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Events > 2009
YOGA MEDITATION COURSE
As part of its ongoing activities, weekly special yoga classes on meditation were conducted at ICC Yoga Hall by Mr. Prahalad Singh Chahar, Yoga Teacher, ICC. In these classes, topics such as re-arranging the mind, self suggestions to the mind, focusing the mind and sciences of soul were taught. These special classes were attended by nearly 60 participants. Following are some photographs:
YOGA TEACHERS TRAINING
Weekly Yoga Teachers Training course was conducted by Mr. Prahalad Singh Chahar, yoga teacher, ICC, to the senior yoga students of ICC who run their own institutes and teach yoga to local students. In the classes, Vivakkhyati and Prajana were taught to the participants with introduction of Hatha yoga asanas like pavanmuktasana, uttanpadasana, Ardha Halasana, Niralamvasana etc. Pranayama practice was also introduced to the participants.
SPECIAL YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMAN
As part of a new initiative, a weekly yoga class was introduced for pregnant woman wherein simple yogic techniques - how to sit and to lie down, self pain assessment, what to eat and how much to drink etc. - were taught to them. Another new initiative was the launch of a weekly yoga class for the children which focuses on how to concentrate, to balance the body and to rest the mind etc.
LECTURE ON LIFESTYLE IN AYURVEDA
In a series of monthly talks on Indian culture and lifestyle, with the collaboration of OHM, an NGO engaged in the promotion of Indian Culture in Suriname, Dr. Prakash Madarie, an Ayurvedic practitioner in Holland, gave a PowerPoint presentation on how to lead a healthy lifestyle as per science of Ayurveda. A few Ayurvedic medicines were exhibited and leaflets on Ayurvedic and Yogic practices were also distributed to the audience. Around 50 people attended the lecture
INDIAN SAREE DRAPING DEMONSTRATION
Over 27% of the Surinamese population is of Indian origin, and they like to wear traditional Indian dresses such as sarees during marriages, Indian festivals and other social gatherings. At the request of some ICC students and with a view to promote Indian culture, ICC organised a demonstration on various styles of saree draping from Indian States of U.P., West Bengal, Gujarat, etc. to an audience of nearly 60 women. It may be mentioned here that in recent years there has been a spurt in the number of Indian bazaars being organised in Suriname by visiting Indian traders which has increased the availability of Indian dresses at reasonable prices and has led to increased interest of local people in wearing Indian dresses.
OUTREACH PROGRAMME OF VOCAL MUSIC, YOGA AND HINDI WORKSHOP
As part of ICC's outreach programme, workshops in above three disciplines were conducted by the ICC teachers at Shri Sanatan Dharam Mandir, Blauwgrond, North of Paramaribo. The locality is inhabited predominantly by people of Indian origin but due to distance, the inhabitants are unable to come to attend classes at the ICC. However some of the senior students of ICC are conducting the music, Yoga and Hindi language classes at the Mandir regularly. During the workshops, yoga asanas, fundamentals of Hindi Grammar and how to learn Hindi easily through charts and bhajans were taught to nearly 50 participants by the ICC teachers. Such workshops help the students and the local teachers to learn new techniques of teaching from the trained teachers of ICC in various disciplines. Following are few photographs:-
AUDIO RECORDING OF BHAJANS FOR TV PROGRAMME "MILE SUR MERA TUMHARA" SARGAM
Bhajan singing is very popular in Suriname and helps in promoting Indian culture and religion locally amongst a large number of people of Hindostani origin. As a number of requests were received from the local communities to make a television programme on ' Bhajans ', the music teacher of ICC, Mrs. Madhumita Bose composed four bhajans. Audio recording of two of the bhajans were done at a local studio by the Vocal Music students of ICC and the Tabla Teacher ICC,Mr.Shailendra Madarie. Remaining two bhajans are expected to be recorded shortly and subsequently video shooting will be undertaken by a local television channel and the episode will be telecast on six to eight local television channels all over the Suriname.
INDIAN DANCE WORKSHOP AT THE FOLKLORISTIC DANCE ENSEMBLE
Marlene's Ballet, Folkoristic Dance Ensemble is a local dance school teaching, folk dances of various countries especially Chinese, African and Indonesian to local students. Keeping in view the increasing popularity of Indian dances, the school had requested ICC to conduct dance workshops. Accordingly, Mrs. Manjusha Sarvesh Joshi, Kathak Dance Teacher, ICC, conducted a special workshop to teach bhojpuri dance and basics of Kathak Dance to the Ballet students. Around 40 students from various ethnic groups of Suriname attended the workshop. The folk song item was composed and written by the Music teacher of ICC, Mrs. Madhumita Bose.
