Showing posts with label Vismay Swaraj Yatra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vismay Swaraj Yatra. Show all posts

Friday, 26 December 2008

M.T.’s praise for Jyothi Thekkinkattil


M.T. Vasudevan Nair (right) watching an exhibition of photographs by Jyothi Thekkinkattil (second from right).

Ottappalam: “Beautiful pictures unveil enormous potentials of photography. Grabbing these by a camera essentially could have required tremendous adventurism and dedication. Congratulations”. These were exactly what the noted writer, M.T. Vasudevan Nair wrote on the visitors’ book after watching recently held exhibition of photographs taken by the official photographer of the Magic Academy, Jyothi Thekkinkattil. All these photos were taken during Gopinath Muthukad’s ‘Vismay Swaraj Yatra’.

There were over two hundred photos speaking in volumes about the magical journey and the challenges it posed.

Intriguing images of diversity and the blissful scenic splendours found from Srinagar to Nathu La Pass, Gangtok to Kohima and from Kolkata to Kanyakumari were told through vibrant photographs.

Tuesday, 25 November 2008

Award for Jithu Kolayad


Kannur: Associate of the Magic Academy, young videographer Jithu Kolayad’s happiness zoomed to bigger frames as he was selected for the State award for socially responsible photography.

Part of the national integration Vismay Swaraj Yatra of many trials and tribulations undertaken by Gopinath Muthukad and team in 2007, Mr. Jithu with his camera was undeterred in front of challenges. His works were selected for screening twice in the national and once in the international festivals. All these were considered by the jury for selecting him for the award.

Friday, 11 July 2008

Magic Academy offers free video shows

Thiruvananthapuram: As part of Independence Day celebrations, the Magic Academy offers free screening of a national integration video for schools in Thiruvananthapuram district. Paraphernalia including screen and projector will be provided by the Academy.

Patriotic video
Screened will be a one-hour-long national integration video titled, ‘India: Magic of Harmony’ conceived by magician Gopinath Muthukad. The video contains patriotic scenes of a vibrant India as seen by Mr. Muthukad and his team during their last year’s Vismay Swaraj Yatra from Srinagar to Kanyakumari.
School authorities who are interested in arranging the video show, may contact at magicacademy@gmail.com. The offer is valid only up to 31st of August.

Free magic camps
As part of its 12th anniversary celebrations, the Academy will be offering free magic training camps along schools in the State. Only an actual travel fare for the faculties is required. Interested schools may contact at the above email.

Saturday, 19 January 2008

Magic with A Mission - New Video

Thamasoma Jyotirgamaya - part of a Vedic hymn in Sanskrit language, meaning, 'Let the light dispel the darkness' made theme for a magic show.



It was a theme for magician Gopinath Muthukad's magic show during recently concluded national integration Vismay Swaraj Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The voyage found the magic team performing this and several magic numbers themed on messages of Indian unity and fraternity. The Yatra was sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Union Bank of India. A scene of the show recently released by the Public Relations Department of the Magic Academy, is embedded below.

A 45-minute video travelogue comprising of magic shows and memorable experiences of the voyage team is available for sale for Rs.800 per DVD/VCD. Contact: magicpurchase@gmail.com

Friday, 18 January 2008

Magic with A Mission

Vismay Swaraj Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari; 2nd October to 30th November 2007.



This is a 12 minute concise video released by the Public Relations Department of the Magic Academy on the 60-day Indian voyage conducted by magician Gopinath Muthukad and 25-member team. Free performances of national integration magic were the highlight of the voyage. The event was held under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Union Bank of India.

Full version, 45-minute VCD and DVD of the magical mission are available for sale @ Rs.800 inclusive of postage. Contact: magicpurchase@gmail.com.

Sunday, 2 December 2007

The pleasant feel of homecoming


Speaker of Kerala, K. Radhakrishnan (Right) receiving back the National Flag from magician Gopinath Muthukad at Gandhi Park in Thiruvananthapuram.

Homecoming is something precious for all. Its soothing value multiplies when you reach home after a tiring 60-day voyage of fierce trials and tribulations. The homecoming equals a sublime experience especially when the expedition is on road, upholding a mission of unity and harmony, battling challenging geographical adversities. This is exactly what the Vismay Swaraj Yatra team led by magical maestro Gopinath Muthukad has experienced on 30th November.


