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Road
where history speaks
The Hindustan-Tibet Road, also known to us as the National Highway 22, leads to Kinnaur and presents an idyllic picture of life above 12,000 feet.
Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu on one of the deadliest motorways in the world
It
is the India of the
mid-1800s, and Lord Dalhousie has been appointed as Governor-General
of India. He introduces India to its first railway, lays out its first
telegraph line, establishes its postal system and starts the Public
Works Department. Amidst all this reformation, he anoints Simla as the
Summer Capital of the East India Company. Not much later, thwarted by
climate-induced ill-health, he is forced to move camp to Chini (the
present-day Kalpa in Kinnaur) upstream of the Sutlej.
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The NH-22 carved through the Tranda Falls
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Robofish to the rescue
Inspired
by nature, researchers have perfected a ‘robofish’ which is
capable of leading a school of real fishes and, if need be, steer them
away from toxic oil or chemical spills.
Warp and woof of weavers’ woes
They might weave rich textiles but most handloom weavers lead penury-stricken lives as government packages pass them by, writes
Madhusree Chatterjee
Ali
Husain Ansari, a weaver of embroidered Mughal textiles and owner of
Abdul Ghani Silk in Varanasi says he has not benefited from the
government’s financial package for weavers announced in December
last year. "The money sanctioned by the government has gone to
cooperative societies. The poor weaver still makes less than Rs 200
($4) a day and does not have enough assets for loan guarantee,"
says Ali.
Romance of the barren land
Despite its rocky terrain, the arid zone of Gwalior is full of tales of valour and love, writes
Tanushree Podder
For
long I had wanted to visit the arid Gwalior zone – the seat of the
erstwhile Scindia family. Despite its rocky terrain, Gwalior has been
coveted by the Tomars, the Mughals, the Marathas and the British. This
desire led to many battles till the Scindias were given charge of the
place by the British.
“The Olympic tattoo keeps me motivated”
He
had set a personal
milestone of 12 goals for himself. He scored 16 and still wanted more.
Ace drag flicker Sandeep Singh, after helping India clear the Olympic
qualifiers, is basking in the newfound limelight. An outright rebel on
the turf, there is no mistaking his shy nature off it though he fights
hard to keep it hidden. A career-threatening accident in 2006,
two-year ban in 2010, which was later revoked with a warning after an
apology, he has seen it all. In a freewheeling chat with Amit Khanna
the 27-year-old from Shahbad, Haryana, talks about his dream of London
Olympics, revival of hockey, fitness and much more.
Simply Soha
Soha Ali Khan in conversation with
Shoma A. Chatterji on her latest Hinglish film Chaurahen
Soha
Ali Khan is not trapped in
the cut-throat rat-race to reach at the top. On the eve of the release
of her new Hinglish (Hindi and English) film Chaurahen
(Crossroads), she talks fluidly about the film, her changing channels
and her aspirations within cinema. ‘I don’t like to be typecast’
Joginder Tuteja
Not
every film in Shreyas Talpade’s career has been a success and the
actor says he has stopped worrying about hits and misses as he is
scared of being heartbroken. The 36-year-old says he doesn’t pin
high hopes on his films’ boxoffice performances as he has prepared
himself to take a hit or a flop in his stride, like his last release Hum
Tum Shabana. FRUIT FACTS
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