United colours of Holi
Saurabh Malik
She hates hiding behind colours. That’s perhaps the reason why Geetika Chauhan conceals herself in the room on the roof of her Sector 19 house on Holi every year. And while the guys cut along the sharp curves of life on way to Kasauli in open jeeps, she walks the floor waiting for the day to be over.

TECH TALK
E-Holi greetings!
With Holi just around the corner, have you send all your Holi greetings? No matter how organized you are, there always seems to be one friend or relative who somehow slips off your list. It’s too late for the Post Office to deliver your Holi greeting on time and a late card, though better than none, loses its value and sentiment. So, what do you do?

This one is for Smart Shrimatis Gayatri Rajwade When several contestant interviews, a photo-op and a cake-cutting ‘ceremony’ had all clocked away one-and-a-half hours, actor and television anchor Annu Kapoor sat down for a dour tête-à-tête, riffling through papers, grim-faced, perhaps to ward off unwanted questions on his career! The moment had come to announce the launch of Doordarshan’s upcoming game show, ‘Wheel Smart Shrimati’ where the resourceful and smartness of the ubiquitous Indian housewife, in planning her limited resources, wins the game.  Television anchor Annu Kapoor — Photo by Manoj Mahajan

Wedlock@Desk
As Chandigarh embraces a global work culture and a more open office environment, the trend of ‘colleagues turning soulmates’ is catching up, says Anandita Gupta
It was another dull day at work. Their office chairs, the position of important files on their desks and even the receptionist’s hairdo looked as they’d looked since the last four years. Dreary work hours, dysphoric client meetings, deadly pressures to handle and deadlines to meet! The growing pressure of their jobs had almost pushed ‘them’ into cube-life claustrophobia.

Dusky damsel
Dusky beauty Noyonika Chatterjee is amongst the other high profile panel of judges for the ‘Mrs India-World 2006’ auditions which will be held in the Piccadily Hotel, Chandigarh, on March 13. She will be in Chandigarh to select the winners for Sahara One Television’s ‘Mrs India-World 2006.’The winner will get an opportunity to compete at the national level at the grand finale to be held on March 25, 2006.

PAMMY’S BEAUTY TIPS
Colour power
All hair colours fade. It’s inevitable. The oxygen in the air is a major culprit and so are oxidants like sun and chlorine water that can all conspire to speed up the fading process. Daring reds and coppers fade much faster as the molecules are big and do not have the staying power. Lilacs and pinks don’t have much life either.

WRITE TO RENEE
Friendship is about caring
I am a college going girl and have just discovered that my best friend whom I trusted the most in the world has been betraying me behind my back. She has been gossiping about me. We both share a room in a hostel and I have been confiding everything in her.

Write back
Campus life, then and now
Saurabh Malik’s write-up ‘Literary Love’ with the full-blown visual coverage (The Tribune, Lifestyle, February 24, 2006) must be seen as a glaring example of the massive change life on the campus has undergone over the years. It may sound a bit too nostalgic, but a person like me who had come as students to the campus in 1961 and later went on to serve the Panjab University as a teacher for more than three decades has all the reasons to compare the campus scene now and then.

MATKA CHOWK
Gotta Have Wheels
Sreedhara Bhasin
The mahima of a pair of wheels – presented itself almost as a revelation, after I came to Chandigarh. Growing up in Calcutta, where finding any open and traffic-free space is as rare as a Panda Bear sighting, I never learnt how to ride a bike, a fact I am very ashamed of. I grew up not knowing the beauty and the utility of a bicycle.

SPIRITUALLY YOURS
The path of spirituality is not difficult. It is the easiest path,” enunciated Swami Veda Bharati, “meditation guide” and disciple of Swami Rama, following the lineage of Himalayan yogis and spiritual masters. “When people ask me am I making progress while meditating, I say I do not know.

