|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What’s cooking?
Churned with love
Fresh & chic Ridiculously
sensible YOGA COOL STUFF Grasses for dramatic appeal
|
|
Home Small Home
What is the most important aspect while decorating a house? The perfect colour scheme? Silk drapes, upholstery or expensive showpieces? None of the above! Preet Narang, interior decorator and artist, has her own formula when it comes to doing up homes – “Every house speaks its own language, if you are sensitive enough to catch it and go accordingly, you can not go wrong in your décor.” She practices what she preaches. Her three-bed room- PUDA housing flat bears its testimony. Step into her drawing room, and you are immediately enveloped with warmth that originate from her white and rust décor. Bare minimum wrought iron furniture in white and rust, a plain carpet, again in rust with a hint of black and excellent lighting gives that perfect cozy and spacious feeling which one do not expect from a small flat. Go beyond the drawing room and you are greeted with totally different colour schemes, all red and white for her daughter’s room and blue and white for the master bedroom. “One need not spend a fortune on the décor to make it look good, you just need to understand the character of the room,” says Preet. Once she understood that her hunt for accessories began. “I pick up things from here and there and none of the things are valuable here, save an antique Hanuman statue which is 200 years old and has been with the family for generations,” she lets us know. But once Preet zeros down on something and possesses it, the next step is to leave a personal touch to it. She does it with little embellishment here and there. Even her lampshades and Madhubani paintings come with embellishment. Preet finds it challenging to decorate a small house and if her three room house which has been modified a bit to create another bed room and a small compartment to accommodate the fridge is anything to go by, one can safely say that she has tackled the challenge head on. A freelance window dresser as well as an artist, she knows where to draw the line when it comes to balancing the modern element with antiquity. If she has used modern blinds to hide the ugly ventilators, she has given equal respect to her grandmother’s chests that go hand-in-hand to make a statement on the creativity and the spirit of its creator. What is the thumb rule she would ask us novice to follow? “Be yourself and do your décor in such a way that it gels with your personality and give you a kick rather then getting overwhelmed by it,” and after giving her home a final look we understand what she is trying to say. And one whim indulges in is doing away with tube lights. “They are ugly and kill the whole lighting effect,” says Preet who is all for dreamy soft lighting system.
|
|
Raining books Dragooning dragons and dancing elves, Picasso and paintbrushes, monuments in splendid isolation and towering cathedrals, flying aircrafts and tarantula spiders, all weave their delicious magic around the adoring reader.
The four-day British Book Festival, organised by the British Council Library in collaboration with Butterfly Books, Mumbai, brings a delightful fiesta of books to drench into! Mothers rejoice—for there is a lovely selection of reading material, do-it-yourself kits and interactive books for little ones to choose from. No preachy stuff here, just plain fun. Learn from a step-by-step way to draw horses, ponies, colts (Rs 125) or gather up a “fiendishly tricky” puzzles book with illusions and teasers which comes with 3-dimesional glasses and magic mirror card (Rs 165) or then a Safari Prints Kit offers you a chance to make your own jungle gifts for Rs 175 complete with a puff for a lion’s tail! Says Kavita Madan of Butterfly Books, “There is a great deal of emphasis to provide little children with activity based books that are not boring and can educate along with making for interesting reading.” So a three-dimensional book which looks into a tarantula no less (Rs 450) to ‘Words Are Categories’ books which teach adjectives, nouns and verbs with funky illustrations or a chance to read music with pull-out tabs and helpful hints (Rs 550) bring up the array on offer. From flags to bugs and bees to make Papier Mache toys to workbooks to colour in, numbers, songs, poems even ‘how to make a book’ kit and masks of historical characters, the assortment covers it all. For the big guys amongst us, there are piles of books on subjects ranging from cookery, art and craft, interiors, garden health, fiction, non-fiction to books on talismans and amulets, symbols of Egypt and even Love, Dream Dictionary (Rs 850), a pictorial rendition of the war in Iraq, 70 Years of best-selling movies by Robert Tanitch (Rs 250) and even a book on jazzing up your junk! Great gifts and coffee table additions these are.
|
|
What’s cooking?
