This year’s flower exhibition will begin from 25th December and will run for 10 days coming to an end by 3 January 2019. The entire Fatehsagar Pal will be decorated with colorful flowers with which the place will acquire a soothing fragrance.
Source: Twitter
UIT along with other government and non-government bodies have begun the preparation of the exhibition. Both the sides of the pal will be decorated with different species of flowers and will be open for everyone from morning to evening. Apart from watching the beauty of the flowers, citizens will also be able to know about them and Kids coming to the exhibition will be given free flower pots as well.
Flower pots are being prepared with flowers of different species at Saheliyon ki Badi, Gulab Bagh, Rajiv Gandhi Park, etc.
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There have been some such personalities in the ancient people’s life of Rajasthan who have taken their lives for public welfare and became immortal in the form of God. Some of these folk deities have been called as Pir (a holy person). According to a rumor, five are in Rajasthan, whose names are Pabuji, Harbuji, Ramdevji, Goga Ji and Meha Ji.
Pabuji
Source: History & Literature
Lok Devata Pabuji was born in the village of Kolumand near Phalodi in Jodhpur district in samvat 1313 (1239 AD). Pabuji’s marriage was fixed with the daughter of Sodha Rana Surajmal of Amarkot. Veer Pabuji Rathore, while taking the Pheras of his marriage, heard that his brother-in-law, Mr. Jindrao Khichi, was arrogating the Deval Charani’s cow. Upon listening to the kidnapping of cows, he immediately stood up between the Pheras and sacrificed his life while saving the cows.
For the same reason, Pabuji is also called the protector of cows, camels and other animals (God of camels). He is also considered as plague protectors. Moreover, when the animals become ill, a thread of his name is tied to the animal. It is believed that it eliminates the disease of the animal. At some places, Pabuji is considered as the avatar of Laxmanji.
Source: shri1008pabujimaharaj.blogspot
Every year on Chaitra Amavasya a huge fair is conducted at Pabuji’s main temple in the village Kolumand, Jodhpur where devotees come in thousands and offer tribute to them.
Ramdev Ji
There are very few such deities in the country in front of which both Hindu and Muslims shower their faith. Ramdev Ji is one such deity. Ramdev Ji was born Bhadarva Shukla Dooj in Vikram Samvat. 1409 at Ramderiya in Barmer district. It is said that Ramdev Ji had some miraculous powers and that is the reason his fame reached to different parts of the country.
Source: ramdevjirunicha.blogspot
Legends say that five Pirs from Mecca came to test the powers of Ramdev Ji. He invited them to have lunch with him. The pirs said that they only eat in their personal utensils. On hearing about this, Ramdev Ji smiled and said that look your utensils are coming and the pirs saw that their bowls and utensils were coming their way flying in the air. This convinced the Pirs about the powers and abilities and gave the name ‘Rama Shah Peer’ to him. The Pirs were so overwhelmed by his powers that they decided to stay with him and their samadhi is also near the samadhi of Ramdev.
Source: Tour My India
Ramdev is also considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Thus, he has become a center of faith for Hindus as well.
Meha Ji
Meha Ji was born in the 13th century in the village Bapini village of Jodhpur district, Rajasthan. Mehaji was married to Mahecha Mallinath’s daughter. Mehaji had promised a woman to protect her cows, who was her sister by religion. Meha Ji sacrificed his life while saving the cows. A huge fair is conducted every year on the occasion of Janmashtami at Mehasagar Lake near Jodhpur.
Harbuji
Source: gyandarpan
After the demise of his father, Harbuji left the village Bhankale and performed penance in the forest of Chakhu village of Phalodi (north-west of Jodhpur). Here, he met the famous folk god of Rajasthan, Ramdev Tanwar. From then on, Harbuji became the disciple of Ramdev Ji’s teacher, Guru Balnath. Mandor (Marwar’s capital) was captured by Mewar after killing Rathore Rampal. The son of Ranjit Rathod and the founder of Jodhpur, Rao Jodha was struggling in a guerrilla war to liberate Mandor from Mewar. During all this, Rao met Harbuji in the jungle of Jodha. Rao Jodha sought the blessing of success in the battle of his freedom against Mewar from Harbuji. Harbuji blessed him and predicted that his reign will spread from Mewar to Janglu. His predictions came true and Rao Jodha’s heroic descendants ruled till India’s independence.
