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Queensland State Elections 2017

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From the Publisher WELCOME to Volume 15 Issue 01, yes we are now entering our fifteenth year and what amazing fourteen years it has been. Now here is an unparalleled claim, the first full colour newspaper for the Indian Community to have survived fourteen years. It is no secret that a free community newspaper is not commercially viable and constantly needs capital injection from its owners for survival. Our aim from the very beginning has been to provide a quality product and at a professional level.

To that end I would like to thank Trudi Opacic for being with us for the most part of the fourteen years, and congratulations on your wedding.

I would also like to thank all of our advertisers, without whom we would not exist, a special thanks to all correspondents who provide pro bono articles and submissions to make Brisbane Indian Times interesting and inclusive. I would also like to record my appreciation for the many event organisers who have given us the opportunity to partner with them as exclusive media promoters. We have always taken keen interest in community events and functions and we will always endeavour to support as many community functions and events as possible.

And now to some current affairs, 25th November will be quite a busy day for all Queenslanders, first and foremost it is White Ribbon Day, please if you see any White Ribbon stall on the day please go and support the worthy cause, I will be at Queen Street Mall if you passing by, drop in and say G’day . The second important event on the day is Queensland State elections; everyone will be rushing off to the booths to cast their votes. Short but interesting campaign, Adani mines have become a pivotal point. There have been protests calling for the protection of the reefs, than the controversy around the billion dollar loan vetoed by Annastacia Palaszczuk, and amongst

all of this Pauline Hanson has been in India.

Our community has been abuzz with many functions and events, this has now become the new norm, gone are the days when we used to look forward to that one event over the weekend, now it is a balancing act trying to fit in as many as possible throughout the week. I believe it is a good thing as it shows how socially active our community is in promoting our tradition and culture. Be it sports, cultural, festivals, religious or national event, we celebrate them all, and often more than once.

Congratulations to Prerna Pahwa for her inaugural function launching Simply Human Inc, a great effort. The Power of Peace team needs to be commended for the amazing effort in getting this project of the ground with a bang, it can only get better moving forward.

Another great achievement for our community has been the first Diwali Annakut to be held in Queensland Parliament House. Organised

by BAPS Brisbane the event has been a proud moment for all Hindus. The sixteenth Qld Premiers reception for Indian Community was held on 25th October, as usual the event was held in Speakers Green, as the weather was beautiful there was no need for the traditional marquee, the garden setting looked just amazing.

And yes we are moving closer to the holiday season, it’s hard to believe but it’s just round the corner, now it’s also the storm season so please take care and be prepared. December is the Christmas issue, a very opportune time to wish your customers for the festive season, contact Sugandh Chaturvedi of our marketing department on 0430 193 715 for attractive rates print and AIR inclusive rate.

With this I will pen off now, until next month Happy Reading, Umesh Chandra

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Inside

OWNERS / PUBLISHERS: Umesh & Usha Chandra

• Letters to the Editor........................2 • Migration Matters...........................3

ADVERTISING: Sugandh Chaturvedi sales@indiantimes.com.au

• Local News..................................4-25

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• Who, What, Where, When.....26 & 28 • Health & Well Being................31-35 • Real Estate................................36-41 • Business Directory/Classified.......42-43 • Astrology...........................................43 • What’s On................................44-47 • Bollywood & Entertainment...48-49 • Sport............................................50-51

Trudi Opacic

JOURNALIST/ CORRESPONDENTS Ram Jattan (UK) Thakur Ranjit Singh (NZ) Thilliar Varnakulasingham (NZ) Shalendra Prasad (Fiji) Dhaval Vyas (India) Rama Gaind (Canberra) ML. M. Nawaaz Ashrafi Imam Muhammad Aslam Sundar Gopal Das Yadavendra Das Pastor Joseph Dass Haji Abdul Rahman Deen

2 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

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PIC 4020 Exclusion Period Extended Up to 10 Years WITH effect from 18th November 2017 the penalties for Pubic Interest Criteria or PIC 4020 will be widened in new legislation. This is effective for applications lodged on or after 18 November 2017.

Public Interest Criteria or PIC 4020 is a clause widely applied by the department when they suspect that a visa applicant has supplied false or misleading information in support of their visa application. The current exclusion period after PIC 4020 is applied to an applicant is 12 months.

The proposed amendment to subclause 4020(1) will strengthen the integrity of visa applications in two ways: The current exclusion period of 12 months will be expanded to a period of up to 10 years in which previous cases of fraud can be considered.in respect to current visa application; and Enabling delegates to consider instances of fraud in visa applications made, in addition to the current provision that limits consideration to fraud in visas held.

The changes are being brought about to curb repeat offenders who may submit an application with falsified documents and when called upon to explain the situation, quickly move to withdraw their application. These applicants often later after 12 months re-submit the application with updated and more robust documents that may meet the public interest criteria.

This amendment will mean that a visa applicant who is currently, or has within the previous 10 years, provided bogus documentation or information that is false or misleading in relation to a visa application does not meet subclause 4020(1) and their application can be refused on this basis.

In the departments opinion, a 10-year review period is a necessary, reasonable, and proportionate measure to protect the integrity of the visa framework. There is a risk that where a visa applicant has provided fraudulent docu-

ments in visa applications, they will also give incorrect, bogus, or fraudulent information to other government agencies, such as social security and tax.

It is the Department’s view that a lesser time exclusion would not be as effective in achieving this goal given the current trend for applicants to actively ‘wait out’ the exclusion period and immediately re-apply.

Sometimes PIC maybe also applied to borderline cases, where documents might be genuine but not presented in the best way to the department. Hence it is crucial to consult an experienced and seasoned migration agent / lawyer.

We wish to remind readers that the first consultation with Migration Guru is free of charge. Migration Guru has assisted a vast number of clients for more than 14 years. Migration Guru has more than 50 years of collective experience in the industry and a team of Migration Agents / Lawyers and office in Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Hobart. With our vast experience and skills, we are able to provide accurate migration or legal advice based on our clients’ personal circumstances.

Our team may be contacted by via email on info at migrationguru.om.au or by calling 07 3036 3800. Readers are encouraged to follow us on Facebook for all the updates to Migration Law https://www.facebook.com/migrationguru/ Migration Guru Pty Ltd, Level 18, 127 Creek Street, Brisbane, QLD. Phone: 07 3036 3800 Migration Guru Pty Ltd, 31002, 27 Garden Street, Southport QLD. Phone: 07 5606 6160 Migration Guru Pty Ltd, Level 3, 85 Macquarie Street, Hobart TAS. Phone: 03 6281 8008 MARN 0324607, 1175591, 1382609, 1386041, 1683052 & 1466522. www.migrationguru.com.au Disclaimer: - The above article constitutes only generic information on migration issues, and does not constitute specific migration advice to any entity or individual.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 3

The challenges of reporting Climate Change Dr Shailendra Singh This opinion piece is based on a presentation by the writer at a special briefing for journalists on climate change, September 18, 2017, Lower Campus, USP. CLIMATE change seems to be getting increasingly more news coverage recently, which is a positive outcome—on at least some levels.

But how engaging is the material?

A core challenge with climate-change reporting is not only generating sufficient public interest, but sustaining it.

This is partly because climate change used to lack the immediacy of hard news — the here and now effect—although this is changing, as the damaging effects of the phenomenon become more apparent.

Many local climate-change news stories seem to rely on speeches and press statements.

Yes, journalists can fill news holes quite easily in this manner to meet deadline imperatives. But is this style and nature of reporting really capturing people’s attention, assuming that is the goal?

For example, the speeches of many Pacific Island leaders receive widespread coverage.

Such speeches are usually targeted at fellow world leaders, which is quite necessary and legitimate in some respects.

Other news stories are usually based on international meetings and conferences. They receive lavish coverage.

These are big and important stages, and they should get fair representation.

But to what extent are local audiences connecting with these stories? That’s assuming that local audiences matter in climate change.

How relevant and compelling are the speeches and press statements to local ears?

Is the oratory having any impact, or starting to sound bland and repetitive? This is something worth considering if the idea is to inform people and mobilise them into action.

Once, we used to complain about the scarcity of coverage. However, slanted and saturated coverage of a certain type is also problematic in its own way.

The point I’m making is that the medias’ challenge is to make stories interesting and

4 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

relevant; otherwise readers, listeners and viewers may simply switch off.

Capturing and holding audience attention will require more than just republishing statements and speeches ad nauseam.

The gratuitous coverage given to presidents, prime ministers, diplomats, heads of regional organisations and other bureaucrats needs to be balanced with coverage of grassroots people who are actually experiencing the effects of climate change first-hand. This would make the stories more compelling, and the problem appear more real, rather than far-removed and abstract.

Why not cover more human interest stories, rather than bore readers to death with statistics, speeches and scientific jargon only.

If the speeches have to be used, at least derive some original ideas from them; for example, the blame game is rife with developed world leaders accused of inaction, and rightly so.

But are Pacific Island leaders walking the talk or not? Have we examined this issue sufficiently enough, or are we just content with speech making? For example, mangroves are one of the best protection against sea level rise.

Yet there are reports of mangrove destruction, even in the face of big international meetings.

Large tracts have reportedly been cleared in Lami, Wailekutu, Nasese, Vatuwaqa and elsewhere, for the sake of industrial development, tourism projects and urbanization.

Professor Wadan Narsey, Dr Ajantha Perer and others have written about this.

How does this trend figure in our national Green Sustainable Growth Strategy?

Does it contradict the grand sounding speeches at major international meetings?

Also, does Fiji have a national mangrove replanting scheme? Who would finance any such undertaking?

How much is allocated to such projects compared to meetings and conferences?

Are grassroots projects sufficiently funded or is the money gobbled up by professional

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junketeers?

Some time back there was a moratorium on mangrove destruction. But why not a total ban, as in many other countries?

My point is, instead of just reporting speeches and statements, we need to conduct our own research independently. We need to formulate the hard questions and seek answers from leaders; otherwise there is a risk of getting too caught up in the hype of big meetings and high-profile speakers.

Yes, such meetings are important for various reasons, including crucial and binding international treaties. The meetings attract some very learned people who know their stuff.

Pacific leaders have vital roles at such meetings, and they have achieved some outstanding results.

Still, the coverage should be fair and balanced, rather than skewed and elitist.

Reporters should not lose touch with the realities on the ground or the fundamentals of journalism—to be sceptical and question things, rather than rely on handouts alone.

The job remains the same—keep governments and leaders accountable, rather than cut-paste speeches.

In journalism, single sources are risky and inadequate, so also cite the work of other researchers and commentators, for the sake of balance—which is a requirement under the 2010 Media Industry Development Decree anyway!

Use the information to derive questions and grill leaders; otherwise there is a risk that the coverage will become merely a PR exercise, which would be both wasteful and counterproductive.

The idea is to make climate change and its effects relevant locally to help comprehend and develop a proper consciousness of the problem on a global level—a problem which the scientific community describes as lethal for earth and its inhabitants.

Dr Shailendra Singh is a Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the University of the South Pacific Journalism Programme. The views expressed in this article are his, and not necessarily shared by his employer.

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Wisdom College teacher recipient of QCT Excellence in Teaching award

By Ayesha Yusuf THE winners of the QCT Excellence in Teaching Awards were announced at the World Teachers’ Day Ceremony held at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane on 27th October, 2017. Ms Tahnee Brown, a Primary School teacher from Wisdom College, Algester, was the recipient of the QCT Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award.

Wisdom College is an independent school in Brisbane’s Southside that enrols students of all faiths. The majority of the children are from non-English speaking backgrounds, viz. from Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula, the African continent, India, Pakistan and Korea, to name a few. The aim of Wisdom College is to provide students with academic excellence combined with moral and ethical values. “We always emphasise to our students the importance of having a good character and always ‘doing the right thing’ both in the classroom and the playground”.

Ms Brown uses her extraordinary background in early childhood education to help her students thrive academically, socially and emotionally. She has built on her 15 years’ experience in child care centres and kindergartens to provide exciting and meaningful lessons. Wisdom College has begun implementing the Kathy Walker Approach, which is a holistic approach to teaching and encourages children to think for themselves. A colleague states that “Ms. Brown was immediately on board and took responsibility for familiarising herself with the documentation and setting up her classroom appropriately”.

Tahnee uses various strategies and methods designed to overcome language barriers. The Curriculum Coordinator of Wisdom College states that “she has always ensured that her

teaching practices reflect the latest strategies,

and her curriculum plans reflect a very well organised and up to date pedagogy whereby all students are catered for”. Since almost all the students in her class are from many ethnic backgrounds, Ms. Brown ensures that she creates a culturally inclusive classroom, where children feel comfortable with their differences/similarities.

Tahnee has a very personalized and empathetic approach towards each student aimed at making them aware of each other’s feelings. The Principal of Wisdom College, Mr. Murat Guzel describes her classroom as a happy one due to her careful planning and an in-depth understanding of her students and years of experience in the field of early childhood.

“Before we start each day, I ask students questions such as ‘How are you today? How are you feeling? Why are you feeling that way?’ and ‘How can we fix that?’ “We work together, recognising that all emotions are okay, finding ways to process and manage these effectively and thinking of ideas to

help ourselves feel better. This is a great strategy to ensure that all students have a positive start to teach day, having been heard and having their feelings validated”.

“A few of the practices that I enjoy using in the classroom are: learning, portfolios, integrating technology, blogs (Class Dojo), Skype, nature walks, field trips, high-level thinking skills, rubrics, KWL charts, projectbased learning, inquiry learning, writer’s workshops, using background knowledge, differentiated instruction, multiple intelligences, and student research”.

Parents, teachers and students admire her empathetic, passionate and academic approach and believe that Tahnee genuinely deserves to be recognised for her management and teaching skills. Her commitment, dedication, devotion and hard work will give our children the social, cognitive, emotional, and physical skills that they need to become confident young adults.

Partnership secures Langlands Pool expansion A KEY sporting and recreational precinct in Brisbane’s inner-south is set for a major revitalisation, with plans to upgrade the Langlands Park Memorial Pool Complex at Greenslopes on 18 October given the green light.

Finance and Economic Development Chairman Krista Adams said the ageing complex would undergo a major makeover, with Civic Cabinet this week endorsing the plan for exciting new lifestyle and leisure opportunities for residents.

“The Lord Mayor announced a major upgrade of Langlands Park Memorial Pool Complex as part of his 2016 re-election campaign, and today we can announce that on top of a complete refurbishment of existing facilities, a brand new 25-metre pool will be constructed, as well as a new learn-to-swim pool,” Cr Adams said.

“The upgrade will create new lifestyle and leisure opportunities for local residents and will be funded by Council and pool lessee Storytime Swim Centres Pty Ltd. “The project will see a range of improvements on-site, including the refurbishment of the 50 metre heated pool to include an additional lane, new pool infrastructure, aqua park, and upgraded change rooms and facilities.”

Cr Adams said on top of a new and improved pool complex, residents would also benefit from a new off-road parking solution which would make the pool far more accessible and reduce congestion in local streets.

“Council has partnered with Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League as part of a new 20year lease arrangement which will see around 30 car parks set aside for pool patrons,” she said.

“Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League has been a strong organisation in the community for more than 50 years, and this partnership with Langlands Pool Complex will increase opportunities for local families to get involved in the sporting community.”

“More than 173,000 people visited Langlands Pool last financial year, and this figure will only grow once works are completed and residents have access to a range of worldclass facilities suitable for toddlers right through to competition-grade swimmers.”

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 5

Queensland State Elections 2017

Success Story of the Month RAVI Teja Malapati was born in Vijaywada and completed his schooling there, post this he completed his Bachelors of Technology Degree at Chennai.

Subsequently he decided to come to Australia to further his studies and gained admission into the Prestigious James Cook University at Brisbane. While at James Cook University he worked in Projects like “Website Development” to sharpen his technical skills.

Post completing his Masters Degree, Ravi decided to pursue a soft skills program called the ACS Professional Year at Indus Institute. At Indus he learned about Australian Workplace Culture and Australian Workplace Communication, which gave him great insights about working in Australia.

At Indus Institute, Ravi got to understand more of the Australian work culture and how to present himself professionally. Ravi thinks that he had a great professional environment at Indus Institute where one-on-one support was provided to him and other students as well.

Besides the in-class training, all ACS Professional Year Program students are required to do an internship in Australia. Thus, Ravi did his IT internship at James Cook University Brisbane. This internship placement has helped him improve his project management skills and other transferable skills.

Ravi further mentioned that he is thankful to his trainer who was so patient and had constantly motivated him throughout the whole program. At Indus Institute, we genuinely care for all our students. We provide one-on-one support to all our students to ensure the wellbeing of different ones throughout the program Currently Ravi works at James Cook University as a Full Time Staff in Marketing & Recruitment Section and is posted to look after South East Asian Market.

Ravi strongly encourages his friends to apply for the ACS Professional Year Program as through the program, IT industry

From page 1

Mr Ravi Teja Malapati Indus Institute Graduate knowledge in Australia is provided and students are able to get good references and experience through the different internships.

Ravi’s advice to fellow students is take your professional year study seriously, there is no gain with no pain.

Ravi’s success story demonstrates that Australian workforce offers equal opportunity for young men and women who are willing to work hard and put in the efforts to gain appropriate job ready skills by completing job ready programs like the ACS Professional Year have a great future in Australia.

Author – Ranjita Pillai – The information represented above are views of the author and the author does not warrant any information. All individuals are encouraged to make their own enquiries before embarking on any program or career options.

New Zealand’s muddied Media Ethics: They need to stop lecturing Fiji

By Thakur Ranjit Singh SUBSEQUENT to September 2017 elections in New Zealand, and Labour government coming to power, Fiji appears to have attracted more than its fair share of attention in Auckland.

This is because firstly, a blog site, FIJI PUNDIT, run by yours truly came out openly in support of Labour Party, against sections of a biased and partisan New Zealand rubbishing the new Labour coalition government.

Secondly the behaviour of some mainstream media after National Party’s defeat was not digested well by media who were blatantly having a partisan approach to the lost government. FIJI PUNDIT did similar comparison to some Fiji media subsequent to defeat of SDL by People’s Coalition in 1999 Fiji election, and did a research thesis on this.

A free, independent, impartial and neutral media is the last bastion of democracy – it is the fourth pillar, joining Legislature, Judiciary and Executive in building a robust democracy.

That is why media is called the FOURTH ESTATE. In a First World Developed Nation like New Zealand, a big threat to this fourth estate is NOT from outside but from WITHIN, by slanted, partisan, sensational and skewed opinionated reporting.

A similar thing happened in Fiji after 1999 election, resulting in destabilisation of a democratically elected government.

Such early signs are already appearing within sections of New Zealand media after Labour and its coalition came to power after 2017 election.

The article below summarised such sentiments, and questions where are those Kiwi journalists who need to clear the mess in their back yards before lecturing Fiji on media

ethics.

I had a feeling of Déjà vu when I saw some New Zealand mainstream journalists crying into their pillows that the National Party failed to get back in.

When National got into power in 2014 and previous terms under the MMP (Mixed member proportion) system, this then was perceived and considered as a robust and suitable system for New Zealand.

No sooner had Labour come into power in 2017 with their coalition partners, than the same MMP became a defective monster for some National supporters and sections of supposedly neutral and impartial New Zealand media.

A similar thing occurred in Fiji in 1987.

Under 1970 Constitution, Fiji’s first Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s Alliance Party won successive elections for seventeen years from 1970 to 1987. As soon as they lost power to Dr Timoci Bavadra in 1987, (which resulted in Rabuka's coup) the hitherto suitable Constitution all a sudden became defective, and they claimed it failed to safeguard interests of indigenous Fijians or democracy, which it appeared to have done under Mara’s rule. This was acceptable as long the as Ratu Mara’s Alliance won the election.

Same has happened here in New Zealand, and I feel I have been in this situation before, hence the feeling of Déjà vu I spoke about earlier.

Certain radio and press journalist have been using (read abusing) the platform of national mainstream media for their septic, jaundiced, personal and blatant partisan weeping for the National Party. They seem to regard themselves as Little Gods in media. They need to come down to earth, and decide whether they are impartial and neutral journalist to occupy influential media positions. Or should we regard them as public relations arm of National

6 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

THE 2017 Queensland State Election will be held on 25 November 2017 to elect all 93 members to the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The first-term incumbent Labor Government, currently led

by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, will attempt to win a second term and will be challenged by the Liberal National opposition, currently led by Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls. Also competing in the election are minor parties One Nation (which could be in the kingmaker role after the election according to polling), Katter’s Australian Party and the Greens.

Following the 2015 election outcome, Labor formed a minority government in the hung parliament with confidence and supply support from the crossbench, while retaining the right to otherwise vote on conscience, from independent MP Peter Wellington. During the parliamentary term, both Laborturned-independent MPs Billy Gordon and Rob Pyne indicated their ongoing support.

Successful amendments to the electoral act through legislation and a referendum in early 2016 include adding an additional four parliamentary seats from 89 to 93, changing from optional preferential voting to compulsory full-preferential voting, and moving from unfixed three-year terms to fixed fouryear terms. However, fixed four-year terms will not take effect until after this election.

After Labor’s retraction of endorsement for MP Rick Williams on 27 October 2017, the party’s seat count dropped to 41, equalling that of the LNP. Several media sources reported that Premier Palaszczuk would call a snap election. On 29 October Palaszczuk asked the Acting Governor Catherine Holmes to dissolve parliament and a writ was issued for a 25 November state election.

The seats to watch Annastacia Palaszczuk has denied being rushed to an early election by circumstances outside her control in her first press conference after calling the November 25 election.

Party, masquerading as journalists on the mainstream media.

They have tarnished the status of a respectable Fourth Estate, and their employers need to decide whether they suit their position of responsibility, trust and neutrality.

This is because they use, or rather, abuse mainstream media with their partisan diatribe criticising and blatantly running down the new government even before it has been sworn-in.

Apart from National, Maori and ACT Parties, the biggest casualty of this election is the mainstream media's ethics of impartiality and neutrality. The blatant media wailing, show of naked partisan and animosity towards the new government is a matter of concern for those who respect freedom of speech, decorum, demeanour, the ethics and good practices associated with the Fourth Estate. This refers to the 4th pillar of democracy - a free respectable media. This comes after Legislature, Judiciary and Executive.

What is a grave matter of concern is not that this blatant abuse has occurred. What concerns me is the deafening silence from those who should care. Where are the analytical, responsible and conscientious journalist who need to stand up to corruption and humiliation of their proud profession?

Where are the guardians of a free and responsible media? Where are the scholars and professors from media schools who need to oversee what they teach in media schools as gospels are really followed by senior and influential journalists in the field? Should not they defend media ethics and does not let it degenerate into mere myths?

Where are those from AUT’s media school where I studied journalism? Why does it take an ethnic person from a Third World Fiji to see what New Zealand journalists and related organisations are blind to?

When Fiji imposed media controls because journalists with similar behaviour were fanning racial divisions in Fiji, certain banned journalist from New Zealand were critical of Fiji, lecturing them of media responsibility.

I suppose Barbara Dreaver and Michael Field

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After calling the poll, Ms Palaszczuk went straight to Darra, in the ultra-marginal LNPheld seat of Mt Ommaney in Brisbane’s west, which neighbours her own electorate of Inala.