Imagine walking in and being greeted with light and fluffy Choux Puffs filled with cottage cheese and a Tropical Fruit Mousse with pineapple, strawberries, purple grapes and wedges of kiwi fruit! Ah the pleasures of home cooking! And the lady behind this exotic fare is effusive and lively Kandla Nijhowne who specialises in cakes and bakes (Rs 250 to 300 per kilo), continental and Italian (Rs 250 for a medium sized vegetarian dish), soups and salads and sinfully special Biryani all from home! Her tiny kitchen is a veritable fiesta for the essential ‘foodie’ ordering for that pot-luck at home or a highfalutin party to celebrate the latest Lladro acquisition to show off! “I used to hate cooking, in fact when I was asked to boil potatoes I got fever,” laughs Kandla. Married to “a guy” who is fond of good food and a ma-in-law with a huge repertoire of fancy recipes from all over the country, Kandla got encouraged to cook. Life has been no cupcake for this spirited lady who has had a series of horrific ups and downs to call her own but her zesty attitude remains intact! Today with her two children all grown up and living in Delhi, she runs her own catering business, a mere five years old, but with a reputation of a veteran. “I am not qualified to cook, I have no degree. It is like a devil’s head at work. I go in with a recipe and come out with something quite different. In fact you name the dish!” But what she does really well is well, “everything” she says! Birthday cakes and desserts, (including a wedding cake with marzipan and real sugar paste flowers no icing here!), a ‘mean’ mutton or chicken biryani (a recipe her mother got out of the chef at the Udaipur Lake Palace Hotel!) which uses the “best of basmati rice, ghee and freshly ground masalas, along with the correct cuts of meat and real kesar not the essence—all in all 23 ingredients added just so” and a series of tricks on cakes and soufflés which she learnt while studying in England as a youngster that all coming handy now! “I am good with my hands, I have a flowery wrist, I also have a tremendous memory so I remember lots of little details which are so important to make food taste and look good.” Mughlai chicken, egg-less desserts, cold and warm salads with sesame seeds, warm broccoli and corn, cannelloni and fine crepes (that you can see through in the light!) filled with chicken, mushroom or paneer and baby corn and smothered in tomato, basil and garlic sauce or a lovely avocado green sauce made from pureed spinach brings of some of her delicious preparations. “I am very particular. I want to do it all by myself so I don’t really want to grow bigger. I love going into the market and asking for one apple because I need to make a swan out of it to decorate on something.” So for all things exotic—-jams (plum, apricot, strawberry, peach conserve and marmalade) or perhaps a Russian Stroganoff with its heavy mustard flavour or quiches and authentic Shepard’s Pie—take your pick, get a whiff and tickle your buds. — You can get in touch with Kandla on 9316131812
|
|
A taste of
Ambala
Ambala’s hot favourite is sizzling in Chandigarh!
From the highway cutting its way to Delhi through time and the nation’s history, it has traveled all the way to the city’s downtown in Sector 17. Right folks, “Puran Singh ka Mashoor Vishal Dhaba” has opened an outlet here to give you that taste of long-established delicacy. If you haven’t savoured the flavours of the past in the laccha paranthas and dal makhni, it’s not too late. Just hop into your car and drive down the road meandering its way through the commotion of city life for reaching the dhaba in the vicinity of the city’s sole flyover. The dining area of the dhaba’s Chandigarh branch is spotlessly clean and smacks of good hygiene. To put in a nutshell, the reasonable priced food is scrumptious without even an extra ounce of oil or fat, despite comfortable levels of chilies. The succulent pieces of chicken, mild flavours and the appetizing aroma of charcoal grilled meats call attention. Savouring the stuff, you realise that their dishes have resisted the onslaught of off-beat culinary skills. Cruising on the smooth track of existence, retired engineer Darshan Lal has just arrived at the dhaba in his old and rickety Fiat from the West of Sector 37. Pushing his way through the impressive door before placing himself on a corner seat, he recalls the days when he would halt at Ambala on route to Delhi, just to enjoy the mutton spiced with an abundance of “tehzib” at the dhaba’s “headquarters”. “It was nothing less than a destination before the journey’s end,” he says with deep dark eyes full of fond memories. “I am talking of the early 80s. Those were the days when the flyover across Ambala on National Highway Number 22.was yet to be constructed. We would time the journey in a manner that enabled us to reach the dhaba at the lunch hour, this way or that way”. Flashing a broad smile, he asserts: “The serving staff and the management used to make you feel at home. They would leave you with a sense of belonging that is so rare nowadays…. I remember chatting with the owner for good half an hour every time we stopped on the pretext of allowing the car’s engine to cool down”. Well, he is not the only one impressed by the original dhaba’s low-down grandeur. A city-based senior journalist remembers the time when they would avail Haryana Government’s free travel facility for going to Ambala for a platter full of excitement. As they speak, you realise that the original dhaba in Ambala was nothing less than the last stop before the journey’s end among country-trotters even before the Partition. And the aromatic lure of spicy grilling was “simply irresistible” for the wayfarers stepping down the train for boarding busses. Listening to them, you just hope that the outlet in Chandigarh maintains that rich curry lined with heritage.