Gogaji
Veer Gogaji was the ultimate disciple of Gururgorkhnath. He was born in Vikram Samvat 1003 in Dadreva village of Churu district. The birthplace of Siddha Veer Gogadev is located in Dattakhera Dadreva of Churu district of Rajasthan, where people from all religions and sects come from far away to seek blessing from him.
Source: Patrika
Back in his time, Gogadev’s marriage was fixed with Kolmand’s princess, Kelmade. But just before the marriage, Kelmade was bitten by a snake. Gogaji became angry and started chanting his mantras. With the power of his mantra, all the snakes began going towards a pan of hot oil and started dying. On coming to know about the fact, the King of snakes came and apologized to Gogaji and sucked the poison out of Kelmade. This calmed Gogaji.
This is the reason why Gogaji is popular as the ‘protector of snakes’. Even after being a Hindu, he has many Muslim devotees and is chiefly considered to be a Pir who had the power to cure the effects of the poison. Various fairs and celebrations are conducted all around the country to worship Gogaji. These regions include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh. His followers can also be found in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
If you have any feedback regarding the article, share it in the comment section below or write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.
We all have been listening about the Aravalli Range since our childhood. We are very well aware that Udaipur has been surrounded by this gigantic range of mountains. But there still remains some facts that you didn’t know about Aravalli range. But worry not, here in this article we’ll reveal some facts about it that might leave your jaw wide open.
What’s in the name?
The word Aravalli has originated from the Sanskrit language and can be broken down into two ‘Ara’ and ‘Valli’ which literally means the ‘line of peaks’.
Source: wordpress
Length
Wondering what’s the length of this enormously large mountain range is? It extends to a whopping length of 692 km spreading across four states of India which are Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi.
How old is the Aravalli Range?
Geologists say that the mountain range is as old as 350 million years which is like older than the Himalayan Range. Thus making it the oldest range of fold Mountains in India.
Source: Outlook India
The highest peak of the Aravalli range
The highest peak of the 692 km long Aravalli Range is in Mount Abu which is at a distance of 160 km from Udaipur. The place is known as Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu with an altitude of 5650 feet.
Wondered why Rajasthan has so many Marble companies?
The reason why Rajasthan has so many Marble companies is that the Aravalli Range is rich in minerals such as Marble, Granite, and Sandstone. Apart from that, it also produces commercially viable quantities of minerals such as rock phosphate, lead-zinc-silver mineral deposits at Zawar, etc.
Source: ramana-studypoint.blogspot
The barrier ‘Aravalli’
The Aravalli range in Rajasthan acts as a barrier between the Thar Desert and the eastern Rajasthan. So as to prevent the Desert from spreading to the eastern parts of the Rajasthan where one of the city is Udaipur. Thanks to the Aravalli range that Udaipur witnesses such pleasant weather throughout the year.
Different names
It is known by different names in different regions. For example, in Udaipur, it is known by the name ‘Jagga Pahariyan’, ‘Hills of Harshnath’ is the name in Alwar and in Delhi, it is known as ‘Paharia of Delhi’.
Houses several herbs, animals, and birds
Many medical herbs are derived from the Aravalli range such as Guggal, Moosli, Amla, and Khadaya can be found in the forests of Khair, Salai, Khakhara, Timru, and Modad. Numerous animals like fox, Indian pangolin, porcupine, star tortoise, blue bull, leopard, Indian civet, sloth bear, striped hyena and many venomous & non-venomous species of reptiles and birds like white-backed vultures, spoonbills, black vultures, osprey, and storks can be found on the hills of Aravalli range.
Source: Down To Earth
Rivers from the Aravalli Range
Aravalli range gives rise to a number of Rivers in which Luni, Sakhi, Banas, Sabarmati, and Sahibi are the prominent ones.
80% Aravalli Range is in Rajasthan
80% of the mountain range is in Rajasthan. Moreover, it also divides Rajasthan from North to South in two parts.
It is also said that the range will diminish in near future but there’s no authentic source to it. But one thing is for sure, Aravalli has played a huge role in adding to the beauty of our city and there’s no denying to this fact.
Amazed weren’t you?
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Udaipur is undoubtedly a fascinating destination for all the travelers. But before traveling to the city, there are several questions which are raised in the mind of a tourist like what would be the weather in the city? Would it be too cold? What all places can be covered and at what time? What are the winter specialties of the city? And so on.
