Jan 14 issue

Indian Times

Brisbane

A Division of Qld Multicultural Times

As God is One, we respect all Religions

Print Post Approved PP:424022 1724

Volume 11, Number 4 Saturday, January 18, 2014

Telephone: (07) 3356 0102 Fax:(07) 3352 7693 E-mail admin@indiantimes.com.au

Minister Vayalar Ravi: PBD aims to strengthen diaspora’s engagement with India’s growth story

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurating the 12th PBD in Delhi.

Full report page 6.

TO ADVERTISE IN BIT CALL 07 3356 0102 E: admin@indiantimes.com.au PACKAGES AVAILABLE!

Perth Hills Bushfire Appeal launched by The Sunday Times and PerthNow, Channel 9 and The Salvation Army Trevor Paddenburg - Perth Now A BUSHFIRE appeal has been launched in a joint campaign by The Sunday Times and PerthNow, Channel Nine and The Salvation Army.

All proceeds will go to victims of Sunday's Perth Hills inferno.

The donations will help to rebuild homes razed by fire and replace the possessions of residents who lost everything.

The Sunday Times and PerthNow, in partnership with Channel Nine, have kicked off the appeal with a $20,000 donation.

The Salvation Army welcomed the funding and urged West Australians and well as people around the country and overseas to help out if they could.

Mundaring shire president Helen Dullard said it was part of a "phenomenal'' amount of support and offers of help that have flooded in.

She said the "incredible sense of community'' would get victims through the horror and heartache of losing everything.

"Right now that's what is going to get people through this - knowing there is so much support and so much help from the community,'' she said.

"We've had tremendous offers of food and accommodation, people offering their homes. Loads of people are already looking at how they can support financially. The offers started coming in right from Sunday afternoon when the fire was all still happening.

"It's just fantastic to see how strong this community is and how everyone is rallying to help each other. ``People have been put up in hotels or other people's homes if they had nowhere to go. No-one will be left without somewhere to go or someone to support them.''

Salvation Army officers, volunteers and chaplains are on site providing practical, emotional and pastoral support for fire victims and desperate residents.

Above: Residents affected by the fire attend a community meeting held at Brown Park Community Centre. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: News Limited.

Left: One man is confirmed dead and at least 46 homes have been destroyed in raging bushfires in WA. Donate online at perthnow.com.au or call the Salvation Army on 13 72 58. Photo: Channel 9.

More than 100 Salvation Army volunteers have also served more than 1000 meals to fire and emergency workers.

Meanwhile, the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund has also been activated to raise and coordinate donations to support the victims of the fire. Donations to that fund can be made over the counter at Bankwest.

Donate online at perthnow.com.au or call the Salvation Army on 13 72 58.

Calamvale Market Place Shop 5A, 2605 Beaudesert Rd Cnr Nottingham Rd CALAMVALE Qld 4116 where you get the best deals everytime!

Fiji - India - Pakistan Los Angeles - Auckland - London Cheapest fares available

for these and many more

destinations around the world OPENING HOURS

Mon-Fri: 9.00 - 5.00 Thurs: 9.00 - 7.00 Sat: 9.30 - 1.30

Please contact

JAVED RAHMAN Mobile: 0413 140 610 (Optus) 0433 212 907 (3 Phone)

Ph: (07) 3711 6040 Fax: (07) 3711 6141

Email: Javed.Rahman@bestdealtravel.com.au - Web: www.bestdealtravel.com.au Award Winning Agent - Select Group’s Top 5 Agents in Qld, Brisbane Indian Times Tourism Award 2006 & Southern Cross Galileo’s Most Improved Business of The Year

Inside • Letters to the Editor.......................2 • Migration Matters...........................4 • Local News.................................5-17 • Business News...............................18 • Who, What, Where, When...20 & 22 • Health & Well Being................28-29 • Real Estate................................30-31 • Business Directory.......................32-33 • Classifieds..........................................33 • What’s On.................................30-35 • Bollywood & Entertainment...36-37 • Sport..........................................38-39

Published Monthly OWNERS / PUBLISHERS: Umesh & Usha Chandra ADVERTISING: Trudi Tarres EDITOR: Trudi Tarres JOURNALIST/ CORRESPONDENTS: Ram Jattan (UK) Thakur Ranjit Singh (NZ) Thilliar Varnakulasingham (NZ) Shalendra Prasad (Fiji) Dhaval Vyas (India) Rama Gaind (Canberra) Sudesh Aggarwal (ATO News) ML. M. Nawaaz Ashrafi Imam Muhammad Aslam Sundar Gopal Das Yadavendra Das Pastor Joseph Dass Haji Abdul Rahman Deen Janeth Deen Jitendra Deo Atul Dighe (Spiritual Science Research Foundation) Mehraban Farahmand (Baha’i International)

2 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

From the Publisher

WELCOME to the first issue of 2014, it is usually a slow start as people get back into swing of things. I really hope you all had a good and much needed break. Well how is the New Year’s resolution going?, it is so easy to make one but ever so hard to stick to one.

In today’s world we have a lot of freedom, and there is no one to monitor your goals, as it is considered rude and intrusive to correct someone. We have the freedom to make our own choices, and there are far too many distractions that lure us back into our comfort zones and before we know it we have gone back to where we were. People do not plan to fail but fail to plan; the good old saying is still very relevant, but then even the best laid plans can fail with lack of direction and focus, many things sound good on paper but are hard to put to practice, that is why goals should be realistic, set realistic and achievable goals, achieve them, celebrate your success and then set higher goals always moving forward. If you are not moving forward you are failing and no one likes failures, so in a sales environment one would ask, how much have I improved my sales by? We are all part of some organisation, be it a workplace, be it a community organisation, be it a sporting organisation we are all part of some organisation, the big question is in any team environment am I doing the best I can? Am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution? In any situation ask yourself, how I am adding to the betterment of this team.

How have I added value, could I have done

Indian Times Brisbane

A D ivi sio n of Qld Multi cultural Time s

Kiran Goel (Immigration Matters) Jatinder Kaur Vinaya Natarajan (Inspire - Prem Rawat) Peter Lane Rai Parth Raval Shobhana Shet (Spiritual Science Research Foundation) Gurjeet Singh Matt Young (Sport) Suite 5, 2281 Sandgate Road Boondall Qld 4034 TELEPHONE: (07) 3356 0102 FACSIMILE:(07) 3352 7693 E-MAIL: prod@indiantimes.com.au Subscriptions: 12 months $40.00 (incl GST) 6 months $24.00 (incl GST)

ADDRESS:

www.indiantimes.com.au

better, are my actions supportive or disruptive, are my actions ethical.

Let me now move away from this topic and focus a little bit on January, the month of festivals, many festivals mark January, like Makar Shakranti, MakarJyoti AAyappa Pooja, Thai Pongal, Lohri etc, all of these are celebrated here in Brisbane and every year we witness these festivals being celebrated with great enthusiasm. I try and make it to as many as physically possible.

January also Marks Australia Day and India’s Republic Day, 26th January also happens to be the anniversary day of Hindu Society of Queensland. Hindu Society of Queensland is celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year; it is hard to believe that 23 years have passed since we inaugurated Hindu Society of Queensland.

I could not make it to PBD this year first time in six years, I had an heart specialist appointment which took precedent over PBD this year, plus I have attended three PBDs in Delhi itself. I will try and make it there again next when it goes to one of the regional cities.

I was pleased to hear that Ramakrishna Mission from Fiji was bestowed the converted Pravasi Samman together with others, see the list in the PBD article. I will pen off now with sincere wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year for all, until next month....Happy Reading.

Umesh Chandra Brisbane Indian Times is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Brisbane Indian Times, may be reproduced in part or who without the written consent of the manager. Opinions carried in Brisbane Indian Times are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Brisbane Indian Times. Brisbane Indian Times will not be held liable for any advertising / editorial content - Advertisers supply/approve content therefore should any content be deemed inappropriate it is the advertisers responsibility. While every effort has been made to capture the true likeness to colour printing is an art and therefore we cannot guarantee an exact matching of product to image. Refund / Credit is not given as a result of the previous mentioned.

All correspondence should be addressed to: Brisbane Indian Times, PO Box 197, Taigum Qld 4018.

PH: (07) 3356 0102 Fax: 3352 7693 admin@indiantimes.com.au

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

/C@ AJGGJR

DIB )<I?J

N M@NO<PM<

ION <M@ #< G<G @MOD @

?

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 3

Migration Updates....

Changes to family stream visa processing for applicants sponsored by illegal maritime arrivals FAMILY stream visa applications sponsored by permanent visa holders who arrived in Australia as illegal maritime arrivals (IMAs) will now be given the lowest processing priority. This means their applications will not be processed for several years.

On 19 December 2013 the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection issued new processing priorities within the Family stream of the migration programme.

How the new processing priority works Lowest processing priority will be given to Family stream visa applications sponsored by a person who arrived in Australia as an IMA and now holds a permanent visa. This means these applications will only be processed after all other Family Stream applications have been processed.

Lowest processing priority does not apply to applicants who are sponsored by Australian citizens. Processing of these applications will continue as normal.

There is no exception for affected family members facing compelling or compassionate circumstances.

If you are affected by the change If your sponsor for a family stream visa is an IMA who holds a permanent visa, such as a Protection visa (subclass 866), you should carefully consider whether you want to continue with your application. You need to be aware that your application will be given lowest processing priority and will not be processed further for several years.

If you decide to lodge but then change your mind, there will be no refund of the Visa Application Charge. This is the case even if

you have already completed DNA tests, and health and security checks.

The lowest processing priority does not apply if your sponsor is an Australian citizen.

If your sponsor has now become an Australian citizen, please advise the department using Form 1022 Notification of changes in circumstances Permanent protection visa holders who arrived in Australia as an IMA before 13 August 2012 If you are a permanent protection visa holder who arrived in Australia as an IMA before 13 August 2012, you may still propose family members under the humanitarian programme. However, these applications are given the lowest processing priority and are unlikely to be successful.

How the Minister is able to change visa processing priorities Under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection is able to give a direction to officers of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to determine in what order they should consider visa applications under the migration programme.

This article is intended to provide general information on migration issues and does not constitute migration advice, and no responsibility is accepted by Ajit K Shahi or Naam Migration Australia for the accuracy of material appearing in Brisbane Indian Times.

Ajit K Shahi MARN: 1174452

Tel: 3846 7774

RPL available for the following CoursesÍś free initial assessment also Enrol & Study now in courses: Automotive MechanicalÍśCert 4 Automotive Diesel Mechanic Automotive Electrical Mechanic Automotive Management Welding and Fabrication Information TTeechnology Business Courses

Diesel Mechanics

Engineers

Automotive Mechanics

Info Tech

44 Hope Street, South Brisbane Website: www.intech.edu.au

Wee website www.intech.edu.au for CR RICO ICOS Codes 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

www.indiantimes.com.au

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 5

Minister Vayalar Ravi: PBD aims to strengthen diaspora’s engagement with India’s growth story MINISTER for Overseas Indian Affairs, Sh. Vayalar Ravi has said India is immensely proud of the achievements of Indian Diaspora which has made a great contribution in shaping the image of India to the world at large. Addressing the concluding session of PBD 2014 and the conferment ceremony of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards the Minister said, the PBD is also a celebration of the home-coming of the global Indians. The Minister emphasized that the bond between India and her Overseas Indians who live around the world should be strengthened.

Appreciating the progress made by Indian Diaspora, Sh. Ravi said that it has grown to be recognized as one of the important Diasporas of the world.

Minister exhorted the overseas Indian communities to be engaged in India’s great adventure of building • The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Shri Vayalar Ravi and Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Shri Prem and inclusive India free from hunger Narain, with the awardees of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, at the Valedictory Session of the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ‘Engaging Diaspora: Connecting and exploitation. He asked the over- Across Generation’, in New Delhi on 09 January 2014. seas Indians to reach out in new India ally beneficial activities. The convention is the States’ with State Chief Ministers is not just financially but intellectually, have been introduced. Many more schemes such as the e-migrate project are on the also a useful networking forum for overseas slated for tomorrow. This will give an socially and culturally.

Indians residing in different parts of the opportunity for pravasis to engage with the The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention anvil, the Minister added.

“I am very happy to welcome you to the world and enables them to share their expe- State Governments for partnering in the will strengthen Diaspora’s engagement with India’s growth story. The Diaspora is 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) at riences. We use the event to honour prava- growth of their ancestral States. sis of exceptional merit with the Pravasi The 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New keen to be partners in our growing econo- New Delhi. This great Diaspora engagemy. The Government is aware of these sen- ment is organised annually on January 9th Bharatiya Samman Award. The event also Delhi is unique from the point of view that timents. Hence, it has been the constant to celebrate the return of our greatest provides a forum for discussing key issues a Youth PBD was celebrated for the first endeavour of the government to sort-out Pravasi, Mahatma Gandhi on this day in concerning the Indian Diaspora. Over the time. Indeed this year the theme of the years, various schemes and projects like Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is “Engaging the various Diaspora related issues and intro- 1915 from South Africa. This occasion also duce new schemes to ensure their active marks the remembrance of our freedom OCI card scheme and inclusion of the Diaspora-Connecting across Generations participation in our growth story. This was struggle and the contribution of Overseas names of Non- Resident Indians in the vot- and this itself emphasises on youth connecstated by Sh. Vayalar Ravi, Minster for Indian community to the development of ers list have been introduced successfully, tion. The youth population in India is one of thanks to discussions held in this forum. the largest in the world, and it is contributOverseas Indian Affairs while addressing India.

PBD conventions are being held every The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is one of the ing immensely to the growth of our great inaugural session of PBD on 9 January, 2014. He said that several initiatives year since 2003. They have provided a plat- largest and important Diaspora engagement country. The younger generation of the meets, anywhere in the world. It is my sin- Diaspora also constitutes a large group and including the Overseas Citizen of India form to India’s large overseas community Scheme, voting rights for NRIs and the to engage with the Government of India cere hope that this edition will also prove as is beginning to play important roles in their countries. It is essential that these new genscholarship program for Diaspora youth and people of their ancestral land for mutu- useful as those in the past.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention erations of Indians and pravasis bond is also organised to strengthen Diaspora’s together in the same way their parents and engagement with India’s growth story. We forefathers did. Many sessions were held realise that economics and business are the yesterday focussed on youth. The interacflavours of the modern world. While, the tions certainly helped young people from Diaspora looks back to India out of senti- India and the diaspora to have thoughtful ment as the land of their forefathers, they insights into the economic, cultural and equally see the opportunities in India and development horizons of their mother counare keen to be partners in our growing try. Hence, this edition of PBD will find a economy. Our first Plenary session itself unique place in the history of PBDs in touches on important aspects of this issue. India.

A session on ‘Investment Opportunities in

Ramakrishna Mission, Fiji, conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award amakrishna Mission, Fiji, was conR ferred the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by the

prepared this summer BeBe prepared this summer Be prepared this summer BCC6583-BIT-HW-BG BCC4237-Q-BRIO

tips on reducing heat-related stress this summer Visit For www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/chi visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/beprepared or call Council on (07) 3403 8888. If you Brisbane call City131 Council on (07) needorancall interpreter, 450 and ask 3403 8888.

If youwith need an interpreter, call 13 14 50 and ask to speak Brisbane City Council. to speak with Brisbane City Council.

6 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

Hon’ble President of India on 9th January 2014.

The Awards were presented during the Valedictory Session of the 12th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the annual convention of non-resident Indians (NRIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs), held in New Delhi from 7 to 9 January 2014.

The theme of the PBD was “Engaging Diaspora : Connecting Across Generation”.

Ramkrishna Mission, serving in Fiji since 1937, was honoured for community service and philanthropic activities and enhancing India's prestige abroad. The Award was received by Swami Tadananda, Secretary of the Mission.

Apart from charitable and humanitarian activities in Fiji, the Ramakrishna Mission is playing an active role in the area of education in Fiji. The Mission runs Schools and Colleges in Fiji. During floods and natural calamities in Fiji, the Ramakrishna Mission has actively participated in relief and rehabilitation efforts. The work of the Ramakrishna Mission has contributed to promoting human values and harmony, peace and non-violence.

The others presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are: 1. Ms Lisa Maria Singh, Australia, for public service and fostering friendly relations between India and Australia.

2. Mr. Kurian Varghese, Bahrain, for busiwww.indiantimes.com.au

ness, enhancing India’s image and for promotion of better understanding of India abroad.

3. Mr Vasdev Chanchlani, Canada, for community service and fostering ties between India and Canada and efforts in promotion of Indian culture and heritage.

4. Mr. Bikas Chandra Sanyal, France, for education and culture and enhancing India’s image.

5. Mr. Satnarainsing Rabin Baldewsingh, Netherlands, for public service and developing closer ties between India and South Africa.

6. Mr Sasindran Muthuvel, Papua New Guinea, in the field of public service.

7. Mr. Shihabudeen Vava Kunju, Saudi Arabia, for community service and promoting ties between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

8. Ms. Ela Gandhi, South Africa, for public service, enhancing India’s image and promoting ties between India and South Africa.

9. Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil Parambath, United Arab Emirates, for health business and in promoting better understanding of India and the United Arab Emirates.

10. Mr. Shailesh Lakhman Vara, United Kingdom, Public service and in promoting ties between India and the people of U.K. 11. Dr. Parthasarathy Chiramel Pillai, USA, Science and for fostering closer relations between India and USA. 12. Ms. Renu Khator, USA, education and enhancing India’s prestige abroad.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

1300 0 ENROL (07) 3208 3182

enrol@skills.qld.edu.au

Skills Institute Australia

COOKERY

BUSINESS

CONSTRUCTION

RPL

Special introductory offer

BSB40507 Certificate IV in Business Administration (076906G) - 26 Weeks

BSB60707 Advanced Diploma of Project Management (077640J) - 25 Weeks

BSB50207 Diploma of Business (076907F) - 26 Weeks

SIT30812 Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (081552G) - 50 Weeks

BSB51207 Diploma of Marketing (077635F) - 26 Weeks

SIT40412 Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery (081553G) - 70 Weeks

BSB51407 Diploma of Project Management (077636E) - 22 Weeks

SIT40712 Certificate IV in Patisserie (081554F) - 75 Weeks

BSB60207 Advanced Diploma of Business (077637D) - 28 Weeks

SIT50312 Diploma in Hospitality (081555E) - 62 Weeks

BSB60507 Advanced Diploma of Marketing (077639B) - 26 Weeks

CPC40110 Certificate IV in Building & Construction (Building)

Skilled S killed S Services ervices A Australia ustralia Pty Pty Ltd Ltd T/A T/A S Skills kills IInstitute nstitute A Australia ustralia

ABN ABN : 34 34 150 150 413 413 219 219 Registration Registration No No : 32473 32473 CRICOS CRICOS No No : 03328G 03328G 1 1/10 /10 JJudds udds C Ct, t, S Slacks lacks C Creek,Qld, reek,Qld, A Australia ustralia - 4 4127 127 Tel:1300 078 839, 839, 07 07 3208 3208 3182 3182 Fax: Fax: 07 07 3319 3319 6822 6822 Tel:1300 078 E E-mail: -mail: ssia@skills.qld.edu.au ia@skills.qld.edu.au W Website: ebsite: w www.skills.qld.edu.au ww.skills.qld.edu.au Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

NATIONALLY RECOGNISED TRAINING

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 7

Ayyappa Pooja in Brisbane

SRI Ayyappa Devotion Qld organised their annual Ayyappa Pooja at Runcorn Height State School on Saturday 11th January. C.K. Unnikrishnan Nair took the lead role and was assisted by many members. The poojas was conducted at a specially prepared stage, devotees taking part or “sitting” in the actual pooja had to have Satvic foods and be pawitir. Following the pooja, melodious bhajans were sung by Sri Ayyappan Bhajan Group. The pooja concluded with Prasadum and food.

Makara (Sanskrit: मकर) is the name of a zodiac sign in Indian languages known as Capricorn in English. “Jyoti” means “light” in Sanskrit. Thus “Makara Jyoti” (also spelt as Jyothi) means “Light of Capricorn”.

The Sun appears to move from one zodiac constellation to another every month and the day on which Sun changes the constellation is called Sankrānti is the Sun’s transit into Capricorn (Makara) constellation that usually occurs on 14 January every year and is a very important Hindu festival celebrated all over India in various forms.

Uttarāyaṇa, the six-month period when the

sun travels towards the north on the celestial sphere starts on Makara Sankranti and ends on Karka Sankranti (around July 14).

One of the places where a large number of devout Hindus reach on 14 January for worship is Sabarimala located in thick rain forests of Kerala.

Makara Jyothi is a star which is worshiped by pilgrims in huge numbers at Sabarimala Temple in Kerala on Makara Sankranti on 14 January every year. However many devout Hindus claim that Makara Jyothi is the celestial lighting which takes place on Makara Sankranthi day and they believe that Lord Ayyappan asserts himself as Makara Jyothi to bless his devotees.

Note: Makara Jyoti is not to be mistaken to Makara Vilakku. Makaravilakku is a light or flame that appears thrice on the Ponnambalamedu.

Lord Sri Rama and his brother Lakshmana met Sabari, an ardent devotee, at Sabarimala. Sabari offered the Lord fruits after tasting them. But the Lord accepted them gladly and whole-heartedly. The Lord then turned and saw a divine person doing tapas. He asked Sabari who it was. Sabari

said it was Sasta. Rama walked towards Sasta and the latter stood up to welcome the Prince of Ayodhya. The anniversary of this incident is celebrated on Makara Vilakku day. It is believed that on Makara Vilakku day, Lord Dharmasasta stops his tapas to bless his devotees.

This event marks the culmination of the long and arduous pilgrimage to Sabarimala

shrine. The light disappears in the evening after the Thiruvaabharanam (divine ornaments) are brought into the sanctum sanctorum and are placed on the Lord.

The most significant rituals of worship are performed at the day of Makarajyoti (14 January every year). It draws the second largest number of pilgrims to a place of worship in India.

The 2014 Australia Day Festival program has been announced start planning your day now!

BRING your family, bring your friends and celebrate what’s great at the Australia Day Festival!

The South Bank Parklands will come alive with music, interactive art installations, family entertainment, Young Designer Market, and a spectacular fireworks display. You can also watch the traditional flag raising ceremony, which concludes with the thunderous RAAF flypast and twentyone gun salutes at noon.

You will also have the opportunity to give thanks on Australia Day by taking part in a unique community street art project. Local street artists will be crafting a ‘human collage’ mural wall featuring photos from people within the community alongside their messages of thanks. There will

be a photo booth and roving cameras on site, so you will have the chance to add your own picture and message to these unique pieces of art.

The Parklands, South Bank, Brisbane, will come alive with music, interactive art installations, family entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display.

With green spaces, shady trees and a panoramic view of the iconic Brisbane River and CBD, the Parklands is the ideal location to join in the Australia Day festivities.

Bring your picnic rug, cool off at Streets Beach and enjoy celebrating Australia Day 2014 with family and friends.

Don’t miss the traditional Flag Raising Ceremony at 11.15am on the Cultural Forecourt where the Australian

Defence Force will raise the Australian, Queensland, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

Australia Day activities in Queensland are proudly supported by the Queensland Government in partnership with the Australian Government through the National Australia Day Council, as well as our 2014 sponsors.

