Ranveer-Deepika wedding on November 20 in Italy: Kabir Bedi confirms
umours of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s wedding have been sending the grapevine into a tizzy for months now. A leading magazine reported that the couple will exchange garlands in an intimate wedding at the picturesque Lake Como in Italy. November 20 has been finalised as the wedding date.
Kabir Bedi set tongues wagging when he took to Twitter to respond to the article and congratulate Ranveer and Deepika on their upcoming wedding. “Great couple! Great locale in Italy! Great event! Wishing @RanveerOfficial and @deepikapadukone a wonderful wedding, and a lifetime of happiness,” he tweeted.
The veteran actor’s tweet has left netizens scratching their heads. Did he just accidentally confirm the news that they are getting married?
According to the report, Ranveer and Deepika’s wedding will be a close-knit affair that will be attended only by their families and a few close friends. The couple is expected to host grand receptions once they return to the country as man and wife.
Incidentally, earlier this year, when India Today Television caught up with Ranveer, he emphasised that marriage was not on the cards anytime soon. However, he admitted that he had been thinking about it.
“These are things I think about. I try to create a life and work balance. As much as I am consumed by my work at the moment, these things (marriage) are on my mind. But nothing decisive as of now,” he said, adding that he was caught up with his professional commitments and that getting married would have to wait.
Asian Games 2018: Bopanna, Sharan win tennis maiden doubles gold
Top seeds Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan notched up their maiden men’s tennis doubles gold medal at the Asian Games, dominating the final clash with a thoroughly clinical performance in Palembang on Friday.
Bopanna and Sharan defeated Aleksander Bublik and Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan 6-3 6-4 in 52 minutes.
Less than 20 minutes into the match, the Indians were 4-1 ahead, breaking Bublik and Yevseyev at the very first opportunity they got.
In no time, the top seeds were serving for the set with a 5-3 lead and Bopanna’s booming serve wrapped it up in style for them.
The Kazakhs had their moments but were undone by erratic play — a brilliant cross-court backhand winner one moment and a powerless return buried in the nets the very next minute.
Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan react during the gold medal match against Kazakhstan’s Aleksandr Bublik and Denis Yevseyev in Palembang on August 24, 2018. | Photo Credit: Reuters
In contrast, Bopanna and Sharan’s easy camaraderie shone through in the match and they displayed near perfect on court coordination.
Bopanna was particularly formidable from the baseline, displaying a good range of strokes to pull off some tough winners, helped by his brute power.
The second set went slightly better for Bublik and Yevseyev but they just could not rein in the unforced errors, including a double fault in the fifth game which could have cost them.
The Kazakhs had the faster legs between the two pairs but the Indians had the experience to negate that.
At 3-3, Bopanna and Sharan clinched the all-important break to go up and though they were pushed a bit in the very next game, the top seeds held serve to grab a 5-3 lead.
The Kazakhs held on in the next game but it only delayed the inevitable.
Serving for the match at 40-0, Bopanna didn’t really come up with the booming serve but the Kazakhs had been deflated enough and a feeble return went into the nets to give India the first tennis gold of the ongoing event.
India have claimed the men’s doubles gold on four occasions at the Games, the last pair being Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh in the 2010 Guangzhou edition.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes remain the most successful Indian men’s doubles pair in the Asian Games history, having claimed back-to-back gold medals in the 2002 and 2006 Games.
Paes had stunned the Indian team this time by pulling out on the eve of the Games after complaining of not getting a specialist partner of his choice.
In 2014, Saketh Myneni and Sanam ended with a silver medal.
Entries Invited For GRULAC Photography Contest
The 33-nation body, The Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC), has invited entries from Indian residents who have travelled to Latin American and Caribbean nations for the Third Edition of the Photography Contest, “My Latin-American and Caribbean Trip” MLCT 2018.
According to Dr. Patricio Garcés Ramírez, Chargé d’ Affaires a.i. Ecuador embassy in New Delhi, the themes of the photos should be of landscapes, people, monuments and others from the country or countries that they have visited. The participation is free of cost. This year, participants can send up to five photographs, each at least 2 MB in size, which they must clicked during their trips to the Latin American and Caribbean countries from June 01, 2018. The last date for submission of photographs is October 30, 2018.
