Latest news with #Lissy
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lissy stuns with yoga pose at 58 on International Yoga Day, says 'Yoga is the art of awareness'
(Picture Courtesy: Faceb Veteran Malayalam actress Lissy took to social media on International Yoga Day to share an inspiring glimpse of her fitness journey. The 58-year-old actress, known for her grace and charm during the 1980s, posted a picture of herself performing a yoga pose. The actress also shared an inspiring note along with the snap. "Yoga is the art of awareness " In her caption, Lissy noted, 'Yoga is the art of awareness on the canvas of body, mind, and soul." The post quickly gained traction online, with fans lauding her flexibility and dedication to wellness even at this stage of life. One commented, "Awesome oru cheriya kushumbu." Another one commented, "Happy International Yoga Day." A third one commented, "Perfect Saravangasana." Kannappa - Official Kannada Trailer Fans applaud Lissy's fitness and flexibility at 58 While many actresses fade from the public eye after stepping away from films, Lissy continues to command attention — this time not for her acting, but for her fitness. As reported by Manorama Online, now settled in Chennai, Lissy owns and operates a state-of-the-art dubbing studio. Suresh Gopi's fitness mantra Meanwhile, in a recent event Suresh Gopi shared his fitness journey. He said, "Earlier, I used to do a few yoga postures just on Yoga Day. But from last July, I began taking yoga seriously. I practiced consistently for about 45 minutes to an hour every day until February this year, when I had to stop due to illness. Still, during that time, I felt my body becoming remarkably comfortable and flexible." On the work front, Suresh Gopi will be next seen in the court drama 'JSK' which is set to release on June 27. The expectations are quite high for the film.
Scoop
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Wharenui Harikoa Welcomes Matariki 2025 At The Civic
In celebration of Matariki 2025, the nation's woollen wharenui returns to her place of origin — Tāmaki Makaurau. Wharenui Harikoa, the world's first crocheted wharenui, will open at The Civic in Auckland from 5 - 27 July – marking a powerful act of homecoming and aroha. Returning to her place of conception, creation and cultural roots is somewhat of an offering and a final gift to Aotearoa before she begins her international journey. Created by artists Lissy (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu) and Rudi Robinson-Cole (Taranaki, Ngāti Pāoa, Waikato, Ngāti Tahu/Ngāti Whaoa), the wharenui was born from a vision gifted in 2018. Crocheted with vibrant neon wool, it merges traditional Māori practices with modern technology, bringing joy, colour and connection to Aotearoa. 'This whare is aroha made physical,' says Lissy Cole. 'Stepping inside feels like entering the embrace of your kuia. It's a deeply maternal, deeply Māori experience rooted in aroha.' Presented by Auckland Live in collaboration with Lissy and Rudi, Wharenui Harikoa is a fully immersive, multi-sensory experience. Visitors are welcomed by karanga, drawn into the heart of the whare via a shifting soundscape created with taonga pūoro artist Libby Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko Ki Te Awa o Wanganui Me Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō Hoki) and musician Rewi McClay (Ngati Hine, Ngati Kahu). Lighting transitions from warm tones to pulses of fluro, guiding guests from the physical into the wairua realm. Every detail is intentional – each colour in the whare is described and given a te reo Māori name and vibration that supports visual and audio accessibility. The experience invites stillness, dreaming and reflection. The whare welcomes all visitors, children and kaumātua to experience the aroha of Wharenui Harikoa. To date, over 160,000 people have experienced the whare across Aotearoa. During Matariki, visitors will be invited to write their dreams at the foot of Hiwa or add to the sensory wall. These sacred hopes will be scanned and archived as a living taonga, and burned in a ceremonial release next Matariki. 'Wharenui Harikoa has become a vessel for dreaming, and healing. Connecting all people, and igniting joy globally', says Rudi Robinson-Cole. On 4 July the Sky Tower will light up marking the opening. From 5 July, the public can visit Wharenui Harikoa at The Civic. Entry is free, with donations welcomed via QR code to support more free and low-cost events presented by Auckland Live in Tāmaki Makaurau. Visitors can also register for a paid crochet workshop and free guided tours with the artists. 'We are excited to be presenting this extraordinary taonga in The Civic, where Aucklanders and visitors can experience its joy and love,' says Daniel Clarke, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Director of Performing Arts, leading Auckland Live. 'We are opening the doors of The Civic, a treasured venue in Tāmaki Makaurau and inviting guests to step on stage and inside Lissy and Rudi's awe-inspiring creation, Wharenui Harikoa. While everyone will experience the Wharenui Harikoa in their own unique way it promises to be an unforgettable experience this winter. I encourage people to take part in one of the public programmes, whether it's a crochet workshop or an artist talk.'
