It’s time again for the chrysanthemum show and flowers are in full bloom. The festival, inaugurated on Friday by Pradip Mehra, Advisor to the Governor, will continue till Sunday.“The show has been a success till now. It marks the onset of winter,” informs Arun Kansal, executive engineer, horticulture division.

The show commenced with a folk dance from Maharashtra, Laavni, which was performed by a group of girls from The Gurukul School. “We are very happy that everyone liked it. We had worked very hard for it,” says Shikha, a part of the group. This was followed by a band show by students of the same school. Youngsters left the audience spellbound with their expertise on guitar, synthesiser, drum et al. “We started this band as a hobby, but it was our teachers who recognised our potential and gave us a chance to perform here in front of a huge audience,” says Rajat. The band’s major focus was on Sufi songs, which took the mood to a different level.

“The one thing that has added more colour to the garden is the mix and match of fountains as well as flower pots. We made it a point to showcase the statues decorated with flowers in a bid to reveal the creativity of our gardeners,” says Kansal. “The entry point has been specially decorated to attract more people,” he adds.

And for the layman, names of various species have been rightly displayed. “This is an excellent idea. I am going to write the name of the varieties I like, so that I can order them and beautify my house,” says Alka, a visitor. 

Some of us believe in a force that makes things happen and others have all the reasons to rebuff it. Acceptable. But for those who acknowledge this force, in due course of time begin to follow the signs it offers. JC Chaudhry, managing trustee, Maa Vaishno Devi Ashram, Vrindavan, follows signs and symbols that led him to accomplish a task that was next to impossible. He has recreated the magic of Maa Vaishno Devi Darshan at Vrindavan in Mathura (UP).

“If not anything else, the idea is to facilitate devotees who are unable to take time off to go through the long queues of people climbing innumerable steps,” says JC Chaudhry, who purchased a small piece of land at Vrindavan in May 2003 with the intent of following “Maa’s directions” as he puts it. “I think I am the chosen one to undertake this task. And you wouldn’t believe that the work at Vrindavan was carried out uninterrupted, without me keeping account of the money. One thing led to another.”

For someone following the supernatural power, it is immaterial to ask what made him select Vrindavan. He answers, “It offered a perfect setting for something that I wanted to do. The place is serene, feels like heaven, offering perfect relaxation of mind, body and soul,” he says.

The highlight of the Ashram in Vrindavan is the 140- feet tall image of the eight-armed ‘Maa’ riding a 50-feet tall lion with Lord Hanuman’s statute in front, seeking her blessings. A temple with six-and-a-half feet ‘Asthdhatu’s Murti’ in ‘Maa’s’ honour is below the statue, within the precincts of this 11-acre project. “The ashram in Vrindavan has everything one could ask for, away from the city life. The ashram has its own sewage treatment plant, we grow vegetables; the setting is perfect,” he closes his eyes to thank the goddess. It is not exactly a copy of the shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu, but at the same time it has all the elements of the place such as a gufa, a waterfall and lots more. Adds JC Chaudhry, who sees this act as a payback to the society and the god who has given him everything, “The Ashram also has one spiritual hall, a meditation centre, a yoga centre, a library, a dispensary and a large ‘langar’ hall.”

Chaudhry thinks he has done this keeping the next 20 years in mind. “Do you think people will have the time or patience for a difficult journey to Jammu? The traffic, the frustrations, the rush of people; Vrindavan will probably provide answers to some of the questions,” he adds pointing towards the rush that Vaishno Devi shrine witnesses during Navratras. “It is difficult for the administration to manage the devotees despite all the facilities. I think Vridavan would be a place where people would want to go.” Arun Verma of Designwell, architecture design firm, has done the landscaping for the place.

jasmine@tribunemail.com

He is no different from the other kids who want to run back to their play stations or television the minute they see an opportunity. But this 12-year-old guy, Srijan Gupta, studying in St John’s High School, has been nominated as one of the top three kids in Pogo Amazing Kid Genius category.

Is this a child’s play? Srijan has lined up his answers, “I am a computer freak, but also play tennis like kids of my age. I became fascinated with robots when I visited Malaysia in 2007. I made a demo robot for the first time and got hooked.”

Srijan, a three-time winner of Indian Robot Olympiad, finds this as a surprise. “The nomination by Pogo was a big surprise,” he smiles showing us his collection of robots. There is no reasoning for passion, nevertheless, what about the robot impresses the little brain. “They are my creation and they also give me a chance to show my creativity. I would want to make a life-size robot in the near future.” Robotic engineering is what Srijan wants to take up as his calling. “Of course. My aim is to make a robotic clone of myself that can perform every task possible for humans,” Srijan adds.

