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Environment festival attracts 3,000 students Chandigarh, February 4 With the college opening its gates to boys as well, the multifarious activities at the festival various elicited a good response from the students, attracting over 3,000 participants. The festival was aimed at creating awareness about environmental degradation among students. A keenly contested debate on “Technology —rival of ecology” saw 28 participants while 21 teams competed for the top position in a quiz competition, which covered topics ranging from nature to wildlife, environment and pollution. Other competitions held on the college campus included paragraph writing, paint-a-t-shirt, model the shirt, read a paragraph and advertising. Great fun for the students, the competitions were judged by a panel of experts from related fields. An exhibition which included a wide variety of eco-friendly handmade products, a food festival and handicrafts was also held. Tatva, a dance, was performed to show the different elements of nature in addition to a skit on the present state of the environment. Despite heavy deployment of the police to maintain law and order and keep an eye on the boys, the students enjoyed themselves to the hilt as they took to the dance floor and jived to peppy numbers. While Meghna was crowned Miss Environment on the basis of questions on the environmental issues, the overall trophy in environmental bonanza was bagged by GGDSD College, Sector 32. Dr Ramesh Kapoor from the Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, was the guest of honour while the Director, Environment, Mr Ishwar Singh, was the chief guest. He regretted that the so- called ‘urban raj’ was worse than the jungle raj with purposeless plunder of the environment taking place everyday. The results of the contests are as follows : Quiz- Punjab Engineering College (Arpit Mittal, Rahul Gaur, Ishpreet Singh) 1, MCM DAV College (Tarleen Ahuja, Geeta Dhawan, Aprajita Gautam) 2, GGD S.D. College (Manas Adhar, Hriday Sarat, Preetpal Singh) 3; The overall trophy for the quiz went to Punjab Engineering College. Paragraph Writing - SGGS College, Sector 26, 1, National Institute of Nursing Education PGI, Sector 12, 2; Paragraph Reading-GGD SD. College, Sector 32, 1, Govt. College of Education, Sector-20, 2; Collage- Making Contest -National Institute of Nursing Education, PGIMER (Harpreet Kaur, Meena, 1, GGD SD. College, Sector 32 ( Manju Rana, Bhavna Ranjan, 2, Home Science College (Pavneet, Romika. 3; T-shirt Modelling - Government. College of Education, 1, Government. College of Education, 2; Painting- a -T- Shirt - Dev Samaj College, 1; GGD SD. College, 2; Advertising -GGD SD College, 1, MCM DAV College, 2. |
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Hostel for blind girls opened Chandigarh, February 4 The building has been constructed by the Chandigarh Housing Board as a special gesture towards the institute. The UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (Retd), today inaugurated the building. Mr G.K. Marwah, Chairman, Chandigarh Housing Board, informed him about the details of the project. Addressing a select audience on this occasion, Justice Verma appreciated the role of donors, including non-resident Indian donors. He said it was imperative for every citizen to work for the development of society. Appreciating the role of the institute for taking care of blind students Justice Verma said the construction of the hostel for visually impaired girls in the Year of Empowerment of Women was praiseworthy. He said it was appreciable that this institute not only provided education to the visually challenged but also training in various crafts like computer training, typing and shorthand, caning and weaving. Justice Verma appreciated the fact that children earned while they learnt and by the time, they finished training, they had a couple of thousands in their saving accounts. He said this money helped them in case they did not get a job. Earlier, Justice Verma had a round of the institute. |
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Hamara School According to Gandhiji, education should not ignore any aspect of human development. Hence, true education helps in balanced and harmonious development of all aspects of personality, including physical, intellectual, spiritual, aesthetic and social, enabling a person to achieve the ultimate aim, truth. To a large extent, Sherwood Convent School is trying to provide this to its students. Children are the most precious assets of our country and the foundation of our society. Every child has a right to good education. This is what we at Sherwood are aiming at, besides striving for excellence. We lay emphasis on an all-round development of students. Discipline, dedication, punctuality and determination make a child confident and successful in his or her life. Founded under the guidelines of Sherwood Convent Education Society, it is a co-educational school with a teacher:students ratio of 1:25. The school focuses on activities and value-based education and our motto is to strive and succeed. Highly qualified and dedicated staff stress on personality development of the students, To ensure an all-round development of the students, emphasis is laid on co-curricular activities. The students are encouraged to participate in singing, dancing and painting. Extra co-curricular activities and other functions