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Chamba
A thousand glorious
years
As the popular and
picturesque hill district of Chamba celebrates 1,000 years of its
existence, it has both age and beauty on its side. From the splendour
of its temples to the unspoilt greens of its valley, the place is a
treasure-trove for tourists, historians and archaeologists alike. Pratibha
Chauhan looks at the district which might become the first
heritage district of Himachal
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the snow-clad mountains forming a natural barrier, Chamba—a popular
summer resort and tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh—is
celebrating 1000 years of its coming into existence. Probably, the
poor accessibility to this mountainous region has helped preserve its
ancient remains, which are in a better condition than those in any
other place in the state. |
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Vision
of a princess
CHAMBA
got its name, it is said, after the princess who persuaded her father
King Sahil Varman to establish his kingdom at this picturesque valley.
Chamba, one of the 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh is really
unparalleled in its diversity.
Castle
at Hosur
This fort in Karnataka is the
first and probably the only example of a British castle in India,
writes K.R.N. Swamy
HOSUR
is a fast developing industrial town, 50 km from Bangalore. It is also
historically important as it formed the border between British India
and Tipu’s Mysore and history records that the British defeated Tipu
Sultan and conquered Hosur twice in 1768 and 1791.
The
Sumatran rhino is back
The endangered rhinos were
discovered last year in the state of Sabah, known as the ‘heart of
Borneo’, but their presence was kept a secret, reports Steve
Connor
AN
expedition to the remote jungles of northern Borneo has found a group
of at least 13 Sumatran rhinos, a species teetering on the brink of
extinction. Scientists and officials believe that the rhinos are part
of a small breeding population that has so far escaped the attention
of poachers.
San
Diego for all reasons
Ramesh and Asha Seth
WE
visited San Diego during one of our tours of North America. It is not
on the usual Indian tourists’ circuit. The year round moderate
climate is San Diego’s best asset. It enables people to visit it
both in summer and winter.
Fallen
goddess
Rhoda
Koenig on Ava Gardner, the lonely icon of Hollywood
Ava
Gardner went from rags to a rich mix of movies, musicians and
matadors, but was left dissatisfied. In
1948, when Universal made One Touch of Venus, there was only
one plausible choice for the title role.
Idli
goes gourmet
Listed among the great
breakfasts of the world, this steamed delight comes in nearly 15
variations, says M. Ananthakrishnan
FIRST,
it was the parantha from North India that got its own exclusive
restaurant chain — Only Parathas. Then, it was the turn of the dosa
from South India to inspire a dosas-only eatery — Dosa Hut.
Where
sports & women don’t mix
Bollywood’s many
representations of women in sports are an amalgam of glamour, perverse
voyeurism and crudity, writes Shakuntala Rao
THERE
is an elaborate bicycle race scene in Subhash Ghai’s Yaadein.
Kareena Kapoor participates in, what appears to be, a professional
cycling race across the streets of Singapore.
Russia
reclaims Dr Zhivago
Andrew Osborn in Moscow
Russia
has produced its first home-grown film version of Dr Zhivago.
Anxious to correct what it perceives to be numerous cultural and
stylistic inaccuracies in the late David Lean’s 1965 MGM
blockbuster, an 11-part TV film has been made in Moscow with some of
Russia’s best actors and will start airing in May.
People’s
expectations are scaring me
The three months spent in New
York shooting for my latest Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna were the
most difficult phase of my life, ace director Karan Johar tells Subhash
K. Jha
Lots of curiosity about
your new film?
What for? I am just an
ordinary director making an ordinary film. I guess the curiosity comes
from my making my first film since 2001 after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie
Gham (K3G). Kabhi Alvidaa..., too, has a huge cast.
So there will be a certain expectation.
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