Firmly focussed

There’s much more to English cricketer Usman Afzaal than cricket, his fashionable attire and Amrita Arora, discovers Gayatri Rajwade, after having a chat with him

There is so much more to him than that meets the eye. Beyond the eye-candy material (he is drop dead gorgeous!), the celebrity girlfriend (Bollywood actor Amrita Arora) and his fashionably torn jeans lies a young man with an affable and down-to-earth demeanour with an intense passion for his cricket no less!

“I am a simple guy who is working very hard towards the game,” says Usman Afzaal, English cricketer, who is currently playing for Northamptonshire and who has just come off a “good season with domestic cricket”.

In the city on a commentating project with the recently launched news channel, ‘Times Now’, he along with his former captain Nasser Hussein are providing the expert comments for the cricketing show, ‘A Few Good Men’ focusing on England’s tour of India.

“The channel needed someone who had played at the highest level, had a decent knowledge of the game and young enough for audiences to relate to,” he explains.

With an international debut in the Ashes series in 2001 in the first test (England versus Australia at Birmingham) and having even come to India with the English cricket team in 2002, Usman certainly fits the profile.

Going back to England after the current series concludes for domestic cricket begins on April 21, he is working relentlessly towards getting his place back in the English team. “I believe I am heading in the right direction. I am firmly focussed and committed and have never trained as hard as I am doing right now.”

His schedule remains unaltered expert commentaries notwithstanding! Wake-up time is 6:30 am every morning, followed by a 40 minute run, an afternoon gym session and training at the nets in the evenings, honing in on batting and bowling, “so that I can be an all-rounder.”

Healthy eating, resisting temptations like “chocolate cake” (a strong weakness!) and cutting down on oily food, is his mantra to wellbeing.

Favourite food? Plain boiled rice with grilled chicken or fish and spinach curry at home in England and here it is anything prepared by “Amrita’s mom who is an amazing cook” which brings us to his celebrity girlfriend!

Yes it was love at first sight as the magazines report but they met through actor Arbaaz Khan, who is married to Amrita’s sister Malaika Arora. “We got along like a house on fire,” and the long-distant relationship is not a problem “because what matters is quality not quantity,” he says firmly.

Okay, topic closed. So where was he born? “In Rawalpindi in Pakistan but we moved to England when I was about five years old so I just have mere glimpses of memory of then.”

How did cricket happen? “I hated the game when I was young; I thought I was Diego Maradona no less!” His brother asked him to go for trials and give it a shot where the coach told him he was not good enough to play. That was at age 14. “It really got to me so I made sure I worked really hard.”

Working hard meant that at the age of 15, he hit the A grade playing for England Under-15 “just like that.”

A cricketer he really admires? “David Gower, he is a left-hander like me and is a really relaxed guy. I grew up watching him play.”

His take on the Indian cricket team? “They now has what they never had, so much depth in their bowling.”

Time to leave as he dunks his toast into his tea spouting fluent Hindi and Punjabi with the staff—the man is full of surprises and one last thing, he has “absolutely no interest in films and modelling, all I want is to play international cricket with England soon.”

Amen!

United colours of Holi
Saurabh Malik

She hates hiding behind colours. That’s perhaps the reason why Geetika Chauhan conceals herself in the room on the roof of her Sector 19 house on Holi every year. And while the guys cut along the sharp curves of life on way to Kasauli in open jeeps, she walks the floor waiting for the day to be over. If your predicament is similar to that of Geetika, worry no more. Stop scratching your pretty little head and play with boys, and colours, on Holi without the fear of “permanent repercussions”.

Go green

First of all, go herbal. Forget all about synthetic colours. They can actually turn your life colourless. For, most Holi colours offered by the roadside vendors, even showrooms across the city, contain oxidized metals, even industrial dyes mixed with engine oil, undoubtedly dangerous for the skin.