are also organised from time to time. On Wednesdays, different activities, including march past, inter-class and inter-house competitions and matches are organised. Classrooms are spacious and tastefully decorated and well-equipped. In our institution, we firmly believe that a child should be accepted, respected, trusted, encouraged, supported and motivated so that he or she can face the challenges of the new millennium. Education is a medium through which a person gains vision. Knowledge, dignity, drive and the power of reform build character and instill confidence. The teachers work in accordance with these ideals. It is also essential that children are given a free hand to mature and grow. An educational institution needs to preserve and spread knowledge to new generations. But knowledge without wisdom is a dangerous combination. We plan our activities in such a way that they help tiny-tots be independent self-reliant and responsible. |
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I believe that all children have one or the other talent and it is for teachers to harness it. Learning to be good and doing the right is different from learning how to read and write. Values are not intellectual perception or practical skills and character is a quality, unlikely to be built through memorising notes or listening to moral lectures. Yes, values can be taught, but through well-planned co-curricular activities, which are enriching in values. Informality and openness are the forte of co-curricular activities. These also bring about greater cohesiveness between students and teachers. Cohesion among peers kneads a class into a unified group and guards against distracting influences. Therefore, bloom where you are planted is my message to little ones. |
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School celebrates Ardas Divas Chandigarh, February 4 The purpose of Ardas Divas was to pray for the success of students in the coming examinations. Kirtan was performed by Bhai Jasbir Singh Ji Khanne Wale, Istri Satsang Sabha in Sectors 18, 19, 30 and school students. Langar was also served. Prizes were given away to students who excelled in academics and other curricular activities. The annual ardas divas was celebrated at Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School in Sector 35-B. Students who achieved positions at the state-level activities were honoured by Chairman, School Managing Committee, Prof Gurdial Singh. Cash prizes worth Rs 10,000 and commendation certificates were given away to 150 students. |
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Lecture on advances in aviation held Chandigarh, February 4 The idea was to expose the students to the aviation scenario in the country and familiarise them with career opportunities in this sector besides encouraging them to join the society as student members. At present, only six students are members of the society and another 30 have expressed their willingness to enroll as members. A 40-minute long audio-visual presentation on 100 years of aviation was also made. The event was planned on a request put forth by the students when the IAF had presented the college a decommissioned Mi-8 helicopter last month. |
Forest Hill club case: action sought Chandigarh, February 4 In his petition,
Ranjit Singh claimed that influential persons, including politicians,
senior bureaucrats, colonisers and officers of the Wildlife Department
had apparently ganged up to convert the forest area for personal
benefit. He also sought directions to the Union of India, the state of
Punjab and other respondents to stop the golf course, Dashmesh Education
Society and WWICS, from undertaking further construction activity.
Directions were also sought to the Union of India for constituting a
team of experts to ascertain the extent of violation and damage. |
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Hooda case reference sent to Ambala court Panchkula, February 4 The reference was sent following a complaint by the estranged daughter-in-law of Mr Hooda to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging that she had no faith in the local court. The case will come up for hearing in Ambala on February 7. Meanwhile, Mr Hooda and his counsel, along with an MLA from Rohtak, Mr Shadi Lal Batra, today appeared before Mr Bhangoo. It may be recalled that Dr Grewal had filed a dowry case against four members of the Hooda
family, including her husband, Mr Deepinder Hooda, her mother-in-law, Mrs Asha Hooda, and Mrs Saroj Hooda, wife of Mr Hooda’s elder brother, on January 19. Mr Deepinder Hooda is currently in the USA. Mr Hooda had termed the case as a “politically motivated” and alleged that the Grewals had demanded Rs 60 lakh for a “mutual” divorce. However, Dr Grewal maintains that it is purely a “domestic issue” and the Hoodas are trying to give it a political colour. |
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Chandigarh, February 4 Taking up the case, the Bench, headed by Chief Justice Mr Justice B.K. Roy, reserved orders in the matter. It may be recalled that the case pertains to the challaning of a vehicle with a red light atop in July, 1997. The High Court had taken serious note of the act and had issued notices to the authorities concerned. During the proceedings, Chandigarh’s former Superintendent of Police, in charge of traffic, Mr Balbir Singh, was asked by the High Court to be present in the court.
