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Say it with
a card Kitty
parties on sea Musafir hain
yaaro… Diamonds are
forever A dalliance
with wind and sea Rendezvous
in Sector 22 Earthy by
Nature FILM & FASHION Songs to set
the feet tapping Making
splashes in Ad-world
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Knowledge gets the better of wealth as Ganesha images are more in demand
than those of Lakshmi, says
Nirupama Dutt
Ours
is a culture of gods aplenty. But the most gifted-god remains the good old
Ganesha, Ganapati or Vinayak for there are actually 1000 names for him.
Gifted, of course, in ways more than one. The lovely elephant-head god
with a potbelly and happily riding a mouse far too small for him is the
lord of knowledge and wisdom. He is also the lord of prosperity and the
symbol for anything auspicious and also the deity who presides over new
beginnings. Come Diwali and he literally becomes the most-gifted as a
festival gift. In fact, it even has an edge over Lakshmi, goddess of
wealth, as far as its popularity goes Images of Ganesha are wrought in
gold, silver, brass, copper and what other metal one may fancy. He is
moulded in crystal, sculpted in marble, cast in clay and woven in fabric.
This so because he is considered the most auspicious. In fact, he has a
romantic Bollywood song of yore dedicated to him: Yadi aap hamein aadesh
karein to prem ka ham Shri Ganesh karein... As the belief goes, gifting
this friendly god brings good luck. K. Anuradha, a Tamilian living in
Chandigarh says: "The gift of a Ganesha figurine always thrills me. I
have nearly 60 Ganeshas at home. My aunt, however, has a collection of 108
for that is the most auspicious number." Go to the google and enter
Ganesha God and there are as many as 86, 143 sites available on him. And
this Diwali Ganeshaonline limited is offering the god in 1000 different
blessing moods. The gallery promo adds: "The idols and paintings of
Ganesha of our Art Gallery are sculpted and painted by devotees of Lord
Ganesha. So spread happiness in the lives of your friends and relatives by
gifting them idol or painting of Lord Ganesha...and it will add to your
happiness." Interestingly, Ganesha is the most-painted god as far as
the contemporary art scene goes. New Delhi has a well-known art gallery
called Gallerie Ganesha. And doesn’t it do good business! Online there
are as many as 35, 081 galleries selling art inspired by this benevolent
son of Parvatil. Other gods like the more worshipped Rama and Krishna
trail way behind. Ask painters why they choose to paint Ganapati and the
reply invariably is: "It is such an interesting form and one can play
with it so well." Sounds convincing but asked city-based artist
Balvinder, who has also painted Ganesha and his reply is: "The form
is interesting but the real reason is that Ganesha is wanted even in art.
So artists turn to him so that their works sell and they survive." |
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Bright and flashy cards set the mood of the season, says Parbina Rashid This is the reason why even in this
age of SMS and e-mail, the demand for greeting cards has not gone down. A
visit to the city’s card stores just confirms that. "Gift is one
thing, but when you deliver it with a card with a few lines that come
straight from your heart, a bond is immediately made between the giver and
the receiver," says Rajiv Choudhury, owner of English Book Depot in
sector 17. "And a card can beat an SMS or e-mail message any day
because of its personal touch," he adds. And the city stores are
competing with each other to provide the best. You can have your pick from Ganeshas in
orange red to traditional diyas available for Rs 4 to Rs 50 per
card. Flowers, as usual, are the all time favourite. Cards based on
Kangra paintings have also proved to be quite popular. For those who
like to print their own messages, Capital Book Depot offers 100 cards for
Rs 650 that includes the printing charge as well. So if you are looking
for means to add alittle soul to your gift or express your feelings to
those outside the city, sending a card will be the best bet.
