Rajiv Jindal with sons, Nachiket and Samrat;

Atul and Arti Nehra with Kanan and Kaveri. Photos: S. Chandan

Stay put on a staycation
Vacations are important for more than just fun. They can ward off stress and boost productivity. But many people are finding it difficult to plan vacations. Add to it, a big dent in your annual savings and stress of travelling. So, they are simply staycationing or vacationing at home, writes Mona 
The vacation philosophy is undergoing a sea change. Times have changed and so have the ways how people spend their leisure time. If trips to the Disneyland were the last fad, the latest is 'staycation'. Fuelled by slowdown and propelled by time crunch, staycations or simply vacations you do at home - where in families set a slot, plan excursions in and around the city or some activities along with friends - are finding favour with our city folks too.Says Arti, a resident of Sector 15 and mother of two: "We went to Goa in the beginning of this year. But this winter break, I want my kids to savour various local attractions. We are blessed to be in a green city like Chandigarh that has so many beautiful parks. 

Rock On!
The XIIIth edition of India's definitive rock festival the Fuel Great Indian Rock organised by Rock Street Journal magazine took the country by storm with big concerts in Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Kolkata in October. This is being followed by a club version of the festival in the cities of Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Shimla.

Old is still gold
It is during events like this, we reali se how meaningful the phrase, old is gold is. Even if these are mere ornamental pieces that serve no practical purpose, the vintage and classic cars still find many buyers for their sheer heritage value.On display at the Chandigarh Carnival, 15 cars of the Chandigarh Vintage and Classic Car Club are catching more attention than the vrooming SUVs. The recent addition to the car club is, in fact, a sports car from America. J.S. Phoolka, founder president of the club, shares some information about it, "It is a 1920 model crysler, manufactured in America.

Lap it up
Want to party like Arjun Rampal this weekend? What? Don't think we are serious? Well, you are right, but when DJ Saif and DJ Ajay bring the house down with their antics behind the console, you know how to 'lap' up the fun. Straight, here we are. The two in-house DJs from Lap, actor Arjun Rampal's club in Delhi will play at Black Magic and they sure know how to get Chandigarh in the groove.

Style on rent
One does not require big bucks to have a big fat Punjabi wedding. There are rental services available in the city for wedding dresses and jewellery to make it easy on one’s pocket 
We know it is impossible to bring the wedding budget within control. Still, there are ways to cut down and save you from going bankrupt. One option is renting a few things instead of buying, though this may read blasphemy to us believers of the big fat Indian wedding traditions. Of course, we don’t feel good till we spend the last penny of our hard-earned cash on a marriage ceremony.

Next level
Daljit Dosanjh's latest music album is a mix of romantic, dance and  hip-hop numbers
 After the success of albums like 'Ishq Da Uda Ada', 'Dil', 'Smile', 'Chocolate' Daljit Dosanjh has come out with his new album 'The Next Level'. One of the multi-faceted talents, Diljit showed little interest in education but showed passion for music from a very early age. With the support of his parents, brother, sister and brother-in-law and with the grace of God, he was able to see through his dark days and soon made a mark in the music industry. With six albums to his credit, this young singer is a hardcore musician. He achieved fame and recognition with quick succession, as he was willing to perform for anyone and everywhere.

Launch PAD
Start smart
Disney Publishing Worldwide (India) has launched two exciting new range of workbooks -- Smart Beginnings for the preschoolers (2-4 yrs) and School Skills for kids aged 5-7 years, to inspire and encourage early childhood learning in a fun and engaging way. Available in English, these Workbooks will feature Disney's popular characters Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess and Disney Fairies.

Portuguese connection
Monica Bedi says she was a married Portuguese woman in her previous life
 Actor Monica Bedi says she "was a married Portuguese woman with three children" in her past life - something she claims to have discovered through a TV show. Incidentally, Portugal was the country she was extradited from in 2005 along with her former companion, the jailed mobster Abu Salem.Referring to the reality show Raaz - Pichhle Janam Ka, Monica said, "When I underwent past life regression therapy here, I found out that I was a Portuguese girl in my last birth. It was then that I realised why I always feel at home when I go to Portugal," said Monica claiming she has "also been attracted to Christianity. I never knew why, but now I know that it's because I was Christian in my previous life."

Bowled over!
Asin fascinated by Waheeda's charm
Southern beauty Asin Thottumkal, who shared the dais with Waheeda Rehman during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), says that she was awestruck by the "beauty and grace" of the veteran Bollywood star.

Salman dedicates Veer blog to dad
Blog kiya jaye7
Bollywood actor Salman Khan has come up with a unique birthday gift for his writer-father Salim Khan on his 74th birthday, he has decided to pay tribute to him with a blog on his upcoming movie Veer. Produced by Vijay Galani, "Veer" will be released worldwide on January 22 by Eros International."It is Salman's dream project. When we discussed the idea of blogging on his experience shooting for the film, it was Salman himself who suggested that we launch the blog on his dad's birthday," said Galani in a statement. "In fact, Salim saab is one of the few people to have seen the rushes of Veer and loved it. Since it has a father-son relationship, Salman felt it was apt to launch his blog on his dad's birthday," he added.The producers are also trying to push Salman to pen his thoughts at least twice a week."The blog is in Salman's own words.

Crowning glory
Miss India Canada Aanchal Dogra admires legendary Bollywood actor Dev Anand for his energy level and megastar Amitabh Bachchan for managing his personal life well. The beauty queen hopes to work with both the veterans even though she herself is just 25 years old.

Peace march
Kolkata marks 26/11 with flowers, candles and peace concerts
People in Kolkata Thursday lit candles and paid floral tributes to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.Schoolchildren, actors, government officials, cultural activists and policemen all united in grief as also in a resolve to foil designs of terror masterminds and to protect the unity and integrity of the nation of over 100 crore people.The main function observing the first anniversary of the Mumbai killings was held near the Police Memorial in the city hub where Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi garlanded the memorial and signed the condolence register.

In memory...
From Shahrukh Khan who turned painter for the occasion to Amitabh Bachchan joining a chorus of singers, India's film fraternity paid tribute to the heroes and victims of the 26/11 terror attacks. Khan joined a unique attempt to remember those who lost their lives on the eventful day by painting on a wall at Marine Lines even as Bollywood remembered the day the city was hit by one of the most bloody attacks in it's history.