आज हरियाली अमावस्या के इस मौके पर कई लोगों को रंग बिरंगे कपड़ों में अपने अपने घरों से निकलते हुए देखा होगा। स्कूल और कॉलेज में भी बच्चों को हरे रंग के कपड़े पहनने को कहा जाता है। लेकिन आज भी कई ऐसे लोग होंगे, ख़ास तौर पर बच्चे और जवान लोग, जो की इसका मतलब नहीं जानते होगे। तो इससे पहले हम इस त्यौहार के हर्षोल्लास में मन्न्मुग्ध हो जाये, आइये जानते है हरियाली अमावस्या के बारे में कुछ बातें।
क्यों मनाते है हरियाली अमावस्या?
हरियाली अमावस्या वह त्यौहार है जिसे हिन्दू सभ्यता के लोग ‘सावन’ की शुरुआत के तौर पर मनाते है। इसे अमावस्या के दिन मनाया जाता है जिसकी वजह से इसका नाम हरियाली अमावस्या पड़ा। हिन्दू कैलेंडर के हिसाब से इसे श्रावण महीने के ‘कृष्णा पक्ष’ में मनाया जाता है और ग्रेगोरियन कैलेंडर के हिसाब से यह दिन जुलाई-अगस्त तक में आता है। इस दिन शिव जी की बहुत ही श्रद्धा से पूजा होती है। इसके साथ इस मौके पर बारिश और हरियाली की भी पूजा होती है। बारिश फसल के लिए काफी ज़रूरी है। कई क्षेत्रों में पीपल के पेड़ की भी पूजा होती है।
हरियाली अमावस्या सिर्फ राजस्थान में ही नहीं बल्कि और भी कई जगहों पर मनाया जाता है। महाराष्ट्र में ‘गटरी अमावस्या’, आंध्र प्रदेश में ‘चुक्कला अमावस्या’, और ओडिशा में ‘चितालागी अमावस्या’ के नाम से इसे मनाया जाता है। इसके नाम ही की तरह, इसे मनाने के तरीके भी बदलते है लेकिन त्यौहार का मकसद वही रहता है – सावन और उससे मिलने वाली ख़ुशी।
उदयपुर में हरियाली अमावस्या का मेला
सहेलियों की बाड़ी से शुरू होता हुआ यह मेला फतहसागर तक भरता है। उदयपुर के कई लोग तो हरियाली अमावस्या को उसके मेले की वजह से ही जानते है। यह मेला दो दिन तक चलता है। खाना, मस्ती, कपडे, जेवर, झूले और दोस्तों के साथ ख़ुशी के कुछ पल, अगर सब कुछ एक जगह पर मिल जाए तो ना जाने की तो कोई वजह ही नहीं है।
इस मेले में ना केवल उदयपुर के लोग आते है बल्कि उदयपुर के आस पास के क्षेत्रों के जन जातीय लोगों का भी आना होता है। मेले की रबड़ी और मालपुए ही आधे लोगों को अपनी तरफ खींच लाते है। अलग अलग दुकान वालों का शोर-गुल, बच्चों का बाजे बजाते हुए चलना, जलेबी और कचोरी की सुगंध हर कोने से आती हुई, और झूलों पर सवार हस्ते खिलखिलाते हुए बच्चे इस मेले में जान डाल देते है।
मेवाड़ में इस मेले की शुरुआत कैसे हुई?
ऐसा माना जाता है की मेवाड़ में इस मेले की शुरुआत महाराणा फतेह सिंह जी ने की थी। उन्होंने देखा की देवाली के तालाब में बहुत सारा पानी बर्बाद हो रहा है। तो उन्होंने वहाँ एक जलाशय बनाने का सोचा जिससे लोगों की पानी की ज़रूरते पूरी हो सके। इस जलाशय के निर्माण के पूरे होने पर उन्होंने यहाँ अमावस्या के दिन एक मेला भरवाया। धीरे धीरे यह मेला आम लोगों के लिए भी खुला और तब से आज तक इस मेले का लुत्फ़ लोग उठाते आ रहे है।
हरियाली अमावस्या का यह मेला सावन की सबसे पसंदीदा जगह रहती है और इस मेले में जाकर सावन का आनंद हर एक उदयपुरवासी को लेना चाहिए।
क्या आपके पास भी कोई रोचक और दिलचस्प कहानी है जो आप लोगों के साथ बांटना चाहते है? तो वह कहानी मुझे भेजे juhee@udaipurblog.com पर।
Udaipur is the most preferred destination for celebrities when it comes to a grand royal wedding. The statement is clearly justified if we look back in time when Famous royal weddings such as Raveena Tandon’s, Sanjay Hinduja’s and the most recent Neil Nitin Mukesh’s wedding took place in Udaipur.