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Women in the city are booking a cruise liner to party on the waves, reports Naveen S. Garewal
Three weeks ago, when the world’s third largest cruise operator, Star, targeted the city along with Punjab, Haryana and Himachal, offering holiday makers lucrative incentives, the company could not imagine that they would be all sold out to those wanting to celebrate Christmas and New Years on deck. Several groups wanting to host their kitty parties aboard a cruise liner have been asked to hold their plans till after the holiday season. Star Cruise has tied up with European tour operators and promoting cruise holidays through city based EKIDO Holiday Tours. Announcing the docking of ‘Superstar Libra’ at Mumbai, Mr. Kapil Malhotra, Director of EKIDO says, “earlier people looked as a cruise as an add-on to a holiday, now more and more people are opting for cruise as a relaxing holiday”. Cruise is becoming very popular with corporate houses, who are giving out ‘cruise holiday’ to their employees as rewards. Many corporate houses are now holding parties on cruise; it works out cheaper than a five star hotel. According to Mr. Malhotra, “on an average one night on a luxury cruise including all meals and accommodation for the night, inclusive of all taxes, costs around Rs 5000, which works out to be cheaper than hosting a party in a big hotel”. “The prime tourism focus is shifting towards holiday packages and cruises for leisure for family traveller, honeymooners, Corporate traveller and kitty parties”, he says. He disclosed that several people from the region had already blocked cabins for New Year and Christmas onboard Superstar Libra to celebrate the mega occasions on board the luxury liner. Keeping in mind the needs of travellers from north India, he said his company had tied up with various airlines like spice jet, Kingfisher, Sahara Airlines to get better deals on airfares to Mumbai and promote Superstar Libra. EKIDO is working out packages for a 2 night cruise from Mumbai to Lakshadweep, Port Blair, etc including airfare from Delhi-Mumbai return, stay and meals for around Rs 15,000, which is actually cheaper than just flying to Lakshadweep that cost Rs 18,000. |
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Musafir hain yaaro… The duo performed for youngsters who gathered at the Punjabi University Youth Festival, Patiala Zone, held at Government Mohindra College, Patiala. The fact that masses swayed to their tunes was sweet music to the ears of the singing duo from Barnala. The lads met when the two enrolled at SD College, Barnala, about seven years ago and since then there has been no looking back. Aamaan and Lajja learnt guitar together at college and from various masters and even travelled to Jammu, where Aamaan’s aunt lived, for further lessons. No surprise then as the two teamed up for Musafir and the result was the Sufi-cum-western music influenced album ‘Ranjha’. The song ‘Ranjha’ was beemed repeatedly over MTV and Channel V with its reach much beyond the narrow confines of Punjab. Reaching out and imbibing from other cultures, literature and music, that is what the two always aim for. Definitely, reach out, they did. Ranjha was No 17 at Channel V world top 40. The video was directed by Jitender Mohar, another of their type, whom they met by chance while singing at the Gaddari Baba mela. The result was definitely apart from the normal models-infested run-of-the-mill Punjabi videos and songs, with showcased robust bangra beats. Lucky Ali’s influence could be glimpsed in the music as well as the video. The singer has certainly impressed our Punjabi boys. After reading the ragged and rugged world of John Steinbeck and Jack London, the life-wresting works of Tolstoy and Surjit Pattar and Shiv Kumar Batalavi nearer home, the duo too want to reach out much beyond the geographical and linguistic confines. The first step in their endeavour is Ranjha, which could only came about after Aamaan sold off all his land. Their hopes, success and economic condition hinged on it. The second cassette with eight songs is likely to ring out in the beginning of New year as these Musafirs journey on in the quest of life and music. |
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The Store was converted into an Exclusive Diamond Store on October 10, 2003. The store offers an extraordinary gallery of ethnic and innovative diamond jewellery with unrelenting standard of surety and reliability to their revered patrons. Specializing in unique designs and creations, the entire range on display at the shop is spectacular and magnificent. The store recently won the Nakshatra’s Best Performance Award for the Year 2004-2005. As a part of the festive season, all the shoppers at the store will get a chance to spin the Discount Wheel and will get up to 25 per cent discount on their purchase. Colour Red A new range of semi-formal and formal shoes has been launched by Red Tape that has carved a niche for itself in the domestic market and has also become the leading fashion footwear brand manufactured and exported from India. The new range has TRP soles with leather uppers and leather lining. This Red Tape range comes in elegant black and stylish brown and is priced at Rs 2195. Sony in Patiala A new Sony exclusive outlet was opened in Patiala on Sunday. Mr. Yatindra Nath, Sales Head, says: The launch of this exclusive store is a part of our retail expansion strategy that is focused on providing the consumer with a total digital lifestyle.” It has been opened in partnership with Amar Enterprises. The store showcasesa line-up of Sony’s Wega Colour Television, Hi-Fis, Handycam, Cybershot Digital Still Cameras, Portable Audio and Sony Ericsson mobiles.
