R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

Regional potpourri
In(n) the spotlight
Hail Haryana artistes
Different strokes

PUNJAB

Two teachers honoured: The Lions Club, City Smile, Banga, organised a function at Banga on Sunday. Mr Iqbal Singh, regional chairman, presided. Two teachers – Mr. Mohan Lal ( Principal Govt. Senior Secondary School, Banga), Ms. Surinder Tah( Principal, Pt. Reetha Ram Tah Kanya Vidhyalaya, Banga) andMr. Malkiat Singh Bhamra, president, Municipal Council, Banga, Mr. Davinder Kaura, a social worker, were also honoured. The Club also provided financial assistance to a needy girl for pursuing her higher studies. Mr. Baldev Nayyar spoke on moral values.

CHANDIGARH

Dental camp: About 150 persons were examined at a free dental check-up camp organised by Madan Dental Clinic at Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Sector 7, here on Sunday. A team of doctors comprising Dr Chakshu Madan and Dr Mrs Neha Madan educated the patients about oral health and various other dental diseases.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

In(n) the spotlight

INN-side outside: A view of the inn located at Doraha that has become a popular tourist spot after it featured in the film ‘Rang De Basanti’.

Even as ‘Rang De Basanti’ basks in the limelight after being nominated for the Oscars this season, it has inadvertently turned the spotlight on a historical inn located behind Gurdwara Manji Sahib at Doraha in Punjab.

The film’s success has saved the inn from falling into complete oblivion. This forgotten but imposing structure, which featured in the movie, is virtually in ruins. Only a boundary wall has survived the ravages of time.

But of late, it has become a popular stopover for passersby, especially youngsters who urge their parents to halt there for a closer look at the structure.

It has also emerged as a favourite shooting site for filmmakers and ad makers, who now keep making trips to the inn from time to time.

Built by Sher Shah Suri, who got several such structures constructed along the G.T. Road, the inn was meant to be a place of rest for travellers.

It has been the cause of a dispute between the government and a family of the village. It is now in the possession of this family, which claims that it has won ownership rights from a local court.

“Now, a number of filmmakers are coming to shoot a film with the inn in the backdrop. Earlier, it was a cumbersome process to get clearance from the Conservation and Archaeology Department, but now permission is given more easily. At least, this way the site can be preserved for posterity,” says Amarinder Singh, a villager.

Hail Haryana artistes

A programme to honour artistes was held at Hisar recently to mark Haryana Day.

Folk artistes, who play a key role in propagating a region’s culture, often rue the lack of facilities and appreciation from the government. However, Haryana’s Department of Public Relations and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Nehru Yuva Kendra, did its bit to change this perception by recognising the contribution of nearly 60 Haryanvi folk artistes at a function recently.

It thus came as a pleasant surprise for these folk artistes from Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Bhiwani and Jind districts, to be honoured at this division-level function organised at Hisar.

The felicitated artistes included Amichand Jogi, Jhaman Lal, Kundan Lal and V.M.Bechain from Bhiwani; Shobha Ram, Sube Singh and Mange Ram from Fatehabad; Maman Khan, Baru Ram, Shish Ram and Madhu Sharma from Hisar; and Kanshi Ram, Hari Ram, Suman Sharma and Pawan Kumar of Sirsa.

Various Haryanavi folk arts were showcased at the colourful cultural programme. The show, held to mark Haryana Day (November 1), had been conceptualised by the former Divisional Commissioner of Hisar, R.R.Fuliya, who is now the Secretary, Environment.

Earlier in the day, a state-level mini-marathon on the theme, “Proud of being an Indian, Proud of being a Haryanavi,” was also organised. The Hisar Deputy Commissioner, Phateh Singh Dagar, was the chief guest.

Folk art forms had a deep and pervasive impact on the people’s psyche, hence they could be an effective tool of social change, he said.

Different strokes

Digital dreams: Ludhiana-based Swaranjit Savi (inset) combines his skill for wielding the brush and the lens in this digital painting.

It can best be described as a convergence of his passion for painting and photography achieved with the aid of technology.

For, 49-year-old Ludhiana-based Swaranjit Savi’s recent exhibition showcased an innovative form of art— digital painting.

A poet, painter and publisher, Savi got the inspiration to experiment with digital photography from a tree outside his home. “This concept is affordable and very fresh. It possesses you as much as any other art form does. By using technology to portray feelings and ideas, I have been able to combine my passion for painting and photography,” he explains.

The exhibition was held in New Delhi, where his concept was appreciated by none other than former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, who described it as a “beautiful expression of art by using computers.”

Savi got recognition more than 15 years ago, for his books ‘Avagya’, ‘Dard Pyadey Hon Da’ and ‘Dehinaad’. This was followed by a shot at painting, that included works like ‘Desire’ which focussed on the man-woman relationship, ‘Quest’ based on women’s empowerment, and ‘Kaameshwri’, a bold portrayal of desires that brought a controversy along with the accolades.

He also runs a publishing and designing house. To a query about having his fingers in too many pies, he replies: “They all complement each other, making me self-reliant.”

Savi, whose poems are also being translated into different languages, is now focusing all his attention on his work of digital photography, ‘Frames Within.’ “I am trying to study an object from varied angles. Let’s see what comes out of it,” he signs off.

Contributed by Jupinderjit Singh, Sunit Dhawan and Shveta Pathak