This map has the route traversed by the magical entourage, highlighted.

After traversing a huge distance of 17500 kilometers by a bus and a pickup van, the 26-member entourage comprising of seven girls were back in Thiruvananthapuram, Capital City of their home State Kerala. It was from here that they had begun the magical voyage on 21st of September. For the dedicated team who had successfully linked together multitudes of Indian hearts together using the graceful strings of magic, waiting was rousing reception at Gandhi Park. The function was organised by the Kerala State Youth Welfare Board (KSYWB).

The sprawling lawns of the park were packed by spectators well in advance, thanks to a charming performance by reputed street magician Farooq and his ward. When the vehicles carrying the euphoric magical entourage approached the park, they were first received by a resounding patriotic song sung by NBS Youth choir.



M.L.A., V. Sivankutty (Right) honouring driver of the Vismay Swaraj Yatra bus, M.V. Narayanan (Mama) and driver of Pickup van, Shafeek (below) for their immaculate performances.



All the 26 members of the magic team were seated on chairs set on a pristine stage, with their leader Mr. Muthukad on the front row along with a row of dignitaries. The event was graced with the presence of the Speaker of Kerala Assembly, K. Radhakrishnan; Members of Legislative Assembly, K. Sivankutty and Surendran Pillai; District Collector, N. Ayyappan, Padmasree laureate poet and patron of Magic Academy, O.N.V. Kurup, Vice Chairman of KSYWB, Sreerama Krishnan; Vice Chairman of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Kodikunnil Suresh, Chairman of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, Cheriyan Philip and Member Secretary of KSYWB, Dr. Muhammed Ashraf.

When Mr. Muthukad was invited for giving a brief description of the experiences of the all India voyage, there was a perfect silence among the audience. With his usual deftness, he used a lucid language to draw a clear but concise figure of the delights and dismays of a 60-day voyage through the vast expanse of the country.

Then, there were sentimentally rousing moments when the National Flag that had been kept as a source of motivation by the Vismay Swaraj Yatra was formally returned to the Speaker by the magician. The flag was entrusted to them on 20th September by the Chief Minister, V.S. Achuthanandan. The return ceremony has displayed how deeply each member of the magic team is inclined to the National Flag. At first Divya, a girl member of the entourage unfurled the flag from the extreme end. Then it was handed over to each other who received the Flag in standing position. Finally, it was handed over to the team leader Mr. Muthukad by Co-ordinator of the voyage, K.P. Sivakumar.

"Muthukad's successful completion of the Vismay Swaraj Yatra is a matter of pride for the entire nation and particularly for all Malayalees", the Speaker said during his inaugural address. He also added that the magical mission was worth emulative for people of all spheres, who wish to contribute something for the unity of the nation.

"No effort becomes an art unless it is of any use for the humanity", commented Mr. O.N.V. Kurup, praising the admirable model set by Mr. Muthukad. Mr. Sivankutty distributed to the Yatra team mementos issued by the Cultural Department, whereas Mr. Surendran Pillai gave away certificates from the KSYWB.
Distrct Collector stole the event with his gifted talent for singing. For the occasion he had Vayalar's popular lyrics: Manushyan Mathangale Srishtichu… (Man created religions…).

A marvelous finish for magical voyage at Kanyakumari


Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister, Suresh Rajan (Right) presents Veera Vall (Sword of Valour) to magician Gopinath Muthukad to mark the successful culmination of the latter's Vismay Swaraj Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Near the Minister stands the proprietor of Shajahans Jewellers, Shajahan.

Kanyakumari, the confluence centre of three oceans at the southern peninsular tip of India, saw a meaningful culmination to Vismay Swaraj Yatra, the 60-day-long magical voyage led by magician Gopinath Muthukad and team. As the sky up above the western sea was painted red by a setting Sun, down below the shores, lights were glowing at the Gandhi Smriti Mandapam, for the final performance by the magical entourage.