The e-mail should indicate the full name of the person, age and the site where the photograph/s were taken (city and country), contact information and a brief description of the photograph. Selfies and collages are not allowed.
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The photographs will be evaluated by a committee comprising officials from the embassies of member countries, travel agents and travel journalists. Winners will be directly contacted through e-mail in the last week of November. The winning photographs will be exhibited in New Delhi and winners of the first, second and third prizes will be awarded accordingly.
The previous editions of this contest received a very warm and enthusiastic reception from the Indian public. The collection of diversity and beauty captured in more than 100 photographs received in the last two years, not only demonstrates the growing interest of Indian tourists in the region, but also a passion for Latin America and the Caribbean that is being transmitted through their mesmerising digital
images, which have become attractive postcards of the natural, cultural and gastronomic riches that Latin America and the Caribbean countries have to offer.
Entries may be e-mailed to mylactripindia@gmail.com.
Hampi’s Vittala Temple of Musical Pillars
Science and belief are two different things, but at times they collide and there is no explanation to it. Belief at times is supported by scientific findings, but then, there are no clear lines here. There are occasions when we see something that has no scientific explanation. Mystery is the only thing that defines them.
One such structure that has been fascinating people from time immemorial is the mysterious Vittala Temple in Hampi and its musical pillars. Referred to as the epicentre of Hampi’s attraction, this temple is actually a masterpiece in terms of grandeur and architecture. Words will fall short to explain the beauty of this place. The sprawling compound of this temple houses pavilions, halls and many other temples.
India, being a country rich in culture and heritage, has a history of thousands of years to boast of. Many rulers ruled it from time to time, built kingdoms to leave behind a heritage that eventually gave us the roadmap to ancient civilisation. Such rich history eventually gifted Indiamany grandeur structures, majestic forts, temples and palaces that we hold our breath at their first sight.
Photo by: Shivajidesai29, Creative Commons Attribution LicenceWhile all such structures amaze us with their architecture and sprawling complex, some also shock us with their mysterious nature. There are places in India that defy all scientific laws and exist only because of some divine mystery or something else. While some believe these are just myths, others think otherwise. On those lines, we have more on the musical pillars of the Vittala Temple. Read on!
About the Vittala Temple
The temple was built in the 15th century during the rule of Devaraya II. He was one of the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire. The temple is dedicated to Vittala and is also called Vijaya Vittala Temple; Vittala is also said to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. As per the legends, the temple was built for Lord Vishnu in his Vittala form, but when he found that the temple was very grand in nature, he returned to live in his modest home in Pandharpur.
Photo by: Gaurav Bharill, Creative Commons Attribution LicenceThe Vittala Temple has some gorgeous stone structures, such as the stone chariot and the musical pillars. Both these structure speaks a ton about the unmatched craftsmanship of that period. This temple in Hampi draws people from all part of the world, yet is mostly in shambles.
The architectural wonder
The Vittala Temple is one of the most magnificent and the grandest temple in Hampi. When you enter the complex, the very first thing that will amaze you will be the craftsmanship of the artisans of Vijayanagara Empire. Dravidian style adorns the built of the complex, which is further enhanced with elaborate carvings.
Among the several structures, the main hall or Maha Mandapa, Devi Shrine, Kalyana Mantapa, Ranga Mantapa, Utsava Mantapa and the very famous stone chariot are the notable ones.
The Musical Pillars of Vittala Temple
The large Ranga Mantapa is well-known for its 56 musical pillars, also known as SaReGaMa pillars. These have been attributed to the musical notes rising out of them. One can actually hear the musical notes if they tap the pillars gently. There is a set of main pillars and many smaller ones at the mantapa. Each pillar offers support to the ceiling of mantapa, while the main pillars are designed in the style of musical instruments. Each main pillar is wrapped with seven minor pillars, which emit the musical notes. Each note emitting from these pillars produce different sounds, which also change as the string, percussion and wind instrument being played. If the pillars are hit by sandalwood, they release rhythmic sounds close to SaReGaMa.