|
|
Churned with
love
As
the mercury’s soaring, people are thronging at their eternally favourite
signature shops churning this health drink, promising thick froth and
rustic delight. Any guesses on what’s being talked about? Simple,
sizable, healthy and hearty, it’s none but the perennially favourite
Punjabi lassi. Fresh and frothy, thick and creamy— it’s the
tremendously refreshing lassi that helps us cool-off on a sweltering
summer afternoon. Churned well with a madhani, this semi-solid chunk of
thickened curd (with a blob of malai thrown in), is fast getting a popular
summer-drink in the city. Despite the international cuisine brands having
made an entry in the city, we still have many-a-hearts drooling over the
lassi churned out by certain signature sweet shops in the city. Tempered
with a variety of tasty trimmings—Kesar, rose petals, pista garnishings,
and rich flavoured cream, the lassi is available in its fancy avtars. The
king of lassi remains Shiv Mishthan Bhandar, Sector 26 and 19 owned by
Radhesham Joshi that sells around 600 glasses of lassi a day. “The sale
picks up more on Sundays and Saturday afternoons. Many people also like to
take the packed lassi home and so we also provide very well packed-lassi.
Our sweet lassi has been in the city since 20 years and is the best in
quality,” beams Radhesham, the proud owner. The lassi sold here (Rs.
12/glass) is so rich that it has to be literally eaten with a spoon! Gopal
Sweets, Sector 8 and 35 is another popular hub for lassi. Informs owner
Sharanjeet, “Our speciality is the lassi we serve in mitti kulhars which
we get from Patiala. The kulhars give a very rustic flavour to the lassi
besides keeping it fresh and cool. And we have lots of variety in lassi—We
have the kewra lassi, Rose water and essence lassi, namkeen jeera lassi
and also the light chaaj for the calorie conscious. The price ranges from
Rs. 15 to Rs. 20, depending how rich the lassi is.” Sindhi Sweets,
Sector 17, 37 and 38 is another haven for the lassi-seekers. Informs owner
Neeraj Bajaj, “We embellish our sugary sweet lassi with green pista
garnishings and Kesar (Rs. 16/glass). Then, we also offer the namkeen
Chaaj (salty and very light lassi) complementary with our meals. We’ve
started giving it in disposable glasses so that people can carry it along
while they shop. Then there’s Anupam sweets, Panchkula serving sweet
lassi in kulhars (Rs. 18/glass) and Bhola Dhabha that tells rich, frothy
lassi at Rs. 16/glass. Says owner Anil Malhotra, the owner, “Many people
like to take lassi home nowadays, so we give it in disposable glasses.” With
or without the exotic frills and trimmings, lassi’s doing the city
rounds in a big way. Though we have a bevy of soft drinks and juices
lining up the city shelves, nothing promises that thick froth and the
delightful, rustic Punjabi flavour as lassi does. After all, Lassi Jaisi
koi Nahin!
