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EE News Desk
The holy town of Vrindavan will witness a-first-of-its-kind Divine Music Festival – Vrindavan Prakash Mahotsav aka Samkirtan Mahotsav– from November 17th to 25th, 2015. Spreading the message of peace, love and harmony through the route of spirituality – the week-long festival will feature over 40 different styles of music from across the country and various sacred traditions. The festival will also feature dance and katha alongside musical tribute to the divine. The festival is being organised to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the 16th century monk and reformer Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and seeks to unite different cultures and create an environment of peace and harmony. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is known for his strides to promote the community style devotional worship of Krishna with kirtans. Samkritan- the music fest is a confluence of divine singing from temples across the country to the Shabad in gurudwaras, Sufi songs, Haveli kirtan, Samaj gayan, Dhrupad and Dhamar in temples to Carnatic Classical Samkirtan groups of the South and the very soul of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life, Harinaam Sankirtan. The inaugural event will feature various gifted artistes who are slated to perform at various days of the festival namely: the Halder group with 108 Mridangams, Warsi Brothers, Dhani Singh and party performing Charkula (a dance with multi-wicked lamps), The Manganiyaars from Rajasthan led by Anwar Khan, Padawali group from West Bengal (Suman Bhattacharya with 108 marjiras), Carnatic Vocalist B Suchitra who is a Harikatha exponent and the stunning performer - Parvati Das Baul. Organised by Vrindavan based organisation, Earth Voice, with the support of Kathak Kendra, the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Dharmik Leela Commitee, the festival which has been designed and produced by the Delhi-based Showcraft Productions is set to be a an audio-visual treat. The inaugural event on November 17th will be held on the ghats of Kusum Sarovar in Vrindavan and will feature a calibrated structure on water with a ramp connecting the stage, along with a musical spectacle backed by state of the art technology to make the event unforgettable. Veteran actress and Member Parliament, Hema Malini will be a special guest at the inaugural event along with other dignitaries. Talking about adding a creative visual perspective to a celebration of spirituality, music and our cultural heritage, Lalitt Gattani, CEO, Showcraft Productions and creative director of the festival, says, “The sheer scale of this week-long celebration of faith, music and spirituality would evoke a sense of awe, by enhancing the technical and production quality and level, we at Showcraft wanted to ensure that feel of awe becomes an unforgettable memory for each person attending the Vrindavan Prakash Mahotsav. The event took over 2 months of pre-production preparations and the venues have seen over 200 people working non-stop for a week. The Fogla Ashram where the festival will be held has been decorated with specially designed props, a set of handpicked artistes have been brought in from Delhi to create Rasleela paintings. He adds, “The stage has a dynamic backdrop with vibrant images to complement each performance. We have employed a line array system with multiple hosting points to ensure we get the same decibel levels across the venue. We have extensively used intelligent lighting to highlight the naturally beautiful surrounding while adding to the grandeur of props used.” Daily Schedule of the festival is expected to be: 1008 Shreemad Bhagwal Mool Path: 5am-9am Bal Bhog (Breakfast): 8:30am -9.30am Shreemad Bhagwat Katha in Main Pandal, Fogla Ashram : 9:30am – 11:00am Shree Man Madhawa Gaudeshwar Vaishnavacharya Shree Abhishek Goswami Maharaj: 12pm – 1:00pm Rajbhog (Lunch) : 1:30pm – 2:30pm ChaitanyaLeela at ShreejeeSadan, FoglaAshram : 3:00pm Onwards Samkirtan Mahakumbh in Main Pandal, Fogla Ashram: 6:00pm Onwards Byaru (Dinner): 9:30pm Onwards
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Madison IES, the activation and experential unit of Madison OOH and Madison World created an experiential zone for Cleartrip.com at the Indi bloggers meet to promote its new service “Activities”. The brief given to Madison IES was to create an adventure experience zone that people can indulge in during the meet. A 20 foot wall climbing set up was arranged for bloggers to feel the thrill of rock climbing, along with a Harley Davidson Fat boy model & Kawasaki 650 sports bike as photo op and a mini golf course & segway stole the show. The activities zone became the highlight of the event, with activities defining all types of adventure interests for all age groups. The experience zone, reached out to more than 600 potential customers, who in turn promoted the brand on their blogs & generated social media buzz making it the talk of the town. Says Yougender Bhatia, Assistant Manager Online Marketing, Cleartrip.com, “Great team. Understood the requirements very quickly and ensured all the items were delivered on time. Madison IES also solved few on-ground issues and were agile enough to ensure a seamless execution of the entire event.” Saumen Roy, Vice President & Head, Madison IES, says, “the challenge was to optimize the limited space and create adventure zones where bloggers could also participate”.
