We have Shakespeare and many others.

 Like as the waves make towards the                 pebbl’d shore,

  So do our minutes hasten to their end;

               ………………………………………………                                                                 (Shakespeare)

Look at this beautiful poem I have just found.

Waves

The rolling waves against the hard rocks harshly beat

Upon the sandy shores, prostrate at my feet

The rolling times, the hard hearts harshly treat

The whole world will the gentle heart kindly greet.

Courtesy of  © Shahriar Shahriari, Vancouver, Canada, April 6, 1997

The seacoast of Mauritius has bountiful scenery that appeal to the inquisitive heart of many adventurous people.

Here are some more pictures to quench your thirst.

More Pictures…

Some more

Still some more..

It never ends… The last snap was taken on a small island around Mauritius. Can you tell me which island it is?

My thoughts if they can please you..

                      1. The sea is blue

                           but the fish are not blue.

                          My heart says…

                          something is blue

                          which the eyes do not see.

                                       2. I saw the sea

                                           disturb on the surface,

                                           groaning and growling

                                           full of power and force

                                           fuming and foaming

                                           like a pressure cooker,

                                           very calm inside

                                           without any pressure

                                  waves rush in to caress the sand

                                           only to rush out again

                                          in peace and pride. 

              3. Sun, sand and wind

                  make the day pleasant.

                 Wandering around

                with family and friends

                keeps you hearty and healthy.

The Shri Krishnadevaraya Trust in collaboration with the Telugu Speaking Union organized, as usual, this year also, the Vemana Poem recitation competition. It was meant for students learning Telugu in the primary schools of Mauritius. More than hundred students expressed their wish to participate and the competition was held at the Mauritius Andhra Maha Sabha, Grand River North West, Port Louis, on Saturday 15 July, 2011.

Quite a good number of parents and teachers were present to encourage their children. Most of the officers from the Telugu inspectorate of the Ministry of Education were also present.

Each participant came on stage in front of the audience and recited his/her poem and explained the meaning of the poem in Telugu. The participant was then assessed by a panel of three juries. It was marvelous to listen to each and every student reciting a poem of Vemana in their own style and in their own free way.

Jury members

Vemana was a Telugu poet who lived around the period 1400 – 1500 AD.  Scholars do not unanimously agree about the period in which he lived. C.P.Brown, who did extensive work on Vemana in his preface to the English translation- Verses of Vemana, states that the date of birth from his 707th verse is Vemana’s date of birth. But it is not clear. This cyclical date of Hindu calendar coincides with 1412 or 1472. Brown also wrote that the verses of Vemana were 400 years older in his preface of the book ‘Vemana padyalu’.

Vemana was a Telugu poet. He composed numerous poems in Telugu in Aata Veladhi metre which consists of four lines; the fourth line, with some exceptions, is the refrain or chorus …Viswadabhirama Vinura Vema. Vemana’s style is simple, his poems deal with social problems and sometimes propose solutions too. With the zeal of a social reformer, many of his poems criticize and strive to give fresh perspective to ardent followers of old, embedded traditions.

We do not have much information about the poet. Very less is known about him.

Vemana was from a ‘Reddy’ family and native of Kadapa district and believed to have lived in Gandikota area of the district.

The Andhra Pradesh’s government(2004-2009) under the Chief Ministry of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy established an University in Kadapa on his name… Yogi Vemana University.

The following students enthralled the audience with their performance.

1. Sooriah Kesharee    …..        First Prize         ….. E. Rochecoute G S, Q Bornes

2. Chenchoogadoo Savina…..Second Prize…..Rajiv Gandhi G S, Riche Marre

3. Yenkanah Shanina……         Third Prize  …….Rajiv Gandhi G S, Riche Marre

4. Uppiah Sheeya        ……    Consolation Prize….Bheewa Mahadoo G S, R du Rempart

5. Bangarigadoo Mrugaakshi…Consolation Prize… Ramnarain Roy G S

6. Sunassee Rebecca       ………  Consolation Prize… Charles telfair G S

7. Sooriah Nancy              ……..  Consolatio Prize … Louis Nellan G S

8. Swami Bhervin              ………Consolation Prize… Aryan Vedic H A S

9. Subbareddi Luciana    …….. Consolation Prize.,.. Pandit Sahadeo G S

10. Achadoo Alisha    …….        Consolation Prize… Willoughby G S

This poem is very famous in Mauritius. Many children are seen to recite this poem very easily.

Winner of the competition demonstrating a poem with pictures

Atmasuddhi leni acharamadi ela

Bhandasuddhi leni pakamadi ela

Chittasuddi leni sivpujalelara

Viswadhaabhiraama, Vinura Vema

English translation…

What is the purpose of custom without inner purity?