Having doubts? Listen to city-based chemical engineer Rahul Singh. “Chances are that the green colour of joy you splash on your friend’s tender visage is made from copper sulphate,” he says. “It may drain the colour off your face, but silver shade is often prepared from aluminum bromide. Red is made from mercury sulphite and black colour may contain lead oxide”.

These chemicals can not only cause allergy, but in extreme cases can also result in temporary blindness, renal failure, skin cancer and even paralysis, he adds. That’s perhaps the reason why you should go in for a healthy Holi with herbal colours.

Compared to the synthetic colours, the herbals ones are a wee bit expensive, but then these eco-friendly powders and pastes are prepared from natural extracts of flowers, even vegetables and sometimes minerals. It may sound incredible, but herbal colours available over the counter are often made out of rose, marigold and hibiscus petals. Some even use bougainvillea, sandalwood, henna, turmeric, multani mitti and spinach to add colour to your life on the big day.

If you haven’t picked up sachets of herbal hues, go to the arcade now: Pidilite Industries is offering ‘Acron non toxic Holi ke rang’. “These non toxic colours are made by using food grade colours and provide a safer alternative to traditional Holi colours,” says Ravi Mehta, owner of a Sector 35 provision store. “You can pick up red, green, pink, orange and yellow in 100 gms packet for just Rs 10. Colour concentrates that can be mixed with water are also available in packs of 25 gms and 100 gms priced at Rs 5 and Rs 18.

Creating colours

Just in case, you wish to create your own eco-friendly holi colour at home, here are some handy tips: For yellow colour, soak a healthy bunch marigold flowers in water and boil till it exudes fragrance. Leave it overnight to get that rich wet yellow colour. You can also dry petals of yellow chrysanthemum before grinding them for the colour of exuberance.

In case you wish to colour your friends good in green, take dried or fresh mehndi leaves and grind them into powder before mixing it with water to make a paste out of it. Colour your friends’ hair the natural way. You can also dry Gulmohar, spinach and even mint leaves to prepare the colour that will turn your neighbours green with envy.

For preparing red hue of affection, take a handful of rose petals. Dry them by spreading the petals on tissue or newspaper before grinding these into a powder for applyig as gulal. Remember folks, these colours are absolutely safe. So bid adieu to the synthetic and get ready to play herbal Holi.

Play it safe

Remember to offer your own colours to the visitors as far as possible, says Neeru Sidhu, city-based beauty consultant running her own studio, Attitude. But before that, go in for “good” stuff. Not the one picked up from any roadside vendor.

Also make sure there are no hard particles, says Raman of Sector 11 chunk jewellery and gift shop, Jewels. Keep it dry as far as possible. It takes little effort to get rid of dry tones. You can always request your friends not to rub wet blush. Common cold is a good excuse.

“Do not apply petrol or kerosene for getting rid of the colour, please. Use cleansing milk, instead. That’s a better option. After removing the dyestuff, go in for moisturizer, says Yashu Gautam, hair-care and professional with a beauty saloon.

Holi Day destination

In case your kind of deal involves hitting the dance floor for a great Holi experience with live music and impromptu jam-ups, drop in at one of the discotheques and trip the light fantastic. Allow the beats of Kajrare to get you grooving. Otherwise enjoy the company of friends, and good old beer, with some classic rock after finding your way into a bar.

Fun City has elaborate plans for the big day and its eve. You can lose your blues on March 14 and 15 with Mumbai’s “item girl” Muskan. Another “musical group” Dare Dazzle will also perform live, besides cool music mixed by Ludhiana-based Disc Jockey.

You can get ready to cut foot lose to the thumping beats of reverberating music at Las Vegas on the Holi eve. With in-house and guest disc jockeys spinning tracks, it’s going to be an afternoon full of tearing excitement, undoubtedly, says one of the directors Jaswant Rai, adding that psychedelic lights are all set to blink.