GRAND FINALE OF INDIAN DANCE COMPETITION " PAYAL KI JHANKAAR "
The grand finale of Indian Dance Competition " Payal Ki Jhankaar 2009" was held at the only air-conditioned and prestigious Theatre Thalia for the twelve contestants who reached the finale after qualifying the first and the second rounds which were held in April - June 2009. The competition was organised in two categories : Category - I : 8 - 16 years who were given topic of OLD id GOLD and Category - II : 17 to 25 years who danced on MYTHOLOGICAL SONGS. Each category had six contestants. The judges were taken from local prominent dance schools including teachers from ICC. The chief guest of the programme was the Hon'ble Minister for Agriculture, Husbandry & Fishery, Shri Keremchand Raghoebarsingh, who also distributed the prizes to the winners of the competition. The winners of categories were given following prizes.
(a) 1st Category - 1st prize Free air-ticket to Port-of-Spain/ Curacao
(sponsored by local travel agents).
(b) 2nd Category - 1st Prize Scholarship under ITEC Scholarship
(sponsored by Embassy of India)
(C) 2nd Prizes for both categories SONY MUSIC SYSTEM (sponsored)
(d) 3rd Prizes for both categories PHILIPS CD Player (sponsored
For the remaining three contestants in each category make-up kits were given as consolation prizes which were also sponsored by local people. Some dances by the local ballet dances of Marlene's Ballet School, folkloristic Dance Ensemble were also presented. Dancers were of African, Indonesian and Chinese origin who danced on a Bhojpuri folk number. The media had also appreciated the ICC's effort to promote dances through healthy competition. Press clippings enclosed.
LAUNCH OF BHAJAN BOOK
A book of bhajans was launched by Organisation of Hindoe Media (OHM), an NGO engaged in promotion of Indian Culture, at a function organised at Mata Gauri Sansthan - a local organization also promoting Indian Culture. The ICC had contributed to the book by preparing musical scores for the bhajans. It may be mentioned here that it was first ever launch of musical scores of bhajans in Suriname and will help the locals to play, sing and learn the bhajans properly. On this occasion Ambassador KJS Sodhi, President of Mata Gauri Sansthan and Chairman of OHM were among other people present at the book launch.
LAUNCH OF "INDIA MOVIE CLUB"
Keeping in view the popularity of the Bollywood movies among all the ethnic communities in Suriname, and on demand of some local people an '"India Movie Club" has been formed by ICC. The objective of the movie club is also to wean away the local public from watching the pirated movies. The Movie Club will screen one Bollywood movie free of charge every month. The club was launched with the screening of movie "Border" at ICC's Yoga Hall on 26 July, 2009, incidentally the day on which the ICC and the Embassy of India had commemorated the 10th anniversary of Indian victory in the Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict.
LECTURE ON TULSIDAS JAYANTI
The 477th birth anniversary of the famous Poet Goswami Tulsidas was celebrated at the ICC. Dr. Naraindutt Gangaram Panday, a prominent citizen, former District Commissioner and lecturer at University of Suriname delivered the keynote lecture on the occasion. He termed Tulsidas as the greatest poet in Hindi language, and explained about his life and poetry, to an audience of nearly 100 participants which included Hindi Poets, Scholars and students. On this occasion Ramayana ki Chaupiyan were read by the Hindi students of ICC and elaborated by Mrs. Sandhya Sharma, Hindi teacher, ICC. Some bhajans from Ramayana were also sung by the Vocal Music students of ICC led by the vocal music teacher, Mrs. Madhumita Bose.
SEMINAR AND EXHIBITION ON MUNSHI PREMCHAND
On the birth anniversary of Munshi Premchand, the famous Hindi and Urdu Writer and freedom fighter, a seminar was organised in collaboration with the Suriname Hindi Parishad, a premier local institution engaged in teaching and propagating Hindi language in Suriname and Caribbean. On this occasion lectures giving details about the life and books of Munshi Prem Chand were delivered by Smt. Sandhya Sharma, Hindi teacher, ICC and Smt. Bhawna Saxena, Attaché(Hindi) of Embassy. An exhibition of books, written by Premchand were also put up.