|
|
|
PICTURE PERFECT “Keeping nothing in mind” while clicking, photographer Anuj Gupta allows the moment to percolate into a picture perfect perception, stock-still in time. ‘India on the move’ is his picturesque vision while he is on the move. “Everything around us has experiences and stories to tell,” believes Anuj and it is this aspect of people, monuments and lush glades that he attempts to capture in all their subtlety and grace in his photographs. Exhibiting at the Alliance Française-36, his pictures revel in the richness of the land. Shot with a manual camera, from a feisty beggar girl, eyes sparkling with determination to a tight close-up of an inscription at the Daulatabad Fort in Maharashtra to the elegant spires of the Charminar in Hyderabad to a twisting stairway, majestic cliffs near the sea, domes at the Qutubshahi Tombs, there is lush appeal. The photographs are not planned as “things just come before my eyes,” says this free-lance visual merchandiser and applied arts graduate from the Institute of Fine Arts, CCS University, Meerut and a diploma holder in digital photography from the International Institute of Fine Arts, Modinagar. His own favourite is of the beggar girl (UV print on frosted glass), whom he found “really beautiful” and to whom he paid two rupees for every snapshot clicked. “I have fifty shots of this girl so I must have spent at least a hundred rupees clicking various angles,” he smiles. Great admiration for his teacher Mazhar Ilahi—“he is a lazy person but when he goes to the lab his work is prolific,”—smiles Anuj. His first solo showing, all Anuj wants is for people to come, see and respond for photography is his way of recalling travels accompanied by tangible memories. The exhibition is on till April 30 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at the Alliance Française, Sector 36.
|
|
Fresh & chic
Think non-kitsch and delightfully fresh! With an eye for the curious, funky cool, aesthetic and contemporary, traditional and chic, the pieces, each one hand-picked, are beautifully crafted and beguilingly blended in creative niches, alcoves and nooks scattered across the petite space. ‘Just Interiors’ by Monita, is a picturesque store for those imaginative knick-knacks right in the heart of the Sector 9 market on the first floor. Roughly hewn white walls, bamboo for curtain rods, sky blue, grassy green and butter yellow curtains and cleverly created recesses on the table to display the lovely pottery—there is minute attention to detail here. “I did not want a typical shop crammed with things. You should get an idea of how you can do up corners in your home when you walk in here,” smiles Monita. Indeed this is creativity sourced from far and near simply for the love of gathering beautiful things. Glassware, metal ware, woodsy stuff along with an assortment of pottery in blue and earth hues bring up the collection on offer. “I have chosen every thing myself. I have researched extensively on the net, travelled to the interiors of Uttar Pradesh, gone to villages and visited interesting places just to bring back things here.” So from Ferozabad come lamps, tee-light holders and vases in a riot of pretty colours—mauve, green, red, including what Monita refers to as her “kajrare candle stands” in cheery shades (Rs 660 to 775). Napkin rings and exclusive blue pottery from Rajasthan (including a tic-tac game for Rs 500 for your table) and earthenware from Goa, Andretta, Kerala, Pondicherry and even Nagaland! Spiffy bar accessories (think ice-scoop with a sea-horse for a handle for Rs 275) along with chattais and floor cushions in bright colours with zari-work, beads and tissue and brocade borders Everything is stocked ‘seasonally’, to appeal right now to summer heat! This, along with her singular mantra, “what looks good should also be practical”! So look to her cleverly crafted log tables (yes she designs too!) which occupy pride of place in the store along with her circular ply ‘decorations’ hung with cables which have generated several interested queries. And this is not all, coming soon are coffee-tables and suede and leather cushion covers (“too hot right now, once the weather is cooler”) from Monita’s inspired kitty. Take a peek!
