City organist brings laurels
A well-known city organ player Amarjeet Frank was one among a select group of organ players from the country to participate in a first-of-its-kind international pipe organ recital organised on December 12. The event was organised by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), New Delhi.
Frank found it to be an honour to perform along with the some of the most eminent pipe organists. He is currently attached to La Martiniere College’s chapel, here, in the state capital.
The other organ players, six were from churches in India, while one from Germany. Frank described pipe organ ‘the most fascinating musical instrument’ which he had been playing since 1964. Currently, there is only one pipe organ in the state capital and that is in the chapel of La Martiniere College
Ipshita falls silent
The roar of one of the oldest inmates of Lucknow zoo fell silent as its pride, the 19-year-old Royal Bengal tigress, Ipshita left for her heavenly abode after a prolonged illness.
The big cat was the heart of the zoo and saved many dull evenings with its growling and angry pacing. The feline was in the zoo hospital for the past two years because of its illness.
Now, zoo is left with seven Royal Bengal tigers, including four of which were born from Ipshita. The tigress had not been keeping well due to old age. It was not eating properly and had become frail.
In 2009, Ipshita had given birth to four cubs, including a white one. The birth of the tiger cubs was special since it was after 10 years that tiger cubs were born at Lucknow zoo. Ipshita and its partner Shishir were brought to Lucknow in 2007
Municipal Corporation’s smart watches
After a gap of over a year, Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is planning to re-introduce smart watches to keep vigil on its sanitary workers. Around 10,000 smart watches have been purchased from a Bengaluru based private company for Rs 3 crore.
These watches have chips with a global positioning system (GPS) that will help the LMC control room to check the workers’ movement.
The watches will be first made mandatory for around 6,000 contractual workers followed by 3,000 permanent ones. The decision to re-introduce smart watches was taken after receiving shoddy garbage collection complaints from over 20 wards in the city. The distribution work will start by December end
Panchatantra Van in Raj Bhawan soon
The sprawling lawns of palatial Raj Bhawan (Governor House) is set to get a unique Panchatantra Van (Panchtantra Forest) where people, especially children, will learn lessons of Panchatantra (an ancient Indian collection of animal fables) with the help of self-explanatory murals.
The ‘Van’ will come up on 2.5 hactre land with a nature trail, fountain, model of animals, light arrangements, music systems in place to attract people’s attention. It is expected to be ready by April.
Slides and swings will be set up there to attract children. Besides, three-dimensional animal models of tiger and lions, concave and convex lens will be installed to catch childrens’ attention
Namita Bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@newindianexpress