Source: hamaraphotos
Well, the time is not far when another name will be added to this list. Famous businessman Mukesh Ambani’s son, Akash Ambani is planning to get married in the city of Lakes, Udaipur. Although it is not finalized yet, the news says that the lovebirds along with their family are going to land in Udaipur soon to finalize the destination. Along with that, a programme might be held in Nathdwara too.
The engagement ceremony of Mukesh Ambani’s son, Akash took place recently in March 2018 after he proposed to his longtime girlfriend and childhood friend, Shloka Mehta. Shloka Mehta is the daughter of Russel Mehta, owner, and CEO of Rosy Blue Diamonds. Shloka is originally based from Gujarat and has a deep interest in social work which is why she co-founded the company ConnectFor that deals with the NGO’s and provide them volunteers in terms of donation as well as manpower.
Source: Wikibio
The wedding is said to be conducted in the first week of December 2018 but whether it is going to take place in Udaipur or not, that will be known once the family lands in Udaipur.
स्वतंत्रता दिवस भारत वर्ष में उत्साह, देशभक्ति एवं स्वाभिमान की भावना से मनाया जाता है। इसी भावना को और भी बलवती करने हेतु ‘वन्दे उदयपुर’ – एक पहल जिसके अंतर्गत उदयपुर संभाग के 51,000 घरों में तिरंगा फहराने का लक्ष्य रखा गया है। नमो विचार मंच द्वारा इस पहल का नेतृत्व प्रवीण रतलिया ने किया है।
इस पहल का कार्यचालन चार दिवस तक रहेगा (12 अगस्त से 15 अगस्त)। इस चार दिवसीय कार्यक्रम की रूपरेखा कुछ इस प्रकार है:
12 अगस्त:
इस दिनांक को उदयपुर संभाग के 6 जिलों की 28 विधानसभाओं के बूथ स्तर पर नमो विचार मंच के कार्यकर्ताओं द्वारा घरों में लकड़ी के तिरंगे दिए जायेंगे जिन्हें लोग 15 अगस्त को अपने घरों में फहराएंगे।
यही नहीं, तिरंगे के साथ ही हर घर में राष्ट्रगीत ‘वन्दे मातरम्’ का एक बड़ा स्टीकर भी लगाया जायेगा, जो कि नमो विचार मंच द्वारा दिए जायेंगे।
13 अगस्त:
जिन घरों में 12 अगस्त को तिरंगे दिए गये थे, उन्हीं घरों से एक – एक मुट्ठी आटा एकत्रित किया जायेगा और इसको 15000 आदिवासी बंधुओं के भोजन में प्रयोग किया जाएगा। इसके साथ ही पिछड़े क्षेत्र के आदिवासियों को ‘चरण कमल’ योजना के अंतर्गत जूते, चप्पल और कपडे भी वितरित किये जाएंगे एवं 1500 स्कूली बच्चों को बस्ते दिए जायेंगे।
14 अगस्त:
यह दिन शहीदों के परिवारों और सैनिकों के लिए रहेगा। इस दिन इन परिवारों के साथ एक संध्या ‘आज़ादी के नाम’ मनाई जाएगी और वीर रस कवि सम्मलेन का भी आयोजन किया जाएगा।
15 अगस्त:
15 अगस्त को सुबह 9:15 बजे 51,000 घरों में एक साथ, एक समय पर तिरंगे फहराने के उद्देश्य को सम्पूर्ण किया जाएगा। इसके साथ ही सुबह 10 बजे, फ़तेह स्कूल के सामने से विशाल तिरंगा वाहन रैली निकाली जाएगी जो की सूरज पोल से होते हुए उदयपुर शहर के भीतरी इलाको से होते हुए टाउन हॉल स्थित शहीद स्मारक पर पूर्ण होगी । और इसी के साथ इस क्रांतिकारी पहल को अंजाम दिया जायेगा।
युवा प्रवीण रतलिया द्वारा यह पहल क्रांतिकारी व देशहित में अग्रसारित पहल है। उदयपुर के लोगों को बहुमत में इस पहल का साथ देना चाहिए एवं इस तरह की सोच को बढ़ावा देना चाहिए।
Art has been one of the oldest yet a strong form of communication between two entities. It has a tendency to deeply move your soul and the people back then surely knew how to use them to its fullest. As a result, they created some masterpieces, some of which can be found in museums, manuscripts, and books.