Partying would be incomplete without a day out at the Warehouse, at least this is what some of the party buffs say. Situated far from the madding crowd at Chimney Heights Resort on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway, the management has caught hold of renowned Punjabi singers for their 9 to 5 celebrations on March 15. Besides this, the revelers will get a taste of excitement during the rain dance and the fashion show.

Girls, avoid going uphill unless you are accompanied by escorts. It’s bad on Holi. “You will encounter guys high on the Holi spirit dancing to the thumping beats of rhythmic music after parking their cars right in the middle of the meandering road,” says Dheeraj Malhotra, client servicing manager in a Sector 17 advertising company-cum-an uphill frequenter.

Otherwise also, go to parties you are sure of. “Don’t just drive down to a bash organized in a farmhouse by a friend of a friend,” suggests a senior Chandigarh Police officer. “Also, make sure the hands applying colour are innocent. If the guys try to act indecent by rubbing the blush not just on the visage, glare back before leaving the venue. Report the matter to the cops. Do not be scared. If nothing else, it will teach them a lesson for all times to come”.

Guys do not go overboard. You are there to enjoy the bash, not to make a fool out of yourself. “If people force you to drink, do not be rude,” says Hotel Mountview General Manager R.P. Singla. “Do not get drowned in drinks either, even if you believe in combining dancing with guzzling. Also, stick to one drink. Avoid beer, if you are likely to feel the urge of having rum-in-coke later, that is. Blending drinks will only give you headache the next morning”.

Don’t mess with law

Another thing! Do not paint the city red on your single cylinder motorcycles with silencers “removed”. And remember to wear safety helmets while zipping down the fast track of celebrations with trumpets in your hands.

Also, do not to play with the colours of law by driving around the town in open jeeps. For, the Chandigarh Police is all set to come down heavily on revelers breaking the law or violating the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. “The intention is not to throw a spanner in the way of celebrations, but to maintain the law and order situation,” says a senior traffic police officer.

TECH TALK
E-Holi greetings!

With Holi just around the corner, have you send all your Holi greetings? No matter how organized you are, there always seems to be one friend or relative who somehow slips off your list. It’s too late for the Post Office to deliver your Holi greeting on time and a late card, though better than none, loses its value and sentiment. So, what do you do?

Now you can send your Holi greetings online. E cards are the perfect solution to sending all your greetings, from Lohri to Gudi Padwa. The number of Indians choosing to send electronic greetings are increasing and with so many benefits, it’s not hard to see why.

Instant delivery

When you log on to one of the many E greeting websites you can select, personalize and send your card within minutes. With instant delivery and notification, you can even request to be notified once your nearest and dearest has viewed your card.

Save time

In a matter of seconds you can send a personal greeting card anywhere in the world. No more choosing and buying a traditional card, no more queues at the Post Office to send your cards and no more waiting for your card to be delivered (or hoping it is delivered for that matter!)

Still pushed for time? Many E card sites have a function to allow you to send a greeting to everyone in your address book with one click of a button.

Save money

Best of all sending an E greeting doesn’t have to cost you a thing. There are a host of websites that provide free E card services.

Save the environment

Cutting out traditional cards will reduce the amount of waste you create, making you a more environmentally friendly person!

Get unlimited choice

With the number of sites offering Ecards you are sure to find the perfect card for all your friends, relatives and sweethearts. The choice is virtually unlimited, send religious Ecards, with all major religions covered, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Jain and Christianity. Send humorous and animated cards to cheer your friends up and show your playful side. Or send a movie or celebrity themed card, from the latest Bollywood smash hit, Taxi 9211 or Rang De Basanti, to a personal Amitabh or Preity Zinta greeting.

Organize your life

Are you, like so many other people, terrible with dates? Do you spend more time apologizing for your forgetfulness than sharing precious moments with your loved ones? Not any more! Many sites offer exceptional services – now you can arrange your entire personal calendar online and never fret about forgetting any birthdays, anniversaries or holidays again. Once you have marked out all the dates relevant to you, you can set ‘Eremiders’. This function will send reminders direct to your Inbox two weeks before a selected date and will send a fresh reminder closer to or on the date.

