Citygritty 8211;Pune

Looking beyond
Painting is in her blood. Shanta Purnima Bhattacharya, initiated into the field by her grandmother, the eldest sister of the famous brothers 8212; Sharoda, Boroda and Ronoda Ukil. Bhattacharya is an accomplished dancer, choreographer and a social worker. But in art she has managed to showcase her talents effectively. Married to an army officer, Shanta is holding a painting exhibition Looking Beyond, in aid of the children of the jawans of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifle Regiment who lay down their lives for the nation. With the subtle use of her brush and vibrant colours she portrays a deep love for Nature, environment and mankind. At the Rabindra Kala Kunj, Nehru Memorial Hall, till November 5. Definitely worth a visit.

ASHA holds hope
Action for Self-reliance, Hope and Awareness ASHA, an NGO working with women victims of domestic violence recently held an exhibition of posters which depicted its work, achievements and failures. ASHA has been doing pioneering work in the rehabilitation of women and children in Pune. It works in collaboration with the Pune Police. DIG, Crime For women, Sridevi Goel, at the exhibition said,8220;There is definitely a need for such NGOs, since the police is not equipped to handle cases of harassment against women.quot; The statistics in the posters shows a marked increase in the number of women approaching ASHA. 8220;This is due to increased awareness of their rights,8221; said Col.P.K.Nair, member of ASHA which plans to host a website.

Harmony and prayer
Prayer places us in harmony with the whole of creation. Whatever the religion the path is the same. So it was at the Gulati Hall, St Vincent8217;s School on Friday evening as people from different communities got together to recite prayers for an inter-religious meet. It was an amazing sight to see and hear the different religious heads converge under one roof. The meet was organised by the Good Shepherd Centre.

One with nature
For those who want to hone their knowledge about environmental issues, here8217;s news. The World-Wide Fund for Nature 8212; India8217;s WWF has announced a volunteer training programme. The pre-test and interview is scheduled for November 1, at 4 p.m. at the WWF8217;s office. The two-month course which culminates in a project, gives a basic understanding of natural history, ecology, evolution, local and global, and environmental issues. The course comprises evening lectures and discussions with renowned environmentalists, outings and camps to understand and study nature. Interested candidates who could not earlier send in their application and bio-data can do so, half an hour earlier at the venue.