What is the purpose of cooking without cleanliness of vessels?

What is the purpose of worship of Shiva without purity of mind?

Beloved of the Bounteous, Vema, listen!

Chairperson of the Trust thanking the participants and audience

Mauritius offers a wide range of natural reserves that provide good opportunities for Hiking, Trekking and Climbing. Some are fee paying and some are free. The free reserves are more natural and fresh. They offer a starting point for organized short and long hikes.

Mauritius has many beautiful trails to exploit. And specialized guides are also available for safe journey. Hiking (randonner) with friends in a forest or a nature reserve are more exciting than sitting at home or at the seasides. Just try it and enjoy the thrill and excitement. Walking amidst  exotic wild plants among rare species of colourful birds and flowers is really exciting.

start it now

Getting outside and experiencing nature in itself is a wonderful activity but you can take this experience to another level by turning it into an active experience. You can learn a lot by just walking with friends in a wild environment. 

A few friends did go to such an exciting and beautiful place and they want to share with us their experience. Discover for yourself the beauty of these locations.

enjoy the freshness

experience the excitement

Mountains and valleys, tracks and trails, fauna and flora, all in a wild nature of exotic trees and plants with flowing rivulets and waterfalls brings you a therapy free of charge with a prescription of fresh air.

Jeunesse manque le souffle

guette jeunesse jordi (cannot climb)

come back at sunset

Now it is for you to tell me the name of the place. Let us see how much you know about Mauritius. Which part of  Mauritius is this reserve found?

Melbourne is a multicultural city. It is the capital city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city of Australia. It is located on the Port Philip Bay, near the mouth of the Yarra River. It is one of Australia’s leading ports.

It is a major commercial and industrial centre.

Melbourne was named in1837 after Lord Melbourne, who was the British Prime Minister at that time. It developed quickly after the 1851 rush for gold.

looking for gold

Aquarium on bank of Yarra River

It became the capital of Commonwealth of Australia when the country obtained independence in 1901 and remained the seat of the government until 1927. Melbourne was the site of the 1956 Olympic Games.

Melbourne city population was estimated at over 93,100 at 30 June, 2009 and it has grown considerably now. The city has accommodated migrants from European countries, Greece, China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Malaysia, Sudan, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and India.

The inhabitants of Melbourne are called Melburnians. Over two-thirds of Melburnians speak only English at home.  Melbourne has attracted the largest proportion of international overseas immigrants finding it outpacing Sydney’s international migrant intake.

Melbourne is home to a wide range of religious faiths, the most widely held faith of which is Christian, it includes both Catholics and Anglicans.

The city has a strong culture of philanthropy and volunteering, and Melburnians are known for being friendly and inclusive. There are still some people of European descent  who continues to breed racial discrimination and who look down upon migrants from Asia and Africa. Melbourne is home to people of 140 different cultures: Indigenous Australians, post war European migrants, and recent arrivals from India, Somalia, Malaysia, China and a host of others. 

^{Melbourne has some of the best restaurants, shopping centres and hotels in the city. it offers a variety of culinary items from various cuisines of  many cultures and good spicy stuff to its visitors.}

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Melbourne was ranked the world’s fourth top university city in 2008 after London, Boston and Tokyo. Melbourne is the home of the University of Melbourne, as well as Monash University, the largest university in Australia. The University of Melbourne is the oldest university in Australia.

Other universities located in Melbourne include La Trobe University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology,  Victoria University and a few others.

Here are some pictures for your appreciation …………………………………………………………………..

Bathukamma festival in Mauritius

 This year 2011 Bathukamma festival has been celebrated in Mauritius for the first time along withthe launching of the Book Bathukamma Satakam written by our famous Jonna Vithula Ramalineswara Rao Gaaru. This book which has been launched in Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad today by the SILICONANDRA, has been also launched simultaneously in a symbollical manner in Mauritius with the support of the TELUGU SPEAKING UNION and TELUGU SAMSKRUTIKA NILAYAM  in ROSE HILL, MAURITIUS.   