To view the full program visit www.qld.australiaday.org.au/

Australia Day Festival

Sunday 26 January 2014 - 10.00 am - 7.30 pm The Parklands, South Bank, Brisbane

G Green reen w waste aste b bins ins m make ake rrecycling ecycling e easier asier Order a green waste rec ycling bin for your home today.

Your new bin will be collec ted for tnightly from your home for just $17.94 a quar ter with a one-of f establishment fee of $30.

Green waste recycling bins are the easy and af fordable way to keep your garden tidy.

Rec ycling your lawn clippings, prunings and leaves is good for the environment and ensures that your garden waste is reused as compost and mulch, helping to create a more sustainable, green and clean cit y.

To order a new green waste rec ycling bin visit w w w.brisbane.qld.gov.au/waste or call Council on (07) 3403 8888.

AUSTRALIA DAY C E L E B R AT E Y O U R WAY Australia Day means something different to everyone, and it’s important you do what’s right for you. So on January 26, reflect on what you love about being Australian. australiaday.org.au #australiaday

8 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

www.indiantimes.com.au

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 9

Lohri celebrated at Hindu Mandir Association AFTER contemplating on it for many years, Lohri was finally celebrated at Hindu Mandir Association. Rakesh Sharma had been asking for this celebration for a long time. The problem has been the fire restriction and also the reverse weather conditions to that of India. Lohri is a winter festival and is traditional held on the coldest night, but here in this part of the world down under we have the reverse weather conditions, so the dressing up etc and the whole atmosphere is different. I guess it is like White Christmas and Christmas in Oz, we will have to adapt Lohri to Aussie conditions.

Lohri is a popular festival, celebrated by Punjabi people of the Indian subcontinent, particularly of Hindu and Sikh faith.

According to folk lore, in ancient times Lohri was celebrated on winter solstice day.

It is for this reason that people believe the Lohri night is meant to be the longest night of the year and on the day after Lohri, day light is meant to increase. The day after Lohri is celebrated as Makar Sankranti when the days are meant to start getting longer.

Punjabis, irrespective of their religion, continue to practice their Punjabi Folk Religion. Respect to the seasons and the natural elements of fire, wind, water and the earth is very important. Lohri is a festival dedicated to the end of the winter season whereas Teej (known as Teeyan in Punjabi) is dedicated to the rain/Monsoon season and Basant is dedicated to the spring season.

Lohri is traditionally associated with the harvest of the rabi crops. People take peanuts, rewri, flour, butter and various food items to places of religious worship to thank God for a good harvest.’

Punjabi farmers see the day after Lohri as the financial New Year. It is a very important day.

Over time, people have associated Lohri to the tale of Dulla Bhatti. The central theme

of many Lohri songs is the legend of Dulla Bhatti, who lived in Punjab during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. He was regarded as a hero in Punjab. Besides robbing the rich, he rescued poor Punjabi girls, being forcibly taken to be sold in slave market of the Middle East from the Sandal Bar region. He arranged their marriages to boys of their religion with rituals and provided them with dowries. So every other Lohri song has words to express gratitude to Dulla Bhatti.

Dulla Bhatti was a rebel whose lineage was of Bhatti Rajputs. His ancestors were the rulers of Pindi Bhattian in Sandal Bar area of present day Pakistan. He was a hero of all Punjabis and his var (life story) is available on the internet.

Some people believe that Lohri has derived its name from Loi, the wife of Saint Kabir.

There is a legend amongst some people

that Lohri comes from the word ‘loh’, which means the light and the warmness of fire.

Eating of till (sesame seeds) and rorhi is considered to be essential on Lohri day.

Perhaps the words til and rorhi merged to become tilorhi, which eventually got shortened to Lohri.

During the day, children go from door to door singing folk songs. These children are given sweets and savories, and occasionally, money. Turning them back empty-handed is regarded inauspicious.

The collections gathered by the children are known as Lohri and consist of til,

gachchak, crystal sugar, gur (jaggery), moongphali (peanuts) and phuliya or popcorn. Lohri is then distributed at night during the festival. Till, peanuts, popcorn and other food items are also thrown into the fire.

The bonfire is lit at sunset in the main village square. People toss sesame seeds, gur, sugar-candy and rewaries on the bonfire, sit around it, sing and dance till the fire dies out. Some people perform a prayer and go around the fire. This is to show respect to the natural element of fire. It is traditional to offer guests til, gachchak, gur, moongphali (peanuts) and phuliya or popcorn.

Milk and water is also poured around the bonfire by Hindus. This ritual is performed for thanking the Sun God and seeking his continued protection.

Among Sindhi’s the festival is popularly known as Lal loee. On the day of Lal Loee children bring wood sticks from their grandparents and aunties and light a fire burning the sticks in the night with people enjoying, dancing and playing around the fire.

In houses that have recently had a marriage or childbirth, Lohri celebrations will reach a higher pitch of excitement. Punjabis usually have private Lohri celebrations, in their houses. Lohri rituals are performed, with the accompaniment of special Lohri songs.

Singing and dancing form an intrinsic part of the celebrations. People wear their brightest clothes and come to dance the bhangra and gidda to the beat of the dhol.

Punjabi songs are sung, and everybody rejoices. Sarson da saag and makki di roti is usually served as the main course at a Lohri dinner. Lohri is a great occasion that holds great importance for farmers.

FICQ: India – Australia day celebrations in Brisbane – 26 January 2014!

Courtesy Navin Kumar Secretary FICQ 26th January - India. One of the most important days for India and Indians as it’s this day the constitution of India came into force in the year 1950 and every year we celebrate this as Republic day, one of our national days.

26th January – Australia - Australia Day is the official national day of Australia.

Celebrated annually on 26 January, which marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, and thereby the Flag of Great Britain was hoisted at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip.

In contemporary Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community.

FICQ (Federation of Indian Community in Queensland) Celebrates 26th January as India - Australia Day in Brisbane to commemorate both Republic Day of India and

National Day of Australia and hence promote multiculturalism and bonding.

FICQ started celebrating India – Australia Day from the year 2013. Celebration in 2013 was held at iSEECOLLEGE Auditorium, Seventeen Mile Rocks, Qld 4073 on 26/01/2013 which was a feast with a lovely blend of cultural program and amazing food and savory. Delegates, guests and people participating from multicultural background gave the function a special significance and vigor. Such a celebration that was thought, planned and executed by FICQ was a grand success.

Continuing the tradition, sprit and passion FICQ brings to you India – Australia day for the year 2014. This first event of the year 2014 will be held on 26th January 2014 at 6 PM at Mac Gregor State School, 370 McCullogh St. Mac Gregor QLD. The event, like always is going to be a complete package of entertainment and food. This year, to add to the glory, there will be special performance from the famous “Shiamak Davar Dance Group“with the artists all the way from Melbourne and Sydney coming to entertain the crowd. Like all the previous FICQ functions, this one too, is going to be a memorable event to look forward to.

Another Umbrella body formed by Filipino Communities in Queensland

“Caveat emptor: All advertisements included in our publication are in accordance to the disclaimer statement on page 2.”

10 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

THE new umbrella body of the Filipino community in Queensland, the Federation of Filipino Communities in Queensland (FEDFILQ) was launched by Surendra Prasad OAM, Board member of the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland and Past President of the Federation of Indian Communities in Queensland and the President of the Fijian Senior’s Association of Queensland at a function on 14 December.

The launch was combined with the Typhoon Haiyan Appeal at the home of the

www.indiantimes.com.au

Vice President of FEDFILQ, Teresa Keating at Bardon.

President Maria Coop said that the new umbrella body was established to include the student groups and the newly arrived Filipinos in the State. The Filipinos are the Number 5 migrant group in Queensland after the United Kingdom, New Zeeland, South Africa and India.

The 30,000 Filipinos have to speak as one voice through the umbrella body.

The aims will includes sharing and transmission of cultures.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Student visas and admissions

(LLM/ Juris Doctorr, MBA), Principal

SATELLITE E DISTR DIST TR RIB IBUTO ORS

SALE!! SALE!!

Self Ins nsttallation Kit For Dish Dish TV Channels

EX XTRA $80 UPG PG GRADE TO ME MEPG4 SATE ELL LITE RECE EIV VER

Provide fix dish i , motorize dish, KU diish sh and TV antenna installlation service for all Indian free satelllite TV channells.

Wholesale and rettail Ku diissh, C C--band mesh dish, TV antenna, satellitee decoder er, digital TV box.

Address: 2 / 1 Stockwell Place Archerfield QLD 4108 Tel: 07-32555211 Fax:07-32555126 Mobile:0433275763 Email: sales@joysat.com.au Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm Web: www.joysat.com.au Sat:9:00am-1: 1:00pm

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 11

Jewel of India Award for Griffith researcher A GRIFFITH University researcher will receive the prestigious Hind Rattan Award in his native India later this month.

The NRI Welfare Society of India has selected Dr Rakesh Gupta (pictured left) to be among the 30 recipients of the Jewel of India Award for 2014, acknowledging his outstanding services and achievements in keeping the Indian flag high since he moved to Australia in 2000.

Dr Gupta will be presented with the Hind Rattan Award in New Delhi on the eve of Republic Day on January 25.

Dr Gupta is a senior lecturer at Griffith Business School where he teaches in finance and financial planning, and a leading researcher at the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics.

“I am very thankful to Griffith University for the support and the excellent resources available here,” he said.

“This has allowed me to continue my research as a scholar and gain recognition not only in Australia but in India as well.

This recognition in India is significant for me, being from Indian heritage, and helps

in maintaining my emotional and cultural ties with India.”

The Hind Rattan is presented annually to people of Indian origin who have been successful since emigrating overseas.

Dr Gupta completed a Master of Commerce in accounting and finance and subsequently a doctorate in emerging markets investments since moving to Australia 13 years ago. He had previously completed an MBA in finance and a degree in science.

He has extensive experience working in the finance and financial planning industry in different roles in India and Australia.

His research is regularly cited in academic journals and professional publications including class action litigation against Satyam Computer Services Ltd during 2008. One of his recent papers in the area of managed funds research has been awarded highly commended paper for the year

2012.

His research in the area of emerging markets is also well regarded. He has presented his findings at world-renowned conferences and been invited for presenting seminars frequently.

The NRI Welfare Society of India is a nonprofit association that aims to strengthen emotional bonds between non-resident Indians and their homeland.

The Hind Rattan Award encourages nonresident recipients to stay engaged with India and contribute to its progress and development, helping to build a strong and competitive economy.

The NRI Welfare Society of India provides a platform for NRIs all over the world to stay actively connected. The Society is registered with the Government of India, which set up a new ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.

Message from Our Dharam Guru Param Pujniya Pandit Tripathi Ji Sent by: Narend Sharma, Priest Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir Contact Mobile: 0413 920 590 ALL human beings and living beings are welcome in the New Year 2014. Everyone wants to be happy and prosperous.

Question is very important, but how one can get happiness “when, how and where?” The whole world is in this race.

The frustration is caused by the failure to gain worldly pleasure that shatters a character. It leads to inaction and unhappiness.

A frustrated person is a dead man living.

But when this frustration makes one search his soul for consolidation it can cause spiritual renaissance. Human being frustration is born out of their own confusion about their duty which results in the realisation of the spiritual knowledge of human being’s religion. Religion means discipline. This knowledge gives us prime truth of life. The acceptance of this truth is a real human being religion. Human can explore their inner selves to reach the spiritual heights, where everyone can get peace and prosperity of life. It is not meant for a particular religion or group but for the benefit of entire mankind.

God is love and can be won only through the realisation and exercise of love. He

27th Know India Programme: Participation from Fiji

cannot be trapped by any trick.

Happy New Year to you all God Bless you all, be happy and prosperous.

SARVE BHAWANT SUKHINAM, OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTIHI!!!!

Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir 86 Scotts Lane, North Maclean Qld 4280 Phone: 5548 6814 Mobile: 0431 026 742 / 0481 238 360 www.shreevishnumayamandir.com.au

12 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

SUVA, 31 December, 2013: A group of 19 diaspora youth from Fiji are travelling to New Delhi to participate in the 27th Know India Programme to be held from 3rd to 23rd January 2014.

The Know India Programme, organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India, is a three-week orientation programme for diaspora youth. The main objective of the programme is to promote awareness on different facets of life in India and the progress made by the country in various fields e.g. economic, industrial, education, Science & Technology, Communication & Information Technology, culture.

KIP provides a unique forum for students & young professionals of Indian origin to visit India, share their views, expectations & experiences and to develop closer bonds with the contemporary India. 4-5 such programmes are conducted every year in part-

www.indiantimes.com.au

nership with one or two State Governments.

The participants are provided with full hospitality by the Government of India during their stay in India. The Know India and Study India programmes of the Government of India have been very popular in Fiji.

Youth from Fiji have participated in almost all the programmes conducted so far and the group of 19 youth participating in the 27th Programme is the largest group from Fiji and perhaps from any country so far.

The activities of the participants will involve visit to historical, cultural, industrial, academic and tourist places along with meetings with political leaders and other eminent personalities. Himachal Pradesh is the partner State for the 27th Know India Programme.

In Delhi the participants will be spending about 10 days when they will be calling on high level dignitaries of the Government of India.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 13

GCHCA embarks on an exciting phase!

By S. Barataraj Director/ Religious Affairs, GCHCA

The Gold Coast Hindu Education & Cultural Precinct

THE Gold Coast Hindu Cultural Association (GCHCA) is now embarking on the next phase. With the help of many community volunteers, GCHCA is nearing the completion of the Development Application (DA) to the Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) of the cultural masterpiece. This iconic design is being developed with the help and support of large number of volunteers including Architect (Mr. Yoga), Quantity Surveyor (Mr. N. Navaruban), Structural Engineer (Mr. K. Thangavel), Traffic Engineer (Mrs. Kumutha Mutalithas), etc.

GCHCA Youth wing member, Mohanapiriyan is excited about the project and says, “Located near Harbour Town in Gold Coast, our vision of the precinct is that as you make the turn onto Allied drive from Olsen Avenue, the magnificent master piece of Gold Coast Hindu Cultural Precinct can be seen, towering above the gum tree tops, standing with elegance, and pride, the spirit of the Gold Coast Hindu’s. The Cultural Centre lies under the gum trees, a beautiful auditorium, a top class chef’s kitchen are housed in this small complex. However it is neither the size of the Place of worship nor the creativity of the architectural designs that distinguishes this precinct from any other. It is the spirit that the great founders of this centre, the passion in the community’s motives that will never be forgotten.”

“With the help of its many supporters including the youth wing, the Gold Coast Hindu Cultural Association has been able to reach incredible milestones. The dream of fostering the virtues of culture, religion and education has become one step closer with the architectural design currently being finalised. The precinct incorporates the needs of the 21st century into its design and hopes to create monumental buildings that will soon become a tourist attraction in the Gold Coast.”

These are the thoughts of another Hindu youth, Thuvarakan. He further says: “The recently released design is creating buzz within our adults and youths. The ‘multipurpose hall’ will serve as the place of worship, education,

14 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

hall for meditation and recitals. The ‘cultural and education centre’ will serve to act as an auditorium for cultural performances, community activities and small classrooms for our educational purposes. These main buildings will fuse together to provide the youth, adults and seniors with the traditional values of our heritage. The precinct hopes to incorporate modern and conventional architecture to enhance the atmosphere and sensations.”

The GCHCA is hoping to continue its astounding progress through the prosperous year of 2014. For this to be true they need your support. Not only can you join as a Life Member and make tax-deductible donations and support the Association financially but also provide them with your kind feedback on the design and share the experience with the Development Application. GCHCA thanks those that have already helped them immensely throughout the year of 2013 and look forward to your continued support.

Further details can be found in our web site or by contacting at gchcan@gmail.com. Make your donations through credit card or bank transfer to the GCHCA Building

www.indiantimes.com.au

Donation Account: BSB: 064474 Account: 1048 8900.

Hindu community celebrates “Pongal/ Maha Sankranti” this month.

Thuvarakan says, “as the sun rises across the ocean and breaks free above the mountains, Hindu worshippers bow their heads in respect. The smoke created by the Pongal rises above the heads of the worshippers, signalling a new day, a day where we pay respect to the almighty god, the god that brings light and happiness to this planet; the Sun God or Sooriyan.”

On the morning of January 14th temples would be full of Hindu worshippers who have taken a break from their busy lives to pay respect to the Sun God. Makar Sankranti or Thai Pongal is one of the most auspicious days for the Hindus, and is celebrated in myriad of cultural forms, with great devotion, fervour & gaiety. We wish all the Hindu residents residing in the South East Queensland a happy Pongal.

GCHCA warmly invites one and all to our special Pongal/ Maha Sankranti centric bhajan on Friday, 17th of January at the Helensvale Community Centre (31, Discovery Drive, Helensvale). Please gather at 7pm for a 7.15pm start.

• GCHCA Bhajan night.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Sikh Youth Australia “Cultural Care” Project launched Courtesy MP Singh SIKH Youth Australia is proud to announce its new initiative program called “Culture Care” was launched on 10th January at 3.30pm, at the Sydney Academy of Sports, Narrabeen by the Hon Victor Dominello MP, the NSW Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs.

Culture Care is the first program of its kind in Australia and we are very proud about the efforts of our Sikh youths in developing this program.

What is Culture Care?

Culture Care is a new initiative developed by our senior youth Dr. Daman S Bhatia, Kunwar S Bhatia and Parneet S Bhatia at the 2012 SYA National Leadership Program.

Under the guidance of our international facilitators Sardar Ash Singh from Singapore, Culture Care is an innovative project aimed at educating our Punjabi community on cultural-specific health issues and proactively provides diabetes and cardiovascular management to them.

The project was motivated by the observation that the elderly and new migrants to Australia within our community were not accessing appropriate healthcare due to language barrier.

The Culture Care initiative is delivered in 3 distinct phases: Stage 1: We have developed a bi-lingual smartphone application which uses a series of questions to determine if one is prone to diabetes or other health issues. The application also links to a database of Punjabi speaking doctors to assist the user accessing appropriate health care within their local area by a press of a button and make an appointment with the doctor of your choice instantaneously.

Stage 2: Involves organising a series of “pop up” clinics by medical students and medical practitioners at temples, major ethnic festivals and events to run simple diabetes, blood sugar and other health checks.

Stage 3: Involves developing material for distribution within our community related to dietary and physical wellbeing provided in a culturally sensitive manner and raise awareness of lifestyle factors contributing to health issues within our community.

Through this integrated process Sikh Youth Australia hopes that the our senior members of our Punjabi community will have improved health care and are able to lead healthy lives in Australia.

This project has been recognised as having significantly impact on all ethnic communities worldwide!

Brisbane Indian Times February 2014 Booking Deadline 27 January 2014 Email: admin@indiantimes.com.au or call 07 3356 0102

Hindu Society of Queensland advise Deepawali celebration date 2014 The Hindu Society of Queensland advises that we will be celebrating Deepawali on 11th October 2014 (Saturday) at Cannon Hill Anglican College - Corner of Junction Street & Krupp Rds, Cannon Hill ( or alternative venue.)

I kindly and sincerely make a plea and request to all Hindu organisations planning a celebration for Deepawali, please kindly avoid conflicting with our set date.

Please note that Navraatri Celebrations will be from Thursday 25th September 2014 to Thursday 2nd October 2014 and hence we are very much locked with 11th October date.

Prakash Shandil Mobile: 0408 876 414 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 15

Hindu Society of Queensland anniversary HINDU Society of Queensland will celebrate its twenty third anniversary on 26th January 2014. The rationale behind choosing this day was that it would always be a holiday and everyone would be able to attend. Now twenty three years back the community scene was bit different, as our community was finding its feet and slowly emerging, members were not as much involved in the wider as they are now.

Today members of Hindu Society have come of age and are actively engaging in various community activities, they have become part of the social fabric of multicultural Queensland. Hindu Society of Queensland operates “Gayatri Mandir “ situated at 178 Lyndhurst Road, Boondall.

The premise was originally a church and hence was zoned for religious purposes, being in a residential precinct it has challenges of managing the noise level and parking issues. The management committee, current and past have managed that quite well, despite some complaints.

Hindu Society of Queensland celebrates all

major Hindu Festivals, with Diwali as their signature event. This year they have already announced their date 11th October and have pleaded to the community at large not organise another Diwali function on that particular date.

Regular Ramayan Katha is conducted every Tuesday night at Gayatri Mandir.

Mandir is also open at other times or on a as and when required basis.

Hindu Society of Queensland has a second land in Bracken Ridge, development plans are in the process of being finalised.

Gayatri Mandir property was paid off within two years, and the Bracken Ridge property is getting close to being paid off. There is day to day running costs, with and old wooden building maintenance is an ongoing process. Lot of funds would be needed for the development of Bracken Ridge property. The society has mainly relied on community donations, previously Diwali used to be a major fund raiser. The society does get some Government funding for Diwali.

Last year Minister Glen Elmes visited the

Harsharndeep Singh Kahlon completes year on a high HOMEBUSH Boys High School student Harsharndeep Singh Kahlon finished off his senior year successfully by achieving 98% on his year 12 exam (HSC ATAR).

Harsharndeep, born in Gurdaspur, Punjab (India) was DUX of year 11 Science as well as over all academic DUX. In 2012 he received the Victor Chang cardiac research award from the University of Western Sydney.

In Year 12 he received the Special Principal award and has also received two principal medals and four gold awards.

A keen cricketer he also played 1st grade cricket and represented his High School in various tournaments including the Davidson Shield.

In Year 10 he came 1st in the State of New South Wales for Computer Software Designing.

During his study in High School, he participated as a Cadet in the Australian Air Force. From there he learnt valuable life skills and developed qualities such as leadership, self reliance, confidence, teamwork and communication.

Harsharndeep has chosen to go to University of New South Wales in Sydney and complete a double degree for five years in actuarial studies and Bachelor of Economics (advanced mathematics).

Condolences to the family of Mr Jayakrishnan Nair MAQ Qld - V.P. Unnikrishnan

WE are deeply saddened to inform you of the sudden and unfortunate demise of Mr Jayakrishnan Nair (50). He was an active community supporter.

Mr Jayakrishnan Nair passed away 26/12/2013 morning at his residence in Ferny Grove in Qld by heart attack. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

On behalf of Malayalee Association of Queensland, we extend our deepest condolences to Mr Jaya Krishnan Nair’s family.

He will be dearly missed. His loss is irreplaceable for his family and for the community.

The funeral took place on 28/12/2013 in Kerala at Mrs Shylaja Jayakrishnan’s parents residence in Ernakulam - Kerala.

16 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

From left: Vijay Kumar, Umesh Chandra, Late Pundit Salik Ram Sharma, Mrs Salik Ram Sharma, Usha Chandra with baby Varsha and Sashi Kumar at Gayatri Mandir. Pt Salik Ram Sharma was especially called from Ba Fiji for the official opening prayers.

temple Premises, the anniversary celebration will begin at 9:30am on January 26th, the program will include Hawan, Jhanda

Bandhan, Bhajans and lunch, for further information please contact President Prakash Shandil on 0408 876 414 .

Brisbane Babas Band performs at Woodford

THE Woodford Folk Festival was abuzz as thousands of patrons got their first glimpse of Woodfordia, organisers said.

Sunday 29th December the hottest day at the festival, is when Brisbane Babas Band Staged two shows. The first performance was at the Folkloria and the second one at the dancehall.

This was the third year the Band has performed at Woodford Folk Festival.

Brisbane Babas Band was the only Band to perform at the Launch of the festival. The Band performed their famous rhythmic Bhangra numbers.

