National
10-day ‘Mysuru Dasara’ off to grand start (With Images)
Mysuru (Karnataka), Sep 21 (IANS) The 10-day “Mysuru Dasara” began on Thursday with much pomp and grandeur, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other officials attending the festivities.
Mysuru Dasara, also called “Nada Habba” (state festival), was inaugurated by Padma Shri awardee K.S. Nissar Ahmed, a renowned Kannada poet, along with Siddaramaiah and other state officials atop Chamundi Hills, located 13 km from Mysuru.
Mysuru, located about 150 km from Bengaluru, attracts visitors from across the world for its traditional Dasara, marking the triumph of good over evil.
With lakhs of people gathering in the historic city, which has been spruced up for the festival with hundreds of flower garlands, the Chief Minister said the festivities took him back to his childhood.
“I’ve been a part of the festival celebrations right from school days as a NCC candidate, then as a minister and then as the Chief Minister for the past five years,” Siddaramaiah told the gathering at the inauguration.
“The festival is one of the best examples of secularism in the society as it’s celebrated by everyone,” veteran poet Ahmed said.
The festivities on Thursday include the inauguration of Mysuru Dasara film festival, exhibition by women entrepreneurs and self-help groups and inauguration of cultural events by the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister will also open a Dasara flower show, a key attraction of the fest.
The iconic Mysuru Palace built in 1912 will be lit up with thousands of bulbs from 7.00 p.m till 10.00 p.m on all all the festival days.
The 10-day cultural extravaganza draws at least 10 lakh visitors, including from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.
According to officials, at least 10,000 foreign tourists world also visit the city during Dasara celebrations every year.
The South Western Railway has announced special unreserved trains to tackle the rush and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation would be operating over 100 additional buses from Mysuru to other cities in the state.
As a part of UDAN’s regional connectivity scheme, flights were also launched from Mysuru to Chennai and Hyderabad. Visitors can take a helicopter ride for a panoramic view of the illuminated city.
“This year’s festival is expected to have much larger gathering than last year,” an official said.
“We are expecting at least 30 per cent increase in footfall this time round,” Additional Deputy Commissioner T. Yogesh told IANS.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.