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REVITALISE SKIN
Take a coffee detour Sikhism retold
YOGA Caring for your lawn COOL STUFF FILM & FASHION
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HALLO BOTOX
The next time you get invited to a party, go prepared, for it may not be the Tupperware sort! Yes, the city is getting with it as are the women are flinging away their veils of secrecy, lifting their wrinkle-less faces and making way to a Botox party no less! And the city’s Botox muse is none other than Fortis Hospital in Mohali where Dr K M Kapoor, Senior Consultant and Head, Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, is waiting to acquaint City Beautiful with yet another alluring face. Friday morning saw a motley gathering of the crème de la crème, the la-di-dah and the highfalutin making their way to the hospital for a special session on Botox, complete with a presentation and guess what, live demos to chase away those unfounded fears of a needle looking you right in the eye! No names still, barring a few brave ones (we shall get there later!), but get ready to take a peek into this, “lunchtime treatment,” as the Americans refer to it, for all it takes is less than 10 minutes to have an unlined face. “Procedures to remove wrinkles should be relatively painless, not immediately obvious so as to look awkward and reversible if need be. Despite several options available, the beauty of Botox is that it is the leading facial aesthetic treatment administered the world over,” says Dr Kapoor. With more than 40 women attending the session (70 refusals and the calls to attend this happening do still pouring in!) and questions galore, (including an offer by one lady to host a Botox party, provided she gets the treatment free as the host), what really enlivened the scene was the live treatment demonstration. Sudarshan Kaur (56), a resident of Mani Majra, is getting the lines around her eyes and on her forehead treated for the second time after last July. “I want to look good, I want my face to look nice,” she says with cheesy cheer. The confidence and the ‘in-your-face attitude’ are endearing. The process begins with cooling the areas that need treatment with ice-packs to reduce the chance of bruising, if any, and with the thinnest needle you can find and is over in a jiffy. This is Nirmal Verma’s first time. “My son came back from the US and told me about the treatment. My children want me to look good and asked me to get it done,” she smiles. It took all of 10 minutes each and well, if the relaxed posture of the ladies is anything to go by, it’s supposed to hurt less than threading does. That is something! Top it off with great lunch, lively conversation centred, of course, on the Botox and you have a heady afternoon to look forward to. So is a party like this advisable at home? “The environment is not controlled so, in that respect it is better to do it in hospital where in case the need arises, medical help is on hand,” avers Dr Kapoor. “I can do this on a beach but remember the side-affects, not that there are any if administered properly, depends on how skilled the person wielding the needle is.” So when you see that first wrinkle, you can start the Botox and remember, get that shot before your evening out so you can party hard without a wrinkle in the world!
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REVITALISE SKIN
Though it happens every year, the problem seems new every time. Probably, because in the routine, you fail to register that time and tide spare no one. The mirror seems to have magnified that little wrinkle you noticed last year. Was the sun so harsh last May, too, you wonder? Perhaps the extreme cold of January and February has also damaged that delicate skin. And now, this scorching sun that leaves you dehydrated, sweating and tanned. Especially for those men and women, on the wrong side of 35. What can one do to arrive at one’s destination with a glowing and radiant skin? Dr Shobha Sehgal, Chief Technical Officer, Beauty Services, VLCC, was in town on Friday to address some of these problems. Demonstrating a new range of international anti-aging therapies, she said, “These new treatments revitalise the skin, giving an immediate and visible effect. They communicate with the skin the same way that hormones do and are safe to use.” So, no fear of any side effects. The procedures, costing upwards of Rs 2,000, are both preventive and curative. If your skin lacks hydration, the ‘skin hormone resource’ therapy is for you. And if the pigments and blemishes are your bane, go for the ‘white perfect’ session. Helping retain water and salt in the skin so that you shed tired look and wrinkles are the hormones used in the ‘supreme
DHE-Age’ treatment. Following this, the skin also becomes more supple as the level of lipids in the epidermis rises, revitalising skin.
