Latest news with #Mansingh
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Classical dancer Sonal Mansingh conferred with Sankardeva Award in Assam
Guwahati, Eminent classical dancer Sonal Mansingh has been conferred with the Srimanta Sankardeva Award for 2023 by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya. The award was instituted by the Assam government in 1986. In a message, President Droupadi Murmu said Mansingh was an inspiration for the people of the country who faced many challenges but with grit and determination, she overcame that and has made immense contributions to the cultural world. The Vaishnav saint and social reformer Srimanta Sankardeva had spread the message of unity and equality among all sections to strengthen society, the President said. Murmu was scheduled to confer the award on Mansingh on April 25 but her visit was postponed following the terror attack in Pahalgam. She was again scheduled to arrive here on a day-long visit on Wednesday to confer the award but her visit was cancelled due to ''personal reasons". The governor said that the award to Mansingh was in recognition of her lifelong dedication to Indian classical dance, cultural advocacy, and social reform. 'This award is not just a tribute to her as a person, but a recognition of her relentless service in upholding and modernising the spirit of Indian heritage,' he added. Acharya also paid rich tributes to Srimanta Sankardeva, describing him as a spiritual luminary and cultural reformer who transcended regional boundaries to become a national symbol of unity, harmony, and inclusiveness. Speaking on the occasion, Mansingh said that she is grateful to the Assam government for honouring her with this award and this has been possible due to ''Ma Kamakhya's blessings and love of the people of the state''. She said that Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika as the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi had asked her to ascertain whether the Sattriya dance, originated from the Vaishnavite monasteries known as Sattras in Assam, can be declared a classical dance form. ''I along with some others conducted considerable research and we came to the conclusion that it should be the eighth classical dance form of the country,'' the 81-year-old Padma Vibhushan awardee said. The dance form is now performed all over the country as well as abroad and is globally famed, said the she added. Mansingh said that she has earlier presented an entire production on Sankardeva's spiritual philosophy, literary and cultural works and ''I am planning to introduce more 'Borgeets' in the repertory of Bharat Natyam and Odissi''. She was presented with an Angavastram, a gold medallion, the traditional Assamese bell-metal 'Xorai' , a citation and a cheque of ₹five lakh. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on the occasion that for decades, the dancer dedicated herself to taking forward India's classical dance forms and keeping them alive in contemporary times. "It is only fitting that she has been conferred with the Srimanta Sankaradeva Award in recognition of her contributions,'' he said. ''Culture formed the bedrock of Gurujona's teachings and his timeless creation of Sattriya is a testament to it. As the philosophies align, we are proud to present the Srimanta Sankaradeva Award 2023 to the veteran dance exponent,'' Sarma said. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who hails from Assam, described Mansingh as a guardian of Indian classical traditions who has equally honoured her social responsibilities with her art. "To honour her with this award is to affirm the values of the great saint in our contemporary cultural landscape,'' he said. Mansingh used Bharat Natyam and Odissi dance forms to raise issues of women empowerment, social justice and environment sustainability and she has inspired several generations through her work and art form, he said.
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Awe As Newlyweds Build Their Cats 'Hidden Bedroom' Inside House: 'Goals'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Some homes are designed to prioritize aesthetics while others focus more on practicality, but for Kelsey Mansingh and her husband Ryan, from Akron, Ohio, their dream home had to be just perfect for their fur-babies. Mansingh told Newsweek that when she and her husband where house hunting, they were looking for a specific feature they had in their previous home and wanted to replicate, a special room for their two felines, Stella, who's been with them for 10 years, and Socks, who showed up at their door as a stray a year and half ago and never left. "They love to hangout in the room together and this is where their food and litter boxes are located, so they spend a lot of time here," she said. In their previous home, the room was located in an unused under the stairs closet, which they turned into a cat oasis with everything they could want or need, including their food and water bowls, toys, and litter tray. Screenshots of the viral clip show the poster opening the door to her cats' room, where they are resting on their bunk beds. Screenshots of the viral clip show the poster opening the door to her cats' room, where they are resting on their bunk beds. @newbuild_newlyweds In their new home, which they renovated on their own with the help of sponsors over a period of about eight months, the cats' room is way more stylish and luxurious than it was before, and it's hidden behind a bookcase, invisible to those who don't know it's there. They added even more attractions for their felines, including a mini TV—a wall-mounted tablet that displays fish in an aquarium which they watch all the time. Mansingh shared footage on the room on Instagram in April under the username @newbuild_newlyweds. In the viral clip, the kitties can be seen resting on their bunk beds while watching their little TV, climbing shelves, and going in and out of their private space via a small cat-shaped opening at the bottom of the bookcase. "They're just cats' god forbid we make their short lives purrfect," she says in the caption. Both Stella and Socks love their new room and all the amenities it comes with, and according to their mom, they go and in out of it as they please. "We love being creative and including things in our home you don't see all the time. My favorite part of it is that it's hidden behind bookcase doors, so if you didn't know it was there, you'd never notice it!" Mansingh said. "If we ever move, the new owners can keep it as a pet room, turn it into a little hidden playroom or hidden storage!" The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 3.4 million views and 204,000 likes on the platform. One user, Thetruthbehindthe_decor, commented: "Absolute goals." said: "I'm jealous of a cat." Liekeboullart added: "I hate it when people say they are just cats. Cats deserve to live a happy and good life as well. My Dad thought I was weird because I got a lot of cat stuff for my cat." Hannahturneruk wrote: "A bedroom fit for kings and queens!" Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Legendary dancer Mansingh to receive Sankardeva award
Guwahati: World renowned exponent of both, Bharatanatyam and Odissi , and a Padma Vibhushan awardee, Sonal Mansingh , will be conferred with the prestigious Srimanta Sankardeva Award for 2023 on Friday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Last year, on August 21, the state cabinet had decided to honour the legendary dancer with the award. President Droupadi Murmu will present the award in Guwahati. Speaking to TOI over phone, Mansingh said she experienced a mixed reaction, when her name was announced a few months ago. "It was absolutely wonderful as well as shock and happiness. It was everything put together and then it took this long to get a convenient gift from the President. But finally, when the date is announced, I'll be in Guwahati to receive this. Once again, I am in a great state of happiness and great gratitude," she said, while expressing her gratitude to Maa Kamakhya and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Reminiscing about her journey since the age of seven, Mansingh said her dance took her to 90 countries across the globe. "People have heard about musicians like Pandit Ravi Shankar and others taking music all over the globe. But nobody spoke about dance. After my dance took me to a global audience, I saw that it was also a binding force. I have personally experienced how dance can bring people together; give them bliss, a sense of happiness and inner peace. And that's where there is no religion, language, caste or creed. Nothing matters. So my journey continues," Mansingh said. Terming her dance, at an altitude of 21,778 feet, in front of the southern side of Mt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kailash at the age of 62 a 'divine experience', Mansingh said she was put under training since the age of four by her parents, before she started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of seven. Talking about the 'Sattriya' dance of Assam, Mansingh said it was in 2000, when she was asked by music maestro Bhupen Hazarika, who was then the chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, to visit Assam. "After my visit, I said Sattriya can be done, but the dance form will have to expand more. So, I am very proud that I could contribute to Sattriya dance ," she said. While Mansingh was the govt nominee at the Akademi, Sattriya dance got the classical status in 2000.