She denied being rushed to the decision by the dis-endorsement of Labor MP Rick Williams, just days after she said she hadn’t decided on an election date.

“No, not at all, look there were some but there were some circumstances but I’ve been out there…listening to Queenslanders, and I believe now is the right time to call the election,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I listen to Queenslanders and I deliver for Queenslanders.”

Addressing a rapturous welcome at the Darra Bowls Club, in Mt Ommaney – which after the redistribution is a notionally Labor seat – Ms Palaszczuk said she called the election to give business and industry certainty going into 2018.

She said she’d learned from LNP Premier Campbell Newman and his Treasurer Tim Nicholls – now the Opposition leader – not to call a state election during school holidays.

“Queensland’s best days are ahead of us,” she told the cheering crowd.

The Premier said she was headed to regional Queensland next.

Both the Queensland Labor government and LNP go into the election on 41 seats and need to win a total of 47 to govern in their own right. All eyes will be on these key seats, including some on wafer-thin margins.

Minor parties are once again set to be in a powerful position if, as polls suggest, Labor and the LNP fail to win a majority in the Queensland election.

It is possible Katter’s Australian Party, a resurgent One Nation and perhaps the Greens will decide who governs in another hung parliament.

Both major party leaders have strenuously denied suggestions of deals or partnerships; but in the cold light of day after the election would they refuse the support of One Nation or other cross benchers on the floor of Parliament to form a minority government? need to clean up mess in NZ media before commenting on Fiji.

Now, where are they when we need their sharp judgement? Cannot they detect this scandal in their backyard where some highly paid influential journalists appear to have taken the role of pseudo opposition party, acting as mouthpiece of National Party, disguised as journalists?

I am reminded of the Irish statesman, Edmund Burke’s famous quotation: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.

So, I am calling on the good journalist to stand up to this triumph of bad journalism in New Zealand.

A responsible, free and non-partisan media is the last bastion of democracy. I know this well. In 2010, my research thesis for Masters in Communication Studies at Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT’s) media school was on such a topic. My research thesis was on the role of a Fiji media in bringing instability to a new Government in Fiji. It was titled: The 2000 Speight coup in Fiji: The role of “The Fiji Times” leading to political instability.

My findings revealed that a partisan news media, and its negative portrayal of a new government can lead to a danger to democracy, cause instability and even lead to attempted coup, in case of Fiji.

In the 2017 election, National Party lost power.

But the bigger loss is assault on the proud New Zealand’s Fourth Estate by those who need to stand up to protect it.

Let’s do that – lets protect media credibility in New Zealand to safeguard our healthy and strong democracy.

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is a post graduate scholar in honours in journalism from AUT (Auckland University of Technology), is a media commentator and political observer. He is a former Publisher of Fiji’s Daily Post, which a past SDL Government helped close. Thakur runs his blog, FIJI PUNDIT, and lives in Auckland, New Zealand.]

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 7

DIWALI 2017: FICQ Charts path to the future Dr Indrani Ganguly Public Relations Officer, FICQ

WITH the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland Inc. (FICQ) reaching its twentieth year of existence, it was timely to chart new directions during its annual Diwali celebrations at King George Square. This year FICQ hosted its first Citizenship Ceremony with the full support of the Queensland branch of the Department of Immigration and Border Support (DIBP) – a first in Queensland. Forty candidates from diverse backgrounds and ages, braved the blistering Brisbane summer heat to take their vows, receive their certificates, DIBF, and become part of the great Australian family.

The morning ceremonies began with Aunty Delmae Barton offering the acknowledgement of country and the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by key dignitaries including Councillor Angela Owen, Chair of the Brisbane City Council, Councillor Peter Cumming, Leader of the Opposition, Brisbane City Council, Councillor for the Gabba Ward Mr Jonathan Sri, Mr Wayne Briscoe, Executive Director, Multicultural Affairs Queendland and Mr Steve Biddle, Executive Director Department of Immigration and Border Support (DIBF).

Mr Briscoe released the Diwali Souvenir 2017, which has this year featured articles on all the celebrations of all the major Indian communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Muslim, Christians and Parsis as part of spreading the message of unity in diversity.

Councillor Sri demonstrated his keenness to be proactive through negotiating with the Council to provide some large sunshades and relief for some of the participants.

The citizenship ceremony went like a dream, with everything running on time. Mr Palani Thevar, President of FICQ, officially welcomed all the guests. The dignatories who spoke were unanimous in their messages - new migrants were welcome and the importance of working together in harmony.

Mr Biddle who was the Presiding Officer, read the Preamble and administered the Pledge of Commitment to the conferees.

After receiving the citizenship certificates, the conferees echoed the Australian Affirmation and joined in a stirring rendition of the Australian National Anthem. The ceremony concluded with a delicious morning tea comprising that quintessential Australian sweet – lamingtons!- sandwiches and other savoury and sweet delicacies. Those who wished to top it up went to the many stalls offering delicious Indian snacks and meals.

The afternoon continued with a smorgasbord of cultural items, ably compered by Mr Ali Kadri, spokesperson of Islamic Council of Queensland, Mr Navin Kumar and Mr Raja Rajan. The Hon Grace Grace, MP, Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs, paid an impromptu afternoon visit.

A late afternoon storm, marked by the thunder and lightning typical of Brisbane storms interrupted the proceedings only briefly.

Dignitaries and guests were greeted by the Damini Women’s Association and then treated to afternoon high tea featuring

• Mr Wayne Briscoe, Executive Director, Multicultural Affairs Queensland, releasing the Diwali souvenir.

Photo: Redson

• Colourful drummers start the evening celebrations.

Photo: Redson

Gujarati cuisine before being led by the colourful drummers from Kerala to the main stage for the evening’s proceedings, this time compered by the ABC Brisbane journalist Feeney Katherine.

Mr Palani Thevar gave the welcome speech, emphasizing the strategic importance of FICQ and how it had grown from strength to strength through establishing ties with all levels government, the non-government and private sectors and the different Indian communities. He also thanked all those who had rallied to support the family, friends and community of Manmeet Alishar whose young life had been cut so tragically short less than a year ago.

The distinguished speakers included the Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland, His Excellency Dr A.M. Gondane, High Commissioner of India, Mr Trevor Evans, representative of Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull MP, Mr Tim Nicholls MP, Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Graham Quirk, Lord Mayor Brisbane City Council, Ms Terri Butler MP representative for Mr Bill Shorten, Federal Opposition Leader, and Mr Ian Stewart, Queensland Police Commissioner. All spoke of the importance of ties between Queensland and India and the contributions of Indians. Mr Nikhil Reddy, the FICQ Secretary the delivered vote of thanks.

As always the speeches were interspersed with a wide range of classical, folk and Bollywood dances which delighted spectators with their dazzling costumes, scintillating music

and energy. The evening ended with the Baba’s Band. It was very heartening for the FICQ committee to see that though available seats filled very quickly and there was standing room only, the audience persevered till the very end.

In conclusion, the FICQ committee would like to extend their thanks to the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council for its great support to multicultural activities and also helping to celebrate celebrating Diwali function in the heart of the city by bringing all communities together, all other local governments and councils such as Ipswich, Logan ABC Brisbane for its live broadcasting from the festival ground, SBS, and Radio 4EB and over 36 FICQ Member organisations and volunteers for their engagement and the sponsors of the event: Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council, Springfield Land Corporation, Multicultural Association of Queensland, Red Cross, Brisbane Indian Times and ABC Brisbane Radio as media partners and, Singapore Airlines and Target Travels as Travel Partners, National Australia Bank, Brisbane Lawyers to make this FICQ Diwali event even more successful than before.

FICQ would also like to thank Secure Parking which provided a special deal for Diwali parking and promotion and the volunteers who provided invaluable support to the Executive Committee.

FICQ will continue to pray that all Australians will light both their inner and outer lights at Diwali, and work in unison to prevent harm to any by design or accident so that Australia comes out shining as an even brighter and more prosperous multicultural country, showing the way to the world.

Check out FICQ’s Facebook page to check out the lighting of the Brisbane City Hall and some lively live commentary facebook.com/FICQInc/videos/1534539983273577/ If you wish to get more information about FICQ please contact Mr Palani Thevar President on 0421 656 000 and do look up the website http://ficq.org.au Note: The other members of the Committee are: Vice President 1 Dr Ram Mohan, Vice President 2 Mrs Prakruthi M. Gururaj, Secretary - Nikhil Reddy, Treasurer - Mr Anjaneya Reddy, Public Relations Officer Dr Indrani Ganguly, Assistant Secretary Mr Parminder Singh, Festival Coordinator Mr Navin Kumar, Cultural Coordinator - Dr Preethi Suraj and Assistant-Treasurer Mr Anoop Nannuru.

More photo’s page 26

FICQ at 2017 Indian Community Reception hosted by The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts Dr Indrani Ganguly Public Relations Officer, FICQ ON 25 October 2017, the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts, hosted the annual Indian Community Reception at the beautiful Speaker’s Green, Parliamentary Annexe. The event was attended by a diverse range of dignitaries and Indians of many cultural, religious and professional backgrounds who enjoyed beautiful live Indian music and refreshments and the chance to meet and greet before the official ceremony commenced.

The MC for the evening, the Hon Grace Grace, Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs welcomed everyone and highlighted that she herself was from a multicultural background and had the honour of hosting the first ever Diwali-Annakut celebrations at Parliament House on Tue 24 Oct 2017.

The distinguished speakers included the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts, Mr Palani Thevar, President of the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland Inc. (FICQ), Mrs Archana Singh Hon Consul of India for Brisbane and Dr Maha Sinnathamby, entrepreneur and Chairman of the Springfield Land Corporation.

Mr Palani Thevar began his speech on a light note, commenting on the beauty of the venue that was enhanced by the beauty of the saris worn by the women attending, with a special mention of the Queensland Premier wearing a sari 8 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

that enhanced the richness of the event. He added that the Queensland Premier was the current Honorary Indian and a staunch supporter of the Indian community.

Mr Thevar highlighted the role that FICQ played in promoting the cultural, educational, economic, health and general wellbeing of the Indian diaspora in Queensland. He noted that there were festivals every week. October had been a special month beginning with the commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary on 2nd of October and ending with the Power of Peace Festival on the weekend of 28-29th October which included the re-enactment of the Salt March (through a train ride from Ipswich to the Roma Street Parklands) that has become a worldwide symbol of the protest against oppression.

Other points highlighted by Mr Thevar included the Indian Community Reception was now in its 16th or 17th year and marked the Queensland Government’s commitment to promoting strong ties with the Indian community. The Multicultural Evening hosted by Minister Grace also testified to the government’s commitment to multiculturalism. Saturday was the first anniversary of the tragic and untimely death of Manmeet Sharma. Mr Thevar acknowledged the support shown by all levels of government.

In conclusion, Mr Thevar said that Indians came from many different professional backgrounds and would continue to have an ever-increasing role to play to contribute to the growth of the Sunshine State.

The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts began by thanking Minister Grace for her commitment to multiculturalism and www.indiantimes.com.au

the fact that she attended almost every community event.

The Premier said that this reception was the best ever, with a beautiful evening no marquee to trap the heat. She highlighted that Queensland is a unified, outward looking and diverse state and its greatest asset were its people. Her vision was for a strong, unified, harmonious Queensland which made the state the best place to live in and raise her family.

The Premier said her own grandparents came to Queensland with nothing but two suitcases. ‘But they were bold and ambitious…and they came here to make a better life for their children. They understood education was the key to success.’ Her grandfather was a boiler maker by day and educated himself by reading encyclopaedias as night. Spurred by his encouragement, the Premier’s father became a school teacher before he entered politics and later became Minister of Primary Industries. It was the Premier’s father who helped to set up the Honorary Consulate of India in Brisbane. She also mentioned the strong trade relations with the booming middle class in India and that Queensland’s trade around the world now totalled $70 billion – nearly double her government came into power. A special mention was made of two Queenslanders Dr Dimity Dornan who won the Indian-Australian Business Leader of the Year for her work with speech pathologists and audiologists in India and Roshni Indian Restaurant in Mackay.

Both Mrs Singh and Dr Maha Sinnathamby spoke briefly on the ties between India and Queensland and the work done by government, business and community sectors to strengthen these ties. The evening concluded with photo sessions with the Premier and networking. Photo’s page 28 Call 07 3865 6533

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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Brisbane 2017 QLD Parliament Diwali & Annakut Celebrations Courtesy BAPS Swaminarayan, Mandir Brisbane ON 24th October 2017, between 1pm to 2:30 pm Honourable Minister Grace Grace, Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs along with BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Brisbane hosted the celebration of the auspicious Hindu festival of Diwali and Annakut in Queensland Parliament House for the first time.

Diwali, commonly known as the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the sentiments of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. It is a time during which Hindu's from around the world light traditional lamps and pray for peace, prosperity and ask the Lord to dispel ignorance and bring spiritual enlightenment.

Annakut, the following day after Diwali, marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year.

On this day, the Annakut, or ‘mountain of food,’ is offered to the Lord as a symbol of appreciation and gratitude. Devotees lovingly prepare vegetarian delicacies and offer them to the lord while singing devotional songs.

Hon. Minister Grace Grace, Hon Leeanne Enoch (Minister for Innovation & science and Minister for small business), Mr Tim Nicholls (Leader of Opposition), Mrs Archana Sing, honorary Consul of India – Brisbane were the chief guests apart from other Indian community leaders. The function begins with the recitation of the Shanti Paath to usher in peace into everyone's hearts and minds.

Keynote speeches were delivered by Hon

Thewar (FICQ President) were welcomed traditionally with applying Chandlo and presented garlands of fresh flowers.

The event concluded with fresh vegetarian refreshments and delicacies being served to all who attended.

Over 60 distinguished Members of Parliament, Honorary Consul’s, respected leaders of various Indian and Hindu communities and BAPS guests attended this vibrant event in the Premiers Hall of the Parliament House.

On display, and the highlight of the event, was the offering of grand Annakut (“mountain of food”) where a vast array of pure vegetarian food is traditionally arranged in tiers or steps resulting in a spectacular display.

The event was extremely well received by all attendees and served as a valuable opportunity to strengthen inter-community relationships as well as relationships with Members of QLD Parliament.

Grace Grace (Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs), Mr Tim Nicholls (Leader of Opposition) and Mrs Archana Singh, Honorary Consul of India, Brisbane.

Hon. Grace Grace and Mr Tim Nicholls both acknowledged the significant contributions made by the Indian community to Australia.

Both reflected on the values of Hinduism, and Diwali, and were proud to see them being displayed through BAPS in Queensland Parliament. Both parliamentarians noted the significance of the Indian diaspora to the Queensland state and appreciated the hard

10 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

working and entrepreneurial nature of the Indian community.

Mrs Archana Singh reinforced the one of the key messages of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj of Unity, and that unity was one of the key values that leaders of all the Indian communities should guard as sacred, and that unity between the Indian community and the wider Queensland community should never be broken at any cost.

Hon Leeanee Enoch, Mr Ian Walker (Shadow Attorney General), Mr Clem O’Regan (Assistant Police Commissioner QLD), Mr Steve Biddle (Regional Director QLD – Department of Immigration) and Mr Palani

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a worldwide spiritual and humanitarian organization that is dedicated to community service, peace, and harmony. Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families, and individuals. Through various spiritual and humanitarian activities, BAPS endeavours to develop better citizens of tomorrow with high esteem for their roots and culture. Its 3,300 international centers support these characterbuilding activities. Under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is free of addictions as well as morally, ethically and spiritually pure. For more details, please visit www.baps.org.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 11

FinKonsel is about solutions arrived at by understanding client needs and working with customers

ECCQ appoints Life Member and Honorary President MR Serge Voloschenko, one of the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland’s (ECCQ) founding members and well-known figure in Queensland’s multicultural sector was appointed Life Member and Honorary President at ECCQ’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 19 October.

Mr Voloschenko was unanimously nominated by the Board of Directors for these highly esteemed positions.

Chairperson Yasmin Khan moved the motion and Mr Voloschenko’s nominations were supported by members in a vote held at the AGM. Deputy Chairperson Michael Yau spoke to the nominations and acknowledged the significant contribution Mr Voloschenko has made to ECCQ. “Serge has played an enormous role in this organisation for over 40 years,” said Mr Yau. “Serge has championed the benefits of multiculturalism since the 1970s, first with the

Russian Community Centre and then later serving on the Board of Directors of the Russian Benevolent Association, which set up Pine Lodge Home, a residential aged care facility for the Russian speaking community.”

“Serge has served ECCQ in a range of different roles, including 14 years as Chairperson,” said Mr Yau. “We are immensely proud that Serge will continue to represent ECCQ as Honorary President.”

ECCQ also launched their Annual Report at the meeting. Read the report here.

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As a mortgage broker with accounting skills, Vivek goes beyond the numbers to provide long term solutions for my clients. Like individuals, every scenario is different and the FinKonsel team strives to provide a customised solution.

Loans are more than the all important interest rate. Advertised interest rates do not reflect the effective rates. In a July 2017 research conducted on major lenders advertising the same rate, Vivek found that over the life of the loan, selection of the right product could shave years off the mortgage.

Results were shared on the FinKonsel-Mortgage Brokers Facebook page. We educate clients with product comparisons that assist them decide better and look beyond advertisements.

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ECCQ Ltd has been established for over 40 years as the peak body in Queensland for ethnic communities and multiculturalism.

ECCQ, and its wholly-owned divisions, encourage and support multiculturalism through community engagement, education and training, health promotion and culturally appropriate aged care service provision.

Gold Coast’s 1st Gurdwara Courtesy Kuljit Singh ON the 7th of October, at their Helensvale land site, The Gold Coast Sikh Council arranged a “soil turning ceremony” along with prayers, Kirtan and prasad.

The historic event was attended by a few hundred community members including the local Councillor, the neighbouring church Priest, the President of Logan Gurdwara and Australia’s very first Sikh Priest from Woolgoolga. Five respected Sikh men from the community Giani Teja Singh, Bhajan Bains, Beant Singh, Gajan Hayer and Jagatjit Ahluwalia, were selected to perform the “soil turning”.

Fundraising was continuing in the background as the project is estimated to cost around $3million for a state of the art, architecturally designed Gurdwara. The aim is to have the Helensvale Gurdwara Inauguration around Baisakhi 2018. But, such a deadline can only be met with the financial support of many more.

So, please dig deep and make a tax deductible donation (AU$2 or more for Australian taxpayers), by cash, eft, credit card, or direct debit the details of which can be found @www.goldcoastsikhcouncil.org.au/gift Please follow the progress of this Gurdwara project and for all upcoming samagams/events on www.facebook.com/gcsikhs, (Gold Coast Gurudwara, Sikh temple and community education centre).

12 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

Noble initiative undertaken by Kannada Sangha Queensland Inc

By Anupama Jayanth KSQ community member KANNADA Sangha Queensland Inc (KSQ) was pleased to organise a fund raising event at Ganapathi Temple, South Maclean by running the temple canteen for a day on Sunday 1st of October 2017.

The community members of Kannada Sangha made generous donation towards the initiative and supported to the fullest extent that greatly facilitated to prepare the delicious food items along with Karnataka special cuisine and delicacies to the wider community of diverse culture that visits the temple. KSQ could raise good amount of fund to the temple.

The community members volunteered in cooking and serving the food to the devotees who come to the temple during the weekends

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and take the chance to relish delicious food at the canteen.

The volunteers thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the activities involved in running the canteen and shared their experience of having the ambience of wedding ceremony in India. They also said they are highly encouraged by the success of this event that they look forward to serve the wider community further by taking part in other initiatives.

The KSQ executive committee of 20172018 would like to thank all the members of KSQ for their generous donation and volunteering for their service. They are sincerely grateful for the temple’s canteen administration team for giving an opportunity for this noble deed of serving the wider food for devotees and also their assistance in smooth and successful execution of the event.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 13

Dussehra, Diwali and Christmas celebrations

QUEENSLAND Telugu Association held its Dussehra, Diwali and Christmas all in one celebration on 14th October 2017 at Coorparoo Secondary College, Coorparoo, Qld. President - Mrs Navaneetha Thatimakula said “We truly appreciate your support.

Thank you so much for attending! It is a big success, and your participation meant a lot to

us.”

Queensland Telugu Association (QTA) members and guests had a great opportunity to be entertained by local artists on the occasion of Dussehra, Diwali and Christmas celebrations. More than 400 people attended for the event. The local talents kept the audience mesmerized and spellbound for the entire

show.

Chief Guests Councillor Angela Owen, Councillor for Calamvale ward and Mr. Prakash Nallamilli inaugurated the program by lighting the lamp.

The evening opened with a beautiful dance performance by the students of Nateshvarkala Dance School and Eswaralaya Kalaokoodam Dance School, which was greatly applauded by the audience and chief guests. Local Artists entertained the audience with their amazing performances. The evening was filled with enlivened music and dance performances.

Queensland Telugu Association Inc. would like to thank each and everyone who attended the Dussehra, Diwali and Christmas event.

President - Mrs Navaneetha Thatimakula said “Special thanks to all the management committee members for all their work in planning and delivering the event. It was an “add-on” to the many other things that you do, including your career, your family, and your social life. Despite that, we appreciate that you were willing to take that extra milestone to serve the community.”

Bengali Society of Queensland Diwali 2017 BENGALI Society of Queensland hosted a successful Diwali cultural program on 21st October at MacGregor State School.

The MC for the Program Mrs Smriti Mukherjee welcomed everyone to the grand diwali celebration and cultural night.

The entertainment included Rabindra Sangeet, Bihu Dance, poetry recital, Bhangra, Garba and a talented live youth band. Adrindam Chatterjee and Mrs Samita Chatterjee finished the entertainment for the night with Bollywood numbers before dinner.

President Amit Basu thanked everyone for attending, he also acknowledged all the sponsors for BSQ programs. Mr Sonal Bajaj of

Indian High Commission was in attendance and he thanked BSQ for the invitation while speaking on the topic of consular services available to people of Indian Origin.

Thaai Tamil School 6th Annual Cultural Day

By Siva Kailasam (TTS Committee) THE "Thaai Tamil School (TTS)” is part of the After Hours Ethnic Schools Association (AHES) and holds language classes on Saturday afternoons at three locations in Brisbane; Sunnybank, Springfield and Taigum.

The 6th Annual Cultural Event was held on the 14th October, 2017 at Indooroopilly State High School, Indooroopilly. The purpose of the event is to promote the language skills of

our students and the rich culture to the wider community.

The events portrayed our ancient culture and heritage, including the Karakattam (a Tamil folk dance involving the balancing of clay or metal pots or other objects on the dancers head. This dance is usually associated with the worship of Amman), parai (a rhythmic beat instrument and subtle form of dance accompanied by captivating music, is an ancient rural folk art) and silambam (a weapon-based Martial Art, traces back to

14 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

Uber celebrates Diwali in Style

UBER Queensland celebrated Diwali in grand style at Victoria Park Function Centre, Herston on Monday, 16th October. A bit of a shower did not dampen the spirit of the celebration. The marquee offers excellent view of the city from the pavilion.

Mr Alex Golden, State Manager Queensland, Uber Australian and New Zealand, said “this is the third year Uber has put on Diwali events around the country. We’ve invited around 1,000 driver-partners and family members have been invited to come together to enjoy good food, great company and entertainment for Diwali”.