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Cakewalk! If you haven’t gratified your taste buds so far with the spongy delight, do not worry. You have all the time in the world. Right, to celebrate an occasion called life by cutting a cake without essentially waiting for something special to come your way. Just ask your friend or neighbour for the number and dial “s” for scrumptious shortbread, now. You can ask the home-bakers to deliver happiness in a cake box at your doorstep. Or else, hop into your car, drive down the fast track of excitement meandering its way to your appetite and pick up the scrumptious stuff right from the kitchen. Cakewalk, indeed! Some of you may find it incredible, but the home bakers in the city are actually preparing cakes with thick icing of delight for weddings and even graduation ceremonies. In fact, their Christmas cakes and puddings are a real festive treat. Even the holidaying crowd is having its cake and eating it too, merrily. Catering to the demand, the bakers are offering a delightful selection of gourmet cheesecakes, cookies and many other traditional desserts — all with that special home baked touch. That is, perhaps, the reason why so many residents every now and then order boxes full of cakes, and happiness, for celebrating occasions like birthdays and marriage anniversaries. Then there are others who believe in simply taking home the stuff every time they want to the great taste of home baked goodness,” says Darpan Walia in the business for over six years. Good, but why is home-baked spongy delicacy selling like hot cakes in and around Chandigarh? “Well, to begin with our cakes are all hand crafted. And then they are baked to perfection by using only the freshest ingredients,” says Darpan. “This is not the end of the caked delight. We use pure extracts, fresh fruits and finest chocolates to bring you the ultimate taste sensation”. Agreeing, another baker Jasjit Kaur asserts: “We use only the finest ingredients, besides traditional recipes and methods to create wholesome, natural products for you to enjoy. Another thing! We keep our range small and bake only in small batches. As such, our products are consistently of high quality without dangerous preservatives. Some of the bakers, on the other hand, prepare the stuff at least two days in advance and use preservatives.” Flashing a broad smile, she adds: “In our case, the end result is delightful, edible works of art! Our items can really help in making your next celebration the one to remember by your guests for lot many years, or till you throw another bash.” Sounds palatable, but what about the delivery time? “Well, we have many years of experience in receiving order on the phone. That’s how we provide fast and convenient way to enjoy delicious, home-baked cakes.” Right folks! If you wish to add that special touch to your next event or family celebration, just hit the backlit keys of your mobile phone for that different experience, and taste. A piece of cake, undeniably!
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Take a coffee detour The flavour for the sizzling, dusty summer right now is icy, frosty and chilly, in fact think arctic! So here is a list of cold coffees for you to dunk your heat-ridden self into! Chaining the coffee flavour
The city’s two coffee chains Barista and Café Coffee Day bring up the vanguard. Apart from Barista’s iced latte, iced cappuccino and iced café mocha—the espresso with chilled milk and chocolate poured over ice—at Rs 30 each, there are the Brrristas (don’t miss the rrr as in frreeze!) their signature drink include the likes of Caramel Frappe (Rs 40) and Mocha Frappe which uses dark Swiss chocolate with ice-cream. Add to this their Freezes, the Irish Latte (frozen coffee with sinful Irish Cream flavour at Rs 39) and the Chocolate Fudge Freezer (Rs 45) which is pure frozen rich chocolate along with the ‘Indulgent’ excesses like Brrrista Blast, a dessert cold coffee with lots of chocolate fudge, ice-cream and whipped cream and the calorie count can go to hell! Café Coffee Day’s outlets have a medley of this cold beverage to delight in. From the ice-blended Cold Sparkle (Rs 32) their chilled coconut flavoured concoction to their chocolate flavoured coffee with crushed ice, the Tropical Iceberg (Rs 32), to the Iced Caramel or better still the Iced Eskimo and you get the gist. This is not all. Kaapi Nirvana, their coffee that got the silver medal in the World Barista Championship in 2002 is still going strong and is a perennial favourite. You can also choose from ‘Coffee on the Rocks’, icy treats like Mochachillo, Cappuchillo or the Vegan Shake (Rs 37) or perhaps a ‘Cream Blended Coffee’ is more down your lane where you can scoop into an Almond Frappe (Rs 67). Lounge coffee
