Latest news with #PuranaQila
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Viineet Kumar Siingh: Baarish mein Dilli ka nikhaar alag hi hota hai
Actor Viineet Kumar Siingh loves the vibe of Delhi during monsoon. 'Baarish mein Dilli ka nikhaar alag hi hota hai. Chaahe shehar ka koi bhi kona le lijiye, sab kuch saaf, khoobsurat aur hara-bhara lagne lagta hai,' says the actor, as he shoots for us in the Capital. Viineet Kumar Singh was recently in Delhi for work commitments Food is inseparable when it comes to monsoon, says Viineet, who hails from Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and lives in Mumbai: 'Delhi aate hi log mujhe dishes suggest karne lagte hain. Mujhe pata hai ki Dilliwaalon ko chai ka bahut shauk hai, mujhe bhi hai. Dilli ki baarish ho aur chai, mathri aur pakore na ho, aisa ho hi nahin sakta. Yeh hi kuch baatein hain jo monsoon mein iss shehar ko special bana deti hain.' Also Read| Vineet Kumar Singh returns home after being stranded in Dubai due to Middle East airspace closure: 'We were clueless' He goes on to recall getting stuck in Delhi during the rains: 'I was shooting Daas Dev (2018) with (director) Sudhir Mishra on the outskirts of Delhi and it started raining heavily. We wrapped up immediately, par itni ghanghor baarish hui thi ki hum sabki cars phas gayi.' Viineet Kumar Siingh posed for us in an exclusive shoot. Meanwhile, he goes on to share that the city holds a special place in his heart, thanks to the fond memories from his days as a national level basketball player. 'My first mini national level championship was in Delhi. I'd come here and stayed at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Even now, whenever I am in Delhi, I try to visit some special spots like India Gate and Purana Qila,' Viineet shares. On the work front, Viineet has had a milestone year with acclaimed performances in Chhaava and Jaat. While his craft has long earned praise, 2025 has truly cemented his place in mainstream Hindi cinema. For the actor, the recognition feels spiritual. 'I have always been a hardworking person. I feel people have made me what I am today. People have been watching my work from the beginning but somehow a great project was not coming my way,' he reflects, adding, 'Kehte hai ki prayers mein bahut taakat hai toh mujhe lagta hai ki kisi ki dua lag gayi hai mujhe. Jo bhi tarakki mil rahi hai, I dedicate it to people who love me.' But he is quick to add that he doesn't measure success in conventional terms. 'I feel my life is a journey and there is no such thing as a destination. I want to go with the flow and not call anything a final destination. I've made that mistake before,' he says, and adds, 'Now the effort is to do as much work as I can, reach as many people and tell good stories.' Viineet is also set to embrace a new chapter in his personal life. He and his wife, Ruchiraa Singh, are expecting their first child. They will welcome the baby this monsoon: 'We have already made so many changes in the house. Every corner of the house is being looked at and secured.'
NDTV
21-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Weddings At Qutub? Delhi Eyes Heritage Monuments To Boost Event Tourism
In a move that could redefine Delhi's cultural landscape, the city's iconic monuments may soon double up as venues for destination weddings, concerts, and global events. The Delhi government is actively exploring ways to turn the capital into a "Global Event Hub," with historical sites like Qutub Minar and Purana Qila potentially opening their doors to private events. At a high-level roundtable chaired by Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra on Monday, the government pitched an ambitious plan to transform Delhi from a solely political capital into a vibrant center for international events. Senior officials from the Department of Tourism, Art, Culture & Language met with industry leaders from the events and entertainment sector to brainstorm policy measures, partnership models, and infrastructure needs. "Delhi has 70 to 80 heritage monuments that can be effectively used for hosting cultural and private events," Mr Mishra said at the meeting. "It is time the capital is known not just for its politics but for its creative potential as well." The plan includes introducing a Digital Single Window Clearance System to simplify event permissions, which organizers say are often bogged down in red tape. A one-click permit system is expected to cut weeks off the planning timeline, making Delhi more attractive to international and domestic event planners. Among the key demands from industry representatives was a reduction in the high rental fees for event venues across the city. "Right now, charges are often arbitrary and non-transparent," one organizer said in the meeting. Minister acknowledged the issue, promising a more standardized and fair fee structure. Heritage monuments weren't the only focus. The roundtable also touched upon developing vacant government land into public event spaces, offering subsidies and tax incentives for large-scale events, and marketing Delhi as a prime destination in the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. There were even calls to list government-backed cultural events on commercial platforms like BookMyShow to boost visibility. Stakeholders pushed for GST relaxations to boost the booming destination wedding sector, valued at over Rs 16,000 crore nationally, and stressed the need for Delhi to set up a world-class convention center to compete with cities like Mumbai, Dubai, and Bangkok. Mr Mishra, who has been vocal about leveraging Delhi's "soft power," said that the government is committed to formalising these discussions into actionable policy. "We will soon announce major reforms to support the events industry. These ideas will be taken to the Hon'ble Chief Minister personally," he said. The meeting was attended by key industry players including Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) President Samit Garg, Rajeev Jain of Rashi Entertainment, Ankur Desai of Saregama, and representatives from BookMyShow. While the idea of hosting weddings or concerts at heritage sites may raise eyebrows among conservationists, the government insists that usage will be guided by strict heritage preservation norms. Still, the big question remains - can Delhi strike the right balance between cultural preservation and commercial innovation? With a follow-up meeting on the cards, the capital's journey from monument city to mega event hub has clearly begun. Whether that means sangeet nights at Purana Qila or jazz under the stars at Safdarjung Tomb, only time and policy will tell.
