National Film Archive of India

  

 National Film Archive of India (NFAI) was established in February 1964, as a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the Government of India. Its objective is to acquire, preserve and restore the rich heritage of national cinema, and the cream of international cinema. The archive has made significant progress in the preservation of films, audio and video material, documentation, research and dissemination of film culture in India. The archive functions as the main repository for Indian and foreign research workers for viewing film classics, relating to their research projects.

History of National Film Archive of India
The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) was founded in 1964 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as a subsidiary of the Film [and Television] Institute of India. This essay narrativizes the halting bureaucratic processes through which the NFAI was set up. It traces the genesis of the idea to the Film Enquiry Committee Report, its growth through the Film Society Movement, and its actualization as part of the post independence institution building initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru. It describes the roles played by a network of individuals, including Indira Gandhi, Marie Seton, Kishan Lal Khandpur, Paramesh Krishnan Nair, and Ernest Lindgren, working from both within and outside Indian bureaucracy, who were instrumental in the NFAI's founding and affiliation with the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).

Activity of National Film Archive of India
NFAI is a member of the International Federation of Film Archives, since May, 1969 which enables it to receive expert advice and material on preservation techniques, documentation, bibliographies etc. and to exchange rare films with other such archives under the archival exchange programme. The Archive maintains a distribution library of 16 mm films (Indian and Foreign) which are loaned to film societies and others for non - commercial study screenings. NFAI in collaboration with Film and Television Institute in India (FTII) conduct an Annual Film Appreciation Course. Film buffs, teachers, researchers, students and journalists join this course to learn about cinema and its vital cultural role. Developed from scratch by P. K. Nair, NFAI's activities relating to dissemination of film culture are manifold. Its Distribution Library has about 25 active members throughout the country and it also organizes joint screening programmes on weekly, fortnightly and monthly basis in six important centers. It has over 10,000 films, over 10,000 books, over 10,000 film scripts, and over 50,000 photographs.

Another important programme is the film teaching scheme comprising long and short term Film Appreciation courses conducted in collaboration with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and other educational and cultural institutions. At the International level, NFAI supplied several Indian classics for major screening programmes. The NFAI's archive keeps a stock of films, video cassettes, DVDs, books, posters, stills, press clippings, slides, audio CDs, and disc records of Indian cinema dating back to the 1910s.

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Branches of Ayurveda

  

Ayurveda is the ‘Science of Life and Longevity’. Practised since the pre-Vedic period, Ayurveda in India is indeed one of the well recognised traditional systems of medicine emphasizing the divine use of mind, body and the spirit in the prevention and curing of ailments. Quite ideally therefore Ayurveda as a holistic treatment procedure maintains a definite relationship between the metaphysical state and the illness of an individual. There are eight branches of Ayurveda known as the ‘Asthanga Ayurveda’. With support of these eight branches, Ayurveda promises a healthy living during the entire life span whilst combining the body, mind and spirit with that metaphysical cord of "ayus"(life) and "veda"(knowledge).

Precisely, the eight branches of Ayurveda or Asthanga Ayurveda deals with the measures that are considered as the required elements for living a healthy life whilst striking the balance and harmony within human existence. The eight branches of Ayurveda treat internal and external ailments in every possible way as well as maintain a healthy body throughout life.

The eight branches of Ayurveda have been categorised as:

1. Kayachikitsa i.e. general medicine;
2. Shalya Tantra i.e. major surgery;
3. Shalakya Tantra i.e. ear, nose, throat, eye, and mouth related diseases;
4. Bhuta Vidya i.e. psychiatry;
5. Bala Tantra i.e. obstetrics, Gynaecology, and paediatrics;
6. Agada Tantra i.e. toxicology;
7. Rasayana Tantra i.e. rejuvenation; and
8. Vajikarana Tantra i.e. aphrodisiacs with their sheer science and mysticism strikes the balance from abstract transcendental values to concrete physiological expressions.

Kayachikitsa: The first branch of Ayurveda, Kayachikitsa targets the entire body and not just the ailing portion. This branch of treatment incorporates change in food habits, change in clothing, change in housing to suit the seasonal cycles and an overall change in lifestyle.

Shalya Tantra: The surgical methods, which were initiated by the Ayurvedic sages in ancient India, are collectively known by the name of Shalya Tantra and are indeed one of the important branches of the Asthanga Ayurveda. The word literally signifies the elimination of irritating factors from the human body.

Shalakya Tantra: Shalakya Tantra deals with the treatment of diseases located above the neck. This branch amongst the Asthanga Ayurveda is concerned with the causes, diagnosis, prophylactic measures and the curative procedures of the diseases of the head, ear, nose, eye and throat. Different methods are available for the treatment of these problems. The treatment is mainly done by using Shalaka, which means a rod or a probe, a technique which has given Shalakya Tantra its name.