— TNS
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What
was just another invention in mid-1960s by the British inventor Peter Chilvers, has now become an Olympic sport with global following. Windsurfing is a challenging sport using nature’s cleanest and most powerful forces, viz., wind and sea-waves. It combines sailing with surfing wherein one has to adjust body-balance with application of strength to the changing patterns of wind and water. It is especially rewarding because once you have mastered this skill, you’ll have it for life. An expert windsurfer is able to get on and off the board with dexterity, and go forward, backward or turn around without falling off. Once you have mastered this art you can revel in the company of natural elements that cleanse and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. The basic equipment for windsurfing consists of a board and rig, buoyancy aid windsurfer boots and wet suits. Windsurfers stand sideways on the board and face the direction in which they are sailing. The board is steered by manipulating the sail, mast, and boom to take best advantage of any wind, and by shifting one’s body weight on the board to guide it. Beginners start on large, high-volume boards in light winds. They can then progress to faster and smaller slalom boards, and learn how to make fast banked turns in stronger winds. The most advanced form of windsurfing is wave sailing, where board, sail, and sailor leap off the tops of waves to heights of more than 10 m (30 ft), performing full 360° or 720° loops while airborne, then riding the waves as in surfing back to the beach. In India windsurfing facilities are available in several places – the most famous being Kovalam in Kerala and the beaches of Goa. For example, SPLASH! is Watersports Goa’s fun activity centre, which offers windsurfing as part of water-sports package. Websites like indiamike.com, windsurfingindia.com etc offer detailed information in this regard. You can also contact destiny@goatelecom.com. —
Randeep Wadhera
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The city centre was elsewhere before Sector 17
came and took over, recalls Balvinder
In
my younger days, apart from telling tall tales of their prosperous past my 'refugee-parents' always used to compare, with utter disbelief and disgust, the then prevalent high prices of almost everything with those of the pre-Partition days. Since the difference between the past and present prices as well as of our living standards used to be unbelievably vast, I would laugh with cynicism. I am sure this piece will evoke a similar response from the young. During my student days in Chandigarh, in the mid-Sixties, Sector 17 was yet to be developed. Only the main Bus Stand, Jagat and Neelam cinemas and about a dozen or so showrooms were there. However, the construction work was going on at quite a speed. A developed Sector 22 then used to be the lively city centre. Known as the Connaught Place of Chandigarh, it used to be frequented by all and sundry. Kiran cinema, in particular, used to be our favourite hunt. Sunday morning's English film show here would attract the city's elite. Since we, being unable to follow even a bit of the foreign films, rarely ventured into the hall. Yet we would visit the venue religiously well before the starting time. We would keep pushing elbows through the 'elite' crowd as if looking frantically for tickets or some lost friend. However, irrespective of the language of a film, spending three long hours in its extremely cool environment for just one and a half Rupees, particularly during scorching summers, was never a bad bargain. No wonder in those hot and humid days we never used to miss even mythical 'dharmik' movies. And its week-days' morning projections of old classic Hindi films at half the normal price - 75 paisa - used to be a valid reason for our almost regular bunks from the college. 'God promise', it also used to run a morning show at the same half rate, perhaps on every Wednesday, exclusively for women! The last shop at the end of the showrooms that run by the side of the Cinema (currently a tailor-shop) used to house the Indian Coffee House, which later shifted to sector 17. Following the old and popular Shimla tradition, from where the State capital had shifted here, most of the then struggling known city artists, writers and theatre-persons used to visit this place rather regularly. Another popular evening eating joint, Manohar Singh's rugged rehri that used to sell tempting non-veg tava-tikkas and chops, used to be stationed just behind the Kiran cinema. My class-room-friend Tej Singh and I used to walk down from our hostel in sector 10 to this place almost every evening. A cup of coffee, the bitter taste of which still was at its developing stage in our mouths, and a masala-dosa, less for its liking but more for practicing to eat with the newly found implements of superiority; knife and fork, used to be our preferred routine. Believe me, two cups of coffee, two dosas and a 'lavish' 15- paisa tip would cost us two Rupees everyday. Since the amount used to be quite heavy, as per the standards those days, we always used to go Dutch! |
