Amitabh receiving the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award in Kolkata on November 1, 2003 (AP Photo - Bikas Das)

Amitabh Bachchan has been named goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund. He also received the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award from Ray's son Sandip Ray in Calcutta/Kolkata, India, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003. Bengal Film Journalists’ Association (BFJA) organizes the annual film award presentation.

"for me, Burgundy is the epitome of wine greatness."
Photo courtesy: wineracksbymarcus.com

Alpana Singh, at 26, becomes the youngest Master Sommelier in the United States. She is Sommelier at Chicago’s Everest restaurant, where she manages the 1200+ wine inventory. She was also the winner of the Wine Service Award, awarded by the James Beard Foundation in an industry that is heavily male-dominated. She hosts "Check Please," the popular WTTW dining show.

There are only 112 Master Sommeliers in the world - Alpana is one of the elite group!

Photo courtesy BBC

The Purple Frog of Sahyadris 

Scientists have found a chubby, purple frog, in the Sahyadri mountains of western India, and named it Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis. To the scientists, the frog is a beautiful find because of what it tells them about Earth history. DNA analysis suggests the common ancestor of the animals lived 130 million years ago, when the planet's landmasses were joined together into a giant supercontinent called Gondwana.

In a commentary on the research in Nature, Blair Hedges, of Pennsylvania State University, US, has described the discovery of N. sahyandrensis as "a once-in-a-century find".

THE NARRATIVE CLOTH

- From the epic to the everyday

Following Asian Art in London Week, Joss Graham Oriental Textile Gallery will be hosting a special private view of the Narrative Cloth exhibition in aid of the conservation charity, Jaisalmer in Jeopardy.

The exhibition will display narrative cloths from as far apart as Ethiopia and Java, and will feature the early 20th century Pabuji-Ki-Par scroll painting from Rajasthan (465 x 131cm) illustrating the story of Pabuji and depicting deeds of valour, scenes of worship and festivity, battles and amusing anecdotes in the life of this 14th century hero.

A Gallery Talk will be given by Dr John Smith, Reader in Sanskrit at Cambridge University on the art of storytelling on cloth from village, town, court and temple … historical, traditional and contemporary.

Thursday 13th November, Reception 6-9pm, Gallery Talk 7pm

Joss Graham Oriental Textiles, 10 Eccleston Street, London SW1W 9LT

The gallery and shop will be open all evening with 15% of sales being donated to JiJ

£4/£2 (conc)

For further information, contact Veronica Hall 020 7352 4336 jaisalmerinfo@yahoo.co.uk