|
||
|
Ridiculously
sensible
Restoring deleted items from the recycle bin of memory has always been a problem. You try to view the reminders in the files of your mind, but nothing clicks. Even the recollection of popping memory pills is vague in your remembrance. Well, do not worry. Just make sense out of the ridiculous to remember things. Right, that’s the latest mantra of committing things to memory. If you are having doubts about this absurdly rational procedure of recalling things, listen to what Karnal-based memory consultant Krishan Kumar Chahal has to say about pulling items out of the memory folder. “All you have to do is to imagine and connect things you wish to remember with something larger than life,” he asserts. Quoting an example, he says: Suppose you were to remember a red car, a snake, a yellow car and a television set in a sequence. Instead of just mugging up the entire thing, simply think — from the red car a snake emerged and entered a yellow car before shaking hands with the television. You will never forget the string of events”. Chahal knows what he is saying. Running Master-Mind Global Organization at Karnal, he is the holder of a national record in the Limca Book of World Records. His feat: Chahal managed to recite 33000 digits of Pi after decimal with cent percent accuracy in less than four hours on March 13, while so many people even forget to remember their appointments and disappointments. Number two in world ranking, Chahal is less than 10,000 digits behind the Guinness Book of World Record holder Hiroyuki Goto of Japan. He is also into social work and is running “The World Education and Welfare Organization”. In Chandigarh for a short trip, Chahal says another way of remembering stuff is to visualize the matter. “Instead of mugging up the matters, visualize and associate things in your mind,” he says. “Always remember mind has untapped potential. It should be used as much as one can to increase its efficiency and recalling value”. Another thing! Chahal says people should recall the stuff they remember before going to bed. He also believes that sleep and water have major roles to play in the brain game. “From experiments carried out on me with the help of consultant psychologist Seema Batra, we have concluded that reduction in sleep by two to three hours affects the brain’s efficiency by almost 30 per cent. Reduced intake of water has similar effects as otherwise it helps a person to relax”. Batra and Chahal plan to make public their research in the near future. Good! But any advise for students undertaking annual examinations? “Well, they should forget all about popping pills for recalling formulae and answers. They should not fall in for such things. Rather, they should go in for fresh fruits and vegetables. Sounds sensible, indeed!
|
||
|
YOGA
Dhyana
is the seventh step in the practise of yoga, after yama, niyama, asana,
pranayama, pratyahar and dharana. It is a natural extension of dharana—one
pointed concentration; as the yogi sits and melts in the beauty of the
concentration that is dharana it flowers into the state of dhyana. As dhyana travelled from India it became ‘chan’ in China and ‘zen’ in Japan. Though it is common for people to say they meditate, they are only practising techniques that will lead them to a state of meditation. Once the actual point of meditation is reached, there is no further need to do anything else. The one practising loses awareness of the technique and becomes one with the object that is being meditated upon. Normally progress here is believed to speed up when a technique is given by a realised master. This may be a sound, a vision, a sensation or a combination of all three. Such a technique then has within it the seed of all the power accrued by the master through penance and this gives the sincere disciple the extra impetus towards the state that is called dhyana. The disciple has to go through a process of initiation, usually secret. The knowledge of spiritual wisdom is considered sacred and to be communicated only to those deserving by having proved their steadfastness to the master and the practice. There are many stories of yogis and zen masters beating up their students to prove a point, being harsh with them in words and at times even ignoring them for years. The disciple who remains constant and sure of the master’s love and compassion is the one who benefits most. Of course, all these incidents are exploited today by many self-styled gurus. The importance of a sincere master is as true in yoga as in any other field. Here a distinction needs to be made between a mere teacher and a realised master. A teacher simply teaches the prescribed practices laid down for yoga practice. Where as a realised master works at many other subtle realms of the disciple. The master not only corrects and guides the seeker in the physical performance of the yoga practices but also directs the practioner according to need towards spiritual evolution. For this the master may employ many methods with behaviour that may seem arbitrary to the casual observer. According to the Hatha yoga, spiritual evolution is not possible after a certain point without the active guidance of a realised master. This has been debated by many modern thinkers and the yoga practitioner has to move intuitively on this path.