Bathukamma is a village folk deity worshiped by many Telugus who migrated to Mauritius in the nineteenth century. Today, with modernisation and industrialisation this deity is not heard of , but few elders do remember, especially those whose ancestors came from the Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Mauritius- Acharya divya mantram

Bathukamma festival in Mauritius

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Jonna Vithula Ramalingeswara Rao - well known poet, literary figure and popular cine writer.  His latest literary creations, “Sree Ramalingaeswara Satakam” and “Telugu Vedam. Famous international poet has been invited to demonstrate his poetical talent in Mauritius. The Telugus of Mauritius will have a great opportunity to listen to the beauty of Telugu poetry. Welcome…

Bathukamma is a stack of beautiful flowers arranged in seven concentric layers in the form of a cone. It is believed that the flowers that are obtained in this season are unique seasonal flowers,  with medicinal value.  It is the ladies who prepare Bathukamma with the flowers. They then arrange them on a wide plate in a conical mound. Those ladies who participate in the festival  dress up in their best, wearing traditional Silk Sarees and jewellery. Young girls also participate. They wear Langa-Oni – the traditional attire of young girls of the region. The ladies gather in large numbers along with their Bathukammas in their locality place them in the middle and dance around them while singing soul stirring Bathukamma folk songs. Synchronising steps and claps in unison provide a splendorous look to the festivities

women singing -songs in Telengana, AP

The BATHUKAMMA festival or Panduga is one of the most unique festivals of Andhra Pradesh especially of Telangana region celebrated mainly by the women.

Bathukamma panduga, the spring festival, is the second largest festival after Dasara or Vijaya Dashami in Telangana Region.

This year Ugadi will be celebrated in Mauritius on 4 April 2011. In Mauritius Ugadi is a national festival and it is public holiday. The Telugus give a lot of importance to this festival because it the first festival in the Telugu calender. Telugus also believe that Ugadi marks the beginning of time and the creation of the universe and offerings to the Almighty plays a primordial place. All temples will be crowed with devotees of the Lord and devotees will also partake of the special preparation known as Ugadi Pacchadi. Cultural programmes are held in every place and one such programme was held yesterday in Quatre Bornes.

All the Telugu associations of Q. Bornes in collaboration with the municipality of the town organised a cultural show to mark the arrival of Khara Naama Ugadi. Eminent personalities were present and the Mayor of the Town Mrs Oxenam gave a wonderful speech on that occasion and she was widely applauded.

Many children, youngsters and elders of different associations participated in the cultural show. Those who attended got a good glimpse of the Telugu culture as practice in Mauritius. The show was made for all the age groups. There were Kuchipudi dance , devotional songs, poems recitation, folk dances, potpouri, speeches and  modern Telugu dance by energetic  youngsters of the town of Q Bornes. The audience was presented a brief on every item of the programme by four talented, charming young girls namely, Meera, Ravishna, Reshma snd Aswina. They shared equal responsibilities in presenting the programme and they spared no effort to entertained the audience at every moment it was needed. Hats off to all the four angels. It was mind blowing.

A few snaps for your appreciation.

Did you know that Ugadi Pacchadi is a traditional vaccination used by our ancestors?

Just look at the content of these ingredients of the Pacchadi and their medicinal value.

Fresh Mango – Helps formation of new cells, increases body resistance against many diseases and acts as antiseptic.

Tamarind – Lowers cholesterol, provides protection against colds, cures bile disorders and promote healthy heart.

Neem flower – Cures skin infections, and it is used as an astringent and manufacture of facial cream.

Jaggery - Acts as a cleansing agent, regulates blood pressure, helps body get rid of toxins, use since ancient times to treat dry cough, and has strong anti oxidant properties.

Salt – Helps regulate blood pressure, helps keep calcium and other minerals in the blood, helps regulate muscle contractions.

Chilly –  It is a good pain killer, is full of vitamin C.

A mixture of all these ingredients will be a sort of a new drug to treat viral infections. Did our ancestors have better knowledge of treating health problems in their days? What have we lost? A proper research need to be done by those concerned to prove this fact. A challenge to scientific research now!!!!!

Do not forget to taste this Ugadi pacchadi..

Happy Ugadi  2011

This year Mauritius has celebrated its 43rd anniversary

of independence. Mauritius struggled hard

SSR in England

to get its independence in 1968.

The then Prime Minister was

Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam (SSR),

the father of the present Prime Minister

Today Mauritius is a very beautiful island state,

attracting visitors from all over the globe.

SSR was educated in England and rule the

country as a true democrat and won the heart of all Mauritians.

He is today known as the father of the nation. Below is a brief about Mauritius about the island.

Beauty and Nature of the island.

The island of Mauritius has a magnetic attraction. Long ago, Mauritius was blessed with the visit of great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Charles Darwin and famous writers like Bernadin de Saint Pierre and Mark Twain.  These visitors were very much impressed by the beauty of this island and the nature of its people.  Charles Darwin and Mark Twain called Mauritius a heaven on earth. They were amazed to see how a heterogeneous people, who came from different parts of the globe, were living together in peace and harmony.  They praised this country and its people and predicted that this spirit of harmony and brotherhood of the inhabitants would pave the way for the success of Mauritius.

Today, looking at the progress made in different fields, Mauritius is cited, in many international forums, as an ideal example for the developing and underdeveloped countries.

