Latest news with #Bhakti
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
From Ghalib to Gulzar: New anthology maps India's cities through 375 poems
New Delhi, From Ghalib's Delhi and Nissim Ezekiel's Bombay to Agha Shahid Ali's Srinagar and Kamala Das' Calcutta, poets have cast their spell over every corner of the country. A new anthology, "The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City", captures the same enchantment, taking readers on a poetic voyage across 37 Indian cities. The recently released anthology, edited by Bilal Moin and published by Penguin Random House India , features a total of 375 poems, including works originally written in English as well as translations from nearly 20 different languages. "It was an honour to compile this poetic atlas of Indian cities — a first-of-its-kind anthology bringing together poetic voices spanning over 1,500 years, translated from more than 20 languages. Here, legendary poets of antiquity coexist with young voices crafting verses in the age of social media, narrating the cities they inhabited and tracing their evolving identities. "Expanding beyond major metropolises, this anthology captures the rhythms and realities of thirty-seven diverse cities, spotlighting forgotten poets and revitalizing many near-lost contributions," said Moin, who has also authored a collection of haikus, titled 'The Ideajunkyard' in 2018. Spanning from the classical voices of Valmiki and the Sangam poets to the Bhakti and Sufi traditions represented by Surdas, Kabir, and Amir Khusrau, as well as early modern poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Narmad, Rudyard Kipling, and Rabindranath Tagore, the anthology provides a rich and immersive lyrical journey through India's cities. It also features contemporary poets including the likes of Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Vikram Seth, Eunice de Souza, Arun Kolatkar, Amrita Pritam, Amit Chaudhuri and Gulzar. And together, they all take the reader through depictions of cities as imperial capitals, colonial outposts and dynamic, ever-evolving spaces that serve as the backdrop for postmodern life. According to the publisher, at its core, "The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City" is a collection that portrays the Indian city as a complex organism and living embodiment of the collective consciences of its many, many residents. "A collection for not just those who live in the cities featured in this book but for anyone who is familiar with the chaotic, paradoxical and magical tableau that constitutes life in a city in this part of the world," they added. The 1062-page tome, priced at ₹1,999, is available for purchase across online and offline stores.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Mayuri Upadhya brings her Broadway experience to the Bengaluru stage
History shows that Indian classical music and spirituality go hand-in-hand. While Purandaradasa, Jayadeva and Tulsidas are known for the Bhakti Movement, classical dancers and singers too connect more to their art spiritually. In fact, bhakti is the dominant rasa of most concerts and dance performances. . Classical-contemporary dancer-choreographer Mayuri Upadhya's new work is no exception. Titled 'Bhakti - A Shared Longing', it will feature verses by Purandaradasa, Akkamahadevi, Kabir, Lal Ded, Tukaram, Andal, Tulsidas, Meerabai, Namdev, Sadasiva Brahmendral, Guru Nanak, Basavanna and Rabindranath Tagore. To be presented by her institution Nritarutya, which she founded in 2000 with her sister Madhrui Upadhya, 'Bhakti...' will be premiered in Bengaluru on June 13. Mayuri describes the production as 'a multilingual, multidisciplinary immersive dance-theatre presentation that weaves together the soulful legacies of 13 Indian saints and mystics from across India. The production includes texts, dialogues and different Indian languages.' She also says that dance, for her, 'is more than just movement — it is a language, a way of communicating with the world that transcends the limitations of words.' One of her most notable works is the broadway musical Mughal-E-Azam, inspired by the film of the same name, which has had 300 shows across the world. Mayuri, a recipient of the Best Original Choreographer Award (2018) by Broadway World for Mughal-e-Azam, returns to the Bengaluru stage with Bhakti... after a 14-year hiatus. She has also worked as the lead choreographer for The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation. This show, now into its third season, will soon premiere at Lincoln Center, New York, shares Mayuri. 'My last show in Bengaluru was in 2014, which is why I was craving to stage Bhakti… here. ' It is an exploration of the term 'Bhakti' and the spiritual quest of human beings. It is the anchor in today's time, irrespective of age, gender, and religion,' says Mayuri. About the works of poets and mystics she has used for her production, Mayuri says: 'They are more saints to me than mere poets as I believe they discovered a deeper inner truth that they revealed/shared with humanity. The more I read about them and their works, the more I found similarities in their concepts.' Each piece in Bhakti is centered around one evocative work by each mystic, interpreted by different dancers. The production features 10 dancers belonging to different styles, from across the country. Explaining the process of bringing the production to life, Mayuri says, 'The researchers (Pooja Kaushik and Nandana Gopal) brought different aspects to the table, each with their own versions of stories that correlated well. Post this, was the process of song selection. Next was to add movements to the texts, prose and music'. Talking about the creative process, Mayuri, who was joined by Madhuri in choreographing the dance, shares: 'The poetry dictated what the movement language should be. For instance, for poetry from Bengal, we drew inspiration from Uday Shankar's dance style, for Amir Khusro, we brought in Sufi-Kathak and so on. The dancers coming from different parts of the country lent their own cultural diversity to the production.' The production has a contemporary and minimalist approach in every aspect. This is my simple but powerful response to whatever is happening around us', says Mayuri. 'Bhakti - A Shared Longing' will premiere at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bengaluru, on June 13, 7.30 p.m. Tickets on BookMyShow.
