Romance of colours and soaring spirits
By Surinder Malhi

IN their attempt to articulate the socio-cultural affinities of our country, the promoters of Urdu poetry have occasionally highlighted the razzle-dazzle of various Indian festivals in their works. Since the festival of Holi tends to infuse a spirit of bonhomie among various sections of the society, it is rather understandable that it has always captivated the fancy of Urdu poets in a more frequent way.

• Finding it hard to carve out a living
  It is a matter of great concern that the wood-carving industry of Saharanpur, reminiscent of the Mughal period, earning about Rs 100 crore of foreign exchange annually, is on the verge of a collapse. According to a legend, this art travelled to Saharanpur from Multan, contends Mohan Maitray
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• Saans: A breath of fresh air, by Vimla Patil
• Speaking generally: All talk, no action, by Chanchal Sarkar

• Interview: "Every event must have space and time", Prof Philips Morrison tells Kuldip Dhiman
• Fauji beat: Manning system needs revision, by Pritam Bhullar
• Laugh lines: The long walk ahead, by Amrita Dhingra
• Your option: Forgive them to cleanse yourself, by Taru Bahl
• A soldier's diary: The blinkers are still in place, by K. S. Bajwa
• Time off: A time to tell it all, by Manohar Malgonkar
• Fitness: Look good, feel even better, writes Anup Deb Nath
• Garden life: Carry your specimens gently, observes Satish Narula
• Travel: Hyderabad: A unique city with multifarious attractions, opines V. S. Mahajan
• Feedback: Wanted any excuse to shirk work
• Nature: They invoke fear and admiration, by Nutan Shukla
• Living space: Space-saving options, by Harkiran Sodhi
• Film and TV: Court martial for and by children, by Mukesh Khosla
• Bollywood bhelpuri: What is Sri's secret? asks Madhur Mittal