Once Bollywood's reigning star and now rapidly fading into obscurity, Jackie Shroff says with unusual candour that his weakness has been his inability to say no and remembers with some regret the many emotional decisions that cost him plum offers.

Often known as Bollywood's real slumdog for having risen from the slums to the dizzying heights of stardom, Jackie is now 50 and views himself as different from his contemporaries and friends who have made their career decisions based on money and script.

"I don't have any fixed criteria to choose films like my friends and contemporaries in the industry. They are very clear—they will first see the money, then the script and will then make the decision," Jackie, who was once called the best-dressed celebrity in tinsel town, said in an interview.

"Unfortunately, my thinking is not like that. If someone comes to me and says he wants me to do a film for him, I'll do it even without a second thought. I won't think about how much they are offering me. That is my weakness, I can't say no," said the actor who made some disastrous choices like Boom, Kisan and Ek-The Power Of One.

"Unfortunately, I'm very emotional when it comes to professional decisions. Because of that I don't get time when a big banner or a big producer approaches me as I'm already stuck. I've lost out on many plum projects because of that," he added.

One of the sought after stars of the 1980s, Jackie has acted in more than 150 films. He made his acting debut with a bit role in the 1973 hit Heera Panna. Dev Anand played main lead in it, while Jackie featured as a villain.

Nine years later, he acted in another Dev Anand starrer Swami Dada, which couldn't do much to boost his acting career.

A year later, filmmaker Subhash Ghai's hit film "Hero" catapulted Jackie to stardom. Then followed a string of box-office hits like Karma, Ram Lakhan, Parinda, Khalnayak, 1942: A Love Story, Rangeela, Agni Sakshi and Devdas among others.

But the hero roles and the powerful cameos slowly dried up. Jackie, who grew up in Mumbai's Teen Batti slum according to industry folklore and was known as Jaggu Dada, began doing character roles in a series of mediocre films, most of which bombed.

But he hasn't given up. At the moment, the actor is excited about his upcoming venture Bhoot And Friends, a children's film slated for a Christmas release. The action adventure film has been directed by Kittu Saluja.

"I'm playing a Rajput warrior who dies protecting his king's treasure. After his death he becomes a ghost and with the help of four children, he takes the treasure to its rightful owner."

He says he doesn't believe in method acting. "I don't believe in all this preparation thing. When I played a terrorist in Mission Kashmir, I didn't go to any terrorist camp. I feel all those people who say that they go out of their way to prepare for a role are faking.

"If you have a good storywriter, a good director and a good team, then you will never face any problems. Anyone can act, even a rock."

Apart from Bhoot And Friends, Jackie is also busy with other ventures, including regional movies.

"I'm working on a film called 'Interview', where I'm playing a war correspondent who is forced to interview an actor. The whole film is about these two people. It's also directed by Kittu Saluja and we are looking at a March-April release," he said.

His regional projects are a Marathi comedy, Tamil movie Aranya Kandam and an untitled Telugu film where he is playing a villain. — IANS

Model-turned-actor Mugdha Godse has been signed on as the face for global nutrition company Herbalife's outer nutrition range of products—NouriFusion in India. She is the first non-sports personality to be associated with the brand, which had recently signed Indian badminton champion Saina Nehwal and five-time women's world boxing champion Mary Kom as their sponsored sportspersons.

Mughda, who made her Bollywood debut in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion, is glad about her new association.

"It is a matter of pride to be associated with an internationally respected brand like Herbalife and to be able to represent the company's philosophy of living an active and healthy life," Mugdha said.

"Just as your body needs proper nutrition for long-term health, your skin and hair too require the right nourishment to keep you looking your best. Herbalife's NouriFusion products have proved to be my secret weapon in maintaining a healthy, youthful appearance," she added.

The actor is the perfect choice for the products, says Ajay Khanna, country head of Herbalife India.

"We are very excited to welcome Mugdha into our family. Our belief that one can look healthier and younger with good nutrition from the inside out is well represented through Mugdha," he said. — IANS

After riding horses and surfing in the blue seas, Hollywood star Kate Bosworth now gets lethal with The Warrior's Way where she goes stabbing her nemesis with knives. She calls it her "dream role" and says she is ready to explore opportunities in Bollywood with Mr Khan. "What I do gain with this movie is my desire of being a part of an action movie is fulfilled. I have always wanted to play this kick-ass and fearless cowgirl and knives are an added bonus here," Bosworth said in an e-mail interview from Los Angeles.

