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Koshish awarded for heading IT crusade in schools Chandigarh, February 8 Chosen by the education division of Intel Teach from amongst 21 such centres all over India, Koshish has been awarded an additional grant of Rs 50,000 for implementing TAL in member schools. The prize money also comes their way for extending this implementation to other willing schools of the region. The award-giving ceremony will be held in Mumbai on February 23. Identified as one of the most active IT clubs, Koshish has undertaken a number of activities since it was formed in 2003 with the Principal of DAV Public School, Ms Sarita Manuja, as the chairperson. Koshish, during the past one year, has been involved in organising a TAL week, workshops for Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya principals, refresher courses and e-tutoring for master trainers besides releasing newsletters and holding a principals’ conference. Elated with the performance of the club, Ms Manuja says, “our idea is to take the “Teach to the future” programme of computer education forward. Members have enthusiastically participated in planning, executing and analysing needs of the schools for innovation and use of technology.” The IT club began with a team of five schools using computer education which were identified as the core group. The club gradually established itself, holding monthly meetings and enrolling more and more schools in the club. “The idea of the meetings is to share information and discuss the latest with regard to implementing digital lessons. Besides, we share whatever we have in our kitty. We also plan strategies to convince schools to use IT in everyday teaching. At present, we have nearly 130 schools enrolled with Koshish,” Ms Manuja informs.  |
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PEC alumni flay delay in appointment of Director Chandigarh, February 8 Under the deemed university status, only 50 per cent of the seats would be available to students of Chandigarh . Earlier, 85 per cent seats were reserved for students of Chandigarh. Highlighting the issue, representations have been sent to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the UT Administrator and the Advisor. Alleging that the administration was adopting dilly dallying tactics in appointing the Director of the deemed university to “adjust” the Principal of the institution, the General Secretary of PECOSA, Mr G.S. Dhanoa, claimed that there was no need for the Chandigarh Administration to issue a fresh notification. On the orders of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the administration had already notified the status of deemed university on October 27, 2003. He said after the notification, the interim board of governors constituted under the Memorandum of Administration (MOA), was the legal body to take any decision concerning the deemed university. The process of appointing the Director, which had to be an professor for an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or an Indian Institute of Management (IIM), had not started, said Mr Dhanoa adding that the administration had again written to the Centre regarding service rules and other financial issues relating to the university. The orders sent by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, including MOA clearly spells out various issues related to the running of the university, claimed the association. In the representation, the association had alleged that the Chandigarh Administration had not implemented terms and conditions of sending Dr Baljeet Kapoor to the Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology, Sector 26. |
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From Schools Chandigarh, February 8 Farewell party A colourful programme marked the farewell function at Guru Nanak Public School. Students of Class XI presented a cultural programme. Gurneet Singh and Sukhmani Sangha were adjudged Mr and Miss Guru Nanak Public School, respectively.
Rally The Eco-Friendly Club of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Sector 40, held a rally in Sector 17 as part of Oil Conservation Fortnight.
DAV Model Hostel students of DAV Model School, Sector 15, organised a farewell party on the premises of the school on Saturday. The highlight of the function was a gidaa and bhangra item presented by the students. Mrs Usha Gupta, Manager of the school, presided over the function. Neha Mahajan was crowned Miss Evening. Sheenam Arora and Mansi Tiwari was declared first and second runners up, respectively.
Play ‘Gandhi Ki Vaapsi’ , a one-act play was staged at Saint Soldier International School, Sector 28. Dr Zulfikar, with his team of shoeshine boys, presented the play. The principal of the college, Mr S.Choudhary, presented stationery items and sweets. Proceeds of the play will be used for the welfare of slum children.
Awareness rally The Hindustan Scouts and Guides organised an awareness rally on plastic and parthenium in the city on Sunday. The Director Environment, Mr Ishwer Singh, flagged off the rally from Maharishi Dayanand Public School, Daria village. As many as 100 scouts and guides participated in it. A workshop on ‘Parthenium and plastic’ was organised at the school on Saturday. The Additional Director, Environment, Chandigarh, Mr P.J.S. Dadwal, presided over the workshop.
Seminar A three-day national seminar on “Polymers and applications” concluded at the Technical Teachers Training Institute, Sector 26, here on Sunday. Dr Paramjit Singh, Registrar, Panjab University, chaired the concluding session of the seminar. Discussions were held on Mould technology and processing and opening of channels for commercial products.