Drivers from a range of cultural back-

grounds attended the celebration. The aim was to promote greater cross-cultural understanding between drivers from different backgrounds and to celebrate the contribution made by thousands of drivers.

Umesh and Usha Chandra of Brisbane Indian Times were invited as special guests, Umesh Chandra addressed the gathering, and he thanked Uber Queensland for the invitation passed on his greetings and best wishes to everyone for Diwali.

several thousand years).

There were 75 school students enthusiastically participated and showcased their wonderful talents and achievements, with 400 people attending, helping to make this as a successful event. The programme was completely compered by the students themselves.

Special Guests for the event were Ms. Irene Bayldon, General Secretary of EBAQ, Mr. Mark Fisher, Principal of Taigum State School and Ms. Freya Ostapovitch, Former Member of Parliament for Stretton. The TTS cultural event was supported by Mr. Peter Russo, Member of Parliament for Sunnybank, sponsored by many community businesses such as Global convenience store, Smartline, personal mortgage advisers and

individual contributors as well. The media sponsors were 4EB Tamil Oli Radio, Brisbane Indian Times, Indian News Queensland and Australian Indian Radio. The 2017 Annual cultural event was coordinated by Muralidharan and Nagarajan.

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The night featured, Bollywood Dances, live singing, DJ, Indian Cuisine and grand finale fireworks.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 15

The India Australia Business & Community Awards 2017 THE India Australia Business & Community Awards (IABCA) 2017 annual awards gala was hosted by Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland, on Friday 13 October at Brisbane City Hall.

His Excellency, Dr. A.M. Gondane, High Commissioner of India in Australia, and Her Excellency, Ms Harinder Sidhu, High Commissioner of Australia in India, Lord Mayor Graham quirk along with other dignitaries and community leader attended the grand gala event.

The fantastic night featured fine dining, unique entertainment, and celebration of outstanding business and community achievements. Kutle Khan project as part of confluence won everyone’s heart, the highly talented Rajasthani troupe, had everyone dancing to the vibrant music.

IABCA celebrates migrant entrepreneurship, community leadership and the exceptional contributions of businesses and individuals to the Australia–India space. It raises awareness of Indians in Australia and Australians in India, in a way that further encourages the rapidly developing relationship between the two countries.

The winners of 2017 IABCA are as follows:

• Young Professional of the Year 2017 - Mandeep Sodhi, HashChing • Young Community Achiever of the Year 2017 - Jennifer Star, Tara.Ed • Community Services Excellence Award 2017 - Eye Play Sport • Spirit of Sport Award 2017 - Molina Asthana, Multicultural Women in Sport • Businesswoman of the Year 2017 - Celina Lazarus, First Crop Coffee and Maillard Atelier • Business Leader of the Year (Male) 2017 Charlton D’Silva, Publisher’s Internationalé • Business Leader of the Year (Female) 2017 - Dr Dimity Dornan AO, Hear and Say • Travel Agency / Tour Operator of the Year 2017 - TOTAL HOLIDAY OPTIONS - Australia • Indian Restaurant of the Year 2017 - Roshni Indian Restaurant • Australian Exporter of the Year 2017 Novotech CRO • Indian Investment in the Australian Market - Riverina Oils & Bio Energy Pty Ltd • Small Business of the Year 2017 - KOCO • SME of the Year 2017 - iOmniscient Pty Ltd • Indian Australian Ambassador of the Year 2017 - Neville Roach AO

Red Carpet Functions Creates History: Red Carpet Multicultural Fashion Show 2017

By John Hui

Grow Bold for your chance to win this BOLDvember FEROS Care’s BOLDvember is about to make waves, returning for a third year to showcase Australians of all ages living bold lives.

The social media campaign will run throughout November, encouraging people from all walks of life to submit entries of them living boldly and smashing negative stereotypes, regardless of their age or ability.

With a $2,000 cash prize up for grabs, this year Feros Care will be looking for an entry that tops last year’s winner – a photo of 92year old adrenaline junkie, Audrey Kuchel, taken on a zip line adventure in Fiji.

Feros Care CEO, Jenenne Buckley said the much-anticipated BOLDvember campaign showed there are no limitations when it comes to showing your bold, and they look forward to seeing more people living their best life in 2017.

“BOLDvember is always a highlight on our calendar, and one of the ways we celebrate people of all ages and abilities living life in spectacular style,” said Ms Buckley.

“How old or able you are doesn’t stop you from having fun and it is great to see so many people challenging the negative stereotypes that exist within our communities,” she said.

“Last year we saw everything from an 82year old ironman to naked cyclists, boxing

THREE years in a row, the multicultural fashion show of Red Carpet Functions continues to bring different communities together and celebrate cultural diversity in Brisbane.

The Founders of Red Carpet Functions Reena Augustine, Alex Ieong & Walter Choo aim to eliminate barriers among diverse groups by organising events that promote multiculturalism as well as inclusivity. They also promote inclusivity, and believe everyone deserves a chance to showcase their talent.

For this year, the show had attracted more than 300 audiences and 200 participants including models, artists and designers from diverse cultural background to showcase their art works and bring business influences at the Princess Theatre of Brisbane.

While “Flight” was the theme of the night, the show brought their audiences aboard to travel around the world and presented the show along their way through different countries and continent.

The fashion parade was delivered with a wide range of performances ranging from Handpan and drumming performances to Vietnamese and Bollywood dancing.

It was also very honoured to have Mr. Duncan Pegg MP, Chairman of Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee, Mr. Steve Biddle, regional director of Queensland, Mr. Anthony Shorten, LNP Candidate for Toohey, Mrs. Pravinta SinghPillay, Principal Lawyer of Cornerstone Law Office, Lewis Lee OAM as well as Surendra Prasad OAM in the guest speakers line up of the night.

“It was truly amazing to participate in event like this, seeing some of Brisbane’s best art and artists all in one room and empowering each other with nothing but love

and support…… while hearing some of the stories and what has inspired such individuals to do what they do and the sentimental value it holds to them is incredible for me.”

Said Patrick Junior Oryem, fashion designer of Malaika Boutique Brisbane.

“As we can see, Brisbane is now booming into the new world city, so Red Carpet is a platform where every talent can showcase their art, like music, design and every industry you can think of.” Said Reena Augustine, founder of Red Carpet Functions who was wearing the dazzling jewels from Starfire Diamond Jewels designed Shweta Starfire who owns local jewellery store in Brisbane.

Ms Augustine was awarded the Community Dedication Award of Brisbane Women in Business Awards for her work establishing Red Carpet Functions in 2015, aside from being one of the baton bearers for the Queens Barton Relay for Commonwealth games 2018, she is also a scholarship awardee for The Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Scholar and Mentoring Scheme 2017.

The fashion shows have become a platform to unite cultures, raise cultural awareness and celebrate the diversity of Queensland’s many ethnicities.

If you would like to have more information log on to www.redcarpetfunctions.com.au or you can email on redcarpetfunctions@gmail.com.

grannies and skydivers, showcasing our most fun and vibrant members of the community that are larger than life.”

Feros Care encourages everyone to get involved in BOLDvember 2017 by simply snapping a selfie or photo ‘Growing Bold’ and submitting the entry to the Feros Care Facebook page.

Entries are open to people of all ages and close on 30 November, 2017.

Visit www.feroscare.com.au/boldvember for more information and competition terms and conditions.

16 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 17

GOPIO Qld news...

GOPIO QLD AGM ON 1st of November GOPIO Queensland held its Annual general meeting at Delights of Paradise Restaurant. Pravinita Singh Pillay conducted the Annual General Meeting chaired by outgoing President Usha Chandra.

Usha Chandra outlined the extensive range of actives GOPIO Queensland undertook in the last two years of her term. She also thanked the founders, previous committees, volunteers and sponsors for their support.

Being associated with GOPIO Qld from the very beginning, she said her support would always be there, she would still look after

sponsorship for next year.

Irene Bayldon as the returning officer conducted the election process and the following appointees as per the constitution were declared; President: Vinita Khushal Immediate Past President: Usha Chandra 1st Vice President: Vikas Sinha 2nd Vice President: Vivek Chopra Secretary: Pravinita Singh Pillay Joint Secretary: Ananya Kaushik Treasurer: Gary Dhaliwal Assistant Treasurer: Ravin Bhairo

Chairperson of Business Council: Umesh Chandra Chairperson of Women’s Council: Veena Merz As per as a special resolution, the general meeting approved a four member Board of Trustees. The following founders were approved as board of trustees; Dr Maha Sinnathamby – Patron, Umesh Chandra Founder President, Vinita Khushal – Founder Secretary, Yousuf Alikhan - Founder Treasurer.

The Board of Trustees is custodian of GOPIO Qld Inc. The board safe guards the interest of GOPIO Qld. The board will be consulted for all constitutional changes. The board will not engage in the day to day man-

agement of GOPIO Queensland.

Constitutional changes proposed by the executive committee must be approved by the Board of Trustees, after approval by the Board of Trustees the changes will need to be passed at a special general meeting. If passed at an SGM the changes have to be duly lodged with office of fair trading.

Together, the trustees set the direction of GOPIO Queensland, ensure GOPIO Queensland’s continued well-being as per its Aims and Objectives as prescribed by the constitution and work to sustain its foundation of excellence.

The board of trustees will appoint a chairperson for a period of two years on a rotational basis.

GOPIO Queensland Diwali Dinner GOPIO Queensland in association with AIBC held a Diwali dinner and dance night at Delights of Paradise Restaurant on 20th October.

Councillor Vicki Howard was the Chief Guest for the sold out event, Councillor Angela Owen also joined in on the later part of the function. GOPIO Queensland outgoing President Usha Chandra welcomed everyone to the joint event and introduced the chief guest.

MC and incoming GOPIO Queensland President Vinita Kushal invited AIBC President Nik Senapati to deliver his address. AIBC and GOPIO Qld are both supporting the Power of Peace festival; Nik Senapati and Usha Chandra are on the organising committee for Power of Peace.

Jim Varghese, the man behind Power of Peace festival spoke on Power of Peace festival and thanked both GOPIO and AIBC for the support. He outlined the planned activities for Power of Peace festival, encompassing Springfield all the way to Brisbane.

After the entrée it was time for some entertainment which began with a game of tambola (bingo) facilitated by Ananya Kaushik. Anita Sharma sang few popular Bollywood numbers to the delight of the full house. Being a full house the sound system was working overtime to keep up.

Other activities included presentation of member badges to new GOPIO Members, best dressed prizes for children and couples. Pushpa Bakshi moved a vote of thanks and Umesh Chandra, a licensed Real Estate agent amongst other things, auctioned a beautiful sari donated

by Tamanna Monem.

GOPIO Queensland’s social nights usually end up singing and merrymaking this night was no exception, yes we are talking about the Antakshri, as usual none of the team would give up and the delightful competition went over time. Overall a very successfully entertaining night despite the full house challenges.

18 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 19

Park renamed in memory of late Manmeet Alisher THE grief-stricken father of slain bus driver Manmeet Alisher says the colour has drained from his world since the killing of his beloved son.

But Ramsaroop Sharma said he was thankful his son’s memory would live on through a park at Moorooka, near where he was murdered, which is now officially renamed Manmeet Paradise Park.

Mr Sharma, Manmeet’s brother Amit and sisters Rupinder and Amandeep flew to Australia for the park renaming, organised by Brisbane City Council, but said the main focus for them was be an earlier religious ceremony at an Inala Sikh Temple.

In the Sikh religion, the one-year anniversary of a person’s death is of great significance. Saturday 28th was the anniversary of Manmeet’s killing.

But Mr Sharma said the family’s overriding concern was ensuring justice for Manmeet and he had come to Australia with no joy in his heart.

“The world is dark. There are no colours left,’’ he said through interpreter and relative, Winnerjat “Goldie’’ Singh.

“We didn’t want to come out here. We’re just

waiting for justice and we have doubts about that now. We cannot understand why it (the trial of accused killer Anthony Mark Edward O’Donohue) is taking so long.

“We will come back if there is a trial. We will fight to the end for justice for Manmeet.’’

Criminal proceedings against O’Donohue, who is alleged to have boarded the council bus Manmeet was driving, thrown flammable liquid over him and set him on fire, were suspended in January under the Mental Health Act. The family were happy to see many members of the public who turned up, both to the 10am ceremony at the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and the park renaming at Luxworth Place, Moorooka, from 1.30-3pm. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart were present at the renaming ceremony.

They had invited the Moorooka Community Choir to the temple, and council bus drivers also attended after first driving two council buses to the park. The council had declined their request to drive the buses there for the renaming ceremony.

The family took part in the Power of Peace function that night at Qld Art Gallery.

The family thanked Lord Mayor Graham Quirk for fulfilling a promise made a year ago to build a memorial at the park and rename it in Manmeet’s honour; something which the family said made them very proud.

“It’s our memory for all of us. All the time his name will be there,’’ Amit said.

Mr Singh said the saddest day for the family

would come when they boarded a plane for their home in the small town of Alisher in southern Punjab.

He said the case had made headlines back in India and people from across Punjab had come to pay their respects to Manmeet’s relatives.

Councillor Angela Owen played a pivotal role the renaming ceremony; she acted as the MC for the formal part of the event.

Ceremonies have welcomed 10,000 international students

Our Countries (Manmeet Sharma 1987–2016) You came to Australia to work.

Drove taxis at first and now this bus.

You’re twenty-nine, quite handsome.

The Indian community loves to hear you sing.

‘Future wife is a lucky woman,’ they tease at parties.

Your fiancée waits in your home village and within the month you’ll join her there, north of Amritsar, for the engagement.

The future is as bright, yar, as Diwali lights.

It’s Friday morning and you’re on a fill-in shift – Garden City to Fortitude Valley.

You stash your water bottle wipe down the steering wheel adjust the seat start the engine and tap the button that opens the door.

Passengers touch-on with their Go-cards and nod g’day.

Sikh bangle on your wrist you swing the blue and yellow council bus out of the shopping centre, under the freeway, and up the forested hill.

Smile at the memory of the boys back home who collect the rupees and sing Challo! Challo!

Our Punjabi man, our fellow citizen is now passing where the ironbark trees once grew in the days when the Jagera people would camp by the creek.

A bing sounds whenever a passenger wants to stop.

They touch-off with a thankyou driver or a ta mate.

Our driver is approaching the Moorooka shops.

It’s 9.00am, eleven on board.

Hush! close your eyes for a moment for the sun that lights up our earth here is yet to anoint the Himalayas.

Rejoice in the peaceful sleep of his parents.

Hold them in your hearts – hold them.

Mister Sharma, Brisbane bus driver, you reach out and tap the button for the door.

A man pushes in yelling.

A man is shouting.

(Something about a train station?)

And what is he carrying?

Later police will say he is ‘known to authorities’ has ‘mental health issues’.

‘The 125 doesn’t go there,’ you advise.

‘Cultural Centre, yar, the city – ’ In a fury the upset stranger throws a peculiar liquid at you and lights you up.

You burn, dear man.

Dear man, you are burned alive.

Mister Sharma twenty-nine and handsome engaged to be married loving son loved brother – you did not survive. Yet you live on.

You last minutes on our shared earth have seared hearts in both our nations.

Our memory of you is as radiant as sunlight as everlasting as our sorrow.

20 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

Lesley Synge

BRISBANE’S Lord Mayoral International Student Friendship Ceremonies marked their 25th incarnation on October 23, having welcomed around 10,000 overseas students to the city since beginning in 2012.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk officiated at the quarterly ceremony at City Hall, which reaffirmed the city’s support of the 600 international students who attended.

Cr Quirk said he was proud of Brisbane’s world-ranked education providers and its reputation as one of Australia’s most inclusive study destinations.

“Today’s ceremony places an emphasis on offering a warm welcome to our international students and celebrates Brisbane’s position as having one of the most diverse student populations in Australia,” he said.

“We now have 78,000 international student enrolments annually from more than 160 countries.

“Our city prides itself on its friendly and supportive character, encouraging students to exceed at their studies and prepare for the careers of their choices.”

Cr Quirk said the Study Brisbane program facilitated by Brisbane Marketing aimed to enhance international students’ stay in the city.

As part of the program, Brisbane’s International Student Ambassadors work with

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Study Brisbane to share their experiences of studying and living in the city.

This year, the ambassadors’ social media audience combined with Study Brisbane’s Facebook page reached nearly 240,000 prospective students, peers and families.

There are 44 international student ambassadors from 34 countries, making it one of the largest student ambassador programs in Australia. Brisbane has appointed 280 ambassadors since the program began in 2009.

Study Brisbane also partners with graduate job-service provider Ribit to organise Student Connect events, bringing students and employers together to help facilitate career paths and employment opportunities.

Other initiatives include supporting the Brisbane Student Hub - which provides free information, advice and referrals on healthcare, employment, budget management, accommodation and legal services – and a dedicated airport welcome program that helps orientate incoming international students to Brisbane.

Additionally, Study Brisbane works with universities, state and private schools, vocational education and training providers, English language colleges and accommodation providers to promote the high standard of education in the city.

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Sri Lalithasahasranaama Stothra-Patana (Lalithasahasranaama chanting) in Brisbane OVER the last 13 years in Brisbane, Sri Lalithasahasranaama Stothra-Patana (Lalithasahasranaama chanting) has been conducted during Navarathri celebrations in devotees’ houses under the guidance of Pandith Dr Krishna Murthy Bhat. This has brought the community together to seek Sri DeviLalitha’s blessing.

This year’s celebration continued for 10 days from 21st September to 1st October in 13 different host devotees ‘houses. Around 100 to 200 devotees attended each Pooja. After a brief introduction to the ‘Significance of Navarathri’ and ‘Sri Lalithasahasranaama’ (below), Dr Bhat performed Nava-Durga Pooja accompanied by the host family. All invited guests participated in the chanting of Sri Lalithasahasranaama Stothra followed by Bhajans sung by the devotees. KumkumArchana to Sri Maha-Lakshmi was performed by the host family. All the gathered devotees took part in Maha-MangalaAarathi. Delicious vegetarian dinner/lunch was served by the host family. For all the 10 days everybody enjoyed the electrifying atmosphere of the festive season.

It is also a tradition that during the 10 days of Navarathri, Devi-Durga in her 10 different forms (Nava-Durga) wears different coloured Silk-Saris specified for that particular day.

This year the Navarathri celebration had an added attraction, as the ladies adopted the ritual of wearing the same coloured Silk-Saris specified for that day. The effect was spectacular, and everybody is looking forward to next year’s celebrations.

Navarathri also known as Dasara is one of the most significant Hindu festivals celebrated by Hindus all over the world. According to Hindu Scripture, ‘Devi-Mahathmya’, during the 10 days of Navarathri, Mother Goddess Durga slayed several of the most powerful & vicious Demons to protect the pious people and bring peace to this world.

The Goddess Durga also promised that whenever, and whoever seeks her help, she will protect them. It is strongly believed that during Navarathri, Mother Durga is quick to response to Her devotee’s prayers. Seeking Devi’s blessings, Hindus perform Durga Pooja, especially during Navarathri with devotion. On the 10th day, Vijaya-Dashami (Victorious Tenth day), Hindus perform Pooja to Sri Rama (Seventh Incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and celebrate the victory of Sri Rama over Ten-Headed-Demon Ravana.

Lalithasahasranaama Stothra, appears in ‘Bhramanda-Purana’ as a conversation between Lord Hayagreeva (Horse-headed Incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and the Sage Agasthya. It is one of the most beautifully constructed Prayers in Sanskrit language.

Once the Earth & the Heaven (Deva-Looka) was terrorised by a very powerful demon called ‘Bhandaasura’, powered by a Boon (wish) from Lord Brahma that ‘no Gods and no Animals born from a mother’s womb would ever kill him’. His rain of tyranny troubled the whole Universe. Seeking help from ‘Devi’, all the Gods and Sages gathered together and performed a huge ‘Yajna’. Devi possessing the Power of all the Gods emerged from the ‘Burning Yajna-Kunda’ (Chidagni-Kunda-Sambutha), in form of a ‘Beautiful Lady’ (Maha-Tripura-Sundari).

They called her ‘LALITHA’ (means Pleasant and Playful). Devi-Lalitha destroyed Bhandaasura at the request of all the Gods. She then told ‘Vag-Devi’ (Goddess Saraswathi) to construct a ‘Stothra’ (Prayer) narrating Her Speciality & Greatness in one thousand words (Sahasranaama) Vag-Devi accordingly constructed Thousand Speciality Names of Devi-Lalitha called ‘Lalithasahasranaama Stothra’ and placed it at the Lotus-Feet of Devi-Lalitha. Very pleased with this Stothra, Devi-Lalitha in the presence all the Gods and Sages, gave them the Lalithasahasranaama Stothra and instructed them that they should spread this Prayer all around the Universe including Earth for the benefit of Her devotees.

Devi-Lalitha also promised that ‘wherever, Call 07 3865 6533

whenever, and whomever chant Lalithasahasranaama Stothra with Devotion, She will be with them, protecting and taking care of them’.

With this conviction in their mind, devotees chant Lalithasahasranaama Stothra with devotion during Navarathri seeking DeviLalitha’s Blessings.

OOM SHANTHI SHANTHI SHANTHIHE Pandith Dr Krishna Murthy Bhat drkmbhat@gmail.com More photo’s in wwww section

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 21

Turning of the sod at Chung Tian Temple CHUNG Tian Temple in Priestdale held a turning of the sod ceremony for the stage two of their project on Sunday 29th October.

Stage two of the well established temple will include the Pilgrim Lodge development.

The turning of the sod ceremony was conducted by most venerable Hsin Bau Head Abbot, Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order.

Abbess of Chung Tian Temple, Venerable Chueh Shan welcomed everyone to the important and progressive ceremony

for Chung Tian Temple.

Invited dignitaries included politicians and multicultural community leaders, who were treated to a vegetarian lunch after the turning of the sod ceremony.

Mansfield award recipient Sahibjeet ‘Sabi’ Bains THE Mansfield Award is presented in recognition of the commitment, energy and effort of Mr Tim Mansfield – Deputy Head of Bruce Hall (2010-2016). Tim was an endlessly hardworking Deputy Head that dedicated so much of his life and energy to the betterment of the Bruce community. Tim continually put Bruce before his own young family, committing countless thankless hours towards supporting the wellbeing and development of residents. He lived and breathed Bruce Hall, but not in his own self-interest, rather for the personal development of each and every resident. So much of the inclusive culture at Bruce Hall can be attributed directly to his efforts.

Residents saw him as both a leader and a great role model. Tim represented the culture and history of the Hall, and embodied the legacy of Bill Packard – the founding Warden of Bruce Hall.

The Tim Mansfield Award will be presented at Valete every year to a student who has demonstrated the great qualities that Tim did in his time here. They must have shown relentless commitment to the community, an electric and infectious passion for the Hall, and possess a deep sense of humility. The recipient will be someone who is not in a formal leadership position, but has dedicated so much time to Bruce, perhaps even with little thanks.

This is the second year we will be giving out the award, and I’m delighted to say that this year, it goes to a lovely young man who’s presence at the hall has been felt in so many

A blissful evening of Kathak

ways. He’s someone who’s always great to talk to in the dining hall, no matter whether the topic is profound, or just profoundly silly.

