In Nepal, a four day literature festival has begun in the capital Kathmandu today. Indian authors including Bengali poet and novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay, Journalist Vinod Mehta , Amish Tripathi, Advaita Kala, are taking part in the festival .

There will be various sessions on literature, theatre, art, music, sociology and economics in the four-day festival. alongwith book launches. The festival is organised by the Bookworm Trust .

 India recognizes the importance of having quality living and cultural infrastructure in cities. Culture and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja said that New Delhi is committed to ensuring sustainable management of its historic sites in urban areas. Speaking at the 5th Asia-Europe or ASEM Culture Ministers’ meeting in Indonesia today, she said, the unparalleled pace at which urbanization is taking place, is posing challenges to the traditional historic cities.

The Minister said, the government has set up National Monuments Authority to introduce new ways of sensitive planning, using tools like ground surveys, to ensure that mega infrastructure and other development projects do not harm the historic environment. Ms Selja said, the government and the New Delhi office of the UNESCO have developed a partnership named "Moving towards Heritage based Urban Development" to help safeguard and promote the sustainable use of the country’s unique and diverse urban heritage.

The Minister cited outstanding examples of urban renewal projects within historic cities such as the urban renewal initiative between Archeological Survey of India and Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Nizamuddin area of the national capital.

 In Odisha, an ancient statue of Gautam Buddha and remains of a Budhha monastery have been unearthed in Kesharaipur-Hatikhol village in the vicinity of the world famous Lalitgiri Buddhist site in Jajpur district. Noted Buddhist researcher Harischandra Prusty said, the workers came across the articles while digging land for a drain there three days ago. An idol of Buddha in meditating pose, made probably during post Gupta period, and earthen मिट्टी काitems like bowls, spoutफुहारे की भाँति छूटना jars and broken potteries were found from the spot. Mr. Prusty said, in addition to these, a monastery has been discovered on the foot of Kesharaipur-Hatikhol hill. The monastery is 30 x 30 metres in size. There are four rooms measuring 10 feet x 9 feet each.

earthenware

मिट्टी के बरतन

A week long film festival to mark the India Bangladesh Joint Celebrations of 100 years of Indian Cinema and a Soumitra Chatterjee Film Retrospective is set to begin in Dhaka on Saturday. The festival is being jointly organized by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka in association with the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation along with the support of the Bangladesh's Ministry for Cultural Affairs and India's Directorate of Film Festivals of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Bangladesh's Minister for

Information and Cultural Affairs, Mr.Abul Kalam Azad will be the Chief Guest at the Inaugural session of the film festival while Eminent Film Director Mr. Muzaffar Ali and Versatile actor Mr. Farooq Sheikh and Mr. Rajeev Kumar Jain, Director, Directorate of Film Festivals of India will also participate in the programme at the National Museum auditorium in Dhaka.

The India-Bangladesh Joint Celebrations of the 100 Years of Indian Cinema with a week- long film festival is being organised as a tribute to the entire film community of India and Bangladesh of today and the yesteryears who have shaped the film industry over generations. A total of 15 films from India and 8 films from Bangladesh will be screened during the festival which includes Raja Harish Chandra the First feature Film made in India by Dada Saheb Phalke, Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan, and Bangladesh's internationally acclaimed film Matir Moina. The festival also a involves a retrospective of films of Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee to celebrate the recognition of his lifetime contribution to Indian cinema by being honoured with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award this year.

 Minister of  Minister of Culture, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has emphasized on age old bonds and people to people links between India and Sri Lanka. In her opening remarks at the Symposium on “Relic Worship: History, Archaeology and Religion in Colombo today, she said, the two countries are the closest of neighbours, with a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interactions over a period of 2500 years .

She expressed confidence that the second exposition of the sacred Kapilavastu Relics in Sri Lanka , which is being held after a gap of 34 years will reinforce the common cultural heritage shared between India and Sri Lanka and will further strengthen the people-to-people bonds between our countries.

A photo exhibition - India through Sri Lankan Eyes- Buddhist Circuit” - has been inaugurated in Colombo. This comes as a prelude to the forthcoming exposition of Sacred Kapilavastu Relics in Sri Lanka. The exhibition has been organized by the High Commission of India in partnership with the Photographic Society of Sri Lanka in Colombo.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka in presence of Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India.

The photographs display is an excellent combination of natural beauty and human devotion and captures the emotions involved, through “Sri Lankan eyes”.