Rajasthani paintings which are also known as Rajput paintings strongly communicates with those who are willing to know their culture, architecture, and stories of people back then through art. These paintings evolved and prospered in the Rajputana royal courts. There was a distinct style in every royal kingdom of Rajputana but some common features can be seen in all of them. These paintings depict a number of themes and incidents of epics such as the Ramayana. Although miniature paintings were kept in manuscripts and albums most of these paintings were made on the walls of palaces, inner chambers of the forts, havelis, and hence some of them got destroyed with time.
The colors of the paintings were extracted from some minerals, plant sources, conch shells, and some of them were derived by processing precious stones such as gold and silver. The preparation of these colors took a long time extending to two weeks. Also, the brushes used in the paintings are fine giving them the intricate finish.
In 1597, Rana Pratap Rana Amar Singh established himself on the throne of Mewar. To some extent, he accepted the dominance of Mewar and for the same reason, the impact of Mughal art is visible on Mewar Paintings.
There are three different Rajput painting styles in the region of Mewar. Nathdwara style, Devgarh style, and Shahpura style.
Raja carried in a state Palki
The painting is taken from a Rajasthani school from J.C. French collection. On the back of the painting is inscribed a name ‘Son Singh’ but no king of this name is recorded. However, his features resemble a portrait of Amar Singh of Jailsamer.
Month of sarawan (saawan)
The painting is from year about 1570 and is one of the series of illustrations to poems on the season of the year which is called Baramasa. The joy and relief on the arrival of rains can be seen in the movements of women sitting at the bottom. Rains can be seen in one scene of a hut.
State procession of a Rajput Raja
Year of the painting is about 1760. The subject is identified as Bhim Singh of Jodhpur (1793-1803) through labels attached to it. However, it bears no resemblance to portraits of Bhim Singh and the turban he is wearing is not in Jodhpuri style.
The expectant heroine
About the painting Coomaraswamy has rendered his poem: ‘The heroine at the door of her home, happy in the expectation of her darling’s coming.’
A village scene
The painting is an illustration to the Hamza-Nama: a huge Islamic manuscript executed for the emperors Humayun and Akbar. The year is about 1570.
Nayak and Nayika, Mewar, 1625Rana Sangram Singh Celebrating the birth of Pratap Singh, City PalaceRana Sangram Singh, Jethi Wrestlers at City Palace, Udaipur, Mewar, 1715-18.Chowripanchasika, early 16th century, Mewar, RajasthanNasiruddin Malashri Ragini, Third Wife of Bhairava Raga, 1605Rashikapriya, Udaipur, 1730Karnata Ragini, Mewar, 1620-50Month of Magha, from the series of Baramassa, Mewar, 1770
Different forms of Rajasthani Painting
Frescoes in caves
Fresco is a form of painting which is executed upon freshly laid, or wet lime plaster. These kinds of paintings can be vividly seen in the ancient caves, drawn in temples, palaces, and cenotaphs. The history of wall paintings in Rajasthan is so rich that it will provide you a wide glimpse into the culture of Rajasthan from years ago. The dry desert climate of the region ensures good condition of these paintings.
Script painting
The tradition of padd and pichwai is very old and is done even today in Rajasthan. Padd and Pichwai are the two forms of script paintings. Padds are based on stories of folk gods while Pichwai is related to Krishna Lila.
