Indian classical music coincides with spirituality: Khan brothers

NEW DELHI - Young sarod maestros Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan, the sons of legendary sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, feel Indian classical music has an edge over its counterparts “in terms of years”.

Agreement to maintain monuments signed

NEW DELHI - The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) have signed an agreement to undertake the maintenance work of a list of ASI protected monuments.

Return Nefertiti statue, Egypt to tell Germany

CAIRO - Egypt is set to officially ask Germany to return a 3,300-year-old statue as it is believed to have been illegally taken out of the country in the early 20th century, an official has said.

Extending Afghan war terrible mistake: US author

NEW DELHI - Describing the US troop surge in war-torn Afghanistan as a terrible mistake, a Pulitzer prize winning American author and an ardent Gandhi admirer Saturday said war cannot be ended by war.

ONGC to fund projects on protection of national heritage

AGARTALA - State-owned exploration major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will provide funds for conservation, renovation and restoration of the monuments of Ahom kings in Sibsagar in eastern Assam, an official said here Saturday.

Get ready to cross swords with Rani Lakshmibai - at museum!

LUCKNOW - Rani Lakshmibai, the fiery queen of Jhansi, had taken up arms against the mighty British in 1857 to free her country, and now she might cross swords with you - in an action-packed computerised game at a museum.

Jaipur Literature Fest to host Vikram Chandra, Tina Brown

NEW DELHI - The fifth edition of the five-day Jaipur Literature Festival, beginning Jan 21, will host authors like Vikram Chandra, Tina Brown, Hanif Kureishi and Mahasweta Devi.

Novelist Radhika Jha travels into the heart of rural India

NEW DELHI - Journalist-cum-social worker-turned novelist Radhika Jha, winner of the French Prix Guerlain award, has journeyed into the heart of rural India - scripting a story of change - in her new novel Lanterns on Their Horns.

Orhan Pamuk continues to dominate bestselling chart

NEW DELHI - Meghnad Desai’s “The Rediscovery of India” jumped two positions and dominated the non-fiction bestsellers this week while “The Museum of Innocence” by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk continued to retain the No.1 position in the fiction category.

More English works to be made available in Indian languages

CHANDIGARH - In a bid to attract more Indian readers to English literature, the British Council is assisting Indian writers in translating classic works into regional Indian languages.

400-year-old Jharkhand drummakers struggle to keep trade alive (Feature with image)

ADHARJHOR - In the heart of a dense forest in the Patamda block, this ramshackle village of 100 thatched huts is fighting a tough battle to keep afloat its 400-year-old traditional craft - making percussion instruments.

PM lauds efforts to perpetuate classical music tradition

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday lauded the efforts of Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, sons of sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, for perpetuating India’s great classical music traditions.

International children’s festival begins in Delhi

NEW DELHI - A colourful spectacle at Jantar Mantar kicked off the 10th international children’s festival on performing arts in the capital Wednesday. Children from different countries came together, carrying placards on world peace as acrobats cavorted around inviting applause and cheer.

Indian art mart churned - and moved on (Flashback 2009)

NEW DELHI - Art has always been an enduring bet. The Rs.2,000-crore (Rs.20-billion) Indian art market managed to hold its own despite a 30 percent drop in prices in the first and second quarter of 2009.

In tourism, Goa church sees great new tool

PANAJI - The Roman Catholic church in Goa wants tourists in the state to spare the proverbial beach and booze and hit the Bible instead.

Children’s international fest of performing arts in Delhi

NEW DELHI - A four-day international festival of performing arts for children will begin in the capital Wednesday. Kids from across the world, including Russia, Finland, Singapore, Latvia, Pakistan, Nepal and Italy, are expected to participate in the festival.

Bawa sets new price record at global online auction

NEW DELHI - Saffronart, the Mumbai-based online auction house for fine art and jewellery, set a global price record for Manjit Bawas untitled canvas at Rs. 1.7 crore against an estimated price of Rs.90 lakh at its online global winter sale, a statement issued by the online auction house said Monday.

Akbar and potatoes bound ancient Incas to Indians

NEW DELHI - The ancient Incas shared an eclectic bond with India - a deep admiration for Mughal emperor Akbar and secrets of growing potatoes.

Thrillers, crime, taboo, top draws in 2009 fiction list (Flashback 2009)

NEW DELHI - Chivalrous love and family soaps spanning generations took a backseat as thrillers, crime, alternative sexualities and occult mysteries took their place under the sun and bookshelves with fiction novels finding a younger voice in 2009.

Foreign artists to donate art works to Chandigarh’s garden

CHANDIGARH - In a bid to salute the immaculate masterwork, nearly 25 artists from the US and Europe will donate their art works to the Rock Garden, one of the most sought after tourist destination of this union territory.

Paris-based Indian dancer brings ballet, Bharatnatyam, Kathak together

NEW DELHI - Paris-based Indian dancer Rukmini Chatterjee, who is bringing together European classical ballet, Bharatnatyam and Kathak for the Bonjour Festival here, says she is not in favour of fusing dance forms and each style should retain its identity on stage.

The year when Indian non-fiction came of age (Flashback 2009)

(Attn Editors: The literature yearender is the first of the yearenders. The rest will follow this week).BY MADHUSREE CHATTERJEE

At lit fests, I’m introduced as sex worker: Author Jameela

BANGALORE - Her Malayalam book, translated into English as the “Autobiography of a Sex Worker”, sold 13,000 copies within 100 days of its release in 2004 and went through six editions. But even today bestselling author Nalini Jameela finds respect hard to come by.

Art works on magic-realism exhibited in Delhi

NEW DELHI - A life-size glass automobile, huge tree installations suspended from the ceiling and an image of Krishna made from hand prints - the Lalit Kala Akademy’s 20th anniversary exhibition, which centres around the theme of magic realism, is a must see in the capital.

Church-affiliated Goa group publishes anti-Israeli book

PANAJI - Portraying Israeli tourists as a bunch of promiscuous, stingy, drug addicts and peddlers, a new book published by a church-affiliated organisation in Goa is likely to ruffle many feathers.

Jagjit Singh brings Ghalib’s soul to Kashmir

SRINAGAR - Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh mesmerised audiences for over four hours in the summer capital Srinagar with his performance Wednesday evening.

Pamuk’s book tops charts again

NEW DELHI - “What The Dog Saw” dominates the bestselling non-fiction category this week while “The Museum of Innocence” by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk retains the number one position in the fiction section.

What went into making one of India’s finest actors (Book Review)

Book: “Unlikely Hero Om Puri”; Author: Nandita C. Puri; Price Rs.395; Publisher: Roli

Book on Tibet in 21st century released

NEW DELHI - Tourism Minister Kumari Selja Tuesday released a book on Tibet that encompasses the demography, lifestyle and economy of the region in the 21st century.

Jagjit Singh’s concert in Kashmir Wednesday

SRINAGAR - Renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, who will perform here Wednesday, said he had a huge number of lovers in Kashmir who not only had a strong love and passion for Urdu ghazals, but also understood the nuances of the language.