He’s worked hard, and with little fanfare, to organise a number of amazing events for Bruce residents, and he gets around every event that others organise as well, be it arts, sports or cultural. He’s renowned for his amazing colour coordination when he dresses up, and, most importantly he’s just generally the kindest and warmest person you’ll ever meet living at Bruce. The award this year goes to Sahibjeet ‘Sabi’ Bains.

BRISBANE witnessed a blissful evening of Kathak dance with the accompaniment of talented local musicians presented by Infinity Kathak. Infinity Kathak is a dance company established in April 2016 by Dr Helena Joshi, who brings her rich lineage of authentic Kathak dance from India to Australia.

She is a disciple of Guru Prerana Deshpande, an international exponent of Kathak dance.

Being part of that rich lineage has bestowed Helena with the opportunity to continuously learn from Guru Prerana and pass on the knowledge of Kathak in Brisbane to her students.

Dr Helena Joshi, director Infinity Kathak and disciple of Guru Prerana Deshpande started with Ganesh Vandana, Tarana and Jhaptal. Kathak when combined with accomplished musician is a treat for music lovers.

Complementing the dancers were the follow-

ing musicians; Shen Flindell on Tabla, Richard Grantham on the Viola, Sudha Manian on Sitar, Darshil Shah on flute and Dr Mansey Kinarivala with accompanying vocals. Dr Richa Dave was the MC for the event and program content development.

After the meal break the much awaited performance of Guru Prerana Despande unfolded with Ram Stuti followed by Nritta in Teen Taal, Gat, Thumri and Tarana. Guru Prerana Despande is the director of Nrityadham (Dance academy) in Pune India.

The venue Queensland Multicultural Centre at Kangaroo Point is well suited to these performances, the inbuilt sound system is usually very good. Bayside Orthopaedic Centre was the Platinum Sponsor, Catering Sponsor was Sitar Authentic Indian Restaurant, and Exclusive media sponsors were Brisbane Indian Times and Australian Indian Radio.

QLD Premiers 16th reception for Indian Community BRISBANE, 25th October, Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk held the sixteenth reception for Queensland Indian community at the speaker’s green of Parliament House. The weather being favourable, the traditional marquee was not needed. The garden setting and a Sitar and Tabla duo created a perfect ambience and backdrop for the occasion.

Minister Grace Grace as the MC welcomed everyone to the reception, and mentioned the first Diwali / Annakut to be held inside the Parliament House, the event was held a day before the reception in the Premiers Hall. She said that the reception was an opportunity for the Premier to interact with Indian community.

The Premier welcomed everyone to the people’s house, the Parliament House and introduced many ministers in attendance; she acknowledged the many contributions made

by Queenslanders of Indian heritage to the society. She said “Queensland is home to about 74,000 residents of Indian ancestry,

and have come to Queensland from various parts of the world, Queensland is a unified outward looking and inclusive community, and a rich multicultural community, I have said it before and I will say it again, our greatest assets are our people.’’

She mentioned the trade opportunities of the booming middle class emerging in India; she

22 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

wants Queensland to be front and centre of those trade opportunities. Queensland exports have nearly doubled under her leadership, along with exports of course comes jobs.

Dr Maha Sinnathamby, patron of GOPIO and Chairperson of Springfield Land Corporation, said “for sixteen years, we have been

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honoured to gather here in name of multiculturalism and friendship that Queensland and Australia has clearly become famous for”.

He said the Indian community has grown to four hundred and fifty five thousand as recorded last year. To the Premier he said that we have crossed the oceans to come here for a great future and thereby adding value to the state. He finished of with Mahatma Gandhi famous quote of being the change you want to see.

Mrs Archana Singh, Honorary Council for India in Queensland and Palani Thevar President of FICQ also spoke at the reception.

After the speeches everyone lined up for the photos with Premier and Minister Grace Grace. Protocol Queensland handles the invites for the reception; a cross-section of Indian community organisation was represented.

On 11th October, Premier had held a similar reception for Queensland Multicultural community at the same venue.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 23

Experience Live Dance that’s Straight Outta Bollywood!

Inaugural Power of peace festival celebrated global Gandhi values MAHATMA Gandhi is the Global peace icon whose legacy of non-violence continues to live on.

Queensland’s inaugural Power of Peace Festival aims to celebrate the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi.

Festival project director Veena Merz said the event was all about inclusiveness and reminding people about the power of peace.

“The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia two years ago where he inaugurated the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Roma Street Parklands and after that the festival committee was formed,” Ms Merz said.

“Promoting the message of non-violence as a tool to bring peace and to resolve differences is something Gandhi demonstrated almost 100 years ago and what we feel the world needs to hear.”

The festival started with a public interfaith forum at Griffith University’s Nathan campus and followed by a very successful reception at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art. Tamanna Monem coordinated the very successful reception which included the puppet show by Ishara Puppet Company.

Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Ela Gandhi joined the panel discussion and reception dinner via video conferencing from Durban South Africa. The high calibre panellist included Ms Maxine McKew, Mr Neville Roach AO, Professor Amitabh Matthoo, Mr Peter Varghese, Professor Arun Sharma, Ms Rabia Siddique and Ms Carol Angir. The theme was the relevance of Gandhiji’s teaching in current times.

On Sunday 29th October, the festival began with a walk from Springfield’s Mahatma Gandhi Bridge to the Robelle Domain Park-

lands amphitheatre, where a peace choir performed.

From there, festival-goers took part in a Peace Parade to Springfield Central Station which acted as an enactment of Gandhi’s famous Salt March. The march included the traditional Indian drum (dhol), two giant puppets from visiting Ishara Puppet Company added to the march.

From Springfield Central to Roma Street Parklands people rode for free on a special peace train which symbolised an event in which Gandhi refused to comply with racial segregation rules on a South African train.

The train driver payed the Indian National anthem over the trains PA system to everyone’s delights, the charted train arrived at Roma Street Parkland and was met by Minister Grace Grace. The salt march continued from the Roma street Station to Mahatma Gandhi Statue, were floral tributes were offered.

The march than continued to the amphitheatre for formalities including cultural item by Namaste World and Speeches by dignitaries.

BOLLYWOOD, the cinema of India, is known for its vibrant colours, melodramatic scenes, lengthy durations, and, of course, energetic and vibrant dance sequences. Dance Masala are Brisbane’s Premier Bollywood Dance School, who celebrate magic of Bollywood every day through their popular and lively classes. On Saturday the 25th of November, Dance Masala will be holding their annual concert. With a cast of 100 performers, the concert will bring Bollywood at its finest, to Brisbane! Nothing says Bollywood more than a massive cast of people, all dancing joyously together.

“We are so excited to bring the concert to our new venue at Moreton Bay College”, says Dance Masala Director, Andrea Lam. ‘It’s such a beautiful space with a wonderful energy to it. All of our dancers have been working hard to get the show ready to captivate the crowd… And, with our youngest performer being 3 years old, we’re ready to pull on the old heartstrings too!”

More than just a concert, Dance Masala promises the night will be closer to a festival experience, without the chaos! “We have mehendi (henna) artists, delicious food, live musicians, and there’ll be more than a couple of surprises. This is not your average Dance School concert because Bollywood is not your average kind of dance. We’re flashy, we’re glittery, this is who we are and we’re ready to put on a real show”, Dance Masala

Manager, Divya Nair, emphasises. The Dance Masala ‘Straight Outta Bollywood’ Concert is on Saturday 25th of November.

Details Date: Saturday 25th of November 2017 Times: 5:30pm doors open and pre-show entertainment / 6:30pm doors close – show commences Duration: 2 hours Where: The Power Family Concert Hall (Music Centre), Moreton Bay College, 72 Hargreaves Rd, Manly West Cost: $25.00 Premium Pre-Sale; $20.00 Standard Seating Pre-Sale Find Out More: http://bollywoodbrisbane.com.au/2017-concert Contact Dance Masala Email: hello@dancemasala.com.au Facebook: http://facebook.com/dancemasala Phone: 0422 512 991

India trip – family, friends and training programs for the youth

By Pete Lane Rai BIT correspondent, Pete Lane Rai, recently spent 5 weeks in India with his wife visiting his Sikh family in Chandigarh and other friends in Dehradun and Mussoorie.

With the monsoon over, the temperatures were a pleasant, dusty 25 deg, though early morning and evenings were cool.

The highlight of the visit in Chandigarh was visiting the Rock Garden, designed by Nek Chand, (www.nekchand.com) made from recycled rocks, pottery pieces, etc.

It is intentionally in sharp contrast to the well laid out Chandigarh with its interconnecting sectors and straight roads. Chandigarh, where owners of cows are not encouraged

to let their animals roam on the roads, reminds me of Canberra. We spent several hours at the gardens, along with hundreds of other tourists fascinated by the waterfalls, endless tiny statues of animals, people, and negotiating narrow doorways, which were very difficult to get through for our 6’4” Sikh nephew, Nippy. His petite 5’ wife, Kanaka had no problem getting through.

Time was also spent with friends in Dehradun who have a training programme for youth. Pete was able to spend 30 minutes a day, teaching 13 students how and why to exercise correctly even if they have no equipment or can’t afford to attend a gym. There were interesting discussions concerning the fact that

24 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

God had made out bodies and given them to us as a gift to look after.

A similar training programme was held in the nearby hill station of Mussoorie, named the Queen of the Hills, where Pete met and married his Australian wife in 1972.

In both programmes it was great to see both men and women really enjoying the exercises for which they were rewarded with a green running shirt from Pete’s running club, “In Training” based in Milton.

Our final two days were spent at Jim Corbett Wildlife Reserve Park.

We enjoyed seeing boar, endless deer, both spotted and barking, and one of their predators, the jackals.

We even met a family of elephants who later chased a tourist group for about a kilometre. www.indiantimes.com.au

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 25

Who, What, Where, When

• Mr Steve Biddle, Regional Director Queensland, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, presenting citizenship certificates at FICQ Diwali. Article page 8. Photo: Redson.

• FICQ Diwali celebrations, Australians partaking of refreshments. Photo: Redson.

• Above & Right: Zonta Breakfast Club of Brisbane held a White Ribbon breakfast at The Brisbane Club, Umesh Chandra of White Ribbon Queensland committee represented on behalf of White Ribbon Queensland.

• Left & Above: Shri Satya Narayan Puja at Baldev & Shushma Sharma’s residence at Parkinson

by Pandit Surinder Sharma. Photo courtesy: Denis Sharma

26 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

• Kutle Khan Project performing in Queen Street Mall.

Photo’s Brian Sullivan.

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Who, What, Where, When

• The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Art, FICQ Executive Committee, flanked by Mrs Devi Thevar and Professor Prasad Yarlagadda (past President and patron) at Premiers Indian Community Reception. Article on page 8.

• The Honourable Grace Grace - Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs, The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP - Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Art, Nancy Ram and Regina and Anand Prasad at Qld Premier Reception for Indian Community. Article page 22.

• Ekta Women’s group meet first Sunday of every month. A very big thank you to Mrs Sahai - The President of Ekta Women’s Group for organising the yearly plan. This month ladies enjoyed the Ramayan performed by Mrs Subadra Mishra and Mrs Prabha Mishra at the residence of Mr & Mrs Shiu and Sarita Chand. Well done team for the great work.” Photo’s courtesy Roshni Sharma.

• New citizens Abhishek Vora of Scope Migration and family with invited guests at Lord Mayors citizenship ceremony held at Brisbane City Hall on 30 October.

• Above & Right: Tulsi Vivah at Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple, Burbank. Photo courtesy: Denis Sharma.

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All that you need to know about the Louvre Abu Dhabi THE Louvre Abu Dhabi shall open to the public on November 11, and has more than 600 pieces on display.

Stepping into the Louvre Abu Dhabi, one of the first artworks a visitor sees is a twoheaded Neolithic statue from Jordan, one of the oldest known in human history.

That duality - looking back and toward the future, encompassing both East and West - is a theme that extends throughout the new museum, which is opening to the public on Saturday after a decade of delays and questions over labourers’ rights.

The conservative mores of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates that’s more buttoned-up than freewheeling Dubai, can be seen in the relative absence of pieces depicting nudity. Still, artwork at the new Louvre offers a brief history of the world and its major religions, not shying away from Judaism in a country that officially does not recognize Israel.

“Here at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, we’ve accomplished history,” Mohamed Khalifa alMubarak, the chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, said at a ceremony for journalists on Monday. “This museum is a lot more than just a museum.”

The modernist museum, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, sits under a honeycombed dome of eight layers of Arab-style geometric shapes.

It draws the lapping waters of the Persian Gulf into its outer corridors, allowing individual beams of light that pass through the roof to strike the surface and cast dancing reflections across the white walls. At night, light inside pours out like tiny little stars from a salt shaker against the city’s skyline.

“I imagine this metaphor of the sky, cosmic, cosmographic, with a random system like the stars itself,” Nouvel told The Associated Press. “I imagine that with not a lot of lighting, just a little bit to create a kind of rain of light.”

• A man walks past the medieval "Tapestry of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar" displayed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum during a media tour on November 6, 2017, prior to the official opening of the museum on Saadiyat island in the Emirati capital on November 8. (AFP)

That rain has been a long time coming in this desert country, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Authorities first announced the Louvre Abu Dhabi project in 2007 as Dubai feverishly built the world’s tallest building and other wonders.

Today, much of Saadiyat Island, envisioned as a cultural district anchored by the museum, is still empty. Part of the reason is the drop in global energy prices from over $100 a barrel in 2014 to around $30 in early 2016.

Officials in Abu Dhabi have not disclosed how much it cost to build the museum.

What is known is that Abu Dhabi agreed to pay France $525 million for the use of the “Louvre” name for the next 30 years and six months, plus another $750 million to hire French managers to oversee the 300 loaned works of art. A center at Paris’ Louvre now bears the name of the late UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which was also part of the deal.

During construction, the project faced intense criticism over conditions faced by labourers, who faced low pay, long hours and hot conditions. A worker was killed in an accident in 2015 while another died of “natural causes” in 2016, according to Abu Dhabi authorities.

Jean-Luc Martinez, the president-director of the Louvre in Paris, contends the museum spoke “very frankly” about labourer conditions. He described the museum as a bridge between Asia, Africa and Europe.

“We are not a European museum,” he told the AP. “It’s a place to see the world from Abu Dhabi.”

That begins in the first gallery, where the floor bears an outline of the UAE with the names of different world cities in Arabic, China, English and Hindi. Different cultures face each other in exhibits: for example, a French suit of armor is positioned to look directly across from a Japanese warrior’s outfit.

The museum also makes a point to put the world’s religions side by side.

In one exhibit, a Jewish funerary stele from France in 1250 sits next to a Tunisian Muslim’s funerary steel and a Christian archbishop’s stone epitaph from Tyre, Lebanon.

A painted French stone statue of Virgin and Child stands by a section of a Syrian Quran dating to around 1250, open to a page recounting the night during the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims believe the holy book was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

In a darkened room, a page from the Blue Quran, one of the oldest ever found, sits near a Gothic Bible, Buddhist sutras and a Torah from Yemen dating to 1498.

In a Middle East still torn by religious and sectarian conflict, whether between Sunni and Shiite or Israelis and the Palestinians, simply putting them side by side is a major statement.

“By addressing their message to all humanity without distinction, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam transcended local cultural characteristics and deeply transformed ancient societies,” one placard reads. “These religions shared with Judaism the concept of monotheism but diverged on the subjects such as the representation of the divine.”

Nudity, however, is only lightly represented, either in bare breasts on an Italian dish or nude bronze ballerina statuettes by Edgar Degas, seemingly dancing in the line of sight of James McNeill Whistler’s famed painting of his mother. Whistler’s painting joins a woman’s portrait on wood by Leonardo da Vinci, two works by Pablo Picasso and a hotpink Andy Warhol image of an electric chair.

For now at least, the museum’s exhibit ends with an installation by Chinese artist Ai Weiei called “A Foundation of Light,” an illuminated work of steel and glass that recalls the museum’s gleam at night.

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Kavita Chandwani

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Myriad experiences await you on Maria Island walks

By Rama Gaind This is one adventure where four days are said to last a lifetime.

One of Australia’s leading tourism experiences – the award-winning Maria Island Walk on Tasmania’s East Coast – is celebrating 15 years of memorable guided walks and experiences.

Mark this occasion by being a part of this adventurous experience.

It is on the wild side, but during its operation the guides at Maria Island Walk have led nearly 1000 walks for guests from over 20 countries including the UK, Europe and North America, as well as visitors from all over Australia, showcasing some of the most unique wildlife and spectacular landscapes on the globe.

Look at packages from Hobart to Triabunna, the scenic cruise across the pristine waters of the Mercury Passage to the isthmus of Maria Island; gourmet food and wine; experienced guides; entry into the National Park; accommodation and use of waterproof jackets and day packs.

Family business The family-owned company founded by tourism visionaries Ian and Bronwyn Johnstone in 2002 has won seven national and 13 state awards, culminating this year with its inclusion as one of the founding members of Tourism

endangered Forty-spotted pardalote and Swift parrot.

Island walk The award-winning Maria Island Walk is one of Australia’s most spectacular destinations.

A relaxing boat trip with frequent sightings of seals, dolphins and spectacular sea birds delivers them to the Island where they walk between wilderness camps taking in the landscapes, wildlife and history of the destination.

Make sure you also spent time at historic Bernacchi House in the settlement of Darlington.

Walks depart daily from 1 October to 1 May each year. You’ll be glad you participated!

• You will treasure the experience of walking on Reidl Beach, Maria Island.

Australia’s Australian Wildlife Collection, which recognises exceptional wildlife encounters.

“It has been a labour of love showcasing the myriad of experiences available on Maria Island to the world,” Ian Johnstone said.

“Maria Island was a largely untapped jewel of rare wildlife, spectacular scenery and fascinating history when we started and we

now have over 20 guides sharing their knowledge of Maria Island to our guests each summer.”

The Maria Island Walk packages take small groups of just 10 guests and two guides to explore the pristine beaches, tall ancient forests and world heritage sites by day and then each night relax with candlelight dining and elegant accommodation.

Hindu Cultural Hub at Clayfield....

Ayyapasi (October) month and significance of Annabishekam Courtesy: Mrs. Sujatha Vasudevan THE current month in Tamil calendar is called Ayppasi (starting from 18th of October and ending on 16th of November). There are a couple of important celebrations and festivals during this month. Deepawali and Surasamharam are amongst them. Deepawali is celebrated to mark the victory of Good over Evil. It literally means a row of lights. People celebrate it with sweets and lighting diyas. Surasamharam is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Muruga (Karthigeya) over the demon Surapadman. Tamil Hindus fast for six days and the final day is celebrated by enacting the victory of Lord Muruga.

Annabhishekam: Another festival which is celebrated this month is Annabhishekam for Lord Shiva who is in the form of Linga. Cooked white rice (Annam in Tamil means cooked rice) is used to cover the whole Linga for this special occasion which is done on the full moon day with Ashwini star.

On the full moon day the deity is covered by cooked white rice in all Siva temples in the South India. To grow and cook rice - wind, earth, water, fire and sky (sunlight) are used. As rice incorporates the five elements it is offered to Lord Shiva who is the God of all these elements. To thank Him for His mercy the rice which was harvested during that time was offered to Him. It is a form of thanks giving to God and distributing the rice later to all the people coming to the temple on that day. There is a strong belief that this rice which is offered to the Linga will cure all the illness.

Food for thought: Traditionally people had an intention of recognising the importance of nature for their living and paid their gratitude in the form of festivals to the Gods, the master and protector. Perhaps in those days such religious practices encouraged the rich and affluent people to share their resource with less fortunate and poor people. Therefore rituals such as Annabhishekam and Annadhanam was considered to be very auspicious.

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Over the period of time the same Annadhanam practice has taken a different turn. We find that enormous quantity of food is cooked and brought in for every festival and celebration to perform the Annadhanam. But the number of devotees attending the festival at that particular time of the day is becoming lesser in number and therefore considerable amount of food is being wasted. Therefore one has to bear in mind that during the practice of annadhanam wasting the food is not very practicable and sensible and other forms of offering to the poor and the needy should be considered. Om Nama Sivaya!

Stay Connected: The Hindu Cultural Hub at Clayfield is a centre to congregate and promote spiritual, cultural and educational needs of local community and wider Hindu society in Brisbane. Devotees and friends assemble at the Bar-Jai Community Hall (178, Alexandra Road, Clayfield) last Friday of each month between 6.30pm to 9.00pm.

Our next cultural congregation falls on 24th of November 2017.

As a standard practice, we have the following program at the Bar-Jai Hall: • Pooja by Hindu Priest • Bajan and Kirtan by devotees • Monthly religious updates / guest speakers on spiritual (or) on yoga techniques • Prasatham with vegetarian dinner served • Session conclude with relevant social justice updates and public notices.

We are currently interested in building our networks and relations with different communities around local and Brisbane area. If you are interested to get involved, please contact us on 0469016416 or 0427999129 or alternatively contact: sathiya.ramakrishnan@gmail.com.

More details can be found at our web site: http://www.hinduculturalhub.org/

With its collection of rare and unusual species, it’s not surprising that Maria Island is described as the state’s ‘Noah’s Ark’. An island sanctuary, it is one of the best places in Australia to see wombats, Tasmanian Devils, Cape Barren geese, kangaroos and wallabies.

The bird life is also an attraction with 125 species including all of Tasmania’s endemics such as the

• Bishop and Clerk summit from the Fossil Cliffs: fascinating history unfolds along the way with many reminders of the rich cultural heritage of Maria Island.

Uttar Mimansa - Vedanta Philosophy UTTAR Mimansa, translated as Later Critical Enquiry or Vedanta, is the most prominent philosophy among six orthodox Hindu philosophies. Vedanta literally means the end of the Vedas. Generally, it refers to the Upanishads, which are the concluding portions of the Vedas.

Vedanta is also interpreted as the essence of the Vedic philosophical traditions. It encompasses elements of other orthodox Hindu philosophies.

A number of Vedanta traditions have thrived over time. The main objects for deliberation of all Vedanta traditions are Brahma (ब्रह्म) or the ultimate metaphysical reality, also known as God; Atma/Jivatma or the individual soul; and Prakriti or the empirical world, which is the ever-changing physical universe. The definitions of these objects and the relationships between them vary among different Vedanta traditions.

The Sanskrit term Brahma in Vedanta is distinct from Brahma the creator. Its translation, God, denotes the universal laws of nature with supreme power to create, maintain and destroy. It is different from deities or specific divine manifestations.

The main Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita are the three key texts that form the basis of Vedanta philosophy.

The Upanishads advance ideas presented in the Vedas through metaphysical discourses. Authorship of the Upanishads is credited to various sages.

Around 108 Upanishads are extant, however the ten Upanishads on which Adi Shankaracharya wrote commentaries are considered to be the main Upanishads.

Sage Badarayana summarised the teachings of the Upanishads in the Brahma Sutras. The Brahma Sutras book comprises 555 aphorisms in four chapters.

The Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical discourse in the Bhishma Parva, the sixth book of the Mahabharata, composed by Veda-Vyasa. It contains 700 Shlokas or verses in 18 chapters.

Vedanta as a philosophical tradition existed even before composition of the Brahma Sutras. This is evident from the references in the Brahma Sutras but specific details are unavailable.

Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya and Madhavacharya, all from South India, revitalised Vedanta philosophy. They wrote commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, in addition to other books, to expound their versions of Vedanta philosophy.

Adi Shankaracharya propagated Advaita Vedanta or non-dualism philosophy. According to the Advaita Vedanta, the individual soul known as Atma is not different from the Brahma or God. The multiplicity of the universe and the unending stream of life are real but only as a phenomenon arising from God. God is Nirguna or without attributes and so is the soul. www.indiantimes.com.au

Ramanujacharya spread Vishisht-advaita or qualified non-dualism philosophy. According to the qualified non-dualism philosophy, all living entities are believed to be qualitatively one with God and at the same time quantitatively different. Atma or the individual soul is a part of God but it is not God. The religious tradition advanced by Ramanujacharya is known as Shree Vaishnava Sampradaya and it continues to propagate the qualified non-dualism Vedanta philosophy.

Swaminarayan, the founder of Swaminarayan Sampradaya, also propagated the qualified non-dualism Vedanta philosophy.

Madhavacharya advanced the Dvaita or dualism Vedanta philosophy. According to the Dvaita Vedanta philosophy, God or the supreme soul in the form of lord Vishnu, and the individual soul known as Jivatma, exist as independent realities. Lord Vishnu, being the most powerful, causes the creation of the universe at His will.

The created world with all living entities exists independent of Him. The individual soul can achieve union with lord Vishnu with devotion, worship and by surrendering to Him. There have been other notable Vedanta philosophers such as Nimbarkacharya, Ballabhacharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and others who interpreted the key Vedanta texts and established their own form of Vedanta philosophy.

Brahmo Samaj, a reformist movement founded

by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, emphasised the need to follow the Vedantic monotheistic concept of God. He was instrumental in abolishing the practice of Sati or burning of wife with her dead husband.

Swami Vivekanand introduced the Vedanta philosophy to the western world. He spoke on Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, USA in 1893. He gave lectures extolling the Vedanta philosophy at many places overseas and brought Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.

He was a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, a famous saint devotee of Goddess Kali.

Vivekanand estalished the Ramakrishna Mission, which in addition to performing many social and charitable works, continues to propogate inclusive Vedanta philosophy.

Most current forms of Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism are influenced by the doctrines of different traditions of Vedanta. New Gurus also interpret the Vedantic texts to suit their concepts.

The various forms of the Vedanta philosophy remain the foundation of the Hindu religious belief. They are being maintained by the teacher-disciple institutions and dedication of their devotees.

Awadhesh Sharma THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 31

JESUS is Lord Part 4 Key Scripture: For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

- Colossians 2:9-10 (NLT) DEAR Reader, We are excited to bring the greatest news on this planet, just for you! Our theme is to make God simple and personal. God is not an object or an image or imagination of any human mind. God is a living and loving person. We find this simple revelation in the pages of Holy Bible. Keep reading with an open heart and humble spirit. You will encounter your Creator today.

The Good news of Christ is simple and powerful. Is God a mystery person to you? Is God an imagination to you? The answer is no. According to the Holy Bible God has made Himself abundantly clear. All we need a humble heart and childlike hunger to seek God. Jesus is Lord because; He is Supreme in power and authority as a Creator. He is Supreme in love as a Redeemer of mankind from sin and death. He is Supreme in seeking the lost humanity. All the attributes of God are found in complete unity in Jesus Christ.

He is perfect representation of invisible God. So, do you want know how God looks like?

Just look at the life of Jesus Christ. Read His words and know His heart.

People are looking for meaning in life. People are searching for something to give their lives a boost. Every success they have in life is like chasing a shadow. They do not real peace or no real satisfaction.

Why ?

Because only the author life can reveal the

way to true peace. Only your Creator can fill the void in your heart. You can meet Him with few simple steps. First, let us admit that God can’t be defined by your imagination or your way of thinking. Admit that we all have sinned from the perfect moral standards of God. Admit that God has made way to reconcile all man-kind to Himself. The one who made you alone can give you a new mind and heart; through this experience you will see Jesus as The Lord, He is the living and loving Lord.

But, for you to receive the gift of God’s forgiveness and friendship, you need to do your part. Your part must come as a sincere act of faith. This must be your decision of the heart; that you earnestly desire to connect with a real and living God. When you say or declare “Jesus is Lord” you are transferring your debts of sins and rebellion to the one who can wash you and make you as new person.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Let this day be your day of greatest miracle.

The miracle of knowing and reconciling with your true Lord and Saviour.

Please pray this sincerely; “Dear Father God, today thank you for word that has touched my heart. I confess with my mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. Now help me to grow in the knowledge of your grace and mercy.

Teach me your ways so that I can be person who will learn to honour you and love one another.

- Amen.

Please email to us your new birth experience so we can help you grow in the glorious hope in your Creator.

Email to us to help you connect with Christ: navig8grace@gmail.com

Desire for everything Sadhguru SOMENONE recently asked me about this series of articles that were published every week in a leading Tamil magazine for one whole year. The title was “Athanaikum Aasaipadu.” That means “Desire for Everything.” There has been a lot of interest, controversy and confusion in people about this. The journalist was asking me, “All the other Swamijis have been telling us to give up desire. You are saying desire for everything. So will we reach God like this?”

You want to give up your desire. Is that not a desire? Or if you say, “I want to attain God” is that not a very greedy desire? If somebody just desires a small piece of creation, you call that greed. If someone wants the very creator, is that not ultimate greed?

So when you talk about giving up your desires, if you create a desire to give up your desire, you are still in desire. So it is a “notpossible” teaching. Utter nonsense has been peddled for a long time. Just because it gets printed in books, just because somebody says it is holy, it does not become right or true.

The energy that you call as life and the energy that you call as desire are not different.

No desire means, really no possibility for life.

So what to do with your desires? Just desire the highest in life. All your passions, direct them to the highest.

These teachings of detachment and desirelessness have come because of the fear of entanglement. Because a large segment of the population is entangled in something or the other, and entanglement always creates pain and suffering within a person, somebody gave this foolish solution: “be detached.”

Their solution for life is to avoid it. If you want to avoid life, you must die; it is very simple. If you want to live, you need involvement. The fundamentals of either enjoying the process of life or not enjoying the process of life – the fundamentals of what you refer to as heaven and hell are just this: If you are

Change the flat tyre

Pastor Joseph Dass DEAR reader, it is our joy to bring to you the word of God. It’s easy/safe to get caught in the trap of assuming, that only if your position would change, then life would be better.

You might think, “If I got a new house, a different job, more money or some new neighbours, then I would really be happy.” But you have to realise that God often changes our heart before He changes our circumstances.

While we are thinking, “If only my circumstances would be different, but God may be thinking if only your viewpoint, reaction or attitude would change.

In the scriptures we read (John 5 v 1-9) of a certain man who had a disability for 38 years.

At a certain time an angel went down and stirred up the water, and who ever would step into the pool after the stirring was healed.

When Jesus saw him lying there near the pool and knew that he had been in that condition a long time, He asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The man replied, “Sir I have no man to put me into the water when it is stirred.” His circumstances had not changed in the past 38 years. But Jesus was looking for a change in the man’s attitude. All this time he was lying

there on his bed unhappy with people and his situation, until that day he saw The Healer, and was healed immediately.

Here are 4 things we can learn from unchanging circumstances. * A bad attitude is like a flat tyre, you cannot go anywhere unless you change it. The man was stuck in that situation for 38 years until his attitude changed. Jesus said, “Rise take up your bed and walk.” The man was healed immediately. * The primary cause of disappointments are not the situation or the circumstances but your thoughts and attitude towards it. Each day you can live the life of either staying stressed or staying blessed. And remember nothing is permanent, circumstances do change. * Not everything will turn out to be ok.

Rather no matter how things will turn out you will be ok. Jesus said to the man, “Do you want to be healed?” Jesus said to the man that he could still have a good attitude in a bad situation. * Stop looking for a difficulty in every opportunity. Start looking for an opportunity in every difficulty. Again Jesus said to the man, “Do you want to be made well?”. The man had so many disappointments that he could not see any breakthrough until Jesus challenged him. Suddenly the man saw an opportunity of getting well again. He took up his bed and walked.

God bless you - Ps Joseph Dass josephdass@optusnet.com.au

Poor social skills may harm your physical and mental health. Here’s how PEOPLE with poor social skills tend to experience more stress and loneliness, which can negatively affect their physical as well as mental health, a study has found.

“We have known for a long time that social skills are associated with mental health problems like depression and anxiety,” said Chris Segrin, from the in anything willingly, that is your heaven. If University of Arizona in you are in anything unwillingly, that is your the US. “But we have not known definitively that hell.

What is most beautiful can become the ugli- social skills were also preest thing if it happens to you unwillingly. A dictive of poorer physical health. Two varilove affair is a rape; the difference is just ables – loneliness and stress – appear to be willingness and unwillingness. The moment the glue that bind poor social skills to you say, “I want to be detached,” you become health,” he said. unwilling for the process of life; you make a The study, published in the journal Health hell out of yourself. Those who have made a Communication, is among the first to link sohell out of themselves will invariably make cial skills to physical, and not just mental a hell out of the world also. If somebody is health. The research is based on a survey of joyful, he will make sure to spread joy in the a nationally representative sample of 775 people, aged between 18 and 91 years, who world. were asked to respond to questions designed Ranked amongst the fifty most influential to measure social skills, stress, loneliness, people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, and mental and physical health. Social skills visionary and bestselling author. Sadhguru refer to the communication skills that allow has been conferred the "Padma Vibhushan" people to interact effectively and appropriby the Government of India in 2017. ately with others.

Segrin focused on several specific indicators http://isha.sadhguru.org/ of social skills such as the ability to provide

32 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

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emotional support to others or self-disclosure, and the ability to share personal information with others or negative assertion skills.

They also focused on the ability to stand up to unreasonable requests from others known as relationship initiation skills, and the ability to introduce yourself to others and get to know them. The participants who had deficits in those skills reported more stress, more loneliness, and poorer overall mental and physical health, said Segrin.

“We started realising about 15 years ago that loneliness is actually a pretty serious risk for health problems. It is as serious of a risk as smoking, obesity or eating a high-fat diet with lack of exercise,” he said.

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THE ISLAMIC MONTH OF SAFAR

By Maulana M. Nawaaz Ashrafi

SAFAR is the second month of the Lunar calendar.

There are many misconceptions prevalent amongst the people regarding this month. On one hand, bad lucks and omens have been associated with this month and on the other hand self-made solutions for such things have been proposed as well, such as not holding marriages in this month, boiling chick peas and distributing them so that the bad omens are passed on to others, making 365 balls of flour and throwing them in water so that bad omens are driven away and provision is increased, reciting Surah Muzammil 313 times, considering this month to be ‘hard’ for the dead and considering the 13th of this month referred to as ‘tairah teezi’ to be unlucky.

All such superstitions and beliefs have no basis in Islam what so ever. How can any day or month be unlucky or be a portent of bad omen when in fact months and years are formed by the alteration of day and nights and Allah (swt) has made day and night as a sign and to help us make the calendar as Allah (swt) says, “And We have appointed the night and the day as two signs. Then, We have obliterated the sign of the night (with darkness) while We have made the sign of the day illuminating, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the reckoning. And We have explained everything (in detail) with full explanation.” (Al Isra 17:12) Allah (swt) has also told us the purpose of the different stages of the Moon.It helps us to mark the beginning and end of Months and Allah (swt) has also told us that there are twelve months. He says: “They ask you (O Muhammad)S about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage.”(Al Baqarah 2:189) “Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the Earth;”(At Tawbah 9: 36) It is this revolution of day and night that makes up weeks and months and years, which constitutes time, regarding which Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that Allah (swt) has said, “The son of Adam hurts me for he abuses Time though I am Time: in My Hands are all things, and I cause the revolution of day and night.” (Bukhari) So it is very clear that day and night is from Allah (swt) and considering any time, hour, day, month or year to be unlucky is a great misconception and a sin.

MUHAMMAD (Peace and Blessings upon him) Birth to Commencement of Revelation Prophet Muhammad (God’s blessings and peace be upon him) was born in the family of Banu Hãshim, of the tribe of Quraysh, who were the most honoured of the Arab families. Banu Hãshim were descendants of Ismael, the son of Prophet Abraham.

The Prophet’s grandfather, ‘Abdul Muttalib, was the chief of Banu Hashim and also the guardian of the Ka‘bah. His father was called ‘Abdullãh and his mother, Ãmina. His father passed away a few months before his birth. At the age of six, the Prophet lost his mother as well and was placed under the care of his grandfather, ‘Abdul Muttalib.

But his grandfather also passed away after four years; and at this time the Prophet’s uncle, Abu Tâlib, took charge of him and became his guardian, taking him to his own house. Thus the Prophet mostly grew up in his uncle’s house and even before reaching the age of adolescence used to accompany his uncle on business journeys by caravan.

Prophet Muhammad did not receive any schooling; yet, after reaching the age of maturity he became famous for his wisdom, courtesy, trust-worthiness and truthfulness. He soon became known as “the truthful, the trustworthy – as-sãdiq al-amín”. His uncle Abu Tãlib used to say, “We have never heard any lies from Muhammad, nor seen him misconduct himself or make mischief. He never laughs unduly nor talks untimely.”

As a result of his sagacity and trustworthiness, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, a Qurayshi lady wellknown for her wealth, appointed him as the manager of her businesses and left in his hands the task of conducting her commercial affairs. The Prophet once journeyed to Damascus with Khadija’s merchandise and because of his abilities made an outstanding profit. Before long she asked to become his wife and the Prophet accepted her proposal.

After the marriage, at the age of twenty five years, the Prophet began the life of a manager of his wife’s fortunes. By the age of forty, he gained a widespread reputation for wisdom and trustworthiness.

He refused to worship idols, as was the common religious practice of the Arabs of the time. Occasionally he would make spiritual retreats to the cave of Hirã’ outside Mecca, in which he prayed and discoursed secretly with God. At the age of forty, when Prophet Muhammad was in spiritual retreat in the cave of Hirã’, he received the first revelation from God through Arch-Angel Gabriel: this was the beginning of the mission of propagating the new religion. At that moment the first five verses of Chapter 96, Surah al-Alaq, of the Qur’ãn were revealed to him. (This event is known as bi‘that — being raised to proclaim God’s mes-

The Beginning of the Mission

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sage.)

That very day he mentioned the revelation to his cousin, ‘Alí bin Abi Tãlib who declared his acceptance of the faith. After the Prophet returned home and told his wife of the revelation, she likewise accepted Islam. Soon after, Zayd bin Hãritha (a loyal slave whom he treated like his own son) also became a convert.

The first time that the Prophet invited people to accept the message of Islam, he faced a distressing and painful reaction. Out of necessity he was forced henceforth to propagate his message secretly for three years until he was ordered again by God to invite his very close relatives to accept the message.

After this period, according to Divine instructions, the Prophet began to propagate his mission openly.

With the beginning of open propagation the people of Mecca reacted most severely because the Islamic message —of worshiping One God and of equality among the believers without any distinction of race, colour or wealth— fared completely against the status quo. Most painful afflictions and tortures were inflicted upon the Prophet and the new converts.

The Quraysh treated the believers so harshly that a group of about 100 Muslims, under the leadership of Ja‘far bin Abi Tãlib, left their homes and belongings, and migrated to Abyssinia. They were told by the Prophet that they would find the Abyssinian king to be a just ruler. With the intention of stopping the spread of Islam, the Quraysh pursued them to Abyssinia seeking their extradition. But Ja‘far eloquently presented the Muslims’ case to the Abyssinian king, and the request of the Quraysh was rejected.

Back in Mecca, economic and social boycott was imposed on the Prophet and his family. Therefore, the Prophet and his uncle, Abu Tãlib, along with their relatives from the Banu Hashim, took refuge for three years in the “mountain pass of Abu Tãlib,” a fort in one of the valleys of Mecca. No one had any dealings or transactions with them and they did not dare to leave their place of refuge.

Although the idol-worshipers of Mecca at the beginning considered inflicting all kinds of pressures and tortures such as striking and beating, insult, ridicule and defamation of the Prophet, occasionally would also show kindness and courtesy toward him in order to have him turn away from his mission.

They would promise him great sums of money or leadership and the rule of the tribe. But for the Prophet, their promises and their threats only resulted in the intensification of his will and determination to carry out his mission. Once, when they came to the Prophet promising him wealth and power, the Prophet told them, using metaphorical language, that if they were to put the sun in the palm of his right hand and the moon in the palm of his left hand, he would not turn away from obeying the One God or refrain from performing his mission.

About the tenth year of his prophecy, when the Prophet left the “mountain pass of Abu Tãlib,” his uncle Abu Tãlib, who was also his sole protector, died, as did also his devoted wife Khadijah. Henceforth there was neither the protection of his life nor any place of refuge.

Finally the idol-worshipers of Mecca devised a secret plan to kill the Prophet. At night they surrounded his house with the intent of forcing themselves in the house at the end of the night and cutting him to pieces while he was in bed. But Almighty God informed him of the plan and commanded him to leave for Yathrib. The Prophet asked ‘Alí to sleep in his bed so that the enemy would not detect his absence; ‘Alí readily agreed to sacrifice his life for the Prophet and slept in the Prophet’s bed. Then the Prophet left the house under Divine protection, passing amidst his enemies, and taking refuge in a cave near Mecca. After three days his enemies, having looked everywhere, gave up hope of capturing him returned to Mecca. The Prophet left the cave and set out for Yathrib.

The Beginning of the Mission

The people of Yathrib, whose leaders had already accepted the message of the Prophet and sworn allegiance to him, welcomed him with open arms and placed their lives and property at his disposal. In Yathrib, for the first time, the Prophet formed a small Islamic community and signed treaties with the Jewish tribes in and around the city as well as with the powerful Arab tribes of the region. He undertook the task of propagating the Islamic message and Yathrib became famous as “Madīnatu ‘r-Rasūl” (the City of the Prophet). Later on, it became famous as “Medina” Islam began to grow and expand from day to day.

The Muslims, who in Mecca were caught in the mesh of the injustice and inequity of the Quraysh, gradually left their homes and property and migrated to Medina, revolving around the Prophet like moths around a candle. This group became known as the “immigrants” (muhãjirin) in the same way that those who aided the Prophet in Yathrib gained the name of “helpers” (ansãr).

The Prophet formulated the society on the basis of justice and equality among the believers. Brotherhood —not just in words but in action— was established among the muhãjirin and the ansãr. The social system of Islam even extended its justice and protection to the non-Muslims under its rule.

Establishing an Islamic Community

Islam was advancing rapidly but at the same time the idol-worshipers of Mecca, as well as the Jewish tribes of Arabia, were unrestrained in their harassment of Muslims. With the help of the hypocrites of Medina who were among the community of Mus-

Encounters on the Battlefields

lims, they created new misfortunes for the Muslims every day until finally the matter led to war.

Many battles took place between the Muslims, the Arab polytheists and the Jews. The Muslims were victorious in most of those battles. In all the major conflicts such as the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar, Hunayn, etc., the Prophet was personally present on the battle scene. Also in all the major battles and many minor ones, victory was gained mainly through the efforts of ‘Alī bin Abi Tãlib. He was the only person who never turned away from any of these battles. In all the wars that occurred during the ten years after the migration from Mecca to Medina, less than two hundred Muslims and less than a thousand infidels were killed.

The Treaty of Hudaybia and The Fall of Mecca

In the sixth year of the hijra, the Prophet decided to go for pilgrimage to Mecca. The Meccans stopped the Muslims at a place called Hudaybia and did not allow them to enter the city. This encounter ended in a peace agreement between the Prophet and the Quraysh of Mecca. This peace agreement created a relatively safe environment for the Prophet to embark on extending the call of Islam to the tribes and people far away from Arabia.

As a result of the activity of the Prophet and the selfless effort of the Muslims during that period, Islam spread through the Arabian Peninsula. There were also letters written to kings of other countries such as Persia, Byzantine and Abyssinia inviting them to accept Islam.

During this time the Prophet lived in poverty and was proud of it. He never spent a moment of his life in vain. Rather, his time was divided into three segments: one for God, in worshipping and remembering Him; a segment for himself and his household and domestic needs; and a segment for the people.

During this part of his time he was engaged in spreading and teaching Islam and its sciences, administrating to the needs of the Islamic society, removing whatever evils that existed, providing for the needs of the Muslims, strengthening domestic and foreign bonds, and other similar matters.

One of the conditions of the peace treaty was that the Quraysh would not harm the Muslims or any of their confederates. This condition was, however, violated by the Quraysh when they helped Bani Bakr tribe against the Khuza’a tribe—the former an ally of the Quraysh and the latter an ally of the Muslims.

The Prophet asked the Quraysh to respect the treaty, break their alliance with Bani Bakr and compensate the victims of their aggression. The Quraysh refused to abide by the terms of their treaty. The Prophet, with a well-equipped and well-disciplined force of about 10,000 soldiers, marched into Mecca in the eighth year after the hijra and conquered it without much resistance.

The city, which had rejected his message, plotted against his followers and conspired to assassinate him was at his mercy. Prophet Muhammad asked the Meccans: “What can you expect at my hands?”

“Mercy! Generous and Noble Sire!” they replied. If he had wished, he could have made them all his slaves. But Muhammad —“mercy for the universe”— said: “I will speak to you as Joseph spoke to his brethren. I will not reproach you today; God will forgive you, for He is Merciful and Loving. Go, you are free!”

With the fall of Mecca, the last barrier in the way of Islam had been removed and many people and tribes of the Arabian Peninsula started accepting the message of Islam. Thus the ninth year of hijra is known as the “Year of Delegations” because of the unusual number of delegates coming to pay their homage to the Prophet at Medina.

In the tenth year of the hijra, the Prophet decided to go for hajj (pilgrimage). He invited Muslims to join him and be acquainted with the hajj rituals.

Over a hundred thousand Muslims joined him in the hajj. Although this was the first and the last hajj of the Prophet, it is known as “al-Hajjãtu ‘l-widâ’ — the Last Pilgrimage.” He seized the opportunity of the unprecedented gathering to remind the Muslims of many important values of Islam.

On the way back to Medina, he stopped at Ghadir Khumm and delivered a lengthy sermon in which he summarized the major teachings of Islam

The Last Pilgrimage and Wisaal Mubarak

10 Amazing Miracles of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH)

Every Prophet sent by Allah was given miracles and signs. These miracles depended on which people that particular prophet was sent to, what they believed in and the sort of things they would understand.

Prophet Yunus was swallowed by a whale and he survived. Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) survived the blazing fire that his people threw him into. Prophet Musa (pbuh) had a walking stick that could turn into a serpent, and he used it to split the Red Sea in two.

Prophet Jesus (pbuh) could raise the dead and cure the blind, and he also spoke from his cradle. Of course these miracles were done under the commandment of the Supreme Being, God. But did you know that the seal of Prophets, Muhammed (pbuh) also performed miracles? Here are some fascinating ones: When the Prophet (pbuh) planned to migrate to Medina, the tribes in Mecca conspired to assassinate him once and for all. Each tribe sent an assassin and

#1. Invisibility

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they surrounded the house of the Prophet (pbuh) that night. But the Prophet (pbuh) walked out right in front of them and none of them saw him. They were blinded to him.

