Update

In the mountains of northern Turkey, people might hear the strains of whistling on the breeze. It sounds like birdsong, complete with trills, chirrups and lilting whistles. But this whistling is entirely human. The next time you are in Turkey, visit Kuskoy – the village in district Canakci in Giresun province where people communicate through bird sounds. The unusual and very efficient whistle language used as a means of communication by villagers in remote northern Turkey has entered the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The United Nations Cultural Agency this week has accepted the “bird language” of Black Sea villagers as an endangered part of world heritage in need of urgent protection because it could soon be overtaken by modern

CSR NEWS When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka in March 2015, he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the nation after 28 years. The Prime Minister’s visit followed soon after Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena came to India on his first foreign trip after assuming office. In a little more than two years, Modi visited the southern neighbourhood once again from May 12- 14, 2017. The visit was said to be a religious trip but the ultimate purpose was as always strengthening bilateral economic, political and cultural ties with the island nation. Prime Minister Modi was the chief guest for the 14th International Vesak Day, which commemorates Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away. The Vesak

Meet T. Haridas, the restauranteur, entrepreneur, philanthropist from Kerala who has won the hearts of the British through healthy and mouth-watering cuisines from God’s Own Country, and that of the Malayalees through his philanthropy.     Some 40 years ago, 21-year-old Thekkumari Haridas went to London on an invitation of his uncle who worked in the Indian Foreign Ministry. Instead of enrolling in a course, a graduate then he started working as an accountant in the High Commission of India. But the earning was not enough, he felt and so he joined an Indian restaurant after he did a diploma in catering. His dedication to work and the calibre to run a restaurant business impressed the owner who handed over

Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan’s exemplary leadership, passion and enduring work ethics along with a philanthropic bent of mind today inspires many budding entrepreneurs and young achievers to contribute towards nation building. After completing his Masters in Business Management, he started his real estate business. His clear vision, down-to-earth attitude and unceasing determination, steered his companies to great heights and reputation in no time, thus setting new benchmarks for many aspiring entrepreneurs. Today, he is also known as a philanthropist for whom the nation and its people come first. Meet Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan who is the Promoter and Managing Director of Hyderabad-based MAK Projects Pvt. Ltd. and Rooshna Constructions. “I am blessed to be born in a country

CELEBRITIES In 2008, People (India) magazine named him the “Sexiest Man Alive”. He was 41 then. This year, he won the National Award for his performance in Bollywood blockbusters Rustom and Airlift. But Akshay Kumar is not just a handsome actor who woos women and men with his looks and stunts; he is a generous contributor to humanity too. A highly organised man, Akshay believes in a disciplined life. He parties less and exercises more; he works hard but doesn’t over work; he makes money and doesn’t hide it from the government. And above all this, he is one among the few successful actors of Hindi cinema, who not only earns in crores but also believes in donating a fair

CELEBRITY Many of our celebs in B-town have been lending their support (physically or monetary) for years now. And this time our cause-maker cum newsmaker is an actor who is known less for commercial cinema and more for parallel cinema. Time magazine entitled him as the ‘superstar of Indian art house cinema’ while Italy’s Maxim magazine bequeathed upon him the title of ‘the Sean Penn of Oriental cinema’. Yes! You got it right, we are talking about the sturdy actor from Kolkata – Rahul Bose. Besides having so many accomplishments to his credit in cinema, he actively participates in social causes too. His consciousness always keeps a special concern for issues which mar many aspects of humanity at large. Having

CSR BY CELEBRITIES   When the first phase of the Kochi metro was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July, the audience was ecstatic. The joy of having the first metro in the country which connects rail, road and water transport system was evident, but the whistling and clapping was for the man who led this fastest metro project to completion. The man they cheered for is an engineering genius, a man who works hard and knows how to inspire others to work hard too. Metro man, as he is popularly known as, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan modernized the public transport system in India, increasing its reach and affordability. Sreedharan’s rendezvous with impressive feats dates back to 1964 when a cyclone