News18
6 days ago
- Business
- News18
Why A Mega Dalit Outreach Is Part Of BJP's Plan For Poll-Bound Bihar From June 20
Last Updated: Caste arithmetic and an unfavourable result in the elections last year have prompted the party to take steps to win the poll battle The BJP has decided to go all out to woo Dalits of poll-bound Bihar, even before seat-sharing talks have begun among the NDA constituents for the upcoming election. Starting June 20, the party will target the Ravidas community by organising the Sant Shiromani Ravidas Sammelan-cum-honour ceremony in Bihar. Sant Ravidas, a 15th-century Bhakti saint, is a significant figure in the Dalit community and is widely recognised as a Dalit icon. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commemorated Ravidas' 647th birth anniversary in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. Now, with Bihar election around the corner, BJP has decided to hold such conclaves in different districts and created a schedule for that. News18 has learnt that BJP has fixed conclave dates for Begusarai on June 20, Samastipur on June 22, Madhubani on June 25, Bagaha and Bhagalpur on June 29, Saharsa on June 30, Muzaffarpur and Siwan on July 6, Darbhanga on July 7, Gaya on July 13, Banka on July 16, Arwal on July 18, Khagaria and Sitamarhi on July 20 and Gopalganj on July 31, which will be the season finale. There will also be a special conclave through which Dalit outreach efforts will be made in Bihar's capital Patna though the date for it is not yet finalised. The party wants the Patna conclave to be a show-stopper with big names in attendance, and hence, the date will depend on their availability, say BJP sources. But why the focus on Dalits? Sources in the know suggest there are two reasons behind it. One is pure caste arithmetic. Though the Ravidas community constitutes just 5 per cent of Bihar's voters, if the total Dalit pie in Bihar is taken into consideration, the number jumps to 19 per cent. While BJP is confident about upper castes and OBC support of a few, JDU too brings OBC strengths. Even NDA's smaller allies like Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha can influence OBC votes. Only former Bihar CM Jitin Ram Majhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha-Secular(HAM-S) and LJP (RV) Chirag Paswan have limited sway over those known as the backwards. The second reason stems from an unfavourable experience in last year's Lok Sabha election when the BJP-led NDA lost nine Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, NDA won 39 seats while in 2024, it managed to win 30. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the situation was even more grim. The BJP-led NDA lost a whopping 28 seats. Later, BJP went on record to accept that Congress managed to twist BJP's '400 paar' campaign slogan as fear mongering among Dalit voters, suggesting their reservation rights are on the line. This worked against the BJP in the two Hindi heartland states. Since June 4 last year, when the results were declared, BJP has taken corrective measures to win the narrative war. However, the party feels that with no big alliance partner that has a solid grip among the Dalit community, the outreach is the best way forward. Sources in the BJP say the plan to carpet-bomb the Ravidas Sammelans was conceived in mid-May when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Bihar Police stopped him on his way to Ambedkar hostel in Darbhanga, adding that 'they could not stop me because your power (minority community) is watching over me". Back then, Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal had hit out at Gandhi, saying: 'He should use his mind. If he had to use a government building or hostel, he should have sent an official itinerary. He is the Leader of Opposition and a state president of a party has to teach this?" However, it is learnt that this visit may have worked as a catalyst for the state BJP to pre-emptively launch a mega Dalit outreach, having learnt its lessons last year. First Published: June 04, 2025, 10:29 IST
Scroll.in
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Readers' comments: As inheritors of the sanatan dharma, how can we foster a questioning people?
Will the Brahmins, steeped in the Manusmriti and the Upanishads, find spiritual outpourings in the verses of poets of the Bhakti movement like Ravidas, Bhagat Namdev, Guru Nanak, Kabir and others (' Counterview: India's past deserves more than apologia or amnesia ')? How will they accept the critique of the caste system in its entirety by the poet-saints of the Bhakti movement? Is Bhakti movement poetry a continuity of Vedic poetry? It is a criticism at the social and spiritual level. Bhakti poetry is inclusive. Manusmriti and the other Brahmanical texts are exclusive – they exclude on the basis of the caste system. – Onkar Singh *** This is more angst at imaginary wrongs than a scholarly deliberation. Anyone who reads NCERT history books will get the feeling that India has cultural unity and continuity. What the author refers to as 'Hindu metaphysics, logic, grammar, and aesthetics' are not necessarily Hindu alone. Those ideas have evolved in a crucible of competing philosophies and practices of Budhhism, Jainism, Islam and not to forget the pre-Aryan beliefs and practices. – Srinivas. *** The very point of a pluralist ethos is that you are free to see in the Constitution roots in pre-Islamic ethics and the like. Another person may see in it a modern, freedom struggle-oriented genesis. No view needs to be imposed, though you can invite others to look at your perspective and comment. – Velamur Anand *** In an age where espouse a polarised and biased discourse while directly and indirectly forcing every institution, other politicians and even the armed forces (subtly) to adopt their way of thinking, then we will become a nation of zombies who forget to think independently. We have to ask if future generations will be nurtured, knowingly or through blinkered intelligence, by the rewriting, republishing of all literature. As proud inheritors of the 'sanatan dharma' how can we hope to foster a questioning, analysing and creative people? –
India.com
17-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- India.com
7 Baby Names Inspired By Sacred Texts
Anaika Sohal May 16, 2025 This name is from the Mahabharata and is a symbol of bravery, discipline, and righteousness, the perfect name for your baby boy. This name is from the Ramayana, a name that embodies grace, loyalty, and strength. A sweet name for your baby girl. This name is taken from the Bible which means beloved. Also, a classic name of kings and poets of ancient times. This name is taken from Hindu scriptures and is also another name for Goddess Parvati. It symbolizes purity and strength. This name is picked from the Vedas, and it means ultimate knowledge. A baby boy's name taken from the Bible, and it symbolizes loyalty, kindness, and inner strength. This sweet baby girl Inspired by Bhakti poetry. Meera was saint and devotee of Krishna and was also known for her devotion and poetic soul. Read Next Story