The Prophet and Abu Bakr (peace be upon them) were on their way to Medina when they were being followed by an assassin named Suraqa. When Abu Bakr got worried, the Messenger (pbuh) told him, “Don’t be sad; Allah is certainly with us.” Then he (pbuh) cast a glance at Suraqa and his horse’s feet became stuck in the sand. Suraqa managed to get the feet of the horse but when he tried to follow the Prophet (pbuh), his horse’s legs got stuck again and smoke was coming from where the sand. Suraqa realized this was beyond him and had to go back.

#2. The camel in the sand incident

In one narration, a jinni called “Hama” came in the form of an old man carrying a staff; he accepted Islam. The Noble Messenger (PBUH) instructed him in some of the short chapters of the Qur’an, which he listened to and then departed.”

#3. Talking with the Jinn

Once the Prophet was with his companions, about 300 of them in a place called Zawra. It was time to observe the afternoon prayer but the people could not find any water to make wudu. They Prophet ordered them to look for little water, when they did, he dipped him hands into it and water was flowing from his hands like a fountain. All three hundred people who were there made wudu and used it for other needs. #5. The night journey (Isra) and ascension (Miraj) This is one of the most amazing miracles of the Prophet (pbuh). It is called Al Isra wal Miraj. It was the night that the Prophet (pbuh), under the guidance of archangel Gibril (pbuh) travelled the Kaaba in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem and then to the sky, to the high realms and to the presence of God. On this journey, he met the Prophet before him including Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and Ibrahim (Abraham). He led them in prayer. He reached a very high place where he could hear the pens writing people’s deeds. He saw heaven and hell. And he (pbuh) was elevated, and he met his Lord, the Magnificent, and the merciful. This incident is narrated in the holy Quran and hadith.

#4. Water flowed from his blessed hands

The polytheists at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) keep insisting that they wanted a miracle. They said they will believe if The Prophet (pbuh) could show them the splitting of the moon in half. When Allah granted the Prophet the ability, he called them all to witness, and the moon split in two. And indeed it was a clear manifestation. But in their arrogance, they still rejected the truth. This incident is also narrated in the Holy Quran.

#6. The moon split

#7. The lifeless objects and animals communicated with the Prophet (pbuh)

On several occasions, trees, stones, mountains and sand would greet the Prophet (pbuh) when he passed. Once, a Jew roasted a goat, filling it with a very strong poison. She then sent it to God’s Messenger (PBUH). But before the Prophet (pbuh) touched the food, the goat spoke to him and informed him of the poison. So he told everyone to abstain from the food.

#8. The dead affirmed the Prophet-hood of Muhammed (pbuh)

In one narration, one of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) suddenly dropped down dead in the marketplace. The people took his body to his house.

That evening between sunset and the night prayer, while the women were weeping all around him, the corpse exclaimed: ‘Silence! Silence!’ Then he said: ‘Muhammad is God’s Messenger! Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God!’ He spoke so eloquently for a while that the people had to uncover him to check. But he was really dead.

The Messenger of Allah fed more than a hundred people from very small food. Whenever he placed his blessed hands on any food, he caused it to increase and everyone could eat to their fill and still have left over. In one narration, he (pbuh) fed more than a hundred men from one cup of milk. Each person would drink to his fill and pass to the next without refilling. And each of the men drank to their satisfaction, and the cup was still filed with milk as though it was never touched.

#9. Food galore

In one narration, one of the companions was hit by an arrow in his eye. The arrow was so deep it was sticking out at the back of his head. The Messenger (pbuh) placed his hands over the eye and it healed.

#10. The Prophet could heal the sick

THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF ALGESTER WISHES ALL MUSLIMEEN A JOYOUS EID MILAAD-UN-NABI SALLALLAAHU ALAHI WA SALLAM. MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL… AAMEEN.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 33

Health Beauty Wellbeing

Home remedies for back acne....

Nimisha Modi Hetvi Hair & Beauty 0412 350 013

HEY Girls, Back acne is as horrible as facial acne. People who suffer from facial acne are most likely to suffer from back acne as well.

However, back acne is pretty difficult to treat as it is not readily visible and is hard to reach as well.

The main cause of acne is hormonal imbalance. This starts during the puberty period due to the over secretion of hormones and goes away once an individual reaches their twenties. Stress, sleep deprivation, bad eating habits and hectic schedules are some other reasons that can cause acne. Here are some homes remedies that will help you know how to get rid of back acne.

Home Remedies for Back Acne 1. Baking Soda: Baking soda is a natural exfoliator that unclogs the skin pores and balances the skin pH levels. Besides, it gives antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects. To get rid of back acne, dilute the baking soda with water in 3:1 ratio. Apply the paste on your back and leave it on for a few minutes.

Rinse it off with warm water. Do this at least twice in a week.

Alternatively, mix two tablespoons of baking soda, juice of half lemon, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five tablespoons of honey, and spread it on the acne-prone area.

2. Lemon Juice: Lemons contain citric acid, which is ideal for the treatment of acne. It helps open up the pores and clean them as well. Squeeze a lemon in a bowl and dab it with a cotton bowl on the acne-prone area.

Let it stay for a few hours and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

Alternately, fill your bathtub with water and add rose water and lemon juice in equal portions. Soak in for 30 minutes. Later, wash off with clean water.

3. Oatmeal: Take a cup of cooked oatmeal.

Add half lemon’s juice and a teaspoon of honey. Mix them well and rub the mixture on the affected area using your fingertips. Keep it for half an hour and then wash it off with warm water. Do this at least twice a week. It makes the acne dry and reduces swelling.

4. Tomato Pulp: Tomatoes are acidic in nature and comprise of natural bleaching properties. Cut the tomato into half and take out its pulp. Rub it on the acne scars. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

5. Turmeric Powder: Turmeric is a strong spice that not only adds flavour to cuisine, but alleviates several skin issues. It has antiseptic and exfoliating properties that effectively cure the problem of acne. Add two tablespoons of turmeric powder to a tablespoon of milk cream. Mix both the ingredients properly. Apply on the back acne scars and leave it on till it dries. Do this at least twice a week for effective results.

Turmeric can leave stains on clothes. Therefore, it is suggested to wear an old t-shirt,

while using this remedy.

6. Orange Peels: Orange Peels contain retinol that revitalizes the skin and wipes out the dead cells. The vitamin C content in orange helps lighten the skin tone. Dry some orange peels in sunlight. Later, grind those dry peels in a mixer to make a fine powder.

Add some water or glycerine to make a paste.

Now, apply it on the back and let it dry completely. Wash it off with normal water. You can do this daily.

7. Cucumber: Cucumber moisturizes the skin and restores its natural layer. Moreover, lighten the acne scars as well. Extract the juice of two cucumbers and wash your back with this juice two times a day.

Alternatively, make a thick paste of cucumbers and apply it on your back. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Wash it off with normal water. Follow this remedy every day for better results.

8. Honey: The anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties in honey helps get rid of back acne scars.

Apply raw honey on the acne-prone area and let it dry. Clean it with water. Do this twice a day to fasten the healing process.

9. Potatoes: The vitamin C in potatoes controls the production of collagen. Besides, it contains niacin and vitamin B that regenerate the skin cells. Take a large potato and peel it.

Now grate the potato and massage your back with a potato mash. Leave it on for a few minutes. Allow it to dry and then wash with warm water.

10. Pineapple: Pineapples contain brome-

lain, a compound that works as an anti-inflammatory agent. Besides, the ascorbic acid present in pineapples reduces the scars. Simply, extract the juice from a pineapple slice.

Apply the juice on the back using a cotton ball. Let it stay for 25-30 minutes and then wash it off. Do this every day to get rid of acne scars.

11. Nutmeg: Nutmeg is used for several skin treatments, as it has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties and is also an astringent. It helps lighten the acne scars and treats the acne as well. Take a tsp each of nutmeg powder, honey and cinnamon and mix all together. Apply it on the scars and clean after 30 minutes.

Nutmeg can be harsh on the sensitive skin, and it is, therefore, advisable to do a patch test, before you apply it on the back.

As always it is suggested to please do patch test because everything is not for everybody and that is the reason why we discuss these many different things. We’ll discuss this topic further next month.

Hope you will enjoy using these natural remedies. Keep smiling and you can also find helpful information on my website, hetvihairandbeauty.com, check us out on facebook and call me if you want to book an appointment. Have a good month.

Regards, Nimisha www.hetvihairandbeauty.com

FibroScan®: New Free Test for People with Hepatitis

Free service & QLD wide Feel supported Make new friends Connect with others

Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health Program Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ)

Match with your language

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at ers will call you te n lu o v ly d n ie Fr friendly ended n e p o n a r fo k a wee generally once nguage. chat in your la vailability. n volunteers a o g in d n e p e d n Languages more informatio Please call for

What is FibroScan®?

FibroScan® is a quick, painless, non-invasive assessment of potential damage/fibrosis to the liver. FibroScan® is a type of ultrasound and is safe for most people. It can replace liver biopsy which is a painful and longer procedure.

Who needs FibroScan?

People with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C can develop liver cirrhosis and liver cancer without knowing it. FibroScan® can assess the liver stiffness and identify liver cirrhosis. If you have Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C and have never done the test before, you may need to have FibroScan®. Most people just need to do FibroScan® every 2 years after the initial test.

Who is not suitable for FibroScan?

If you are one of the following groups you are not suitable for FibroScan®: • Have a pacemaker

Contact MCCGC: TroyN@mccgc.com.au or call 07 5527 8011

In Cairns, you can also contact the local service: Rhondda Lewis, Viral Hepatitis Health Practitioner Direct Phone: 07 4226 4761 About Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland BBV&STI Program Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health Program is funded by Queensland Health to provide BBV&STI information and support to migrants and refugees throughout Queensland.

I Speak Your Language is a volunteer based cultural support program delivering a free social support phone call to isolated Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) participants throughout Queensland. The project will increase migrant and refugee volunteer participation and build a sense of belonging while supporting primarily vulnerable isolated non English speakers.

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• Have an implanted defibrillator • Are pregnant • Under 18 years old How to access free FibroScan?

Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) provides free FibrosScan® services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. However your GP has to refer you to the service.

Further information For more information about our program and services, please call Phone: (07) 3255 1540 Email: health@eccq.com.au *Your information will be kept private and confidential

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Your doctor can refer you for a FibroScan® by contacting the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland on 07 3255 1540 ext 214 or email marrianneb@eccq.com.au Your doctor will receive the results on the day of the test and you will get the result at your next visit with your GP. Call 07 3865 6533

Health Beauty Wellbeing Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) cityfertility.com.au

What is AMH? Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a hormone produced by small follicles in the ovary which contain eggs. The amount of AMH gives an indication of the number of eggs being produced, or ovarian reserve, and can be tested at any point in a woman’s cycle.

The amount of AMH measurable in the blood remains constant until early adulthood and from the age of 25 levels begin to decline. From the age of 35 AMH declines steadily until it reaches zero at the menopause.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone Test (Egg Timer Test) The Anti–Mullerian Hormone test is a blood test. It can be performed any time throughout the menstrual cycle. It is usually performed in conjunction with an antral follicle count as a predictor of Ovarian Reserve, or more simply put, how many eggs you have left in reserve, hence the name Egg Timer Test.

In relation to testing for AMH while on cyclic combined oral contraceptives, it is generally accepted that the Pill does not have an effect on AMH levels, but the evidence is not certain on this point. One recent article described continuous use of combined contraception (i.e. without monthly breaks) was associated with a reduction of AMH levels.

Who should be tested The AMH test is performed for two primary reasons, to determine fertility status and a patient’s response to fertility medication.

Women under the age of 35 may be tested to determine ovarian reserve which may assist to determine optimal timing to start a family.

The test can also be helpful in determining the fertility status of patients at risk of diminished ovarian reserve e.g. women with a history of ovarian failure, family history of early

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onset menopause, auto immune disease, women who have undergone chemotherapy or had ovarian surgery. It is also helpful for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome patients.

If you are undergoing fertility treatment your Specialist may choose to do an AMH test to predict ovarian response to fertility medication. Lower levels of AMH may call for a larger dose of fertility medication. Although AMH levels are a factor in achieving pregnancy, low or high levels are not the only indicator for chances of conception. Your Dr will gladly advise you with respect to your particular circumstance.

AMH levels decline at predictable rates hence the AMH test is a good snapshot of current fertility, however, it is recommended to treat “normal” results with caution. Patients should ensure ongoing monitoring for best results when planning a family and future fertility success.

Where to Now? I want more information: • Contact our Fertility Advice Team or • Book a 15 minute nurse chat I’m ready to take the next step: • Book an appointment with us • Get a referral to City Fertility Centre from your GP

Contact Us: • Call 1300 354 354 • Email contactus@cityfertility.com.au • Visit cityfertility.com.au

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Real Estate News Are you ready to apply for a home loan?

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APPLYING for a home loan is a lot like selling yourself to the lender.

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When you approach them, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to ensure your financial health is up to scratch.

While you may not necessarily understand all the jargon being thrown around the office, as long as you provide the necessary details, you should be in a good position to succeed.

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Evidence of savings/ deposit Lenders are looking for the type of people who are able to show self-control and restraint with their money. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to prove to them that you have a long-term, consistent saving plan established, this can reassure them of your suitability for a loan.

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Rent Payments: If you are renting, you should be able to demonstrate that rent pay-

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ments have always being made on time. With some lenders it can help you secure some credibility when it comes to making repayments.

Employment: If you are self-employed, you should have completed at least 12-24 months in your business. For anyone in PAYG employment arrangement, minimum duration of employment vary from lender to lender.

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A healthy credit rating Taking the time to pay off any outstanding debts and loans, as well as closing any lines of credit that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use, can go a long way towards helping improve your standing in the eyes of a lender.

Conduct on loans: Do you have a car loan or credit card. Is your repayment history satisfactory? Great, you may get a high credit score with most lenders.

It is important that we understand that every lender has different criteria and guidelines to follow. So it could be worth getting in contact with an expert and discussing your options before committing to any one option for the future of your home loan.

For an obligation free chat give us a call today. Mobile: 0425 158 280, email: gtandon@smartline.com.au

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 37

Real Estate News Beautiful Queenslander on 997m2 block!

Boondall $648,000 Excellent location for home business or large family!

THE entry leads to an open formal lounge and dining with high ceilings and stunning timber floors throughout.

The large Chef’s modern kitchen with open plan meals area and family room is also equipped with 5 burner gas cook top, loads of storage plus dishwasher.

The home features 4 large bedrooms, 3 with spacious built-in wardrobes. Master bedroom is air-conditioned and has a generous ensuite.

The 2nd bedroom is also air-conditioned and all other bedrooms have ceiling fans. Upstairs includes entertainment balcony with brand new waterproof sails.

Downstairs boosts the potential for a fully

self contained 2 room granny flat with a large kitchenette, separate lounge and dining, laundry, and bathroom.

The home office is currently fitted out for a home salon with 2 hairdresser basins and 2 work stations, front desk and powder room with external access.

There is a large covered entertainment area with privacy screens, 2nd laundry outside, large water tank, multicar accommodation, garden shed and still space for a swimming pool and room for the kids to play! Located close to Nudgee College, Boondall State School, shops, public transport and all other local amenities.

To inspect this property, please contact Usha Chandra (Globenet Realty) 0419 775 416 or Tehlia on 0430 193 714.

What really frustrates What’s the difference in getting a loan through a Mortgage Broker or a Banker? Aussie renters

By Prashant Goyal THERE was a time when going to a Mortgage Broker for getting a Home loan had some sort of stigma attached to it and many clients, in particular professionals preferred to deal directly with a Bank Manager but not anymore.

Now a days majority of loans (at least 53%) written in Australia are written by Brokers for reasons so obvious.

You might think the Author himself a Broker is biased towards Bankers. But be rest assured that it’s not the case.

As a matter of fact the Author, Prashant (Sean) Goyal is a seasoned Branch Manager with 13 years solid experience in Banking with intimate knowledge of all aspects of Branch and Lending Policies for many Banks in Australia and New Zealand.

I can speak from my first-hand experience of a Branch Manager there are a lot of occasions when the Banks aren’t able to help their clients, not that the Bank doesn’t believe in the client but for one simple reason – it’s outside their lending policy such as no home loans during the probation period of 6 months.

No one Bank will always be able to accommodate every single customer every time. They all have their own niche market, such as, some Banks are very mindful of Probation Period whereas the others wouldn’t care about the probation period at all, they will accept your income from Full Time Permanent employment from day 1 at the new job.

But the difference in Lending policies alone is not the sufficient reason to choose a Broker over a Banker, there are other compelling reasons such as - the competitive prices, access to additional tools such as Free Upfront Valuations, long term relationship as a Broker is often a selfemployed person working for themselves. From my experience as a Bank Manager the biggest frustration clients seemed to have is to deal with a different person every time they wanted to do something with their home loan, as the staff turn-around is very high in Banking.

Also, most major lenders pay the same commission rates 38 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

to Brokers. The interest rate charged to clients have no bearing on the amount of commission received by a Broker. Hence it’s in the best interest of a Broker to get their client best deal so as they don’t deflect to another Lender for cheaper rates.

Many clients may still be of the opinion that a Banker has got better discretion or powers to get the Home loan approved. Again, from my first-hand experience as a Banker I can tell you it’s not true at all again. Most Banks tend to have the same processes in place whether the loan application is submitted through a Banker or a Broker.

At the end of the day you can walk from one bank to another to find out what’s their best deal and whether you would fit into their lending policy Or you can go to an experienced and proactive broker with proven results who will present all the relevant options in front of you both in terms of competitiveness and acceptability.

Having said that it’s imperative to pick up the right Broker. In my long Banking Career I have seen a large number of people with no background in Banking or Finance what so ever becoming a Broker, simply allured by the commission income. I must say, choosing a Banker eliminates this risk to some extent as a reputed Bank will not usually put any employee in a Lending role unless they have some prior training or experience.

To conclude it would be fair to say that a Broker seems to have way more to offer but it’s absolutely imperative that the Broker you chose to act for you have a good insight of Banking industry & lending policies and they are not going to use your application to flog it from Lender to Lender to get the necessary training from your case.

Remember, your credit file is one of the most valuable assets in Australia. Too many unnecessary enquiries may ruin your credit score and can affect your ability to borrow to great extent. A good way to pick up a Broker is to ask for not just one but several written referrals from their existing clients, preferably from a source where you can verify the legitimacy of the Review writer such as our business page www.facebook.com/PaylessMortgagesAu Prashant Goyal, Director Payless Mortgages Brisbane 0424972727 Email: Save@PaylessMortgages.com.au www.indiantimes.com.au

Danielle Cahill Realestate.com WHAT really annoys renters?

Having to compete with others for a rental property, according to realestate.com.au’s latest Consumer Intentions Study.

About 47% of respondents find it extremely frustrating having to compete with other renters for a property, the September survey of 1107 Australians showed.

The findings don’t surprise Andrew Rechtman, Executive General Manager of Residential at REA Group.

“The demographic trend is that more and more people are coming into the rental market as they are being priced out of the market for buying properties.

So there is more competition coming into the market for existing rental properties that are out there.

“At the same time, there’s also more tools and more ways to find out information about rental properties so that probably also drives an increase in the level of competition,” he says.

Fewer rental properties in inner-city areas With more Australians renting longer and many long-term rental properties now appearing on short-term rental platforms, finding the right rental property isn’t easy.

“It is getting harder in certain suburbs to find rental properties. So in some areas where’s there’s a high penetration of Airbnb there might be a re-

duced number of long-term rentals on the market. Particularly in areas that are beachside suburbs or tourist areas,” he says.

Earlier this year, the University of Sydney estimated that 6000 long-term rental properties in the Harbour City had disappeared into the short-term rental market, meaning long-term tenants miss out more often.

“It’s really in certain areas, if you look at a suburb like Tamarama in Sydney it has a very high penetration (of Airbnb), given that it’s a popular tourist spot. In the outer western suburbs of Sydney, Parramatta for example, it probably has less penetration of Airbnb.

“But in those popular innercity and tourist areas, Airbnb is certainly taking away from the number of long-term rental opportunities, for those consumers looking to rent for 12 months and beyond,” he says.

Why affordable rental properties are harder to find The affordability issues often associated with buying are also reflected in renting as landlords are charging more to help cover mortgage costs.

“The cost of renting has gone up in most parts of Australia with some exceptions, for example when the mining boom ended in WA, rental prices have come down.”

“But for the most part, rental prices have increased in line with the higher demand for rental property,” says Rechtman.

Read full article on realestate.com.au

Call 07 3865 6533

Acreage living - ideal for two families

Burpengary $799,000 Excellent location for home business or large family!

This property is ideal for 2 families.

The original house features 4 built-in bedrooms. The huge main bedroom is upstairs with ensuite, walk-in wardrobe and air-conditioning. The entry leads to a spacious airconditioned formal lounge and separate dining room. Spacious open plan family room and large kitchen. Huge covered entertainment area with outside Chefs kitchen, great for cooking at family events.

The separate Granny Flat is fully air-conditioned and features open plan living areas.

Call 07 3865 6533

Spacious modern kitchen with plenty of storage. 2 double built-in bedrooms, separate bathroom and toilet. Great Entertainment verandah. 6 car lockup garage, other sheds, plus separate workshop area.

Variety of fruit trees, e.g. mangoes, jack fruit, bananas, limes, lemons, plus plenty more!

The property is on bio cycle, fully fenced property ideal for chooks, goats, horses etc.

To inspect this property, please contact Usha Chandra (Globenet Realty) 0419 775 416 or Tehlia on 0430 193 714.

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 39

Real Estate News How to take the first steps to become a property investor Larissa Ham domain.com.au BUYING an investment property can sound like a solid idea in theory. But for the firsttimer, it can also shape up as a confusing, sometimes overwhelming process.

Get the early foundations wrong, and it can really curtail your future profits, or even lead to a loss down the track. So where do you start?

Tip one: the first step isn’t related to either the investment or even the property itself, says Michael Beresford, director of investment services at property investment firm OpenCorp.

“That’s a common mistake that people make,” says Beresford. “A lot of them have that wonderful motivation to get started and begin that journey, but typically what that means is an emotional or an impulsive purchase on a weekend at an auction without having done the due diligence around their own situation.”

He recommends first getting an understanding why investment is important to you.

Work out what you want your property portfolio to achieve, and then add the hard numbers around that.

“You want to make sure the properties you buy as investment shouldn’t be properties you would like to live in – they’re purely vehicles to be able to get you the financial outcome that you want,” says Beresford. “So really being clear on what the end looks like and what good looks like in terms of how much you want is the key first step and then shortly thereafter, understanding what’s actually possible from a borrowing perspective.”

Finding a mortgage broker with experience in helping investors is crucial. Ask for referrals, do some online research or read industry publications. “Then basically interview them to find out what their client base looks like, what are the kind of loans they set up and then how they would recommend setting up an investment structure,” says Beresford.

If the first broker you go to gives you a

knockback, don’t be prepared to take that as gospel, says Beresford.

Ian Hosking Richards, the CEO of Rocket Property Group, says many first-time investors may have concerns, such as interest rates rising or a future tenant trashing the place. But those are usually minor issues for experienced investors who know how to mitigate the risks, he says.

“The worst case scenario rarely eventuates.

If you do nothing you will probably work for a dog for 40-plus years and end up with little, so I think that Australians should be driven more by the fear of ending up without enough money, rather than the fear of making a mistake.”