Spic, span and spiffy Bakes & Beans-10 offers a chilled coffee with a host of nibbles, baked goodies and generous slices of cakes and pies. Iced Cappuccino (Rs 30), the ice blended Tropical Iceberg (Rs 35), the Mocha Surprise with swirls of chocolate or the deadly Jungle Java with a liberal whirl of whipped cream, bitter chocolate sauce and more chocolate all the way! Mr Bean-8 has turned cold coffees into enchanting creations. How about a Café Crunch (Rs 75)—blended ice-cream with coffee and cornflakes—or a Cocktail Delight, coffee blended with vanilla and chocolate ice-cream with a splash of almond flavour, the Café Anaconda, a deadly combination of mint, chocolate and coffee or perhaps the Café Veronica (Rs 100) is more your style. A coffee dessert with layers of whipped cream and crushed chocolate cookies and chocolate and topped with Irish flavoured coffee, it is the ultimate sin. Of course, the usual favourites are also available. The others
Nirula’s-8 offers a delicious Cold Coffee with or without ice-cream (Rs 52 and 42) which is their brand of special coffee concentrate with chilled milk and the thick Coffee Shake with coffee powder, sweet syrup and toned milk at Rs 50. Of course, they have a variety of other coolers and munchies and their ice-creams is another tale for another day! And finally, the good old trusty Nescafe counters that dot the city boast among the hot cuppas, the Frappe for Rs 15. Let the cool times roll, I mean slurp!
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Sikhism retold Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who released the book was fulsome in her praise. “The photographs aptly relive the history and the heritage of sacrifice so fundamental to the religion.” Even publisher Kapish Mehra of Rupa & Co lauded the efforts of the writer-photographer duo, “they were so promising in their ventures that it egged us on but what is more important is that, apart from the fact that the book contains rare, wonderful photographs from all over, it speaks at a level that you and I share.” So how did the book come about? Both Malkiat and Sandeep are friends based in Delhi and work together often contributing text and photographs to travel and in-flight magazines so collaborating on this project was just a matter of course. “We wanted to do something more permanent than just articles,” explains Malkiat. The book took them on four years of research and photographs and the result is their ode to Sikhism. The lensman’s eye Journeying all over Punjab Uttaranchal, Patna, Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh and even Pakistan, Malkiat has taken some rare and hitherto unrealised visuals. “I went with the Baisakhi Jatha last year to Nankana Sahib, Punja Sahib and Lahore to take photographs of gurudwaras and the Sikh communities.” The photos taken on the Kar Seva at the Sarovar in Amritsar are very close to his heart “because these are once in a lifetime pictures. There is purifying plant there now and the process will not need to be repeated for another 50 to 70 years.” Of 5000 photographs, approximately 110 find place in the book. Was the whole thing a struggle? “Anything you do not want to do is a struggle, otherwise what is difficult,” says Malkait, “photography is more than a passion to me and everything I want to say, the photos speak for me.” Born in 1974 Malkiat graduated in fine arts from the Rajasthan School of Art in Delhi in, ironically, applied arts. A brief foray into painting soon led to photography which he took to like a fish to water simply because the results were faster! His subject is primarily his faith and his community, where, “every person within the community is like family. This is my way of giving back to my family for the faith and way of life that I have been infused with as a child.” The writer’s muse Sandeep’s father emigrated from West Pakistan and his mother is from Sangrala so the roots are very much from this region. An aeronautical engineer, he now has his own factory which manufactures shoe components and which also affords him the luxury to write. “It is a form of communication for me where the other person has the time to think and react. In talking you lose the depth in sounds, the written word is therefore, better,” he smiles. Having spent two years researching, travelling (which he loves to do especially on his motorcycle), and talking to people just for the pure pleasure of listening to their perspective, brought him the insights he needed for this book, which to him is, “the soul behind Sikhism seen from the perspective of an outsider.” In the offing are three other projects that these two are working on. A book on Nihangs which is almost complete, one on the colours of life in India and the third on life in the Garhwal Himalayas which is not a travelogue “but a way of travel for the body and the mind” as Sandeep puts it succinctly. After all travel is his self-created destiny, writing his muse and the hills his passion and his parting refrain, “Be like putty, be ready to receive, make your own path and most importantly believe in what you want.”