Speaking at the inauguration, High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha highlighted that the exposition of Sacred Kapilavastu Relics is being organized in Sri Lanka from 19 August to 4 September 2012 at the request made by the President of Sri Lanka to the Prime Minister of India to provide an opportunity to the followers of Buddhism in Sri Lanka to pay homage to the Kapilavastu Relics. The first Exposition of Sacred Relics in Sri Lanka was in 1978.

Union Human Resource Development, HRD Ministry has decided to take up preservation of Jammu and Kashmir's rich manuscript wealth under national preservation mission. Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal said that HRD ministry will also take up translation of standard books of different languages into local languages of Jammu and Kashmir and vice versa. He was speaking at a function organised by J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at Srinagar last evening. Sibal's announcement came in response to proposals put forth by secretary of the Academy, Khalid Bashir Ahmad during his briefing about the ongoing and future projects of the literary body.

A power point presentation was also made on the multi-crore 'Tehzeeb Mahal', being set up in Srinagar as the hub of art, culture and literary activities. Responding to the demand by Jnanpith awardee and noted Kashmiri poet, Rehman Rahi, for restarting the practice of having national news reels and documentaries dubbed in Kashmiri language, Sibal said he would take up the matter with the concerned ministry. An exhibition of rare manuscripts, paintings, calligraphy specimen and Academy's publications was organised.

The minister evinced keen interest in the manuscripts and other displayed items which included a rare copy of Holy Quran calligraphed in 1237 AD by Fateh Ullah Kashmiri. Another manuscript on display was written in 1594 AD and is the only copy of Holy Quran in the world to be written in saffron ink. Copies of Bhagwad Geeta and Mahabharata in Persian were also displayed. Another attraction at the exhibition was a Persian manuscript written in calligraphy with nail of thumb, popularly known as 'Khat-e-Nakhun'.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that Bangladesh now is a land where terrorists and militants9युद्धकारी0 have no room to run their activities. The Bangladesh Prime Minister made this remarks during her meeting with the visiting Director General of Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri in Dhaka today in her office. 

Bangladesh Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said that during the discussions the Prime Minister outlined her government's steps to ensure food security of the people, education, social safety and to confront the adverse impacts of climate change. She also added that her government is making efforts to promote democratic values and tolerance. She thanked

the Director General for declaring Dhaka as the Capital of Islamic Culture of the Asian Region for 2012. Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri who heads ISESCO was the special guest at the inaugural programme of the two day celebrations organized in Dhaka on Saturday to mark the launch of the year long celebrations of Dhaka as the Capital of Islamic Culture of the Asian Region for 2012.

Dr Abdulaziz appreciated the leadership of the Prime Minister to bring progress and prosperity for the people of Bangladesh and said the ISESCO would always remain beside the friendly country to fulfill its cherished goal. He also hoped that the ISESCO's cooperation with Bangladesh particularly the ministries of education and culture would be strengthened in future.

ISESCO was set up in 1979 with its headquarters in Rabat, Morocco by the 58 member Organisation of Islamic Conference to coordinate and implement programmes in the fields of education, science and culture.

he world's tallest temple, on the lines of the famed Cambodia's Angkor Wat, is all set to come up in Bihar. According to Bihar Dharamik Nyas Board head Acharya Kishore Kunal, the temple, to be constructed at an estimated cost of 200 crore rupees, will be 270-feet-high and spread over an area of over one lakh sq ft. The five-storey temple will come up at a place near Ismailpur village on Hajipur-Bidupur road in Bihar's Vashali district.

The main temple complex will be at a height of 72 feet. The temple will have escalators for the old and infirm. The project is expected to be completed in 10 years time.

ssam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has stressed the need on improving trade and cultural relations with neighbouring Myanmar. Addressing a meeting of the Foreign Policy Forum of FICCI on ‘Myanmar and the New Crossroads of Asia’ in New Delhi yesterday, the Chief Minister said this has become utmost necessary particularly for tackling insurgency in the North-East.

Referring to reports of the rebel groups of the North-east, including banned ULFA, operating from the neighbouring country and China’s involvement, Mr. Gogoi said the only way to deal with the situation is to improve India’s relations with Myanmar. He also emphasized on opening traditional trade routes, including the historic Stillwell Road, with the neighbouring country.

Gogoi said Indian businessmen can benefit from the rich natural resources with changing political scenario in Myanmar.

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has stressed the need for change in the working style of zonal cultural centres. He said it is necessary to take the advantage of technology and advancement in keeping alive our rich cultural heritage and art forms.
 Dr. Singh said television and internet could provide a new forum to folk arts.

Referring to the report submitted by a committee headed by Mani Shankar Aiyer, Dr. Singh informed that the Committee has suggested 70 per cent of the allocated funds should be used to encourage the new talents in villages and slums.