Accustomed earth
Diwali is the season when the Kumhar colony in the tricity’s Maloya village comes alive, churning out diyas day and night
This is a story of a ghara (pitcher) and trust us when we say, it is not easy being one. It begins with a piece of clay lying peacefully in a forest which gets picked up by some sadistic potter to be dug out, beaten up to pulp, to be submerged in water and then kneaded into a dough. All these punishable steps lead to a head-spinning stint on the potter’s wheel to get into the desired shape. A small period of respite follows when the potter’s wife nicely puts a coat of paint. But as we said, it lasts for only a little while.

Cheeni kum
Want to gift all things sweet to health-conscious friends and family? Here're some options that'll keep the calories in control…
When it's festive season and baap of all festivals, Diwali, approaching, how can one not think of creamy, fatty indulgent convenience foods to eat and gift. Well, we are not talking about self-indulgence here, but low-cal food items to gift. Though creamy, sweet and 'fat-like' are easily available, sometimes just a little health consciousness can get you over the temptation of fried and calorie-loaded gift items. So, here's a list of various food items that are healthy and make for a perfect Diwali gift.

From left: Taste bhi, health bhi: Chocolates are always welcome, but why not gift sugarless variety. Not so sweet: Sugarless, anjeer ki burfi and kalkand are a good gift option for people who cannot do without mithai ka dhaba. Fresh and juicy: Gift the goodness of natural fruits in the form of juices.

Sari to surveillance
Four days of exhibition, around 240 stalls, 196 exhibitors, including 71 fresh participants and 10 concurrent shows, offering almost everything you wanted to shop for before Diwali. Cars, kitchenware, washroom fittings, eatables, clothes, accessories, home décor material, electronics - you name it and the CII Chandigarh fair has it.

Photos: Pradeep Tewari

Style street

Spelling style, this group of youngsters have their hands full with shopping. Lifestyle Photo: Pradeep Tewari

Turning a leaf
AP’s series on canna plants brings out the extraordinary in ordinary
If the camera angle is right and sun is at the right position, even something as common as a leaf becomes an objet d’art. The latest to exploit nature’s bounty to his advantage is Amrit Prakash Singh, simply A.P. to his close friends and admirers, who has done an extensive series on canna plants, a common plant in Punjab, which is locally known as keli.

Get psy-ched
This weekend ahead of diwali, the DJ nites are all set to get us into the festive mood
It’s not just another night of music, dance and trance. Why? Well, because your limitations will be broken, your hungry dancing soul will find solace and emotions of your brain will do the talking. What’s left? Nirvana? Oh, that too awaits! And, if all this sounds like an intoxicated, metal-head chaos, then the only culprit is music, very technically speaking.

Jab we met

Actor Saif Ali Khan (L) and Deepika Padukone (R) pose during a press conference where they met Love Aaj Kal contest winners in Mumbai. AFP Photo

Hic, hic, hurrah!
Of course, Google is there at your disposal to update your knowledge just about anything. Still, we aren’t assuming that you know it all (we didn’t know it either). Hence we asked someone the basic difference between scotch and whisky, someone who has an in-depth knowledge about any form of alcohol. Derek Brown, brand heritage director, The Famous Grouse, a Scotch whisky, obliges, “All scotches are whisky but not all whiskies are scotches. Scotches are blend of various malts, spirits or grains, distilled and matured in Scotland till the desired taste isn’t developed”.

Expression of love
Luxor unveils its Expressions gift range, a premium gift collection for the festive season. The exquisite gift pack includes a set of useful accessories along with a pen. The accessories range from stylish key chains to multi-utility Swiss knives, from elegant leather wallets to smart pocket watches. This range is priced economically between Rs185 and Rs 615 and is available across all exclusive Luxor signature stores and prominent retail and stationery stores.

Baby bash
The Himalaya Drug Company on Friday announced its plans to grow in the baby care segment. With a range of clinically proven pharmaceutical-grade head-to-toe herbal baby care products, based on Ayurvedic formulations, Himalaya will address the demands of consumers who are looking for products that are gentle, safe and efficacious.  

Bon Appetit
Delicious Diwali
Well, it's time to put on your stop-watch, for Diwali is only one week away! While our palate shall never fall out of love with traditional mithai, Western influence has caused angrezi delights to also sneak into our cupboards and hearts! Unlike a lot of Indian sweets, fudges and nut-bars have a greater shelf life, so they can be prepared in advance for any occasion. See, now you've got one whole week and no excuses for ignoring the kitchen worktop!

Eat, pray…
Some city eateries are dishing food festivals to pander to the appetites whetted by all the ritualism and revelry
Feeding the festive fervour. That's what eateries in the tricity are busy these days. And the best way to do this is through food festivals for all that binging-after-splurging and feasting-after-fasting floating population in the Diwali days. Alluring aromas for appetites whetted after rushing from one shopping extravaganza to another, empty stomachs in need of instant gratification after fasting for the devi (read Durga Puja) and the domestic devta (read pati who may or may not qualify for the prefix 'crore'pati), all this calls for cuisine beyond the routine.

• Aviyal ahoy!