What do I need to begin sending e -cards?

Sending E cards is surprisingly easy, all that’s required is a personal email address to send it from and an email address to receive your greeting. Some sites charge for E greetings but the majority of sites provide the service free of charge.

E greetings and messages encompass everything imaginable – you can send Poems, Invitations and Acceptance Notes, Thank You Cards, Wedding/ Birthday and Anniversary Cards or a romantic personal card to declare your intentions for that special someone. There are also E cards for every festival. Want to send an E greeting to relatives in Tamil Nadu? No problem. Choose a greeting card in the language of your choice from Assamese, Bengali, English, Gurjarati and Hindi to Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telgu along with a complete selection of international languages. Start sending your E greetings today and discover the many advantages for yourself.

Don’t stress about getting this years Holi greetings in the mail on time simply get online and send your cards.

Some fun and useful e -card sites

Some sites may require a registration which is free and can be completed in minutes.

http://www.bharathgreetings.com/

http://www.greetings.123india.com/

http://www.egreetings.indiatimes.com/

http://greetings.123india.com/

http://www.dgreetings.com/

http://in.greetings.yahoo.com/

Courtesy: Atul Gupta, CEO – RedAlkemi.com. You can reach him at atul@redalkemi.com

This one is for Smart Shrimatis
Gayatri Rajwade

When several contestant interviews, a photo-op and a cake-cutting ‘ceremony’ had all clocked away one-and-a-half hours, actor and television anchor Annu Kapoor sat down for a dour tête-à-tête, riffling through papers, grim-faced, perhaps to ward off unwanted questions on his career!

The moment had come to announce the launch of Doordarshan’s upcoming game show, ‘Wheel Smart Shrimati’ where the resourceful and smartness of the ubiquitous Indian housewife, in planning her limited resources, wins the game. The telecast date though not yet finalised, is to go on air within the month.

The set resembling the game of chausar features four ‘clever’ shrimatis on four sides of the board with their husbands in the centre. Starting out with an initial reserve of 5000 mohars, the aim is to collect as many mohars as one can during the show through four rounds and the one will the largest number wins the game and gets to shop for household goodies at the glitzy shopping bay created on the set.

With 26 episodes commissioned to begin with, the future of this show will perhaps depend on its popularity with the masses.

Annu Kapoor, after the initial introduction to the show, was content to let the show’s Public Relations Officer take over the introduction to the concept—waiting instead for questions to come in.

Have you been to any other cities to publicise this new show? “This is the last stop; we have been taking two flights a day travelling for the last one week,” said Annu, rattling off the names of the other cities.

So what else are you doing apart from the show? “I am not a part time actor, so obviously I am working.”

Oops maybe this last flight exhausted him, time to make the ‘quit exit’!

Wedlock@Desk

As Chandigarh embraces a global work culture and a more open office environment, the trend of ‘colleagues turning soulmates’ is catching up, says Anandita Gupta

Dr. Biman Saikia with wife Uma at PGI

It was another dull day at work. Their office chairs, the position of important files on their desks and even the receptionist’s hairdo looked as they’d looked since the last four years. Dreary work hours, dysphoric client meetings, deadly pressures to handle and deadlines to meet! The growing pressure of their jobs had almost pushed ‘them’ into cube-life claustrophobia.

And then, a whiff of refreshingly fresh air entered through that office window. Sunshine peeped in through the boring blinds. Everything seemed bright and colourful. The piled up files, long work hours and the stuffy cubicle were there, all right, but everything seemed so rose tinted, so very beautiful. Wonder what had happened?

Well, quite unexpectedly, cupid had creeped in and whizzed some of his amorous arrows at them. Three months of missed heartbeats, shared cappuccinos and dinner dates, they were seen flinging phoolmalas around each other’s necks. And did they live happily ever after? Lets find out by chatting up some of the married couples whose romance blossomed at work.