|
||
|
COOL STUFF
On the onset of this marriage and festive season, a new “VIP” exclusive showroom “Bharat Stores” opened at Sector 22-D, Chandigarh. The showroom was inaugurated by the renowned film and television artist “Shri Jaspal Bhatti”. The showroom presents exclusive ranges of all travelling solutions. The showroom has an exclusive variety of travel products featuring from all convenient, lightweight, multi-purpose trendy luggage’s as well as traditionally designed products for marriage season. The showroom displays a whole new range of eye-catching, good looking, sleek, functional, stylishly designed, multi-purpose bags, strolleys and suitcases. We have beauty cases to pack in the glory as well. As office bags to carry your attitude up your sleeve. The showroom has a complete variety of brands marketed by ‘below plast limited’. These are “VIP” — The evergreen market leader in luggage industry: “Delsey” — the designer range of trendy luggage from France to match your personality; “ “footloose” — for the youth; “VIP professional — for the professionals and business class people. New soap VVF Limited, a leading manufacturer of personal care products has recently launched revolutionary skin care soap — Shiff, with skin nourishing moisturizers and anti-bacterial properties. A regular bathing with this soap is the most inexpensive and natural way of achieving and maintaining a glowing and healthy skin. The 75 gm Shiff pack is reasonably priced at Rs 12. It contains NO Animal Fat and is not tested on animals. Shiff is available across the country at all retail outlets. The ice age-2 adventure The Meltdown have found their way into their favourite cereal box! This March, get ready to have lots of fun on your breakfast table with Kellogg’s Chocos Ice Age Adventure—India’s leading manufacturer of breakfast cereals. Kellogg’s is introducing its limited edition pack featuring the popular characters. Moreover, with every 700 gm pack of Chocos, kids will get the exclusively designed Ice Sliders of their favorite characters — Manny, Scrat, Sid, Diego and Cretaceous and with every 375 gm pack cool Ice Candy makers to beat the summer heat! This promotion which is part of the global association between Kellogg and the season’s coolest adventure movie — Ice Age 2 — The Meltdown will be leveraged across most countries in the world through local promotions and products. Support Shiksha P&G has started a program called Siksha to help children across India achieve their right to education, in association with India’s premier child rights organisation Child Rights and You (CRV) and Sony Entertainment Television. As Shiksha entered its second year, actor Mandira Bedi, Rang de Basanti director Rakeysh Mehra, actor Rahul Bose, and former University Vice Chancellor — Dr Snehalata Deshmukh are appealing to consumers to support Shiksha, by buying large packs of Tide, Ariel, Pantene, Head and Shoulders, Rejoice, Vicks Vapo Rub, Whisper, Gillette March 3 Turbo or Pampers during April, May and June, and lead a child to the path of education. Irrespective of sales, P&G has committed a minimum of Rs 1 cr to Shiksha, which will be allocated to education-focused projects. Little Pump Come summer and it is time to turn on your coolers to beat the heat. Serving as an air-conditioners for the middle class families, coolers have indeed emerged as a necessity in Indian households. However, the coolers have their own problems and most of these problems arise out of the substandard pumps. This is where Indoma Industries bring in the pioneering solution to those frequent breakdowns in coolers. Little Pump is not only your ultimate answer to those breakdowns but also a cost effective and efficient solution to the long hot summer. Little Pump is actually a break through technology that helps your cooler run without any trouble nonstop. Its in built technology allows it to consume less electricity bringing valuable savings to your electricity bills. Using just 16 watts of electricity the pump can also be easily used on invertors or generators. Yet the most attractive aspect of the Little Pump is its friendly price. Priced at just Rs 295, it costs much less than the conventional pumps that cost nothing less than Rs 450 to Rs 600, not to mention the money that goes into its troubleshooting. In addition to coolers, the Little Pump also works wonder in the interior decor as they serve perfect in fancy indoor pumps.
|
||
|
Grasses for dramatic appeal Planting grasses requires a plan of action or designing proposals. Get out that blank sheet of paper and crayon your prospective clients into the picture. Though it is not essential to have exact geometrical figures, it is advisable to have approximate footage penciled onto paper. Take into account the heights and circumferences of the grasses you plan on putting in. It is recommended that while planting grass, some edible varieties are factored in too. Plant the tallest ones at the back, perhaps to cover a wall or provide privacy from roadside eyes. However, keep in mind that stray cows will visit your grass fence daily if it is not protected by barbed wire or wooden slats. Sugarcane, oats, corn, bajra, reeds and Napier grass are a good choice. Napier is a soft grass, suitable for feeding cows, chickens and rabbits. (I do not know if Chandigarh allows any of these animals in your compound.) Reeds will require a water body to show off their talents. For the table and your health, a weekly planting of wheat germ is a good idea. This can be done in flat pots as all grass roots are shallow. Wheat germ can be clipped with scissors and used in salads or liquidised into a drink. As for your taller grasses, you can enjoy the sugarcane and corn when it matures. Both thrive on neglect! For side walks, do not forget to suture in the flagstones with soft doob grass. And of course, your pride and joy, the lawn, will be at the centre of all arrangements. A large expanse of lawn is a lolling cum sitting area. If clean and well cut, it can be a cool, natural mattress during summer nights. Beds of flowers can be arranged around or in vacant spaces of the lawn. Short, colourful flowers like Phlox and Pansies can be planted around a tall clump of ornamental grass. The contrast in height and colour is dramatic and pleasing to the eyes. However, be sure to leave space around the clump, as grass roots are hairy, shallow and spread sideways. So the flowers need enough of their own soil, nutrients and water. Few grasses are attacked by pests. If aphids or mites do appear, a strong jet of water will dislodge them. As for watering, invest in a good, sturdy sprinkler as it waters evenly with minimum wastage and can give required amounts of water daily.