Richards says a decent mortgage broker will be able to tell you of the steps needed to qualify for a loan. From there, you can work out your own timeframe.

“I would always recommend a pre-qualification rather than a pre-approval, as this does not result in a credit enquiry on your file, and allows the broker a degree of flexibility, so when a suitable security property is found, the right lender can be found,” he says.

So, do you need to earn big bucks to become a property investor?

Not at all, says Beresford. “Some of the most successful investors that we’ve dealt with have just been really diligent and stayed focused on what they want to achieve. They don’t listen to the outside influences; they don’t get put off by, you know, Donald Trump getting elected or whatever APRA might be doing.”

However he says that finding properties that are low cost to hold, preferably taking no more than $50 out of your pocket each week, is key. As is focusing on future capital growth rather than tax benefits, and leaving your emotions at the door.

“If you buy a property that you’re emotional about, chances are you overspend on it.

Chances are that the rental yield and the tax benefits won’t be as good as what they could be and unfortunately the novice investor ends up having to cover that shortfall out of their pocket,” he says.

Gold Coast development sites surge in popularity Alison Cheung domain.com.au DEVELOPMENT sites now make up nearly one in four commercial property sales on the Gold Coast, a factor that has helped propel the market higher this year compared with 2016, new figures show.

Nearly 300 commercial properties have sold in the period between January and September this year, generating $693.76 million, compared with 105 transactions of $558.84 million in the first nine months of 2016, a new Ray White Commercial report on the Gold Coast indicates.

Development site sales quadrupled its share of the commercial market from last year, catching up rapidly with other popular investments such as retail and office assets.

“The major change in the investment profile between 2017 and 2016 is the greater move back to development site sales, which now account for close to a quarter of all sales this year compared to just 6.10 per cent last year,” Steven King, of Ray White Commercial Gold Coast, said.

The biggest development site sale was Nobby’s Outlook at Miami, a block of 46

beachfront units which fetched $23.75 million under the hammer in early September.

The 50-year-old resort could be subdivided to small, upmarket lots for use as beachside housing. The two- and three-bedroom units could also be refurbished, demolished or redeveloped into a 220-bedroom complex with a three-storey limit under the Gold Coast Town Plan.

Ray White Commercial’s head of research Vanessa Rader said despite a quiet start the Gold Coast market took off later in the year, with about 60 per cent of sales happening in the three months to the end of September.

“As the year has gone on, more owners have looked to cash in on the rapidly reducing yields resulting in more properties coming to market,” Ms Rader said.

Of the $417.66 million worth of properties that sold between July and September, retail sales led the way, contributing $167.78 million, while offices accounted for $144.03 million.

The most expensive deal in this period was the Brickworks in Southport, a shopping centre which sold for $137.54 million on an indicative 5.09 per cent yield.

Expert advice: These are the most common bathroom renovation mistakes domain.com.au BEFORE you take the sledgehammer to that decrepit vanity or broken down shower, take a pause.

People often want to renovate their bathroom themselves, but there are some big mistakes that can be made. Here’s what some experts say.

1. Spatial planning Celia Visser of Celia Visser Design has more than 25 years experience in bathroom renovations. She says not planning according to the space is something she sees often. “Don’t think of bathrooms as an afterthought, it’s a space you’ll use on a daily basis.”

Architects Kate Rogan and Eva Nash, who won NZ House & Garden’s interior of the year bathroom award, say it might be your dream to have a spa bath, but ask yourself, is it going to fit into an en suite.

2. Unskilled DIY Always use professionals for bathroom work Nash says. “It might be tempting to have a crack at the plumbing or tiling yourself but this is not good practice and will only lead to heartache. For any bathroom job consult a designer or architect to check if you need a building consent and use qualified contractors for the work.”

Visser agrees. “People often think of the bathroom costing less as it’s a small area of the house, but the reality is there are up to 10 to 12 trades involved in a full renovation process.”

3. Bad lighting Getting the balance of lighting is important. “LED does not work well in bathrooms as it gives shadow lines, and makeup can look like a different colour,” Visser says.

40 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

Consider different scenarios in the bathroom, adds Nash.

“When having a bath, it is lovely to have atmospheric lighting that is not too harsh,” she says.

4. Inadequate ventilation “This is absolutely essential. By law, it is required if you don’t have a window, but even if you do I would still suggest adding it,” Visser says. Investigate products as many don’t vent air quickly she adds. “Underfloor heating helps dry out the space quicker,” she adds.

5. Removing baths It’s ideal to have at least one bath in the house, Nash says.

“But you don’t need one in every bathroom. It is popular to have a standalone bath and there are some beautiful ones out there.”

6. Mismatched fixtures and fittings “You don’t have to use the same brand for all your fixtures and fittings but you should use the same finish to add cohesion,” Nash says.

Although people often want to source their own products, Visser finds they haven’t considered the design. “For examwww.indiantimes.com.au

ple, will that tap work with that basin? There are many different heights, sizes and styles and you need to know how they all fit and work together,” she says.

7. Inadequate storage Storage is often last on the list or missed entirely when people are renovating a bathroom. “It’s important to think about what you want to store. The bathroom has to be liveable, so do you have a space for the loo paper, make-up, cleaning products, even dirty laundry?” Visser says. “Go as far as looking at heights of bottles for example, will they fit in your cupboards?”

8. Unbalanced decor Nash says they have a rule of including only three materials in a bathroom. “This is especially important in a bathroom which is often a smaller room and you don’t want it to feel overcrowded or messy,” she says.

This rule can also apply to colour, Visser says. “Stick to three colours, and use different textures,” she says.

9. No flow Not the flow of water, but the fixtures. “Where does it open and where does your eye first travel? You don’t want to walk straight into a toilet or see one either,” Visser says. “Think of the placement of the door. I’ve been to a loo where you can barely squeeze around the door to get to the toilet. You’d want to avoid this.”

10. Cash constraints This is a wet area, so be warned issues can crop up. If you’re able to design within the current bathroom space, this can bring costs down with plumbing placement and consents.

However, if this is an entirely new space, be prepared to spend. Visser tells clients wanting to undergo a full renovation to start a budget at $40,000.

Call 07 3865 6533

Call 07 3865 6533

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 41

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Astrology Aries (21st March to 20th April) Give vent to your creative energies, as the month begins.

Moon enters your Sign on 1st. Bubbling with energy and enthusiasm, you will shake off lethargy.

Married and committed natives will have it easy. Professionals will get a chance to show their wares, but be careful to whom you show your cards, warns Ganesha.

Are you planning to take a major step, in love? Eloping may seem a good idea. But, it’s life changing. Weigh pros and cons. And, if you have really made up your mind, don’t tell anyone. 13th brings some financial challenges. Any money you give out as help may get stuck.

Avoid lending! And, if you really have to, ensure you give it to someone trustworthy – and not a large amount. Important dates: 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30

Taurus (21st April to 21st May) An outing with dear ones may help you unwind and recharge on 1st. Professionals will continue to fare well, even in hostile work conditions. The ones pursuing higher education, though, are likely to be unhappy with their progress. Steer clear of distractions.

Are you planning to move out of your home? Is someone else planning to do so? Ask someone trustworthy and mature to intervene, or things may get out of hand, says Ganesha. If this is not the case, someone, maybe you, is relocating for work now. At work, things carry on unabated. Business persons/ professionals shall plan short term travel for reviving old connections. Adding new valued customers is on agenda. Important dates: 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

Gemini (22nd May to 21st June) Even though, the cosmic weather looks set to be quite pleasant, professional may face hurdles in their routine, as the month begins. Delays may catch you unawares. A looming deadline may cause stress. Students may be distracted by irrelevant matters. Love, however, looks set to remain glitch free.

Romance blooms! Students pursuing graduation will remain agitated on experiencing some adverse situations, though. . Important dates: 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25

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Cancer (22nd June to 22nd July) Direct influence of Venus and Mars may show you an alternative to earn money on 1st. However, getting lured by quick, short-term gains may prove risky. Keep free time for yourself and your personal relations. Accept challenges, and work to enhance your financial prospects. But, don’t let this derail you from your fitness endeavours. Direct influence of Mars over its own Sign Aries in your 10th House will work well for your work and education sphere. It is a supportive time for investments and taking calculated risks in capital markets, adds Ganesha. Be logical, though. . Important dates: 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 29, 30

Leo (23rd July to 22nd August) You begin the month, immersed in thoughts and deep feelings. Being emotional will not help, you realize soon. Stay calm and make the best of the opportunities coming your way. You may feel sidelined at work, or in a project. Well, remind yourself of the lesson you had learnt a few days ago, says Ganesha.

On the financial front, there may be a need to make provision for family’s secured future. Mercury now shifts to Sagittarius, 5th House from your Sign. It comes close to Saturn that’s already camping there. Combination of these two will make you wiser and more analytical in thought and speech. Important dates: 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25

Virgo (23rd August to 22nd September) On 1st you may be in a passive mood, not willing to pay heed to your responsibilities. Nonetheless, Jupiter and Mercury in company of Sun, in the 3rd House may facilitate opportunities. The phase also boosts academic progress for students. Singles must reveal what’s on their mind, when they are questioned about marriage. Ruler of your Sign Mercury shifts to Sagittarius, your 4th House. It now joins Saturn.

You will meet someone influential, and this may seem a very attractive proposition to you now, thanks to Venus. Are you falling for this person? Your communication will be effective, which shall help you make a suitable impression. Important dates: 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 23, 24, 25

Editorial / Photo Submissions Email prod@indiantimes.com.au or call 07 3865 6533

Libra (23rd September to 22nd October) You may be looking for a job change, as the month begins. Is it a passing thought? Are you really serious, this time? Ponder and then form a strategy. Businessmen in foreign trade and professionals handling offshore projects may need to travel abroad to strike a deal. Finances may be a bit tight. You may remain anxious on not being able to make good progress.

Plan, plan, plan some more, says Ganesha. Mars in your Sign will add to your vitality, energizing you to become active and fitter. 13th and 14th bring some domestic expenses. Tidings shall be happy and positive on the work front. Important dates: 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 29, 30

Scorpio (23rd October to 22nd November) Guard your monetary reserves with a lot of care, as the month begins. Unexpected expenses and impulsive decisions can be very expensive. On the domestic front, you must remain extremely gentle and tactful. Mercury now shifts to Sagittarius (your 2nd House), and gets close to Saturn, already present there. There will be a lot happening in the family and finances sector. You will be more analytical and logical, which is great. Keep harnessing the supportive planetary alliances, but don’t end up spending indiscriminately. Important dates: 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 Sagittarius (23rd November to 21st December) 1st sees you putting behind a recent hurt, and enjoying life, as it comes. Well done! Direct influence of Mars and Venus on your Sign helps you vastly. Students of arts and commerce streams will benefit. It is also a time to take your hobbies like dance, drama or music to the next level. In intellectual matters, You two seem to be on two different planes altogether.

Have patience, and be gentle and tactful. Soon, Mercury moves into your Sign – close to Saturn. Expenses on religious ceremony or a pilgrimage/ spiritual travel are foreseen. You will have the drive and energy both – at work, in studies as well as in love. Important dates: 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30

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Capricorn (22nd December to 20th January) You begin the month firing all guns! Bursting with energy, you shall be waiting to translate your thoughts into actions. Hectic pace of work keeps you busy. Have you fallen for someone? Has that someone arrived at your door with a bouquet of red roses? Have you two found soul-mates in each other?

Is it time to put on the ‘committed’ sign? Has your long time sweetheart said ‘yes’ to your wedding proposal?

Anything’s possible now! Influence of Jupiter and Sun with Venus is a harbinger of good times. Love is still in the air! But, if you are a student, it will be a major distraction. Important dates: 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29 30

Aquarius (21st January to 18th February) Month’s beginning sees you in action. Planning, following orders, delegating work, and implementing creative ideas keeps you. Jupiter has now entered the state of combustion, which reduces its intensity. Hence, you may feel a financial crunch, if you do not prioritize your spending. Spend time making some romantic memories! Married couples, however, may remain busy sorting their routine lives. Important dates: 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30

Pisces (19th February to 20th March) News of encouraging returns from the investments made earlier will be enough to wake you up happily from the slumber on 1st. On the financial front, you may still need to work a bit more.

Demands from your family may be increasing. As a full Moon shines, your hidden passions and desires to enjoy the pleasures of life come to the fore. Venus joins the company of Jupiter and Sun. This combination of three benefits in your Fortune sector seems to be a harbinger of good times ahead. Important dates: 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 43

WHATÊS ON!

11 November 2017...

Fiji Senior Citizens Association of Qld – Annual Seniors Multicultural Dinner – 5:30 to 6:50pm Dinner (veg and non-veg), official program starts at 7pm - Coorparoo Secondary College Hall, Cnr Stanley Street East and Cavendish Road, Coorparoo. Tickets $20 Adults and under 12 Free. Contact Surend 0413 004 100 / Raj 0410 454 649

18 November 2017...

Queensland Telugu Association (QTA) invites you to VanaBhojanam – 11:30am – 4:30pm at Whites Hill Reserve, 258 Boundary Road, Camp Hill. Games: Tug of War, Frog jumping, musical chairs, lemon & spon race etc. Gifts for winners. Santa: gifts for kids.

Bala Samskar Kendra Qld proudly presents Bala Utsav 2017 – An evening celebrating Hindu Culture & Heritage. 5:45pm for 6pm start at Runcorn Heights State School, 200 Nemies Road, Runcorn. Sumptuous Vegetarian dinner will be available at a nominal cost.

Entry: Single $10, children under 12 years FREE. For more information contact Krrishna 0411 776 509 / Hari 0411 137 396 or email bskqld@live.com.au

The President and Members of Sunnybank Sub-Branch The Returned & Services League of Australia (Qld Branch) together with their Australians of Indian Heritage War Memorial Committee invite you to attend official unveiling and dedication of a War Memorial to Australians of Indian Heritage – 4pm at Sunnybank Soldiers’ Memorial Hall, 19 Gager Street, Sunnybank.

18 & 19 November 2017...

HIM GATHERING presents Christmas with Pastor Gersson Edinbaro (Chennai – India) – 18th 6:30pm at Hosanna Indian Ministry – 19th 10am at Hosanna Church Brisbane, 65 Woogaroo Street, Ellen Grove. Indian Christmas Dinner. Book your seat – RSVP 15/11/17. Contact Moses George 0405 291

117. FREE Entry

24 November 2017...

India the Enchanter – A D.r.e.s.s.e.d GC Exclusive event – refer to page 48 for details

25 November 2017...

Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur presents YUGPURUSH Mahatma’s Mahatma – 7:30pm at SunPAC, 470 McCullough Street, Sunnybank. This play is on Mahatma Gandhi – Father of Indian Nation and his spiritual journey. The play has philosophical, social & spiritual value attached to it. It depicts the spiritual relationship between Mahatma Gandhi & his spiritual mentor, Shrimad Rajchandraji. All proceeds support the construction of a charity hospital. Tickets start at $20 – book online www.australia.yugpurush.org

26 November 2017...

Austec Services presents BANDSHAN – Refer to page 25 for details.

3 December 2017...

Shirdi Sai Baba – Southside aarti & bhajans – 5-6:30pm at FSCAQ Community hall, 24 Arnwood Pl, Annerley. For more information follow on facebook – www.facebook.com/SaiBabaBrisbane or call 0405 392 793

9 December 2017...

Banyo District Community Group Inc presents Carols in the Park – 3pm to 7pm at 284 St Vincents Road, Banyo. Jumping Castle, Food and Music. Santa @ 6pm.

South Pacific Islander Christmas in the Park Festival 2017 – 10am-4pm. For more information contact Sitika Satui 0450 677 142

21 April 2018...

Boondall State School presents Around the World Fete – 11am to 7pm. Save the date!

44 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

Continued page 46

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Call 07 3865 6533

Shirdi Sai Baba Weekly Aarti Program Ev Ever Every TThursda Thur Thursd Thursday @ 7.30pm 7.

7.30 7

Upcoming events: Southside aarti & bhajans 3 December 5-6.30pm FSCAQ Community Hall 24 Arnwood Pl Annerley

Call 07 3865 6533

Virginia State School hall 1678 Sandgate Rd VIRGINIA (next to Virginia train station) Prasad & Dinner Provided

www.facebook.com/SaiBabaBrisbane M: 0405 392 793

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 45

WHATÊS ON! Continued from page 44

APPLY NOW for 23 January 2018 intake!

MCC – CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability and Ageing)** – FEE-FREE*. Contact Multicultural Community Centre to see if you are eligible – info@mccbrisbane.org or visit www.mccbrisbane.org

APPLY NOW for 2 February 2018 intake!

MCC – CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care** – FEEFREE*. Contact Multicultural Community Centre to see if you are eligible – info@mccbrisbane.org or visit www.mccbrisbane.org

Weekly Events...

Mondays…

Brahma Kumaris Australia – Meditation & Positive Thinking Sessions – Mondays 10.30am to 11.30am: Regular meditation should improve your ability to focus and think clearly. By practising mediations which cultivate our ability to sense and care for our natural energy we are able to live life with greater awareness and confidence. Each class includes guided meditations, discussions, short talks and the introduction and practice of techniques. Each session is a different topic. Meditation sessions Tuesdays 6.30pm to 7.30 pm and Sundays 5.30pm to 6.30pm. During these sessions there will be meditation commentaries, music and periods of silence. You can come and go at any time during these sessions. Venue: 27 Bordeaux Parade, Mermaid Waters. Please phone to register – 5575 2126. Email goldcoast@au.brahmakumaris.org or visit www.brahmakumaris.org/au/whatson for more information

Brisbane Good Samaritan Prayer Fellowship (Malayam Service) – Congregation on every Sunday from 10am to 12pm at Stafford Scouts, 38 Appleby Road, Stafford, Qld 4053.

For further information contact 0468 358 646 or 0411 269 322. Come and hear the message of your eternal life, GOD BLESS

Picabeen Community Centre – you’re invited to playgroup! – For parents with children aged 0-5 years from all cultures and backgrounds. Come along and meet families from all backgrounds in your community.

Every Monday (Except public holidays) 10am – 12pm. Picabeen Community Centre, 22 Hoben Street, Mitchelton Qld. Phone 3354 2555 Zi Za Dong Zen Association – Energy Healing to improve health and well beings – ZZDZ Assn. Inc is a not for profit charity foundation based in Brisbane. Focusing on energy healing named Qi Gong through meditation, it provides free energy healing sessions and guidance. Practicing Qi Gong will encourage you to achieve a positive outlook on life, by helping to reduce stress and calm your mind.

It also increases vitality, enhances your immune system and helps to eliminate negative attitudes and behaviours. Session Times & Locations: Mondays-Thursday & Saturday 9am – 12pm at 10 Cognac Court, Calamvale.

Thursday afternoon (except 1st week) 3.30pm – 6pm at Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown Library. 67 Level 2, Cnr Calam & Compton Road. Friday afternoon 2pm-5pm at Logan West Library – 69 Grand Plaza Drive, Brown Plains. For more information email zzdz.aus@gmail.com or visit www.zzdz.org.au

Wednesdays…

Brisbane Good Samaritan Prayer Fellowship (Malayam Service) – Cottage Meeting on every Wednesday from 6.30pm to 8pm at Stafford Scouts, 38 Appleby Road, Stafford, Qld 4053. For further information contact 0468 358 646 or 0411 269 322. Come and hear the message of your eternal life, GOD BLESS The Mantra Room – Live Kirtan – Spend an evening of sacred Yoga chant with Gayatri, Ishvara, Jayadharma and friends Fridays 6pm, Sundays 5pm and Wednesdays 7pm at Australian School of Meditation & Yoga, 236

Montague Road, West End. Amazing Vego Food $5. Come celebrate, meditate and let the music set you free. For more information call 3844 8441 or email brisbane@asm.org.au

Thursdays…

Sai Baba Aarti Program – Every Thursday 7.30pm – Virginia State School, 1678 Sandgate Road, Virginia (next to Virginia Train Station) Aarti & Archana opportunity for all attendees, Prasad & Dinner provided.

Enquiries call 0405 392 793 / saibababrisbane@gmail.com / Like on Facebook www.facebook.com/SaiBabaBrisbane

Sundays…

Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Qld Inc – Vedic Yaj (Havan) –The Sabha performs Havan Yaj every Sunday from 2-4pm at Queensland Vedic Cultural Centre, 198 Learoyd Rd, Willawong and the public is welcome to be part of it. The members of public now can perform Havan Yaj at the centre. The fee of $50 is required for use of centre facilities to cover operating costs. The Havan Kund, utensils are available for use as well The Havan ingredients can be supplied if you are unable to get them. Mango sticks, Ghee, Samagri, Chamfor etc is available at the centre as well for $25. The seating capacity of the Yajshalla (Havan Hall) is 100. Contact Vice President Mrs Sushila Pathik for further information and bookings on 3314 6059.

Contact Jitendra Deo 3263 1914 or Hari Chand 3345 4716 or visit www.aryasamajqueensland.com for further information.

Australian Pentecostal Assembly Brisbane – Sunday Worship every Sunday 9am11.30am at 84 The Community Place, 84 Kedron Park Road, Wooloowin Qld with Pastor Prakash Jacob. Cottage Meeting every Tuesday 7.30pm-9pm / Kids Bible Study every Friday 7pm-7.45pm / Intercessory Prayer every Friday 7.45-9pm. Worship in Hindi, English, Malayalam and other Indian Languages. For more information Phone 07 3315 5597 / 0413 347 562 or email info@apabrisbane.com.au / www.apabrisbane.com.au

Bala Samskar Kendra – Hindu Scripture Classes for Children – The aim of Bala Samskar Kendra (BSK) is to provide an opportunity to the children to learn about rich Hindu culture through value based education from various Hindu scriptures and let them gain self-confidence and grow up in to individuals who are proud of their tradition. Every Sunday 2:30pm-5pm at Sunnybank State High School, Sunnybank (use Turton Street entrance). Contact bskqld@live.com.au / Hari 0411 137 396 / Krrishna 0411 776 509 / Ram 0416 813 747 Brisbane Multinational Church Service – Every Sunday 9.30am at 757 Gympie Road Lawnton. Come and join us for a great time of Praise and Worship plus inspired preaching of God’s word. We thrive for the presence of God and are passionate to see people be trained up and grow in the knowledge of the word of God. Special service time to pray for healing, deliverance and other spiritual needs. Enquiries 0424 1802 40.

Star Christian Church – Clontarf Beach State School Hall. Every Sunday – Morning Service at 9.30am. Evening Service at 5pm. Come fired up and expectant! Star Church is a great, young church located on the beautiful Redcliffe Peninsula. A Pentecostal community connected with the Australian Christian Churches. We passionately want God’s presence in our lives, desire to be trained and knowledgeable in His Word, hungry for the supernatural, excelling in our service and hospitable at life. For more information visit www.starchurch.org.au

Monthly Events...

Hindu Cultural Hub (HCB) at Clayfield – Monthly Cultural congregation – Bar-Jai Community Hall, 178 Alexandra Road, Clayfield Qld 4011. Pooja by Hindu Priest, Bajan and Kirtan by devotees, monthly religious updates / guest speakers on spiritual (or) yoga techniques. Prasatham with vegetarian dinner served. For more details contact 0469

46 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

Brisbane Indian Times proudly supporting community events since 2003 Brisbane Indian Times is proud to support non profit and community organisations. We publish your event in the what’s on section for free to show our support.