The performance was greatly appreciated and the introduction on the live Dhol was highly commended by the festival organisers.

They were scouring the grounds for the best coffee, relaxing at morning yoga and checking out the new venues and installations which have been constructed by hundreds of volunteers over the last few months.

The Festival was in full swing and General Manager Amanda Jackes was thrilled with the public response.

“We’ve seen strong growth figures coming into this festival, which have not waned once since the release of our programme in October. It’s a great testament to our programme and to the way we’ve been engaging with patrons in the lead up,” she said.

Hundreds of vehicles queued at the gates on Christmas Day and Boxing Day to claim their favourite camping spots which they will call home for the next week.

www.indiantimes.com.au

With sunny weather forecast for the remainder of the week, this year the festival grew by 15% “We’ve already got thousands of patrons checked in and set up in our campgrounds.

The annual town of ‘Woodfordia’ had arrived.

If the weather stays clear, thousands of day trippers are set to attend over the week as well,” said Jackes.

Some time between midnight and dawn, the bustling, dusty whirl of song and people that is the Woodford Folk Festival quietened and it was all over for another year.

Despite the heat and occasional stormy skies, this year’s festival pulled a bigger crowd than last year.

Festival general manager Amanda Jacques said attendance was up by 5%. She expected the aggregate attendance over the six days of the festival to total about 118,000.

New Year’s Eve always draws the Woodford crowd but Ms Jacques said an unusually large first-day attendance had been a pleasant surprise for organisers.

She said Sunday’s highest temperature of the year did not appear to have had any impact on numbers.

“We might have even grown by a little bit more if that hadn’t happened,” Ms Jacques said.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES

FEBRUARY ISSUE DEADLINES ADVERT & EDITORIALS BOOKINGS

27 JANUARY 2014 “Caveat emptor: All advertisements included in our publication are in accordance to the disclaimer statement on page 2.”

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 17

Business News High wages force companies Warning to home buyers to consider offshore options as banks make obtaining

GRAHAM Macafee (“Cheap labour party”, AFR Letters, January 13) focuses on the wrong criteria in the discussion of Australia’s very high minimum wage rates.

Forget for a moment comparisons with lowwage countries and just compare with advanced nations.

At $18 per hour, Australia’s minimum wage is double Japan’s, 60 per cent higher than New Zealand, 80 per cent higher than the UK and 130 per cent higher than the US. Add Australia’s overtime and penalty rates, and the picture gets a lot worse.

Mr Macafee, when the cost of labour

becomes uncompetitive, companies don’t necessarily go broke. To survive, they move. That’s why we have just one remaining fruit cannery in Australia, and that last cannery is unlikely to stay (all the others have moved operations offshore, mostly to New Zealand). That’s why Ford has left and Holden is following.

And please don’t blame big business alone for offshoring jobs. Consumers are doing the same thing. By buying goods from overseas on the internet, consumers may be saving money but they are offshoring Australian jobs, too.

a home loan easier

A downgrade for Qantas, a lesson for Australia's economy

• With interest rates unlikely to move in the next quarter, competition is expected to increase this year. Source: Getty Images.

• 'Another Qantas irony is that it played a huge part in globalising Australia.'

JANUARY 13, 2014: Moody's Investors Service last week did Australia's 23 million people a great service by junking their national airline, Qantas Airways.

The 93-year-old Qantas commands a prominent place in the Australian psyche, in the nation's global image of itself. The name of the so-called Flying Kangaroo is an acronym for ''Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services'', and the words ''Spirit of Australia'' are painted on each of its aircraft.

So to be downgraded by Moody's to junk status - following Standard & Poor's move last month, and amid a record first-half loss and 1000 job cuts - is quite a blow. It does not help that Qantas is only the latest Aussie brand to fall.

Last month, General Motors' Holden unit, Australia's largest car maker, announced it would begin shuttering production lines after 69 years, joining Ford in exiting an economy that is struggling with high costs and a strong currency - the same headwinds that have clipped Qantas' wings.

Odd as it sounds, these corporate shocks come at a serendipitous moment. They provide a much-needed wake-up call to officials in Canberra and corporate executives alike to act decisively to raise the nation's competitiveness. Qantas is not a unique story. Like Japan Airlines, for example, the company has long been spoiled by its monopoly status and government support.

Let's face it: airlines tend to be a pretty bad business, and Qantas dined out too long on its rarefied status and never evolved to survive globally. (An ironic factoid: In 1935, Qantas' first international flight took off from Darwin, a city named in honour of Mr Evolution himself.)

In many ways, the same could be said of Australia's entire economy, particularly as China begins to slow down. Thanks largely to China's demand for its vast stores of iron ore, copper and coal, Australia grew complacent. Economists call it ''Dutch disease'', whereby the benefits of exporting natural resources lead to the neglect and atrophy of other industries.

The nation's business culture also has depended too long on its distance from global markets to limit outside competition.

Another Qantas irony is that it played a

huge part in globalising Australia, both in terms of ferrying in investors and tourists and carrying out cargo. But we are seeing with Qantas, Holden and Ford that certain key, high-cost-base sectors have a hard time thriving in an increasingly dynamic world.

This challenge is not about to go away, not with airlines, retailers and car makers around the world - including the US - rapidly innovating.

For decades, a captive domestic market enabled Australia to delay improvements in infrastructure, education, and a tax regime that encourages all too many smart workers to head overseas. To understand why that is no longer possible, look at how Virgin Australia navigated around Qantas. Rather than targeting his competitor's weaknesses, chief executive John Borghetti is going after its strength. That has meant attacking Qantas head Alan Joyce's near-monopoly in Australia's non-budget domestic aviation market, buying smaller rivals, adding business-class seats and building slick airport lounges.

One more irony worth noting: Borghetti lost out to Joyce for the top job at Qantas.

The company's board may regret that call as Virgin flies high while the celebrated Qantas loses altitude.

LENDERS are making it ¬easier for homebuyers to get mortgages and promising fierce competition as the property market heats up.

The majority of home loans lenders are allowing deposits of 5 per cent or less and some mortgage brokers have no deposit loans schemes.

"It's definitely an extremely hot market,'' Alex Parsons, CEO of leading financial comparisons website RateCity, said.

"Competition is fierce.''

Mr Parsons said lenders were loosening their purse-strings close to pre-Global Financial Crisis levels, which peaked at 86 per cent in 2008 but fell back to 49 per cent in 2010.

Banking watchdog, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority found the number of new residential loans approved with deposits of 10 per cent or less rose by a fifth in the six months to September.

An analysis by RateCity shows 70 per cent of the 2800 home loan products on database are now allowing deposits of 5 per cent or less.

Damian Hackett of Place real estate said: "There is no doubt the banks have freed up, totally.''

Sunshine Coast agent Tom Offermann said bank finance seemed "plentiful and bankers are competing strongly for the business".

"Valuations are now matching or more in line with the contract prices,'' he said.

Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia CEO Phil Naylor said smaller banks and non-bank lenders were looking for ways to reduce the domination of the Big Four banks which has more than 80 per cent of the mortgage market.

With interest rates unlikely to move in the next quarter, Mr Naylor said competition

would increase this year.

"Smaller lenders' rates are up to 1 per cent lower,'' he said.

Borrowers seeking 80 per cent or more of the property price are required to take out expensive lenders mortgage insurance.

But some lenders are coming up with deals to remove the need for buyers to come up with any deposit or mortgage insurance.

With loans of up to 120 per cent of property values on offer, consumer groups are warning borrowers to beware of taking on too much risk.

RAMS home loans brand and marketing head Chris Thornton said their "fast track'' initiative was popular with first-home buyers struggling to find a deposit.

It allows parents or siblings to guarantee the loan for a limited amount with a mortgage over their own property.

RAMS is promoting loans of up to 120 per cent of property valuation to cover upfront costs, home improvements and debt consolidation. Under an example on their website, a customer could borrow $350,000 without a deposit or mortgage insurance if his parents gave an $87,500 guarantee.

Mr Thornton said the risk was limited. "All parties go in with their eyes open. We recommend all parties get independent legal advice.''

But consumer advocates are urging caution.

Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said: "We're hearing stories of banks lending up to 15 or 20 per cent over the value of the actual home,'' he said.

An Australian Bankers Association spokeswoman said: "Australian banks lend responsibly and are required by law to do so".

NZ business confidence hits 20 year high NEW Zealand business confidence has climbed to a 20-year high, raising the prospects for inflation to start to accelerate.

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research's Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion showed that 52 per cent of businesses were optimistic in the December quarter the highest level since June 1994 and up from 33 per cent three months earlier.

Domestic trading activity, which is closely aligned with economic growth, climbed to the strongest since March 2005, with 15 per cent of firms experiencing a pickup in their own activity.

Expectations for the coming quarter rose to 32 per cent from 24

18 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

www.indiantimes.com.au

per cent. "This quarter every region in our survey was doing better," said Shamubeel Eaqub, principal economist at NZIER. "Until recently much of the recovery was concentrated in Canterbury. This has now broadened to most regions across New Zealand, which points towards a more sustainable and stable recovery."

The survey comes as economists bet the central bank will raise interest rates in the first quarter, lifting the official cash rate from a record low 2.5 per cent to cool inflation pressures in what some economists have called a 'rock star economy'.

The survey did not capture the surge in retail activity over the peak Christmas-New Year period, though merchants still reported the strongest retail sales since September 2002.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 19

Who, What, Where, When

• Uma Nath celebrated her 50th birthday ‘Island Style’ on Saturday 21 December, 2013 at Mr Munen Nath and Mrs Uma Nath’s residence at Burpengary. Pictured Left: Uma’s husband and children (left to right) Justin Singh, Uma Nath, Munen Nath, Anjana Nath and Avishek Nath. Above right: Friends and family that attended the event.

• Bhajan performance on New Year Eve at Laxminarayan Mandir.

• Akhand Ramayan at Laxminarayan Mandir.

• Double celebrations for the Chawlas, Amit Chawla celebrated his 40th birthday while daughter Siana celebrated her first birthday. Special guests included Amit’s Brother, sister in law and niece all the way from India.

• Palani Thevar celebrates Pongal with with Omuru Muruga, Prathana Thevar-Brink, Uthaya Sooriyan, Chella Pandi and Devi Palani.

• Sunny Devinder performs with Brisbane Babas Band at Woodford Folk Festival on 29th December 2013 20 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

• Shyam Benegal receiving his award at APSA in Brisbane.

• Rebecca explains the “backhand draw” to Usha at Chantex Pty Ltd end of year get together at New Farm Bowls Club. www.indiantimes.com.au

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 21

Who, What, Where, When

• Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir Acharya Pundit Ram Harsh Tripathiji hosted a farewell for Thakur Bhim Singh who is one of the prominent bhajan singers and Parcharak of Brisbane on Sunday 15/12/2013. Farewell was also attended by Pt Raj kumar Misra, Pt Narend Sharma, Pt Sarat Maharaj and devotees. The evening was celebrated with bhajan singing, Prachaar by Pandit Ji and concluded with Prasaad and Mahaprasaad.

• DJJS Australia Branch Brisbane Bhajan Mandali on 12 January performing at at Laxmi Narayan Temple. Harry did an awsome performance with melodious bhajan — with Swami Vishalanand.

• Fun day programmed for special people organised by VHP Australia, 14 December 2013.

80th Birthday celebrations Mrs Rajatti Lal celebrated her 80th birthday with family and friends.

22 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

www.indiantimes.com.au

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Meeting Point.... Glen Elmes MP

• Umesh Chandra with Minister Glen Elmes MP.

• Minister Glen Elmes MP pictured during his visit to Gayatri Mandir in November 2013.

Brisbane Indian Times, exclusive interview.

Queenslanders find out about at these cultural events, and I look forward to being able to play my part on 26th of January this year.

Umesh: “Minister, we know that many celebrations have been planned for Australia day and many from within the Indian community are taking part or performing at these celebrations, Indian community have previously been a bit reluctant to hold any Indian Republic Day celebrationa during the day time, as they battled with the idea, of maybe celebrations in the night.

Minister: “That is a very good point, at the same time I would encourage the Indian community to make this event as big as possible, and I would encourage the community as the years go by to make it even bigger still, that’s what countries like Australia is all about and especially states like Queensland... a blend of cultures, no culture, no society stays the same, culture is an evolving thing and the more we see and in this case the Indian Community coming forward and celebrating things that are important to them, and this is very important day combining that with a very important celebration of country that the Indian community have adapted is part of what we are all about so to see things celebrated on the same day, maybe one during the day or one in the night is helping to combine and meld the two communities together, the greater Indian community and the Indian community in Queensland, there is something like seventy eight thousand people of Indian Origin who live in Queensland now. It is one of the fastest growing communities that the state has. Their Indian companies and Individuals investing enormous amounts of money in small business and large, so it is important that we have that understanding.

Umesh: “Minister it is very reassuring to the Indian community that you are supporting the idea, it so happens that we have the two important celebrations on the same date. The Hindu Society of Queensland, the Gayatri Mandir which you visited last year also happens to celebrate their anniversary on the 26th, Minister the reassurance from yourself will go a long way and will be we received by Indian community.

Minister: “I understand the concerns of the community but that should not stop the community celebrating something that is very important and over a period of time, and it is like our indigenous population, you know there are concerns about Australia Day from the point of view of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders but hopefully over a period of time those difference will disappear, it becomes a day of celebration for the whole community and that day of celebration is made up of a lot of different events and there is no reason why the celebration of the introduction of the constitution in India shouldn’t be a part of it.

Umesh: This is very good reassurance, probably this what our community was waiting for and I am glad that we are having this conversation today, I am sure when this message goes out in our community it will be well received. The Federation of Indian Communities in Queensland is holding the first large scale public celebration this year at Macgregor State High School, the event is in the night the celebration at Southbank finishes around seven thirty, so it will not be interfering.

Minister: No, I think that the way you all are going about it is appropriate and I think it will be applauded by the wider community, I think it is a great Idea and I think it is wonderful that it is being done.

Umesh: “Minister, you are well aware there two major celebrations, one is Indian Republic Day and the other one is India Independence Day, celebrated as India Day Fair at Roma Street Parklands, and hopefully it can be held again on your birthday.

Minister: “If it is on the eleventh of August I will be there!, because it was a wonderful wonderful day and a great way for me to celebrate my birthday, it was absolutely fantastic being at Roma Street Parklands with your community on eleventh of August.

Umesh: “I believe it is around that date, venue has been booked and planning has began.

Minister: “ Can I say that, the good thing about holding it in a place like Roma Street Parklands is that the event by

BRISBANE Indian Times catches up with Minister Glen Elmes for this month’s meeting point, first of all a bit about Minister Glen Elmes.

Glen Elmes was elected to the Queensland Parliament as the Member for Noosa in 2006 after 34 years in the commercial radio industry throughout Queensland.

Following his first radio posting as a young cadet to Mount Isa in 1972, Glen spent the next eight years at various commercial radio stations around Queensland before settling on the Sunshine Coast where he still lives with his wife and two children.

He was appointed as Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs and Minister Assisting the Premier in April 2012 soon after the landslide election win of the Liberal National Party.

His focus as a Minister has been on reducing the historic disadvantage suffered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and ensuring that multicultural programs and policies keep pace with the state’s changing cultural demographics.

He has led the Newman Government’s Indigenous policy realignment away from welfare and handouts to a focus on improving the stability and sustainability of Indigenous communities through economic development to create jobs and local economies based on more than welfare payments.

As the Minister responsible for Multicultural Affairs his focus has been on prioritising services to cater for the state’s ever-changing ethnic, religious and cultural makeup to ensure that the needs of emerging communities are addressed.

Within his electorate, Glen is committed to keeping Noosa the environmentally-friendly and sustainable community it is, and is passionate about social justice matters and community safety & well-being. He was a leading figure in the successful de-amalgamation of Noosa from the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

Glen is involved and active in many local community groups, including Noosa Residents & Ratepayers Association; Noosa Chamber of Commerce; Noosa Coast Guard; Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club; Noosa Parks Association; Friends of Noosa; Noosa Waters Residents Association; Eumundi Chamber of Commerce; Noosaville Association; AGL Community Rescue Helicopter Service; Tourism Noosa; Noosa Federation of the Arts (Honorary Member); Tewantin-Noosa RSL; Sunshine Beach SLSC; Peregian Beach SLSC; and Noosa Heads SLSC. Glen is a Friend of the Sunshine Coast Community Hospice, the Patron of the Noosa Pirates Rugby League Club and also a Patron of Surf Life Saving, Sunshine Coast.

Glen joined the Liberal Party of Australia in 1973 and was a member continuously until the Party reformed in 2008 to become the Liberal National Party. His party activities include being a Member of the State Management Committee; Chairman of the Fairfax FEC; Chairman of the Sunshine Coast Zone; and an inaugural member of the Mt Isa branch. He was awarded the Federal Liberal Party Meritorious Service Award in 1996.

Umesh Chandra thanked the minister for meeting with him and opened the conversation by mentioning India’s Republic Day and the planned celebration by Federation of Indian Communities in Queensland and how it related to Australians as it also happened to be Australia Day. Minister: “First of all thank you the opportunity to be in your newspaper, I’m not sure if the Australians are following the Indian lead or if the Indians are following the Australian lead, but to have two important days, one for Independence Day and one to commemorate the start of the constitution, means you have two reasons to have a party, and Australians always like to have a party, so I think we are doing pretty well there.

I think having those two important days, Independence Day and as we are talking today about the start of the introduction of the constitution, very important to the Indian community, it is important as it is to celebrate all of the cultures we have in Queensland that more and more Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

virtue of where it is held is so accessible, and I think what we all have to do, the Indian community, the government, is try as hard as we can to make sure that the celebrations are as well publicised as we can because it is a great opportunity to showcase Indian community and Indian culture and what I would like to see is that more and more people going along to be educated and become more aware of your culture.

Umesh: “Yes definitely, we have seen over the years that the numbers are increasing every year, same goes for Diwali function held at King George Square, getting the word out there by all avenues is very important and with proper advertising hopefully one day it will be as big as “Paniyiri”.

Minister: “ Well the Diwali festival last year at King George Square, the number of people who attended obviously had a big contingent from the Indian Community, but when you looked around the square and all the vantage spots, the wider community coming together and staying there and being entertained by all the wonderful entertainers you had on the stage, but as I said it’s an opportunity for the wider community to become more engaged and understanding of Indian culture, and that is what multiculturalism is all about. It’s an opportunity to showcase who they are, and it is the opportunity for the wider community to greater understand that particular culture and we some two hundred and twenty six different cultures in Queensland, and where ever I go I encourage everyone to find a way to showcase, what they do, how they do it, their beliefs their culture, their history so that we so that we can all understand a lot better.

Umesh: “That is so true, in Queensland we have so many different cultures, and this year we would be starting off with the Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year) the year of the horse, this is similar to our Diwali, we have the major celebration and many other smaller ones, same as Lunar new Year. For the Indian Community three major celebrations, Republic Day, Independence Day, and Diwali. India is a land festivals and almost every month there is some celebration.

Minister: “One of the things that I have learnt since becoming the minister is that India, is a land of festivals and parties, as I have been to a number of them in my time, and I never cease to have a good time whenever I go to one of the festivals, it is a very welcoming and understanding community that you have .

Umesh: “Yes Minister, we have just started the year with celebrations already, we have had Pongal, Makar Sakhranti. Makar Jyoti Appayya pooja and lohri. This is the season when the Sun moves from Capricornia, celebrations differ from down South to up North and through the state to state the name changes a bit. One of the celebrations, Lohri is challenging as the festival is celebrated during peak winter, it is held on the coldest day of the year, a little bit like white Christmas as opposed to Aussie Christmas. I would like to thank you for all your support for the Indian community, well not only the Indian community but all of Queensland’s multicultural community, in my travels around the multicultural community I always see either yourself or someone from your department always supporting and making Queensland a cohesive Multicultural place that it is. We are very fortunate the Government not only allows us to practice our cultures and maintain our identity but supports it.

Minister: “Please bear in mind that when you are celebrating your culture that sooner or later a little bit of that at least will become our culture too. This is what I talked about at the start of the interview. A society or community doesn’t just stay locked in one place, it evolves , I always remember the conversation I had with Maha Sinnathamby a couple of years back when he was talking about the number of Indians coming to Queensland and Australia and settling down and how over a period of time that Indian culture will blend into that of the greater Australian culture, and over a period of time they become one and the same and the more that we can do to advance that and to encourage then we are going to be a better society because of it.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 23

Winners announced at the 7th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards BRISBANE, Australia: Palestinian film Omar has won the Best Feature Film Award at the seventh annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the region’s highest accolade in film, announced at the ceremony at Brisbane’s City Hall on 12 December, 2013.

Produced, written and directed by Hany Abu-Assad, and produced by Waleed F. Zuaiter, David Gerson and Hany AbuAssad, Omar is the first film to be fully funded by the Palestinian film industry.

Films from, India, People’s Republic of China and Republic of Korea took home two awards each, films from Bangladesh, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation and Singapore also collected awards, with a further two special mentions going to films from Kazakhstan and Iraqi Kurdistan.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk congratulated all winners and said the ceremony attracted leading cultural, business and political figures from throughout the Asia Pacific.

“It has been an honour for Brisbane to host the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and make welcome such a prestigious group of internationally acclaimed filmmakers and actors,” the Lord Mayor said.

“I congratulate all the winners. It is wonderful to see the 2013 awards go to films from such a range of countries across the region, and many of them to first time feature filmmakers.”

India’s The Lunchbox, starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, took out two major awards at the ceremony.

First time feature filmmaker Ritesh Batra won the Best Screenplay award and the Jury bestowed the film with a Jury Grand Prize, one of two awarded.

Television (Bangladesh) produced by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, was also awarded a Jury Grand Prize, the first time an Asia Pacific Screen Award has gone to a film from Bangladesh.

The award was accepted by co-writer and nominee Anisul Hoque and lead actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha.

Zhang Ziyi was awarded Best Performance by an Actress for her role in martial arts drama Yi dai zong shi (The Grandmaster, Hong Kong (PRC), People’s Republic of China). Directed by Wong Kar Wai, it chronicles the life of Chinese Grandmaster Ip Man, whose students included Bruce Lee. Accepting the award from Los Angeles Zhang Ziyi said, ‘I wish I could fly to you like all my characters in all of my movies…

I wish to thank the jury for this prize, it’s an honour to be in the company of these wonderful actresses from many different countries, representing different cultures, I share this award with all of you.’

Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun won Best Performance by An Actor for Masquerade (Republic of Korea), the fourth-highest

grossing Korean film, in which he plays two roles.

Anthony Chen won Achievement in Directing for his touching debut feature film Ilo, Ilo (Singapore), the story of a young Singaporean boy and his live-in Filipino maid from the Ilo, Ilo province in the Philippines.

The International Jury awarded two additional special mentions for Achievement in Directing to Emir Baigazin for Uroki Garmonii (Harmony Lessons, Kazakhstan, Germany, France) and to Hiner Saleem for My Sweet Pepper Land (Iraqi Kurdistan, France, Germany).

Lu Yue won the Achievement in Cinematography award for Yi Jiu Si Er (Back to 1942, People’s Republic of China).

The award was presented by Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk. Lu Yue is already an APSA Academy member, having received a nomination in the same category in 2010 for Tangshan Dadizheng (Aftershock).

The UNESCO award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film was awarded to The Painting Pool from Islamic Republic of Iran. Produced by Manoochehr Mohammadi, the award was accepted by acclaimed lead actress and nominee Negar Javaherian.