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Earth
colours in gorgeous hues; delicately brushed blues, opulent burgundy wine tones, striking blacks with gold shades and cheerful pink tussars with cerise embroidery delight and dazzle with their vibrant variations. Winter Raga—an exhibition of eco-friendly ready-to-wear suits, kurtis and kaftans enchant with their selection of natural dyes and fabrics. This creative effort takes designer Sohni Makker one and a half months to put together and the result is sheer charm. Linen with embellishments, tussar silks with delicate and fine hand embroidery, stones and lots of block printing make for a collection that is spiffy, smart and traditional. In her trademark style, there are arresting hand-block prints from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh (Daboo and Bagh), weaves in natural dyes on fabrics ranging from cotton-silk from Benaras to Kalamkari on silks from Andhra Pradesh, cottons, tussar and linen, there is a wide variety to choose from for the approaching wintry weather. “We have deliberately used ornamentation and embroidery to give the collection a contemporary feel,” says Sohni. So what we get are simple, clean lines with unusual necks and trimmings with sequins, cut-danas (glass tubes), dabka work give the line grace without being flashy. The buys are great value for money too! With the cotton kurtis averaging Rs. 400, the linen and silk ones in the price range of around Rs. 800, the cotton outfits between Rs. 850 to Rs 1250 and the gorgeous tussar outfits ranging between Rs. 2500 to approximately Rs. 3500, the richness of the designs and the excellent workmanship make for tempting splurges! The highlights of this year’s collection are the classic kurtas with seams running from top to bottom and striking woven or kalamkari dupattas in eye-catching colours with appliqué work, sequins, Kutch embroidery in the range of Rs. 1100 to Rs. 1250. Stunning black and golden raw silk outfits (Rs. 2750), lovely rust salwar kurta with delicate embroidery highlighting the flowers in block prints, a sea-green tissue bagh print with hand embroidery (Rs. 2550), cobalt blue linen kurti with gold trimmings and sequins and khari prints in gold (Rs. 850), woven dupatta with a deep vibrant orange, with red and yellow embroidery and brocade strips (Rs. 1050), Kota dupattas on Mangalgiri with subtle embroidery (Rs. 1250) are reminiscent of joyful colours to augment a cold winter! So for the sheer elegance of natural fabrics, stylish lines and lively block-prints the exhibition is on till Tuesday October 25 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm at House No. 602, Sector 16-D. —
Gayatri Rajwade
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FILM & FASHION
British actress Rachel Weisz is set to replace disgraced supermodel Kate Moss as the face of Burberry’s signature fragrance, reports contactmusic.com. The 34-year-old "About A Boy" star was approached by the fashion house after Moss was axed from the high-profile contract following the publication of photographs of her allegedly snorting cocaine. Burberry is also in talks with actress Sienna Miller, who is set to become the new face of its clothes range. — IANS Diane Keaton plays breast cancer patient Oscar winning actress Diane Keaton is set to shock audiences in her new movie The Family Stone, by appearing with a fake mastectomy in one sex scene. The actress plays breast cancer survivor Sybil Stone in the film and agreed to pose topless in one scene with a fake surgical breast removal on show as a tribute to real-life cancer fighters. The actress reveals she actually fought for the controversial bedroom scene, where her character shows off her scarred chest to movie husband Craig T Nelson, because she hates the way such delicate scenes have been approached in the past. About the film, she says, "Your life goes on and you still make love with your husband." — ANI Gwyn’s backstage baby! Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin - are reportedly expecting their second child in the spring.