Several visitors, passersby, footpath vendors along with a creamy layer of scholarly people of the Indian cape town, were then truly taken to a world of magic that sumptuously messaged on the story of Indian freedom struggle from 1857 to 1947. The show sent a timely notice to the spectators that peace cannot be protected unless the countrymen gather synergy to defeat the forces of terrorism and separatism.

A complex illusion was adopted to show how through a peaceful means, tricolour flags could ultimately win the Indian skies overpowering those of the British. But Mr. Muthukad resorted to a very simple rope trick to beautifully portray the Gandhian dream of establishing a religious harmony without conservative barriers.

Kanyakumari being one of the chief tourism hubs of the country, for hundreds of visitors from north Indian destinations, Mr. Muthukad's magic became an amazing adhesive that furthered their bondage towards the motherland. This was conspicuous in the uproarious shouting of patriotic slogans in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English languages by a seemingly cosmopolitan crowd. In the backdrop, the unending waves along the shores continued patting the feet of the great subcontinent, singing yet another nonstop song in reverence of the great nation.


Taking a homely sojourn: Inside Shajahans Jewellers, magician Gopinath Muthukad enjoys a short break, talking with its chief, Shajahan (center), his son, Althaf Shajahan (right) and the Secretary of the Nagercoil Press Club, Manikandan.

In honour of the magician's unbeatable march for a national cause, Tamil Nadu tourism Minister Suresh Rajan presented a traditional Veera Vall (Sword of Valour) of Tamil Nadu to Mr. Muthukad. Absolutely absorbed by the poignant show, the Minister could only wish that it would have been the best panacea for the challenges faced by the country if every one emulated Mr. Muthukad in rendering their best service for the unity of the country.

The valedictory to the meaningful magical national integration voyage was organised by a committee constituted under the aegis of the Press Club of Nagercoil and the town's leading gold shop, Shajahan's Jewellers. Besides the Tourism Minister, an array of dignitaries including Press Club President Renganathan, Secretary, Manikandan, proprietor of Shajahan's Jewellers, Shajahan and Senior Divisional Manager of Life Insurance corporation of India, T.S. Subramanian were on the dais extolling the magical mission.

By the time the magical mission marked a meaningful culmination, the sun was entirely vanished in the depths of the Arabian Sea. The Sun will shine again the next day, every one knows it. And quite appropriately, the culmination of Vismay Swaraj Yatra gestured a beginning of yet another effort by Mr. Muthukad, to whom magic is not only a passion, but also an ever-engrossing mission.

Thursday, 22 November 2007

North Indian leg of magical journey ends at the land of Kalinga


Bhubaneswar: The magical journey of love, harmony and national unity led by magician Gopinath Muthukad has entered the land of Kalinga that has a history of transforming the mind of emporer Asoka to the path of peace.
An enthralling performance before the Governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare (Photo above)at the Raj Bhawan atop Bhalu Mundia hills here marked successful culmination of north Indianleg of national integration Vismay Swaraj Yatra led by Mr.Muthukad and team from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The Governor formally declared that the curtains were down for the magical mission’s north Indian performances. He wished success for the Yatra’s South Indian leg that would begin from Visakhapatnan tomorrow (23/11/07). Mr. Bhandare said that after watching Mr. Muthukad’s show he could understand how powerful the magical art was in carrying messages of Gandhiji and national integration to the masses. The Governor also lauded the commitment possessed by the magical entourage.
Minister for Agriculture, Surendra Nath Naik inaugurated the entourage’s patriotic magic show at Utkal Sangeet Mandap. The Minister for steel and mines, Padmanabha Behera honoured Mr. Muthukad by presenting Konark Soorya Chakra, the State’s cultural emblem (Photo below).

The magic tour will reach Kanyakumari on 30th November after performances at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Chennai, Trichy and Madurai.
Ministry of Defence, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Union Bank of India are the chief promoters of the Yatra.

