Latest news with #Jyotiba
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Priests warn of hunger strike over adulterated sweets sold outside Jyotiba temple
Kolhapur: Villagers, including a priest at the famous Jyotiba temple in Wadi Ratnagiri village of Kolhapur district, on Wednesday warned they would start an indefinite hunger strike within the next 15 days if the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) failed to act against the adulteration of sweets, including pedhas and kalakand, being sold outside the temple. The priest said these adulterated sweets are manufactured in Gujarat and then distributed for sale outside prominent temples across Maharashtra, where devotees purchase them as "prasad". He added that the boxes containing these sweets lack labels, ingredients, manufacturing dates, and expiry dates, leading consumers to suffer from sore throats and stomach upsets. Sunil Lawale, a former gram panchayat member and priest at Jyotiba temple, said, "Lord Jyotiba is the deity of millions of devotees, mostly from Maharashtra and Karnataka. On average, 70 to 80 lakh people visit the temple in a year. Pedha is offered to the deity, and the pilgrims take pedhas and dairy products back to their homes as prasad. During the yatra period, 2 to 3 tonnes of pedhas get sold. But where does this pedha come from? What are the ingredients? How many days is the pedha fir for consumption? Even though it is legally mandatory to write this information on the box or similar packaging, no one knows this. The sellers do not give anyone this information." Local residents, public representatives, gram panchayat members, and gram panchayat executives have made efforts at various levels to prevent the sale of contaminated pedhas. However, the relevant authorities have not taken notice, allowing a racket of selling contaminated and adulterated pedha to operate in and around the Jyotiba temple. Jalindhar Gune, a resident of Wadi Ratnagiri, said, "Last year, 2,000 kgs of pedha were seized from Jyotiba for contamination. Even a razor blade was found in pedha this year in Jan. Devotees come here with full devotion. But why is the Food and Drugs Administration not taking any action against the people responsible for this contamination?" Jagdish Patil, of Grahak Hit Sourakshan (a consumer protection forum), said, "These sweets don't have any location or details of the manufacturer. That is why if any consumer gets food poisoning or faces serious health problems after eating the contaminated pedha, the seller or the manufacturer doesn't face any action." The matter has been raised with the sub-divisional officer, tehsildar, and police officer in the Yatra committee meeting. Despite receiving orders to investigate the issue, no concrete action has been taken yet. Meanwhile, D M Shirke, the assistant commissioner, FDA Kolhapur, said, "Routine checks are conducted to avoid adulteration. Recently, during the Shravan Shashti yatra period at Jyotiba hill, action was taken against the sweets that arrived from Karnataka in large quantities. Outside traders try to sell such contaminated sweets. Last year, 2 tonnes of contaminated pedha were seized. Our action is continuing against food contamination. " Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Phule OTT Release Update: Where to watch Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa's social biographical thriller online
Phule OTT Release Update: Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa recently headlined this biographical drama, which arrived in the theatres amid massive backlash. Released theatrically on 25th April this year, this thriller was based on the lives of activists Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule. For the ones who are OTT lovers, Phule will be streaming on ZEE5 after its theatrical run concludes, as per a Jagran report. Phule's cast and crew Directed by Anant Mahadevan and jointly produced by Dancing Shiva Films Kingsmen Productions Films and Zee Studios, Phule is cinematographed by Sunita Radia and edited by Raunak Phadnis. Other than the lead duo, this Rohan-Rohan musical also stars Vinay Pathak, Suresh Vishwakarma, Sushil Pandey, Vishal Tiwari, Joy Sengupta, Amit Behl, Akshaya Gurav, Jayesh More, Dhanjay Madrekar, Darsheel Safary, Asit Redij, Abhinav Patekar, Akanksha Gade, Abhinav Singh Raghav, Alexx O'Nell and Ellie among others. Phule's plot overview Phule begins in plague-stricken Pune in 1897, where the death of Savitribai Phule (Patralekhaa) sets off a journey into the past. The story traces her early years learning under her husband, Jyotiba Phule (Pratik Gandhi), who becomes a fierce advocate for education as a tool to fight caste oppression. Together, they begin teaching children from marginalised communities, particularly girls, facing violent resistance from orthodox Brahmins and Jyotiba's own family. As opposition grows, Jyotiba parts ways with his father and, with the support of allies like Usman Sheikh and Fatima, expands their mission to include widow rehabilitation. With no backing from the British, Jyotiba funds their work by selling his family property. Phule captures the couple's unyielding struggle against social injustice, charting a path of courage, sacrifice, and reform in the face of systemic resistance. Phule's review The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5, and a part of their review read, 'Phule' is, in many ways, an unflinching film that confronts some deeply uncomfortable truths about 19th-century Indian society under British rule. What makes Phule particularly compelling is its understated storytelling. The film avoids melodrama and instead unfolds in a natural, lived-in manner. One could argue that the film might have been more aptly titled 'Phules,' as Savitribai's role, if not greater, is certainly at par with that of her husband.'
