Mini World opens in Visakhapatnam with 12 global landmark replicas
Crafted from fibre, the project took nine months to complete, with a dedicated team of 55 skilled artists from Kolkata who created the structures. The entire installation came at a cost of ₹1.8 crore, with each structure priced at around ₹8 lakh. The priced jewel, however, is the Florence Cathedral, one of the greatest masterpieces of Gothic art and the first Italian Renaissance. 'This intricate piece alone cost approximately ₹15 lakh due to its elaborate design and detailing,' says Narendra Kumar of Vishwanadh Sports Club.
Presently, the finishing touches are being fine-tuned by a team of architecture students from GITAM University. 'We have worked on it for two weeks, tried different textures and mixtures of colour combinations to bring out the intricate ornamentation details of Florence Cathedral,' says AR Jyothi Marri, assistant professor at GITAM University. 'It was challenging to get matching colours and surface finishing. We ran multiple tests and used different layering techniques. Photographic references helped us understand the facade, dome and the symmetrical patterns that make the Duomo so iconic.'
Each structure at Mini World is brightly illuminated in the evenings. Accompanying each monument is an information board that offers historical context and interesting trivia. A new package deal is also in the works, one that includes personalised photo prints for families of four, to capture memories amid these global replicas.
The Mini World is open from 10am to 9pm, with an entry fee of ₹199 per person.
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Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
From Nevermore to Forevermore: How Edgar Allan Poe's rival tried and failed to bury his legacy
On Netflix's Wednesday, the fictional Nevermore Academy stands beneath the brooding gaze of an Edgar Allan Poe statue, its raven-topped pedestal a shrine to the macabre. For millions of viewers, it is a clever ode to the master of Gothic fiction. Off the page, the macabre clung to him, even in death. When Poe collapsed on the streets of Baltimore in October 1849, delirious and dressed in another man's clothes, he left behind unfinished stories, poems, and an unsatiated nemesis. Within hours of Poe's burial, the rival struck. On October 9, 1849, The New York Tribune published an obituary under the pseudonym 'Ludwig' that began: 'Edgar Allan Poe is dead. He died in Baltimore the day before yesterday. This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by it.' The author, as the public soon learned, was Rufus Wilmot Griswold — minor poet, major anthologist, and Poe's self-appointed literary executor. This act of posthumous literary vendetta went on to outlive both men. Griswold's eulogy would become one of the most infamous posthumous betrayals in American letters, launching a character assassination so complete that even today, Poe's reputation still bears the scars. Their relationship began almost amicably in 1841. Poe, then a rising critic with a caustic pen and an appetite for literary skirmishes, initially gave Griswold guarded praise. In his 'Autography' series, Poe called Griswold 'not only a polished prose-writer, but a poet of no ordinary powers.' That early warmth faded quickly. Griswold, a failed Baptist minister and career anthologist, considered himself the cultural gatekeeper of American poetry. When he began assembling his anthology, The Poets and Poetry of America in 1842, Poe sent him poems and names of promising writers. But Griswold's selection was, to Poe's eye, a betrayal of taste. 'It is a most outrageous humbug, and I sincerely wish you would 'use it up',' Poe fumed in a letter to JE Snodgrass. Later, Griswold paid Poe his 'usual fee' to review the anthology. The result was a mix of reluctant praise and veiled disdain: 'We disagree then, with Mr Griswold in many of his critical estimates… he has scarcely made us amends by introducing some one or two dozen whom we should have treated with contempt.' Griswold published the review to avoid appearing petty. 'I am rather pleased that it is to appear, lest Poe should think I had prevented its publication,' he admitted in a letter. What began as literary rivalry soon calcified into personal loathing. In private, Poe dismissed Griswold as a pompous fraud, telling Lowell, 'He certainly lacks independence, or judgment, or both.' Griswold, in turn, bragged about puffing books 'without any regard to their quality,' and was, in turn, described by publisher John Sartain as 'a notorious blackmailer.' In 1843, Poe toured the lecture circuit criticising The Poets and Poetry of America, reserving 'witheringly severe' jabs for Griswold. That same year, the Saturday Museum published a scathing anonymous review, penned by Poe's friend Henry Hirst, that called Griswold a 'toady' and predicted 'he will sink into oblivion, without leaving a landmark to tell that he once existed.' Griswold, perhaps rightly, suspected Poe's involvement. Still, their enmity was not without its brief armistice. In early 1845, Griswold solicited Poe's work for a new anthology, writing, 'Although I have some cause of personal quarrel with you… I retain, therefore, the early formed and well founded favorable opinions of your works.' Poe, ever in need of money, softened: 'Your letter occasioned me first pain and then pleasure: — pain because it gave me to see that I had lost…an honorable friend: — pleasure, because I saw in it a hope of reconciliation.' That fragile peace did not last. By the time Poe