Aga Khan - Personality of the Year - Apollo Magazine

Apollo - The Magazine for Collectors honored MHI as the Personality of the Year in the December 2007 issue.

Personality of the year
This year the Aga Khan celebrated his 70th birthday and his golden jubilee as spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims. His extraordinary investment in arts and architecture includes plans for a museum of Islamic art, writes Lucian Harris.

Click Here for the article - you have to register - it's free.

http://www.apollo-magazine.com/features/380491/personality-of-the-year.thtml

Rita and Prince Aly Khan

I've never read - or found much material - about Prince Aly Khan and his life. Here is a video I found chronicling his romance and marriage to Hollywood queen Rita Hayworth - I believe the video footage must be from a movie that was made about the couple 50 plus years ago which also had the visit to East Africa after the wedding.

Aga Khan Golden Jubilee - Madagascar

Another GJ video - this time from one of the earlier visits - Madagascar in November 2007.

Aga Khan Golden Jubilee - Central Asia

An interesting video - would be nice to have the translation.

Aga Khan Golden Jubilee - Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat - Ottawa

Canada was blessed again with MHI's visit this time for the opening of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat building in Ottawa.

Here is Stephen Harper's address - nice to see his sense of humor...



A pictorial of the day in Ottawa...

Aga Khan Golden Jubilee - France 2008

Paris is one of the world's most romantic cities and in December 2008 was also the location of the GJ Darbar. When Mukhianima of Burnaby Lake read the announcement I was sure the message was to include a notice to the International Jamat not to travel for the Paris Darbar - but no - the message was that the France Council was open heartedly inviting the world jamat with joy to celebrate this historic visit - and what a visit it turned out with most of the Noorani family in attendance - a bonus of bonuses for those lucky to be in the City of Lights - so aptly named for Ismailis as the light lives not to far away in the town known as Aiglemont.

Aga Khan Golden Jubilee - Canada 2008

Now that the GJ is over it's time to reflect on the marvelous year. All the JK's have been showing the movies from all the different visits - such memories !
Personally, I took a break from blogging to also look at the year that was and to think about the messages from Morning Chai readers. Many of you are undertaking journeys within to use the momentum of the GJ to move your own lives forward both material and spiritual by working harder to maintain or progress the balance which MHI wishes for us - it was truly a blessed year for Ismailis though it looks like it's going to be challenging in the years ahead - so my personal take was that the GJ was a primer - call it a preparation - for me to use the strength gained and to use it as a lever to fulfill all my wishes and achieve success in all my endevours.

In the months ahead I will focus on the the challenge of the economic downturn and also to undertake a journey into the history of the Ismailis.

In the meantime here are some videos on the Canada darbar. Enjoy...



Toronto Darbar Preparations



Calgary Darbar Preparations - where they transformed an entire warehouse into a spectacular showcase - leave it to those Albertans to create magic with their never say never attitude...