Making Maya’s mala
Showcasing one’s happiness at receiving a distinguished guest or acknowledging someone important, the tradition of garlanding goes back in time
Garlanding, aarti, red vermillion mark, the Hawaiian style leaves and flowers… for the reception of guests, nothing quite beats the currency hoops right? Perhaps, Ms Mayawati will provide details of the great grand garlands! The incident has put the spotlight back on the tradition that is intrinsically steeped in symbolism.

Smile quotient!
In the city, Prachi Desai talks of her journey to television stardom and Bollywood dreams
Navratan thanda thanda cool cool, soft and silky Lux, Boost is the secret of my energy, Hide 'n' Seek biscuits, Wheel detergent, Boroline antiseptic cream… wondering, whether Amitabh uses a Navratan oil to reduce stress; are Kareena Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan having a morning bath with Lux soap, is Hrithik Roshan digging into Hide 'n' Seek choco biscuits when hungry, and is Prachi Desai using the nice, flower fragrance Wheel detergent for washing clothes.

The legacy of Patiala
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan injected fresh vigour into Patiala Kasur Gharana and made it scale new heights
Once upon a time, not too long ago, lived a legend named Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan who not only believed, but rose to the challenge of making it perfect each time. Hailed as the Tansen of the 20th century, he breathed fresh vigour into Patiala Kasur Gharana and made it scale new heights.

Cat calls
As Tom and Jerry turn 70 on Thursday, city folks cheer them on
Ask a four-year old or a 40-year old about their favourite cartoon characters…most likely the answer would be Tom and Jerry! So, on Thursday when the cat and mouse game turned 70, Cartoon Network's celebrations at the Taj-17 had to be crazy, funny and cute, just like the show we all have been addicted to. And, everyone was invited.

Happy to be cursed
Shweta Agarwal, a well-known model and actor of Dekho Magar Pyar Se serial fame, is ready to sizzle once again on silver screen. Her first film Tandoori Love failed to give her much recognition and now she makes debut in Vikram Bhatt's romantic horror flick Shaapit opposite Sa Re Ga Ma fame Aditya Narayan (son of Udit Narayan). She is excited because this is her big launch into Bollywood with Vikram Bhatt's trilogy of horror movies after Raaz and 1920. Shaapit opens all over this Friday. She talks to Lifestyle:

Music to the ear!
Jagjit Singh to delight city folks
Ghazal usne chhedi mujhe saaz dena…zara umar-e-rafta ko awaaz dena…" Come March 20, music lovers from the city are set for a date with Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh, who will perform at the Nehru Bhavan, Sector 24.The concert has been organised by the Durga Das Foundation and The Tribune group of newspapers is the media partner for the event.Over the years, Jagjit has been admired by the naïve and the connoisseur alike. He has an enviable voice that can render a unique quality to ghazals, geets and bhajans. 

Side Lanes
For better or for worse
Changes are inevitable. There are changes to lives, faces, cities, seasons, styles, relationships, homes, food, pets, anything. You name it and changes have hit it. In fact, change is ironically the one constant and steady factor in our lives. Yet, we resist changes all the time. We try to stall them, ignore them, brush them under the carpet, hoping against hope that we shall not have to accept them. Often, at our age, we look back and say "…things were better then!"

A school of thought
Bollywood actress Deepal Shaw says that after working with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actor Irrfan Khan, there is no need for her to join acting school. "I have learned a lot from both Mahesh Bhatt and Irrfan Khan. For me they are my school of acting. Right from improvisation to natural subtle acting to rehearsals, they have always pushed me to do better and better," Deepal said. She made her acting debut in Mahesh Bhatt's Kalyug, opposite Emraan Hashmi and newcomer Kunal Khemu. In recently released Right Ya Wrong, the 24-year-old Deepal is seen sharing screen with Irrfan. She will also be seen with the actor in the upcoming film Tum Se. "I am a keen observer.

                                                                    Deepal Shaw

Confession of an idiot
He has proved his mettle as an actor in super hit films like 3 Idiots and Rang De Basanti but R Madhavan says that he often feels embarrassed by his performances in his earlier films.

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