani's mission is to provide books to every child, especially in India, where many children can't afford books, through Pratham Books, a nonprofit publisher.

2. Question: How has Pratham Books achieved its goal of providing low-cost books to millions of children in India?

Answer: Pratham Books has achieved its goal through innovative approaches like story cards and "sachet" books, making reading accessible to children at incredibly low prices.

3. Question: What distinguishes Pratham Books as a nonprofit publisher, and how does it balance social impact with financial sustainability?

Answer: Pratham Books prioritizes social impact and offers affordable books by keeping costs low through continuous innovation while being subsidized by philanthropic capital.

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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Jointless Woodcrafts - Unbelievable

Shravan Chopkar converts so-called 'useless' wood pieces into wonderful sculptures. Shravan Chopkar (born on August 15, 1945) of Durg, Chhattisgarh, creates beautiful joint less single piece wooden articles like miniature temple, house, lamp, a 102ft wooden Chanin with 535 links, a 7ft x 3.5ft wooden shawl with 1,032 links etc., out of single blocks of wood. He has been mentioned in the India Book of Records for his art.

Can you imagine artworks made in wood which look like consisting many joints but absolutely have no joints? May sound strange. But that's what actually done by Chopkar. His creations show-historic monuments in India, various objects like-chains, lamps, temples, human figures, wall decorations, belts, necklaces - without any joint! He is the only one in India, who produces such wooden sculptures. He is the creator of this new type of wooden sculpture. To prepare these he takes the wood piece, makes the idea what to do with it, and then starts chiseling our the unwanted portion of the wood piece, allowing only the wanted part to remain.

In this way, he prepares every link in the wooden chain neatly carved and makes it movable. Similarly, he carves designs on the door of a building, the designs on the border frame, or the different joints in a human body. Chopkar creates other types of sculptures also. He has created astonishing village huts, open wells, bullock carts, swings, etc. by joining wooden pieces. He also creates lamp shades, table lamps, by carving coconut shells.

Top 3 Questions and Answers on "Jointless Woodcrafts: Shravan Chopkar"

1. Question: What unique skill does Shravan Chopkar possess in his woodwork creations?

Answer: Shravan Chopkar has the remarkable ability to craft jointless single-piece wooden articles, creating intricate sculptures and functional objects without any visible joints.

2. Question: How does Shravan Chopkar approach the process of crafting his wooden sculptures and intricate designs?

Answer: Chopkar begins by visualizing his ideas for each wood piece, meticulously chiseling away unwanted portions to reveal the desired forms and designs, resulting in movable and jointless wooden creations.

3. Question: What distinguishes Shravan Chopkar's work in the field of wooden artistry, and what recognition has he received for his craftsmanship?

Answer: Shravan Chopkar stands out as the sole artist in India known for producing jointless wooden sculptures, showcasing historic monuments, intricate objects, and functional items. He has been acknowledged and featured in the India Book of Records for his exceptional artistry.

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