Step in into the office cubicles (Sector, 8,9,34 and 17) and you’ll find many such corporate couples. Sitting next to one another, they are working intensely, sharing ideas, quick fix-it sandwiches over a rushed lunch and yes, lives!

Winks Jyoti Khurana, a call centre professional, “I was working with a call centre in Delhi where I met my husband Raman. He was a very focused professional and so was the case with me. In fact, we discovered that both of us were an alter ego of each other—focused, determined and full of life. Things clicked and today, we are man and wife.” So how’s the feeling of getting caught in a cubicle crush? “Amazing, those monotonous work hours transmute into an exhilirating aspact to wake up to in the mornings.” She snaps back.

And then there’s Atia Noor and hubby Akthar, running their own placement consultancy Vision Unlimited, “ Both of us were studying together, but things didn’t click at that time. It was a common vision of starting up a placement consultancy that bonded us . And now, our common vision to grow keeps the batteries of our relationship charged.” With a name like ‘Vision Unlimited’ for their consultancy, who wouldn’t guess that.

Chips in Guneeta Kathuria, running a PR firm with hubby Vinit Kathuria, “Women today are far more liberated and are no longer restricted to fringe low profile jobs of being typists or secretaries. They are fast climbing the corporate ladder and look for a partner who’ll understand their pressures and lifestyle. Even men are throwing the traditional parameters like ‘slim, beautiful and fair’ to the winds when it comes to choosing a life partner. So the office romances blossoming into wedlocks are very common in the city right now.” And the pros and cons? “Well, if a husband and wife working together end up in a major fight, the work gets adversely affected. At times there can be ego clashes too. But that happens nowadays when the husband and wife are working in different offices too,” explains Vinit Kathuria.

Recollects Dr. Biman Saikia from Pathology Department, PGI, “When I came to PGI in 1995, Uma was already here. In March, we had the annual spring fest of PGI, where Uma helped me with my North Indian accent and we sang together. We got the first prize, the money of which we spent in a sweet dinner date. That triggered off our friendship which soon blossomed into love.” Smiles wife Uma, “Today we both are glad for choosing each other. We can count upon each other for understanding and empathizing with our pressures.” And how about the negatives? “Both of us are in the same department and don’t get chutti (holiday) together,” they laugh in a chorus.

Adds Dr Mukut Minz, head of the Transplant Surgery department, “A couple in the same profession works like a team and boosts each other when ever required. My wife Ranjana’s a doctor too and it really helps. She has knowledge about my work and respects it just the way I do.”

So friends, in the current scenario where the city youngsters are hardcore professions, (their diaries being chock-full of official appointments, instead of dates), what else can be a better option than finding soulmate than in your corporate cubicle!

Dusky damsel

Noyonika Chatterjee

Dusky beauty Noyonika Chatterjee is amongst the other high profile panel of judges for the ‘Mrs India-World 2006’ auditions which will be held in the Piccadily Hotel, Chandigarh, on March 13. She will be in Chandigarh to select the winners for Sahara One Television’s ‘Mrs India-World 2006.’The winner will get an opportunity to compete at the national level at the grand finale to be held on March 25, 2006.

Having successfully trained contestants for numerous Miss India Pageants including the likes of Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra, Diya Mirza etc, she’s been associated with training contestants for modeling contests like Elite Look Of The Year, Ford Supermodel, Metropolitan top Model. She is the Brand Manager of India’s first girl band ‘VIVA’. And as if all this was not enough, she has been a host for several shows like Femina Look of the year and Gladrags Supermodel contest. No wonder, this dusky damsel has too many feathers in her cap. — D.P

PAMMY’S BEAUTY TIPS
Colour power

All hair colours fade. It’s inevitable. The oxygen in the air is a major culprit and so are oxidants like sun and chlorine water that can all conspire to speed up the fading process. Daring reds and coppers fade much faster as the molecules are big and do not have the staying power. Lilacs and pinks don’t have much life either.