Agada Tantra: Another important branch of Ayurveda is named as Agada Tantra. This offers detailed information about the non- animal and animal poisons and the methods of elimination of these poisons from the human body. It particularly advocates different antidotes for materials which are poisonous to the human body.

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Beaches of Lakshadweep

  

Beaches of Lakshadweep Islands offer splendid blue waters where one can enjoy the water sports, adventure and thrill. The beaches are the perfect place to have a holiday. A travel to the beaches of Lakshadweep Islands will make one spellbound for its leisure activities. The vast expanses of emerald coloured islands at Lakshadweep Islands are studded in the blue water of the Arabian Sea that unfolds another world in itself.

Kavaratti Beach
Kavaratti is the capital city of Lakshadeep Islands. It is known as headquarter of Lakshadeep, Kavaratti is beautiful calm lagoon. The beach in Kavaratti offers the adventure tourism and the leisure tourism.

Kalpeni Island Beach
Kalpeni Beach is known for its scenic beauty with the small islets called Tilakkam and Pitti. Kalpeni Islands offers a country boat ride which is the cynosure of the place.

Minicoy Beach
Minicoy has a crescent shaped beach, located in the southern most part of Lakshadweep. This beach has its serenity which allures the tourists. It has largest lakes in this island.

Kadamat Island Beach
Kadamat Island Beach is a most important tourist destination here. It is stretched about 8 kilometers long and 550 m wide at the broadest point. In addition to the beautiful shallow lagoon on the west that forms an ideal spot for water sports. There is a narrow coastal plain in the eastern part.

Bangaram Island Beach
Bangaram Beach arrests for its beautiful lagoons, white sandy beaches, coral formations and the beautiful lagoons. Bangaram Beach is looked like teardrop-shape. Here the corals and the aquatic life are seen by scuba diving and other water sports. Here one can find the variations in aquatic life. Sting rays, harmless sharks and hawk bill turtles will welcome one while having scuba diving here. Windsurfing, scuba diving, parasailing, water skiing and snorkelling are present here.

Agatti Island Beach
Agatti Island Beach has the Muslim population in majority. It is said that in medieval era, Arabian traveler Ibn Batuta visited here.

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Tennis in India

  

Indian Tennis gains popularity from British era. This game comprises both the games of Lawn Tennis and Table Tennis and India has earned significant recognition and reputation in the international arena, in both the games.

Indian Tennis and Table Tennis players have shown great performances in various prestigious regional and international tournaments, so far and have brought a lot of glory for the country, as well.

History of Tennis in India
The History of Indian Tennis is quite old and the game was brought into India by the British Army and Civilian Officers, during 1880s. The game got immense popularity among the Indians within no time. The main reason behind this was the easy rules and regulations of the game and also the excitement attached to the game. Once getting popularity in India, Tennis saw several tournaments to be organised during the later half of the 19th century. Some of the major Tennis tournaments of that time in India were the Punjab Lawn tennis Championship at Lahore that was held in 1885 and the Bengal Lawn Tennis Championship at Kolkata (1887) and also the All India Tennis Championships at Allahabad (1910).

All the Indian Tennis tournaments were used to be organised for promoting the game and also developing the entire scenario of Indian Tennis. During the colonial period, tennis was dominated by British Empire in India. Later when the Indians were familiarized with tennis, the British players dominated the championships. Having a good zeal in tennis, the Indian tennis players started making their presence in the national level. The British stranglehold was broken by veteran Indian tennis player Mohammed Saleem from Lahore, who emerged victorious in the Punjab Championship in 1915. He grabbed the trophies one after another between 1919 and 1926. Saleem's extraordinary performance stimulated other Indian players to consider the game seriously. In 1917, the Bengal Championship title was won by N.S Iyer. In the year 1919, Nagu bagged the title at the All India Singles Tennis Championship held at the Gymkhana Club at Allahabad.

Tennis in Modern India
For a better management of Indian Tennis, several state and national associations were also established in India during the first half of the twentieth century. The associations have played an important role in producing a large number of talented Tennis players to represent India in the international arena. Apart from the Tennis associations, several Indian Tennis academies are also working hard to produce talented Tennis players in India. The associations and academies are strictly following the rules of Tennis, as instructed by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

Modern Tennis Players in India
The Indian Tennis players like Jaidip Mukherjee, Vijay Amritraj, Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, etc. have got considerable success in various international Tennis tournaments. India has also seen a number of Arjuna Awardees in Tennis, who have been honoured by the Government of India through this award. Although Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have split and are playing with different partners, they are adding to their count of Grand Slam trophies, year by year. They shine their names and contribute a new epoch to the Indian tennis at the individual levels. The entry of Sania Mirza gave a new dimension in the Indian tennis. She has managed to deliver admirable performances, both at the national and international level. She has become an inspiration to the young sporting enthusiasts of the country. Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj are among the others to pick up the gauntlet and to enhance the stature of Indian tennis at the international level. Young players like Ankita Raina, Prakash Amritraj, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Prarthana Thombare, Stephen Amritraj, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Harsh Mankad establishing their names in tennis after Mahesh and Leander.