Manuscript painting on Bhurj leaves
In ancient time, the tradition of writing poetry and making drawing on palm leaves was common. As a result, the pictorial text preserved in many Jain collections got abandoned.
Miniature style of painting
Laguchitra or miniature painting, as the name suggests, is very small in size. One thing that will appall you is the intricate brushwork which contributes to their unique identity. Colors used in miniature painting is derived from natural sources such as vegetables, indigo, precious stones, gold, and silver.
Ragamala paintings
Ragamala which can be translated as ‘Garland of Ragas’ in English is a series of illustrative paintings from medieval India which depicts various musical modes called Ragas. Ragamala paintings were started in most Indian schools in the early 16th and 17th century. There are different subcategories of Ragamala that are Pahari Ragamala, Rajasthan and Rajputi Ragamala, Deccan Ragamala, and Mughal Ragamala.
Every painting in each Raga is personified by a color, mood, and verses describing stories of hero and heroine, day and night are also depicted, and there are a number of paintings that demarcate specific Hindu deities attached with raga, like Bhairava or Bhairavi to Shiva, Sri to Devi etc. These paintings along with Ragas also depicts their wives (raginis), their numerous sons (ragaputra) and daughters (ragakanya).
Varari_ragini,_Ragamala,_17th_centurySarang_ragini,_Ragamala,_ca1605Raag Deepak, in Ragamala by Sahibdin 1605.Pancham Ragini, Ragamala, 1680–1690.Malasri Ragini, Ragamala, Rajasthan. 1620.Kuntala_Raga,_’son’_of_Dipakeda_Raga,_Ragamala,_1710Hindola_Raga,_Ragamala,_17th_centuryDipaka_RagaAlhaiya raga, Son of Bhairava Raga, Ragamala c1720.
All the paintings would have given you a vivid picture of people and their lifestyle back then. Or if you felt all of these properly, it is possible to time travel through them too. Art is the only form that can make it possible.
Do you own an art gallery and sell such form of paintings there? If so, get in touch with us. We would love to feature your work. Write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.
The Old City of Udaipur is that area of the City which every Udaipurite is crazy about. And trust me, it’s absolutely worth it. Be it culture, traditions, temples, or versatile shops, one can find literally everything here. Now that we are talking about shopping, we picked one thing that is most liked and bought by the people here which is the jewelry.
To all the jewelry lovers in the city, this article is completely made for you. Unlike ordinary gold and diamond jewelry, the jewelry available here is modern jewelry which includes many intricate designs made out of oxidized metals and oxidized silver. Jewelry is something which defines who you are. And if you choose to be a hipster then Old City is just the place for your shopping spree this weekend.
We went out in the city to look for ourselves what is it actually that people are going crazy about and the things we saw stunned us. Watch the video below to know more.
Where to buy:
The entire alley starting from Ghanta Ghar at Sindhi Bazaar to Jagdish Temple. This alley cover shops of all kinds of imitation jewelry, silver jewelry and tribal jewelry of black metal. These modern pieces of jewelry will appeal your eyes with its unique and cool designs.
What to buy:
I am sure your heart would yearn to buy literally everything but for a start you can put your hands on large jhumkas, designer nose pins and nose rings, Oxidised Kade and bangles, anklets, kamarbandh, pendants, neck pieces, rings, silver wallets and sling bags for girls and the list doesn’t end yet because guys they have something for you too. There has been an increased demand for jewelry for boys and they have an ample amount for them. There are several designs for boys in Ear studs, rings, pendants, chains, nose pins, bracelets, and whatever you like.
Time best suitable for shopping:
It would be best if you go in the morning at 11:00 am. However, if you are planning to go in the evening note that the maximum number of shops close by 7:00 pm.
Pro tip:
Although the prices are minimal, you can always try your hand at bargaining. It will surely save you a few bucks.
A perfect day out for shopping:
If you are planning for a day out then you can wander around these places which happens to be in your way. You can complete your shopping in the morning and visit Jagdish temple is situated at the end of the jewelry alley. Further, if you are interested in handicrafts and clothes, you can continue walking on this alley which ends at City Palace. Go have a look at this amazing museum. You might click some amazing pictures in this palace as well. Now since you would be exhausted by then you might want to refresh yourself and have a wonderful meal at a cozy restaurant inside City Palace – Palki Khana.