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
No ripped jeans, shorts, sleeveless clothes in Kolhapur's Mahalaxmi and Jyotiba temples
Kolhapur: The renowned Mahalaxmi (Ambabai) and Jyotiba temples have implemented restrictions on visitors wearing revealing attire. The Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti has said that devotees wearing ripped jeans, see-through clothing, shorts, short skirts, or sleeveless garments will not be allowed in the regulation follows similar dress code implementations across various Maharashtra temples, including the Shri Tulja Bhavani temple in Tuljapur, where the Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh introduced measures to preserve temple secretary Shivraj Naikawade explained this decision stemmed from devotees' requests, noting that visitors in casual attire appeared inappropriate within temple grounds. The primary aim is to ensure visitors maintain cultural appropriateness while at these sacred clarified that while the dress code was initially established in 2021, its enforcement had become lenient, leading to complaints about inappropriate attire. He said, "We have asked the shop operators to make 'Sovala' available to visitors, who arrive without being aware of the dress code. We are going to make the Sovala available to the visitors. Those who deny wearing Sovala or decent clothes will not be allowed to take darshan."Sovala comprises traditional attire: Dhoti and uparna (a shawl-like garment) for men, and non-transparent saree for women. This dress code, mandatory for priests entering the sanctum and devotees participating in abhishek puja, represents sacred temple activist and devotee Dilip Desai said, "There is nothing new in the decision. It was in place earlier, and devotees usually follow the dress code. Those who wear revealing clothes are not permitted. I think the announcement is made again to divert attention from issues, mainly the inability of the administration to provide facilities, starting from drinking water to sanitation to parking for the visitors. If issues like the dress code are raked up regularly, then people forget the other inconveniences they face on the temple premises."
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Phule Movie Review: A stirring tribute to India's pioneers of social justice
Story: This biographical drama traces the inspiring journey of Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule, a visionary couple who spearheaded transformative social reforms during British-ruled India. Review: 'Phule' is, in many ways, an unflinching film that confronts some deeply uncomfortable truths about 19th-century Indian society under British rule. It portrays an era when education for the girl child was virtually non-existent, widows were subjected to rigid societal restrictions, and the Dalit community faced systemic discrimination at the hands of upper-caste Brahmins. From a cinematic standpoint, this biographical drama refrains from sensationalism. It avoids artificial narrative highs and instead opts for a grounded, realistic tone. Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan delivers a competent effort, capturing the pioneering social reforms led by Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule. The film is a sincere, restrained tribute to India's first and perhaps most courageous social reformers. The story begins in 1897, with the bubonic plague sweeping through Pune, leading to a mass exodus and eventually claiming the life of Savitribai Phule (Patralekhaa). From this tragic point, the narrative shifts into flashback, taking us to Savitribai's early years as a curious young girl being educated by her husband, Jyotiba (Pratik Gandhi). Witnessing the rampant caste oppression in his village, Jyotiba realizes that education, particularly for the girl child, is the first step toward social change. He begins by teaching children from oppressed communities, including girls. Their efforts, however, are met with fierce resistance—from upper-caste Brahmins who resort to vandalism and from Jyotiba's own father, Govindrao (Vinay Pathak), who disapproves of his way of bringing social reforms. Undeterred, Jyotiba leaves home and, with the help of his friend Usman Sheikh and Usman's sister Fatima, continues his mission to educate. Their movement gradually expands to include the rehabilitation of widows. While the British administration acknowledges their efforts, it offers no financial support. A determined Jyotiba sells his share of family property to keep their