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Bhagavad Gita

  

Bhagavad Gita, or the Lord's Song, is the greatest legendary text of the Hindus. It is in fact the holy book of Hinduism. Though it is the sacred book of the Bhagavatas, a Vaishnavite sect, it is a book of devotion and edification for every Hindu; to whatever sect he may belong. The Bhagavad Gita is also considered as one of the most substantial Sanskrit scriptural texts and religious classic over the world. The Gita constitutes a part of the Mahabharata and is treasured especially by the followers of Lord Krishna and is largely taken from the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata epic. There are many Hindus today who know the whole poem from memory. Countless are the manuscripts of it which have been preserved. And since it was printed for the first time in the year 1809 in Kolkata hardly a year elapses without a new reprint of the work appearing in India. Countless also are the translations into modern Indian languages.

Background of Bhagavad Gita
The poem is to be found at the beginning of Book VI, where the descriptions of the great fight commence. All preparations for the battle have been made. The two armies confront each other ready for the fray. Then Arjuna lets his war-chariot halt between the two armies and surveys the hosts of the Kauravas and Pandavas armed for the fight. And as he sees on both sides "fathers and grandfathers, teachers, uncles and brothers, sons and grandsons, friends, fathers-in-law and companions," he is overcome by a feeling of deepest pity. Horror seizes him at the thought that he is to fight against relatives and friends; it appears to him sin and madness to intend to murder those for whose very sake one otherwise goes to war. When Krishna reproaches him with weakness and soft-heartedness Arjuna declares that he is quite at a loss, that he does not know whether it is better to be victorious or to be defeated, and finally he implores Krishna to instruct him as to what he should really do in this conflict of duties. Thereupon Krishna answers him with a detailed philosophical discourse, whose immediate purpose is to convince Arjuna that it is his duty as a warrior to fight, whatever the consequences may be.

Composition of Bhagavad Gita
The date of composition of the text of Bhagavad Gita is not known with certainty, but it is believed to have been written around 150 B.C. The Gita contains 700 verses in 18 chapters. Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad Gita, is looked upon as the Almighty, the Supreme Being himself. The Gita is penned down in the form of a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, taking place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, just prior to the start of a climatic war.

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Goa Cuisine

  

Goa Cuisine is a combination of different influences i.e. Portuguese, Hindu and Christian through the centuries, and though the recipes and techniques have changes and evolved over the years, the basic ingredients remain the same. The staple components of typical Goan food are the local products like rice, fish and coconut and almost every Goan meal will have a dish comprising them. The people of Goa are gourmet seafood eaters and make a variety of delicious soups, salads, pickles, curries and fries.

Goan food today is a fusion of many cuisines. Goan food drew on different influences - Arab, Konkan, Malabar, Malaysian, Portuguese, Brazilian, French, African and even Chinese. There are many dishes common to Goa, Daman, Kerala, Mangalore, Malaysia, Macau, Portugal, Brazil and Sri Lanka. The food of Goa is rich in spices and other ingredients. Cashews play an important role in Goan food and are present in almost all dishes.

Portuguese Influence on Goa Cuisine
The Portuguese brought various goods for their own consumption, trade or as a part of their culture to Goa. Many new food products and customs percolated into Goan society. From the routes discovered and used by the Portuguese came a host of plants producing juicy fruits and vegetables such as potato, tomato, pumpkin, aubergine, cashew nut, chilli, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple and guava. Among these was the use of potato by people of all communities in making savouries such as "Samosas", "Batata Vadas" and "Potato Bhaji" as well as in meat and fish recipes. Rulers, merchants, missionaries, Portuguese women in India played different roles in introducing various types of food, knowledge of food habits and for circulating recipes.

The Portuguese introduced "Sura" instead of the yeast in the process of fermentation in Goa, particularly in the making of wheat bread. Sura was also used to make vinegar introduced in the Goan Christian cuisine by the Portuguese for adding flavour, provide a sour taste and as a preservative in meat, fish, vegetable and pickle recipes.

