Manara

Manara may refer to:

People with the surname Manara:

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Manara, Israel

Manara (Hebrew: מְנָרָה) (officially "Menara") is a kibbutz located in the Upper Galilee area of northern Israel, adjacent to the Lebanese border and overlooking the Hula Valley. It falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council.

History

The kibbutz was established in 1943 by members of the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed youth group, and other young immigrants from Germany and Poland. At one point the kibbutz was renamed Ramim (Hebrew: רמים‎, lit. Tall ones) in an attempt to replace its Arabic name (Manara derives from Minaret) with a Hebrew one. However, the new name failed to take hold amongst local residents. The kibbutz then came to a settlement with the government whereby the name Menara, with an accent on the last syllable (a Hebraicized form of Manara, accented on the second syllable) would be made official.

Leon Uris visited the kibbutz while researching his novel, "Exodus", whilst Yitzhak Rabin's sister is a member.

As Manara lies less than 100 metres from the Lebanese border, problems have arisen during fighting between the two countries. The Menara bypass project was completed in 2005 to provide safe access to the kibbutz. Recent plans to build more than 80 homes in Menara, to take advantage of its scenic location, have been put on hold.

Mannara Chopra

Mannara Chopra (previously known as Barbie Handa)), is an Indian actress who is the cousin of famous actress Priyanka Chopra. She made her Bollywood debut in Anubhav Sinha's erotic thriller Zid.

Mannara was born in Bokaro, Jharkhand as Barbie Handa, named after the Barbie doll. Her cousin, who lives overseas suggested the name as a nickname but her mother liked the name so much that she kept it as her real name. Mannara's mother is a jewellery designer and her father is a lawyer. She has a younger sister Mithali, who has studied commerce. She grew up in Delhi and was educated at Summer Fields School, New Delhi. She has pursued a BBA degree. Actresses Parineeti Chopra, Meera Chopra and Priyanka Chopra are her cousins.

After completing her education, Mannara moved to Mumbai, where she started her career in modelling and moved into advertising. She made thirteen commercials, three of them alongside her cousin Priyanka Chopra, including one for Dabur Amla Hair Oil, which she said won her "instant recognition" and landed her an offer in Telugu films. She had also appeared in Amit Trivedi's song '"Bas bajna chahiye", the theme song for Gaana.com. Besides, she has worked as a fashion designer and as an assistant choreographer, being trained in dance forms like hip hop and belly dancing.