If you are also one of these travelers, then this article is entirely for you. The article answers all the questions that come in the mind of a traveler before coming to the city in the winter season. Read along to unveil all of them.
Source: traveltriangle
Is the weather too cold in Udaipur? And how many winter wears should be packed for the trip?
The average temperature during the daytime is 23°C while during the nighttime, it drops down to a temperature as low as 12°C by the time the clock strikes 11 pm. However, the weather is quite pleasant for one to explore the city. Usual winter wears can be packed for the trip including sweaters, coats, and sweats. Nothing extraordinarily thick is required.
Ideal places that should be covered in the winter trip and its timings.
The ideal time to explore Udaipur during winters would be between 10 am to 9 pm. After that, it will be a bit cold out there. There are several places that look mind blowing during the winter times and since these places are situated on a height, the view from there is breathtaking. These places include forts like Sajjangarh Fort and Kumbhalgarh Fort and the stunning Lakes of the city such as Lake Fatehsagar, Lake Dudhtalai, Lake Pichola, etc.
Click here to read about the entire itinerary of Udaipur.
Source: Holidify
How many days are enough to explore the Udaipur city?
This question can be a bit tricky. Before exploring the answer to the question, it is important for you to decide what you are actually willing to explore. Confused? Well, let me get it straight to you. The main city of Udaipur which includes the City Palace, Old city, major Lakes and gardens will take a time period of approx 1-2 days only. Apart from that, if you are willing to roam around the outskirts as well such as Ubeshwar Ji, Lake Badi, Peepliya Ji, etc., the time period will increase to 2-3 days.
Source: shoesonloose
What other places can I explore while on my trip to Udaipur?
Not just Udaipur but even the places which surround it are beautiful. There are several places around Udaipur which can be covered while you are on your trip to Udaipur. These places include Mount Abu, Nathdwara, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh, Haldighati, etc. Click here to know about all these places.
What are the must-have winter delicacies of Udaipur?
Rajasthan is very well known for its mouth-watering cuisine which includes the very famous Dal Baati. Apart from that, there are various other winter special delicacies of Mewar. Click here to know about these delicacies of Udaipur and where to find it.
Source: Archana’s Kitchen
What places are ideal for shopping during winters?
There are various shopping markets and malls here in Udaipur which one can opt for his shopping spree. But if you are planning to visit Udaipur in the month of December, then one must-visit place would be Shilpgram Utsav. This cultural fiesta involves a vibrant bazaar which contains a variety of traditional wear and accessories. On every evening of this 10-day long festival, cultural performances are held.
Apart from that, you can also visit the famous Tibetan market at Samor Bagh. Here, you can find a variety of winter attires, accessories and some food to relish too.
The time to experience the beauty of Udaipur is now.
Happy Journey!
Do you have any other question lingering in the back of your head? Share it with the comment section below or write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.
Badnore Fort is a strikingly magnificent fort situated in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. At a distance of approx. 180 km from Udaipur, the fort makes one of the best vacation getaways from Udaipur.
Architecture of the Badnore Fort
Located on Bhilwara-Asind Road, Badnore Fort is a huge seven storied Fort standing magnificently atop a small hill which allows it to provide a widespread and stunning view from the fort. The architecture of the Fort reflects that of the splendid traditional Rajputana style as well.
Picture by: Deependra Shekhawat
Although the fort is in a state of decay presently, it represents the majesty and architectural glory of erstwhile Rajput rulers of Rajasthan. The fort has been strategically constructed as it has provided defense to the rulers back then and has also served as a mute witness to a lot of dissension in its earlier days.
The fort is strategically placed near a Lake which doesn’t just gives an awe-striking view but has also blocked invaders to attack easily from one side. The Lake water was the major source of water for the occupants of the fort.
Inside the Fort
To enter the fort, one has to go through the huge Gateway which is rightfully known as the Bada Darwaza. Two temples can be spotted at the entrance of the fort. As you go further, you’ll find a prison with separate cells along with numerous stables.
Picture by: Rajdeep singh1
Apart from that, the fort has many rooms which are spread across different levels and each room has a small window. These windows were not constructed just for decoration but they were mostly used to aim at the invaders and shoot at them. It provided the stability to the people to focus and attack. While some of them used the protruding balconies for the same.