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
A comprehensive legislation for 3 crore domestic workers in India demanded by NPDW
On the occasion of International Domestic Workers Day observed on Monday (June 16) the National Platform of Domestic Workers (NPDW) has demanded that the Central government enact a comprehensive legislation for domestic workers. An estimated number of about 30 million people are engaged in domestic work in the country, who form a critical part of the workforce in the informal sector. Around 80% of these workers are women drawn from the most vulnerable social and economic groups, as per a press release issued on Saturday (June 14). Varghese Theckanath, member of NPDW national core team and Sister Lissy Joseph, Telangana convenor and others said that India has not adopted a legislation to protect the rights or welfare of domestic workers. Citing a Supreme Court judgement dated January 29, 2025 which directed the Ministry of Labour and Employment in tandem with three other Ministries to jointly constitute a committee comprising subject experts to consider the desirability of recommending a legal framework for the benefit, protection, and regulation of the rights of domestic workers. 'It will be appreciated if the Committee submits a report within a period of six months, whereupon the Government of India may consider the necessity of introducing a legal framework which may effectively address the cause and concern of domestic workers,' as per the judgement. NPDW members said that despite the directive, no substantial steps were taken by the Central Government to initiate the legislative process. Protest in Hyderabad Domestic workers from four districts convened at the Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad on Monday (June 16) to voice their concerns and press for a mechanism to resolve them. Sister Lissy said that women raised issues like salaries withheld or withdrawn by contractors, unfair wages, atrocities faced, a lack of labour rights and social protection like health insurance. 'If the Telangana government forms a welfare board, the domestic workers can lodge their grievances,' said Sister Lissy. There are over 11 lakh domestic workers in the State.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Pride and prejudice: A Kanyakumari love story:
In 1964, the novel 'Puththam Veedu' sent ripples through Tamil literary circles. First, it was written by a woman; second, it focused on the Nadar community, who were then considered part of the depressed classes; and third, it centred on a love affair that defied social norms. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Written in the distinctive Kanyakumari dialect, a terrain few writers of that time ventured into, the book also questioned patriarchy and raised a voice for women. Those were the times when the Tamil literary world was beginning to draw boundaries between "serious literature" and "commercial writing". While the former found space in niche literary magazines, the latter was nurtured by mainstream publications. Amidst this emerged Hephzibah Jesudasan, an English lecturer at the govt College for Women in Trivandrum. 'Puththam Veedu' was her debut novel, and she wrote it in just 15 days. It was writer Sundara Ramasamy, founder of Kalachuvadu magazine, who recommended the manuscript to Tamil Puthakalayam, which first published it. Since 2009, the book has been published by Nagercoil-based Kalachuvadu Publications. Born on April 9, 1925, at Pulipunam in Kanyakumari district, Hephzibah completed her early education in Burma (now Myanmar). After World War II, her family returned to Tamil Nadu. She began writing poems in English at the age of eight. Later, she married Jesudasan, a Tamil professor who encouraged her to write and translate in Tamil. Though she wrote only four novels in Tamil and 11 books in English, Hephzibah, in her centenary year, is not as recognised as she should be considering her debut book has been in print for more than 70 years. Set in Panaivilai, a fictional village in Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district, the story centres on 'puththam veedu' (new house), once a symbol of wealth and pride. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Over the years, due to poor management of the household, the Nadar Christian family that owned it slipped into poverty. Though no longer affluent, the family still commanded respect in the village because of the palm trees they owned. The head of the household was Kannappachi, an ageing patriarch whose word was law. His elder son was an alcoholic, and the younger one was struggling in business. Despite all the ups and downs, it was Lissy, the only daughter of the elder son, who held everything together. Lissy was not like her grandmother and mother, whose lives were confined to the kitchen, nor was she like her niece Lilly, who completed her SSLC and represented a new generation. She stood between two worlds. When she fell in love with her childhood friend Thangaraj, a Nadar palm climber, it sent shockwaves through the household. The family tried to break the relationship, while Lissy tried to hold on to both her love and her loyalty to family and tradition. Whether she succeeded or failed, and what she gained or lost along the way, forms the heart of the story. 