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Delhi Photo Festival, a biennial photography festival organized by Nazar Foundation was held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in Delhi from October 30th – 8th November, 2015. Delhi Photo Festival is in the third edition, curated by photographers Prashant Panjiar and Dinesh Khanna under the aegis of the Nazar Foundation. The first two editions of the Delhi Photo Festival were in partnership with the India Habitat Centre and were hosted at the IHC. The third edition’ theme was Aspire. A nine day long DPF included various programs and exhibitions by renowned artists and photographers exhibiting their work, talk shows by leading international and national photo practitioners, seminars & discussions and education outreach programs through various workshops for children. Raghu Rai, a known photographer had exhibited some of his beautiful pictures and launched a book “ India Through The Eye of Raghu Rai” at the festival clicked entirely using Gionee Elife E8. He travelled from Kashmir to Kanyakumari capturing the essence of India through the phone lens. Since Gionee Elife E8 comes with 24-megapixel primary camera on the rear, the whole idea was to bank upon the feature of the phone, by associating with famous photographer and highlighting the features and creating brand awareness about the product. Delhi Photo Festival was the right platform for Gionee to showcase their product. Vibgyor Brand Services organized and executed the exhibition for Gionee. Praveen Kumar, Account Manager at Vibgyor said, “We have been associated with Gionee for very long and have organized and executed many big events for them. Organizing an exhibition for Gionee at DPF exhibiting Raghu Rai photographs was a proud moment for all of us and we hope our association with them goes for long”
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Culinary Communications Pvt. Ltd., an organisation of a young team driven by passion for food, presents the second edition of The Gourmet High Street from 4th to 6th December 2015 at Leisure Valley Park, Gurgaon. The three day food festival is an international platform, exhibiting every aspect of food and help promote Indian cuisine across the globe. The Gourmet High Street food festival promises to celebrate food everywhere, from Chef’s demo to mixology session to chef’s workshop to Gourmet Market, experience all these and more under one roof. Speaking on the concept, Ms Kavneet Sahni says, “At The Gourmet High Street we want to connect consumers directly with the industry leaders and producers, so that they can learn more about food by education, experience and opportunity to purchase direct from its producers.“ The highlights of this gastronomic food festival is will be: 1. Culinary Grind, League Of Extraordinary Chefs - Bringing together some of the finest chefs like Vikas Khanna, Sarah Todd, Gaggan Anand, Manish Malhotra, to name a few from the culinary world to conduct cooking demos 2. The Sipping Turf: An opportunity to discover the art of mixing, serving and devouring drinks. Watch top mixologists and sommeliers talk about the finest international and Indian drinks. 3. The Gourmet Market Place will exhibit fresh and organically produced vegetables to salads homemade jams, sausages, cupcakes, honey, gluten free cakes and biscuits, and many more. New Additions in The Gourmet High Street 2015 this year are: 1-I have it all for Food A new zone for upcoming food entrepreneurs, in India. The Zone is dedicated especially for entrepreneurs who have left their existing occupations to start something in food. 2-Cooking Studio A first of its kind cooking studio to cook along with leading celebrity chefs. Get a chance to learn cooking techniques from the masters in person. 3-War on the Trucks An opportunity to vote for your favourite food truck in Gurgaon at the festival. At the end of the festival a trophy along with a certificate will be presented to the winning truck. 4-By the Fountains Restaurant pop ups showcasing the leading restaurants of India Experience musical performances from leading artist 5-Barbeque Party A place where people can enjoy and learn about various aspects of a Barbecue Party Fact Sheet: Dates: 4th, 5th and 6th December 2015 Venue: Leisure Valley Park (Inside Park Area), Gurgaon Entry: Ticketed (Rs 350 per person single entry; Rs 550 per person for all three days)