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Giving wing to designs The annual exhibition of Inter-National Institute of Fashion Design, “VIVID INDIA” on Friday to showcase the designs created by the students of interior design and textile design.
The central theme of the exhibition revolves around the concept of an international airport. The INIFD campus foyer has been converted into a tech-savvy airport. The subsidiary areas are like an extension of the central theme, including an art gallery, a duty-free shopping arcade and cafeteria. Other zones designed for display are a tribute to Indian tradition and heritage. The international airport is incomplete without the duty-free shops. Here, in this arcade the retail outlets showcase designer apparel, fashion accessories, home furnishings and lifestyle products like lamps, floor covering, rugs, tables, candles and much more designed by the textile design students. The embroidery exhibition, “Alankrita”, showcases the traditional Indian embroideries of eight states of India. A visit to Moroccan Mystique, The Tamarind Spice, Bachelor’s Pad, Back to Innocence, and Haute Monde leaves one bedazzled with the students’ creative and unique designer instincts. INIFD Techno Port has an exclusive cafeteria, “Whirling Waters”, submerged in tiny fantasies. From pebble pits to the milky discreet light wall, mermaids, submarine, colourful fish and lots of water, it is an amazing collage of underwater surprises. The INIFD exhibition will be open for the general public from May 19 to 21.
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YOGA
The attitude of a warrior is an important aspect of a yogi’s mental make up. When Arjuna, sat shaking and weak unable to lift his weapons to battle the evil forces aligned against him, and Krishna inspired him to do his duty as warrior by revealing to him the complete concept of yoga. As the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita unfolded, Arjuna dropped his despondency and rose to fight and win the war of Mahabharata to truly earn the title of ‘warrior’. The series of Virabhadrasanas in hatha yoga attempt to bring this attitude of fearlessness with detachment in the practitioner. These asanas are named after the fierce warrior Virabhadra who was created from a matted lock of Shiva’s hair to annihilate Daksha, to avenge the self-immolation of Shiva’s beloved wife Sati. Though simple to perform, they are surprising in their results in the physical, emotional, and mental bodies. Warrior in yoga does not only mean a fearless fighter, the word also has within it the seed of compassion, love, and surrender! The asanas are performed in standing position. The legs are rooted to the ground giving strength and drawing nourishing energy from the bowels of the earth. The thigh muscle, which gives us the power to face difficult situations in life unwaveringly, is used to support the whole body during this asana. The first chakra, the muladhar, is activated and balanced, removing all fears and insecurities. The hands are stretched up in prayer and eyes turned upward, giving wings to spiritual aspirations. As the hands are pressed together a perfect unification of the male and female energies in the body is achieved- a balance between the right and the left brain. The vishuddhi chakra, at the base of the throat, is activated to enhance creative talent as the neck elongates to gaze at the outstretched hands. The chest is lifted as the back is gently bent backwards, symbolising the opening of the heart chakra and an attitude of surrender. In the physical body, all major muscle groups are elongated and stretched giving exquisite poise to the whole body. The heart and the lungs get a fresh inflow of oxygen. The posture creates space in the pelvic region allowing the organs here to release their toxins and rejuvenate.
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Caring for your lawn Do you love small children and pets? Then forget about a lawn as it is going to be trampled, dug up and mauled. But if you are retired, the kids have grown and flown and pets are too much trouble, consider caring for a lawn. It will reward you with soothing greens, a cool living carpet to step on and a spot to put your chair on while meeting and entertaining friends. Chandigarh has suitable soil for lawns-a mixture of clay, loam and sand. A crumbly yet shape holding mix will ensure water retention. Choose warm season grass seeds as these are hardy. Plant these just before the monsoon. This grass will brown a bit during winter but with night watering, it will hold out over the frosty season. The soil has to be at least 6’’ thick. When leveled it should be tamped down with wooden boards or a roller. This will make mowing easier when the grass is around 10 cm. Skip shady areas. Grass needs full sunlight so before seeding the area, plan out lawn spaces. Once the tender, lime-green blades appear in about two weeks time, avoid stepping on them. Use a sprinkler for gentle watering. When the grass is thick and a deep emerald green, invite your friends over for the evening. Apply urea or a “grow-more” mix once a month. Water this over immediately, especially in the dry season. Undiluted fertilizer can cause burns on grass and leaves. Two grams or half a teaspoon of fertilizer is required per square meter. Before mowing the lawn, loosen the grass with an odd tool called the “scarifier”. It “scares” the grass out of its tangles and makes it easier to cut. Water the lawn a day before cutting as when it is dry, roots can be yanked out. If there are any bumps and dips, tamp them down or level them with a mix of sand and loam. Do not smother the grass. Use a broad, soft wall painting brush to release the blades of grass. Look out for weeds. Before you know it, hard, uncouth looking wild grasses can kill your lawn. Dig them out. Other weeds should also be removed. Special weed killers are available at a price. Use them if you like. Weeds are the death of a lawn if not eliminated. They grow with great speed and before you know it you have a mess of unwelcome pests, rather than an emerald carpet. So battle them with fervor! All the best! See you on your lawn this September!