Awarded Dr Harjit Kaur Sandhu, a lecturer of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46, got the first position in a state-level essay-writing competition on “Petroleum conservation and CHG emissions” organised by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. She has been awarded a cash prize of Rs 30,000 by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, said Mr R.S.Goraya, Principal of the school.
Athletics meet The annual athletic meet and the 13th prize distribution function of Aanchal International School, Sector 35, was held at Sports Stadium, Sector 46, here on Sunday. Students from playgroup to the seniormost classes participated in a march past. Mr N.S. Brar, Assistant Estate Officer, took the salute for the march past. Various events, like chocolate race , tricycle race, serve your guest, place the order, jacket race were held. Games were organised for parents and grandparents. The Principal, Ms Manju Sood, lauded the children for participating in various events.
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From Schools Mohali , February 8 J.C. Public School Students of J.C. Public School, Mundi Kharar, celebrated their annual day on Sunday. Mr Didar Singh, an educationist from the USA, presided over the function. He inaugurated the colourful show by lighting a lamp. He was accompanied by the Chairperson of the school, Mrs Reema Kant, and the Principal Premjit Grover. The students presented a variety of programmes, including dances, songs and a ballet depicting the life of Lord Krishna. The Principal read out the annual report of the school. The function ended with a prize-distribution ceremony. |
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UGC introduces vocational course Chandigarh, February 8 |
Veejaying to films — Shenaz on starry trail
In Chandigarh on an invitation from Airtel, the spirited young MTV veejay began the conversation with a surprising remark. “I hate being called a veejay. The label spells a strange kind of discomfiture. I must admit that I owe most of my fame to my veejaying on MTV. But, then I keep telling people that I am a TV host and no veejay. That sounds so much better.” But more than veejaying, it is film acting which has taken Shenaz places. Also an ace photographer, who long assisted famed cameraman Farrokh Chotia, Shenaz still remembers how and where she clinched the much sought-after role of Alisha in the just released “Ishq Visq Pyar Vyar”, which also features the latest heartthrob Shahid Kapoor. “I was sitting in a discotheque when I found a person staring at me no end. When I looked from the corner of my eye, it was Ken Ghosh. I asked him why he was gawking at me. In reply, he offered me the role in his film. That was it. As far as acting goes, I have had no formal training, but there have been sessions of theatre at school and later at college.” An ardent photographer and also a travel writer for glamour magazines like Femina, Cosmopolitan and Elle, Shenaz also has in her kitty a few documentaries. In fact, the documentary she made two years ago on the Pushkar Mela of Rajasthan also won a coveted award at the festival of documentary films held in Singapore lately. Says Shenaz, “There are two haunts in India that I just cannot get over. These are Rajasthan and Kerala. Pushkar is an all-time favourite. That place gives you a sense of belonging and tells you what India is all about. Years of habitation in Mumbai have not made me feel as much Indian as a few days at Pushkar did. I shot all I could, from the holy Parikrama to the many craftspersons, who enrich the fair with their unique styles and talents. I visit Rajasthan almost every year. Last year I had a chance to visit the regalia of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. The beauty of the deserts haunts me like anything.” Although Shenaz loves to move around, capturing moments in her lens, her schedules keep her grounded. And how about yapping on TV all the time. Shenaz explains, “I took a course in script writing although I could never complete it. But I have a fair idea of what I want. That is why I always write my own scripts. Also, I would love to produce shows.” As of now, Shenaz is looking forward to the many films at hand. But the role of a glamour doll is a big no for her. She wraps up, “I have a mind of my own and I would like to show it on screen. Comedy and thrillers are fine, but nothing else.” |
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Museum to take away Nandi from Art College After about 30 years, the Government Museum authorities in Sector 10 have suddenly woken up to their belongings. In the process of digging two medieval sculptures, which have long been adorning two separate locations in Sector 10, the authorities will shortly relocate these in the museum’s foyers gallery to prevent their further defacement at the hands of unscrupulous elements. The precious 13th century stone sculpture of Nandi bull, located for decades in the compound of Government Art College, Sector 10, has already been dug out from its present position. Another 14th century Shivalingam in stone will also be shifted from the Leisure Valley, Sector 10, to the foyers gallery of the museum. The decision to shift these sculptures was taken about three years ago at a meeting of the Government Museum Advisory Committee, called by the then UT Administrator Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd). It has, however, been executed now, considering the threat to the security of precious sculptures. A visit to the museum confirmed that Nandi sculpture was all set to be shifted from Art College campus to the foyers gallery of the museum, which presently displays 30 precious sculptural pieces. The decision to shift this sculpture has, surprisingly, not sparked off as much a controversy as the issue of the existing barbed wire between the college