Wednesday, 21 November 2007

Magical teachings in Naxal prone Jharkhand



Jamshedpur: Magician Gopinath Muhukad performed magic shows in the Naxal prone villages in the peripherals of Jamshedpur to educate the villagers about the futility of violence and terrorism. Mr. Muthukad and team have arrived Jharkhand to offer magical tributes to martyr Birsa Munda a prominent tribal leader in the freedom movement of the country. The magician is leading a national integration Vismay Bharat Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
The magic team went to Dhusra and Pagad village hamlets at the foot of Dalma hills in the outskirts of the ‘steel city’. Villagers here lack basic amenities including electricity and education. Before curious tribal folks of Santal sect, Mr. Muthukad set aside his usual style and performed pure street magic as traditional street magicians do. He produced a sheep out of an inverted basket and presented it to a 13-year-old girl Srimati. Vegetables produced from thin air were a strange gift for another girl, Droupati Singh. As the magician took out magic one after the other, smile appeared on the faces of the poorly clad women and children to whom there have been no magic in their dismal lives.
An adroit in messaging magic shows, Mr. Muthukad easily became one among them. Through palatable magical language, he has taught them to pursue the path of Gandhiji’s nonviolence and not to fall prey to the evils of violence. Amalendu Rauth, headmaster of a local school joined the magic team as an interpreter.
After Jamshedpur, the magical entourage’s next venue is in Bhuvaneshwar on 20th. They will also perform in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Chennai, Trichy and Madurai before culminating their 60-day-long voyage in Kanyakumari on 30th. On the culmination day, the Government of Kerala will be offering a formal reception to Mr. Muthukad and team in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Yatra has been chiefly sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Union Bank of India.

Monday, 12 November 2007

Vismay Swaraj Yatra wins the heart of P।C. Sorcar Jr.


Kolkata: The Bengal leg of magician Gopinath Muthukad’s Vismay Swaraj Yatra was inaugurated here at the Science City Auditorium on 8th Nov. by the magical maestro, P.C. Sorcar Jr., the present flag bearer of the great Sorcar legion in Indian magic.
The programme was organized by the Satikanta Guha Foundation.
After watching a 2-hour-long magic show that concluded with a patriotic call to gather synergy for defeating the divisive forces that try to destabilize peace and unity of the country, Mr. Sorcar Jr. said, “You [Mr. Muthukad] won Kolkata, you [Mr. Muthukad] won P.C. Sorcar Jr.”.
Mr. Sorcar Jr., widely admired as the chieftain of magic in India, was accompanied by his daughter Maneka Sorcar, a new entrant in the magic world.
Before inaugurating the programme by lighting ‘Prodip’, the traditional lamp of West Bengal, Mr. Sorcar made a speech in Bengali in which he mentioned about the state of magical art in West Bengal and Kerala.
It is very rare that Mr. Sorcar Jr. spares time for watching another magician’s show for its entire length.
Mr. Muthukad’s performance in Kolkata, the cradle of modern magic in India, was watched by over 2500 spectators who occupied their seats well in advance.
In West Bengal, considered to be the bastion of Indian magic, Vismay Swaraj Yatra entourage will be staging free magic shows at various open air venues in Kolkata City and suburbs.
A performance for the Bengal Head Quarters of Army will be among them.

At the peak of Magic in the Himalayas...


Base camp at 234 Transit Camp’s Officers’ Mess. The morning on 5th Nov. had the usual chill there. The curtains of fog were down everywhere. Still, like graceful artistes, butterflies fluttered here and there and winter birds chirped majestically. The Vismay Swaraj Yatra entourage was ready for an expedition to the Himalayas.
Subedar Rajinder Chowdhuri alerted them to get into a modified military bus. The bus had the capacity to protect its commuters from climatic severities. The vehicle moved. From 5 Miles point, army’s specially made apparels to beat the cold were gathered. Crossing the ice-cold lake Tsongu, the vehicle proceeded through elevated, roads that were too narrow to allow at a time two vehicles in opposite directions.
Unfathomable depths along the edges the roads were indeed scary. As the vehicle conquered heights, thick cover of clouds concealed those horrifying sights. After three hours, the magic team was carried to Nathu La, the elevated trade corridor between India and China. They were led to a short passage of steps. Though their hearts were full of renewed energy, the magic troupe moved slowly. They were led by the words of Commanding Officer Col. K.N. Radhakrishnan: ‘don’t try to be a Gamma in the land of Lama’. That means you have to be as passive at Nathu La as you can or will faint of Oxygen shortage. Yes, Nathu La also had a passive history. Even though a famous point at the ancient Silk Route, Nathu La was reopened for trade only last year after a closure of over four decades owing to a dispute between the two nations.
While returning, Mr. Chowdhury complimented: “It’s for the first time that I found a civilian team returning without any of them fainting. This proves that all of you are healthy. Congratulations”. Nathu La has this message: be energetic in your hearts even as you are passive.

