Mistaken Identity

In modern India, there are many universities, research institutions which claim to be world class institutions. Irony is, in spite of such claims, that students are moving at a very large scale for getting world-class education towards west. Ask any student, he/she in no minutes will have name of several universities before you- Cambrdge University, Oxford University, Harvard, Stanford, MIT and many more. What about India ? You have JNU, TIFR, Delhi University, IISc, IITs, several NITs, Madras University and many other. If given the choice, students will go for a foreign university first, leaving these so called center of excellence for their considerations later. Ground reality is that our educational institutions are no where par with internationally recognised foreign universities.

But, there was a time in the Indian history when we possessed a university which boasted of to be a world class learning center. It was in real sense an international university with more than 2000 teachers and around 10000 students coming as far as China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal and Ceylon. It was great Nalanda University.

There are many meanings of Nalanda.

One is that Nalam means Lotus and Da means to give. Both combined together, Nalanda means Giver of Lotus. Since Lotus is supposed to represent knowledge, Nalanda means Giver of Knowledge.

The courses offered at Nalanda included the study of scriptures of Mahayana and Hinayana Schools of Buddhism, Brahminical vedic texts, Philosophy, logic theology, grammer, astronomy, mathematics and medicine.

One can click here,here and here to know the historical background of Nalanda University and to see some pictures of the ruins of the same.

And all these things happened, in between 5th and 12th centuries. After the demolition of this great university not even a single university from India has been to achieve the status this university had.

In many ways it seems to have been like a modern university.There was a rigorous oral entry examination conducted by erudite gatekeepers,and many students were turned away.To study or to have studied at Nalanda was a matter of great prestige.

But, today, there are very few taking pride in studying in any Indian Universities unlike Nalanda University. So, in the area of education, our system is facing a downslide. And it seems everyone has completely closed our eyes and ears on this issue. If we have to see India as a knowledge superpower, if we have to become world-guru then we have to open our eyes and ears and start addressing this problem.

Why can not Nalanda get its lost identity “Giver of Knowledge”? Why can not we resurrect Nalanda University and upgrade many more existing institutions so that we can also attract scholars as well as students from across the globe.

Let’s join hands and get going to fulfil this mission.

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Bhojpuri film industry is seeing a total U – turn in film industry in India. It’s become a buzz word among movie watchers in India and abroad. It is catering the need of 200m people across the globe. This year some 30 movies are being shot double than the last year’s figure. And, it wooing not only local actors and actresses in the industry but also actors and actresses like Amitabh Bachhan, Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha, Nagma, Juhi Chawla to name a few from Bollywood. Some of the movies, for example, in 2005, two Bhojpuri films Sasura Bada Paisawela (My Father-in-Law is Rich) and Daroga Babu I Love You (Dear Policeman, I Love You) were mega hits of 2005. Both did more business in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh than the A-list Bollywood releases, Bunty Aur Babli, a version of Bonnie and Clyde, and Mangal Pandey – The Rising, about the 1857 Indian mutiny.

Story doesn’t stop here. There is news that some foreign actoresses are also going to act in some of the Bhojpuri movies:

Tanya, a 27-year-old model from Ukraine, played the title role in the Bhojpuri film “Firangi Dulhaniya”. She has become the first foreign actress in the industry. The film was inspired by the real life story of a Patna man who went to in Russia and fell in love with a Russian girl and married her and brought her home.

Another foreign actress, 24-year-old Cambridge-educated British actress Jessica Bath, has signed two Bhojpuri films.

To read full story go here.

Some update on bollywood Stars acting in Bhojpuri movies:

Shatrughan Sinha plays Raja Thakur in Bhojpuri film.
After his last Bhojpuri film ‘Bihari Babu’, actor Shatrughan Sinha is now busy doing another Bhojpuri film- ‘Raja Thakur’. He plays the lead character and a modern day Robin Hood of Bihar and UP in the film.
His last film ‘Bihari Babu’ was a hit and he is now making a comeback after 20 years in the Bhojpuri cinema, which may help the Bhojpuri film industry.

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is all set to make his debut in Bhojpuri films with his makeup man Deepak Sawant’s movie titled “Ganga”.
“Seventy percent of the film is complete. Only those parts are left which had to be shot with Amitji. It got delayed due to his illness. We will probably start the shooting from March 20 or 21.

Click here and here to read the full story.

She is quintessentially the GenNext girl – vivacious, clear-headed with lots of grit, determination, and, of course, entrepreneurship. Jaya Jha, who emerged topper among 249 students in Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Luckhnow has already spurned lucrative oversees job opportunities and clearly chalked out her own path…..

Like this The Times of India reports about Jaya Jha in its Bangalore edition dated March 25, 2006 on page 12. It shows an evolution of new breed of youngsters who are full of energy, enthusiasm to bring about some conspicuous changes in our society which is at present surrounded by infinite problems. Today, when most of us after getting such kind of professional education are turning towards West in want of better job opportunity, better living conditions, there is a new breed of young leaders, like Jaya Jha, who are turning down oversees offers and setting new trends. They are not bothered about themselves but others, so that in coming future, others will have a better job opportunity, a better living conditions.