Winners in three categories were determined by APSA Academy members through Academy voting: Best Children’s Feature Film, Best Animated Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature Film.

Beom-joe So-nyeon (Juvenile Offender) from Republic of Korea, produced by Park Jooyoung, collected the Best Children’s Feature Film award. The story of a young juvenile offender who is reunited with a mother he never knew he had, the film stars award-winning newcomer Seo Young-joo and K-pop star Lee Jung-hyun.

Winner of the Best Animated Feature Film was Koo! Kin-Dza-Dza, from the Russian Federation, produced by Sergey Selyanov, Leonid Yarmolnik, Yuri Kushnerev, Oleg Urushev, Konstantin Ernst.

Winner of the Best Documentary Feature Film was The Act of Killing (Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom). Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Joram Ten Brink, Christine Cynn, Anne Köhncke, Joshua Oppenheimer, Michael Uwemedimo and anonymous Indonesian producers, and coproduced by Torstein Grude, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Joshua Oppenheimer, and Christine Cynn, the award was accepted on the night

by Norwegian producer Anne Köhncke.

Korean film producer Lee Choon-yun was the recipient of the FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific region.

Six of the award-winning films also represented their country as the official submission to the 2014 Academy Awards® for the Best Foreign Language Film category:

24 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

* Television (Bangladesh) * The Grandmaster (Hong Kong) * Omar (Palestine) * Back to 1942 (People’s Republic of China) * Juvenile Offender (Republic of Korea) * Ilo, Ilo (Singapore) The Act of Killing has been shortlisted for an Academy Award® nomination in the documentary category.

International Jury President, esteemed Indian screenwriter and director Shyam Benegal said he was very impressed with the quality of nominee films.

“More than half of the world’s films originate from the Asia Pacific region, which

makes the APSA award in Brisbane among the more important competitive film awards in the world,” he said.

The Awards, supported by Brisbane City Council and managed by economic development board Brisbane Marketing in a unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPFInternational Federation of Film Producers Associations, recognise and promote cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the world’s fastest growing film region: comprising 70 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people, and responsible for half of the world’s film output. In 2013, 39 films from 23 countries and areas received award nominations.

Winners List....

BEST FEATURE FILM Omar Palestine Produced by Hany Abu-Assad, Waleed F. Zuaiter, David Gerson BEST CHILDREN’S FEATURE FILM Juvenile Offender (Beom-joe So-nyeon) Republic of Korea Produced by Park Joo-young BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM The Act of Killing Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Joram Ten Brink, Christine Cynn, Anne Köhncke, Joshua Oppenheimer, Michael Uwemedimo, anonymous Indonesian producers Co-Produced by Torstein Grude, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM Koo! Kin-Dza-Dza Russian Federation Produced by Sergey Selyanov, Leonid Yarmolnik, Yuri Kushnerev, Oleg Urushev, Konstantin Ernst ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING Anthony Chen for Ilo Ilo Singapore SPECIAL MENTIONS IN DIRECTING Emir Baigazin for Harmony Lessons (Uroki Garmonii) Kazakhstan, Germany, France Hiner Saleem for My Sweet Pepper Land Iraqi Kurdistan, France, Germany BEST SCREENPLAY Ritesh Batra for The Lunchbox India, France, Germany ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY Lu Yue for Back to 1942 (Yi Jiu Si Er) People’s Republic of China BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR Lee Byung-hun in Masquerade

www.indiantimes.com.au

Republic of Korea BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS Zhang Ziyi in The Grandmaster (Yi dai zong shi) Hong Kong (PRC), People’s Republic of China FIAPF AWARD Lee Choon-yun Republic of Korea JURY GRAND PRIZE (1) Television Bangladesh Produced by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki Co-Produced by Mahboob Rahman JURY GRAND PRIZE (2) Ritesh Batra for The Lunchbox India, France, Germany UNESCO AWARD The Painting Pool Produced by Manoochehr Mohammadi Islamic Republic of Iran NETPAC DEVELOPMENT PRIZE Adilkhan Yerzhanov for Stroiteli (Constructors) Kazakhstan MPA APSA ACADEMY FILM FUND RECIPIENTS Ainsley Gardiner for Canoe (Vaka) New Zealand Jeannette Paulson Hereniko for Fall Out Hawaii, USA Reis Çelik for Kerbala Orkestrası (Karbala Orchestra) Turkey Garin Nugroho for Topeng Monyet (The Monkey Mask) Indonesia APSA ACADEMY CHILDREN’S FILM FUND Sudheer Palsane for Noor India Kath Shelper for The Wonderful Adventures of Topsy Brown & Other Terrible Tales Australia Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

GOPIO International host annual Convention in Delhi GOPIO International held its annual convention in Delhi on 5th and 6th of January 2014 at FICCI, Federation House. GOPIO has traditionally held its convention just before PBD every year.

The convention planning team included; Mr. K. N. Gupta as Convention Convener, Convention Co-Convener: Amb. R. Dayakar; Convention Coordinator: Munish Gupta.

The convention was attended by delegates from around the globe.

The conference theme was “The Indian Diaspora: Engaging PIOs of Today and Tomorrow” GOPIO International President Ashook Ramsaran said; “Congratulations to all of you for planning and conducting a very successful GOPIO Convention 2014 in Delhi.

The results are evident that your dedicated and focused efforts to

plan, coordinate and hold a successful international convention in Delhi have, once again, proved very successful. I commend the entire GOPIO Convention 2014 Delhi team, headed by Mr. K. N. Gupta, for all your hard work and efforts to promote the GOPIO Convention 2014 in a visibly prominent way.

The participation of Dr. Karan Singh, Mr T K A Nair and Min Vayalar Ravi, as well as delegates from several countries, added to the high profile of the events.

The GOPIO Convention 2014 Delhi team provided suitable venues and an excellent GOPIO platform and program for GOPIO’s membership, delegates and invitees to have meetings, discussions and deliberations on issues of interest and concern of the global Indian community Our GOPIO meetings were at times very turbulent and disruptive but it revealed many

• Minister Vayalar addressing the convention.

• Harry Walia (pictured right) Chairperson Policies and Procedures at the convention.

• Prasad Yarlagadda (second from right) representing • International delegates at the GOPIO convention.

GOPIO Qld.

• Representatives from around the world at GOPIO convention.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

underlying issues which must be addressed in a concerted and focused manner. I intend to address these issues.

The GOPIO Convention 2014 in Delhi also revealed the growing interest and strength of GOPIO at all levels - increasing chapters and surge in life memberships.

The GOPIO Convention 2014 Delhi team has fulfilled its responsibility with excellence and I congratulate all of you on your efforts.

I commend the GOPIO convention planning team for their efforts to make the GOPIO Convention 2014 in Delhi a grand success that it truly deserves.”

The biennial election did not take place, as the executive meeting focused on adopting the new bylaws etc, before calling for the elections. This has been a major step forward and bringing the policies and procedures up to date.

• Mr K N Gupta (left) the conference conveynor addressing the convention. www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 25

Happy New Mind…

DEAR Readers, We hope 2014 you will be inspired to go after your dreams and visions by learning to trust that God who has good plan for your life. Prophet Jeremiah writes the promise of God who wants your welfare and peace and not evil, He wants to give you hope and good future (Jeremiah 29:11).

This requires your part of commitment to walk with God humbly and know Him through His Word and Spirit.

Best way to say goodbye to 2013 is to let go hurts and disappointments caused by others or yourself. If you ever want to do a great favour to your self or help yourself, begin to forgive and accept yourself. Renew your mind with new way of thinking that is aligned with the truth, which is only found in Word of God. Joyce Myer says, God is not mad at you or angry at you.

God Choose to forgive us, when He sent His Son Jesus as a ransom for all human beings on this earth. For every one of us have fallen short of God’s perfect way to live the life without a single sin. Jesus took all sins of the world to empower us victory over our enemy.

When we understand this, we begin to develop a happy mind. Only happy mind can show to turn 2014 into a year of hope, peace and joy.

We must learn to renew our mind; we must develop a quest for application of true wisdom in order to navigate through life’s challenges.

The Apostle Paul makes a powerful statement in a letter to the Romans written around 2000 years ago. He writes, ‘Do not be conformed to this world (this age), but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you prove what is acceptable and perfect will of God’. (Romans 12:2) Let’s begin this inspiration journey with a simple question. Do you know your true potential? Or do you understand your true purpose in life?

Potential is…untapped talent… hidden strength… dormant ability… unused success. Potential is unexposed ability and latent power according to Dr. Munroe, noted author and a teacher.

This further illustration from Dr. Munroe about the word ‘potential’ will shock you and inspire you to reach your dreams. Take a look at the Australia’s mining potential, it was buried waiting to be explored and profited from its hidden treasures.

Dr. Munroe questions us to identify ‘what is the most wealthiest spot on this planet?’

Is it gold and diamond mines of Africa? Or is it oil fields of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia?

No, none of these.

Want a surprise? The wealthiest deposits on our planet may be just a few blocks from your home or suburb. They rest in the local cemetery or graveyard.

Do not go digging, but dig deep inside your mind to think outside the box.

Buried beneath the sacred soil of the graveyard are the dreams that never came to pass, songs and books they were never written or published, paintings that never filled a canvass, ideas that were never used, visions that were never become realities, inventions that were never designed to final product, plans that never went beyond the drawing board of the mind. Our graveyards are filled with rich potentials. That is a national tragedy.

Let’s journey together in 2014 to learn how to be inspired so we can fulfil our potential before we end up at the local graveyard. For the Wisdom will enter your heart and the knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Email: navig8grace@gmail.com

ARYA PRATINIDHI SABHA OF QLD INC

Human body is divine creation of God OF ALL living beings in the Universe, the creation of the human body is the supreme.

On close examination it is clear that the soul cannot make the same amount of progress in any other body as it can do in the human body.

Apart from human beings all other souls in this world are in Bhog Yoni, in other words they are receiving the results of the actions of their previous lives and cannot make any spiritual development towards their future.

The human body is the only one that is both Bhog Yoni as well as Karam Yoni. In this body, mankind get the results of the previous lives while doing deeds, the results of which goes to their future.

The human body is such, it develops intellectually, improves spiritually, and makes progress in life, which is for betterment of their future. The soul cannot do such development in any other body. God has placed the head above the shoulders.

He has placed the four sense organs which are the main instruments of knowledge, in the head. The brain has been set in the head.

The soul has been placed here too.

God has also given the power of speech through the mouth. The gift of intellect is also a wonderful gift of God. Through its development human beings acquire knowledge. GOD has given human beings hands, legs and all other organs, which are great organs for progress.

However if they use these for good purposes they can reach the peak of spiritual development. The creation of the human body is a wonder and every part of the body is extremely valuable.

The world’s greatest wealth or treasures cannot exceed the value of any part of the body. If any part of the body malfunctions, then an artificial replacement may be made but cannot be same as natural element. One

only appreciates the value and importance of a part of the body when its gone.

Vedic verses state that people should know God, realisation of God should be the goal in life. Due to lack of knowledge and ignorance mankind regard bodily nourishment, satisfaction of sense organs, acquisition of wealth, worldly love, living a grand life, acquisition of kingdom and living as families as being the ultimate goal.

When one regards the body as everything then one spends one’s life looking after the body and satisfying the sense organs. Is only nourishment of the body the goal of life? Yes, human beings must keep the body fit through healthy vegetarian food, exercise and self control, but only keeping the body healthy in this way is not the ultimate goal in life.

Let’s not be preoccupied in simply gathering items of food and other consumables, nor should we be only busy in prayer and meditation every minute.

We should nourish our body, collect food items, do the duties of the household, but not forget to improve spiritually through prayer and meditation to God. God has given this sitar like human body to us, so that mankind can decorate it as well as sing with it, nourish it and develop spiritually. Knowing God is great opportunity, and VEDAS contain not only the knowledge of God but also about meditation and prayer to GOD. Please contact Jitendra Deo 3263 1914 or Hari Chand 33454716 for information on activities of Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Queensland or visit www.aryasamajqueensland.com

26 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

2014 News...

DEAR reader, it is our joy to bring you the word of God. Many people are entering into 2014 without expecting much change from 2013. Some of you are even expecting it to be more difficult than 2013. If you have been speaking words like “I am not going to find the job I am looking for, I am never going to enjoy good health, the economy will be bad, I cannot buy my house, I will never come out of debt, my credit card debt will remain the same as it was in 2013”, then unknowingly you are moving in to the direction that you are speaking about. If we want to have a successful year of good health, getting promoted, being debt free, then we are to start speaking and declaring where we want to be.

Romans 4v17 says...God calls those things that do not exist as though they did. That means if God wants something to happen the way it should then He first speaks it.

Again Jesus told His listeners that if they spoke to a mountain that it would be removed and be thrown in to the sea, then it shall be done for them. That means if you are going to see a great and wonderful 2014 then you have to speak the way you want it to be.

Some of you have been through a tough 2013, had some disappointments, did not get the promotion you were looking for, the relationship did not work out, then instead of getting bitter and speaking negative words and words of defeat we are to start speaking words that will take you where you want to be. You cannot change what you tolerate. Our words should be “I am going to have a great 2014, I may have had some bad breaks in 2013, but they only

made me stronger. My business will receive great rewards, my staff will perform better than last year, my credit card debts will be paid off, my children will do right, I am going to enjoy good health..”

In Numbers 13, we read that, Moses sent 12 leaders from the 12 tribes of Israel to spy out the promised land which God had given to them. 10 of them came back and reported how the land flowed with milk and honey, yet the people were too big and city walls too strong to take the land. They reported how they could not enter the land.

Sadly they never made it to the promised land after talking themselves out of it. On the other hand Caleb and Joshua spoke how they could defeat the people and would enter the land...and they did. They entered the land, promised to them ,after first speaking it.

Today you could be facing difficulties with your finances, your loved one is not doing right, people at work not performing the way they should, having difficulty in your relationship then instead of speaking where you are, start speaking where you want to get and where possible communicate to others around you where you see yourself to be in 2014.

Let me encourage you today to start speaking the way you want your 2014 to be. In Joel 3v10 it says “...let the weak say I am strong..”. Notice it does not say, let the weak say I am weak. Instead of speaking the condition we are to speak where we want to be. Your words are powerful and will take you in the direction you are speaking. I am declaring 2014 to be a great year for you, a year of Gods favour upon your health, finances, relationships and businesses. A very happy New Year to you.

God bless you.

Pastor Joseph Dass

Spiritual cure for sexual thoughts SEXUAL thoughts are natural and it is impossible to stop thinking about sex completely, as it is innate to our being. When the natural drive turns into sexual obsession and one’s mind is marred with recurrent unwanted sexual thoughts, it begins to breach the line. These thoughts, such as being sexually attracted to one’s children, being attracted to siblings, being violent during sex etc. can leave us reeling in despair and be quiet baffling. Although all such instincts are debilitating, some are more painful for the person enduring it than the others. This is because they question our fundamental identity as a social being.

Toppled with anxiety and distress which accompanies these thoughts, the people suffering from it get into a vicious cycle of guilt, shame and hatred towards self. They consider themselves deviants or evil and keep these thoughts suppressed within. The power of these thoughts is so overpowering, that they become unsure of themselves.

This makes them isolated and selfengrossed, affecting their day-to-day life as people drop out from school, quit jobs, end up in broken relationships which further cripples their situation.

Medical science has shown that treatment of sexual obsession is complex and individualized and results are not long lasting.

First it is difficult to diagnose as most people do not openly share these dark thoughts.

Treatment with anti-depressants and confronting the triggers are very limited in scope.

Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) has very closely researched about sexual obsession. Spiritual research delineated that unknown to us, the root cause of such problems are heavily entrenched in the spiritual dimension and can be only permanently cured through spiritual measures.

Spiritual root causes include problems due to deceased ancestors, negative energy distress and destiny. Due to lack of spiritual practice and incurring sins in their human birth, the deceased ancestors are not able to go further in their onward journey and get stuck, so they reach out to family members in the hope of being heard and helped.

Thus, the present family members experience different types of distress, one of them being sexual obsession. To overcome distress due to them, one should mentally chant ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ for at least an hour daily.

The other major reason is due to possession by higher level negative energies which possess people to satisfy their lust and cause distress to the individual.

www.indiantimes.com.au

Excessive sexual thoughts are often not one’s own but are levied by the negative entity. As the negative energy is deeply entrenched in the person’s consciousness, one is not able to decipher the difference.

Aside from the chant suggested above, to overcome this distress one can also chant the name of God as per one’s religion of birth and use spiritual healing remedies like salt water remedy.

To emphasize further, we would like to share the real story of Luis (not his real name) who experienced excessive sexual thoughts. He suffered from intense sexual attraction towards women all his life. To satiate his desires, he liked to be around models and actresses, photograph them and constantly think about having sex with them. He would also be drawn into a series of one night stands, but would feel shattered and disgusted with self. This affected his work, causing constant distraction. He would resort to shunning himself from everything and reading the Holy Bible.

These two types of personality traits – one wanting sex and the other wanting to remain sane and devout confused him even more. The turning point was when SSRF entered his life through his friend who was performing spiritual practice under SSRF. He recommended that Luis should chant the Name of God according to his religion.

Luis began chanting Hail Jesus as he is a Christian. Initially he experienced a rise in sexual thoughts, but after persisting with chanting, they began to reduce. He also undertook salt water remedy and for the first time in his life, he realised that he had a tool to combat the sexual thoughts and keep them under control.

Seekers at SSRF with advanced sixth sense further noticed that the root cause for Luis’ problem was a negative entity who had overpowered him. As he chanted God’s Name and intensified his spiritual practice, this distress began to subside.

When healing remedies and chants are applied regularly one gets spiritual experiences and due to God’s grace the distress is alleviated. Aside from this, one should continue with medication and other treatment.

Thus, although we are completely oblivious, the spiritual dimension affects our lives greatly. The more conscious we are to take God’s help, the easier it becomes to overcome sexual problems which can plague our lives.

For more information, please visit us at: www.ssrf.org Compiled by: Shweta Clarke Email: shweta.memories@gmail.com Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Celebrating the Exalted Status of Muhammad sws

By Ml. Nawaaz Ashrafi AUZO BIL LAAHI MIN ASH SHAYTAANIR RAJEEM, BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHIM AL HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL ‘ALAMEEN. WAS SALAATU WAS SALAAMU ‘ALAA ASHRAFIL MURSALEEN. SAYIDINAA WA NABI YENAA WA MOULANAA MUHAMMADIN WA’ALA AALEHEE WA AS HAABEHEE WASALLIM.

All praise is due to Alláh, the Lord of all the Worlds; may the greetings and peace be upon the best messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and upon his family and upon all of his companions.

Alhamdulillah, this article will deal with the honourable and exalted status of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The many dimensions and multi-facets of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is a vast topic and will require many sermons and even then it will not be enough to do full justice. So in this short article, we can only focus on a few essential points.

To every Muslim on this planet, irrespective of cultural, geographical and political differences, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is Allah’s greatest creation. A thousand million Muslims however, do not require any surveys, lists or research to arrive at this conclusion. It is a non-negotiable article of eemaan and please note that I use the present tense when I say he is Allah’s greatest creation. But what of the non-Muslims? We will concentrate on how eminent non-Muslims have rated Prophet Muhammad (SAW) most highly and given due recognition to his greatness.

Muslims’ emotions and attitudes causes them to contemplate on the Azeem, great status of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that they have in their hearts.

After all in Surah 21st, Al Anbiya, Ayat 107 had Allah SWT not described him by saying: WAMAA ARSAL NAAKA IL LAA REHMATAL LIL AALAMEEN “And we have not sent you, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), but as a Mercy for all the Aalameen” Meaning all the universes, creatures, peoples. Notice the tense in the Arabic grammar together with plurality and the universality of this great ayat.

Now Michael H. Hart, a Christian American, astronomer, mathematician, lawyer and scientist, after extensive research, published an incisive biography of the 100 most influential people of all time. The biographical rankings with explanations describes the careers of religious and political leaders, inventors, writers, philosophers, scientists and artists.

From this research; which included illustrious personalities such as H. Isa (AS), H. Musa (AS), Caesar, the Wright brothers, Napoleon, Shakespeare, Columbus and Michelangelo; Michael Hart rated Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as number one.

He concluded the biography with the words: “It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.”

So today I will present to you synopsis on Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Michael Hart’s book entitled “The 100″.

Brothers, as you know during the era of Jahiliyya, when the world was awash in rivers of blind prejudices and nonsensical ignorances, Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) divine message and glorious teachings became the purging torrents of spiritual enlightenment.

Now let’s see what Michael Hart says in his book and I quote him verbatim: “My choice of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.

Of humble origins, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) founded and promulgated one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader.

Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centres of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Prophet Muhammad (SAW), however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in Southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centres of trade, art, and learning.

Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings.”

Michael Hart then goes on to describe in detail Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) biography in quite a detail and as you are AS-HAAB AL ILM, I will skip these details and go over his concluding remarks which are quite lengthy: “Although he passed away in 632, unified by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for the first time in history, and inspired by his fervent belief in the one true God, these small Arab armies now embarked upon one of the most astonishing series of conquests in human history.

To the north east of Arabia lay the large Neo-Persian Empire of the Sassanids; to the northwest lay the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman Empire, centred in Constantinople. Numerically, the Arabs were no match for their opponents. On the field of battle, though, the inspired Arabs rapidly conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. By 642, Egypt had been wrestled from the Byzantine Empire, while the Persian armies had been crushed at the key battles of Qadisiya in 637, and Nehavend in 642. But even these enormous conquests- which were made under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) close friends and immediate successors, H. Abu Bakr (RA) and H. Umar ibn alKhattab (RA) did not mark the end of the Arab advance.

By 711, the Arab armies had swept completely across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. There they turned north and, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, overwhelmed the Visigothic kingdom in Spain. For a while, it must have seemed that the Muslims would overwhelm all of Christian Europe. Nevertheless, in a scant century of fighting, these Bedouin tribesmen, inspired by the word of the Prophet, had carved out an empire stretching from the borders of India to the Atlantic Ocean – the largest empire that the world had yet seen. And everywhere that the armies conquered, large-scale conversion to the new faith eventually followed.

Now, not all of these conquests proved permanent. In Spain, more than seven centuries of warfare finally resulted in the Christians reconquering the entire peninsula. However, Mesopotamia and Egypt, the two cradles of ancient civilization, have remained Arab, as has the entire coast of North Africa. The new religion, of course, continued to spread, in the intervening centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Muslim conquests. Currently, it has tens of millions of adherents in

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Africa and Central Asia, and even more in Pakistan and northern India, and in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the new faith has been a unifying factor. How, then, is one to assess the overall impact of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on human history?

Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers. It is for this reason that the founders of the world’s great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Muslims in the world, it may initially seem strange that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has been ranked higher than Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ). There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) was responsible for the main ethical and moral precepts of Christianity (insofar as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament. Prophet Muhammad (SAW), however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam.

Moreover, the Muslim holy scripture, the Quran, a collection of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah.

The Quran, therefore, closely represents Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) ideas and teachings. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) has survived. Since the Quran is at least as important to Muslims as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through the medium of the Quran has been enormous. It is probable that the relative influence of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) and St. Paul on Christianity.

On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has been as influential in human history as Jesus (Isa (AS). Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) unlike Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) was a secular as well as a religious leader. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well rank as the most influential political leader of all time. Of many important historical events, one might say that they were inevitable and would have occurred even without the particular political leader who guided them.