'Puththam Veedu' was, in many ways, a first-of-its-kind Tamil novel. One of its earliest reviews came from C S Chellappa, editor of the literary magazine Ezhuthu and author of the acclaimed novella 'Vadivasal'. Chellappa reviewed the book at the Tamil Writers Association's Novel Festival in Chennai in 1966, and later published his speech in his magazine, calling 'Puththam Veedu' the first Tamil novel to depict the lives of palm climbers, the first to centre on a Christian family and community, and the first to bring the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border region into Tamil literary fiction. The novel also revealed a rarely discussed fault line within the Panayeri Nadar community: while some owned palm trees, others worked as palm climbers. This class divide was the main issue in Lissy and Thangaraj's troubled romance. Peppered with details about the festive Margazhi season (Dec to Jan), which was also the season for toddy-tapping, the prime economic activity here, to how it was often the only time women wore new sarees and cooked kilathi fish (leather jacket fish), the book also highlighted the limited understanding of Christianity among the community, with many churchgoers knowing little beyond the basics — that Christmas marked Christ's birth and Good Friday his death. At a time when Christianity was slowly spreading into southern Tamil Nadu, the novel also served as a social and ethnographic study. "In Kanyakumari district, CSI churches brought women into schools and made education more accessible. It gave them access to jobs, it gave them freedom. The novel details those aspects," says Tamil journalist Arul Ezhilan, who interviewed Hephzibah for a commercial magazine in the 1990s. He just bought his first camera, and Hephzibah was the first person he photographed, one of the few images of her available in Tamil literary circles today. "The novel was published in the 1960s, when education was slowly beginning to reach Nadar Christian women. It captures that shift," says Ezhilan. Hephzibah went on to write two more novels — 'Dr Chellappa' (1967) and 'Anaadhai' (1977). Though these works revisited characters from her debut novel and were also set in the fictional village of Panaivilai, they were not as popular. One reason was that the books were out of print for many years. They were recently republished by Chennai-based 'Her Stories', a publication known for publishing women's writings. Her Stories also organised a centenary celebration for Hephzibah. "Panaivilai was her native place Pulipunam. Another reason her later novels didn't grab attention was perhaps the dialect she used," says Nivedita Louis, publisher, Her Stories. "With her first novel, readers were drawn to the dialect. But when she used the same language in later works, the novelty wore off. Also, it's unclear how well those books were promoted. The later novels explored male psychology, and they were ahead of their time, which could be why she was largely unrecognised. " Hephzibah stopped writing Tamil fiction after four novels and shifted her focus to English non-fiction, believing that writing on history was a divine calling. "She was not just a writer," says Niveditha. "She wore many hats of translator, poet, children's author, publisher (she ran Emerald Press), educationist (she founded Thangakan Memorial Ideal English School) and historian (she authored a four-volume history of Tamil literature with her husband)." Hephzibah remained unknown beyond her debut novel because she didn't write in magazines, says R Prema, researcher and former Tamil professor at Ethiraj College, Chennai. "Back then, writers gained recognition mainly through magazines. They published short stories or serialised their novels. Hephzibah entered the literary space directly, which is why there was little awareness about her," says Prema. 'Puththam Veedu' was translated into Malayalam and later into English as 'Lissy's Legacy'. Now, under a collaboration between the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation and Rupa Publications, 'Putham House', a new English translation by G Geetha, has been released. Email your feedback with name and address to
Perth Now
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
New Perth bridal store unveils gowns for modern romance
Sophie, Lissy & Chelsea Graham. Picture: Alan Chau / The West Australian Perth brides have even more dress and accessory options to choose from for their special day following the opening of a new bridal store. Juliet Studio has thrown open its doors to women in search of modern wedding dresses and celebrated with an exclusive launch party featuring sparkling wine and oysters. Owner Brittany Mason said her store was contemporary bridal destination offering Australian and international designers. 'Our curated collection of made-to-order gowns and accessories celebrates modern romance with beautiful design and intricate craftsmanship,' a social media post said. 'Drawing inspiration from travel, art and design, we consider every detail to make finding your perfect gown a unique experience.' Juliet Studio is located on Rokeby Road in Subiaco and is officially open for bookings.