The reason behind the pillars producing rhythmic sound is not known yet, but they still continue to intrigue the visitors.
If the Musical Pillars have piqued your interest, do pay a visit to this place and try to play the musical chord for yourself.
Yamunotri, Uttarkashi, Uttarkhand
Yamunotri is one of the religious sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage. The source of the sacred river Yamuna, it is considered to be the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. As the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, it is located on the top of one section of the Bandar Poonch Parvat.
It opens on the auspicious day of Akshya Tritiya. And it is the first stopover for the Char Dham Yatra. Pilgrims throng the temple between the months of May and October, before proceeding to Gangotri.
Tehri Naresh, King Sudarshan Shah constructed the Yamunotri temple in the honour of Goddess Yamuna in 1839. Damaged by an intense earthquake, the temple was then renovated and rebuilt by the Jaipur Maharani Guleria. The present temple was constructed in the latter part of the 19th century.
The temple dedicated to the Goddess Yamuna and holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti (7 kilometres away) are the sites of importance there. The actual source of the river, the Champassar Glacier, a kilometre ahead of the shrine, is not very accessible and rarely visited by pilgrims.
Surya Kund is the most important kund, and near it is a shila called Divya Shila, which is worshipped before the deity is worshipped. Devotees prepare rice and potatoes, tied in muslin cloth, to offer at the shrine. They dip them in these hot water springs. This rice is then taken back home as prasadam. The priests at Yamunotri hail from the village of Kharsali near Janki Chatti. As the administrators of the sacred place, they perform all religious rites there and are well versed in the Shastras.
Bimala Shaktipeeth, Jagannath Mandir Parisar, Puri District, Odisha
Puri is famous all over the world for the great Jagannath Mandir. Within this great temple’s courtyard, you will find another ancient and beautiful temple dedicated to Bimala Devi, a form of Shakti and another name for Durga and Kali. This place is revered as a Shaktipeeth and it is believed that Ma Sati’s navel fell upon the ground here.
Bimala Mandir is located next to the sacred tank called Rohini on the right side of the main Jagannath Temple. The temple faces east and is made from sandstone and laterite. It consists of four halls – Vimana (sanctum), Jagamohana (assembly hall), nata-mandapa (festival hall), and bhoga – mandapa (hall of offerings). Bimala Devi is represented as having four hands. In her upper right hand, she holds a japa mala while she blesses devotees with her lower right hand and holds a pot of amrit in her lower left hand. There is a lot of dispute over what she is holding in her right hand. It looks like a serpent noose, a small female figure, a nagini, or something else. In any case, unlike most representations of Durga and Kali, she does not possess any weapons. The walls of the Vimana, where Bimala Devi resides, and the walls of the Nata-mandapa are covered with beautiful representations of the different forms of Devi. The Jagamohana walls are covered with many beautiful and sensuous images of flowers, animals, amorous couples as well as people performing more mundane tasks. Whether the subjects are divine or common, these carvings are beautiful and worthy of close examination.
Bimala Devi is regarded as the guardian of the Jagannath Mandir complex. It is believed that around the 8th century, when Shankaracharya visited Puri and installed the math, she installed Bimala Devi as the presiding goddess of the Govardhana Math. She still remains the main attraction for Tantriks and Devi Bhakthas who view Bimala Mandir as more important than the Jagannath Temple. Even regular visitors to Jagannath, first take Bimala Devi’s darshan before proceeding to the main temple. Food offered to Jagannathji is also offered to Bimala Devi before being distributed as Mahaprasadam.
Seth Srilal Market
Lying at the heart of the town, Seth Srilal Market is the perfect amalgam of colour, energy, and vibrancy. The market is a favourite among the locals and the tourists alike. From fabrics to old silver stores full of silver jewellery, there is nothing that is not sold here. The market is a mosaic of myriad stores and shops, disseminated here and there. A few of the stores even deal in wholesale. Sample some delectable street food, indulge in some banter, bargain, and enjoy the madness.