For example, the South American colonies would probably have won their independence from Spain even if Simon Bolivar had never lived. But this cannot be said of the Arab conquests. Nothing similar had occurred before Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and there is no reason to believe that the conquests would have been achieved without him.

(Incidentally, brothers, here, Michael Hart is referring to the 19th century South American independence leader Simón Bolivar who lead the fight for independence for what is now known as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia, he is referred as a hero in these countries and throughout much of the rest of Hispanic America. Bolivar is known as “El Libertador”, which means The Liberator in English.)

The only comparable conquests in human history are those of the Mongols in the thirteenth century, which were primarily due to the influence of Genghis Khan.

These conquests, however, though more extensive than those of the Arabs, did not prove permanent, and today the only areas occupied by the Mongols are those that they held prior to the time of Genghis Khan.

It is far different with the conquests of the Arabs. From Iraq to Morocco, then extends a whole chain of Arab nations united not merely by their faith in Islam, but also by their Arabic language, history, and culture. The centrality of the Quran in the Muslim religion and the fact that it is written in Arabic have probably prevented the Arab language from breaking up into mutually unintelligible dialects, which might otherwise have occurred in the intervening thirteen centuries. Differences and divisions between these Arab states exist, of course, and they are considerable, but the partial disunity should not blind us to the important elements of unity that have continued to exist. We see, then, that the Arab conquests of the seventh century have continued to play an important role in human history, down to the present day. It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to be considered the most influential single figure in human history. “ Here concludes Michael Hart’s quote who as an outsider saw Prophet Muhammad (SAW) not as a man of theory, but a man of action.

So returning to the cartoon controversy, we must seek the hikmah of ALLAH SWT in the events that transpire around us. In essence, the campaign against the Prophet (SAW) jolted the Muslim community and had a profound impact on Muslims’ spiritual and worldly lives.

Muslims have bitterly realized what it means to have their deen and sanctities insulted. We must teach our children to say, “Wa kafaa bil-Laahi shaheedaa” meaning, “And enough is Allah for a witness.”

We would like to quote, a well known hadith from both Bukhari and Muslim whose Raawi is Hazrat Anas (RA).

“The Holy Prophet (SAW) said, ‘None amongst you can be a true believer until his love for me is greater than the love he holds for his parents, his children and everyone else.’

Upon hearing this H. Umar (RA) said, ‘I swear by Allah who revealed the book (Quran) to you! You are indeed dearer to me than even myself’ to which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) replied, ‘Umar (RA) your eeman is complete.’”

In Bukhari, it is related by H. Anas (RA) about the man who came to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and asked, “When will the day of Qiyamah come?” Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked “What have you prepared it ?” And the man said, “I have not prepared for it with a lot of Salaat, as Saum or Sadaqah, but I do love Allah and his Prophet (SAW).” The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said to him, “ANTA MAA’AA MAN AH BABTAA, you will be with the ones you love.”

Indeed even Allah has said in Surah 4, Annisa Ayat 69: “And he who obeys Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (SAW) he will be with those whom Allah has favoured, the Prophets, the Siddiqeen (the sincere, lovers of truth), the Shuhada and the Saaleheen (Righteous, pious people who do good). Oh my brothers! Therefore do not be disheartened by the trials and the tribulations of the Duniya and think of your noble station that insha Allah, ASWT has destined for you.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is also the Prophet of SHAFAA-AAH or Intercession [as he will intercede

with Allah on the Yawm al Qiyamat. He is also the Prophet of the Makaam-e-Mehmud, as Allah has addressed him in Surah 17, Al-Israa Ayat 79, saying: “Soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has reported that, “I will be the first to be resurrected from the qabr and the preeminent among the descendants of Adam (AS) on the Yawm al Qiyamat. I will also be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted (by Allah on the Yawm al Qiyamat” (Rawaa-hu Muslim).

During the Cartoon crisis in Denmark, the great love shown by the Muslim Ummah for the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) brings to mind the profound affection the Sahaabaa held for him. One of the Muslims’ enemies at the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) time, `Urwa ibn Mas`ud Ath-Thaqfi, said to his people, “O people! Wallahi, I have been to the kings and to the emperors of Persia and the Byzantine empire and to the Negus of Abyssinia, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad (SAW) is respected by his Sahaabaa. Wallahi, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them, who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed wudu, they would struggle to take the remaining water of his wudu; and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect” (Rawaa-hu Bukhari).

Prophet (SAW) said I have been referred to by 7 names in the Holy Quran : Muhammad, Ahmad, Yaaseen, Taaha, Muzammil, Muddathir, and Abdullah. The fact that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has so many names and attributes is again a reflection upon his numerous skills and qualities.

Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) relates that the Sahaabaa asked “Ya Rasulal-laah, when were you granted Prophethood? Prophet Muhammad (SAW) replied, ‘I was granted Prophethood before the creation of Adam (AS)’ “. (Rawaa-hu Tirmidhi). By reading this hadith, it is clear that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the first to be granted Prophethood.

Allah has said in Surah 5, Maidaa, Ayat 15: There has come to you a Noor from Allah, and a Manifest Book.

Now notice brothers, 2 separate entities are mentioned here, the first is the “Noor”, followed by a book meaning the Holy Al Quran.

In this verse, the word Light has been explained by a number of classic Quranic exegetes as follows: First of all, H. Abdullah Ibn Abbas (RA) said that the Noor mentioned in the verse is in fact Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

H. Jalal al-Din as-Sayuti (RA), wrote in his “Tafsir alJalalayn”, (reference – 139): “It is indeed the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)”.

Incidentally, H. Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (RA) was a Mujtahid Imam, who had taken knowledge of Fiqh and NAHW (Arabic grammar) from a large group of Shaikhs.

Indeed, K’aab bin Zuhaair (RA), Abdullah bin Rawaaha (RA) and H. Abbas ibn Abdul Mutallib (RA) all whom wrote Naats praising the character of SAW. Above all, who can ever forget H. Hassaan bin Thaabit’s (RA) following immortal couplets. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself used to ask H. Hassaan (RA) to read these Naats to him. (Rawaa-hu Bukhari wa Muslim.)

WA AHSANO MIN KA LAM TARAHU AYNI, YA RASOOLALLAH My eyes has never seen anybody as handsome as you Ya Rasoolallah (SAW).

WA AJMALO MIN KA LAM TAALEDI IN NISAAOU, YA RASOOLALLAH ‘By Allah, no woman has conceived and given birth to one like you, Ya Rasoolallah (SAW).

KHULIKTA MUBARRA AM MIN KULLE AYBIN, YA RASOOLALLAH O Holy Prophet (SAW) you have been created free from defects.

KA ANNA KA QAD KHULIKTA KAMA TASHÂAU, YA RASOOLALLAH It is indeed as if you have been created just as you had wished.

Hazrat Abbas (RA) recited to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), when he returned from the Battle of Tabuk.

WA ANTA LAMMA WULIDTTA ASHRA QATIL ARD WADHAA’AT BI NOORI KAA AL OOFOUQO The entire earth was illuminated when you were born and the skies were illuminated by your noor.

FA NAHNU FI ZAÂLEKA AD DIYAÂ’I WAFI NOORI WA SUBUL AR RASHADI NAKHTARIQ Now we are in the light of that same noor of yours travelling along the correct path of SERAA TUL MUSTAQIM. In later years, Imam Al Aazam, Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) wrote, ANTAL LAZEE LO LAAKA MAA KHULIQA IMRU’UN; KALLA WALA KHULIQA AL WARAA LAU LAAKA If you had not been created than nobody would have been created. In fact, if you had not been created then nothing would have been created at all.

WAL LAAHI, YA YASEEN MITHLUKA LAM YAKUN; FIL AALAMEENA WA HAQQI MAN AMBA’ KAA O Yaaseen! I swear by Allah, there is nobody like you in the entire universe! I swear to this by Him (ASWT) who granted you Prophethood.

O PEOPLE, as you are well aware, in reality, there is no-one who can help you overcome the trials of this world, except Allah, because everything is under His Will and Control. This is the realisation of enlightened souls, meaning the Muttaqin. Prophet Muhammad (SAW), is a perfect example of the truly enlightened and conscious soul. Notice here that in the present tense because he too is as Allah has said in the Qur’an, Ayat 2, Surah Al-Ahzaab (33): 21 “You have indeed In the Messenger of Allah, a beautiful example.

So in these troubled times, it is now more important than ever, to remember two things: Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s Good Character and his merciful and generous heart. For example, in the Hadith, we find one of his best known quotations: “I have been sent to teach good character.”

The Holy Quran confirms this in Sura Al-Ahzaab, Ayaat 21, where we read: “LAQAD’ KAANA LAKUM FEE RASOOLIL-LAAHI USWATUN HASANAH…” “You have, indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, a beautiful pattern of conduct, for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Yawm al Qiyamah, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.”

On the plain of Arafaat, on the Mount of Mercy, Jabal

www.indiantimes.com.au

Rahma, he delivered his final Khutbah. Here he reminded the Muslims that his life was coming to an end, but if they held fast to 2 things they would never go astray: one is the Holy Quran, and the other his Sunnah, the living example of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

To this day, 1,400 years later, the essence of Islam has been preserved in those 2 sources, and Insa Allah, they will remain so utterly central to our Muslim identity and experience until the end of time.

Prophet Muhammad (SWS) was not a man of theory, but a man of action. The best way to honour our beloved Prophet (SAW) will be to set our own life style based on his good character and his generous heart. We must also put in practise, Uswatul Hasanah ” the “perfect example” into the challenges we face in our own lives today.

This is because all the wisdom of Quran and Hadith is absolutely of no value unless someone studies it and lives by it. We Muslims must make it work, as our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did. Islam must become a living reality in our own daily lives.

THE GREAT SAINT OF BAGHDAD, HAZRAT SHAIKH ABDUL QADIR JEELAANI (RA) How Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani Spread Islam Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu as the model of a Sufi saint, through his nasiha, azkaar and salawaat, through giving a living reality to Islam, in his complete surrender to the Will of Allah and in his showing of tawakkul (trust in Allah) and through his teaching and preaching converted more than five thousand Jews and Christians to Islam while more than a hundred thousand ruffians, outlaws, murderers, thieves and bandits repented and became devout Muslims and gentle dervishes, explains Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi alHalveti in his “Introduction” to the translation of Sirr alAsrar (The Secret of Secrets, p XXXI).

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani says in the 35th Discourse (khutba) in Al-Fath-ur-Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace) that this was among the blessings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu had four wives, each a model of virtue, and devoted to him.

He had forty-nine children, twenty-seven sons and twenty-two daughters. Four of his sons, Shaykh ‘Abdul Wahhab, Shaykh ‘Isa, Shaykh ‘Abdul Razzaq and Shaykh Musa became famous for their education and learning, and they and their descendants spread Islam in other parts of the world.

Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu passed away with the zikr of Allah on his lips on 11 Rabi’ u’l Akhir 561 A.H, 1166 C.E, at the age of 91. A special zikr session is held that night. It is variously known as Khatm Gawthiyya, Ziyara Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, ‘Urs Shareef, or Gyarween Shareef. In Eastern Africa, a whole night zikr session is held in congregation ending with Fajr salah after which breakfast is served. In some places, zikr sessions continue for days. These zikr sessions draw murideen (spiritual seekers) in their thousands who come out spiritually rejuvenated, with their characters transformed and refined, ready to sacrifice everything they have for the sake of Allah. And these halaqa (gatherings) of zikr in Tariqatul Qadiriyya have continued to attract millions of people to Islam through centuries and will continue to do so, Insha-Allah, till the Day of Judgement, Aameen.

Besides this annual zikr congregation, zikr sessions are also held on the eleventh of every month (hence called Gyarween Shareef in Urdu), as well as every Thursday night, as the night before Jumu’a is considered auspicious.

The murideen (spiritual seekers) also do zikr everyday individually in a mosque or at home. This then is one of the enduring legacies of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu.

Other mashaayikh (spiritual masters) came who continued with the work of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani. A few examples suffice to illustrate this. The first example is that of Khawaja Mu’inuddin Chishti Ajmeri Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 627 A.H/1230 C.E), who acknowledged Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as his Shaykh and spread Islam in India. He achieved such a high spiritual status that he is called Sultanu’l Hind (the sultan of saints in the Indian sub-continent) and all the saints in that region are under his banner while he is under the banner of the Gawth al A’zam. In the same way Shaykh Uways ibn Muhammad Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (1263-1326 A.H, 1847-1909 C.E) of Somalia became a khalifa (vicegerent) in Tariqatu’l Qadiriyya at the shrine of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani in Baghdad and spread Islam in the whole of Eastern Africa through congregations of zikr. And Shaykh Hamzah Fansuri, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, considered to be one of the greatest saints in Indonesia in the 16th century C.E. proudly proclaimed that he learned Islam from Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani.

It can truly be said that the muhibbin (loving disciples) of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu ‘Anhu have spread Islam throughout the world through zikr. The barakaat (blessings) of zikr are truly unending. May Allah Ta’ala make us among the zakirin (those who remember Him), Aameen.

And the granting of wilayah (the status of a saint) by Allah Ta’ala to the zakirin (those who remember Him), ‘abidin (those who worship Him), salihin (pious), and muhibbin (those who love Him and the Holy Prophet Muhammad) is in all instances mediated by the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani and one’s own Shaykh.

After all, the awliya Allah (Friends of Allah) and the ‘ulama (learned scholars) are the Khalifatullah, vicegerants of Allah. Allahumma’j’alnaa fee zumrati’l awliya wa’s salihin (O Allah! Keep us in the company of the saints and the pious), Aameen Yaa Rabba’l ‘Aalamin.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 27

Health Beauty Wellbeing

Surviving your New Years resolution

By Heena Mohanlal HOW many of us make the same old New Years resolution each year and casually give up by 31st January? A staggering 80 percent of us give up on our resolutions by the end of year or even by Easter in some cases! So why even bother despite the fact that we persistently fail?

I believe new years resolutions give us an opportunity to reflect on the previous year, the highs and the lows. It also is an ideal time to set goals on what we hope to achieve in the new year. To adapt to a more stable psychological state of achievement in whatever aspect of ones life.

It really make me wonder, despite the eager and the motivation, what really causes the struggle to persevere? What truly is stopping us from turning our dreams into action and reality? It’s about time we retire our mentality to resisting, to blaming other factors for our down falls.

Cause for failure could be one or more of the following:1) Unrealistic goals: Be true to yourself.

You know your strengths and weakness, so set goals accordingly or else it’s only a matter of time you’ll break down and give up (yet again!)

2) Lack of planning: It’s a real life and not a text book....things do crop up which will cause hindrance. Plan on how to overcome or minimise their effects.

3) Getting out of your comfort zone: We have a set way of living in our own comfort.....most if not all ambitions require getting out of our comfort zone.

Needless to say its excruciatingly painful to break your comfy routine initially. Your strength lies in getting over the first huddle and persevering through to the following.

4) Lack of motivation and commitment: I reckon a big enough ‘why’ you want to change is the greatest motivation. If your goal isn’t important to you, naturally you’ll be reluctant to take any steps towards it. If you lack the passion in your endeavour inevitably you’ll lack commitment ...it’s a no brainer!

Go out there and nail it this year! My favourite tips:1) Set yourself realistic goals that you know for sure that you’d follow. Out of your comfort zone yet achievable. To utilise your strengths and realise your weaknesses. Use them as guidance and sign posts to unlocking the secret to living your dreams.

2) Be specific and break it down into small chunks. It’s all well and good saying you’d lose 10kg but if you haven’t a plan on how

exactly you’d get started on it, you’d be going nowhere with it. Design yourself an achievable step by step plan and most of all....stick by it! Try not to give up just because you’ve had a couple of slip ups....slip ups do happens, let’s be real.

3) What are you willing to give up to live your dreams? What is it going to cost you in terms of time and finance? How would you feel at the age of say 90 when you wake up to the fact, that you didn’t live your dream life, something you could have achieved when you had the energy and stamina? Remember, tomorrow never comes...so do it today and do it now!

If it takes getting up half an hour earlier for a jog or swapping a chocolate bar for a fruit snack....Just get started 4) Display inspiring quotes, images and portraits where you can see them daily.

These will act as reminders and give you that motivational boost.

5) A positive approach towards your dream as supposed to a forced upon task will be more fruitful. It has a huge impact to see your change as a gain and not losing out on say an hours worth of TV viewing. Try and see the bigger picture.

6) Note your progress and downfall in a pocket notebook or your phone. Perhaps a visual chart form is great for weight loss.

Study the pattern in areas of down fall. For example dinner out with friends. If you’re big on desserts, go for it! Perhaps skip an entree or go for a smaller portion or a low cal option.

7) Don’t forget to reward yourself! Very single step you take acts as a stepping stone. Research show that people have a reported to be more satisfied and gratified when they’ve spent money on experiences than material products. Reward yourself with an aromatherapy massage, a relaxing facial, a trip to the cinema or a getaway!

We have the personal strength and resilience to control what happens in our life rather than getting swept away by the currents of what society and circumstances throw at us.

I strongly believe our future is in fact in our own capable hand. . I personally find it rather exhilarating to see a new self being shaped that outlines a brand new structure of a new exciting lifestyle.....!

Meditation Courtesy Jossy Thomman Meditation is the reversal flow of energy Focusing on inside & outside It is all inclusive attention Source of bondage is Carelessness, inattention, restlessness, Indulgence and suppression Meditation is a state of Not doing anything, not moving anywhere, All movement has ended with understanding And experiencing and simply being

Response of memory like & dislike Prejudice & preference, desire and attachment Meditation is a state of living death Which is total presence of mind, Aliveness is simply dying every moment Thought is time which gives continuity and pain becomes suffering, When there is understanding of thoughts created by the past That very understanding is timeless, instant & immediate

It is a non mental, non sensory perception, Meditation is a process of freeing the mind from the past 28 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

In that there is no cause and effect We have to re-educate our mind to be in that dimension Stillness, motionlessness, sound & thought FREE....alive!

Queensland Health issues Rubella alert Qld Health - 10 January, 2014 QUEENSLAND Health has been notified of a case of Rubella virus, with the patient having travelled on international and domestic flights.

Queensland’s Acting Director of Communicable Diseases Dr Alun Richards said this person travelled from South Africa to Brisbane via Sydney at the beginning of their infectious period but appeared well during the flights.

The patient flew from Johannesburg to Sydney on 25 December 2013 at 1750 arriving at 1445 on Qantas Flight 64.

They then travelled from Sydney to Brisbane on 26 December on flight Qantas flight 542 departing Sydney at 1735 and arriving in Brisbane at 1805. They may also have been in contact with other interstate passengers at the Brisbane airport.

Dr Richards said people are encouraged to notify their family and friends if they travelled on the flights noted above.

"In most cases, Rubella (also known as the German Measles) is a mild illness, but it can be a serious disease if contracted by pregnant women as it can cause serious birth defects if infection occurs during early pregnancy," he said.

"We normally see about six cases of Rubella per year, so it is not a common disease anymore.

"This is a timely reminder for people to get vaccinated against Rubella as this case demonstrates this virus is still circulating in our community," Dr Richards said.

The symptoms of Rubella will appear between 14 to 21 days after exposure and they include fever, headache, loss of appetite and feeling generally unwell about five days before the development of a rash.

The rash normally lasts between three to five days.

It is a highly contagious disease and spread by droplets from the nose and throat through coughing or sneezing or by direct contact with an infected person.

People displaying Rubella symptoms should contact their doctor immediately.

They should also stay away from childcare, school or work until fully recovered and until at least four days after the rash appears.

For more information read the Rubella factsheet http://access.health.qld.gov.au/hid/Infection sandParasites/ViralInfections/rubellaGerma nMeasles_fs.asp or phone 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).

Hospital in the Home services expanded THE expansion of Hospital in the Home services in the state officially commenced on 1 January, meaning more Queenslanders now have the choice to access the service.

Hospital in the Home provides in-home support and care for conditions such as skin, urinary tract and lung infections as well as blood clots in the legs and lungs.

A new pilot program for the service sees Blue Care and Silver Chain deliver what is being described as Queensland's first community-based public-private partnership.

The $28 million increase in funding for Hospital in the Home, announced in the 2013-14 state budget, means Metro North and Metro South Hospital and Health Services with existing Hospital in the Home services will see the program expanded.

Sunshine Coast and Townsville will receive the service for the first time.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said under the pilot, Hospital in the Home remained a free, publically-funded service.

"Internationally, it [Hospital in the Home] has been proven to be a viable alternative to

hospital admission, providing equal or better patient outcomes and better service delivery," he said.

"Expanding Hospital in the Home will mean patients can receive acute care by health professionals in the comfort of their own home, instead of being admitted to hospital."

It is estimated that more than 5,200 clients accessed Hospital in the Home across Queensland in 2012-2013. Under the new model, more than 2,000 additional clients could be admitted to the service each year for the next four years.

Other Hospital and Health Services in the state providing a Hospital in the Home service currently includes Cairns and Hinterland, Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Darling Downs, West Moreton and the Gold Coast.

Hospital in the Home is completely voluntary and patients of any age can be referred through the emergency department of the hospital they initially attend.

Get more out of life this year!

Qld Health HAVE you made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get healthier?

If you have, check out the Healthier.

Happier. website for help and advice.

Queensland Health senior public health nutritionist Mathew Dick said one of the most exciting parts of the website was the Health & Fitness Age calculator.

"More than 136,000 people have used the online calculator to see how their lifestyle choices are impacting their health and fitness," Mr Dick said.

"The initial results have far exceeded expectations, showing many Queenslanders are looking at ways to improve their health and wellbeing."

Last month Queensland chef Dominique Rizzo signed on as an ambassador for the Healthier. Happier. campaign to encourage people to make healthier choices and eat better.

As well as the calculator, the website also features easy nutritionist-approved recipes including Dominique's spiced chicken and

www.indiantimes.com.au

roast almond salad and berry parfait.

Mr Dick said choosing a healthy New Year's resolution was really about making little changes all year long.

"It's the small things that add up and impact our overall health and wellbeing," he said.

"Obvious things we are all aware of such as eating healthily and being active.

However, many people don't realise the impact things like how often you go to the supermarket and eating in front of the television have."

Visit the campaign website healthier.qld.gov.au to find the Health & Fitness Age calculator, recipes and tips for nutrition and fitness.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Health Beauty Wellbeing Artificial sweeteners

By Thilliar Varnakulasingham IT is an irony that our tongue, which has over 9,000 taste buds, is the crudest of our five senses. Although the exclusive and conspicuous function of the tongue is that of selector and appreciator of foods and drinks, it is considerably helped by the more sensitive sense of smell which adds colour to the four basic tastes.

The tongue can detect pain, heat, cold and ordinary touch sensation, besides helping in the production of normal speech. Some of the stronger tastes, such as the ‘hot’ flavour of spicy food come about through the stimulation of pain-sensitive nerve endings in the tongue.

According to the present medical knowledge in the sense of taste, chemicals in the food alter the electric charge on the surface of the receptor cells which in turn cause a nerve impulse to be generated in the nerve fibres. Although it is not fully understood how the taste buds respond to the chemicals in the food and initiate the nerve impulses to the brain, it is well known that the chemicals have to be in the liquid state or if they are in the solid state, they should dissolve in the saliva to be tasted.

Humans have been looking for ways to satisfy our urge for sweetness. Ancient civilizations used honey. Later they learnt to get the sugar (sucrose) from sugar cane and other crops like beetroot.

