Where myth and modernity mingle

Panchkula, designed to outshine Chandigarh in every respect, is today a vibrant township with a unique charm of its own. It has attracted the retired military officers, film stars, writers and poets to make it their home, says Randeep Wadehra

ACCORDING to mythologists, when the five Pandava princes were exiled they had spent some of their time in the jungles of the area, hence the name Panchkula — Clan of the five. Some interpret the name as the resting-place of the five Pandavas. About three decades ago, the place was partly arid and partly a sub-tropical forest. There was not much human habitation, save for an odd hamlet here and there. When the controversy over the status of Chandigarh was at its peak, the then Haryana Chief Minister, Bansi Lal, hit upon the idea of building an alternate state capital. Thus was the present Panchkula born-designed to outshine Chandigarh in every respect, be it town planning or architecture. Today Panchkula is a vibrant township with a unique charm of its own; charming enough to attract retired military top brass, film stars, writers and poets.

Panchkula offers a lot to tourists as well as to students of architecture. The Nirjhar Vatika is a beautifully landscaped park. It boasts of an artificial waterfall and lake, with local and exotic birds that fly in during the winter from Siberia and other colder climes, lending an ethereal charm to the environs. Then there is the Topiary Park, which is spread over vast open spaces and boasts of the most attractive scenery in the region. Plants are foliage are shaped into different animals and birds. During the night, paths are illumined with lights and the atmosphere fills up with soothing music. It is an all-season favourite of those who want to recharge their batteries after a stint in the mad mad world.

The Cactus Garden here is the largest of its kind in Asia, it has about 3000 varieties of cacti from different parts of the world — about 60 per cent of all known cacti species. Imaginative landscaping has given the garden a unique character. An undulating surface has been created artificially. Spread over even seven acres, the garden is located in the heart of the town... inlaid with concrete paths winding through lush green lawns and dense cacti growth. Some of the prominent varieties are the three-metre-high golden barrel — a native of the USA and East Africa, adenium obsesum and Scilla India. Some of these varieties are between 12 and 20 feet tall, while others are flat or round. These multi-shaped thorny friends have the capacity to bear beautiful multi-hued flowers. I call the cacti ‘friends’ because they have a medicinal value and sustain life in arid deserts. One is surprised by the aesthetic potential of these plants. In this regard one may mention the beautiful Carnegia Gigantea and the Echinocetus Grusoni (the golden barrel).

Most of the cacti are round, and as John Ruskin had once remarked "Beauty lies in roundness and not in straight lines"! No wonder the cactus garden has become a major tourist attraction of the town. Panchkula is particularly proud of this garden.

The Shiva temple acquired its present shape about three years ago. Legend has it that years ago when the area was a jungle, a seer named Yoginath used to offer prayers here. The Shivalingam inside the temple is not man-made but has manifested on its own swayambhoo. When Yoginath died, his samadhi was constructed, which exists even today on the temple premises. People come from far and near to worship at the temple.

It is said all wishes get fulfilled if one prays here. The temple houses idols of the nine goddesses — the different manifestations of Goddess Durga. There is an idol of Ganesha too. The temple bells, unusually small in size, lend a unique aura to the atmosphere. Indeed, the temple’s architecture itself is unique. The huge Shivalingam, made of concrete, towers over the rest of the temple building.

The nearby hills offer scope for trekking and mountain climbing. The more adventurous can revel in the beauty of the rugged Himalayas. The town is well connected with roads to the traditional as well as new tourist spots in the mountains. The Chandigarh railway station and airport are nearby — a few minutes drive away. The Haryana Tourism, a government body, runs a network of hotels and restaurants to suit every pocket and taste.

The Yadavendra Gardens at Pinjore were laid in the 17th century. This Mughal-style garden is a major tourist attraction with its decorative lights and water-works. But it is more famous for the annual mango festival that is organised here by the Haryana Tourism, wherein more than 200 varieties of mangoes are displayed.One can also espy the remains of an ancient temple that was excavated near the garden recently — an archaeologist’s delight indeed!

Pastels are ruling this season
Fashion
By Sumona Roy

NO matter what dress designers and beauticians have to say, fashion eventually depends upon individual tastes and comfort considerations. And since there are no hard and fast rules dictating personal preferences, any exercise at generalising trends usually turns out to be misleading.

Nevertheless, it does help to figure out what most people like to be seen in — whether the drift is largely towards tighter fits or for loose and free-flowing garments, the colour combinations the use of accessories and embellishments.... These elements add up to the look of a season.

For instance, women at present are discarding bright colours and moving towards classic, understated elegance in churidaar-kurtas with short sleeves and fine tone-on-tone embroidery. Pastels constitute the colour of the season.

Similarly, large prints as well as gold and silver embroidery like zardozi are being avoided in everyday wear. Instead, there’s a lot of silk-thread embroidery of various styles in colours ranging from lemon and mint to mauve, pink and even white.

A new development this season is the substitution of salwars and churidaars by slim, tight cotton trousers. These are in perfect, western cuts and in none of the heavier fabrics. In certain rare cases, silk trousers are making a reappearance though.

Furthermore, dupattas are turning out to be plain and simple, just like the kameezes and kurtas. Or else, bright scarves and lace scrolls are taking the place of dupattas.

As for accessories, the casualties of this season include patent leather and closed shoes. These are being replaced with open high-heeled strap shoes, or slip-ons in matt metallic or neutral tones. Silver is positively the most popular colour for women’s footwear at present.

Silver is also a strong trend in jewellery, ranging from thumkas and chokers to kadas and anklets. The metal has virtually taken the place of gold and for special occasions, platinum is being seen as the substitute for silver. Diamonds are generally avoided.

Hair too is making a fashion statement, especially when kept in place. The preferred style is of hair taken back and put into a cone — somewhat like the narad knots seen a couple of years back. Loose unkempt hair is no longer fashionable. Colouring too has taken a backseat as women are going in for lustrous, natural black or brown hair. Surprisingly, flowers have come into fashion, especially gajras (tiny garlands) of jasmine as hair accessories.

In men’s fashion too, there are also some strong trends indicated. The clean look is in as sideburns stay short with hair in place and eyebrows clearly defined.

In shirts, the accent is on bright colours (including checks and prints) unlike women’s wear. For once, men are prancing about in shades of purple, red, green, and blue, and are not shying away from two-tone fabrics. The new element here is the revival of Chinese collars (often in contrasting colour tones) with full-sleeve front and button detailing. The idea is to button up the cuff and collar, but not to tuck in the shirt. At best, a sleeveless jacket is worn on top.

These shirts are seen as adaptations of traditional kurtas, only that they are of closer fit because of the buttons up front. Tight-fit kurtas, (that is, minus the cuffs) are also seen, but they reach a couple of inches below the knees and are in light fabrics.

Trousers are largely stretch drainpipes with boot-cut detailing. Pinstripes are most popular while pyjamas and flares are strict no-nos. A slim-fit trouser can also serve as a substitute for churidaars, when worn with a kurta.

As for footwear, slip-ons and sandals are being discarded for closed mojris, black being preferred over brown. But for formal wear, there are custom-made black leather pointed shoes with side buckles creating quite a sensation. Accessories are singularly absent in every male’s perception of fashion. Hands and chest are left as bare as possible, to the extent, many men have given up wearing watches. Those who do, are going in for discreet styles with small dials. Metallic straps and bracelets are similarly being discarded. (MF)