Mahabirstan
Mahabirstan is one of the oldest marketplaces of the town and is abuzz with a happening crowd of shoppers, all swarming around its roadside stores and showrooms. The market is popular for its reasonably priced fabrics. Some of the best bargain shopping in Siliguri can be done in this crumbling and chaotic bazaar. The shops and stalls in the market offer an exciting blend of food, fabrics and fashion accessories that sprawl onto the streets. The stores have been in existence for a long period of time and an exploration of its crooked narrow alleyways is right on impelling.
Hong Kong Market
Hong Kong Market, apparently the Chandni Chowk of Northeast India, is a quaint street market with a labyrinth of shops and vendors popping out on the alleyways. The products are mostly from everywhere in Nepal and China, making it a great place to hunt out unique, fancy and inexpensive goods to import back home. The market hosts an assortment of things, ranging from everything that falls within fabrics to electronics. Wander through its byways and soak in the chaos and madness of this bustling shoppers’ ghetto. The products are mostly imports and knock-offs and to get a great deal make sure you bargain big.
Astrological Remedies For Love Marriage
The intensity of the pain, a frustrated lover undergoes, cannot be felt, as loosing the dream-lover might affect the whole life. The guilt or wound of loosing the love-partner keeps possessing your memories until your reunification or demise. Therefore, a lover must strive to win back the lost love, otherwise prepare yourself to haunt your sleeps with incessant reminiscences. However, a true lover would surely make all efforts to get his or her love back. There are many solutions and remedies that can help you to resolve the crisis in your love story.
* To start with love marriage astrology remedies, win back your love by starting to pray to the god with true emotions. Praying to god emphasizes your claim, which exhibits very effective results. You should start worshipping Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi on Thursday of the diminishing moon fortnight. Thereafter, accomplish a 108-bead crystal beaded rosary in front of a picture or idol of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, chanting along, “Om Lakshmi Narayana Namah”. Repeat the rotary for three times before wrapping up for the day. Then, complete the worship by offering Prasada made of sweets, fruits or other sweet edibles. The ritual must be performed with great dedication in a temple every Thursday for three months.
* To win over someone, you should worship Maa Durga, offering a red cape or shawl and pray to succeed in your love affair. Thereafter, worship Lord Shiva and offer anointing, or Rudra Abhishek in the form of water-milk-honey-yogurt-Gangajal to the holy Shivaling. You should also offer a flute and betel leaves to Lord Krishna and pray to get your love back. To marry the person you love, you should offer a duly energized genuine-quality Nepalese “Gauri-Shankar Rudraksh” molded in white gold during the waning moon fortnight. Additionally, you should wear a diamond or opal stone, which help in strengthening your love affair.
* According to the love marriage astrology, if your lover’s horoscope reveals malefic effects or mars, which is also known as Maanglik Dosh, then consider proper remedial measures to remove the malefic effect. Moreover, if any of you have a horoscope that features the planet positioned in the seventh house, try to address the issue to prevail the peace before you marry your love-partner.
ICSSR to conduct research on NRI brides in country
The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), a body under the HRD ministry, is planning to conduct a research on NRI brides in the country.
“The culture by NRI men to come to their homeland and marry girls here is quite old but not all the times these marriages are successful. There have been so many cases when the grooms left the brides here itself or forged certain details about themselves,” ICSSR Chairman BB Kumar told PTI.
“But there has been no research about how many such marriages happen in the country and what ultimately is their status after few years. What happens to those girls who are cheated on pretext of being NRI brides? Do we need stricter norms? All these need to be studied,” he added.
The research council has not yet sanctioned the research project and the subject is being examined.
Kumar said that once the feasibility study is done and preliminary material is available, the project will be sanctioned and work initiated.
“What attracts parents about NRI grooms? What all factors do they consider while choosing one besides the fancy living abroad status? How can details be verified? All these factors will also be evaluated during the research,” Kumar said.
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