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COOL STUFF Discover the power of healthy looking skin with Garnier Skin Naturals Pure, a range of skin care products exclusively formulated to tackle oily skin problems. Garnier Skin Naturals Pure is an entire range of products, which provides you with an effective solution for oily skin. It contains purifying micro-particles to gently cleanse pores, removes excess oil, dirt and dead skin that can block pores and lead to blemishes. It is an ideal requisite for purifying and cleaning the skin every day. Oily skin is a common skin type in India and the most common problems faced by the consumers are pimples, oily skin and blackheads. Garnier Skin Naturals Pure aids you to look healthy with clear skin, as it would enhance your look and feel. The Pure range includes: Pure Pimple Control Pen (10ml), Pure Skin Refining Face Wash (75ml), PureA Daily Treatment Crème (30ml), Pure Deep Clean Gel Face Wash (125ml), Pure Pore Purifying Astringent (125ml) Summer bonanza
Metro Shoes has launched its spring/summer collections of bold, colourful shoes and coordinated bags. The exciting new collection in cool shades of blues, greens, turquoise and yellows is uncompromising in its comfort, quality and style. This collection, inspired by the vivid hues of the season bring with it a variety of sandals that can be teamed with trousers, skirts or shorts and also classic mules, slip ons and casual lace ups that can be worn with just any outfit. Tha matching handbags, which make a statement of fashion and contemporary life, compliment the shoe patterns. Priced at Rs 390 onwards. Feel free factor
Combining the idyllic days of youth with comforts of adulthood, Pepe brings to you the Freedom collection. The colours for this collection are inspired by the summer holidays. Blues and whites steal the show alongside dry leaves green, banana yellow and dried peaches etc. Thisa collection gives you a sense of complete freedom with its cool, loose and comfortable t-shirts, paired with white cargos, pajamas or capries. For girls there are relaxed chino style or slim cropped fit pants, short and sassy or long and full skirts. Colours are are clean and fresh—rosy pink, crisp apple green and warm peach are complimented by gentle pastel tones of mint, lemon and lilac giving a soothing effect during the sultry summers. Inhale oxygen
EKL Appliances Ltd, one of the leading consumer durable company in India, has unveiled Oxigen airconditioners following its all-new philosophy ‘Thinking of you’ and by really embracing the responsibility of being the ‘thoughtful designer innovator’.True to its value, EKL has introduced the new oxigenerator technology backed by six years warranty on compressors in the Indian market, the technology that commensurate with the needs and desires of the consumers in this scorching heat. The price range of 1.5 ton AC on an average starts from Rs 15,600. Travelling light
Genius leathercraft Pvt Ltd unveils a collection of soft luggage bags with Magnum. The collection is a true companion for all fun and business travelers. There are three different types of bags to meet the needs of the style conscious travelers – Aviator, Ardour and Canon Deluxe. This latest collection is affordable, stylish and durable. Luxury linen
If the scorching heat and rising temperatures have made the summer unbearable, then it’s time you pamper yourself with the season’s coolest luxury—the Amalafi linen collection by Zodiac. This collection is inspired by the Amalfi coastline in Italy, famous for its aqua blue waters and emerald hills. Priced at Rs 1599 and available at Zodiac retail outlets, Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Piramyd, Globus and other leading multi-brand stores across the country. Summer collection at Ebony