Picture by: Rajdeep Singh
There is a Palace near the fort named as Jalmahal Palace which is built on the banks of Vinodsagar Lake. This palace was served as the summer house for the kingly residents of the fort.
While you are at the fort, there are multiple places that you can plan from the fort some of which are:
Chamunda Devi temple –Chamunda Devi temple or Chamunda Mata temple is situated on the hills of Harni Mahadev. It is said that the ancient temple grants wish from all her devotees who wish from a clean heart. Apart from that, one can get a spectacular view of the entire from up above the hill.
Kushalamata temple –the construction of Kushalmata temple was done by Rana Kumbha when he won the war of Badnor/Bairath war back in 1457 AD. The temple offers peace and serenity to any of its visitors. Thus, making it a must-visit site from the fort.
Apart from that, there is also an ancient Jain temple near the fort which houses the statues of 12 Tirthankars of Jain.
Picture by: carrentalinajmer
How to reach Badnore fort
By Air – The nearest airports from the Badnore Fort is at Udaipur, at a distance of 190 km.
By Rail – The nearest Railway station is at the small town Beawar located right adjacent to Badnore.
By Road – Badnore Fort is easily accessible by the Road from the major destinations within Rajasthan. The Fort is located near the National Highway that connects the cities of Jaipur and Udaipur.
Do you have any feedback regarding the article? Share it in the comment section below or if you have any suggestions write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.
At a distance of around 12 km from Udaipur rests a Hill named Bahubali near Badi Lake. Badi Lake has always been a center of attraction amongst all the Udaipurites and Bahubali Hill simply adds up to the beauty as it provides a spot to all the wanderers to adore the magnificence of the Lake and the Aravali Hills surrounding the place.
The place was recently discovered by a bunch of Udaipurites and gradually it got very famous between the youngsters of the city and the travelers. It is popular with some other names as well such as Badi Hill amongst the citizens as it doesn’t have a defined name for the time being. It is said that the name Bahubali Hill was suggested by a Google user as he found it similar to the one in the Bollywood movie Bahubali.
What to expect at Bahubali Hill?
Bahubali Hill is situated some 1 km ahead of Badi Lake Pal towards the Silence Resort. To reach the top of the hill, a climb for some 10-15 minutes is needed. Unlike earlier, now a rough parking space is available there too for your two and four wheeler vehicles where a bunch of local villagers takes care of your vehicles against 10 Rupees.
Photo by: Khushwant Chouhan
Few tea stalls have been opened there recently where items such as chips, tea, water bottle, Maggi, etc. are available. It would be a bit expensive up there as compared to the city so it is preferred to carry your snacks and water bottle with yourself. Also, it is advisable to dispose the wrappers and empty bottles in the dustbin wherever it is available.
Best time to visit Bahubali Hill
You can witness an exceptional Sunrise and a Sunset from the hill. The Hill is situated in a forest area and there are no proper street lights, so it is not advisable to go there after it gets dark.
Source: On a Cheap Trip
Bahubali Hill is an ideal place for the photographers and the selfie lovers as it’s quite a photogenic place and one can get a bunch of stunning pictures there. But while clicking the pictures, one needs to be careful because there are no fences which create a risk of falling or getting hurt.
How to reach Bahubali Hill
Recent Controversies related to Bahubali Hill
Photo by: Ayush Devpura
In the month of June, a group of people spray painted the rocks of the hill disturbing the beauty of the place. The photos of the spoiled rock got viral on the Instagram within a day. A couple of days later, a bunch of youngsters from the city took the initiative to clean the paint off the rocks. In around two hours of hard work in the simmering heat of June, the group successfully cleaned the rocks giving a strong message to all the defaulters of the city to keep the beauty of the nature intact.
Did you visit the place yet? Share your experience with us in the comment section below or write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.
Udaipur is all soaked up in the colors of big fat royal weddings this season. The much-hyped pre-wedding celebration of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal is on the tongue of every Indian. And if we get any time to think about something else, it is just going to be the wedding celebration of Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra and the stunning Nick Jonas which took place in Jodhpur. But do you know who is behind the mind-boggling audio and lighting setup of these wedding celebrations?
The company which is behind the astonishing setup of these grand weddings is MEGA SOUND from Udaipur.