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Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, has announced its three-year sponsorship as ‘Presenting Partner’ of the prestigious International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). Founded in 2013, IPTL brings together current champions, tennis legends and upcoming talent in a format that has never been seen before. Created to fulfil the increasing demand for top-level tennis in Asia, it is the first city-based professional tennis league in the world, played with teams in four Asian cities: Dubai, Manila, New Delhi and Singapore. For this years’ second season, the League sees the addition of the charming city of Kobe as the fifth city. The league is scheduled to take place in Kobe, Manila, Delhi, Dubai and Singapore between 2nd – 20th December 2015, and tennis lovers across the world will be able to witness their favourite Grand Slam champions and top-ranked tennis stars from the past and present battle it out in a unique league format. This upcoming season will see the return of tennis superstars like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, while also featuring some new stalwarts in Rafael Nadal and Leander Paes. IPTL has garnered much excitement since its first season and it continues to be popular among fans. The Indian Aces team walked away as the first ever IPTL winners in 2014, but the competition is set to be even more exciting this year with the addition of the Japan Warriors as the fifth team. The team will be led by Japanese sensation, Kei Nishikori, ranked world No. 6 along with other champions such as Leander Paes, Maria Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchova and Marat Safin. Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Hugh Dunleavy said: “It gives us immense pleasure to announce our three-year partnership with the International Premier Tennis League. The overwhelming response the league received last season showcases the interest of Asian tennis fans in the region and the success of this format and the partnership with IPTL reinforces our commitment to be associated with large-scale sports events and sports legends.” Mahesh Bhupathi on behalf of IPTL said: “Qatar Airways has an enviable portfolio of global sports events. We are delighted to have them back on board as our presenting sponsor for three years. They are an award-winning international airline with a clear vision and commitment to sports. We look forward to making this association beneficial to their customers and partners.” The league will kick start in the city of Kobe on the 2nd of December with the grand finale will be witnessed by fans in Singapore on the 20thof December. The five teams – Indian Aces, Japan Warriors, Philippine Mavericks, Singapore Slammers, and UAE Royals – will lock horns with each other in a fiery battle to win the coveted IPTL Champions title along with the prize money of USD 1.5 million.
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Teamwork Arts, an entertainment company in the performing arts space, has recently announced a brand new festival – Shree Cement The Sacred, Pushkar - a festival that inspires and encourages well-being, tranquility and self-discovery through music, yoga and meditation. Shree Cement The Sacred takes place between November 22-24 November, just ahead of Kartik Poornima, and will bring together music, meditation and wellness practices for a uniquely divine experience. The Sacred will feature diverse musical performances including Spanish sacred music ensemble La Grande Chapelle, Grammy-winning Hindustani classical music instrumentalist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, vocalist Shubha Mudgal, popular folk influenced singer Kailesh Kher, Nagara maestro Nathu lal Solanki and Sino-Jewish collaborators Yom and Wang Li. Heritage walks, Guided meditations, Chanting and wellness practices including Kundalini Yoga by Kulbir Singh, son of Yogi Bhajan and Vayu Yoga by Capucine Redon & Suresh Dutt Sharma. Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, says, “At Teamwork Arts, we continue to celebrate the spirit of creative expression and this festival is a manifestation of all things divine that lie within us. From the beautiful and divine host city of Pushkar to the numerous soul stirring performers who’ve joined to collaborate for this experience, Shree Cement The Sacred will be an experience for visitors like never before. We’re grateful to the state of Rajasthan and to our partners Shree Cement who’ve collaborated with us to help us keep this festival a memorable experience for visitors” With a rich and colorful heritage, Rajasthan plays host to some of the most engaging cultural experiences, making it a unique destination for international and national travelers as well as the local populace. This year, just ahead of the auspicious Kartik Poornima, the holy city of Pushkar will host Shree Cement The Sacred where visitors can embark on an ethereal journey into the self through a series of life invigorating experiences, enveloped by music that invokes the sacred within and around oneself. Vasundhara Raje, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan, says, “Rajasthan is playing host to a kaleidoscope of cultural celebration – from the world's largest literature gathering to Coke Studio in Jaipur, making it a not to be missed destination for travelers from India and beyond. This year, the picturesque town of Pushkar, which for long has been a photographer's delight, will host Shree Cement The Sacred – a carnival of music, yoga and meditation with heritage walks and wellness activities interspersed with breathtaking musical performance by devotional artistes and performers. Come, celebrate with us!”