and the museum compounds has. About three years ago, the museum authorities had put barbed wire to separate the museum and the college compound in the name of security. This division, which was strongly resisted by artists like Shiv Singh and Prof Brahm Prakash, Principal, Art College, led to the division of the basketball court of the college. One of the basketball poles lies towards the museum side, while the other is in the college compound on the other side of the barbed wire. According to Prof Brahm Prakash, “We have no problem if the museum takes Nandi back. The sculpture needs to be protected. But we hope the museum will do away with this barbed wire, especially in the wake of the UT Chief Architect’s recent order regarding removal of the wire. We have been sending reminders to the UT Engineering Department, but to no avail. Our basketball court remains as divided and useless as ever.” Meanwhile, Mr V.N. Singh of the museum maintains that the removal of the barbed wire would pose threat to the security of art objects of the museum. He said the college authorities could take the basketball pole away, but did not clarify how. About the shifting of sculpture from Art College and Leisure Valley to the museum, he said, “Nandi was installed in the college right after excavations many years ago. But defacement of these beautiful art objects has been rapid. We want to preserve them now.” |
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Mapping conflicts in relationships Chandigarh, February 8 Portrayed through two central characters Kishore — a poet who fails to make his mark — and his dissatisfied wife
Sarita, the play goes through some intense emotional scenes seeing the character through rosy past and harsh reality of the present. Written by Girish Bakshi, the play opens with tragic scene in which the couple looses its only child in a freak accident. Blaming each other for their broken dreams, the play plunges into the depth of human relationships, expectations and frustrations involved with
it. Shayam Juneja in the role of Kishore played the role of the poet with maturity - handling his dreams and failure with a non chalant attitude, but Sheetal Gulati as Sarita went a bit overboard with her accusations, over dramatising her frustrations. Even the music, given by Amrik Singh was a bit too loud which kept on distracting audience. |
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Nostalgic moments
for NRI poet Chandigarh, February 8 Titled “Pighalda Lavva”, the collection of poems spans a host of emotions, reflecting the aspirations of those who have left their homes in a hurry. As the poet said, “It was a strange paradox. While India was celebrating its sovereign status years ago, I was leaving my home in search of food and shelter for myself and my near ones. For years I struggled for a decent living in an alien land. I also waged a war against racialism. But I was continuously hounded by one question — how fair we Indians are to our fellow beings. Are we not slaves to creeds. Do we not mock at the lower castes. And if we do, why are we so hurt when others give back the same treatment to us.” Azad’s earlier two anthologies of poems, “Darpan” and “Ubhar Nikhar” dealt with questions of apartheid as well as global issues like the Vietnam war. The present set of poems sets out to preach about peace. The poet writes on all topics under the sun, but one thread that runs through the entire work is peace. As he says, “We live in difficult times and we have no respite from war. All over the world, terrorists are threatening peace. Even internal conflicts are forcing the world to a point of no return.” Published by Writers Club International. the collection has been published in Urdu and Gurmukhi. It is also being translated into English. |
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Bringing Kerala’s
culture alive Chandigarh, February 8 Starting the programme with a classical dance item by Snigdha Prabhakaran, participants brought alive the cultural heritage of Kerala through their dances and songs. A few dance items based on Malayali songs were presented by Aarti and her group and also by the students of Mount Carmel School, Sector 47. A recital of Bharatnatyam was presented by Asha and Nisha, disciples of famous danseuse Suchitra Mitra. Their performance was followed by a Haryanavi group dance followed by the members of the Haryana Cultural Affairs Department, Haryana. On this occasion as many as 70 members of the samajam pledged to donate their eyes. The pledge forms were handed over to the authority at PGI by Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, MP, who was the chief guest and Mr P.L. Saboo, Regional Head of Central Board of Secondary Education. A souvenir of Kerala Samajam was also released at today’s function. |
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Shankar enthrals with peppy Punjabi pop Chandigarh, February 8 Performing with a live band, Shankar warmed up the stage with his latest hit number “Kede yaar
nu” which was followed by “Baro bore di”, “Kuri kurmuri”, “Thodi si
daru”, “Yaari yaari” and “Highway di gaddi.” His famous song “Jat luteya
gaya” which was picturised on Sunny Deol in film “Champion” was received the audience with a thunderous applause. Shankar who has once again proved his popularity through his latest album “Kede yaar
nu” is at present working for his first Hindi remix album besides working for Vivek Shauq’s forthcoming Punjabi comedy film
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Exhibition of
budding artists’ talent Chandigarh, February 8 Along with the exhibition, Camlin gave away prizes to schools for largest participation as well as winning highest number of prizes at state level. Ms Shyama Negi, Councillor, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, encouraged the budding artists by giving them awards.