Mega Sound
Mega sound was established in the year 1997. From the past many years, it has provided sound and light setups for prestigious shows, live concerts, corporate events, fashion shows, and extravagant big fat weddings. Based in Udaipur and Ahmedabad, the company has been taking responsibilities of many notable and grand events some of which are the recent Isha-Anand and Priyanka-Nick’s wedding event.
Beyonce performing in Isha-Anand Pre-wedding celebration
“Mega Sound took the entire responsibility for sound and light set up of both of these high profile weddings which were a huge task in itself because of the high profile guest list and challenging schedule as well as technicalities. Isha-Anand wedding celebration witnessed many national and international artists including Beyonce. The challenge was to deliver a phenomenal sound quality that can satisfy the international clients within given the short time duration.” said Mr. Siddharth Chouhan, Managing Director of Mega Sound.
Mr. Vishrut V Joshi, Chief Audio Designer of Mega Sound took the entire responsibility of managing both the event with perfection.
Top view of City Palace
He says “We designed the entire audio setup for artists like Beyonce and Nick Jonas. Honestly, it was tough. Since Beyonce is a brand in herself and we had to be very precise with her requirements. Her team was very particular about the sound settings and why wouldn’t they be. Her Audio designer Aroon Voortman had worked in festivals such as
Tomorrowland. With all the challenging audio designing, in the end, they were satisfied with our design and work. We covered the entire city palace complex with the sonic sound quality and delivered uniform sound throughout the venue.”
What all equipment was needed in these grand setups?
We deployed around 90 speakers throughout the City Palace with long audio feeds to give an exceptional sound to all the guests. All the equipment was unmistakably backed up in case the main power fails.
The main Speaker for Beyonce was 4 Rigs of L-Acoustics K2 system with KS28 Subs with Kara as Downfill and front fills, Arcs II was used for extreme outfills to fill up the gaps. All system was driven by L-Acoustics LA12X Amplification.
Apart from that, somewhere around 50+ DPA and AKG microphones were used for the symphony orchestra. Rajesh Kumawat, the stage technical engineer was responsible for the placement of microphone for dedicated instruments and Mr. Vanshaj Sharma took the entire responsibility of mix the Symphony orchestra on DiGICO Desk.
Setup by Team Beyonce
The Sound of after party at Zenana Mahal was managed by Ranjit Singh Rathore and our Light Designer Mr. Vinay Sharma from Ananta Stagecraft who was responsible for giving a blasting musical and lighting experience to the guests. The after party was planned in Zenana Mahal with Bollywood singers such as Sukhbir Singh and DJ Aman Nagpal. The after party was a challenge as the venue was completely packed. Here, Ranjit deployed the distributed system with main hangs of L-Acoustics K2 and distributed fills. The center place was covered by a speaker to give a feeling that of a nightclub. The center part was a bit tough as the stage was too low to it and was fired from sides with measured height, and was successfully achieved with 110 DB level over the entire Zenana Mahal and made everyone groove till the morning light.
About the owner
Mr. Siddharth Chauhan, director of Mega Sound, found his passion for sound in 1997 with the limited inventory and small shows. He believes in teamwork and keeps his faith in his staff members and motivates them regularly to achieve the best. His belief, continuous efforts, integrity, hard work and commitments helped Mega Sound to reach the zenith of success.
Mr. Siddharth Chouhan
He is the MAN OF WORDS who strongly believe in business ethics and deliver the best quality to clients, the man who is an unstoppable optimist.
The team member of MEGA SOUND denotes him as “HEART OF COMPANY & MR. PERFECTIONIST”
Vishrut V Joshi – Who chose a road less taken
Vishrut V Joshi is the Chief audio system designer and mix engineer. He says “since childhood, I had less interest in studies. And as I grew, I felt unhappy with the direction I was going towards and so, I chose the field that makes me happy and found passion in a field which is not even known by several people. My boss, who is known as Mr. Perfectionist became my Leader & Mentor and I decided to work hard and drag my potential & energy to match the level of perfection with him (Mr. Siddharth Chauhan). My sole goal became to make him feel proud & to achieve international recognition of Mega Sound. I’ve been into this field from past 8 Years and worked with major Bollywood and Hollywood artist such as Beyonce, Ellie Goulding, Hardwell and shows like FILMFARE, IIFA, Sunburn, Coke Studio, AR Rehman and so on.