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Court remand for three in smack case Panchkula, February 4 In his order, Mr Pushpinder Kumar Yadav, Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate, also sent Anju Rani and Kishore Kumar, both employees of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Madhuban, to judicial custody. The three were arrested by the police yesterday. Walia had seized 4 kg of smack packed in 30 pouches and along with Rs 18.5 lakh and $ 1,450 from a Nigerian national on May 25,2001. While two pouches were sent for testing at the FSL and the remaining contraband was kept at the “malkhana” here. Later, when the remaining contraband containing 28 pouches was opened at the FSL, two of the pouches were reportedly found to have been tampered with. A departmental inquiry conducted by an SP of the CID, Mr Rajpal Singh, had reportedly found Walia, who is now posted at Yamunanagar, and the FSL employees guilty.
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The American on bhakti trail Chandigarh, February 4 Born to Christian parents, Chris never really planned the future for himself. In Chandigarh where he will perform bhajans at Bal Bhavan tomorrow, he says, “Like any other young person on a spiritual journey, I felt distant from God. I was hungry for a love relationship with Him. I still remember I was in Holland where I happened to be part of the so-called Bhakti congregation in which people feigned more than they felt. That was the time when I forced myself to decide what I wanted from life. I could either go on deceiving myself by faking that I had become one with God or throw it all off and return to India, where lay the real route to Bhakti, through music.” From Nepal to India — Chris’s journey was predetermined. It was at Woodstock in Dehra Dun that he picked up his first bits of fascination for the Indian classical music. “I joined the Indian Music Department at Woodstock and started learning sitar under the guidance of Ajit Singh, the greatest among vichitra veena players in the country. I vividly remember the recital of Pt Ravi Shankar at Doon. The magic of his recital solidified my desire to go on with the sitar. I now learn from Partho Mukherjee.” Consciously steering himself towards bhakti, Chris, along with friend Peter Hicks, began dabbling in the finer nuances of Indian devotional music. Learning Hindi was not a problem because Chris had grown up speaking Nepali. He recalls: “I learnt Hindi by hit and trial. Once the language was known, all barriers diffused. I studied bhakti saints and fell, in particular, for Kabir, whose timeless verses inspire me all the time. I sing Kabir dohas and other bhajans, written and composed by Indian musicians.” Treading the musical path to reach God, Chris has been presenting satsangs all over the country and abroad. He prefers singing at homes and has a reason to prefer so. “Bhakti is not so much performance as it is relationship and what better place to live relationships than homes,” he says. The most inspiring part of Chris’s tale is his devotion to bhakti. Least concerned with commercial considerations, he only sings bhajans. Explaining his genre “Christ-Bhakti”, he says, “My first deep experience of Christ happened when I was listening to western melodies. As I came to India, I thirsted more for bhakti. Indian music has of richness that makes sublime experiences possible for you. It’s like Gospel music, practiced by the Black community in America. I wedded my love for Christ with Indian bhakti. We have released two albums on Christ-Bhakti. They are Marg Darshan and Deep Jale”. Finally, however, there is no compartmentalising the music. As Chris reasons, “God is so colourful. I don’t understand why we should worship him in one country, in one style?” |
Ties of Tradition
Kashmiri families living in Ambala have managed to retain their cultural identity despite having left their homes years ago due to militancy in the Valley. While things can never be the same outside the salubrious environs of Kashmir, the Kashmiri families have imbibed the local ethos even as they have kept their love for Kashmir alive. The Kashmiri cultural identity can be witnessed specially during religious functions. The Kashmiri families in Ambala enthusiastically maintain their rich cultural tradition. There are currently 99 Kashmiri families living in Ambala. In the early 90s there were only a handful of families, including the Kauls, Bhambroos, Saproos and Tikkoos. The number has now shot up to 99. Most of them are Kashmiri Pandits. Mr