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Morning Chatter You take your role as the man of the house seriously. You are the provider for a brood which includes three daughters, your other half’s widowed mother and a live-in maid, who was a part of the ‘dowry.’ In other words, yours is a perpetual houseful situation. You have for long given up expecting a rousing welcome when you come back home in the evening. If during the initial years a cup of tea along with home-made laddoos and samosas were part of a Japanese-style tea ceremony, you now make do with a glass of water thrust absent mindedly in your direction. And that too if you ask for it! There are two reasons for this not-so-welcome reception. One, you have come way beyond tea time. Sarkari babus with “batti walli gaddis” and a retinue of peons get home by 5 pm while your private sector job ensures you return anywhere between 6 and 9 pm. Two, by the time you stumble in, its TV serial time. Since most of them are daily soaps, no one wants a gap in storytelling. In any case, you find the ‘catching up’ period more irritating when missed dialogues and episodes are recounted with detailed descriptions of saree colours, bindi sizes and expressions worn by the key protagonists. While the rest of the brood is huddled together in a near-silent ambience, you are the only one who feels he doesn’t quite belong to it. It is not as if the family doesn’t love or respect you. It is just that a routine has developed over the years to which you haven’t quite objected to. Besides, dinner time is yours to savour and lord over. Steaming hot food, a specially cooked dish of your choice, an update on the day’s happenings and your position as head of family gets mercifully restored, even if it is only for a while. Post dinner, children retire to their bedroom, wife has some more TV watching to do and, out of consideration for her rather exhausting day, you manage to stifle the beginnings of a conversation. Instead, you try making sense of the “ghar ghar ki kahanis”. Sometimes the confounding relationship entanglements put you to instant sleep. At others, in a heightened state of irritation, they keep you wide eyed till you discover wifey dear has drifted off to sleep. Out of vengeance, you grab for the remote and do some vigorous channel surfing. BBC, CNN, Star Movies — all channels the family doesn’t watch — are flicked through. You did not know that TV viewing could give such vicarious pleasure. But you also pay a price for such indulgence because the morning-after goes in a blur. Puffy eyed and with a mouth framed in a continuous yawn, you drift through the day like a zombie though deep down the thrill of having ‘beaten the system’ by catching some hours of solitary TV viewing makes you gloat about your success. But with exams approaching and tension levels mounting, your Mrs takes the momentous decision of disconnecting the cable connection. It is the ultimate sacrifice for her. You cannot suppress a sardonic grin. “This will last only a few days,” you mutter under your breath. But a week later, when you ring the doorbell and are greeted with silence, you know something is amiss. You walk in and find no one around. Children are in their study, wife is nursing a back ache, ma-in-law is trying to keep pace with her prayer beads. And yes, the maid is wearing a long face. Your eyes dart to the TV. It is off. The silences get longer. Awkwardness sets in. Suddenly you find there is hardly anything to talk about. Where do you start? Every attempt at conversation seems forced and pretentious. The very family that spent so much time together in front of the TV is finding that it is unable to match their individual wavelengths. A week goes by and it still looks as if there has been a bereavement. Had the TV really taken over our lives? Had we stopped trying to understand and grow with each other at a deeper more meaningful level? Had our communication and inter personal bonding been so badly impaired that it needed the intervention of a mindless object and its incessant chattering to keep the tempo of the house at an even keel? Hopefully, once the exams get over, normalcy will be restored — at least to what life used to be when cable was clearly the man of the house. |
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Local henna artists
