School holds ‘bal mela’ 

Gurgaon: Shikshantar, a Unitech school, organised its first-ever ‘Bal Mela’ at the Unitech Country Club on Monday. Children between three and 12 years of age were given a free hand in creative and constructive activities like theatre games, painting, straw painting, block printing, clay modelling, mask making, kabar se jugad to showcase their talents. Songs and dances (of non-filmy music) were also organised at the “Hamara Manch” of the mela. The idea behind the mela was to bring the creative bend of children to the fore and encourage the talent in them. OC

COURTS

Two acquitted of firing on cops
Our Correspondent

Jhajjar, December 10
The court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Diwan Chand, acquitted two persons of firing on the police party during an operation to get a petrol station owner, Sant Lal Pahwa, of Jhajjar released from the custody of six miscreants who abducted him in October 1998.

Two of the abductors, Dilsher of Panipat and Satish of Narnaul, were acquitted today while the name of their accomplice, Vazir, was dropped earlier from the case after a Rajasthan court sentenced him to death in the Krishan Giri murder case there. Three abductors were not present in their hideout when a team of commandos and the police raided them and freed Mr Pahwa from their clutches five days after his abduction. The police had charged them for firing on the police under Section 307 of the IPC apart from booking them for the abduction of the petrol station owner at that time.

Soft drink maker fined: The District Consumer Forum has imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 as compensation on a Panipat-based soft drink manufacturing company on the complaint of Rajesh, a resident of Jhajjar district. He had filed a complaint with the forum on finding a fly in the sealed bottle of the company’s product, Slice, on June 28.

CULTURE

GLITZ & GLAMOUR
Mall culture catching on in the NCR
Smriti Kak

Models display Anu Mundkur’s Winter Collection-2000, at a fashion show to launch her store, Z’ngari.

Shop till you drop, continues to be the mantra. But when just about everyone seems to be talking about the economic recession and a life that moves in the fast track, good old leisure shopping has been relegated to things “we-used- to- do”.

Freebies and saving schemes are to lure the conservative consumers, but for the nouve riche, who has taken a peep into the show windows across the globe, the shopping experience is just as important as the product.

Imagine paying for an Armani in Karol Bagh! Its unthinkable and reason why we have mega bucks being spent on flashy exteriors that promise equally if not better interiors. We are talking about the shopping malls that have been inserted into the lexicon of a Delhiite.

Ansal Plaza can claim to be the first to offer an enhanced shopping experience.

Under one roof, the flashy malls promise you just about everything under the sun, from foreign gizmos to the very desi, the ware on display leaves the shopper flummoxed, to say the least.

While for the consumer, it is getting the right thing at the right price, for the men behind the shopping malls, it is an investment that promises profits. We heard of a company that has invested Rs. 68 crore in India and plans to invest an additional Rs. 60 crore in setting up five more stores in India over the next two years.

The latest to offer the shoppers a delight are P P Jewellers, who have decided to open not just one, but 50 malls across the country. In the first phase, the malls would be established in the National Capital Region and other satellite towns. The malls will have an exclusive collection of jewellery and garments. The first mall was inaugurated in the Capital in Karol Bagh. The 13,000 sq. ft. mall, spread over four floors, is claimed to be a visual delight with each floor designed with a distinct concept in mind to appeal to the target customer.

The kid’s section that is on the third floor has been done in vibrant, bright orange and blue colours, designed to appeal to the imaginative mind of the children

The kid’s section has a ceiling full of hanging toys to catch their attention and to keep them occupied while parent shop for them.

The theme of the showroom is that of an ancient palace with marble sculptures, carved pillars and not to forget stain glass tomb, which is the largest in the country.

Creativity can also be seen in the window displays, from ornaments being displayed on moving palanquins, artificial apple tree and Aladdin’s magic lamp.

Meanwhile, Lifestyle India has decided to offer Delhities a store with an international flavour. The first store was launched in Gurgaon. Spread over 54,000 sq. ft, the sprawling storehouse with three floors of eye- catching ware, sure leaves a hole in the pocket.

The Life Style store is built around five concepts; fashion garments for men and women, including formal, casuals, westerns and ethnic Indian wear; health and beauty products, including perfumes, cosmetics, fashion accessories and gifts; household and home furnishings, a collection of household products and accessories like linen and furnishing, glassware, crockery, cutlery and furniture; an extensive collection of children’s wear, toys, infant basics and nursery furniture and a footwear section with wide collection of shoes and related accessories.

All that glitters

Solitaire! There are no adjectives required to describe this one piece of stone, which has caught the fancy of women.

Bholasons Jewellers has put on display a collection of the most exotic solitaries in the Capital. On display are pendants, earrings and unmounted diamonds. From a tiny 0.5 carats to the rock you could kill for, the collection is worth a look. The exhibits are on display till December 15 at the Bholasons in Karol Bagh.

Crystal Facets of India

Crystal textile innovations from Swarovski focus on depth of colour and subtleties of sheen and texture. Bholasons Jewellers has put on display a collection of the most exotic diamonds. Nature’s Essence has used scientific techniques to create personalised beauty regime.