At the end of the day, get ready to have the funky look with all the modern jewelry that you’ve bought and do not dwell over your empty pockets because it’s all worth it.
Techno NJR students have made the City proud again! Student’s Team Slick comprising of Kamlesh Kumar, Sachin Goyal, and Harshit Jaroli have won the first prize of Rs. 15 lacs in the event Green-A-Thon organized during Rajasthan Digifest 5.0 held at Bikaner from 25th to 27th July 2018.
Hon’ble Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje gave the prizes to winners.
Rajasthan Digifest 5.0
A technology carnival saw the desert city of Bikaner come alive with over 5,000 people that included students, developers, tech enthusiasts, employers, and startups participate in Rajasthan’s fifth edition of DigiFest. A highlight of the three-day event was Hackathon 5.0 and Green-A-Thon which saw 3,500 participants from not just the state but all over India.
The 36-hour coding and designing marathon witness over 800 teams from 20 cities, helped by 15 mentors. At the end of the first round of evaluation, 14 teams made it to the final and were then evaluated by a jury led by Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Manipal Global Education and Aarin Capital, and Nakul Saxena, Director of Public Policy at iSPIRIT.
Exploring different places in the world is fun but there are so many things that one should know while satisfying their wanderer soul. Now while you are in a different city and get cheated by some guide or shopkeeper, what should you do? Where should you go? And who are the people responsible that will address your grievances?
Udaipur is a renowned tourist hub and hundreds of tourists flock to the city every day to explore its splendor. Hence, it is an important issue that needs to be focused in our city. Since a lot of people aren’t aware of the basic tourist things, we went to the tourist police station in Udaipur to know what all problems do tourists face and how are they resolved.
Source: UdaipurTimes
We met head constable Babu Lal there who told us about the problems a tourist faces in Udaipur and what is the contribution of Tourist police station to resolve those. He told us that tourist police station is completely meant for grievances redressal. The major problem that a tourist faces at tourist hubs such as our city is fake guides who tend to loot or do fraud with the tourists by attracting and tempting them to provide facilities like boat riding, exploration at fewer prices etc. Some of them also claim to provide you with original handicrafts at fewer prices and in return they get a commission from the respected shopkeepers as well as money from the tourists.
There are several unauthorized guides in the city who tries to loot the tourists and make their experience displeasing. Although very few people actually come to the station to report fraud, maybe because of the lack of awareness, Babu Lal told us that there are 15 constables, out of which 4 are female constables who visit the famous tourist spots and identify the fake guides and protect tourists from them.
Udaipur’s tourist police station was the first one in Rajasthan. Today, there are 3 tourist police stations in Rajasthan one of which is Udaipur and the other two are at Jaipur and Jodhpur.
There is only one act which strictly needs to get followed by the tourist police authorities and complaints regarding the same can be registered here. This act is Rajasthan Tourism Trade (Facilitation and Regulation) Act, 2010. Rajasthan Tourism Act provides acceleration of growth of tourism trade and industry in the state and makes the experience of tourists hassle-free. It provides protection to tourists against touts (commonly known as ‘lapkas’), beggars, hawkers, taxi-cab drivers, (which includes auto rickshaws and rickshaws) or any other elements who unduly harass or annoy the tourists. Apart from that unauthorized guides, people who tend to harass or follow them without their consent, or people/shopkeepers/traders selling something at a higher price than displayed can be complained against here, or people who continuously bug them to buy their products or avail their services.
We further asked Babu Lal about the process of registering a complaint at Tourist Police Station. He informed us that a tourist can directly walk into the station which is located at Pichola Road near Tibetan Market or call at 0294-2425242. There is no way to register to your complaint online. The station is available for 24 hours. However, in case of theft or any other such crime one needs to register a complaint in the general police station of the particular area.
If you have any feedback regarding the article, share them with us in the comment section below or write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com. Share the word with other people to create more awareness about such issues in the city.