Religious Influence on Goa Cuisine
Religion and customs also forced Goans to rename some of their recipes or add different ingredients. Goans, particularly the Hindus, did not easily accept all the products brought to India. For instance, the Hindus, due to religious beliefs and at times superstition, resisted the use of certain types of vegetables and other food products in their cuisine. They avoided the great Mediterranean trilogy of bread, meat and wine for a long time. "Pav" was not consumed both because it contained sura and probably because a majority of bakers were Christians and it was a European product. Today, however, people of all communities consume bread, though some Hindus abstain on religious occasions.

In the early period, the Hindus of Goa did not eat tomato. Even today most Goan Hindu families do not cook tomato, aubergine, radish and papaya on festive religious occasions when they prepare food for the Gods since these vegetables are from across the seas and considered polluting. Tomato, a fleshy red fruit is associated with blood, considered polluting. Circumstances forced the Hindu in Goa to eat tomatoes in the early decades of the 20th century during an epidemic of typhoid; where patients were prescribed cod liver oil with tomato juice. Subsequently, Hindus started using tomato in their food.

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Indian Sculptures

  

Indian Sculpture was the favoured medium of artistic expression on the Indian subcontinent. Indian buildings were profusely adorned with it and indeed are often inseparable from it. Indian Sculptures and its associated zone lay bare the fact that sculpture is essentially a public art. It is indeed amazing how even day to day affairs have been portrayed with the help of sculptures in India from political economy to the cultural hedonism the plethora is immense and extensive. Mankind have had used sculpture as the basic means of artistic expression. The art of sculpture requires the sculptors to breathe life to the cold and lifeless stones and rocks. The Indian artisans have been successfully rendering life to these listless blocks.

History of Indian Sculptures
History of Indian sculpture dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of 2500 to 1800 BCE, during which time small terracotta figurines were produced. While stone, metal, ceramics and wood have taken a back seat; the sculpture zone has been swept off by the horizons of light and sound. Environmental art and sculpture has hogged the limelight and the contemporary age has manifested the nuances of the same. There was a constant influence of foreign art and culture that enriched Indian sculpture and architecture. The grandeur that the Islamic art brought to India has been embossed in marbles and red sandstones. When the British reigned over India, the sculptures were of the European Gothic style. A wide range of styles and traditions subsequently flourished in different parts of India over the succeeding centuries. Indian sculpture had reached a form that has lasted with little change up to the present day.

Types of Indian Sculptures
The various types of Indian Sculptures depend on the materials of which the sculptures have been composed. They are as follows:

Wooden Sculptures - Wooden Sculptures are made almost all over India. The southern states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have an exceptionally grand tradition of wood sculpting.

Bronze Sculptures - Bronze Sculptures have been discovered from many regions of India. These were used for ritual worship and are characterised by exquisite beauty and aesthetic appeal.

Marble Sculptures - Marble has been one of the most popular choices of material for crafting statues since ancient times. Marble sculptures are sturdy, durable, elegant and classy.

Stone Sculptures - The classical tradition of Stone Sculptures in India was closely linked with architecture. All major temples of India illustrate the rich tradition of Stone Sculptures.

Sand Sculptures - Sand Sculptures are popular among the booming tourist industry in Puri. The sculptures are created solely with sand, water and a small amount of glue.

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Surya Yoga, Types of Yoga

  

Surya Yoga, also known as ‘Surya Namaskar’ is a type of yoga which is the salutation to the Sun. Surya is the fountain source of strength and vitality, light and effulgence and so. It naturally rules the heart, spine and constitutions of human body. A person’s life, health and well-being are truly dependent upon the Sun.

Concept of Surya Yoga
Surya is an essential concept in yoga because, since ancient times, yogis have worshipped the sun through mantras, movements and salutations. Surya Jowel, known as ‘Surya Swami’, is the founder of the Surya Yoga. Surya Yoga or Surya Namaskar is a combination of two Sanskrit words Surya and Yoga, where ‘Surya’ means Sun and ‘Yoga’ means ‘to yoke’. Together which literally means to amalgamate with the sun – become one.

Healing through Sunlight
Sunlight has great therapeutic value. The importance of Sun was realised very early by the ancient civilizations. It was given the status of a God and worshipped from time immemorial. The Sun generates ‘Vital force’ or ‘Prana Shakti’ that contains 5 sub-vital airs known as ‘Panch Prana’ which is inherent in every limb, muscle, etc.

Benefits of Surya Yoga
Surya Yoga is an energetic, dynamic and rejuvenating style of yoga based on a unique series of Sun Salutations. The omnipotent Surya’s presence can change, arrange, reduce, remove imbalances and organise the chemical, bio-chemical, bio-electrical and bio-magnetic powers in living beings by practising Surya Yoga. Surya Yoga helps in revitalise energy and negates illnesses of the mind and body. It is a blend of yoga, nada (sound), rishi gyan and Gautama Buddha stage (silence).

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