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Events

Get ready to delight your eyes with something crazy at MLSU

As some wise man said, “Art is something that doesn’t need to be confined within four walls, it’ll be as great as it is allowed to fly.”

Today, too many people try to come up with a contemporary art definition but it’s quite a troublesome task. While its title is simplistic and straightforward, its modern-day meaning is not precise. Fortunately, understanding what constitutes as “contemporary” is entirely possible once when one traces the concept’s history and explores its underlying themes.

What is contemporary art?

In the most basic sense, the term contemporary art refers to art mainly, painting, sculpture, photography, installation, performance, and video art today. Though seemingly simple, the details surrounding this definition are often a bit fuzzy, as different individuals’ interpretations of “today” may widely and vividly vary.

The Department of Visual Arts is one of such esteemed institutions which is providing the students with a world-class education in the field of visual arts. The department has successfully completed its 50 years. Some of the prominent professors of Rajasthan Contemporary Art are its alumni and the department is still operating under their high-class experience.

Various open art workshops are organized where the renowned artists from all around the globe and hardworking students get a chance to showcase their talents. One such workshop is ‘Udaipur Spring’19’ which is organized by the department.

The event consisted of 2 workshops, the canvas painting workshop was organized from 24th to 28th Feb 2019 whereas 19th to 28th was the workshop for scrap sculpture workshop.

40 Canvas painting and 10 Modern Art Scrap Sculpture were made during the workshop. The sculptures and the paintings that were made during the 10-day workshop speaks for the event’s success itself. Everyone was eager to contribute their bit to create something exemplary. Regardless of gender, female students showed some exemplary skills as well.

Around 50 eminent artists from all over the globe were invited to take part in the 10-day workshop

2 International Artists, 10 National Artists and 32 to 35 alumni’s of the department participated in the event.

The Artists were:

  • Clemens Sou, Vienna
  • Katherine Karlsoon, Denmark
  • Bhupesh Kavdia, Naseem Ahmed, Dinesh Upadhyay, Sandeep Paliwal, Rokesh Kumar Singh – Udaipur
  • Alay Mistri, Arpit Biloriya, Tahir Merchant – Ahmedabad
  • Hansraj Kumawat, Jaipur
  • Gagan Bihari Dhadich, Nathdwara

Prof. Hemant Dwivedi head of the Department of Visual Arts, MLSU wishes to carry forward the legacy which has been bestowed in his hand and also plans to organize an International Camp very soon.

 

If you like to share something or have feedback for us, Feel free to share with us on mohit@vivirmedia.com

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More

Different names of UDAIPUR and the reasons behind them

Now that you’ve reached here after reading the title, I’m sure you must have guessed some of these names of Udaipur but there are more names of the city then you actually know. And while we talk about these names there are various reasons behind every name there is of the city. Udaipur is a huge tourist attraction and it is kept safely in the bucket list of all the wanderers from all around the world. The city attracts lots of travelers from different parts of the world and thus these different names provide them with various stories that tell the tale of history and culture of the city.

Let us move forward to know why Udaipur is gifted with the number of synonyms that it has and what story each name is going to tell us.

 

The city of Lakes a.k.a Jheelo ki Nagri

Different names of Udaipur and the reasons behind them
Picture by: triphopp

It is the most common name of the city. Almost every resident of Udaipur and even many tourists know that Udaipur is called the ‘City of Lakes’. Apparently, Udaipur has been gifted with a lot of lakes and that is the reason why it is known as the City of Lakes. But do you know almost all of these lakes are artificial or man-made?

Also read: The System of Lakes in Udaipur 

These lakes were constructed by the kings and rulers of Mewar (Udaipur was a part of Mewar back before the 13th century. The residents used to suffer from the problems like water shortage and poor sewage system. They had to survive only on rainwater. To overcome the problem, the rulers constructed these lakes and at present, they form a great lake system which comprises of seven prominent lakes namely Lake Pichola, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, Fateh Sagar, Badi, Madar and Udai Sagar. These lakes form a chain in the saucer-shaped Udaipur valley in such a way that the water keeps moving forward and doesn’t drown the city. Great mind back then eh?

Venice of the east

Different names of Udaipur and the reasons behind them
Picture by: deep_721

Before I tell you why Udaipur is known as ‘Venice of the east’, we need to slightly move our attention from ‘Venice of the east’ to Venice. Venice is the city of Italy which is considered as the most beautiful city in the world. This entire city is surrounded by water and is known as floating city.