Audio is a very important part of an event, and so every day, every event is a new challenge. Sometimes, it takes sleepless nights and 24×7 working duration but it was only my passion that kept me going and overcome every challenge that came in my way. I love to be called as #SOUNDGUYVISHRUT because Sound is something that means everything to me.”
Ranjit Singh Rathore (system mix engineer)
Working with MEGA SOUND for more than 11 years, with his hard work and an instinct to learn every day made him the brilliant sound engineer he is today.
Ranjit Singh Rathore is the backbone of MEGA SOUND and contributed in nearly all the major shows till date.
Mega Sound Team
Audio director – Siddharth Chouhan
Chief audio designer – Vishrut V Joshi
System Engineer – Ranjit Singh Rathore
Chief stage patching engineer – Rajesh Kumawat
Stage Patching engineer – Anu Aiman
Assistant engineer – Virender Solanki
Rigging engineer – Krishna Biswal
Assistant stage engineer – Ajay Vyas
Assistant engineer – Devender Jethi & Ravi Singh Rathore
Assistant stage engineer – Rahul Makwana
“We believe in Kaizen concept where we work for continuous improvement to provide best quality service.”
The first edition of the book ‘100 Change Makers’ was launched in Labh Garh Palace Resort, Udaipur in joint collaboration with M Square Publication and Media Print Dainik Bhaskar. Former State higher education minister and newly elected MLA of Rajsamand Mrs. Kiran Maheshwari, Chairman of DPS Govind Agarwal, Industrialist & CMD of Labh Garh Palace Resort, Gurpreet Singh Soni, CEO of M square Mukesh Madhwani, partner Dinesh Gothwal, Tarika Bhanupratap Singh Dhabhai, Daily Bhaskar’s News Editor, Sarvesh Sharma and General Manager Satish Bharadwaj jointly launched the book.
While addressing the function Kiran Maheshwari said that the book involves experienced people along with the young minds have set an example to the youth.
While on the other hand, Govind Agarwal said that there are many other experienced people in the society whom we do not know but the author has set an example in the society by addressing such people in the book. The team truly inspires all of us. Gurpreet Singh Soni said that M Square Publication has taken the first step towards success by publishing this category of book.
General Manager of Dainik Bhaskar, Satish Bharadwaj said that Dainik Bhaskar has made changes in his newspaper according to the demand of the people since the beginning and due to the same changes, it became the voice of the public.
Interviews of 51 people have been recorded in the book which includes that of Akshay Jain, Anup Kumar Jhambani, CEO of Ashoka Groups Mukesh Madhwani, Bhanupratap Singh Dhaibhai, Brahmaji Guwalani, Claire Abrams, Dinesh Kothari, Dolly Taldar, Dr. A.N. Mathur, Dr. Gaurav Yadav, Dr. Narendra Dhing, Dr. Nirmal Kunawat, Dr. O.P. Mahatma, Dr. Seema Singh, Dr. Sunil Jangid, Dr. Sweety Chhabra, Dr. Virendra Kumar Mahatma, Dr. Yashwant Singh Kothari, Gopal Agrawal, Gurpreet Singh Soni.
Meanwhile, Hansraj Choudhary, Hasan Aftab Paliwal, Hukamraj Jain, Jagdish Bajaj, Jatin Nagori, Jeevika Gothwal, Khalil Agwani, Kishan Singh Rajput, Krishna Pal Singh Chundawat, Kunal Bagla, Kunal Singh Yadav, Leena Sharma, Mahendra Jain, Mukesh Khubchandani, N.L. Khetan, Nirmal Kumar Singhvi, Nirmala Soni, Prem Menaria, Pushpendra Parmar, Rajendra Prasad Gupta, Rajesh Chug, Renshi Raj Kumar Menaria, Sanjit Chohan, Rohit Gopal Bhaiya, Shyam B. Gupta, Sister Damian, Sushil Kumar Banthia, Uddhav Podhar, Vikas Joshi and Vimal Sangeeta Dharwere were felicitated with an uparna and mementos.
Rakesh Sen of Kamal Digi studio, RJ Sim from 94.3 My FM, Sanjit Chauhan, Ashok Mathur, Sayed Ashraf, Mukesh Chaudhry of Chaudhary Offset Pvt., Rakesh Sharma, Neha Paliwal, Jyoti Bhandari, Lakshmi, Bhave were honored with a memento for their valuable contribution in publishing the book.
