Nakkataiyya of Chetganj staged

World famous Nakkataiyya of Chetganj was staged on October 15, 2011 night in Varanasi. Several attractive and tastefully decorated tableaux were taken out to mark the occasion.

Photo: Samrat

Beautiful carpets are on display at India Carpet Expo in Varanasi

Attractive and beautiful carpets were on display at India Carpet Expo (ICE) at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi on October 15, 2011. Union Minister of State for Textiles Mrs Panabaaka Lakshmi inaugurated the fair which will continue till October 19, 2011.

The fair has been organized under the auspices of Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC).

Photo: Samrat

India Carpet Expo begins at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University

Union Minister of State for Textiles Mrs Panabaaka Lakshmi inaugurated India Carpet Expo (ICE) at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University (SSU) in Varanasi on October 15, 2011 evening. The fair is organized under the auspices of Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) will continue till October 19, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Lal Krishna Advani's Jan Chetana Yatra enters Varanasi

BJP patriarch Lal Krishna Advani's Jan Chetana Yatra against corruption reached Varanasi on October 13, 2011. Advani was accorded a grand welcome by UP BJP leaders at Bharat Mata Mandir. He also addressed a public meeting and urged people to fight against corruption.

Photo: Samrat

LK Advani's Jan Chetana Yatra reaches Mughalsarai

Veteran BJP leader LK Advani's Jan Chetana Yatra against corruption reached Mughalsarai on October 13, 2011. Advani was accorded warm welcome by local BJP leaders. He also addressed a public meeting there.

Photo: Samrat

Former BHU VC DP Singh gets Agra University Gaurav Shree award

Former Banaras Hindu University Vice Chancellor and noted environmentalist Professor Dharmendra Pal Singh has been awarded Agra University Gaurav Shree at a function organized by the Agra University Alumni Association in New Delhi on October 9, 2011. Padambhushan Dr Abid Hussain, former Indian Ambassador to US, was the chief guest. Shashi Shekhar, Group Editor, Hindi daily Hindustan was the special guest in the function. Eight other distinguished persons drawn from other fields were also felicitated on the occasion.

A PPP Cell-BHU release

BHU VC Lalji Singh to deliver a talk on human genetics in Montreal

Varanasi, October 8, 2011: Padamshree Dr Lalji Singh, Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, has been invited to deliver a talk on “Genetic diversity in Indian populations and its health implications” in the Plenary Session of 12^th International Congress of Human Genetics (ICHG) and 61^st American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting scheduled to be held in Montreal, Canada from October 11 to 15.

This is most prestigious congress on Human Genetics usually held at interval of five years. The first congress was held in 1956 in Copenhagen, Denmark and the last congress was held at Brisbane, Australia during 2006. It is expected that the current Congress, the 12^th ICHG will be attended by about 7000 human geneticists throughout the world. This is one of the very prestigious invitations particularly for an Indian scientist to give a plenary talk to such a distinguished gathering of human geneticists dominated by Americans and Europeans.

Dr. Lalji Singh is internationally known for his monumental work on human races & origin and its genetic basis. Prof. Singh and his group have undertaken the study on genetic diversity in primitive tribes of India including the tribal populations of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Through his work Dr. Singh has addressed few questions about Indian human races and its history: (1) Does the Indian subcontinent harbour more structure than Europe? (2) Has strong endogamy been a long-standing feature of Indian groups? (3) Do nearly all Indians descend from a mixture of populations, one of which was related to Central Asians, Middle Easterners and Europeans and probably lived in north India? (4) Are tribal groups systematically different from castes, and do some tribal groups provide a good approximation for the ancestral populations of India? (5) What is the origin of the indigenous Andaman Islanders?

His work indicates that the Andamanese have closer affinities to Asian than to African population and suggests that they are the descendants of the early Paleolithic colonizers of Southeast Asia – the hunter gatherers and the first migrants moved out of Africa about 60,000-100,000 years ago. These findings have revolutionized the ways of thinking about the origin of man in terms of their evolution and migration from place to place. His group’s recent work on Genetic diversity in Indian populations “Reconstructing Indian population history” was published as a full article in Nature in 2009 and it was also given on the Cover page of Nature. His publications provide strong evidence that the Aryan and Dravidian races in India have the same genetic basis and have helped social scientists to talk about bridging the gap between North and South Indian people. The talk of Dr. Singh will have an enormous scientific impact as International Scientific Community will be eager to listen his work on “Genetic Diversity Studies of Indian Human Population and the Inference about Population Migration”. It will reflect on the issues of evolution of human population with respect to the origin and frequencies of genetic diseases in India with over 4500 anthropologically defined groups, which comprise tremendous human genetic diversity and the relationship among those populations. These differences explain the basis of geographic, caste and other ancestral variations of human origin

The information generated by Dr. Singh has a great impact on Human Society. Keeping this in view Dr. Singh has established a Genome Foundation in Uttar Pradesh which is functioning with people participation and is utilizing the voluntary services of retired scientists and professionals. This foundation aims at controlling Human diseases and suffering based on genetic disorder, which are being transmitted from one generation to another generation. The problem of genetic disorders in India is enormous. Indians are also genetically susceptible to common diseases, such as, diabetes and heart diseases. Thus, prevention of disability is the only option for these disorders. However, the diagnostic services for them are mostly focused to cater the urban India.