Now, there are several reasons why Udaipur is called ‘Venice of the east’. Firstly Udaipur is so beautiful that in a state of a compliment it is compared to Venice. Another reason is that like Venice, Udaipur is also surrounded by water. Water as in lakes. And due to reasons as such, Udaipur would have been named as ‘Venice of the east’.

Kashmir of Rajasthan

Different names of Udaipur and the reasons behind them
Picture by: Krishna mundra

There are many possible reasons why Udaipur is called ‘Kashmir of Rajasthan’. One reason amongst all these is that Kashmir is considered as the most beautiful city in India. So as Kashmir is to India, Udaipur is to Rajasthan. Apart from that Kashmir is known for its landscapes, scenic beauty, lake and ever-green fields. Now, as we are reading this we are able to compare Kashmir from Udaipur. Udaipur also is rich when it comes to beautiful landscapes, breathtaking views and of course lakes. One more reason that associates Kashmir to Udaipur is that both of these cities are situated on valleys that results in their outstanding beauty.

White City

Different names of Udaipur and the reasons behind them
Picture by: Saurabh patwari

Some of us don’t know that Udaipur is also known as ‘White City’. The name got its existence from back then when the kings and rulers made palaces and forts in Udaipur made up of white marbles. As a result, the city is completely filled with Rajput-style palaces and forts. The center attraction of the white city is the palace situated right in the center of the city which is City palace. Apart from City palace, there are other white palaces as well, such as Jag Mandir, Lake Palace, etc. From that part of the city, if you are able to capture an aerial view, you will observe that most of the houses and other buildings of the city are white. White being the color indicating peace and harmony, Udaipur is appropriately named after it.

The romantic city of the east

Different names of Udaipur and the reasons behind them
Picture by: bruised passports

There isn’t the need to explain the reason behind this one. Udaipur is one such city that takes away all your worries and fears and no matter where you belong from, Udaipur is a home for everyone. The beauty and landscapes of Udaipur capture every couples’ heart and keep it forever. The palaces and the forts add a touch of royalty to their romance. With such amazing grandeur and breathtaking atmosphere, no wonder Udaipur is called as the ‘Romantic city of the east’. From all over the world people come to celebrate their moments of love in Udaipur. It gives them the essence of their relationship and helps them make the most out of it.

 

Udaipur is not just a city. It’s a feeling. It’s a feeling with a different meaning for every individual that visits this amazing city. Thus, to justify these feelings, there are different names given to the city.

What’s your favorite name of Udaipur and why? Tell us in the comment section.

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Photos

[Pictures] Christmas Celebrations in Udaipur

Old Lady Fatima Church

Christian community in India celebrates Christmas with pomp, gaiety and devotion. This festival is celebrate evening of Christmas on 24th Dec and continue till New Year’s Day. All Christians across the country mark the birth of Lord Jesus Christ in Christmas day by participate in special masses organized in churches. Celebration of Christmas is marked by carols, cakes, candles, bells and the decoration of Christmas tree. Ladies start preparations for the traditional Christmas cake which is anxiously awaited not just by the entire family but also by the neighbors.  This festival has assumed secular overtones and evening joyfully celebrated by people of all religions and community. Christmas day called “Bada Din” (Big Day) in Hindi and Christmas is a national holyday in India. People from all religions join their Christian friends to make the most of the joys celebration. Christmas in India may not be as widespread affair as in some western country but in India, this festival is celebrated by the Christian community across the country with great zeal and gaiety. People staying in different cities for job or higher studies rush back to their homes to celebrate Christmas with their near and dear ones.

Old Lady Fatima Church

Customs of Christmas celebration vary in the vast expansion of India, this varies largely because of local culture of influence. Generally, on the day of Christmas, people of Christmas fraternity gather in church for worship. Here, they attend Church services and sing carols. There is also the concept of Midnight in India. In fact, it is a very important service and holds great religious significance amongst the Christians of the country. On the night of 24th December, all the Christian families attend the Midnight mass at the local churches. The Churches in India are also decorated with the Poinsettia flowers. In South India, for instance, Christians light clay lamps on the rooftop and walls of their houses, the same way as Hindus decorate during the “Diwali” festival.  . Besides, in several states of India a popular custom is to decorate customs is to decorate customs banana or mango tree instead of traditional Pine tree. In northwest India, the tribal Christians of the Bhil tribe go out night after night for a week during Christmas to sing their equivalent of carols the whole night through. In Mumbai, which has one of the largest Roman Catholic communities in India, there is a tradition to depict nativity scenes and decorate home with big stars.

