Festivals – VAGABOND IMAGES

Diwali in Brussels! Almost, with the illuminated city

Upendra SwamiJanuary 18, 20202962 Views2

When it comes to Brussels, things keep getting bigger and brighter, literally! Its time for capital city to get illuminated again as we are nearing the Bright Brussels, a festival of magnificent lights. This time a new route of around 20 works and animated illuminations will light up the capital. From 13 to 16 February 2020, Festival of Light will enchant several of Brussels’ neighbourhoods. A new route of monumental luminous installations created by Belgian and international artists will take over several of the capital's emblematic sites. This year, for the first time, a luminous bicycle parade will kick off the festival on Thursday 13 February. Bright Brussels Festival © visit.brussels - Jean-Paul Remy For 4 days, the Halle Gate, Marolles, Sablon/Zavel and Mont des Arts/Kunstberg...

IndiaNews

Madhya Pradesh welcomes you to Orchha with a brand new festival

Upendra SwamiJanuary 11, 20203758 Views10

Adding to its ongoing initiatives to promote Madhya Pradesh as a leading tourism destination in the country, the State Tourism Board will be organising “Namaste Orchha”, a new festival scheduled to be held from 6-8 March 2020, celebrating the cultural landscape of the state in the historic town of Orchha. This will be an annual event now onwards in the MP tourism calendar. Festival was announced in a curtain raiser in Delhi on Friday. View of Orchha from the other side of Betwa river The three day extravaganza in this ancient and quaint town will feature diverse activities of music, art, wellness, travel, nature, adventure, history and culture. These activities would be led by experts in their respective fields with participants comprising invited delegates. An immers...

International

You won’t want to miss Christmas in Israel

Upendra SwamiDecember 21, 20191012 Views0

It’s again that time of the year. Beyond the connection that Israel has to the birth of Christianity, Israel is one of the most beautiful places in the world to celebrate Christmas. The Israel Ministry of Tourism invests a great deal of resources to make this an unforgettable holiday experience for every traveller visiting the country. Whether it's strolling the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem, the midnight mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, attending the traditional Nazareth event and exploring the charming Christmas markets - there's no better way to start the new year. Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Jerusalem. Photo: Israel Ministry of TourismSanta House, Jerusalem. Photo: Israel Ministry of Tourism Nazareth: Christmas in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, is a great celebr...

InternationalNews

Love jazz! Its going to be a JAZZUARY in Brussels

Upendra SwamiNovember 27, 20191038 Views0

With one month, 3 festivals, 46 concerts at 8 concert venues, Brussels definitively puts jazz in the spotlight in January. As the birthplace of the saxophone, the Belgian capital has become an essential stopover for musicians and lovers of the genre. Brussels is the city with the highest number of jazz concerts per capita in the world, after New York and Paris. From Toots Thielemans, to Philip Catherine, Steve Houben, Mélanie De Biasio, Eric Legnini, and Charles Loos, these ambassadors of Belgian jazz abroad all have a close link with this city, where it feels good to play and share your music. With its many festivals, concert halls, clubs and conservatories, jazz is widespread and can be heard everywhere, in every style, all year round and all through the night. One of the highlig...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Guns and colours at Holi of valour in Menar

Upendra SwamiMarch 22, 20195328 Views3

So, you would have enjoyed the Holi of colours the previous day, but another part of India is today celebrating Holi in its unique way. I have often referred to Menar near Udaipur as a Bird’s village. But I have also always mentioned that this particular village has a very unique history. So, when rest of the north India, celebrates Holi with colours, this tiny village celebrates Holi with its gunshots. Its Holi not of myth but a history of courage, a daring win. Also read: Morning lights at Menar - The birds village Going by the Indian caste structure, Menar is known as a village of Brahmins. But interestingly in Mewar region brahmins of Menar (surnamed as Menarias) are also referred to as Brahma Kshatriyas, and history has big role in naming them so. On the third day of Holi...

IndiaPhotogallery

मरु देश में होली के रंग aka Colours of Holi in Desert!