"Gwyneth is 99 percent sure this baby was made in one of Chris’ dressing rooms during one of his concerts in England earlier this year," a friend was quoted as saying. — ANI Zeta-Jones plans new comedy Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, who grew up among rugby fanatics in her native Wales, has teamed up with her brother David to produce a new comedy about a gay rugby club boss. The film titled ‘Coming Out’ tells the story of a teenage homosexual theatre artist, whose father dies and leaves him the local rugby club in his will. He has to go back home and get all fat, drinking, smoking Welsh guys into shape to win the rugby tournament. The movie will be produced by David’s movie studio Initial Entertainment. "I just have a cameo role in the film," she said. — ANI Schwarzenegger to make comeback Arnold Schwarzenegger might return to acting in movies as he has reportedly agreed to star in two big budget ventures.
According to Internet Movie Database, Arnold will re-team with Oscar winning "Terminator 2" director James Cameron for a fourth "Terminator" and a sequel to "True Lies". — IANS Jolie wild at engagement leak! Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie is furious with her ‘Beowulf’ co-star Ray Winstone for leaking out news about her alleged engagement to Brad Pitt. Rumours have been rife the smitten couple are set to tie the knot but the pair have remained tight-lipped. However Winstone let the cat out of the bag when he told the press, "She’s getting married isn’t she? Yes, she is." Jolie is said to have stormed off the set - and is reportedly refusing to shoot any more scenes with Winstone unless he says sorry. "So the film’s on hold until Angelina and Ray settles their differences They’re both so stubborn no one knows who’ll win," the source added. — ANI Travolta refused to play Bond! Veteran actor John Travolta would have been the sixth 007, had he not refused to essay the role, fearing he would be typecast. He had received 135,000 copies of 'Casino Royale' from fans, who were trying to sway him into playing the spy agent. But, despite considering Bond as one of the most dynamic roles in history, he had turned down the offer. After careful consideration I feel it might not be best for me at this point," the Sun quoted Travolta as saying. — ANI
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Shankar Sahney’s 11th album ‘Ho Gaya Pyar’ will soon
be released by T-Series. Shankar’s album is a mix of foot-tapping dance
tracks. Vivek Sahney has composed the music of ‘Ho Gaya Pyaar’. Born in Hoshiarpur and settled in Delhi, he has a degree in chemical engineering from P.U. Chandigarh. He has been trained under the watchful eyes of his father, Prof Tej Bahadur Sahney, head of the music department, Government College, Hoshiarpur. He
was chosen as brand Ambassador of Haryana’s Surajkund Craft fair. He was
chosen as Best Pop singer at a annual award ceremony held at Toronto,
Canada in 2003. The same year, he was chosen as a ‘Singer of the Nation’
by B4U music channel. He is among a few pop singers who claims a
national audience. Be it a song ‘Jatt Luteya Gaya’ picturised on Sunny
Deol in Champion or his foray into Punjabi filmdom, Shankar is always on a
quest to rediscover newer facets of his talent. Known as one of the best stage performers, Shankar has promoted Indian folk music in different parts of the world. He has also shared the stage with Vengaboys. He belongs to Kirana Gharana and was initiated in the world of sur aur taal at the age of three.A large part of his college years were spent in studies, doing recordings as a guitarist and as a singer in many albums. He has done 1000 shows in India and abroad and has received more than 100 music and TV awards. He has to his credit a successful tour of UK, Indonesia, Canada, UAE and USA. —
Dharam Pal |
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Making splashes in Ad-world
At