Vismay Swaraj Yatra team sets a world record at Nathu La


Gangtok, Sikkim: Magician Gopinath Muthukad and team who are marching through the nation with a meaningful magical mission Vismay Swaraj Yatra, have set an unchallengeable world record at Nathu La Pass at the Indo-China border, 54 kilometers away from here. The magician and his 26-member entourage including seven girls performed patriotic magic shows at the heights of 14400 feet above Sikkim battling the minus temperatures, low pressure and deficient Oxygen. In a place where an excited talk for a few minutes or walk for a few steps would leave one breathless, Mr. Muthukad had separate shows in front of the Indian soldiers and their Chinese counterparts.
Atop, Mr. Muthukad and team was at first offered a warm welcome by the Commanding Officer of the Nathuala 5 Grenadier Unit, Major Sanjiv Roy and his colleagues. As the magic show began at 11a.m., crossing the borders of enjoyment were Indian as well as Chinese soldiers who were standing on two sides of a barbed wire fence.
Noticing the curiosity of the Chinese, the magician invited them near the fence and performed a few tricks with their help. He gave three small rings to the Chinese soldiers. When these rings were thrown to air, they joined together and came down in the form of a big tricolour circle. The message was clear: countries should nurture broadmindedness in the place of narrow-mindedness for the sake of peaceful co-existence.
A video conferencing has enabled a live telecast of the Vismay Swaraj Yatra’s Nathu La mission for the Sukna Station of the Indian Army. National integration magic show was also staged in front of the officers and jawans of the Nathu La Unit.

Magic through the corporate coridors

Future of magic proves to be ever-blossoming

Kolkata: A retrospective after 30 days of the sixty-day Vismay Swaraj Yatra, shows conspicuous caliber of magical art in successfully carrying to the masses, the messages of corporate giants, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and Union Bank of India (UBI).
Both LIC and UBI are among the principal sponsors of the Yatra, besides Ministry of Defence and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
‘Fortune Plus’, the best product of LIC and ‘Good people to bank with’, the slogan of UBI are promoted in a magical way during Vismay Swaraj Yatra performances.
The LIC Fortune Plus magic ends with the magician’s advice to immediately contact the nearest LIC agent for buying the profitable product.


UBI magic has the message that your money is safe with the branches of the UBI.
Besides LIC and UBI, co-sponsoring the event are State Bank of Travancore and Federal Bank. Earlier the Kerala part of the voyage was also supported by the Kerala State Co-operative Bank.
When magic as a medium sends such a strong message in promoting two developmental icons of India, it implies the happy fact that the art of magic is never dying but blooms into new colours.

Getting the peasant's pulse...


Kohima: The Vismay Swaraj Yatra team has been exhibiting unusual remorse and resolve to ensure that their mission reaches as many villages as possible. Even as the distance remains unlimited and the time available has been a precise 60 days, they endeavour to perform at the grass roots. Keeping aside all formalities, they transform farms, shops and markets into magic stages. The response has been amazing. “Even the illiterate easily comprehends what is being told in the language of magic”, says magician Gopinath Muthukad. Still, he was disappointed twice: first when farmers along the Bangladesh border failed to identify the National Flag of India and second, when children of Nagaland remained ingnorant of the need for honouring the National Anthem by standing up.

