World This Week: Gandhi’s statue at London’s Parliament Square

In Order to mark 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa to start the struggle for self-rule, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the inspiration for the non-violent civil rights movement, will be unveiled in London’s Parliament Square on 14 March.

The Gandhi Statue will stand with Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. Gandhi will be the first and only Indian to be honoured with a statue in Parliament Square. The Gandhi Memorial Trust has also surpassed one million pounds for the statue.
While citing about the Mahatma Gandhi, UK Prime Minister said, Mahatma Gandhi is an inspiration to everyone, his approach of non-violence will resonate forever as a positive legacy – not just for the UK and India, but the world over. He was a man of great insight and many of his observations remain as fresh and relevant today as when he first made them – that we should be the change we wish to see in the world is timeless advice, well worth following.
The statue in Parliament Square not only marks his huge importance in the history of both our countries, but will enrich the firm bond of friendship between the world’s oldest democracy and its largest, he added.

Ramayana performances across USA

Hindu Sanskrit epic Ramayana performances through shadow puppetry of Malaysia will be held in various parts of USA in the next few weeks. Ramay-ana, telling the story of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, contains about 25,000 shlokas.
In “Wayang Kulit: The Shadow Play of Kelantan”, an ancient form of puppet theater, the shadows of intricately carved leather puppets will be projected onto a screen, showcasing the plays based on Ramayana. These will be reportedly performed by a team of puppeteers and musicians from Kelantan region of Malaysia.
Performances will be held in Houston (February 22-28), Atlanta and other parts of Georgia (March 1-7), Gainesville (Florida) (March 8-14); and already ended in Crockett (Texas) on February 21.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada, commended organisers, supporters and performers of this shadow puppetry show for highlighting Hindu heritage.
Rajan Zed urged major universities of the world to frequently organise Hinduism focused exhibitions.

Hindu gods at New York’s Metropolitan Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York is displaying “Earring for a Deity Showing Vishnu Riding Garuda” (17th-19th century) in its “Sacred Traditions of the Himalayas” exhibition which will run till June 14.
It is also showcasing 17th-19th century “Dish for Ritual Offerings with Durga Defeating a Demon”, 17-19th century “Amulet case with Vishnu” and a scroll painting dated 1651 showing Kubera and Durga.
Applauding the exhibition, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.
The exhibition announcement says that this installation features devotional sculpture, jewelry for the gods, elaborate mandalas, etc. A highlight of the display will be ritual costumes used by masked dancers who reenacted divine conflicts to ensure abundance and ward off malicious forces. Met, founded in 1870 is one of the top art museums of the world, has large collections of ancient art; including Greek, Roman and Near Eastern.
—Nishant Kumar Azad with inputs from agencies