Long ago people had to work hard. Food was not always available. The calories in honey or sugar were very much appreciated.

While the composition of any type of honey depends on the nectar of flowers consumed by the bees that produced the honey, typical honey contains approximately 38% fructose, 3l% glucose, l% sucrose, 9% maltose and melezitose, 17% water and 0.l% ash. Many people believe that honey is more wholesome or healthier than refined sugar, but

nutritionists say that all sweeteners are pretty much alike.

Nowadays many people have sedentary jobs. We can get food from the refrigerator, supermarket, restaurant, vending machines and from many other outlets. To avoid weight gain, many people prefer a caloriefree sweetener.

People have been consuming saccharin ( found in Sweet’ N Low) and aspartame (found in Equal and NutraSweet)) in sodas as well as sweeteners for tea, coffee, other beverages and foods. Other artificial sweeteners on the market are acesulfame potassium (Sweet One and Sunette), sucralose (Splenda) and neotame.

These sweeteners contribute hardly any calories (between 0 and 4) depending on the brand. Artificial sweeteners are chemically different from sugar. They do not encourage bacteria to grow. If you substitute artificially sweetened foods for honey or sucrose (sugar), you will have a much lower risk of tooth decay.

Artificial sweeteners are a boon to diabetes. Sucrose, honey or glucose can cause dangerous swings in blood sugar.

Artificial sweeteners do not affect diabetes at all.

Artificial sweeteners are very sweet. So you need a small quantity to sweeten your food or drinks.

Artificial sweeteners are regulated by the US Food and Drugration. Studies have been conducted on the safety of several artificial sweeteners, including saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame and cyclamate. There is no clear evidence that artificial sweeteners commercially available in the United States are associated with cancer risk in humans.

You must not assume that sugar free means calorie free. A cake made with artificial sweeteners may not contain sugar calories, but it could have a lot of calories from fats or other carbohydrates besides sugar.

Yoga - Positive wellbeing

By Jitendra Deo THIS is my first article about Yoga or YOG and I will be writing series of articles encompassing our lives, and connection to Soul. Last September I successfully completed my three year journey of becoming a Yoga teacher through International School of Dru Yoga, graduating with Teacher Diploma.

The course was held in Brisbane making it possible for me to be part of it, and I have gained valuable knowledge, which I wish to share

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

with greater Brisbane community through Brisbane Indian Times. I sincerely thank Publisher Shri Umesh Chandra Ji, and Editor Trudi Tarres for giving me opportunity to achieve this.

I will begin with origins of Yoga including philosophy.

Dru comes from the Sanskrit word Dhruva, which refers to the stillness that can be experienced in Dru Yoga and Dru Meditation.

In the stillness we are able to sit back from everything happening around us, and see and act from a

Bat deaths prompt health warning Queensland Health - 7 January 2014 THE spate in bat deaths being attributed to recent extreme temperatures has prompted Queensland Health to issue a reminder not to touch or handle bats.

Bats are reportedly suffering heat stress as a result of the severe weather, with thousands of bats dying from the heat in Queensland.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queensland Health had already seen a dramatic increase (250 per cent) in the number of people reporting exposures to bat bites and scratches since the beginning of last year.

Wildlife groups have also reported an increase in the number of bats and flying foxes in suburban areas in search of food and water, with some found trapped in fruit netting and on barbed-wire fences.

Dr Young said the majority of exposures occurred when people attempted to handle injured, sick or trapped bats.

"If you find a bat it is very important not to touch the bat because of the risk of infection with Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV)," she said.

"Some bats may appear to be dead but they're not, and when people have attempted to remove them they have been bitten or scratched."

Dr Young said anyone who finds a sick or injured bat or flying fox should contact the RSPCA (1300 264 625), or their local wildlife care group for assistance.

If you are concerned about a bat that you think is dead you should contact the RSPCA or your local wild-life group for advice on how to safely remove it.

Your local council may also be able to assist with the removal of dead bats.

point of clarity and inner calm.

Early Indian society was based around very complex social rules arising from set of scriptures known as Vedas. These are Rig Ved, Sam Ved, Yajur Ved and Atharva Ved. Maharishi Patanjali (around 200BCE) pioneered the science of Yoga through his Yog Sutras. He prescribed the control of Prana (life breath) as means to control the Body, Mind and Soul. This subsequently rewards one with good health and inner happiness. He prescribed 84 Yogic postures to enhance the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, digestive and endocrine systems, and physical parts of body. Yoga has eight limbs where

www.indiantimes.com.au

• Queenslanders are being warned not to touch bats or flying foxes.

"It is very important to not attempt to assist the animal yourself."

In the event someone is bitten or scratched by a bat or exposed to bat saliva through the eyes, nose or mouth they are advised to follow these steps: 1. Do not scrub the wound - wash the wound gently but thoroughly for about five minutes with soap and water 2. If available, apply an antiseptic with antivirus action such as iodine-based disinfectant (e.g. Betadine) or alcohol (ethanol) 3. If bat saliva has got in the eyes, nose or mouth, flush the area thoroughly with water.

4. Contact a doctor or the nearest hospital immediately For more information visit the bat information page on the Queensland Health website or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).

Queensland Health has also developed a range of resources for children; kids and bats can't be friends.

Maharishi Patanjali shows attainment of ultimate bliss of God in Samadhi through the disciplines of “Yam, Niyam, Asan, Pranyam, Pratyahar, Dhyan and Dharan.

These are the eight stages of advancement and practice.

Yoga or Yog and Spirituality have very close factor. Yoga or Yog means joined together. The word comes from the ancient Sanskrit root word YOG, which means to unify. A Yogi is one who consciously unifies body, mind, emotions, and Soul so that they work together very well.

Spirituality, best defined as the process of self-awareness, self-discovery, and self-realization. From the Yogic perspective, to experi-

ence the spirituality it has to be cultivated from awareness and taking this awareness deep into the subtle dimensions of ones being.

Awareness allows one to experience the subtler aspects of life and marks a step to journey toward self-realization.

In later articles Meditation, Pranayam, and Asan’s will be discussed, and ways of performing these will be discussed in depth.

The articles in this paper can also be found in Yog Guru website: www.yogguru.com.au. You can also post your blogs on blog page of the website if you have any queries or wish to get clarification on any issues discussed in the articles. I will endeavour to answer them for you.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 - 29

Real Estate Is Our World

Wishing our Customers & Clients A Happy & Prosperous New Year!

URGENT SALE REQUIRED! * * * * * *

Historic home built in 1920 3 Bedrooms + study Huge covered entertainment area 9ft ceilings Opportunity to build second storey 883m2 block on 2 lots

GORDON PARK $870,000 BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED FAMILY HOME!

FAMILY HOME ON EVEVATED POSITION!

TAIGUM $439,900

TAIGUM Offers over $450,000

4

2

2

MEMBER

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland

30 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

1

2

4

2

2

EXCELLENT INVESTMENT!

BIG, BOLD & BEAUTIFUL!

BRACKEN RIDGE $679,900

3

5

2

2

ZILLMERE $275,000

www.globenetrealty.com.au (07) 3865 4466 Shop 5, 2281 Sandgate Rd, Boondall, Qld 4034 www.indiantimes.com.au

2

1

1

Usha Chandra 0419 775 416 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Real Estate News

Buying a property... Brisbane market reia.com.au

Yvette Burton - reiqblog.com SALES MARKETS Over the September quarter, the median house price in Brisbane increased 0.6 per cent to $530,000 and increased 3.4 per cent over the year ending September.

Although the median house price remained stable, preliminary numbers of house sales in Brisbane continued to grow, up 13 per cent between the June and September quarters. Sales volumes were also up on the September quarter last year, which was a particularly busy quarter with the reinstatement of the principal place of residence concession.

While sales numbers for the sub-$350,000 bracket fell over the quarter, all other price points recorded similar increases in activity, a sign that the improved market conditions is spreading for all segments of the house market.

This is further evident in the mix of suburbs to record the strongest growth in activity over the quarter, with the likes of Wooloowin, Chapel Hill, Eight Mile Plains and Wynnum West making the top four, with their respective median house prices ranging from about $445,000 to $659,000.

The unit and townhouse market similarly recorded an increase in sales activity over the quarter, up 13 per cent, while the median sale price for Brisbane remained steady at $400,000 for the quarter and for the 12 months ending September.

Top Brisbane performers to record an increase in sales activity included Paddington, Tennyson, Norman Park and Wynnum. Again, suburbs of varying median unit and townhouse sale price.

Listings statistics from RP Data are also pointing to continued improvement in the

Brisbane property market with the average days on market for houses and units sitting at 78 and 89 days respectively, both markedly lower than the same time last year.

Vendor discounting is also not as prevalent, with Brisbane recording 6.5 and 5.5 per cent discounting for houses and units respectively. Discounting was almost 1.5 per cent greater a year ago. This an indication that vendors and buyers are beginning to more quickly meet on price.

RENTAL MARKET With the increased activity in the sales market, the Brisbane rental market is conversely seeing an easing in its vacancy rate, up 0.2 percentage points to 2.3 per cent at the end of September.

REIQ accredited agents from the inner suburbs of Brisbane are reporting increased investor activity as well as tenants making the move to home ownership, which is resulting in an increase in rental supply.

While agents of outer suburbs are also reporting increased investor activity, rental demand remains strong, seeing the outer Brisbane vacancy rate remain unchanged at 2.2 per cent.

The latest rental data from the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) shows that median rents for three bedroom houses remained unchanged at $410 per week, while median rents for two bed units returned to $395 per week after dipping over the previous quarter. The median rent for a three bedroom townhouse also remained steady at $405 per week over the three months to September. Meanwhile the number of bonds lodged over the quarter was up for all of these rental property types compared to the June quarter.

FIR S

TR EL EA

SE

OWNING your own home remains one of the great Australian dreams. Whether you are a first time home buyer or a veteran of several homes, the thrill of finding the perfect home and making that successful bid or offer never wanes.

While owning a home means different things to different people, there are some common reasons for investing in a mortgage: • Building up equity in a home by making regular mortgage payments is one of the best ways for many people to save a large amount of money over time; • Unlike rent, the money you spend each month to pay the mortgage goes directly towards purchasing your own valuable asset; • Home ownership is usually a safe way of investing money over a long period, and, depending on location and other factors, the value of the asset is likely to appreciate over time; • When you own your own home, you no longer face problems associated with renting — no visits from the landlord, no need to renew a lease every 12 months or so, no need to ask permission when you want to make improvements; and • Many people anticipate that owning their own home will make things easier when they retire.

Buying a property is not only one of the largest purchases you’re likely to make, it can also be one of the best long-term investments — so it’s important you get it right. This means doing your homework and making sure that the property you are buying is the right one in terms of price, location, value, size and lifestyle.

To assist you in making your decision to purchase, the REIA has developed a fact sheet which highlights everything you will need to consider before making a purchase.

To obtain a copy of the fact sheet Buying a Property visit www.reia.com.au/buyingreal-estate-property.php/buying and click on link.

Costs associated with buying a property Costs associated with buying and selling a residential property will involve some, if not all of the following items, depending on the state or territory where the property is bought, and how the property is bought: • stamp duty: the state tax imposed on documents or "instruments" that record contracts of sale and some loan applications. In each state and territory, stamp duty is payable on the property purchased and in most cases must be paid prior to settlement.

Stamp duty is payable on the amounts borrowed for mortgages in all states (excluding ACT and NT).

• conveyancing/solicitor’s fees: comprise the legal fees for the time involved in the conveyancing and the disbursements, ie the cost of searches, enquiries etc in respect to the property • land transfer registration fee • mortgage registration fee • mortgage discharge fee • other fees, eg loan application/establishment, building inspection, pest inspection, removalists.

For further information on costs involved in buying a property contact your state or territory Real Estate Institute.

update....

LEVEL ELEVATED LAND from $260,000 Build your new home in an elevated position in Brisbane’s premium South Western suburbs.

Heathwood Avenues is an exclusive new estate neighbouring the established quality homes of Parkwood and just minutes from every convenience of Forest Lake.

AVVE/29-BIT

yypically Our Stage 1 Land Release offers a choice of easy-build homesites up to 746sqm (TTypically 500sqm), all level and many aspected to capture distant views and cooling breezes.

• Stroll to Parkwood Village convenience shopping • 3 Minutes to Forest Lake Village & schools • Handy to Citylink Rail Station & Motorways • Easy access to Indooroopilly & Sunnybank • 30 Minutes to Brisbane CBD

VISIT OUR ONSITE SALES CENTRE The Avenue (off Stapylton Road), Heathwood, Brisbane UBD Map 238 Q-4

1300 708 77445

www.heathwoodavenues.com.au Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 31

Business Directory AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

FASHION OUTLETS

CIVIL MARRIAGE CELEBRANT

MIGRATION SERVICES

PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEOGRAPHY

HAIR & BEAUTY SERVICES UNREEL EYES - VIDEO/PHOTO Your Eyes - My Lens...

Weddings, Events, Parties, Love Stories, Videography & Photography.

Call 1300 308 618 or visit www.unreeleyes.com E: info@unreeleyes.com Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/unreeleyes

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Lekh Ram Sukh Civil Marriage Celebrant, JP (Qual) Ph/Fax: (07) 3287 7132 - Mob: 0421 351 061 ArE: e lekhram@tpg.com.au you working in Automotive Workshop! www.lrams.com

COURSES Come talk-toAUTOMOTIVE us about getting qualified

Covert your Skills into Australian Recognized Qualifications

PH 3846 7774 - admin@intech.edu.au

ENTERTAINMENT

Enrol now in courses:

Automotive Mechanical Automotive Diesel (Cert 3) Automotive Electrical Cert 3) Automotive Management (2 years ) Engineering投Welding and Fabrication (Cert 3) Information chnology (Cert 4 & Dip & Adv Dip) Business (Cert 4, Diploma & Advanced Diploma)

2

ar Advanced Diploma in IT 2 year Business Courses 2 ar Diploma o T Package up to 3 years or more Www.intech.edu.au RTO30100, CRICOS 02035F

28 Russell Street or 44 Hope Street, South Brisbane, QLD, Tel: 3846 7774

JEWELLER

RELIGIOUS SERVICES For all 16 Vedic Sanskaar Sanskrit prayers: Hawans, Weddings, Death rites; new homes, anniversaries, birthdays etc Pandit Dr G A Tularam 0403 819 327 or email a.tularam@griffith.edu.au

TABLA LESSONS

Advertisements in Business Directory recieve a FREE listing on www.indiantimes.com.au To advertise email admin@indiantimes.com.au or call 07 3356 0102 32 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

www.indiantimes.com.au

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Business Directory SOLICITOR / MIGRATION AGENT

Classifieds....

BUSINESS FOR SALE

MATRIMONIAL 54 year old widow, Fiji born, Hindu and holder of Australian PR looking for a suitable partner aged between 43-54. Calls from those already in Brisbane or those willing to relocate to Brisbane only.

Mobile number is 0413933625.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Son, Sydney based, 31 yrs, Hindu, slim, fair, 160cms, divorced after brief marriage, graduating part-time, government job. Seeking bride and respectful to elders. Email humtum772012@gmail.com or text +61438235205

POSITIONS VACANT

BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES DEADLINES FEBRUARY 2014 ISSUE! Advertisers 27 January 2014 Business Directory / Classified Advertisers 31 January 2014 Article / Photo submissions: 27 January Brisbane Indian Times welcomes article / photo submissions for publishing, please note word count is not to exceed 400 words

BOOK YOUR BUSINESS DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIED TODAY!

(supplied in word document and photo’s supplied as attached high res jpg files - photo’s in word documents are not accepted, low resolution images will not be published)

LISTINGS START FROM $11 P/M includes website listing!

CONTACT admin@indiantimes.com.au

CONTACT admin@indiantimes.com.au or call 07 3356 0102

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 33

D

SU

J

What’s on....Associations / Places of Worship...

BRISBANE BELIEVERS FELLOWSHIP - Zillmere Community Hall, 54 Handsford Rd, Zillmere. Worship time: Every Sunday at 9.30am. Activities: Holy Communion (First Sunday of the Month), Sunday school, Fasting Prayer, Youth Meeting, Bible Study and Ladies Meeting. Contact: Pastor John Thomas & Mary Thomas, Sanju P. (Secretary) Phone: 0402 551 220 / 0402 907 776 or 0422 815 782 / Email: maryhoney59@hotmail.com -------------------------------------------Brisbane Christian Assembly, Herston, QLD. - Saturday from 6pm to 9pm. We are praying and God has been doing miracles in many people’s life. Contact Pastor Prakash Jacob 07 3162 5207 or 0413 347 562. 5/15 Aberleigh Road, Herston QLD 4006 prakashjacob@yahoo.com / Ph: 07-31625207, 0413 347 562 -------------------------------------------Brisbane Malayalee Association - For information contact Secretary Rajni Nair on 0431 299 376 or President Gigie George on 0432 510 045 brisbane.malayaleeassociation@ gmail.com / www.brisbanemalayalee.org -------------------------------------------Brisbane Multinational Church - 757 Gympie Road Lawnton. Church service time is from 9.30am to 11.30am. Special times of prayer for the sick. We will be praying for people with all kinds of sicknesses, needs, spiritual problems etc. This will be followed by free lunch, service time 9.30am -12 noon. For more information please contact Pastor Joseph Dass on 0424 180 240 or Assistant Pastor Shrish Chand on 0450 612 304.

-------------------------------------------Brisbane Sikh Temple (Gurdwara) 2679 Logan Rd, Eight Mile Plains. www.brisbanesikhtemple.org.au.

Sunday Service 9am to 1pm. Weekdays evening service 6pm to 7pm including meditation. Mr Baljit Singh Secretary (for all bookings enquiries) Ph: 0412 057 554, secretary@brisbanesikhtemple.org.au.

Gianni Kuldeep Singh Priest of Brisbane Sikh Temple (for all religious functions) Ph: 0422 705 936. priest@brisbanesikhtemple.org.au -------------------------------------------Burnie Brae, a Senior Citizen’s Centre in Chermside, meet on the 1st and 3rd

Monday of every month. Please contact Sandra or Naomi on 07 36242141 -------------------------------------------Eben-Ezer Pentecostal Church, Brisbane – Sunday School, Prayer & Fasting, Youth meeting & worship (Malayalam) Contact: Pastor Mathew Tharian 07 3165 7617, 0431 413 482 or Eng. Victor George 07 3359 8946, 0413 069 477.

-------------------------------------------Ekta Women’s Group, meetings last Sunday of every month from 2-4pm. For further information contact President Mrs Kushla Sahai 3344 4715, Vice President - Mrs Kusum Prasad 3209 5174.

-------------------------------------------Fiji Senior Citizens’ Satsang Association of Qld Inc -1 Kensington Place, Wishart 4122. Monthly meetings held on th last Sunday of the month at 2pm. Contact President Surendra Prasad OAM 3849 5435, Secretary Raymond Saran 3290 0653.

-------------------------------------------Forest Lake AOG Church - Hindi Service - Second Sunday of every month - commencing @ 4.30pm. Cnr of Alpine Place & Forest Lake Boulevard Road.

Contact Sudesh on 0401 519 541.

-------------------------------------------Hindi Speaking Christian Fellowship Meets at 2.30 p.m. last Sunday of each month at Merthyr Uniting Church, 52 Merthyr Rd, New Farm. All welcome.

Contact Irene 3715 8659.

-------------------------------------------Hindu Mandir Association of Queensland - Shree Laxmi Narayan Mandir - 46 Daymar Street, Burbank Qld. Every Sunday 4pm to 6pm Bhajan/Kirtan, Arati and Dinner is provided. Every 1st Sunday of month from 2-4pm - Program by Brisbane Bhajan Group. All welcome. www.laxminarayan.com.au For further information contact: Resident Priest 07 3216 8848, Rakesh Sharma 0411 289 202 -------------------------------------------Hindu Society of Queensland Inc. Gayatri Mandir (178 Lyndhurst Rd, Boondall). Gayatri Mandir opens every Sunday from 8am to 11am. Mandir opens with Punditji. Weekly Programs & Mandir Openings: • Every Tuesday from 7pm - Ramayan & Bhajan recitals • Every 2nd & 4th Friday from 7.00pm –

Astrology Aries - March 21 - April 20 The year 2014 begins on a positive note for you, and you can be sure of being in an enthusiastic, raringto-go mode, as the year begins. However, it is still advisable that you go slow. Avoid being impulsive, since there is a possibility of you committing an error of judgement. As far as your love life is concerned, uncertainty and tentativeness may continue to prevail, for most part of the year ahead. In fact, according to Ganesha, love matters may actually become a cause of concern for you. Beware! For this may also cause resultant ripples in your professional life – leaving you clueless or confused. On your career front, there will be some definite movements – which may also mean a new assignment, a change that will be, most likely, pleasant. Ganesha also predicts that your career may take a specially positive turn, during the last few months of the year 2014. Financially, you may face problems during 2014, especially as there may be some issues regarding the balance between inflow and outflow of cash. Cut down unnecessary expenditure!

Ramayan & Bhajan Recitals. • Open Every Sunday from 9.00am – 12.00pm For further information contact President Prakash Shandil 0408 876 414 -------------------------------------------Indian Church Service News - Every Sunday 9.30am - 11.00am. Southern Springs Community Church 59 Marshall Road, Rocklea. Contact Ps. Sivanus Naidu (Senior Pastor) 3274 2542 or 0417 197 747 -------------------------------------------Indian Senior Citizen Association - The Committee meetings are held 2nd Sunday of every alternate month from 2pm to 4pm or more often as the situations arise.

For further information contact, President: Mr Bir Sahai 3344 4715 / 0411739045, Vice Presidents: Mr Ram Sumer 3349 7238, Mr NK Sharma 3711 4201.

-------------------------------------------International Congress of Fiji - for more information contact Sarat Maharaj 3263 2093 or 0407 111 709 or visit www.icfi.org.au -------------------------------------------International Multicultural Christian Fellowship - Worship & Word every Sunday at 9.30am to 11.30am followed by free sausage sizzle - everyone welcome. For full details of events contact Pastor Raj Singh 0407177117 or rajmavisforjesus @yahoo.com.au / www.elevatechurch.org.au -------------------------------------------Islamic Society of Gold Coast - Cnr Allied Drive & Olsen Avenue, Arundel.

For more information visit www.goldcoastislam.com.au -------------------------------------------Islamic Society of Queensland hosts Zikre Mustapha programme Program starts from Maghrib to Isha Prayers. 2nd Saturday of the month at Rochedale Mosque - 2664 Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains. Dinner provided to all after Isha Namaz. For enquiries contact Imam Ali on 0407 156 527, Asif Ali Khan on 0411 516 007.

-------------------------------------------Kannada Sangha Qld Inc - Promoting Kannada culture, Kannada activities and community based events and functions.

For more information contact: President Dr Balaji Hiremagalur 0421 583 273 Secretary Navin Kumar 0413 164 401, kannada sanghaqld@gmail.com -

www.chandana-brisbane.org. 52 Parkway Crescent Murrumba Downs Qld 4503.

-------------------------------------------Lourde Matha Malayalee Community - Every month Malayalam Mass (Qrbana) in Brisbane. For more information about upcoming events. Contact Fr. Thomas Areekuzhy 4697 3177 youth coordinator. Siju Mathew 0432 192 558.