If you are having an event and are interested in having Brisbane Indian Times & Australian Indian Radio as media sponsers, contact prod@indiantimes.com.au. We include your flyer / website listing / radio advertisement / EDM / Facebook etc. *Conditions apply.

To have your community event included in weekly mailout, supply to prod@indiantimes.com.au by 2:30pm on Thursdays.

Deadlines for newspaper copies are the end of every month.

016 416 or visit www.hinduculturalhub.org

The John Oxley District Orchid Society – Meeting – We pride ourselves on being a friendly Society and new members and guests are always welcome at our meetings held on the second Wednesday of each month starting at 7.30pm. Venue is Oxley Bowls Club, 24-30 Englefield Road, Oxley.

Please contact Sonia Addison 3277 5825 or jodos-inc@hotmail.com for more information

The Gold Coast Hindu Cultural Association - Gold Coast Bhajan - monthly Bhajans held every third Friday of the month starting at 7.15am at the Helensvale Community Centre - 31 Discovery Rd, Helensvale. Activities include Bhajan recitals, short educational presentations and free vegetarian dinner. All are cordially invited to attend. For further information please contact Director/Religious Activities, Mr S Barataraj on 0417 588 839 or gchcan@gmail.com or visit www.goldcoasthindu.org Organization of Hindu Malayalees Queensland (OHM Queensland) – Monthly Bhajans held every first Saturday of Malayalam calendar. Activities include Bhajans, Malayalam Class, Library service, religious short educational presentations, vegetarian dinner etc.

For further information please contact President Krishnan AK on 0418 727 570 or ohmqueensland@gmail.com

Shirdi Sai Sansthan Brisbane Ltd – Shirdi Saibaba Bhajans and Aaratis – last Saturday every month. 5.30pm at Runcorn

www.indiantimes.com.au

Heights State School, 200 Nemies Road, Runcorn Qld 4113. Dhoop Aarati, Bhajans, Ashtotaram, Shej Aarati and Mahaprasad at 7.40pm. For more details contact 0416 813 747 or 0479 143 724 – visit www.shirdisaibrisbane.org or follow on facebook Shirdi sai baba Brisbane Mata Amritananadamayi Centre- Brisbane: Regular Satsangs are held at 32 Burnside Crescent, Westlake on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month at 4 pm. Spiritual chanting, singing, reading and Arati are followed by a prasad meal. Sri Lalitha Sahasranamavali chanting takes place at the Sri Selva Vinayakar Kovil at South Maclean on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 10:30 am.

Register your interest for IAM Meditation courses. www.ammaaustralia.org.au; facebook: Amma Brisbane Satsang. Contact: brisbane@ammaaustralia.org.au; ph: 07 3715 8278 Sri Selva Vinayakar Koyil (Ganesha Temple) Brisbane (South Maclean) – For full list of upcoming events please visit www.sriselvavinayakar.org

Yoga in Daily Life – Satsang and Full Moon Meditation – Satsang every last Saturday of the Month from 5-7pm with Rajastani Bhajans, meditation & Prasad. Purnima Full Moon Meditation from 7:45pm - 8:30pm (see our website for dates). Regular daily Yoga & Meditation Classes. Shiv Mandir is open daily for Darsan.

Website: yidlbris.org, Email: brisbane@yogaindailylife.org

Call 07 3865 6533

Big Auditions for Production Meera – November 26, 2017

By Aarti Bajaj (Artistic Director) Navrasa Indian Classical and Contemporary Dance school, Gold Coast

When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.

– Wayne Dyer “I’m not in search of sanctity, sacredness, purity; these things are found after this life, not in this life; but in this life I search to be completely human: to feel, to give, to take, to laugh, to get lost, to be found, to dance, to love and to lust, to be so human.” ― C. JoyBell C.

WE are ever growing responsible human beings. Due to daily professional, personal and social duties, we keep piling our emotions and expressions within ourselves and before we realise, we discover that we have transformed ourselves into robotic, world wise, practical, money making machines. Hence in the affluent, civilised high-tech societies which we live in, despite of finding everything around us in abundance, we suffer with anxiety, depression, phobias and loneliness.

I think we have forgotten to ask ourselves, rather speaking, we have forgotten to feel, forgotten to express ourselves. Our basic selves are made up of dance and music. Our soul enjoys rhythm. As Martha Graham beautifully said “Dance is the hidden language of the soul”.

Dance helps you feel, exaggerate the nine emotions, expressions that each one of use are made up of. Which are called as ‘Navrasa’– The nine expressions according to ‘Natya Shastra’ written by sage ‘Bharata’.

On the Gold Coast, taking the inspiration from the scriptures “Natya Shastra”, we have started an Indian Classical and Indian Contemporary Dance School, where we give authentic training for Bharatnatyam; an Indian Classical Dance form and Indian Contemporary Dance form, where along with teaching technical skills we also teach and focus on bringing each and every individuals expression out. Our aim is to connect bodies with their souls, connect thoughts with their expressions, connect the journey of their lives with a substantial cause. To free the mind, soul and body from all inhibitions and judgement is the most liberating feeling a human body can experience. And at our ‘Navrasa’ dance school we experience and focus to achieve this in each of our sessions. We have beautiful dancers from all age varying from 5 years to 55 years and they are all so beautiful, youthful and energetic at heart, because they ‘Dance’. Age is just a number and strongly believe,’ if the Mind accepts Body adapts’.

Navrasa Dance School, Gold Coast is coming up with a grand production “Meera” which is going to be staged at the prestigious Art Centre, Gold Coast on 4th November 2018. It’s a 16th century true love story, from Norther part of India. The beautiful story which will be enhanced and intensified using many different style of dancing like Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz, Indian Classical, Indian Contemporary, Pole, exclusively created music, elaborative costumes and jewellery.

Dramatic dialogue, mesmerising visual effects you will see it all in this exciting production.

The biggest strength and uniqueness of this project lies in the making of “Meera”. Production Meera is going to be performed using all amateur dancers and actor/ performers from the entire Gold Coast and Brisbane community breaking the barriers of ethnicity, religion, background etc. If you would like to be part of this exciting journey “Meera” – then please apply for our grand auditions scheduled on 26th November 2017, Sunday from 2pm to 5pm at the ‘House of Dance’ 2/12 Hinde Street, Southport 4215.

If you have a performer within you, then you definitely don’t want to miss this chance of being on the grand stage of the Arts Centre, Gold Coast.

Name of the production: “Meera” – A Production by Navrasa Dane School Audition Date: 26th November 2017, Sunday Venue: ‘House of Dance’ 2/12 Hinde Street, Southport 4215 Call 07 3865 6533

Timings: 2pm to 5pm Contact: Aarti Bajaj (Artistic Director) M: +61 432 011 395 E: meeraonthecoast@gmail.com ; aartibajaj.navrasa@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/meeraonthegoldcoast/ Instagram: follow us on @meera.navrasa And FB link to our Auditions are as follow: facebook.com/events/1544784825605255/ ?ti=cl Concluding I would like to quote another beautiful quote of Martha Graham, “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost”.

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 47

Bollywood & Entertainment

Tiger Zinda Hai trailer: Blockbuster written all over it, says Bollywood BOLLYWOOD celebrities like Anil Kapoor and Karan Johar hailed the much awaited trailer of Salman Khan-starrer Tiger Zinda Hai, saying that the film will be yet another blockbuster of the year.

The trailer of the film, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, opens with terrorists capturing 25 nurses in Iraq. In what looks like an impossible task, the Indian government gives Tiger, played by Salman Khan, the responsibility to rescue the nurses.

Here’s what the celebrities tweeted: Trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to his Twitter handle and wrote, “Get set for Salmania... #TigerZindaHaiTrailer is here... Just

one word: SUPERB... Sure to set the BO on ??...”

Ace director Karan Johar described the trailer in word as “Blockbuster!!!!!”

Elated after seeing the movie’s trailer, film director Kabir Khan wrote, “Wow... Totally Dhamakedar trailer... Tiger is back and his roar is louder than ever!!!”

“Action packed! #TigerZindaHaiTrailer !!

Looks like yet another blockbuster for sure!

Waiting to see how the hunt ends! @aliabbaszafar,” veteran actor Anil Kapoor tweeted.

The film, which also stars Katrina Kaif, is all set to hit the theaters on December 22.

Padmavati: Rajasthan theatre distributors refuse to exhibit Deepika Padukone film

PADMAVATI is facing fresh trouble in Rajasthan as film distributors have said that they will not buy its distribution rights unless a controversy surrounding the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed movie is resolved.

Starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, the film is slated for release on December 1. Various Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena, have threatened to disrupt the screening of the movie, accusing Bhansali of “distorting” historical facts.

“Karni Sena and other Rajput community leaders are protesting against the film over alleged distortion of historical facts. We are also against the distortion of historical facts and will purchase the distribution rights only after the controversy is settled,” Raj Bansal, a leading film distributor, told PTI. “Let them reach an amicable solution, then only we will purchase the rights of the film,” he said.

Another distributor, Sanjay Chatar, said that the film- maker and those objecting to the film should settle the controversy first.

“There should be no distortion of historical

facts in the film,” he said.

There are over 300 screens in the state. Rajasthan BJP MLA Diya Kumari too joined in the chorus against the film. “I will not allow any distortion of the valiant history of Rajasthan & Sacrifice of its people in fighting barbarians by movie #Padmavati,” Diya Kumari, who hails from the erstwhile Jaipur royal family, said on Twitter.

Bhansali has been facing trouble since the beginning as the sets of the movie were vandalised and the director was slapped by some members of the Karni Sena in the beginning of this year.

The set of the movie was again vandalised in Kolhapur, with the miscreants burning the costumes in March this year. Bhansali and his team have repeatedly assured that there are no romantic scenes between ‘Rani Padmavati’, played by Deepika Padukone, and Alauddin Khilji, played by Ranveer Singh.

“There is no romantic scene or dream sequence between #Padmavati & #AlauddinKhilji in @FilmPadmavati,” Shoba Sant, CEO Bhansali Productions tweeted recently.

D.r.e.s.s.e.d. GC is an exclusive social events group created for Gold Coasters who have a great sense of style and fashion who enjoy socialising and our goal is to raise the cultural and arts profile of the Gold Coast by creating unique events.

India the Enchanter is our luxurious creation of the splendour of what was once the lifestyle of the Maharajah of Jaipur Rajasthan. The Maharajah feasted on the most spectacular Indian cuisine and watched mystifying classical Indian dances that always mesmerised. Together with the Maharani they lived a life of opulence and of pure royalty. Jaipur the city architecturally designed in beautifully carved Sandstone is always a place of enchanting beauty.

We are creating an event inspired by Jaipur, Rajasthan.

This will be an event with amazing Indian classical dances, traditional Dholki drums played to welcome you to the Red Carpet to this exquisitely styled celebration.

D.r.e.s.s.e.d GC in collaboration with Goa Indian Fusion will host the enchanting evening of scrumptious Indian cuisine prepared by the brilliant Chefs at Goa Indian Fusion.

The Chefs will prepare a special Buffet to celebrate Diwali the Festival of Lights.

We have captivating classical Kathak dances to entertain you while you indulge the prepared cuisine. The Maharajah and his Maharani will make their appearance to this colourful vibrant and royal event and you will be able to take some favourable photos with the Royals.

Bring your best dancing shoes for when the dance floor opens and dance to the vibrant and entertaining sounds of Bollywood.

A magnificent night of colours, lights… .Jaipur, Rajasthan for 1 night on the Gold Coast.

Charity Fundraiser - We Are Fundraising For Mercy Ships Australia About Mercy Ships Bringing Hope and Healing to the Forgotten Poor One of the greatest problems affecting people living in developing nations is the lack of available and affordable health care.

Infrastructure is either substandard or simply non-existent. In response to such need Mercy Ships offers a range of health care services free of charge. Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class health care services, capacity building and sustainable development to those without access in the developing world. Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has mobilised some 35,000 volunteers working in more than 70 countries. Free services provided to date are valued at more than $1billion, treating more than 2.5 million direct beneficiaries. The unique feature of Mercy Ships is that almost all who serve are volunteers, paying their own way and raising their own support to serve short-term for a few weeks to long-term in a career capacity.

Each year Mercy Ships has more than 1,600 volunteers from more than 40 nations. Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, health care trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers, and agriculturalists donate their time and skills to the effort. Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals and serve nations one at a time. Mercy Ships Australia, one of 16 international support offices, is based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

For more information, visit www.mercyships.org.au An Exclusive Event by D.r.e.s.s.e.d GC Contact Push Oberoi: 0488 633 051 Contact Neva Weber: 0411 458 746 Email: neva@dressedgc.com www.dressedgc.com / www.goaindianfusion.com.au

Swara Bhaskar on sexual harassment in Bollywood: India The Enchanter – a A director stalked me all D.r.e.s.s.e.d GC Exclusive Event….24 November day on film sets

Actor Swara Bhaskar has joined the conversation on women and men facing sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. Ever since Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was (and continues to be) accused of harassment, molestation and rape by over 50 women, more victims of other famous perpetrators have also shared their horror stories.

In an interview to Mumbai Mirror, the Bollywood actor voiced her opinion on the matter too. “The way a film set operates is often feudal and always hierarchal, where some people give instructions and others execute them...Conditions at the workplace are ripe for sexual harassment, more so because victims can be easily silenced,” she said.

Swara revealed the manner in which she was asked for sexual favours in exchange for a film role, and how she lost a few because she wouldn’t give in. She even talked about the lack of safety on film sets, where women often experience ‘eve-teasing and catcalling’.

She shared her own story of how she was harassed by a film director during her early

days as an actor. “...during a 56-day outdoor shoot at a remote location when I was still fairly new, the director harassed me with texts and dinner invites. He stalked me during the day and called me through the night.

I was asked to go to his hotel room on the pretext of discussing a scene and would find him drinking. During the first week itself, he started talking about love and sex, and one night, he arrived in my room, drunk and asking to be hugged. It was scary!”

“I was young and alone. I would switch off the lights after packing up, and remove my make-up in the dark, so he would think I was asleep and stop calling me,” she said.

The director did stop after she told him how uncomfortable he was making her feel, and that she would leave the project if he continued to misbehave with her. While the man did stop stalking her for a time (not without acting hurt and complaining about “how she misunderstood him”, though), he was back at it after a few weeks. “I finally confided in the executive producer and made sure that I was escorted everywhere,” she said.

HT

48 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

www.indiantimes.com.au

Call 07 3865 6533

Bollywood & Entertainment Mind Blowing Films Blockbuster November is here!

This holiday season, we bring back to back blockbusters in cinemas near you! While November holds refreshing movies belonging to all genres such as Ittefaqon Nov 3rd, Tumhari Sulu on Nov 17th and Firangi on Nov 24th; December will play host to the magnum opus Salman Khan starrer Tiger Zinda Hai.

ITTEFAQ

Released: 3rd November 2017 Starring: Siddharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna Language: Hindi (with English subtitles) Production House: Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Productions & BR Films Director: Abhay Chopra Synopsis: Dev (Akshaye Khanna), a police officer, is investigating a double murder case that has only two witnesses, who are also the prime suspects. The suspects – Vikram (Siddharth Malhotra), an acclaimed writer, and Maya (Sonakshi Sinha), a young homemaker, have different narratives about the events of that fateful night. Both the stories seem true but there can be only one truth.

Dev is torn between the two versions of the story, and will not settle till he finds out what happened that night

Tumhari thSulu

Release: 17 November 2017 Starring: Vidya Balan, Neha Dhupia, Manav Kaul Language: Hindi (with English subtitles) Production House: Ellipsis Entertainment, Grand Showbizz Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Tanuj Garg, Atul Kasbekar, Shanti Sivaram Maini

Director: Suresh Triveni Synopsis: Happy-go-lucky Sulochana (fondly known as Sulu), a suburban Mumbai housewife, lives with her husband, Ashok, a sales manager in a traditional company that sells uniforms, and their 11-year-old son, Pranav.

In an unexpected turn of events, she lands a job of an RJ (radio jockey). She is no ordinary RJ for she is made to anchor a night show, which involves chatting with peculiars, strangers and lonely souls.

Seasoned with music, humour and quirk, Tumhari Sulu witnesses the everyday grit of a housewife, a marriage put to test and a world that struggles to see the beauty of a socalled ‘simple, ordinary life’.

From the team of Neerja, comes a charming slice-of-life family feature, which will warm the cockles of your heart.

Firangi

Release: 24th November 2017 Starring: Kapil Sharma Language: Hindi (with English subtitles) Producers: Kapil Sharma Director: Rajiev Dhingra Synopsis: This is the story of Manga, a sweet boy who lived in his own little bubble. He believed that the British who ruled India were not bad people and happily worked for them.

Manga soon became popular among them because of his magical feet. Trouble brews when the people of his village disapprove of his closeness with them and thus refer to him as ‘firangi’ (a foreigner). The ruler of Indian television comedy, Kapil Sharma is all set to make his debut in Firangi. A period Punjabi film set in the pre – independence era of India, this film is sure to make you laugh, cry and go home with big smiles!

For all the latest releases screening dates visit

www.mindblowingfilms.com

Call 07 3865 6533

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017 — 49

Sports News

• Brisbane Ambassador Induction Group.

Multicultural Community Ambassadors inducted for Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games TWO hundred and forty multicultural community ambassadors have now been officially welcomed into the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) Family.

Recent induction sessions on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne highlighted the importance of the Commonwealth Games in a global context and its direct benefit to Australian communities.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) CEO Mark Peters said multicultural community ambassadors from more than 40 Commonwealth nations and territories will help drive awareness, encourage participation and importantly generate ticket sales for 4-15 April 2018 Games.

“The multicultural community ambassadors include leaders from peak community bodies, the media industry, those with social media influence and sport and community festival groups from across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.

“The program will also help draw attention

• Gold Coast Ambassador Induction Group.

to international sporting favourites such as Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Hockey, Para-Powerlifting, Rugby Sevens, Squash, Table Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling,” Mr Peters said.

GC2018 multicultural community ambassador Palanichamy O. Thevar said he was

proud to see the program engaging local communities and helping drive community participation and celebration of next year’s Games.

“The Indian community in Australia is very proud of its history in the Commonwealth Games including successfully hosting the

event in 2010.”

“We look forward to seeing our sporting heroes live on the Gold Coast,” Mr Thevar said.

A key component of the multicultural community program is the development of the GC2018 Fan Club.

GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters said the fan club will provide culturally relevant Commonwealth Games information to fans through dedicated regional e-newsletters and various digital and event-based opportunities.

“GC2018 will be the largest sporting event Australia will see this decade and the biggest sporting spectacular the Gold Coast has ever seen.

“A key component in delivering these Games is to ensure communities across Queensland and Australia feel part of the experience leading up to, during and after the event,” he said.

GC2018 baton bearers revealed GOLDOC are thrilled to reveal the thousands of local legends who will share the dream and carry the Queen’s Baton with pride.

Nominated by their peers for achievements and contributions to their community, these baton bearers will be part of the Baton’s journey as it travels the length and breadth of Australia for 100 days on its way to the Opening Ceremony at the Gold Coast on 4 April, 2018.

Amongst the thousands listed is 11 year old Sharleen Sraon from Camp Hill. Readers may recall an article on Sharleen earlier in the year where she won Gold in the Queensland State Karate Championship. Her list of achievements is commendable for such a young age, these include; straight A student, high distinction in piano, award for German language, public figure for Empowering Girls where she has over 800 followers on Instagram.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in her congratulations letter to Sharleen wrote, “Our baton bearers are everyday people, like you, who inspire all of us to be great.

You were chosen because of your strong commitment to the community and you have every reason to be proud of your achievements. We know that you will make a great ambassador for Queensland as one of our baton bearers”.

On being selected, Sharleen said that it is something that she will cherish for her entire life.

Sharleen will be doing her baton relay 3 days before the Olympic opening ceremony, we encourage everyone to go out and support not only Sharleen but all of the baton bearers for this memorable experience and honour.

Other members of the Indian-Australian

• Sydney Ambassador Induction Group.

The Commonwealth Games takes place every four years and 70 Commonwealth nations and territories with a combined population of 2.1 billion people will be represented by 6,600 athletes and team officials on the Gold Coast and in the event cities of Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville next April.

For more information on GC2018, please visit gc2018.com.

To sign-up for more information on the GC2018 Fan Club, please visit gc2018.com/fanclubs.

Fast Facts: • GC2018 will be staged from 4 to 15 April 2018 • It will be the 21st Commonwealth Games (XXI Commonwealth Games) • 70 Commonwealth nations and territories • 6,600 athletes and team officials • 1,000 technical officials • 15,000 volunteers • 11,000 hours of live broadcast coverage • 1.5 billion cumulative global TV audience • 18 sports, seven para-sports and 23 sports disciplines • 18 competition venues

community to carry the Queen’s Baton are: Aditi Bhalla (NSW), Pushpa Bakshi (QLD), Neha Dhingra (QLD, Tejinder Pal Singh (NT), Aparna Patankar (ACT), Mokhtiar Singh (QLD), Surjit Singh (QLD), Dhami

50 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2017

Singh (VIC), Sonia Singh (TAS) and Shlok Sharma (NT).

The full list of GC2018 baton bearers can be found at www.gc2018.com/batonbearer

www.indiantimes.com.au

• Melbourne Ambassador Induction Group.

Call 07 3865 6533

Sports News BSK CUP 2017

• BSK Photo’s Brian Sullivan.

Courtesy BSK BRISBANE Super Kings (BSK) is Brisbane’s first and only multicultural cricket club that was established in 2012 aimed at providing a platform for nurturing the cricketing talent amongst the local community of subcontinent origin. Ever since its inception, BSK has become the household name for cricket among the wider community in Brisbane and always strived to bring the people from different backgrounds together for one common interest, which is cricket.

BSK was inspired by the successful Indian premier league’s cricket team Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Just how CSK won the hearts of millions of crickets lovers, BSK is on the same track to create a cult of among locals in Brisbane. BSK welcomes anyone who has love for the game irrespective of age, race, and competency.

Over the 5 years in operation, BSK has secured itself a spot in the Australian cricketing calendar every year with its annual tournament that brings a rainbow of teams across Brisbane. The 5th Annual cricket tournament proved to be a

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success and demonstrated its evolution from previous years. This year’s tournament consisted of 32 teams from multicultural communities; also as expected the tournament was well received by the locals, community members, leaders and government bodies.

This year grand final was held at the famous Tingalpa Cricket Ground on 22nd Oct, 2016 followed by a “Grand Award Night” at Michael’s Oriental Restaurant here in Brisbane, with Dinner, music, dance and also some motivational and promising speech from our guests.

The presentation ceremony was attended by elite guests and various community leaders including Mr Umesh Chandra, Mrs Usha Chandra, & Mr Ayyapann Kallidoss. Who wished well for the organization ever since the its first year. MP Duncan Pegg presented the winners trophy, while MP Steve Minnikin presented the runners trophy and shared their valuable thoughts about the importance of bringing the community closer and pledged their support towards taking BSK to the next level. The event came to an end with the vote of thanks from the president and founder Mr Sathish Rajendran.

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