died in mysterious circumstances in Baltimore in 1849, Griswold was lying in wait. Claiming (falsely) that Poe had named him literary executor, Griswold obtained Poe's manuscripts from his grieving mother-in-law, Maria Clemm, under the pretense of raising money for her. Instead, Griswold published a three-volume edition of Poe's works, reserving the most vicious blow for the final pages. In his Memoir of the Author, appended to Volume III, Griswold created the ultimate hatchet job. He depicted Poe as a depraved drunkard, expelled from university, dishonorably discharged from the military, and given to wild rages and blackmail. He even forged letters to support his claims. It was extremely damaging. Griswold's portrait was seen as the gospel truth. For decades, Griswold's version of Poe, which painted him as a mad genius, melancholic drunk, and literary pariah, was uncritically accepted. Poe's friends tried to fight back. Sarah Helen Whitman, Poe's former fiancée, publicly accused Griswold of falsehoods. The myth stuck. 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The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
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The over 75-piece collection (with 10 looks part of the bridal line) reflected this evolved aesthetic with Gaurav Gupta's signature: the sari gown he has practically trademarked, sculptural shapes, sherwanis with modern, razor-sharp tailoring, and plenty of zardozi work. There was also a maturity to the palette and structure — less 'look at me' flash, more 'you can't look away' finesse. It is no coincidence that Gaurav chose to go for bridal couture now. The Indian wedding market is booming. According to BlueWeave Consulting, which generates market research reports, India's wedding planning market was pegged at ₹5.16 trillion in 2024, and is projected to more than double to ₹11.06 trillion by 2031. Market research company Grand View Research, meanwhile, estimates that the broader wedding services market — think venues, catering, jewellery, outfits, entertainment — was already worth about ₹8.64 trillionin 2024, and will hit ₹18.94 trillion by 2030. Gaurav has taken a note of this. 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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Wednesday Addams grandmother Hester Frump is asked to be Nevermore's top donor. How rich is the Addams family?
Wednesday, a supernatural fantasy series, recently marked its return on Netflix with Part 1 of its second season, which consists of four episodes. In the latest episodes, the titular character, essayed by Jenna Ortega, is headed back to the Nevermore Academy, where unfinished business as well as a mysterious stalker are waiting for her. Wednesday Season 2, Part 1 released on Netflix earlier this month.(Screengrab/YouTube) Season 2 of Wednesday gave critical insights into the wealthy Addams family and marked the introduction of Wednesday Addams' grandmother, Hester Frump. Also read: Wednesday Season 2: When will we see Lady Gaga in the show? Rosaline Rotwood character explained Who is Hester Frump? Hester Frump, also known as Grandmama, is essayed by Joanna Lumley in the Netflix series, marking her entry in Episode 4. She is introduced to the viewers in the series when Principal of Nevermore Academy, Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi), seems determined to secure a generous donation from her for the institution, as per Tom's Guide. For this, Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday) uses her siren powers at the request of Dort to convince Wednesday Addams' mother, Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones), to ask her mother, Hester Frump, to donate to the academy. Being a mortuary mogul, Hester Frump is presented as an extremely rich person in the series. She owns several funeral homes and nearly has a monopoly over the business, with Nevermore Academy Principal talking about it with Morticia when seeking a donation for the school. The Addams family's net worth Although Hester Frump's net worth is not known, the fortune of the Addams Family, led by Wednesday's father, Gomez Addams, has been estimated. In a 2007 report, which was updated in 2011, Forbes estimated Gomez's total earnings to be worth $2 billion. While the Addams family is rarely seen carrying out any work, Gomez is touted to be exorbitantly wealthy and resides in a Gothic mansion. In 1991, the story of The Addams Family revolved around the plan to steal the family fortune. According to Screen Rant, the wealth includes Gomez's family inheritance as well as their success in many business ventures. Also read: Wednesday Season 2 Part 2: Release date, what to expect and more details on Netflix show Wednesday's relationship with her mother In the maiden season of the Netflix series, viewers were introduced to a tumultuous mother-daughter relationship between Morticia and Wednesday. However, the two of them later managed to find some common ground. The strained relationship holds major significance in Season 2 of the series as well. Alfred Gough, the co-creator of the series, earlier told Screen Rant that the problems between the two of them are all about control, since Wednesday looks ahead to "control the situation". He added that Morticia is "kind of a helicopter parent." FAQs When did Wednesday season 2 come out? Part 1 of Wednesday Season 2 was released on August 6. Where to watch on Wednesday? Fans can see all the episodes on Netflix. What's the release date for Part 2 of Wednesday Season 2? It will be out on September 3, 2025.