-------------------------------------------Malayalee Association of Qld – For a detailed list of upcoming events, contact the President C K Oonnikrishnan Nair on 0416 927 100 or ckuknair_maq@hotmail.com E: maq@brisbanemalayalee.org or visit www.brisbanemalayalee.org.

-------------------------------------------Melmaruvathur Aadhiparasakthi Brisbane Mandram - For more information contact Sakthi Para 0438 778 483, Sakthi Jayanthan 0402 907 064 or Sakthi Kalyanasundaram 0411 165 067 -------------------------------------------Nexus Church - 151 Flockton Street, Everton Park Qld. For more information please call 07 3353 1377 or visit www.nexuschurch.com.au -------------------------------------------Public Zikre Mustapha programme Program starts from Maghrib to Isha Prayers. Last Saturday of the month at Logan Mosque - 260 3rd Avenue, Kingston. Dinner provided free to all after Isha Namaz. For enquiries contact the chairman Mr Nawab Khan on 3209 4627 -------------------------------------------Queensland Fiji Football Association QFFA - For information visit facebook: QueenslandFijiFa or www.qffa.com.au -------------------------------------------Queensland Telugu Association - For a list of upcoming events and membership information, please contact: Secretary, Mr Sai Gollapudi on 0409 907 934 or email saigollapudi@yahoo.com -------------------------------------------Sant Mat (Sant Baljit Singh) - Sant Mat is a practical path based on meditation on the inner Light and Sound, ethical values, service to others and love for all creation.

For further information contact 1800 462 193 or visit www.santmat.net.au -------------------------------------------Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir - 86 Scotts Lane, North Maclean, Qld 4280. Our Dharam Guru Param Pujya Pundit

Tripathi Ji resides at Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir. Daily opening Hours: 7-11am / 5-8pm. Every Sunday: 4 to 6pm. Bhajans / Kirtan, prawachan, Prasadam and Maha Prasadam. For more information contact 0481 238 360 -------------------------------------------Sri Selva Vinayakar Koyil (Ganesha Temple) and Hindu Education Centre 4915 – 4923 Mt Lindsay H’way South Maclean. Temple Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11:00am and 5:00pm – 8:30pm.

Pooja times – Weekdays 9:00am and 7:30pm. Weekends 9:00am and 6:00pm.

Contact President Vimal “Vic” Ratnam 0411 594 394, Temple Priest 07 5547 7302. For full list of upcoming events please visit www.sriselvavinayakar.org -------------------------------------------St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Brisbane Malayalam Holy Qurbono, Sunday School and other spiritual activities. Holy Qurbono celebrated

by Rev. Fr. Jigi Varghese at 2pm on the third Saturday of every month at St Mary’s & Joseph’s Coptic Orthodox Church, 2 Hamish Street Calamvale Qld 4116.

For more information about upcoming events and activities please contact: Dr. Joy Pynadath 0431 631 397, Joy Mathew 0403 114 470.

-------------------------------------------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. For further information please contact Director/Religious Activities, Mr S Barataraj on 0417 588 839 or gchcan@gmail.com or visit www.goldcoasthindu.org.

-------------------------------------------TOUCH Group of families Program includes Bollywood dance, Sri Lankan dance, Saomoa cultural dance, fashion show, musical program. Anyone who would like to join can contact touch.families@gmail.com or call Sripathy & family 0432 768 607, Vijekumar & family 3823 4628.

-------------------------------------------Vaishnav Sangh of Qld. For more information email tvsoqld@hotmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/groups/tvsoq --------------------------------------------

www.ganeshaspeaks.com 2014 PREDICTIONS decisions only after considering all the pros and cons.

A work change may be unavoidable, but avoid furious job-hopping at all costs!

Cancer - June 22 - July 22 Family and finances shall take the centrestage for the better part of the year. If you are single, be prepared to wait for some more time to meet your soul-mate. Well, there will be some romantic encounters but none of them is likely materialise into a serious relationship. Those in a committed relationship may find stars in their favour if they take their relationship to the next level this year.

Financially, you will be in a much better position during 2014. On the business front, you may have to take risks to expedite growth. But the decision to push your luck may be a delicate one as your progress is at stake.

Look before you leap, advises Ganesha. On the job front, the year ahead may prove to be a favourable one as the planetary alignment indicate that salary increment and promotion are in store for you. You may also consider changing your career altogether. However, don't take an impulsive decision about it.

Saturn may also affect the job front and slow down your progress.

Libra - September 23 - October 22 The planetary alignment indicate that you will have trouble controlling your temper during the year ahead. Be very careful of your words and actions as even petty issues may go out of hand in no time. As far as your love life is concerned, there will some ups and downs during year 2014. Be unbiased and practical while sorting out issues with your beloved, else you will not be able to stop things from going bad to worse. This year, you need to be very clear about how you are going to handle your finances. According to Ganesha, you should pay special attention to your spendings and cash outflow.

Whereas for your business, it may prove to be an excellent year. In all likelihood, you will come across lucrative business opportunities. The transiting Jupiter may bring you a favourable period on the career front in the form of a promotion or an increment. Well, be prepared to accept more responsibilities.

Scorpio - October 23 - November 21 Ganesha foresees you making sincere efforts to organise your life and be disciplined. However, your hard-work may not fetch expected results.

You may wish to propose to someone special and get into a serious relationship. But it is advisable that you first ensure that you two are compatible enough. Some sort of uncertainty may creep in your married life. You may need to handle the relationship very carefully, else the differences may widen the abyss (if any) between you. Financially, you will have a smooth sailing during the year ahead. However, don't take the good times for granted. Besides, a lot will depend on your ability to manage money when expenses shoot up just out of nowhere. The growth of your business may be very slow and disappointing to an extent. On the job front, you may expect rewards and recognition for your hard-work and sincerity. A promotion or an increment is foreseen, but be patient.

Taurus - April 21 - May 22 Opportunities and challenges are a part and parcel of life.

Leo - July 23 - August 22 This year, you need to be ready to tackle them You may go through some major changes in both with full and equal enthusiasm. More so, the coming year and some long-cherished because with success some failures are foredreams may now be realised. The planetary seen too in 2014 for you. Be confident, otherwise the positions indicate a love affair in your life, so if setbacks may seem more disappointing than they actu- you have feelings for someone, go ahead and propose ally are. Plus, if you lose momentum, you may only to them, and get ready to embark on an amorous, take more time to acquire back the momentum. romantic journey. However, for the married ones, the Matters of the heart may be somewhat dull and boring, going may get tough this year, especially owing to cerduring the initial few months of 2014. You will also tain domestic matters, which may cause conflict. The need to put in enough efforts to nurture your relationfirst half of the year is not very favourable for moneship and make it stronger. Financial security is of tary matters too. Ganesha strongly advises you to be utmost importance to you, and in all likelihood, you careful with your finances, and urges you to banish will try and strengthen your financial stability in the any thoughts of taking loans to invest in get-rich-quick coming year. The rising value of your investments may schemes. On the business front, you may be tempted be much helpful in this endeavour. As for your career, to push your luck and introduce some experimental Ganesha says that you will need to positively accept strategies. Behold, for the first few months of the year the change to make your growth as a professional may not be very helpful. However, the scenario may more visible. Success and fame may not come right change during the second half of 2014, so you can away, though. Business shall function smoothly. shift gears then. Be patient! Similar may be the case Sagittarius - November 22 - December 22 Gemini - May 23 - Jun 21 on the career front. Avoid any impulsive decision The first few months of year 2014 may be quite During the year 2014, you need to take a regarding your career issues. dull. However, things will gradually gain some good care of yourself. Ensure at all times Virgo - August 23 - October 22 pace and soon you may find yourself busy with that your health and energy levels are in top Ganesha predicts that you will kick start the matters related to finance, family and work commitshape, or the other aspects of your life may year on a positive note. During the first half ments. The year ahead may prove tricky for your marget adversely affected. In the matters of heart, this of 2014, your love life may blossom. In fact, ried life as there are chances that you will have a tough doesn't seem to be a very exciting year, especially if there is a strong possibility of you falling head time maintaining your loyalty towards your spouse. you happen to be single or unattached at the moment. over heels in love. If you are married, spend quality There may be temptations, instigating you to stray Occasional romance, flings and flirty exchanges may time with your spouse and work on your relationship from your relationship path. Watch out! Saturn's trancome your way, but a serious relationship is not on the even if there may be no major problems at this point sit through the 12th House from your Sign may make platter in 2014. However, if you are married or are in in time. Financially, you will find yourself in a much it difficult for you to strike a balance between inflow a committed relationship, you may have a wonderful better position during 2014. However, keep in mind and outflow of cash. Cut down on unnecessary expentime with your beloved – the going shall be smooth, in that the outflow of cash may increase after July. diture to dilute the intensity of the issue. Nevertheless, short. You will try to strengthen your bond, and shall Hence, you better create enough cash reserves before it may be an auspicious period for your business. come closer to each other. In matters other than theses, that. Plan your budget in such a way that you don't However, pay enough attention to the financial aspect the planetary positions strongly suggest that you keep have to ask for monetary help when the expenses of your business. At work, you will get a number of a close watch on your finances, or a financial crunch shoot up. Since Saturn is transiting through your opportunities to showcase your skills and creativity, may become unavoidable. Competition on the busicharts, business growth may be much slower than your foresees Ganesha. Make the most of this favourable ness front may get fiercer during 2014, hence ensure expectations. You should avoid risks, and take the tried period! that you make foolproof strategies. Take career-related and tested route on the business front. The transiting Disclaimer: This is only a guide and is not directed towards any particular individual and the writer shall not be responsible for anything to

34 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

www.indiantimes.com.au

Capricorn - December 23 - January 30 Workaholic that you are, there is a strong possibility that you may become highly ambitious this year, and may end up putting everything else on the sidelines. This imbalance between your professional and personal life may create a communication gap between you and your loved ones. If you desire to get into a serious relationship, avoid popping the question during the first three months of 2014. Also, the first quarter of 2014 may be rather tricky for those in committed relationships. Hence, handle matters related to your love life tactfully and maturely. In business, you may remain confused about what to do next. Rather than leaving it all to chance, you should trust your abilities and decisions, and take definitive action. The negligible movements and momentum on the work front, though, may make you want to change your job. Ganesha suggests that you should first focus on your current job, and make adjustments according to the demands of your job profile. However, make sure that your co-workers don't take you for granted, or treat as you a pushover.

Aquarius - January 21 - February 19 During the course of the year 2014, you may become more open-minded, gaining respect for your changed outlook and attitude. This enhanced positivity will affect all the other areas of your life. Whether you are single or married, you will enjoy a wonderful time on the love front. However, as far as the financial matters are concerned, an average year is foreseen for you. You will end up getting involved in a number of activities to generate more income. But, in all likelihood, only a few of these endeavours will actually increase your income. On the business front, you will chalk out some expansion plans, deciding and itching you to put these plans in practice at the earliest. However, Ganesha advises you to put those plans on hold - as the planets are not favourably aligned for your business. At work, there may be some disappointments and many a times, you may not be rewarded or appreciated for your hardwork and sincerity. But, it is advisable that you stay focussed and objective despite such setbacks.

Pisces - February 20 - March 20 The year ahead may bring some tough challenges for you, but if you channelise your energies in the right direction, you will be able to deal with the tough times in a much better manner.

When it comes to matters related to your love life, you hardly listen to anyone. Ganesha suggests that you should utilise the year ahead to resolve your love life related issues. Financial matters too shall be handled carefully. Plan your expenses, set a budget for them and avoid shopping sprees by all means, and you will be just fine. Business may fetch substantial profits, and it is recommended that you save some money now, instead of pumping them back in the business. The savings will help you absorb losses or lower profits nicely. As for your career, Ganesha predicts that things may drastically change post June 2014. If you are offered a job that requires you to relocate to another city, check all the pros and cons of your decision, before accepting the offer and making a major move. do with the article content.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Bollywood & Entertainment Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi’s first regional film, ‘72 Miles Ek Pravas’ selected for the prestigeous ‘Pune International Film Festival’ AFTER taking the world by storm with their first Bollywood Film Production OMG Oh My God, Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi have embarked on a journey of creating milestones in the entertainment industry with their regional ventures, 72 Miles Ek Pravas, a critically acclaimed Marathi regional film, and Bhaji in Problem, a Punjabi regional film which has garnered admiration internationally.

72 Miles Ek Pravas received positive feedback from international audiences when it was shortlisted at the celebrated London Indian Film Festival. Grazing Goat Pictures has now etched another feather in its hat with the film having its second reputable screening at the illustrious ‘12th Pune International Film Festival’ (PIFF). Of the 500 entries in the international feature competition section for PIFF, 14 films have been shortlisted. Out of 35 entries in the Marathi feature competition, only seven movies have been selected, one of which being 72 Miles Ek Pravas, alongside national award-winning filmmaker Nagraj Manjule’s ‘Fandry’, Aditya Sarpotdar’s ‘Narbachiwadi’, Laxman Utekar’s ‘Tapaal’, Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar’s ‘Astu’, and ‘Rege’ by Abhijit Panse. Other categories at the festival include, World Competition, Animation, Live Action, Global Cinema 73, Country Focus, Retrospective, Indian Cinema Today, Legends We Remember, Tribute, Special Screening: NFDC and Gems from NFAI. 72 Miles Ek Pravas, which was the duo’s debut into regional film fraternity, has stirred waves with its concep-

tual excellence and moving screenplay. A hard-hitting, poignant tale of a young boy who makes his journey into self-actualization against the backdrop of a rustic India, 72 Miles Ek Pravas, explores a beautiful, coming of age journey for the 13 year old boy Ashok and the companionable relationships he makes through his journey.

Akshay and Ashvini are confident that their film will touch the hearts of the audiences at the PIFF and give them a visual introspect of Ashok Vatkar’s autobiography. Inspired from the novel with the same name, 72 Miles Ek Pravas explores the impact of a woman named Raddhakka, on protagonist Ashok.

Commenting on the film Ashvini said, “We at Grazing Goat Pictures couldn’t have asked for a better end to 2013 and start in 2014. This has been an eventful year for us and to end it on such a positive note has just strengthened our

plans further to bring quality entertainment to our audiences. Starting out with OMG which received a phenomenal response followed by the hard hitting 72 Miles Ek Pravas and then ending the year on a lighter note with Bhaji in Problem, this year has been greatly rewarding.

However we lost one of our precious jewels Mr. Rajeev Patil which was the greatest loss to our team. We pay our tribute to him and the great work that he has contributed to the Indian film Industry which we can very proudly showcase at such an extensive platform”.

Commenting on the film, Akshay Kumar said, “72 Miles marks our first regional film and we’re delighted at the great honour and prestige the film has brought to the entire team of Grazing Goat Pictures. This project would have not been what it is today without Mr. Rajeev Patil’s impeccable direction and contribution to the film. We hope to continue the legacy and generate entertainment with great substance which will connect with our audiences. We would like to thank all audiences for all the love and appreciation they have bestowed upon us.”

Spearheading investment into quality, subject-driven, filmmaking, Grazing Goat Pictures is taking Hindi and regional cinema to new heights with a range of innovative and fresh projects. Renowned for thought-provoking, unique and emotive film making across boundaries and genres, Grazing Goat Pictures delves deep to bring the audience films that are cutting edge and high-concept, resonating with multiple audiences domestically and across shores.

The Salman Khan interview you must not miss!

Team HT Cafe, HT - January 12, 2104 THERE comes a stage, when we take stock of things. And Salman Khan clearly seems to be in that decided phase of his life.

Unshackling his troubled thoughts and mentally liberating himself from all his extra baggage, Salman, we gathered from this hour-long conversation, is a new man today — fearless and uninhibited from head to toe.

Friday, January 10, had been a super busy day for the actor. Surprisingly, Salman appeared fresh when he met us at Mehboob Studios that evening. As if reactivated by a new energy, he jumped into the conversation, incessant and remitting, despite repeated urges by his manager to wrap it up for the day. Team HT Café loves this new Salman. In this in-depth interview, he discusses the recent flak Bollywood got for performing at the Saifai Mahotsav in Uttar Pradesh, his take on politics, being a godfather in Bollywood, the new ‘Dr Love’ title, charity and obviously his next, Jai Ho. In the new year is there something that you want to change about yourself?

I just want to let myself go and fight. I don’t want to control or stop myself from not saying this or that and worry that people might misunderstand me or I might hurt someone. These things kept me in control but I have let it go now. Today, I can stand up and say no to anything — like I won’t do this or support that. Also there was the fear of the court cases. If by chance you offend someone or hurt your image, but today I don’t give a damn. That fear is gone. We are going to fight it out in court and do everything in our power. If it is written in my destiny, then no one can set me free and if it is not written then no one can put me in jail.

You seem to be angry that stars, including you, got flak for performing at the Saifai Mahotsav in Uttar Pradesh.

Please understand that actors are entertainers and our existence is because of our fans.

We add cheer to their lives. Yet despite that, many of us do a lot of charity work. Other than donating our hard-earned money we also spend a lot of time going to charitable events, visiting ailing patients, cheering our soldiers on the border etc. Katrina Kaif gave Rs. 5 crore to charity this year, including Rs. 1 crore which came to my Being Human charity. I think we must acknowledge and respect these facts. In the fight between the media and the politicians, why bring us in the picture? We get paid from one particular person to enthral lakhs of fans waiting there to enjoy for a few hours.

When Michael Jackson came here Sohail, Sanju (Sanjay Dutt), and I went to see him.

Today we remember the concert. We try to

give people the same thing. We take that trouble. They take back the pleasure of seeing their idol and hero who they will never get to see.

You mentioned recently that you’ve become boring.

Oh, that’s for me to understand. The media didn’t leave my personal life alone, so much so that I had no personal life. But I’ll be interesting for you. Now I’ll get back to being my real self which is a fun Salman.

He’ll come out soon, but in a good way.

Anger-wise, I’m still the same. I know I shouldn’t get so angry but it happens only for the right reasons even if people may disagree.

Your father, Salim Khan mentioned on Karan Johar’s chat show that many friends misused you. What’s your take on that?

I don’t think anyone has misused me. I’ve willingly done what I’ve to do. Perhaps, at times, I did films for friends and got fed up midway. I must have agreed as the initial idea sounded good. So if it’s anybody’s fault then it’s mine.

You are probably the only star that has launched so many new talents in the industry and become a godfather…

Not godfather. Somebody gave me a break so I am doing the same. It’s also because my upbringing has been very correct.

There’s no insecurity or jealousy. I like people to be successful and have a great future ahead. If you are doing well, your family is doing well. Every day that I don’t work I feel guilty.

Your dad said on a TV show that two stars can never be good friends (when asked about Salman and SRK). Do you agree?

I tried my best (to patch up with Shah Rukh) and I still keep trying. I think there is a possibility; there’s a hope that we can still be friends, all of us (including Aamir Khan). When we were growing up, we

36 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

were very close. Then marriage, families, children and their own problems drifted us apart. Then the insecurity of the box-office number game, prices, big films and bigger fan bases started building up. Perhaps that subconsciously widened the distance. I still believe that there’s friendship and you will know for sure when somebody is in trouble.

I pray that nobody is in trouble ever, but God forbid if someone is, I’d be there for them.

You seem to have become this agony uncle doling out advice to Aamir post his divorce and now Hrithik Roshan after his separation.

No. He (Hrithik) just came to meet me and stories started floating out. I can’t give advice even to myself. If I’d listened to myself and followed it through, I’d have reached a different level altogether. Perhaps they think my experience is more than theirs and I think theirs is more than me, because stories have only been written about me. I wish some of them were true.

You’ve now been directed by both your brothers — Arbaaz and Sohail. What’s the difference between the two?

Arbaaz is methodical, very prepared and rehearsed. It was his first film so he had to get into that space. Half way through the film even he was improvising, and was comfortable with the change in shots, among other things. Sohail has worked with me three times earlier. So he was very aware of the way I work. Sohail adapts faster because there’s that much experience too. Apart from this, there’s no difference at all. Arbaaz was a part of this film too and Sohail was a part of Dabangg 2 (2012); we’ve all made this (Jai Ho) together.

The publicity of the film is low key. Are you that confident about people watching it or is it a strategy?

I feel publicising a film too much might just kill it. You end up saying the same things over and over again. Till the time you have different things to say about the same film, you can phrase it differently and correctly. But once you start losing interest, the whole exercise is pointless.

What kind of reactions have you got for the promos of Jai Ho? I’ve not interacted with my fans to gauge their response. But from what I have heard, it is good. I’m happy with that. I won’t say, ‘Oh! We should’ve worked harder.’ But I do feel we should’ve started promos a month and a half ago. Also, we’re very late for the music release. We won’t be able to reap the benefits of the outstanding music in the film. When the music is a hit, people go to watch the film for that one hit song — we won’t get that advantage.

Is there a social message in Jai Ho? Not at all. It’s not an andolan but a greeting

www.indiantimes.com.au

like – Hi, How are you? Jai Ho. It’s like ‘What’s up’?

I also don’t understand how the one dialogue of aam aadmi is being connected to Arvind Kejriwal. The dialogue has nothing to do with his party or him or anyone else.

He’s not the actor in Jai Ho, Salman Khan is.

The movie is about good versus evil. It’s a well-meaning film and we have put our heart and soul into it. When people come out of the theatre, they should take a little bit of that. We want to tell people to take a stand and not get pushed around.

Today, films are crossing Rs. 200 crores.

Do you also worry about box-office collections and competition?

Who would not want their film to reach Rs. 300 and Rs. 400 crores? The fact that your film is good and that people have seen it and appreciated it, is a greatcompliment.

You will feel happier if it is the biggest hit and it gets bigger collections. And if not then we will try harder next time.

Are you considering direction since both your brothers are directors now?

No, not yet. There are enough people doing it right now (in the family).

What about writing? Ever considered getting back to it?

Not now. But I can manage to write.

You have been hinting that you might not return to host Bigg Boss next season.

What’s the status?

I don’t know. I just finished a season. I am still recovering from that!

What can you tell us about the social awareness show on TV that you plan to host?

That is in the pipeline and the format is being worked out. It should be launched mid-2014.

There were reports that you might host Dus Ka Dum. Is that true?

Not at all.

How is your health now?

My health is fine. I have to go for a yearly check-up but I have delayed that by six to eight months.

Aamir didn’t go overboard with Dhoom:3’s (2013) promotion either. Do you think it will become a trend to cut down on promotions?

The reason why promotions became so over-the-top was because the producers had stopped spending money. They tried to get deals and appearances on TV (reality) shows which sufficed for publicity. Actors had to go to a lot of places to promote the movie, where they didn’t actually need to go. I feel as long as the fans know that my film releases on January 24, and they see the promos and posters in theatres – the purpose is met.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Bollywood & Entertainment Will SRK, Salman come together for Ravi Chopra?

THE two superstars may do a cameo along with a probable item number by Ranbir Kapoor in the film that plans to revive producer Ravi Chopra's banner.

The ailing filmmaker's production house is trying to bring estranged friends and co-stars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan for cameos in Bhootnath Returns. The sequel, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani in lead roles, is currently being filmed in Mumbai.

The film is being directed by Nitesh Tiwari (he co-directed Chillar Party with Vikas Bahl) and it may have Salman playing a priest in a cameo. While there is a strong buzz that Shah Rukh, who already starred in the first film, may do a cameo in the sequel, the role he may play is still unclear. However, the director denied the development, while co-producer Abhay Chopra refused to comment.