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: With historical storeroom treasures, ASI hopes to revive Children's Museum
The Capital is a repository of monuments, architecture and history but seldom do the storerooms of these monuments become the topic of conversation — until now, when all things vintage and forgotten will come alive to reclaim space at the Children's Museum in Siri Fort. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been digging the storerooms of the Red Fort and the Purana Qila to find replicas of these historical pieces and install them across the museum. Opened especially for children in 2011 with an aim to apprise them of India's rich cultural history, the museum was closed for two years between 2020 and 2022 for repair works as well as for planning installation of sculptures in its lawns, an ASI official said aware of the matter said. Those plans, however, never came through. ASI did not have enough funds, said officials. 'In the face of severe fund crunches, we decided to get our hands on whatever important sculptures we could get and start installing them at the museum,' the official added. ASI is primarily funded by the Union ministry of culture. Surrounded by beautifully mowed lawns, the two-storey museum building primarily hosts three rooms: one where important sculptures are kept, the second for educational purposes, while the third room is where ASI screens its documentaries. Most visits are in the form of school trips, officials said, but admitted that the footfall has been low. 'We are hoping that the footfall will improve with all the new additions,' an ASI official said. Right opposite to the entrance of the museum lies a newly installed replica model of the Red Fort. 'This replica, along with a model showing the plan of the Red Fort, has been procured from the Purana Qila's storeroom,' the official said. The much smaller model depicting the plan of the Red Fort lies in the main room of the museum, along with the other sculptures like that of Shaalabhanjika, which celebrates the culmination of the artistic activity flourishing in Madhya Pradesh, Mahishashura Mardini, an epithet of the Hindu goddess Durga, and the Standing Buddha. Existing sculptures in the room are made by students of the College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, under the direction of KK Mohammad, the erstwhile superintendent archaeologist of ASI's Delhi wing. The Red Fort plan, according to the official, will soon be installed on a proper table for visitors. Currently, it has been kept on the floor near the entrance of the room. The lawns remain peppered with smaller sculptures procured from the storeroom of Purana Qila, and some even from storage of the museum — all of these will be installed by ASI soon. These include a Standing Vishnu or Sthanak Vishnu, Vyala, which consists of a composite leonine creature with the head of a tiger, elephant, bird, or other animal, Nayika sculpture inspired by the Vishwanath temple in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, and a sculpture of one of the Jain Tirthankars. Then there are pieces from the courageous story of India's fight to freedom. 'Three wall mountings of freedom fighters Ashfaqulla Khan, Bhagat Singh, and Shivaram Rajguru found from the Red Fort storeroom have been installed on a wall inside the museum.. Two sculptures of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, have also been procured from the same storeroom, and are currently in one of the lawns,' the ASI official said. 'All of these will be properly installed after which it will feel more coherent,' the official said, pointing to the lawns, which currently look like an artist's gallery awaiting curation. Original plan The original plan had included commissioning and installing new sculptures of monuments and important historical figures on the lawns. 'The plan never went through and finally in 2022, we wanted to open up the museum properly because there was no point in keeping it closed,' the official said. However, as part of the upgrade, a second hall was built for educational purposes — a part of it recreates how visitors often destroy heritage monuments by scribbling on walls and putting up encroachments. 'We will not be installing anything in this room. Right behind the building, however, we have put two huge models depicting temples from South India procured from the National Museum in Delhi,' the official said. In the coming days, ASI will install all the procured pieces as the agency hopes that the renewed efforts will see more children take an interest in the museum. .