Lavina Lekhari From Udaipur Is Breaking Stereotypes with Her Upcycled Fashion | People of Udaipur
Lavina Lekhari, a young girl from Udaipur, is all set to break stereotypes! Yes, the young soul is making her name through upcycling clothes. Aren’t you eager to know what she is doing and how she is doing it? So, let us dive into a conversation with her and have a glimpse of the work of this fashion buff!
A glimpse of Lavina’s Art
Tell Us in Detail What Do You Do and How Did You Start?
It all came into my life when I realized that my love for dressing up was not just a craze, I wanted to engage in this full-time! Right now, I am pursuing BA and also chasing my dream of becoming a fashion artist. I shred and upcycle clothes and make them funkier and happening. And is all because of my love for getting dolled up.
Like every star has its own shine my shine is my art. I love being creative. My learning started when I was just 4 years old. My brother has always supported me and you can call him my “BACKBONE”! Initially, I started dancing. I continued my schooling and dancing simultaneously and soon I became a choreographer alongside my brother, Sumit and then one thing led to another and now I am here, a budding fashion artist.
Since When Are You Doing Shredding and Upcycling?
I began my journey when I was in my teens as a junior choreographer and dancer. At the age of fourteen l started upcycling fashion.
How Did You Get the Inspiration to Start Upcycling Fashion?
I get attracted by colors, texture, compilation and don’t like wasting all these beautiful things. For me, my inspiration is my colorful wardrobe and my brother. He used to work as a laborer in factories. He always motivated me, not just by words but by his actions too, his craziness of being a perfectionist and working insanely for achieving something was always applauded. My mother used to work with crotchet and bangles and made new handmade clothes to earn a living. I have seen poverty very closely and that made me come up with upcycled fashion.
In The Frame: Lavina Lekhari
Tell Us About the Fashion Shows You’ve Been A Part Of?
I started with choreographing fashion shows along with designing them which I thought was my smart move towards learning and experiencing fashion. I came up with my first choreographed and design fashion show- LA✂STYLE DANCE FASHION SHOW in 2015 then the count didn’t stop.
I have collaborated with an NGO and choreographed an ‘Old Age Fashion Show’ for ‘Tara Seva Sansthan’ which was another great experience. I came up with my second designed and choreographed fashion show for kids in 2017 called the ‘Let’s Walk Together’, for which I received appreciation from a Bollywood director Viveck Vaswani.
Working my way up through the ladder, I have done INIFD fashion show, Muffins fashion show etc.
5. What All You Have Made Up till Now Using Upcycled Fashion?
I love thinking out of the box and that lead me to the creation of upcycling fashion.
I want to ask the readers, what do you all do with your old tops, lowers, t-shirts, shirts, skirts, shorts, jewelry, etc.?
A general answer would be throwing them in the trash, but I love recreating them. Till now I have created more than 400 designs out of what you would throw in the trash. I had worked with ropes to make a big rope gown and even created new designer dresses for dancing shows and acts.
Where Did You Learn This Art Form?
I’ve never been to a Fashion college. Creativity is something that I have learned from my mother.
What Challenges Did You Face While Pursuing This Form of Art?
Like every field, fashion entails fear of being rejected, stress and sometimes depression. Climbing out of tribulations by my own efforts is something of which I am proud of myself.
Fashion is something which is self-romanticizing. I was my own mannequin when I started because I didn’t have people with me. I still remember that after my first fashion show I got a lot of mixed reviews- some even called my art as vulgar and obscure, but these things never let me down.
How Much Are People Interested to Buy These Clothes?
When I started shredding and upcycling, I loved myself seeing in it. I wore my own created fashion which undoubtedly got amazing and satisfying comments which boosted my confidence in my art.
Changes are tough to accept but I believe that once shredding and shredded clothes enter the world of Bollywood and social media, it would eventually change the mind of people across the country. According to me, 60% of teenagers are interested to buy these kinds of clothes.
Do You Want to Make This Your Full-Time Career?
Life is made up of three ingredients for learning, earning and yearning. I have learned so much from this that definitely, I would love to pursue this as my career. I believe that whatever you do, whether you earn or not, the work must make your happy! Because for every minute you are unhappy, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.
Where Do You See Yourself with This in Future?