going places Subhash has just received a call from Mumbai on his cell phone. The caller, after identifying himself as a businessman, has promised to pay him a handsome amount for getting a job executed. Before committing anything, Subhash flips through the pages of his appointment diary. After satisfying himself, he promises to catch the train next week, provided the reservations are made for him. Subhash is a henna artist. Operating from Sector 22 market, Subhash is not alone. Other henna artists also receive such calls from outside the city from parents of prospective brides for applying henna on their daughters’ hands, arms and even legs during the marriage season. You may find it hard to believe, but artists are actually receiving calls from Mumbai, Delhi, Ludhiana and Amritsar. That is why most of them carry mobile phones. Their popularity spreads through word of mouth. “No, we do not advertise in newspapers there,” says Raman, another henna artist. “We do not have agents either. People come to us after hearing about our art from someone or the other,” he adds. Giving details, he says, “Generally the girls, who come to Chandigarh from various places for attending weddings, return home with blooming flowers and maharajas drawn on their hands. Most of them feel impressed by the art of dexterous henna artists who take no time to draw beautiful designs on their palms. Many others come to know about us through their relatives settled in this part of the region.” Cost factor is another reason for their popularity throughout the country. “In Mumbai, a good henna artist does not charge less than Rs 1 lakh for bridal mehandi,” says Subhash. “Even rich industrialist do not like paying that much amount for something that will last less than a week. That is why they contact us. We do the job for them, provided we have time, after charging anything between Rs 21,000 and Rs 50,000. That is the minimum as at least five days are wasted in the process.” He adds, “Even in Ludhiana, artists do not charge less than Rs 5,000 for ordinary bridal mehandi. On the other hand, our work is neater and we charge much less.” In Chandigarh, they draw handful of chuckling green flowers for marriage purposes after charging between Rs 500 and Rs 11,000. They do not take more than an hour for completing the assignment. In the end, here are some suggestions by Subhash and other artists to brides with henna-coated hands — avoid using detergent-based shampoos for washing hair.
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Woo your Valentine
with chocolates If you are looking for a special way to melt your sweetheart’s heart this Valentine’s Day, do it with Raveen Sawhney’s hand-crafted chocolates. Packed attractively, Raveen’s chocolates promises to do magic. This local entrepreneur has come up with an exhibition of her exclusive range of chocolates just for the occasion. Moulded in different shapes like heart, oval and square, Raveen’s chocolates come in five mouth-watering flavours — roasted almond,orange, nuts and raisins, crunchy and mixed nuts. Inclined towards the bitter side, Raveen’s chocolates possess the rawness of the original bitter chocolates without losing on the velvety taste. But more than the taste what stops you on your tracks is the packaging of her products. Done in transparent packets and decorated with silver and gold trimmings, “Soft Gold”, the brand under which the chocolates are marketed, are equipped to match the glitzy mood of Valentine’s Day. Raveen, who started making chocolates as hobby sometimes back, now supplies home-made chocolates to a few select outlets in the city. “I learnt how to make chocolates just because I love to eat them myself but soon my hobby became my profession and now I supply regularly to various shops in the city,” she says. The exhibition, which is being organised in House no 3303 in Sector 32-D, has to offer something for everyone. Her smallest pack comes for Rs 20. Her products have six months’ shelf life in normal room temperature.
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Thai delicacies for city gourmets Bangkok, the city of fun, frolic and exotic cuisines, is on your doorstep, courtesy Mehfil Restaurant, Sector 17, Chandigarh. The restaurant with its ongoing Thai Food Festival will be cooking up oriental dishes for the food lovers. J.B. Pul, a chef from Delhi, has prepared a special menu for the festival. Sandeep Kumar, manager of the restaurant, says, “We have always had a regular chef specialising in Chinese and Thai food with us, but we were looking for the right time to come up with the festival. Most Thai dishes contain coconut and coconut-milk with additions of lemon grass and basil. Hot and spicy curries are accompanied with rice and handmade noodles. Red and green Thai sauces form the cooking base. Dishes like Kaeng Phed Kai (chicken in red curry) and Kaeng Phed Chae (vegetables in red curry) are most popular with the people. Even Khao Phat Bai Kapaiow Kai (chicken fried rice with basil leaves) forms a delectable bite. The prices may set you back a little, but the exotic dishes will keep getting you back for more. A range of white and red wines will be served in the festival to enliven the oriental flavours. A glass of wine or a flint of champagne and an array of Thai delicacies will ensure you the true Bangkok feel. The festival started on January 31 and will go on till February 15.
