Orchids and Faces - Photo exhibition by Sandeep Silas August 3, 2009

Sandeep Silas, a civil servant, travel-writer, poet, and scholar is coming up with a photo exhibition on "Orchids and Faces", shot by him in the Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania, USA. Orchids symbolize love, beauty, luxury and strength, and eight countries in the world have different varieties of Orchids as their national flower. Brief - He was born on 19th September 1960 at Agra, India. Schooling completed at St. Peter's College, Agra in 1976, he went to college at St. John's, Agra, and studied History. He entered the Civil Services in India in 1984. He further pursued Tourism Studies. As a British Chevening Scholar he studied "Strategic Management" at Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK. Now, he is part of the Maxwell alumni having completed his Masters of Public Administration from The Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs of Syracuse University, New York.He has worked in various capacities in the Ministry of Railways; Statistics & Programme Implementation, Youth Affairs & Sports; Overseas Indian Affairs; Tourism & Culture; and Labour & Employment, in the Government of India.As a public information specialist he was responsible for conceptualizing the year-long country-wide grand celebration of the 150th Year of Railways in India. Similarly, he was instrumental in making the first-ever mobile science exhibition on rail in the world, the 12-coach Vigyan Rail, which was flagged off by the Prime Minister of India on 15th December 2003 on an eight month long journey into 2004, in the Year of Scientific Awareness. Recently the Sri Lankan Government accepted his idea and concept of making a Sita-Rama Heritage Tourism Trail in Sri Lanka linking all the Ramayana sites for promotion of tourism. He pursues his novel idea and concept, now become his mission; the "Garland of Peace", a project to declare all war ruins/sites in the world as Peace Heritage Sites, with the UN, to take yet another step towards peace building, peace education and peace tourism. "Discover India by Rail" (Sterling Paperbacks, 2001), his first book, helps the tourist choose an itinerary for a holiday in India; travel and experience the beauty of the land. "Morrow's Face (Sterling Paperbacks, 2005) and "Borough in the Mist" (Sterling Publishers 2007), are his significant contributions to the world of poetry in English. He has also written a couple of title songs in Hindi for TV serials and a short feature film. Today he has evolved as a public affairs administrator, public information specialist, travel writer, poet, lyricist, humorist and a tourism promotion enthusiast.

Official Website: http://www.buzzintown.com/?125728&ref=yupg&refcity=1