Don’t choose a conditioner that’s too heavy for your hair. People with oily scalp/hair must only use conditioner on mid lengths and ends.

Things to do

• Always encourage your hairdresser to do a porosity and elasticity test before the hair colour.
• Also insist on doing a cutting test on the strand of your hair to ensure the outcome.
• A pre-colour treatment can boost protein levels and help the colour to not fade and stay in longer.
• Make sure your shampoo is not astringent based.
• Hot air is a fast route to colour fade – so is straightening and blow drying.
• Use a thermal protector always.
• The best way to give your shade a boost between colouring is to invest in a colour deposit shampoo, which will pep up your shade with a small amount of pigment.
• Avoid sunlight.

As people prefer to have a natural hair colour, so you really need to leave it in the hands of professionals. Colouring at home may be the cheapest option but certainly not the best answer. 

WRITE TO RENEE
Friendship is about caring

Rush in your queries to Renee at lifestyle@tribunemail.com  or care of Lifestyle, The Tribune, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh

I am a college going girl and have just discovered that my best friend whom I trusted the most in the world has been betraying me behind my back. She has been gossiping about me. We both share a room in a hostel and I have been confiding everything in her. Just a few days back, I heard from somebody certain things that only I had told her about. I was completely taken aback and also very hurt. I do want to confront her on the issue but I’m afraid of losing on her friendship. I value our relationship very much. How can I tell her that I know about what she’s been upto without really hurting her feelings. I don’t want to get into a fight with her. How do I deal with the situation? Please tell me.

Yours is an unusual situation. From a male perspective, I feel that most men can hardly handle one emotional situation well enough, let alone two. Women are supposed to be more in touch with their feelings and are more prone to such platonic and emotional relationships. Anyway, now that you are feeling guilty about it, seems that there is more to it than meets the eye. Why should you feel guilty if it is just a healthy friendship? Just find some clarity for yourself. Either take a chance and tell your wife about it and explain to her that it is just a plain friendship or tell your girlfriend about your wife’s nature and move out of this situation. Remember peace of mind is the most important thing. Emotional confusion starts affecting other aspects of your life.

Write back
Campus life, then and now

Saurabh Malik’s write-up ‘Literary Love’ with the full-blown visual coverage (The Tribune, Lifestyle, February 24, 2006) must be seen as a glaring example of the massive change life on the campus has undergone over the years. It may sound a bit too nostalgic, but a person like me who had come as students to the campus in 1961 and later went on to serve the Panjab University as a teacher for more than three decades has all the reasons to compare the campus scene now and then.

Dr I. M. Joshi
Professor (Guest Faculty) PU

MATKA CHOWK
Gotta Have Wheels
Sreedhara Bhasin

The mahima of a pair of wheels – presented itself almost as a revelation, after I came to Chandigarh. Growing up in Calcutta, where finding any open and traffic-free space is as rare as a Panda Bear sighting, I never learnt how to ride a bike, a fact I am very ashamed of. I grew up not knowing the beauty and the utility of a bicycle.

I have seen cycle wallas carrying some impossible things on Chandigarh roads – gas cylinders (hopefully not full), foldable cots, bunches of gladioli and chickens – hanging upside down. One of my friends who was visiting from Belgium, clicked away uncontrollably at the cycle wallas. Something that caught her fancy, was two cycle wallas carrying a very long ladder – the two ends balanced on their respective shoulders maintaining perfect equidistance – a truly National Geographic photo! Who says biking is only a pastime?

SPIRITUALLY YOURS

Swami Veda Bharati — Photo by Parvesh Chauhan

The path of spirituality is not difficult. It is the easiest path,” enunciated Swami Veda Bharati, “meditation guide” and disciple of Swami Rama, following the lineage of Himalayan yogis and spiritual masters.

— Gayatri Rajwade