India Gate opens to an inspiring magic

First time in history

New Delhi: Gopinath Muthukad’s patriotic magic shows inspired a big crowd of passers by, visitors and dignitaries at the foot of the national icon, India Gate here on 18th Oct.
The programme was organized by the Ceremonial and Welfare Directorate of the Indian Army and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan as part of the magician’s Vismay Swaraj Yatra. The show was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Oscar Fernandez, who along with other dignitaries set free pairs of pigeons magically created out of thin air by the magician.
The segregated space very near to the Amar Jawan Jyoti that has been under the exclusive custody of Indian Army, was opened for the magic team. Unlike formal magic shows, the performance here by Mr. Muthukad had all salient features of a street play.
Inspiring message
The show began drawing everyone’s attention to an ancient Indian civilization. To an overwhelming applause and flashes from the media cameras, the magic team presented their show in a thoroughly new style.
As the evening Sun settled down on the horizon over Rashtrapathi Bhawan, the team concluded their patriotically-charged magic show sending a strong message against terrorism and secessionism.
Elite gathering
Dignitaries including the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, A.K. Arora, Director General of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Shakeel Ahamed Khan and heroin of yesteryears and a prominent socialite Nafeesa Ali were searching for enough words to describe the feel they could gain from the majestic performance.
Magic before monuments
Red Fort, Kutab Minar and Gandhi Smriti were also venues for the meaningful demonstrations.
At occasions, such shows were surprising sources of joy for the visitors.
Regardless of age and gender, people thronged around the magic team getting themselves led to a world of wonders and worthy
messages.

Governor of Nagaland praises Muthukad


Kohima: Governor of Nagaland, K. Sankara narayanan has honoured the members of the Vismay Swaraj Yatra team at Raj Bhawan here for their devoted efforts to spread the ideals of peace, harmony and unity in the terror hit Nagaland.
On 27th Oct., the Governor along with his wife Radha Sankaranarayanan was at the IG Assam Rifles grounds here, watching a 2-hour-long presentation by magician Gopinath Muthukad. While appreciating the magical endeavour, the Governor said that the magical effort exerted by Mr. Muthukad and his team was a great service for the nation. It was worth emulative for all magicians, he added.
Mr. Muthukad also performed in Dimapur, for school children. The message propagated was to live in harmony and unity keeping aside the evil thoughts of communalism and caste. Dimapur and Kohima had been witnessing fierce gun battle between the members of two prominent factions of the terrorist outfits.

Friday, 9 November 2007

Defence Minister praises VSY


New Delhi: Defence Minister A.K. Antony has praised magician Gopinath Muthukad and team for accomplishing their magical mission in Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar. “I appreciate all of you for going up to Srinagar and performing your national integration magic shows” he told them during a meeting held at the Minister’s residence here on 15th Oct. The Minister also wished the entourage all success with their continuing journey.

Union Minister enjoys magical strings of unity


New Delhi: During lunch break on 16th Oct., the lounge of Akbar Bhawan, where the Ministry of Overseas Indians Welfare situates, became a stage for a strange entertainment. It was a performance by the Vismay Swaraj Yatra entourage led by magician Gopinath Muthukad. Union Minister, Vayalar Ravi and his department’s Secretary, Nirmal Singh, staffs and visitors were among the spectators.
When the magician tied together three ropes of saffron, white and green representing three religions, there were two knots in between. The magician now invited the Minister to the stage and handed over the coiled rope. Minister’s job was to toss the rope in the air. On doing so, the ropes joined together and lost their knots. “Need of the hour is religious harmony like this, without any boundary”, the magician commented.
When two men representing terrorism and secessionism pieced a girl dressed as Bharatma into three, the minister again had a role on the magic stage. Mr. Vayalar Ravi has praised the magician for selflessly undertaking a mission for the nation.

Magic at IGNOU


Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University, Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai inaugurating the magic show at the IGNOU Convention Centre, Ghanpur, New Delhi. P.V.C., Mishra on the left, looks on. During their New Delhi stay, the Vismay Swaraj Yatra entourage got the opportunity to enjoy a very homely feel at the IGNOU Guest House.

A meeting that multiplied resolve


New Delhi: Before starting for Srinagar, the Vismay Swaraj Yatra entourage was granted with an opportunity to meet the Minister of Defence, A.K. Antony at his official residence at 9, Krishna Menon Margh. Even amid his busy schedules, the minister graciously spent a few minutes with the entourage and gave hands to each of them. He readily praised the determination of seven girls who are part of the voyage team.
“A journey to Srinagar requires strength of mind. I wish you have it. Kashmir is one of the most beautiful places in the country that unfortunately has been prone to unwanted fights. Go there and teach them the value of peace”, he asked magician Gopinath Muthukad and his team.