J.L. Kaul, state secretary of Panun Kashmir, said they were maintaining their cultural identity. “We celebrate Shivratri in which we put ‘akhrot’ in ‘kalash’. On the third day of “Navratri”, we have “Zangtrai” besides celebrating “Janmashtami”, he said. He stated that the Kashmiri cuisine was prepared specially during festive season and marriages. “Non-vegetarian food is prepared differently and it tastes very good. We have non-vegetarian dishes like kanti, kalia and rogan josh. Dishes like yakhni are typical of Kashmiri cuisine. In vegetarian food, we have prepare gaanth gobhi, bein, palak, peeli paneer and lal paneer,” he said. Kashmiri families in Ambala prefer to eat rice. Those with a sweet tooth like shupta and kheer. Although kesar is considered to be a major ingredient of pulao, it is difficult to get good quality kesar in Ambala. Also, Kashmiri mirch and Badarwa rajma are not common in Ambala market. So, the families prefer to get these from Jammu. Interestingly, unlike cuisine of other states, Kashmiri dishes are prepared using ‘saunf’. This gives it a distinct flavour. Mr Kaul pointed out that Kashmiri ‘phirans’ cannot be regularly worn in Ambala weather. “Even though women wear sarees, the younger generation is increasingly wearing salwar kameez.” “In jewellery too, a married Kashmiri woman can be spotted from a distance due to the ‘dejaru’,” he added. Even though the Kashmiri families are few in number in Ambala, it is tight-knit community which has succeeded in retaining a distinct cultural identity.
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Home Decor A home having the essence of rustic India without losing touch with contemporary modern style. That's the Khaira house in Sector 8, which has traditional interiors in contemporary architecture. Built on a two-kanal plot, covering an area of almost 5000 sq foot, the two- storey house is a homogenous combination of traditional and modern styles. Says Ms Mukta Khaira, lady of the house,“we did not want to loose touch with our roots and at the same time wanted to keep the convenience and aesthetic factor in mind while building and doing up the house.” And she has succeeded in her mission. The house has a modern aspect (facade) with arched windows, bay windows overlooking the rear garden and an unconventional colour combination of earthy brown and white. Even the inside of the house has modern leanings — a double-height lobby, with the staircase winding its way up the first floor, an open kitchen, and a verandah at the back. To create the green house effect, an array of ornamental greens have been placed and two sides of the verandah are covered with glass walls. From Baster antiques to phulkaris used as wall panels and a marble mantelpiece running along an entire wall in the drawing room to Tanjore paintings, Khairas love for the traditional artifacts is reflected in the house. So is their love for flowers and candles. Crystal vases with flowers adorn almost all rooms, besides crystal and metal candle stands in varying shapes and sizes. Beautiful patra paintings, where the artist has made figurines on old patras, adorn walls of the drawing room. Jharokha mirrors in traditional frames, mostly rustic Rajasthani and Punjabi designs, have been used in all rooms to reflect light and create emphasis at a particular corner. The beauty of the house is that space, light or ventilation, all three elements, have been aptly considered in its designing. The open kitchen in the house is a perfect example of this. By doing away with the wall between the dining area and the kitchen and replacing it with a counter or by utilising the wall of a narrow gallery for making a storage almirah for dry ingredients, the three elements have been properly made use of. The floor, though made of mosaic tiles, has been left without a carpet in most rooms, adding to the space. “In fact, the house was earlier rented out to the Haryana Government as a minister's bungalow and the rooms were very small. When we bought the house, we had to make a lot of changes to ensure that all elements were included in perfect harmony,” informs Col Manjit Singh Khaira. Colours used in the upholstery, drapes or walls of the drawing room are neutral, ensuring that numerous wall paintings, antiques and crystal ware stand out. The bedrooms, too, have been done in soft colours, with bright wall panels or the linen offering contrast. Also, bright valances have been used in all rooms over soft drapes to add colour. |