work alive. Later, the growing discomfort among orthodox factions leads to legal challenges. Pratik Gandhi delivers an internalized and compelling performance as Jyotiba Phule. His portrayal is subtle and sincere, bringing a quiet intensity to the reformer's character. Vinay Pathak, as Jyotiba's conservative father, makes a strong impact despite limited screen time. Joy Sengupta brings authenticity to his role as the upper-caste antagonist. But it is Patralekhaa who shines the brightest—her portrayal of Savitribai is immersive and powerful, capturing the reformer's resilience and empathy with striking clarity. The film also excels in its visual authenticity, with cinematography that convincingly recreates the textures and atmosphere of 19th-century Maharashtra. What makes 'Phule' particularly compelling is its understated storytelling. The film avoids melodrama and instead unfolds in a natural, lived-in manner. Sequences such as the upper-caste Brahmins avoiding Jyotiba's shadow or the courtroom exchange where Jyotiba questions a lawyer about his barber are quietly powerful, leaving an impression. The film succeeds in highlighting the extraordinary contributions of Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule in reforming Indian society. One could argue that the film might have been more aptly titled 'Phules,' as Savitribai's role, if not greater, is certainly at par with that of her husband.
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Phule movie review: A middling, talky period drama about a remarkable revolutionary couple
Phule movie review: In the 19th century Maharashtra, Jyoti Rao Phule and his wife Savitri Bai lit the flame of female education and all-round empowerment at a time when girls were married off when they were barely more than children, forced to bear and rear their own children for the rest of their lives. In an early scene, we see little Savitri learn how to read with the help of the much-older Jyotiba, and how that changed her, and made her aware of her world. The release of this bio-pic, whose opening credits claim that it is based on detailed research, was delayed because of ruffled Brahmin feathers, but nothing in it feels like a figment of the filmmakers' imagination. It feels like an accurate if sanitised representation of social realities of that time, during which the British were playing their own crafty games of keeping the 'natives' in check, by using the rampant caste discrimination to keep dividng and ruling while holding out the carrot of conversion to Christianity. The powerful, wealthy Brahmins of Poona in the 1840s are shown as the torchbearers of the ways the 'untouchables' could be kept in their place: segregating their living spaces and the wells they drew their water from, forcing them to wear a broom so that they can sweep the path behind them, and several other well-documented practices. The film has brief scenes touching upon these, including one in which dung is thrown at Jyotiba and partner-in-crime Fatima Shaikh (Akshaya Gurav). Both Pratik Gandhi and Patralekha as Jyotiba and Savitribai do justice to their characters, the latter given more fiery oratorial chances in her pushback against oppression. Vinay Pathak as Jyotiba's father, and Sushil Pandey as the older brother, both dead set against rocking the boat, show up as and when necessary. Darsheel Safary, the little boy of 'Taare Zameen Par', is here as the Phules' adopted son. Joy Sengupta makes a meal of his enraged Brahmin, stepping back from Jyotiba's 'impure' shadow, and attacking the couple at the drop of his traditional headgear, in the name of 'dharm' and 'pratha'. The two hour plus run time feels like a stretch, cramming so many events — plagues, famines, the 1857 mutiny, the French revolution, Abraham Lincoln's abolition of slavery — that it begins feeling a cursory compilation of headlines. If there hadn't been such a pointless fuss made around its subject, 'Phule' would have come off exactly as it is, a middling, talky period drama about a remarkable revolutionary couple which set much-needed reforms in motion. Watch Phule movie trailer: But despite everything, the film is important. The Phules, who belonged to the 'dabey kuchley varg' themselves, fought for the right to be called 'Dalit', not 'achoot' (specific names of the 'varna' and 'jaati' appear to have been dropped in the film), and many changes have happened since. But casteism and discrimination are alive and well even today: perhaps 'Phule' can add to the growing discussion around these evils.