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Currently ranked second in the world, Saina Nehwal is one of India’s biggest sporting icons. She reflects the aspirations of millions of Indians and has a huge following of fans cutting across demographics. That same support, however, is missing when she plays abroad. To capitalize on the same in a unique way, Star Sports is forming the #SainaSquad, she can count on an army of fans cheering her on in Dubai. The ‘Saina Squad’ will play from the stands and support the Badminton prodigy during the tournament. The ubiquitous ensemble will be drive, motivate and cheer the ace shuttler as she will take on the world’s best players in Dubai. Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India said: “Saina Nehwal, with her exceptional performances in the recent past, is the new sporting icon in the country. From reaching the summit of the sport to medals in Olympics and Superseries, Saina has done the country proud. As a broadcaster, we believe in bringing the fans closer to the game and their heroes. Keeping Saina’s growing fanbase in mind, we decided to form an ensemble of fans that will support her during her next international tour. We are confident ‘Saina Squad’ will not only create a platform for her fans but will also help increase the following of the sport.” Saina Nehwal said: “The support I have at home in India is phenomenal and while I do have followers internationally, there’s still a certain buzz that’s missing when I’m playing abroad. I’m always striving to give my best on the court for the nation but having my own army of fans cheering for me in Dubai will definitely give me a massive boost. I would like to thank Star Sports for giving me my own army of fans through ‘Saina Squad’.” ‘Saina Squad’ will be shortlisted after a series of contests and activities on Social media. The first of those contests – featuring 20 cards celebrating Saina’s career achievements – kicked off on November 9. Fans can tweet using the hashtag #SainaFact to get a card. Those who collect all 20 cards will be eligible to be shortlisted. The activity will be followed by a quiz contest, an online treasure hunt, a puzzle featuring Saina’s top moments for fans to solve and a Saina chant competition. Finally, participants will have to answer why they think they are fit to join the ‘Saina Squad’. Activity Timelines: November 9-10 : Saina Factoids November 13-14 : Video Quiz November 16 : Timeline Treasure Hunt November 17-18 : Top Saina Moments November 20-21 : Saina Chant & Cheer November 23-24 : Last stage - Why should you be in the Saina Squad? November 25 : Announcement of the winners
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The UD Group announced that Singapore-listed integrated property developer OUE Limited is the new title sponsor of the Singapore Slammers for a three-year term. The OUE Singapore Slammers, as the team will now be known, are one of the five teams competing in the second edition of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). Singapore will host the final leg of the competition from 18-20 December to determine who will be the league champion for 2015. Dr Stephen Riady, Executive Chairman of OUE Limited, said “OUE is proud to be the new title sponsor of the OUE Singapore Slammers led by World Number 1 Novak Djokovic. As a home grown Singapore company, we are pleased to support the Slammers and bring together current tennis champions, legends and future stars in a highly-entertaining and spectator-friendly format. This year is particularly special as Singapore will be hosting the IPTL 2015 finals for the first time.” “Through our sponsorship of the Singapore Slammers, OUE also hopes to boost the profile of tennis in Singapore, give opportunities for up and coming local players to be inspired and learn as well as continue to do our part to make Singapore a vibrant hub for tennis and sports in the region,” added Dr Riady. Singapore based UD Group owners of the Singapore Slammers, with their premises in OUE Bayfront, are delighted to welcome OUE Limited to the court to be part of this fantastic franchise for a long-term partnership. Chairman Prateek Gupta said, “It is wonderful to confirm the support of OUE Limited today as the title sponsor of our very own OUE Singapore Slammers. “As a Singapore-owned team, having another prominent local company getting behind this venture shows the enthusiasm for top level sport here and also our wider goal of developing tennis from the grassroots through our Junior Slammers programme, through to the faces of our team who will lead by example to inspire the next generation here.” The Singapore Indoor Stadium will be transformed into our #SlammersNation fortress in December and the seven stars - Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, Dustin Brown, Carlos Moya, Marcelo Melo, Karolina Pliskova and Belinda Bencic - will be looking for a strong home support to fight off the challenges of the four other competing teams. Joining the OUE Singapore Slammers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be the UAE Royals, Indian Aces, Philippine Mavericks and Japan Warriors – the newest addition to the season – bringing 35 of the world’s top tennis stars into town for the three-day league climax.