TNN

'Miss Lovely' passed with just four cuts by censor Filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia's internationally acclaimed " Miss Lovely" is set to release in India with an 'A' certificate, but without major changes in the content as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has passed the film with only four cuts.

The Censor Board originally proposed 157 cuts which have been revised over the course of one year.

"Earlier, the Censor Board objected to the foul language and sexual content in the movie. But they have been mature, fair, and kind enough to reduce it to just four blurred scenes having realised that none of the provocative content is gratuitous. There is enough steam in the gritty film to stay true

to its subject and attract audiences," a source said in a statement.

TOI

Movie review: Dedh Ishqiya Film: Dedh Ishqiya Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, and Huma Qureshi Director: Abhishek Choubey Rating: 4 1/2 stars JUST to hear these roguish, duplicitous characters walk the talk is a pleasure beyond the ordinary. Make no mistake.

“Dedh Ishqiya” walks many extra miles beyond your highest expectations. It negotiates a nawabi era long gone, or perhaps never in existence. And it does so with a bracing bewildering beguiling blend of aristocratic arrogance and ironic humility.

Welcome to the world of quaint contradictions. This is Mehmoodabad, a place close to yet far from Lucknow where time stops still. Where mushairas and mujras jostle with very contemporary preoccupations, like making fast bucks.

The one thing that can be said with supreme certainty about “Dedh Ishqiya” is that you’ve never seen such a marriage of old-world charm and new-world subterfuge before.

Who in his right mind except the utterly wacked-out Babban (Arshad Warsi) would say, “Tumhari saari nawaabi, tumhare pichwade mein ghused dunga,” and get away with it? Yup, nawaabi gets its twinkle-eyed comeuppance in this tale of the fading Begum (Madhuri Dixit) and her besotted suitors.

There is a delightful sequence in Madhuri’s mysteriously-lit inner chamber where Naseeruddin Shah and Madhuri exchange courtly confidence while their respective sidekicks discuss the pluses and minuses of latest I-Phones.

A sequence such as this draws out the dynamics of the old and the new world, and the ideological clashes that define life in certain cultures which are defined not so much by contemporary existences as by nostalgia.

This is a world that exists only as an idea.

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Director Abhishek Choubey gives a tantalising tangibility to the non-existent world in this boudoir-based burlesque where autumnal characters filch resplendent Urdu poetry from their peers and pass it off as their own to gain brownie points with the beauteous patroness of the fine arts, who incidentally is not quite what she seems.

But hush!

Without giving away the plot I’d like to say nothing is as it seems.

The roguish deceptions of two of the four principal characters, Khalujaan (Naseer) and Babban are known to us from the first film “Ishqiya”, in which the Naseer-Arshad duo more than met their match in the spunky Vidya Balan.

The location has now changed. And so have the female protagonists. The rustic cow dung compulsions of Balan’s burlesque in “Ishqiya” are now replaced by the decorous ambrosial but decadent tragic aristocracy of Madhuri’s character – Begum Para.

When we first meet Begum Para, she strikes us as a beautiful anachronism.

Honestly, this is a ‘Para’-normal situation!

Madhuri’s lahja, tehzeeb, adaas, aahen gileshikwe remind us of Meena Kumari in “Pakeezah”. But the lady has a past, and a

Indian cinema and its kite connect THE age-old tradition of kite flying is interestingly now emerging as an important compontent of some major blockbuster and award winning films.

Kai Po Che, Patang and Gattu with varied metaphorical inferences have their plots or part of their plots (songs) based on kite flying.

Even as colourful kites of all shapes and sizes dot the sky around Independence Day and Makar Sankranti every year, filmmakers find kites to be as attractive as part of the plotline and sometimes dramatic sequences or song shots in the flicks...

Gattu, 2012 Kite flying also forms the ground for Gattu, a children's film directed by Rajan Khosa.

He pans the camera around the story of a young boy who wants to win over a mysterious kite in the sky and goes out of his way to achieve this dream.

Fukrey, 2013 In the movie there is a song where young boys send kites over to the girl's terrace with 'Kya tu mujhse friendship karegi?' scrawled on it.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, 2013 The film got mixed reviews, while some called it an electrifying entertainment; others felt that director Vishal Bhardwaj failed to impress. But that didn't stop lead actors Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma from promoting the film, and they did so by flying kites (as part of Makar Sankranti celebrations when the film released).

Patang, 2011 Apart from the title of the film the story starts in Ahmedabad with six people who are taken on an extraordinary journey during India's largest kite festival, Uttarayan.

Each year a million kites circle the skies of the old city. This is a story of healing and renewal amid beauty and pain.

The Kite Runner, 2007 Based on the novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner, tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from Kabul, who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan.

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, 1999 Sanjay Leela Bansali's epic romance starring Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Ajay

onists Kai Po Che, 2013 (pictured) A typical bromance directed by Abhishek Kapoor, Kai Po Che, shot primarily in Gujarat, was based on Chetan Bhagat's The 3 Mistakes of My Life. Kai Po Che is a Gujarati word used when two kites clash and one of them cuts the line of the other.

It's a call of victory and the film celebrates the triumph of friendship in turbulent times Yeh Khula Aasmaan, 2013 Directed by Gitanjali Sinha,Yeh Khula Aasmaan, which is inspired by a real life story focusses on kite flying and revolves around a young boy protagonist's (Avinash) experiences including an extremely challenging phase of life due to academic failures. Avinash feels an immense vacuum which unfortunately his busy parents are unable to fill. In desperation, he visits his grandfather after several years. Being the best kite flyer of his era, his grand dad uses the kite to subtly impart the lessons of life to Avinash.

Kites, 2010 This romantic thriller film directed by Anurag Basu, starring Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori in the lead might not have been a BO success, but the story line revolves around star-crossed lovers who want to be free like kites in the azure sky and had its heartwarming moments.

1947 —Earth, 1998 A 1998 drama directed by Deepa Mehta, based on Bapsi Sidhwa's Ice Candy Man, Earth was set in pre-1947 India. The song Rut Aa Gayi Re depicts a kite flying scene where Aamir Khan and Nandita Das shared some close moments.

Kati Patang, 1970 Shakti Samanta's romantic classic Kati Patang dealt with the trials and tribulations of a woman, whose life becomes like a directionless kite until she meets the man of her dreams...

TOI

future. She is no walkover, although she pretends to be one.

Her lady-in-waiting (a very Shakespearean touch, that) is played by the exorbitantly sexy Huma Qureshi, who is growing into one of our more engaging contemporary actresses.

I really can’t imagine anyone but Huma bringing the same spirit of libidinous chutzpah to the character. She is in many ways superior to the film’s main attraction, Madhuri who I felt struck some wrong notes in her character’s faltering firmament.

But when Madhuri dances to Birju Maharaj’s choreography we tend to forget and forgive all the false notes in the characterisations.

We revel in the raga of a romance long gone-by.

The writing in “Dedh Ishqiya” and the Urdu dialogues are among the best we’ve heard in Hindi films of recent times. The language is a ravishing blend of the sublime and the smutty. Never experienced, never felt…

The actors are supremely in characters.

Naseer with his wizened face and twinkle eyes conveys the full weight of delayed ecstasy felt by a man belatedly in love. If recently you’ve forgotten this actor’s calibre, here’s your chance to re-discover it.

The inimitable Gulzar has a load of fun writing the songs. This is a world of poetry and music where there is room for both Begum Akhtar and Yo Yo Honey Singh.

Giving Naseer tit for tat in every scene is that bundle of implosive talent Arshad.

Kohl-lined eyes, and a sweeping vista of mischievous expression qualify Arshad’s performance. Indeed there is more ice and fire, courtship and lust, in Warsi’s scenes with Huma than there is in the temperate toned-down mock-tragic togetherness of Naseer and Madhuri.

Indeed, the film is more about same-gender bonding than about heterosexual love. I saw more chemistry between Madhuri and Huma than I did between Madhuri and Naseer.

The film is outstandingly photographed by Setu and edited by Sreekar Prasad. Both technicians here turn into artistes, who must bring into play the thumris of Begum Akhtar and the thumkas of Huma…a task easier said than done.

“Dedh Ishqiya” is at least ‘dedh times’ more delectable, saucy, audacious and amorous than “Ishqiya”. It constructs the dynamics of love and redemption from the rubble of a lost world.

It gets its indomitable storytelling power from the writing and dialogues. The four principal actors, as well as Vijay Raaz and Manoj Pahwa, imbue broad and bright shades to their fey characters. Here’s a world of poetry and parody that never coexisted anywhere else.

The world created by Choubey is at once archaic and immediate, frozen in time and yet laden with molten emotions. This is a work suffused with a sighing splendour, giggly groans and yes, a zingy ‘zubaan’ that yokes ‘shayari’ and colloquialisms.

What an enticing start to the year! BNW

www.indiantimes.com.au

Devgn was filmed in Gujarat and was one of the most colourful depictions of Gujarati culture.

The song Dheel De was a typical high energy song where a big, fat Gujarati family celebrate Uttarayan as love blooms between the main protag-

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 — 37

Sports News

Ned Flanders Cricket Club hatches new star Matt Young

THE Ned Flanders Cricket Club has found a new batting maestro, in the form of opening batsman, Ryan Hocking. Hocking blasted his way to his maiden century against the Salvation Army XI in brutal fashion.

After easing his way into his work at the start of the innings, ‘Ryano’ surged into overdrive hitting some powerful drives and some outlandish pull shots.

After peeling off his first half century of the summer, Hocking turned on some ballistic hitting. His innings contained eight sixes and numerous belligerent boundaries.

Despite never having raised triple figures for the club in the past, he showed no signs of nerves as he approached the milestone.

After blazing his way to 76, he found yet another gear as he took strike to a new over of leg spin and accelerated to an unbelievable century in the space of just four legal deliveries. The first ball of the over sailed out of the Yeronga State High School Oval and almost ended up on the adjacent train tracks. A coal train destined for the Port of Brisbane, graciously returned the ball. The next ball sailed even further into the adjoining TAFE College where some students drew up some building plans on the ball before hurling it back to the very pale and clammy bowler. No doubt intimidated by the onslaught, the pensive bowler sent the next ball wide down leg side before finding the pitch for the next ball which was then disdainfully dispatched high over long off for six more. With six required for a glorious hundred, ‘Ryano’ showed no signs of letting up on the carnage. The next delivery was very soon bouncing rapidly onto a nearby basketball court, as Hocking raised his bat in triumph and all of the assembled Flanders throng stood and applauded a great team man for his marvelous achievement. He continued to blaze away until he was caught in the dying stages of the innings for a magnificent 121. Throughout most of his knock, he was ably assisted by number three bat Leo Yin. As the rock of many Flanders innings, Yin stood firm for a valuable 31. Elevated from his usual number seven spot, Benny Field then further

pulverized the Salvation Army attack on his way to 70 before the Flanders innings ended at 5 for 262 from their 35 overs.

With plenty of runs on the board, the Flanders bowlers went all out with pace, bounce and some unerring accuracy. New ball man, Jayram Vasudevan decimated the Salvation Army XI’s top order, claiming three superb wickets in his opening seven over spell. Club legend, Brett Whalley has seen very little time on the paddock this summer, as family and career commitments have taken their toll, but the big man reveled in a rare appearance. His 2 for 28 was a flash back to his glory days and hopefully the Neddies will see more of this icon of the club after New Year. The bowler of the day, however, was another ornament of the club, vice- captain Mickey Menagh. Mick bowled with his characteristic left arm • Flanders opener Ryan Hocking blasts his way to a maiden century. swing and guile to take 3 for 8, being helped out by some fine fielding by young buck Jon Pearce.

In the previous round, more records had fallen as young firebrand Vasudevan claimed a club record with the ball. His 6 for 7 from just 5.1 lethal overs against a hapless St Paul’s Lions was a club record for a One Day match. His left arm swing and cut proved to be a lethal combination as legend was ostracised and the competition new comers found out why IT has been five years since barred from all activities.

Holland Park State High Oval has become a an acrimonious exchange Selected by a threefortress for the men in the maroon caps. At had ensued between the member jury headed by the other end, big Adam Harris was terror- Indian cricket board and one Srinivasan, Dev joined izing the Lions’ batsmen as well. His 4 for of India’s greatest cricketers the Late Eknath Solkar, 7 from six overs was based on frightening Kapil Dev over the now defunct Indian Cricket Bapu Nadkarni and pace and bounce and the only men more Farokh Engineer among timid than the batsmen were the Flanders League (ICL). The differothers, in the list of legboys standing in the slips and gully cordon. ence in stance had led to a ends who have won the The Lions men looked totally distraught ban to the legendary cricketer, who captained India to award. Among those preand broken- much like some Pommy batssent for the event were men this summer- as their innings closed at its first World Cup triumph in 1983. the New Zealand-bound Indian team and just 17 runs. 16 balls later the Flanders had On Saturday (11 January, 2014), the rela- former players Sachin Tendulkar, VVS a thumping victory in the bag and the Flanders juggernaut had continued to roll tionship between the two parties finally Laxman, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and came a full circle as the BCCI awarded Ajit Wadekar. on in thunderous fashion. So as the One Dev with the CK Nayudu Lifetime The 20th Indian cricketer to be conferred Day season reaches its crescendo, the achievement award for his contribution to the award, Dev was misty-eyed as he Neddies have secured top spot and yet Indian cricket at the Board’s annual awards accepted the prize. “When you play, it is another State Shield minor premiership, as ceremony here. the passion for the game that drives you to the competition moves into the Grand Final While the fences were mended last year work hard and not awards. But it is also stage. With the last six State Shields adorn- after Dev had resigned from his post in the pleasurable when you are recognised for ing their trophy cabinet, the Ned Flanders rebel cricket league, a public confirmation your work,” said Kapil. “We have all had Club will take a great deal of confidence of the union was finally seen on Saturday. our highs and lows, but it is with spirit that into the Grand Final. On a final note, the Sitting next to the BCCI N Srinivasan we played the game, hopefully the younger club congratulates Brendan and Pip Dillon through the duration of the event, the scene generation will take this tradition forward,” on the arrival of their lovely, little baby boy, was a far cry from 2007 when the cricket he added.

HT James. Well done.

Sour grapes no more, BCCI honours Kapil

Relaxed Moyes denies van Persie blow, praises Januzaj AFP MANCHESTER, January 12, 2014: David Moyes has brushed off suggestions that injured striker Robin van Persie is facing six more weeks out and insisted that he is coping with the pressure of Manchester United's current problems.

Those concerns were eased in a 2-0 victory over Swansea at Old Trafford on Saturday (11 January), a win that means Moyes avoids the unwanted distinction of managing the club to four consecutive defeats for the first time in 53 years.

Not for the first time this season, he relied on the individual brilliance of teenage forward Adnan Januzaj, who was comfortably United's best performer as Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck claimed vital goals.

But the mood around United was not helped by reports that van Persie could be out for a further month and a half as he takes time to recover from a persistent thigh injury.

Moyes insisted: "I don't know where that has come from. That is wrong information."

Indeed, van Persie, who has been undergoing treatment for the problem in his native Holland, was a spectator in the Old Trafford directors' box for the Swansea game although his manager's insistence on not offering a specific date for his return has

fuelled speculation that the problem is not as straightforward as initially thought.

Moyes, personally, insisted that this most taxing of weeks - which started with a home FA Cup loss to Swansea and featured a Capital One Cup defeat at Sunderland had taken no personal toll on him.

He said: "I slept very well last night. I sleep great every night. I don't struggle to sleep, not at all.

"Was there any nervousness in the dressing room? No. Not at all."

But Moyes could be thankful that Januzaj was equally unperturbed and turned in a fearless display more in keeping with a veteran international player than a novice,

38 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

first-year youngster.

"Adnan has been like that since day one. I speak to him all of the time and he's not a nervous boy," said Moyes. "He tells me he can play anywhere and that wherever he plays won't be a problem.

"He needs teaching and he needs more understanding because he is still learning the game. There are a lot of things he is already doing and he has a lot of natural talent and ability.

"In terms of natural talent, he is up there with the best and I think in time he will prove to be that."

Moyes started the game with Januzaj playing the "number 10" role, behind striker Welbeck but, after conceding a huge amount of possession to Swansea, the United manager switched Januzaj to the left wing and moved Japan international Shinji Kagawa to the role behind Welbeck, a ploy that worked to perfection.

"I moved Adnan there against Sunderland in midweek and he played very well," explained Moyes. "He can play in all the positions around the front and I wanted to see if he could give us more creativity, more chances.

"I made my mind up to make the switch at half-time and Shinji played well in the sec-

www.indiantimes.com.au

ond half and should have scored.

"He plays off the left for Japan and has played for us on the left but if you look at the quality of players we have at this club in that position, there is a lot of competition there."

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup inspired his club to their first ever win over United in the FA Cup six days earlier but saw them come up short in their bid to become the first team in history to beat the Reds on their own ground twice in the same week.

Laudrup said: "After all that had been written and said the last few days, we expected a Man United team coming out very committed from the first moment, wanting to get on top of their game.

"But I don't think that happened. We controlled it well but what really hurt us was conceding a goal after 90 seconds of the second half. They were a team with maybe a little lack of confidence, maybe nervous, but scoring after 90 seconds gives you a boost.

"Scoring a goal in that situation, after just two minutes, gives you so much confidence and players like Welbeck, Valencia, Januzaj and Kagawa are very good offensive players. They created problems for us."

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Sports News

Team India leaves Tiger to open 2014 for New Zealand; to seeking ninth Torrey play 2 Tests, 5 ODIs Pines win THE Indian squad led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni departed for New Zealand from Mumbai on Sunday 12 January for a five-match ODI series followed by a best-of-two Test rubber against the hosts.

The limited overs contest will start on January 19 at Napier and conclude on January 31 at Wellington with the other three games to be held at Hamilton (January 22), Auckland (January 25) and Hamilton (January 28) again.

The Test series will be held after that with the opener scheduled from February 6-10 (Auckland) followed by the second and final match at Wellington (February 14-18).

The tourists would play a two-day warmup game on February 2 and 3 at Whangarei ahead of the Tests.

Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Zaheer Khan, Murali Vijay and Umesh Yadav did not leave with the others yet and are slated to leave a week later.

This is India's ninth visit to New Zealand for a bilateral contest and their first since 2008-09 that they won 1-0.

The ODI team: MS Dhoni (Captain),

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Ishwar Pandey, Stuart Binny and Varun Aaron.

The Test team: MS Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishwar Pandey.

HT

Victoria Azarenka shrugs off Serena Williams favourite tag

SAN DIEGO: World number one Tiger Woods will make his 2014 debut at Torrey Pines, seeking his ninth career title at the Southern California golf course.

Officials of the US PGA Farmers Insurance Open announced that the 14-time major champion has committed to the field for the $6.1 million tournament on January 23-26.

Woods is also set to play the following week at the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic.

The commitment to Torrey Pines comes as Woods' girlfriend, reigning Olympic women's downhill ski champion Lindsey Vonn, has announced she will not attempt to defend her crown at next month's Sochi Winter Olympics because of a knee injury that will require surgery.

Defending champion Woods, who won five times last year, won his first title of 2013 at Torrey Pines, becoming the first player in US PGA Tour history to win on the same course eight times.

Woods, 38, has won the tour event seven times in his career -- including five of the past six times he has played it -- and also captured the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.

But Woods has not won a major title since that triumph as his pursuit of the all-time record of 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus has stalled.

Woods has won 79 career US PGA Tour titles, three titles shy of matching Sam Snead's all-time record.

US rival Phil Mickelson, a three-time Torrey Pines champion and two-time runner-up at the Farmers tournament, will make his first start of the year at the tournament as well.

Reigning British Open champion Mickelson, 43, hopes to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the US Open title this year at Pinehurst. "Lefty" has finished second at the US Open six times, including last year at Merion and at Pinehurst in 1999.

TOI

Zesty Zareen lands gold in Serbia MELBOURNE: Defending champion Victoria Azarenka on Sunday 12 January insisted she doesn't care that Serena Williams is seen as favourite to win the Australian Open and indicated her motivation was high to beat the world number one.

Williams has been in sparkling form, losing just five matches last year and beating Azarenka in the final of the warm-up Brisbane International tournament this month.

It has seen her installed as firm favourite to dethrone Azarenka and claim a sixth Australian Open title, her first since 2010.

"I don't really care about it, honestly. I never cared about it," the Belarusian told reporters, when asked if it bothered her that Williams was considered as the main title contender.

"I think the favourites, it's predictions that you guys love to do. For us, it's a matter of playing tennis and giving your best on the court."

The Monte Carlo-based world number two acknowledged that Williams was in some of the best form of her life and would be hard to beat.

"But I think everybody is the one to beat here. We have such a high competition right now," she said, when quizzed about Williams.

"You know, you always have to look out for every opponent you play. You cannot Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

look past anybody because everybody is prepared, everybody wants it badly.

"Comparing to her (Williams) last season, of course, everybody will be motivated to beat her."

In what could be a dress rehearsal for the Melbourne decider, Williams edged Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 in the Brisbane final with her powerful serve proving the key difference.

Despite the psychological blow of losing to her main Grand Slam rival early in the season, Azarenka said it had been good preparation for the Australian Open, where she beat Li Na last year to win her second successive Melbourne crown.

"I think it was a great preparation, the whole week in Brisbane, to play actually so many different types of players," said the 24-year-old.

"That's what you want to get in the beginning of the season and in preparation for the event like this."

Azarenka plays Sweden's Johanna Larsson first up and said she thrived on the Melbourne atmosphere.

"I just enjoy playing here," she said when asked to explain why she plays so well at Melbourne Park.

"It's the beginning of the year, I'm so motivated. I've always been really happy and motivated and inspired to play here." TOI

HYDERABAD, January 13, 2014: After Mary Kom's fabulous effort in London Olympics, yet another woman boxer from India did the country proud.

Nikhat Zareen, the 17year-old Andhra Pradesh pugilist, won a gold medal in the third Nations Cup International Boxing Tournament in Novi Sad, Serbia.

She defeated Paltceva Ekaterina of Russia 3-0 in the 51kg final to follow up on her success in the Youth World Boxing Championship in Bulgaria in September, when she had finished runnerup.

Such was Nikhat's mastery that none of her opponents logged a point against the Indian in the knockout rounds. Nikhat blanked Abdi Malika of Algeria 3-0 in the quarterfinals and Ballentine of the Netherlands 5-0 in the semifinals.

The pre-quarterfinals was no different as she defeated a Russian 3-0. "I'm happy,'' was Nikhat's first reaction when she called her parents to confirm the good news.

"It was an easy bout but the achievement is yet to sink in," Nikhat told her sister.

www.indiantimes.com.au

It was Nikhat's father, Jameel Ahmed, a real estate businessman in Nizamabad, who noticed the spark in her and enlisted her in athletics when she was 12.

During her brief stint as an athlete, she caught the eye of Dronacharya boxing coach I Venkateswara Rao of Visakhapatnam.

She joined Rao at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Visakhapatnam.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Within a year, she was declared the `golden best boxer' at the Erode Nationals in 2010.

She went on to clinch gold in the flyweight division at the AIBA Women's Junior and Youth World Championship in Turkey in 2011.

The bright young talent from the state is now targeting a gold at the Youth Olympics to be held in China. "My goal is to win gold at the Youth Olympics and qualify for the 2016 Olympics," she told TOI. Considering the progress she's made in quick time, and her steely determination, it will be no surprise if Nikhat gets more laurels to the country.

TOI

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 39

40 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, January, 2014

www.indiantimes.com.au

Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102