an age when a majority of the young professionals struggle to find a foothold in the highly competitive advertising world, Chandigarh-based graphic designer, Harpal Singh, is already making it big. In fact, it has been a phenomenal rise for the 28-year-old Harpal, who has carved a niche for himself in his field with sheer hard work with his clientele ranging from Sony to British Library and Hitachi. Recently he had added another feather to his cap with an award of the designing work for the Rs 220 crore “Fashion Technology Park” at Mohali. “Quality and speedy service are the key to success in this field and the multinational companies (MNCs) and top companies never give you a second chance,” says an unassuming Harpal, works with such top-notch advertising companies such as Visions Today and Mantran. It is a team work and Mr R. Rajan (Visions Today) and Mr Kapil Dev Khanna (Chandika Printing Press) have played a major role in my success, he adds. The young designer does not forget to mention with pride that he is the only person who has the distinction of designing all publicity material for Sony in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, besides Chandigarh. A three-year-old diploma holder from Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharam (GGGSD) College, Sector 32, the designer says designing for the “Fashion Technology Park” at Mohali is going to be the most-challenging task of his career. However, with God grace he hopes to come to the expectations of his clients. |
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Get
appropriate vaccination ! They’re not just for kids. Adults need them too. Some vaccines are for everyone. Others are recommended if you work in certain jobs, have certain lifestyles, travel to certain places, or have certain health conditions. Protect yourself from illness and disease by keeping up with your vaccinations. —
Dr Rashmi Garg is senior consultant, Fortis, Mohali. |
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T
The muted and pastel
coloured Diwali cards, which were popular last year, are now passé. This
season bright flashy cards have made an entry the big way, according to
Atulya Kumar of Azad Hind Store.
G
A
S
S
ARIES : Today is likely to have unexpected twists & turns. You are blessed with an inner flowering that allows unlimited flow of movement inside and outside. Lucky number: 5, Lucky colour: Golden yellow. 
LIBRA : You draw "The World" so this is a good time for relaxing and recreation, a time to refresh and rejuvenate yourself and do the things you most enjoy doing. Lucky number: 1, Lucky colour: Orange. 
TAURUS : You stand silent yet alert and aware while you experience an inner springtime. You have worked hard, grown spiritually in the past and built a sound foundation. Lucky number: 2, Lucky colour: White. 
SCORPIO : You will get past health problems quickly and get ready for a happy journey. You bring harmony in friendship and relationship with a light and playful attitude. Lucky number: 4, Lucky colour: Crimson.
GEMINI : You are no longer groping in the dark as awareness dawns within you. A channel is opening from the circumference of activity to that centre of witnessing. Lucky number: 13, Lucky colour: Royal blue. 
SAGITTARIUS : 'The Princess of Swords' brings you face to face with truth and clarity in personal situations. The exalted Mars will add charm to your life. Lucky number: 4, Lucky colour: Peacock blue. 
CANCER : Your card "Judgement" is reversed so be careful not to let public opinion go against you. You are able to stand up for yourself with courage and confidence. Lucky number: 6, Lucky colour: Pink. 
CAPRICORN : Your mind cuts ruthlessly through layers of deception and points to the truth, which is hard to look at. Youthful energy allows you to look at new beginnings. Lucky number: 15, Lucky colour: Lotus pink. 
LEO : You card "The Strength" gives you self-esteem and a good feeling about yourself today. Attempt to get what you want in professional and personal aspects. Lucky number: 18, Lucky colour: Ebony 
AQUARIUS : You may spend the day in a round of coffee mornings; business lunches & tea parties. You will be pushing hard to increase your cash flow. Lucky number: 14, Lucky colour: Silver grey. 
VIRGO : All opposites play a part in the vast circular pattern to create illusions of progress. You make breakthroughs in repetitive patterns and get away from restrictions. Lucky number: 9, Lucky colour: Sky blue. 
PISCES: Take the chance to enjoy yourself; and appreciate the company of like minded souls. Work on situations which leave you open, innocent and vulnerable. Lucky number: 12, Lucky colour: White.