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Delightful moments for dog lovers A pomeranian owned by Mr Karanjit Singh won the best dog of the city award at the 36th and 37th annual dog show organised by the Chandigarh Kennel Club here today. The club is affiliated to the Kennel Club of India. Mr Karanjit Singh also bagged the prize for the best puppy at the show. The club received approximately 350 entries. The show was a delight for dog lovers who thronged at the venue since early morning. They were delighted to see the finest variety from different breeds. Breeds on display included Himalayan sheepdog, Tibetan mastiff, doberman, German shepherd, boxer, fox terrier and labrador, besides others. Two separate contests were organised in adjoining rings at Leisure Valley. The categories of dogs included toy group, utility and gun dog hunters. A large number of dogs were awarded champion certificates. Dogs in one of the rings were judged by Ms Elizabeth Guntar, an expert in dog rearing. The german shepherd owned by Mr Sukhvir Singh was adjudged the best dog in this category. Other winners in this ring included a rottweiler owned by Mr Adarsh Chhiber and a labrador owned by Mr Ajay Pal, a great Dane owned by Mr Aulukh. A Tibetan mastiff owned by Mr Himmat Singh was adjudged fifth. Other winners included a doberman of Mr Komalpreet Singh, a bull mastiff of Mr Gurmeet Singh and a German Shepherd of Mr Iqbal Singh Dhillon. Contests in the adjoining ring was judged by Dr Mathew C. John. A doberman of Mr Sudarshan was adjudged the best dog and a German shepherd of Dr Vijay Singh second. Others winners included a pomeranian owned by Ms Saroj Bangla, a retriever labrador of Dr A.P.S. Mangat, a fox terrier of Mr S.J. Singh, a vasset hound of Mr Sanjeev Saluja, a boxer of Mr Anup Dhawan and a pug dog of Mr Komalpreet Singh.
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Amritsari kulchas tickle
palates in Patiala The crowd surrounding his ‘tandoor’ never thins and if you happen to be late in placing your order chances are that the ‘Amritsari kulchas’ being dished out at Ravinder’s Corner Dhaba will all be sold out by the time it is your turn to be served. A first time visitor to the AC market in Patiala never fails to be intrigued by the large number of people standing around this small ‘Dhaba’ which is tucked away in a corner of the parking area of the market. The reason is however simple. This is the only shop in the city which sells this mouth-watering delicacy complete with its ethnic accompaniment — ‘peepe wale chhole’. The kulchas as their name implies are originally from Amritsar but are savoured with delight by food lovers in the city too. As butter is one of the main ingredients of these kulchas, it is no wonder that they are so sinfully delicious. The dough for the kulchas is prepared by using water and heaps of pasteurised butter, then portions of it are stuffed with mashed potatoes well seasoned with spices. This is flattened out by a couple of swift strokes of the hand and again smeared with butter. Finally a mixture of spices and herbs, including whole pepper, Kasoori methi, saabat dhania, coriander leaves and khas-khas is sprinkled on top of the butter and the delicacy is ready to be baked in the tandoor. However, this is not the traditional way to serve the kulcha. A generous helping of ‘peepe wale chhole’, water thin mint chutney mixed with chopped onions and radish pickle and of course a large dollop of ‘yellow’ butter always accompany the kulchas. The owner-cum-cook of the dhaba Joginder Pal has three other stuffings for the kulchas to offer. Instead of the routine potatoes you can have ‘gobhi’, ‘paneer’ or onions for the stuffing. However, most of his regular clients prefer the ‘aloo’ kulcha. The ‘chhole’ which accompany the kulchas are no less exotic. They are placed in a ‘peepa’ or tin and left overnight on the tandoor to cook. The slow fire over which the chanas are cooked ensures that by the time Joginder arrives at the dhaba in the morning, the chanas have turned meltingly soft. A unique feature of the ‘chana’ cooked in a tin is that no ‘tarka’ is added to the white grams and only dry spices are thrown in along with the grams to enhance their taste. As his father is now too old to work, Joginder manages the shop along with younger brother Ravinder. Having migrated from Rawalpindi in Pakistan after Partition. Ravinder’s family had an old weakness for the kulchas. Though traditionally in the food business their dhaba dished out regular meals till about a decade ago when Joginder decided to go only for the ‘kulchas’. “I saw tremendous potential in introducing the ‘Amritsari’ kulchas in the city as no other shop in the city served this delicacy”, says Joginder. Both the brothers wind up shop early in the evening as their entire stock sells out by that time. The kulchas are priced moderately with one kulcha complete with chhole and butter going for Rs 10 and this perhaps adds to their popularity amongst the public. However, the local traffic cop who has to deal with the long line of cars waiting to take away the kulchas on the narrow adjoining road the dhaba is the only one not happy with the kulcha culture.
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Chandigarh, February 8