With the mercury rising and the “Gen X” looking for shopping options to pacify their palate, Ebony Retail Holdings, the country’s leading fashion & lifestyle retailer, brings a wide range in fashion wardrobe that promises to keep it’s customers cool and stylish all summer. Ebony provides a complete wardrobe solution that complement every aspect of your lifestyle be it at work, while chilling out with friends or just while partying. With an assortment of brands and products in formal wear, eveningwear and a scrumptious range of accessories, Ebony promises to complete the ‘Look’ you seek. Denims- a must-have this summer are available at Ebony in brands like Lee, Pepe, Wrangler, Numero Uno, Lee Cooper, Spykar, Vibe within the range of Rs 895-2295. For those who believe that meeting people and partying is an vital part of living life to the fullest, Ebony offers an exquisite collection in T-shirts with labels like ETC, Tantra, Reebok available in a wide array of vibrant colors from where you can pick whatever suits your summer ensemble. For a sporty look Lee Cooper, Addidas, Pepe and Offtrack have some fresh and cool shades to offer. The collection is priced between Rs 199-899. Celebrate womanhood
Shivain—the fashion arcade for women, celebrate4s Lehenga and Sarees Utsav by offering buy two and get one free on wholesale rates. Shivain in Sector 14, Panchkula, offers designer lehengas, fish cut in pure georgette and pure crepe. Sarees include pure crepe or pure georgette with lazer embroidery, besides Banarasi silk and others.
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FILM & FASHION
She may be making millions of dollars every year and can afford to hire any number of housekeepers, but former Friends star Jennifer Aniston still makes own her bed, and cleans up her kitchen. In an interview to British film magazine Hotdog, Aniston said though she had a housekeeper to keep her swanky pad squeaky clean, she enjoyed helping out around the house by doing some of the chores. “I make my bed every day and I clean my kitchen. I have a housekeeper. But I still do that. I know that may shock you!” Contactmusic quoted her, as telling the magazine. Clooney learns Italian
Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney is desperate to learn Italian for he finds it ‘embarrassing’ that he can’t converse with the locals while staying at his villa in Italy.
However, Clooney, who has a house on Lake Como in northern Italy, is sure that the hours spent in reciting lines from language CDs so that he can hold a conversation with the locals, will be well worth the time for it will save him the embarrassment of not being able to converse with them.
Catwoman
She may have won a Razzie for her performance in ‘the worst frickin’ comic book movie of all time Catwoman, Halle Berry would still be willing to don her suit once again.
Berry, who won an Oscar for her role in Monster’s Ball, feels that despite the fact that Catwoman was disastrous movie, the character still remains ‘great’.
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Females should avoid wearing thin, tight bra straps as they put undue pressure on the upper back muscles. Wearing a wider, non-elastic bra strap can prevent this.
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Cakes, puddings and pies — you have bought them from the bakeries, now pick them up from houses. For, the provocative homemade stuff is actually fresh. And then you do not have to punch holes in your wallet for tempting your appetite as you can buy the baked wonder at half the price.
US television personality and talk show host David Letterman’s ode to coffee goes something like this, “Way too much coffee. But if it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.”
Cheers to this gorgeous brew, dark velvet and delicious, that infusion without which even composer Johann Sebastian Bach declared he was “just like a dried up piece of roast meat,” except, today, there is a slight detour from the hot and snappy variety. 
Sikhism — the eternal search for divinity and a path of life to live honestly and purely. It is this intrinsic vitality of the faith, barely 500 years old, inspiring with its profound ideals that has been captured so poignantly, so arrestingly by photographer Malkiat Singh and writer Sandeep Goswami in their coffee-table book, The Great Glory: Sikhism, which was released on Thursday. 
A
must for homes 50 years ago, today’s lawns are a prerogative of five star hotels and the rich. Or go to the Himalayan meadows and sit on the grass as cows graze around you and sheep “baa” in contentment. Chandigarh has many lawns in private and public places but as high rises make an appearance the lawn is joining the “extinct” list- a distinct loss to all of us. If you can afford to grow and keep a lawn, here are a few maintenance tips. 