|
||
|
FILM & FASHION Hollywood action junkie Jean Claude Van Damme may have landed himself a real life action movie that will give him a chance to showcase his impossible action skills. According to Moviehole quoting JoBlo.com, the movie focuses on a burnt-out action hero returning to his home in Belgium. He visits a bank and gets caught up in a robbery, and ends up playing hostage himself. He then presumably uses his action star skills to get out of the mess.
Meanwhile, the actor is poised to play a small role in the new “Asterix” movie and has agreed to do a sequel to one of his earliest movies, “Bloodsport”.
David birthday gift for Victoria England football captain David Beckham certainly believes in the saying ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friends’, for he is reportedly buying an 8 million pound Bulgari necklace for wife Victoria as a birthday gift. And, on top of the glittering diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald necklace, which happens to be a one-off copy, Beckham is also splashing out an additional 10,000 pounds to fly out a team of top chefs from London’s trendy Japanese restaurant Nobu to cook for her in Spain, for her surprise Japanese-themed 32nd birthday party. Most memorable bubble bath Julia Roberts sharing a bubble bath with Richard Gere in the movie Pretty Woman has been voted the ‘Most Memorable Hotel Scene’. The bubble bath in Pretty Woman beat out competition from the shower scene in Psycho, to top the poll conducted for Travelodge. According to the Daily Mail, the scene from the movie The Shining, where Danny Torrance pedals his tricycle along the hotel corridors and comes face to face with the murdered twins, came in at third place. The top five of the ‘Ten Most Memorable Hotel Scenes’ was rounded of by Eddie Murphy’s reception desk rant in ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, where he pretended to be a journalist there to interview Michael Jackson, and Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore having sex on a 1 million dollar bed in ‘Indecent Proposal’, which came in fourth and fifth respectively.
|
||
|
Craft Bazaar The Chandigarhian capacity to spend on clothes and knick-knacks for the home is quite well known and this is inspiring any number of crafts and textile exhibitions in the city. Winter saw a boom of exhibitions and now the close of April, when the summer sun is showing its wrath, ‘Gandhi Shilp Bazaar ’06’ opened in the Nehru Park in Sector 22 on Friday afternoon. Organised jointly by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and the Himachal Pradesh Hanidcrafts and Handloom Corporation, the handicrafts bazaar includes the works of some 120 crafts persons across the country including the North-East. Himachal Handicrafts General Manager D.K. Gupta says, “The unique feature of this handicrafts bazaar is that it has eliminated the middle man and the artisans are selling their craft directly. We were given a grant by the government to organise it. It works for the benefit of the artisans as well as the buyerss as the prices are not hiked up and the people get goods at a reasonable price. The artisans too get a right price.” The Gandhi Shilp Bazaar offers a medley of products ranging from textiles to garments, from artifacts to paintings and from costume jewellery to furniture. This bazaar is aimed at the pocket of the middle-class buyer. The Bazaar will be open to the public till April 30, daily from 11 am to 5 pm.—TNS
|
||
|
|
Yoga is complete in itself as it deals with body, breath, mind and spirit. Earlier Yoga was a spiritual system with a small physical component whereas in modern times, it is primarily a physical system with a small physical component whereas in modern times, it’s primarily a physical system with a spiritual component. — Dr. Ravinder Chadha
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