Udaipur celebrated the year with lots of joy and happiness. The celebrations though started long before the Christmas day itself. There was an Inter-Church Caroling too, held in the Pentecostal Church (situated at Rani Road) this year, on Dec 23.

Father Kulranjan Nicholas, Parish Priest, The Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral (popularly known as St. Paul’s church) said that the highlight would be the Vigil Mass on Dec 24 from 11pm to 2am, where Bishop Joseph Pathalil would be the main celebrant of the Mass, assisted by more than 10 priests. “It will be in Hindi and after the Mass, we will have refreshments as the clergy and parishioners to greet each other a blessed Christmas. It is a time for family get-togethers, praying together. There will also be cultural programmes” Fr. Ranjan said. He trusted the dedicated team of people in charge of the project will come up with a remarkable and outstanding display of the Nativity Scene. This week, Fr Ranjan (and his assistant priests) has/have also been going around this week giving sacraments to the sick and the bedridden. Fr Ranjan added that a blood donation campaign is also being planned tentatively to be held on Dec 29 in the church premises. Check out the pictures below to see the Christmas celebrations in Udaipur

In the end, Team UdaipurBlog wishes all its readers a very happy Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. 🙂

Guest Author: Aniket John

Photo courtesy: Aniket John and Mujtaba RG

Special Thanks: Father Kulranjan Nicholas

SHEPHERD MEMORIAL CHURCH
Shepherd Memorial
Old Lady Fatima Church
Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral

Old Lady Fatima Church

Old Lady Fatima Church

Old Lady Fatima Church

Old Lady Fatima Church

Old Lady Fatima Church

Old Lady Fatima Church

Old Lady Fatima Church

SHEPHERD MEMORIAL CHURCH

SHEPHERD MEMORIAL CHURCH

SHEPHERD MEMORIAL CHURCH

SHEPHERD MEMORIAL CHURCH

 

Father Kul
Father Kulranjan Nicholas
Aniket
Aniket, our Guest Author for the day
Categories
Festivals Photos and Videos

Hariyali Amavasya: A Photostory of the Tradition and Celebration

Hey friends. First and foremost I would like to extend my warm greetings on the occasion of our tradition and cultural day: Hariyali Amavasya.

Hariyali Amavas

As you all might know this year it is being celebrated the 30th and 31st of July, where the 31st will be restricted for the women only. This year saw a great crowd and joy in the fair, as well as the drizzle added to the energy and worked as a stressbuster, and kept the name Hariyali worth its sake. The crowd was huge, the excitement unmatched, all stalls were ready and loaded either with eatables, toys, fancy items, women’s items, etc. People were here with the traditional pupadis or the instrument horning them all the way, and not to forget, the day’s special Malpuas.

For those who were present at the event, and want to feel the same fun again, and also, who unfortunately missed the fair, here I bring you a photostory with some of my best clicks, for the first day at the Hariyali Amavasya fair. Let the pictures speak for themselves.:)


Hariyali AmawasHariyali Amawas

Hariyali AmawasHariyali Amawas

Hariyali AmawasHariyali Amavas
Hariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmavasHariyali AmawasHariyali Amawasalso, do checkout a video of the same

Categories
Festivals Photos

A Holi Close to Our Roots

Heartiest greetings on the colourful occasion of Holi. We all know the importance of Holi as well as the story behind celebrating Holi as well as Holika Dehen. It dates back to very ancient history and mythology when king Hiranyakashayp ordered his son Prahlad to be burnt who was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap’s sister Holika consented to accompany Prahlad in the fire as she had a blessing that no fire could ever burn her so as to ensure his demise.  Holika sat on pyre with Prahalad. Holika burnt alive while Prahalad was saved by the Lord.

But now-a-days we are going far away from our roots, our culture. The traditions have either become a formality, or a commercial venture, or rather an extinct or endangered culture. In deep thoughts about the same, I visited a small village/rural area to find out if the culture still alive, and to my surprise, yes it was.

The place I visited was a developing rural area in the interiors of the village Shobhagpura in Udaipur. This remote area witnessed the concrete roads for the first time just before few months. Here all the villagers and other people live in true harmony. I was welcomed by Mr. Gopal Prasad, an independent journalist, who has settled here in search of peace.

It was about 7.15 in the evening; small girls were seen making rangolis near the location. Village ladies and housewives were seen worshipping the structure. Slowly the crowd started to gather, and as happens every year, the worship and rituals were performed by the eldest person living in the village, who fired up the Holika.