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Dubai Parks and Resorts, one of Middle East’s largest integrated theme park resort, has launched a search for performers for a variety of shows across its parks and at the world’s first Bollywood themed park, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai. Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, in association with Wizcraft, will scout for over 200 performers including dancers, singers, actors and acrobats, when it opens in 2016, for its live entertainment shows and its Bollywood musical. The casting hunt will provide a platform for entertainers to take their talent across borders, allowing them to showcase their talent to the millions of visitors that the park is projected to attract. Dubai Parks and Resorts will also be on the lookout for additional talent required within the destination. Wizcraft International Private Limited will identify some of the most sought after talent among the numerous entries registered online. The shortlisted artists will later be auditioned in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Dubai by a panel of experts. The chosen artists will be signed as performers for the musical as well as be considered for the park’s daily live entertainment shows. Thomas Jellum, General Manager, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai said, “At Bollywood Parks™ Dubai we want to showcase the very best of India through music, dance and culture. We are extremely excited to launch this campaign, which will give the selected performers the opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting destinations in the region.” Situated in Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, the Rajmahal Theatre, home to the spectacular Bollywood musical reflects the exquisiteness of India’s culture and architectural heritage. Envisioned to house one of the most striking Broadway-style themed musicals, the sprawling 60,000-square-foot theatre will feature extravagant Bollywood style music with state-of-the-art LED stage backdrops and spectacular performances. Commenting on the auditions, Viraf Sarkari, Director of Wizcraft, said, “We have never been let down by the talent that emerges from our country. We are extremely happy that Bollywood Parks™ Dubai chose India to kick-start the auditions for the musical. We will ensure that no talent goes unnoticed and will create a power troop of the best to represent India at the first ever Bollywood-themed park in the World.” Dubai Parks and Resorts is set to be the region’s largest integrated theme park destination and Riverland™ Dubai will be at its heart as both the main entrance to the resort and also a connecting point between all three theme parks - motiongate™ Dubai, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, LEGOLAND® Dubai, LEGOLAND® Water Park and the Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian-themed hotel catering to families.
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KidZania the kid's fun, learning and entertainment global indoor theme park has recently announced the RJ Hunt auditions to be held in KidZania Mumbai. KidZania promotes role playing activities, amongst which one of the activities is going live this Children’s Day. Everyday a kid will be shortlisted and the RJ from the radio station will select the final winner who will get a chance to go live on Radio City with RJ Sucharita on Children’s Day Role play a RJ on a radio channel live this Children’s Day only at KidZania Mumbai!!! To participate one can call call 022 3955 3700 or email at info@KidZania.in The audition starts: Nov 6th, 2015 to Nov 11th, 2015 Where: R City Mall, Ghatkopar Workshop Period: 6 days (Friday to Wednesday) Timings: Between 10am to 3pm or 4pm to 9pm
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