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The elderly, too, patronise slimming centres Elderly women — over 50 years of age — are getting fashion and body-conscious like never before. From working out at the city’s numerous gyms to taking the latest slimming course, from visiting beauty parlours (and not just for hair colouring, hair dyeing) to jiving at private social do’s and “disco kitties”, the not-so-young city crowd is finally letting its hair down. Says Mrs Simran Singh, a 50-something resident of Sector 33, “We grew up in a fashion-conscious age when the concept of beauty parlours had just arrived. At my age, when my children are settled, I have more time to myself. Why should I not pamper myself at a parlour, or keep myself fit by going for walks?” She is certainly not alone in her quest to stay fit and beautiful. Informs Ms Ritu Kolentine, aesthetician at Cleopatra day spa, beauty and slimming centre, “More and more women, over 50 years of age, are walking in the centre to avail beauty and slimming packages. We have at least 20 such clients, over 50 years of age, coming in every week for slimming treatment alone.” From aromatherapy to spa treatments, besides the regular facial- manicure-pedicure regimes, women in the 50s are learning to pamper themselves. Like 63-year-old Reena (name changed), a resident of Sector 8 here, who went in for a rigorous slimming programme when she was detected with suffering from diabetes and a high blood pressure. Though she went in for the slimming course for medical reasons, she says that getting back into shape helped build her confidence, and now she regularly goes for a brisk walk, besides cutting down on her diet. It
is, perhaps, keeping this growing trend of body consciousness in mind that many beauty clinics and slimming centres now offer a “mother-daughter” and a “saas-bahu” discount package, where the duo if availing the beauty and slimming services, can avail special discounts.
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Go in for comfortable shoes, not stylish ones You may find it hard to believe but research has shown that nearly 90 per cent of the women wear shoes too small or tight for comfort. This is not all. About three-quarters suffer from some sort of foot deformity. A senior doctor at the PGI further reveals that “bunion”, the most common deformity, is the direct result of wearing tight shoes. “In fact, such shoes push the base of the toe outward resulting in the problem.” The story does not end here. The doctor adds that related problem “bunionette” takes place if the toe is forced inward. “Hammer toe occurs when the toes are bent upwards. So you should always pick shoes with utmost caution,” the doctor warns. Another thing, do not allow the salesman to fool you by saying that the shoes will stretch after you have worn them for some time. Insist on the right size. Make sure that you can move all your toes comfortably. In case you have committed the mistake of buying shoes which are too tight, take them to the cobbler. Also,high heels give you that super-sleek elegant look, but also hurt your hoofs the day after.“The reason is not very hard to see,” fashion designer Simmi Singh asserts. “High heels place pressure on your toes, arches and balls of your feet. That is why the ligaments in your knees take on extra strain. The result is muscular pain. High heel sandals are also normally narrow in front. They cramp your toes and cause pain. That is why you should not wear heels higher than two-and-a-half inches to prevent pressure on the feet balls.” She recommends: “You should go in for flat sandals.They are in and can be paired with the right outfit.They look best with peasant skirts, cropped pants, even jeans. But do not wear them with tailored clothes like suits or trousers.” OC |
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Jewellery to fuel your ‘desire’ With international fashion houses like Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and Marks and Spencer promoting the use of alloy metals in jewellery manufacturing, Art Karat has brought to the city a collection, appreciated globally. The wide range by this Delhi-based semi-precious stone jewellery house includes jewellery studded with precious and semi-precious stones. The theme of the collection by Ms Asha Kamal Modi is entitled “desire”. The collection caters to both traditional and western tastes. The price of this range of jewellery is from Rs 1,000 to Rs 35,000.
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Body beautiful is no longer the domain of the young alone. The older generation, too, believes in living life to its full ... fashionably.