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 Master of military might
Amarinder Singh’s book, The Last
Sunset,
gives an insight into the legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a military strategist
and an able administrator. Excerpts…
Maharaja
Ranjit Singh had consolidated his empire by the age of twentyone. His
quest for knowledge, both to better his empire and his army, continued
unabated. A contemporary of Napoleon, he was greatly interested in the
happenings in Europe, the wars, military organisations, tactics, and
weaponry.
Jumbo
shots
Thai pachyderms took
over at a recent elephant polo tournament, writes
Papitchaya Boonngok
ONCE
a year, polo takes on jumbo proportions in Thailand, with players
mounting elephants instead of horses to help an even bigger cause:
saving the country’s endangered pachyderms.
Chilli
grenade
INDIAN
military experts in Assam have developed a grenade made using
the world’s hottest chilli, which is more than 1,000 times stronger
than the average cooking spice. According to a report in The Sun,
the researchers have developed the new crowd control grenade packed
with ground seeds from the bhut jolokia chilli, which is found
in Assam.
Battle
for supremacy
At 20,000 feet plus, Siachen
Glacier — where the rarest commodity is oxygen — is the highest
battleground in the world. The Indian soldier is ready to sacrifice
his life for the protection of this patch of earth, writes Major-Gen
G. G. Dwivedi (retd)
THE
area is absolutely white, with visibility almost zero. In the literal
sense, the right hand does not know what the left is up to. Thick
snowflakes, like bird feathers, have been falling non-stop for the
last couple of days.
Travel
smart
It is better to look
like a well-dressed traveller than a tourist, says Babita
Mehta
ANY
seasoned traveller would know that it is much warmer in Australia in
October than it is in Austria. Also, what works in New York could
raise a lot of eyebrows on the streets of New Delhi. And yet, it is
remarkably easy to get it all wrong.
The
green escape
Wayanad in Kerala is yet to
be discovered by hordes of tourists. It is a haven of tranquillity in
the wilderness, right in the lap of Mother Nature, writes Sudha
Mahalingam
Soulful
silence reigns, occasionally interrupted by the chatter of exotic
birds; scent of cardamom, pepper, vanilla and nutmeg in various stages
of ripening hangs in the air; shafts of sunlight filter through the
mist to spotlight a coffee bush blush with ripe red berries; your
powerful SUV heaves on a winding, potholed hill-road that would deter
all but the most persistent traveller wanting to escape the din of
cities.
Royalty
in new role
Madhusree Chatterjee
ONCE
the leaders of the people, many of the erstwhile Indian royalty, who
lost their standing post-Independence, have now become followers of
their hearts as they have broadened their role as protectors of
India’s heritage, culture and even human rights.
‘I
will never make a boring film’
Comedian-turned-director
Sajid Khan talks to Bedika about his new
film Housefull, which will be released shortly
SAJID
Khan, who is back with his second film Housefull, says
he has worked very hard on the movie and is confident that it will be
a "blockbuster" no matter what his detractors say.
Divya
Dutta is Hollywood bound
Divya
Dutta, who wowed audiences with her performances in Delhi 6,
Morning Walk and Welcome to Sajjanpur, has bagged a couple
of Hollywood projects. One of them is Hisss, and she says
it’s one of her best roles.
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