Veteran football player N.T. Karunakaran / The Hindu
Veteran football player N.T. Karunakaran died at his residence here on Tuesday. He was 92.
An ex-servicemen who had played for various teams including the Mohammedans Sporting Club of Kolkata died of age-related ailments. He had been one of the two founders of the Football Friend Free Coaching Centre (FFFCC) here that had offered free coaching to thousands of children over the last three decades.
FFFCC office-bearers said that the body would be placed at the FFFCC at 11 a.m. on September 24 before it was taken to Payyambalam for cremation. The deceased was the convener of the centre. He had also played for Army teams during his service period. He had also played for a club in Rajasthan after his retirement in 1946.
Mr. Karunakaran was a bachelor.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – September 24th, 2014
The five winners of the Toonz- Disney ‘Kahaani Masters’ contest in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Photo: Special arrangement / The Hindu
The organisers said the idea was to make the children believe in themselves and instil confidence in them.
Five young minds, all aged below 12 years and whose creativity took them past 14,000-plus others from across the country in ‘Kahaani Masters,’ a story-writing contest held by the Technopark-based Toonz Animation India and Disney India, are putting their brains together to make their stories come alive on screen.
Suhani Shrikande, 10, from Nagpur; Animesh Nigham, 7, from Bhopal; Atri Garg, 11, from New Delhi; Mayul Verma, 11, from Agra; and Aryan Sharma, 9, also from New Delhi, had won the contest, meant for children aged between six and 14 years, and are in Thiruvananthapuram from Thursday for a three-day workshop at the Toonz Studio. Here, under the mentorship of well-known animation film designer Prosenjit Ganguly, the five young story-tellers will design and colour the characters from their stories, enrich the story background, and enhance the story.
The organisers said the idea was to make the children believe in themselves and instil confidence in them. Each of them would be supported by an animator from Toonz. Once the three-day workshop was over, a three-month process by a Toonz creative team would begin to create five animated short films, strictly keeping in mind the designs and stories of the children. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow would be in the form of these short films being telecast on Disney channel during January 2015.
As for the stories, Aryan’s nine-year-old talent delves into friendship, sacrifice, and celebrating with the family, while 11-year-old Mayul brings to the storyboard a magical toy that makes a big difference in the world. Suhani conveys a message, in a funny manner, that arrogance leads to one’s fall. Animesh lets his imagination run riot while bringing stationary articles to life and letting them take matters into their hands, while Atri narrates the hilarious story of a boy and his mischievous pet.
Toonz CEO P. Jayakumar, in a statement here, said Toonz was ‘spellbound’ at the magnitude of creativity that came to light through the entries for the contest, which was organised in connection with the 15th anniversary of Toonz.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Dennis Marcus Mathew / Thiruvananthapuram – September 20th, 2014
Chilli powder-mixed water being poured on Alukku Samiyar
Vellore :
A 86 year-old self-styled godman took bath in water mixed with over 30 kilos of chilli powder, in a bid to ward off the hardships and suffering of others. The news spread like wildfire and attracted a huge crowd to where the godman was performing his special ablution in a narrow street of Vavusi Nagar in Sathuvachari.
Around 100 people in and around Sathuvachari, Vellore and Gudiyattam poured the water mixed with chilli powder over the godman, who calls himself as “Alukku (Dirt) Samiyar.”
At 10.15 am, the godman sat inside a 25 litre cooking vessel, while his devotees poured the chilli-powder-water over him, one after another, for half-an-hour. “Around 10 persons purchased the chilli powder. We mixed it in water and we poured it over him using a small bucket . He did not show any sign of discomfort. We recorded the entire happening,” said Pandian, a realtor, who arranged the special pooja.
“I observe the torment and miseries of the persons who pour the chilli-powder-water over me. With the holiness vested in me, I will relieve them from all their sufferings,” the godman claimed. He said, a couple of years ago, he performed a similar pooja in Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.
During a special pooja in Sathuvachari on Tuesday | S Dinesh
“It (chilli powder water) will not harm me,” said the godman, who is a native of Kerala and was brought up in an ashram in Vadakara (Kerala).
Before coming to Vellore four months ago, he was in Red Hills and Tiruvallur. “We want to set up an ashram in Sathuvachari hills during his stay here. He does not ask for anything from persons seeking his blessing, but accepts whatever they offer,” said Pandian.
However, some residents stated that few persons were trying to make money in the name of faith. The police warned the organisers of the pooja that action would be initiated if something happened to the godman.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Shanmuga Sundaram / September 24th, 2014