Holi in a village

In next few minutes the entire area was filled with light and heat of the huge fire. Mr. Gopal informed that the villagers offer a share of the new harvest of wheat to the fire, and the roasted wheat grains so obtained is distributed to all as the Prasad. Any newborn baby is also made to revolve around the holy fire. It is believed that all the evil forces are burnt away with the fire and the spirit becomes pure and clean.

Eldest member of the Village performing the Rituals
Eldest member of the Village performing the Rituals

Eldest member of the Village performing the Rituals

Holika Dehen Rituals being performed
Holika Dehen Rituals being performed

Holi in a villageHoli in a villageHoli in a village

offering the first harvest of wheat to the fire
Offering the first harvest of wheat to the fire

Finally I was happy on my way back home. All i was taking along with me was not only the roasted wheat grains, but were memories, a warm, friendly welcome at the village, more knowledge about our cultures, and an entirely different Holi to remember for the lifetime.

Wishing everyone a very Happy, Colourful and Safe Holi. Enjoy a lot but remember to Save Water 🙂

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Social

Cycle Yatra: A trip to our roots of Culture and Nature

THE SWAPATHGAMI CYCLE YATRA LEFT UDAIPUR ON JAN 9, 2011. They will return on the 13th. There were 17 yatris from Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra, Delhi, Mysore, Gujarat, UP. Many were students of Swaraj University. Several yatris dressed up as animals such as polar bear, penguin, tiger, elephant, etc to raise attention to the global warming and climate change issues. The yatra was organized by Shikshantar.

Cycle Yatra

For those who are new to the cycle yatra idea, it is a weeklong cycle trip into rural Rajasthan. What sets this trip apart from a general cycle trip is that we do not carry any money, electronic gadgets, food or first aid medicines with us. We stop at villages along the route and find work to earn our board and lodge.

While each participant’s learning and experience from such a trip is unique, the general thinking behind such a trip is –

  • We go manual for transportation and basically burn off some calories that we have so lovingly accumulated despite being cholesterol conscious.
  • We go slow (rather than breeze thru in fast cars) and so get a better chance at appreciating nature and rural life.
  • We interact with the local people (rather than just buy stuff off them with money power) in the course of creatively managing our board and lodge.
  • We get a peek into village life and in the process learn skills that we have lost by virtue of being part of the ‘developed’ society. We can also share some skills that we have.
  • We develop an appreciation for local knowledge and skills and the ability to thrive in what nature has provided.
  • We develop some trust in the ability of nature to take care of us and in the goodness of human beings rather than having to constantly struggle for one’s existence as if it is one long battle against nature and other human beings.
  • We get some time to reflect on our own lives
  • We loosen a little the tight stranglehold that money has over our minds and learn that alternative ways to live might exist.

And let us not forget that most important is to enjoy nature, creating music, dance, theatre, games and have a fun filled adventure! This is a real chance to re-connect to the gift culture.

Check out the film from the first yatra to get an idea of the adventure…

We will cycle about 100 km from Udaipur to Jaisamand. The whole region is culturally very rich and still has some jungles left.

What you need to bring along (and remember that everything you bring along has to be carried by you on your bike)-


  1. Personal clothing.
  2. Some bedding (sleeping bag, blanket etc)
  3. Water bottle (if you have a non-plastic one)
  4. Bikes can be rented at nearest town

More Photos From the Cycle Yatra-

Cycle Yatra_More_photos

Cycle Yatra_More_photos

By Guest Author- Manish Jain

Categories
Udaipur Speaks

Why am I Proud Of My Country

India Flag

We wish all the Fellow Indians a Very Happy Independence Day.

Let us take a look at the glories of our Country:

Interesting facts about India –

* India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
* When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
* The name ‘India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.

* Chess was invented in India.

* Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.

* The ‘Place Value System’ and the ‘Decimal System’ were developed in India in 100 B.C.

* The World’s First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.

* India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.

* The world’s highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

* India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.

* The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.

* The world’s first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

* Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.

* India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India’s wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.

* The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘NAVGATIH’. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nou’.

* Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.

* The value of “pi” was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.

* Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).

* Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
(Source: Gemological Institute of America).

* The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.

* Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.

* Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.

* India exports software to 90 countries.

* The four religions born in India – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world’s population.

* Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.

* There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.

* The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.

* Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively

* The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.

* The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world’s largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.

* Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.

* Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called “the Ancient City” when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.

* India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.

* His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.

* Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.

* Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.