Mauritius is an independent country, full of natural beauty and attracts visitors from all parts of the world. It is situated in the south west of the Indian Ocean, 800 kilometres east of Africa, and 4,700 kilometres south of India. It is now a republic with an area of 2048 square kilometers with beautiful sea shores, white sandy beaches, green sugar-cane fields, tropical plants, exotic flowers and fruit trees which are a feast to the eyes.

Mauritius is a melting pot with people of different religious belief and faith.  All the great religions of the world flourish side by side on this small island and the inhabitants whose ancestors hail from Europe, Africa and Asia still speak and cherish the languages and cultures of their forefathers.

Population – Religions and Languages

According to the population census of 1990, the population of Mauritius was 1,056,827 only.  Today it is approximately1,200,000.  The inhabitants follow all the great religions of the world like, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.  In spite of the fact that people have different religious belief, they all live in unity and harmony.

The Hindus are the majority community in Mauritius. They are 60% of the population and Christians are 30%.  The Afro-Mauritians, the French and some Chinese adhere to the Christian faith.  A few Chinese are also Buddhists.    The Muslims are 10%.  The French are better financially compared to the other communities.

People of Indian origin speak Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bhojpuri.  Among them, the Hindi-Bhojpuri speakers outnumber the others.  Most of the inhabitants speak ‘Creole’.  ‘Creole’ dialect has developed as an off-shoot of French.

Although English is the official language of Mauritius, French is very popular, and has become the language of the media.  There are also newspapers in English, French, Hindi and Chinese.  The local radio and television station-The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) broadcast more programmes in French, English and Hindi.  Today Mauritius gets Doordarshan TV channels in languages like Tamil, Telugu, Marathi Urdu and Hindi also.  There are also private channels offered to the public against the payment of a subscription fee.  P

We love Mauritius, island of paradise.

Walking in the forest or a nature reserve and looking at the green sceneries or the sunrise, you can be able to relax your mind, you can also unwind, and even reflect to what is going on with your life. Walking in nature is itself a natural therapy.

A therapy such as nature walk can provide much needed relief from the stresses of life. It gives our over-stimulated senses a chance to rest, and provides a great opportunity to get back in touch with our bodies and the life round us.

A few staff members of the MGI who were convinced of the secret of spending some time in nature  had a very special experience in a nature reserve last week. Walking and chatting, joking and jostling, laughing and shouting, running and climbing, eating and drinking, it was everything for a couple hours together.

.

Benefits of Nature Walk.

Nature walk has many benefits and is a good therapy also. Here are some of the benefits one can get by simply walking in nature.

• Reduces stress

• Increases attention span

• Relaxation

• Decreases worries and anxiety

• Reduces blood pressure

• Exercises (strength and flexibility)

• Decreases risk of getting depression

• Increases brain power by 20%

It is a real treat to be outdoors. Experiences in nature help reawaken our senses.

Join us next time, you will feel better.

Mauritius won its independence in 1968 and Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam became the first Prime Minister. He is known as the Father of the nation and his native village has been given the name of his childhood i.e Kewal. We have now Kewal Nagar in the district of Flacq.

This year the government has planned to celebrate the National Day with lots of pomp and glow. Manifestations, festivals and activities are being organised for more than a week..

One such festival was the Festival Mauricien held on 6th March from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm in the yard of the yard of the  Municipal Council of Quatre Bornes, Mauritius.

Many organisations, Cultural Centres, Speaking Unions, Trust Funds, Artistic Formation Centres and institutions were present in Q Bornes to mark the event. There were live demonstration by Lewis Dick, film projection by Aapravashi Ghat Trust Fund, and many other Cultural Centres. There were also exhibitions and sale of plants and artistic products, food items etc.  Music and dance enhanced the show.

The Telugu Speaking Union participated in that Festival organised by the Ministry of Arts and Culture in the context of the Celebration of the National Day which falls on 12th March. Many organizations displayed their materials and articles giving a broad and general information about the various cultures existing in Mauritius.

T S U Stand at the Municipality of Q Bornes, Mauritius

Telugu Speaking Union was present and displayed an impressive materials and visuals to give a better idea of the Telugu language and culture. A series of books written both in Mauritius and India were exhibited. A variety of cassettes and CD’s containing Telugu songs and films were the main attractions of the public. Designs produced by student learners were displayed. Hits songs of  the best singers were also available.

Telugu CD's and Cassttes

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The TSU stand was visited by a good number of visitors. The Hon. Minister of Arts and Culture also visited the TSU stand and he was offrered a copy of the Telugu Story book which was launched a week ago. He was very pleased and congratulated the TSU for the activities organised.

Minister of Arts and Culture posing for a photo with A Telugu book

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A few pictures for your appreciation.

Kolatam dance by girls

Books written in Mauritius

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