A PPP Cell-BHU Press release

Thousands take part in Golden Sporing Club Goddess Durga idol immersion

Goddess Durga idol of super sensitive Golden Sporting Club, Devnathpura, was taken out for immersion on October 7-8 night in Varanasi.

Photo: Samrat

Thousands witness Nati Imli's Bharat Milap

Thousands witnessed world famous historical Nati Imli's Bharat Milap on Ashwin Shukla Ekadashi Day in Varanasi on October 7, 2011. Kashi Raj Kunwar Anant Naryan Singh was the chief guest. As per tradition Raja Saheb reached the venue riding an elephant.

Photo: Samrat

Thousands witness Ravan Vadh in DLW

Thousands gathered at Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) ground to witness Ravan Vadh on the auspices Vijaya Dashmi day in Varanasi on October 6, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Ravan Vadh held at Maldahiya

Ravan Vadh, the victory of dharma over evil, was held at Maldahiya on the auspices day of Vijaya Dashmi in Varanasi on October 6, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Bengali women play Sindur Holi on Vijaya Dashmi

On the Vijaya Dashmi Day, Bengali community women applied vermilion (red sindur) on each other faces in Puja pandals of Varanasi on October 6, 2011 to bid a grand farewell to Goddess Durga, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh and Lord Kartikey.

Photo: Samrat

Durga Puja celebrations come to an end

Goddess Durga idols were brought out from different puja pandals for immersion in the River Ganga in Varanasi on October 6, 2011. Puja committee members took out colourful processions with idols on their way to Dashashawmedh Ghat. Thousands of devotees gathered at different ghats to witness the immersion on the Vijaya Dashmi Day.

Photo: Samrat

Durga Puja at Shiv Sporting Club Prahalad Ghat

Shiv Sporting Club Prahalad Ghat introduced an old theme in a new way in its Durga puja pandal this year. This is the view of the puja pandal on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Goddess Durga idols at Rajghat

This is the view of the Goddess Durga idols installed at Rajghat in Varanasi on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

A new temple in Temple City

Lions Club Pandeypur installed a huge pandal to celebrate this year's Durga Puja. This is the front view of the pandal on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Goddess Durga idols at Khanhar Sporting Club,

This is the view of the Goddess Durga idols at Khanhar Sporting Club, Trilochan, puja pandal in Varanasi on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Bal Sporting Club Prahalad Ghat Durga Puja pandal

This is the view of the Bal Sporting Club Prahalad Ghat Durga Puja pandal on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Amarnath Dham in Varanasi

SBS Sudhia has made Amarnath Dham to celebrate this year'd Durga Puja in Varanasi. This is the view of the SBS Sudhia Puja Pandal on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Lathi and sword play hog limelight at Bharat Seva Ashram Sangha

Traditional martial arts and other self defence exercises including lathi and sword play were performed by the volunteers of Bharat Seva Ashram Sangha on Maha Ashtami in Varanasi on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Huge rush at Sanatan Dharma Inter College Puja Pandal

The Goddess Durga idols at Sanatan Dhrma Inter College drew huge crowd on Maha Ashtami in Varanasi on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Oriental Goddess Durga idols at Hathuwa Market

Premier Boys Club, Hathuwa Market in Varanasi, has made it a passion to come out with some thing new. This year the club has installed oriental type Goddess Durga idols in all white. This is the view of the Premier Boys Club puja pandal on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Kailash Mansarovar puja pandal in Varanasi

New Delite Club Orderly Bazar has made a replica of Kailash Mansarovar for this year's Durga Puja. This is the view of the New Delite Club Orderly Bazar puja pandal on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Ardhanarishwar is the protector

Dharmik Alochana Seva Samiti, New Colony-Shivpur, came out out with a new theme in this year's Durga Puja. This is the view of the Shivpur puja pandal in Varanasi on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat

Kumari Puja performed at Ram Krishna Mission

Kumari Puja was performed at Ram Krishna Mission on Maha Ashtami in Varanasi on October 4, 2011.

Photo: Samrat