Upendra SwamiMarch 19, 20192005 Views2

होली के मौसम में जिक्र एक और अनूठी होली का। यह होली राजस्थान की है। यह है बीकानेर इलाके की तणी होली। होली में तणी को काटने की प्रथा को तकरीबन 300 साल पुराना बताया जाता है। हालांकि इसके बारे में ठीक-ठीक कहना मुश्किल है। पुराने लोग बताते हैं कि यह परंपरा रियासत काल से चली आ रही है। बताया जाता है कि इसका मकसद वहां के पुष्करणा समाज से जुड़े जोशी समुदाय के लोगों को होली की उत्सव में भागीदारी कराने से है। यहां यह मान्यता है कि होलिका जोशी समुदाय से थी इसलिए उन्हें होलिका के जल जाने का अफसोस रहता है। इसलिए इस समुदाय के लोग होली की स्थापना होने से लेकर होलिका दहन तक सब्जी में छोंक नहीं लगाते। न ही वे होलिका दहन देखने के लिए ही जाते हैं। Among many different colours of Holi in India, this one is from western end of the Rajasthan, from the heart of the That Desert. This is Tani Holi of Bi...

International

The spirit of Christmas at a mountain of surprise

Upendra SwamiNovember 10, 20181125 Views3

Stuttgart is said to be a very green city with a lot of forest and vineyards, even downtown in the centre of the city are vineyards located, this is a very unique, and typical Stuttgart, situation. Stuttgart offers a various and multifaceted cultural scene with a tremendous amount of events every day and a lot of museums like Mercedes Benz Museum, Porsche Museum the State Art Gallery or the Art Gallery of the City of Stuttgart and new library a very unique building. With the Beer festivals in spring (Frühlingsfest) and autumn (Cannstatter Wasen), both belong to the biggest in Germany and Europe there is another attractive reason to visit Stuttgart! Best Christmas markets Nowhere has more romantic Christmas markets than South West Germany, with medieval and Baroque palaces and ...

IndiaPhotogallery

Vilasini Natyam – Dance of the Devadasis

Upendra SwamiOctober 25, 20184714 Views2

Purvadhanashree performing Vilasini Natyam (all images) Devadasis has been a long debated issue- as a temple ritual as well as a dance form, although it has been into existence for centuries and perhaps older than many other classical dance forms. As a social ritual it was discredited a long ago and even many laws were brought to abolish the system. Even the dance form went into oblivion, until it was researched and revived in last few decades. Vilasini Natyam is said to be the dance of Telugu Devadasis. It was traditionally performed in temples as a ritual, in courts for the royalties and in the chambers for intellectuals for their aesthetic experience. It was also performed for the general public at dance theatres for their infotainment, to educate them, to ent...

InternationalNews

Comics Festival unveils great new features this year

Upendra SwamiJune 8, 2018959 Views0

There are not many comics festivals in the world like the now famous Brussels Comics Festival in the European capital. To mark its 9th year, from 14–16 September 2018, the Brussels Comics Festival contains its own batch of novelties. This year the brave Alix is celebrating 70 years of existence and will be honoured right through this weekend dedicated to the 9the art. Since its inauguration in 2010 by visit.brussels, the Comics Festival has come a long way. Launched after a year dedicated to Brussels about the 9th art, each year the Comics Festival welcomes nearly 100,000 visitors and more than 250 comics artists. This year, the Comics Festival will once again be taking up its place in Brussels park where the traditional tents will be pitched over 14, 15 and 16 September...

InternationalNews

Traditional folklore and cool technology are woven together at Taiwan Lantern Festival

Upendra SwamiMarch 5, 20181135 Views0

The 29th Taiwan Lantern Festival was officially opened, with the lighting of the lanterns in the Main Lantern area. The exhibition scale for this year’s festival reaches 50 hectares, making it the biggest lantern festival ever held in Taiwan. The exhibitions will feature the main lantern which depicts an indigenous child with a Taiwanese dog, portraying the theme of Loyal Auspiciousness. Besides this main attraction, the innovative designs area will showcase various exquisite traditional lanterns that embody traditional customs and auspicious themes; these are sure to dazzle people. For the first time, full-field spotlights will be used to shine the latitude and longitude beams in the sky and present the Tropic of Cancer going through the mountains, sea and plains of Chiayi County. The