I want to put shredding in the world of fashion. I want to do something today that my future self will thank for. I dream of promoting this art by doing live cuttings (shredding) for the people. I see upcycling as the new-age trend in the fashion industry. My dream is to see LAVSTYLE as a brand (I gave a name to my work LAVI’S STYLE = LAVSTYLE).
What’s Your Mantra For Life?
Keep yourself hungry for improvement. Close your ears and do what you like because ‘girls of Fashion starve their happiness to feed their vanity and their love to spread pride!’
It was great knowing this beautiful girl from our City of Lakes! Lavina is all set to break stereotypes and pave her own path to the success! If you wish to ask anything to Lavina, you can put up questions in the comment section below.
Whether it be Chandra Prakash Deval or Uday Shankar, Limba Ram or Vikram Solanki, Udaipur comprises of too many hidden gems who don’t just shine in the city but in the entire world. If you are an Udaipurite and do not have a clue about the above names, then you need to keep yourself a bit updated. Well, we will discuss these names on some other day. Today’s article is solely dedicated to one of the most renowned Maand Singer, Mangi Bai.
Udaipur has been blessed with not only the natural beauty but it has beauty in every individual residing in itself too. The similar amount of beauty and charm is reflected in the voice and music of the famous Mangi Bai Arya.
Mangi Bai has allured every one with her melodious rendition of the song ‘Kesariya Balam aavo ni’ but before we move onto Mangi bai and her life journey, I’m absolutely aware of the fact that most of the people wouldn’t know a thing about ‘Maand’. So let’s just start from that.
Source: Patrika
‘Maand’ is a singing style in Rajasthan which is used in Folk songs of the same. It can be said that it is a bit similar to the Thumri and the Ghazal. It is the most sophisticated style of folk music in Rajasthan and has played an exclusive role in the contribution to the classical music of India. This Rajasthani style of singing was originated back in the 10th and 11th century in Maand area of Jaisalmer. Apparently, that is why it is named so. The main instruments used in ‘Maand’ is kamaicha and cymbals.
Now, let’s get back to Mangi Bai Arya. Mangi Bai Arya was born in the Pratapgarh district of Udaipur division. She was born in the family of traditional musicians and inherited her talent from her family itself. Her father Kamal Ram was the one who trained her in rendering the Maand song. In terms of Rajasthan’s traditional music, Mangi Bai Arya is considered to be one of the most accomplished performers. She has remained the ‘A’ graded artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. Mangi Bai was very well known and adored by people from various cities for her famous and appealing rendition of ‘Kesariya Balam Aavo Ni’.
Now that we are talking about her achievements, let me tell you that Mangi bai has been a proud winner of the State Award of Government of Rajasthan in 2007 and also titled as the ‘Maand Gayika’ by the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy in 2008 for her valuable contribution of Maand music in Rajasthan. She has successfully propagated the Rajasthan’s musical culture at not just national levels but international levels too, giving out numerous performances at these platforms which includes Apna Utsav at Mumbai, Mahabharat Utsav at Kurukshetra, and the Maand Samaroh which was organized by the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy.
Source: Amar Ujala
She owns a large number of published recordings and even lent her voice for various television serials and documentaries on the traditional music of Rajasthan. Apart from that, she even has published a book on the same subject whose title is ‘Rajasthan ke Maand Geet’.
Mangi Bai Arya has taught Maand music for twenty years of life at the West Zone Cultural Centre in Udaipur and participated in workshops on traditional music in Kolkata organized by the Marudhara foundation and in Jaipur by the Jawahar Kala Kendra.
For her excellent work in the field of spreading the Rajasthani culture at the national and international level, Mangi Bai has been conferred to the title of ‘Maand Gayika’ by the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academi in 2008. In 2007, she also won the State Award of the Government of Rajasthan’.
On November 23, 2017, Mangi Bai passed away at the age of 88 due to a cardiac attack. She left a happy and healthy family including 4 sons behind her.
We are living in the century where people have forgotten the essence of traditional Rajasthani music or in that matter we have forgotten about our culture. At such times, people like Mangi Bai have carefully preserved these art forms, cultures and traditions of Rajasthan and it is not just limited to that but she actually proliferated Rajasthani culture and tradition in the entire world. Rajasthan and moreover the world needs more people like her.
