The Archaeological Survey of India discovered the chariot in Sinauli village of Baghpat in April 2018 during excavations.

The National Museum in the national capital will have two added attractions — bronze-age solid-disk wheel carts (chariot) discovered from the Sinauli archaeological site in Uttar Pradesh and a permanent exhibition of epigraphs — on display to enthrall the heritage enthusiasts. For the first time, the 4000-year-old horse-driven chariot will be available for public viewing in the museum. It will be part of the exhibits in the Harappan Gallery.

The exhibition of epigraphs will be inaugurated on Wednesday. On the occasion, the secretary of the Culture Ministry, Arunish Chawla, will also formally unveil the chariot.

The chariot was earlier exhibited briefly as part of the temporary exhibition Roots and Routes, which was hosted during the G20 summit at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi.

The Archaeological Survey of India discovered the chariot in Sinauli village of Baghpat in April 2018 during excavations. It was part of a larger find that included royal burials, weapons, and other artefacts.

The museum boasts a rich collection of Indian epigraphy—from early graffiti to the seals of the Harappan civilisation, representing the earliest forms of written communication—to early historic, medieval, and modern period stone, as well as copper plate inscriptions detailing donations, royal decrees, and land grants.

This prestigious collection has remained in the reserve section for the longest time and is now being displayed at the permanent exhibition in the Inscriptions Gallery.

“The exhibition brings to the forefront a curated selection of exceptional epigraphs that span the breadth of India’s historical narrative. These inscriptions, etched on stone, bricks, and other materials, are vital records of ancient India’s political, religious, and cultural life,” said officials.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

European aerospace manufacturer Airbus on Wednesday announced that it has awarded a contract for manufacturing the main fuselage assembly of the H130 helicopter to Mahindra Aerostructures Pvt. Ltd. in India.

Mahindra will produce the H130’s main fuselage assembly, which will then be shipped to Airbus Helicopters’ facilities in Europe. The manufacturing will commence immediately, with the first cabin assembly scheduled for delivery by March 2027.

“We have a strategic plan for India and we are implementing it to develop a holistic aerospace ecosystem across all dimensions: assembly, manufacturing, engineering, innovation, digital and training,” said Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director Airbus India and South Asia.

“The H130 fuselage manufacturing contract underscores Airbus’ confidence in the growing industrial excellence of the Indian supply chain, which offers the right mix of competencies and competitiveness. We are glad to extend this bond with India through our latest association with our partner Mahindra Aerostructures,” Maillard added.

Mahindra already supplies a variety of parts and sub-assemblies for Airbus’ commercial aircraft programmes and the latest contract is a continuous expansion of its portfolio of capabilities that now includes larger and more complex aerostructures.

Last October, Airbus’ inaugurated its Final Assembly Line for the C295 military aircraft in Vadodara. It has also announced a Final Assembly Line for the H125 helicopter but the location is yet to be announced.

The H130 is an intermediate single-engine helicopter used for passenger transport, tourism and private and business aviation, as well as medical airlift and surveillance missions.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge becomes the first Indian film to be honored at London’s ‘Scenes in the Square’ movie trail in London.

Iconic Bollywood on-screen couple Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol will soon be immortalised in bronze, as their classic film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) becomes the first Indian film to be honoured at London’s celebrated Scenes in the Square movie trail in Leicester Square.

A statue to celebrate DDLJ

According to Yash Raj Films, the Heart of London Business Alliance has announced a new statue will be joining the exciting ‘Scenes in the Square’ movie trail in Leicester Square, with historic blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) erected statue in London.

This will mark the start of 30-year celebrations of DDLJ, one of the most loved blockbuster Hindi films of all time, the timeless and multi-award-winning rom-com which also marked the directorial debut of Aditya Chopra.

The bronze statue will depict the two Bollywood megastars, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, in an iconic DDLJ pose. Set to be unveiled in Spring this year, the latest announcement signifies how the film is loved by the over five million strong British South Asian community as per YRF.

About DDLJ

DDLJ follows two non-resident Indians, Raj and Simran, and their star-crossed love story across Europe and India, beginning on a train from King’s Cross Station.

The location couldn’t be more fitting, with Leicester Square featuring in DDLJ in a scene when Raj and Simran first cross paths, unknown to one another, before setting off on their memorable European adventure.

The scene on which a statue will be erected features Raj(Shah Rukh Khan) in front of the Vue Cinema and Simran (Kajol) walking past the Odeon Leicester Square.

As per YRF, the new statue will be positioned along the eastern terrace outside the Odeon Cinema to honour this scene.

With this, the DDLJ stars Shah Rukh Khan & Kajol join the who’s who of international cinema at Scenes in the Square, alongside ten other film icons from the past 100 years.

DDLJ will be next to iconic film characters like Harry Potter, Laurel & Hardy, Bugs Bunny, Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Mr. Bean, Paddington and DC Super-Heroes Batman and Wonder Woman.

Mark Williams, Deputy Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, expressed his happiness at including Shah Rukh and Kajol’s statues in the trail alongside other renowned artists from international cinema.

He called it a “fitting tribute to Bollywood’s global popularity and a celebration of London’s rich diversity.”

“It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to add to our trail Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, who are such titans of international cinema. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of the most successful and important Bollywood films of all time, and we’re excited by the prospect of bringing to the trail the first film that actually features Leicester Square as a location. The statue is a fitting tribute to the global popularity of Bollywood and a celebration of London’s rich diversity. We’re in no doubt it will attract fans from all around the world to Leicester Square, the home of film and entertainment,” said Mark Williams, as quoted by YRF press note.

Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, is thrilled that DDLJ has become the first Indian film to be represented in the ‘Scenes of Square’.

“When Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) was released 30 years ago, the film became a defining moment for Indian cinema and changed the face of the industry, capturing the hearts of everyone who saw it all over the globe. We’re thrilled to be the first Indian film to be represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’. It also marks 30 years of DDLJ, a film that has spread love and joy globally and shows the cultural impact it has had in the UK.”

He continued, “We are honoured that our superstars and our film are being recognised on the world stage alongside the Hollywood elite, from Gene Kelly to Laurel & Hardy to Harry Potter. This statue will be a great way to express the international appeal of Indian movies and build bridges amongst communities through cinema.”DDLJ was released in 1995. Apart from the lead actors, the film also starred Amrish Puri and Anupam Kher in the lead roles.

(Via inputs from ANI)

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

The application allows registered users to post seat-swapping requests by entering their current seat details, desired seat or coach and train information.

IIT Bhubaneswar has developed a mobile and web application called Simply-Swap, designed to facilitate seat swapping among train passengers.

“Many a times, train travelers belonging to the same family face the challenge of reservation seats located in different coaches. Traditionally, such passengers seek seat swaps through direct requests to fellow travelers but meet with limited success. Based on his personal experience with seat-swapping requests, Srikant Gollapudi conceptualised an app that could facilitate seat swapping among train passengers with negligible effort,” a media release said.

The app was developed by students Rustam Kumar and Sangam Mishra from the department of computer science and faculty members Gollapudi and Srinivas Pinisetty.

The application allows registered users to post seat-swapping requests by entering their current seat details, desired seat or coach and train information. Any other user traveling on the same train with a seat reservation in the specified coach can view the request and opt to accept the swap.

Once a match is found, the app facilitates the swapping process, reducing the stress of manual coordination.

“The IIT Bhubaneswar team believes Simply-Swap could significantly enhance passenger convenience and satisfaction if the app is integrated into Indian Railways’ services,” the release said.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)