Presentation of colorful cultural events comprises Jagar Chaturvedi and Khusi Chhabra songs in the melodious voice & MM Ali Group’s musical Rajasthani songs and dances. Initially, Dinesh Gothwal welcomed the guests and narrated the entire journey from the beginning.
Our city – Udaipur is completely filled with beauty in and out. And this beauty is not reflected in just its history, culture and its places, but also in its people. There are some gem of the people belonging from Udaipur who, with their hard work and success, have not just made the city but the entire nation proud.
But sadly, with time we tend to forget the accomplishment of such people of the city. The series ‘People from Udaipur you should know about’tends to glorify the journey of these famous and triumphant people from Udaipur who have become an epitome of success in their lives.
Devi Lal Samar
Devilal Samar was born on 30th July 1911 in an Oswal family of Udaipur. He had a great interest in dance, theatre, puppetry and all the folk art forms of Rajasthan. For 10 years, he was a music, dance, and language teacher in Vidhya Bhawan school of Udaipur. After teaching in the school, he used to go to the nearby villages and spend his day amidst the artists residing there.
Folk dance and local art forms weren’t given much respect back then. The people who had acquired the art used to feel inferior of themselves. These people belonged to the lower castes and untouchables. Devilal wanted to build a platform for all such people who can showcase their talent and get respect and livelihood against it.
At the age of 42, he left his teaching profession and decided to spend his life in promoting the folk and local art forms. He determined to establish one organization that will give a boost to these abandoned people and their art forms. In the year 1952, he established Lok Kala Mandal in Udaipur.
Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal
But his mission wasn’t accomplished yet. He made a list of all the renowned artists from nearby places who were not given the respect they deserved, collected them at one place, appealed to the government to provide them lands to live and conducted many functions and events that helped all these artists to live a life of respect with their heads held high. This act of him helped many such people to get jobs in radio, Television shows, theatre and even in education.
Beginning of Puppetry
During one of his tours in Rajasthan, he found an old man who had mortgaged his puppets to a businessman. With one puppet remaining with himself, he was begging on the street trying to entertain the wayfarer. It hurt Devi Lal to look at artists in such conditions. He gave 40 rupees from his pocket (back in that time) to the old man so that he can release all his puppets. It struck his mind that this art form needs Kala Mandal’s attention. From then on, Puppet shows and puppetry became a major part of Lok Kala Mandal. He also began the first puppet festival in the year 1952. Today, there’s a separate puppet theatre in Lok Kala Mandal where puppet shows are conducted at regular intervals.
Achievements and Notable Works
In the year 1968, Devilal Samar was awarded the civilian award ‘Padmashree’ for his excellent work in the field of art and culture by Indian Government.
The state government made him the director of Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi in the year 1967.
In the year 1969, he was awarded the title of ‘Loknatyashree’ at Kalidas Akademi in Ujjain.
In his lifetime, he has published several Rajasthani theatre, puppetry and art books in Hindi some of which are Bhartiya Loknrtiya, Antarman, Lokrang, Rajasthan ka Lok Sangeet, Rajasthani Loknatya, Rajasthan ke Rawal, etc.
He established folk-theatre museum Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal which escalated the importance of folk art and culture of Rajasthan.
Devilal has dedicated all his life to folk art, dance, music, folk drama, puppet and to give a life of respect to all the artists in the society.
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Swasth Bharat Yatra is a pan India cycle rally which is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March and Salt Satyagraha of 1930. The concept of the rally is that just like Mahatma Gandhi led the nation towards freedom from colonial rule, this yatra would also lead the nation towards being free from diseases by cascading the message of Eat Right India to every corner of the country.
Source: Deskgram
The rally comes under the ‘Eat right India’ movement which has been launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The main idea behind the rally is to raise awareness about ‘Eat right India – it safe, and Healthy and fortified food’.
This rally will reach Udaipur on 16th December and on 17th December it will function as a rally to make the people aware of healthy and balanced food to the people. The rally will begin from 9 am 17th December from Townhall where commoners and local people can get involved in the rally as well. From Townhall, the rally will reach Gandhi ground campus after passing through the activation point at Delhigate.
The program at Gandhi Ground will include cultural performances by Meera Girls College and Pacific Medical College, yoga performances would be given by NCC Cadets and Nehru Yuva Kendra will contribute in the Cyclothone.
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