Did you like the article? Do you have any feedback regarding it? Then share with us in the comment section below or write to me juhee@udaipurblog.com.
‘Take care of your body, it is the only place you have to live’ is a very appropriate quote by Jim Rohn. Our body is something which we should take utmost care of. During this time of modernization and fast life, we often miss the fact that no amount of money can bring to you your health back. And so proper diet and regular exercise are very important for one to keep himself fit and healthy.
Getting the willpower to decide to go to a gym and working out is already difficult and on the top of that, we even have to pay a fortune to these gyms as well which is not always possible for everyone. At such times, there are various open gyms in the city where you can work out and keep yourself fit and that too without paying a single penny. All that you have to pay is hard work and dedicated efforts. Here is a list of places which are equipped with open gyms.
Gulab Bagh
This open gym is situated opposite the shrine near Saraswati Library. Gulab Bagh is a huge garden where you can warm yourself up before the exercise by running and then you can head towards the gym. Gulab Bagh is a place which is very frequently visited by the people of Udaipur for the workout so it is possible that you may get a workout partner there. However, because of the same reason, the gym is a bit crowded during the mornings.
Address: Gulab Bagh, Brahmpuri Road, Udaipur
Pratap Park
Source: MyUdaipurcity
Pratap Park is a newly constructed park which has become a huge tourist attraction in a very short period of time. The main highlight of the park is the enormous ‘I love Udaipur’ before the railing of the garden. It has various gym equipment along with a peaceful and comfortable environment to start your day with. In addition to that, it overlooks the beautiful Lake Pichola which will give you a pleasant sight while working out.
Address: Lake Pichola, Southern Banks, Near Sisarma, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001
Dr. B R Ambedkar Open gym and Park
All machines are self-weight driven here which will give you a wonderful experience. The Open gym and Park overlooks Lake Fatehsagar creating a wonderful sight while working out. Fresh air coming from Lakeside will take away all your tiredness after the workout. There is absolutely no better way to start your mornings. Most of the machines here are core (stomach) based.
Address: Fatehsagar Lake, Rani Road, opposite Rani Village, Udaipur, 313001
Guru Gobind Singh Park
Source: TripAdvisor
At the most adored place of all the Udaipurites, this open-air gym is situated at Guru Gobind Singh Park at Fatehsagar. The gym includes around 8 equipment along with an air walker. This facility is open for citizens of Udaipur throughout the week. It oversees Lake Fatehsagar too and provides a wonderful experience to those who are seeking for a good health without spending much money.
Address: Maharana Pratap Memorial Road, Zinc Park, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001
Pooja Park
For people living in the Hiran Magri sectors, Pooja Park would be an ideal choice as it would not be much far away from their respective houses. It is equipped with multiple gym equipment which is appropriate for people of all ages. Regular maintenance and lush green garden will give you all the motivation you will need for your workout. With time, it is getting quite popular with the people for their morning and evening exercises.
It has a number of machines and equipment for all the people for their morning or evening workout. It is a well maintained and a well-decorated park. The wide stretches of the park is a very comforting place for everyone. Apart from the open gym, there are various comfortable seats placed in the park, temple of Goddess Durga and Lord Swaminarayan. It is appropriate for friends, family or children.
Townhall is situated in the City Center, so it is not much far away from anyone’s home. It is well equipped with a track for your jogging around the fountain and various machines for your daily workout. There is an underground public parking too where you can park your heavy vehicles. It is an ideal place for all the fitness freaks and morning and evening joggers.
These were the list of some open-air gyms in the city. While it seems very good and enjoyable to practice workout in the open air, we should understand that it is a facility given to us for our own benefits. Just for some moments of fun, do not harm any of these machines and equipment as what you do now will make everyone else suffer. Make sure that you respect and take care of the things in your city and use these facilities carefully. If you see someone else doing so, tell him not to do such things and if it doesn’t work out, try contacting some authorities regarding the same.
Do you think someplace is missed in the above list? Share your feedback and suggestions regarding the article in the comment section below. You can also write to me juhee@udaipurblog.com