The 27-year-old with golden locks, who was last seen in blackjack drama 21 (2008), toughened herself by learning blade combat to get into the skin of her character. "I play the role of a knife thrower in a circus. So I had to learn how to handle knives. In more ways than one... which does not involve cutting vegetables. It wasn't so difficult. In fact, it was fun. It is just that I ended up with a few cuts," she said.

To ask the obvious, is she also upbeat about Bollywood? "I hear that it is doing really well. Slumdog Millionaire success proves that it is time for India to flourish. Actors of Bollywood are working in Hollywood films and vice-versa.

"If they have a good strong script for me then why not, I don't mind acting in an Indian movie. Just let me know how difficult is it to learn the language?" she quipped. — IANS

Someone does acknowledge the value attached to a beautiful face. Someone does admit that guys are more interested in noticing the contours of a girl's body, rather than appreciating the mind that can be amaze all and sundry around. Someone like DJ Sonya does admit that a pretty face behind a console would make for the talk of the town, rather than the music!

Talk about minds losing stiffness, about people travelling the world over and coming back with positive experiences, and about eyes popping out on seeing a girl deejay! The petite and pretty girl Sonya, who plays at Kava on Friday and S Lounge on Saturday for Havana Club Nights, is not oblivious to the longevity of her profession, and whatever comes with it. We love her for calling spade a spade!

"I'd be honest (this is the least we expect). When I started out as a deejay almost four years back in Delhi, there were only two girl deejays. Now there are 15-16 of them. The response of the clubbers hasn't changed much though." We don't want to interrupt this candid flow of experiences. Sonya has a lot to say. "Even today, people in the club would notice a pretty face behind the console than her work. The relaxation, however, has come from the ambience inside the clubs. My parents were skeptical when I started deejaying and they had all the reason to be. One, my work starts at night. And second, most people in the club consume alcohol, so, chances of misbehaviour increase," there is no stopping Sonya. "Club owners take every care of the security. The console is placed at an elevated place, which doesn't allow an easy access to the deejay."

C'mon people this is a reality, a reality of the world that comes down to party each night, dance with beautiful girls and go back thanking god women in their homes are 'not like this'. Sonya has now learnt to deal with the ogling eyes. "Ignore is the word. I bet in a crowd of 150 at least 100 people are interested in music," she says. Music, ah, we forgot all about it! Let's play it on. Her face brightens on the mention of music. "Bollywood and Punjabi is my genre. I started with house and hip-hop because I wanted to explore the genre, but I think nothing works better than Bollywood numbers in India." Changing trends in clubbing, lady are you not in the circle? "On any given day, commercial music pulls more crowd than any other genre. Of course, there are people who like electronic and clubs play that too, but popular music gets people to dance and sing along, which is the whole idea of clubbing," shares Sonya.

Sonya, a second-year student of counselling psychology, does not see a long career in deejaying. She comes up with another candid confession. "Let's admit nobody wants to see an old girl deejay behind the console. Boys can still get away with age, but with a girl deejay, glamour element does play a big role," she provides zeroing in on 'Sheila Ki Jawani' as a popular club track. "There are no deejaying schools, I would want to start one sometime later. I want women who have an inclination for deejaying to take it up for sure," Sonya chalks out her plans. Talk about changing attitudes!

jasmine@tribunemail.com

 Mehar Bhasin and Milind Soman belonged to a different league altogether. Minus any support from Bollywood, they were celebs on the ramp in their own right. And the concept of supermodels, which they introduced, got over with them. Keeping their aspirations lucid, models today don't even vie for the supermodel tag.

"We know it's impossible to achieve the status of a supermodel. There was hardly any competition then and whoever entered the industry was looked upon as a rebel," echo Preeti Chauhan and Karanvir, who were in the city to walk the ramp for Krome, a sister branch of Kapsons, on Friday.

Preeti was the winner of Get Gorgeous-2009 contest and Karanvir was the Gladrags Megamodel Hunt finalist. For both of them, it's important to be around in the modelling world. "Even that's not very easy to do because of the cut-throat competition. Four out of 100 people want to make their career in the glamour world and one doesn't need any qualification to do that," says Preeti. Life for her has changed after winning the contest, but she maintains that one contest doesn't guarantee success in the modelling world. "It's just a ticket to the ramp. The struggle has just begun. Even after modelling for designers like Neeta Lulla and Rohit Bal, my name doesn't feature in the A-list models of the country."

Preeti mentions a fact and Karan seconds it-in all the major fashions shows of India, models are flown in from other countries, which is further making it difficult for the Indian models. "They charge less are so are preferred to Indian models. But designers should not forget that their primary customers are Indians who would get a better idea of clothes only on Indian bodies."

The cause behind some of the damage is also the Bollywood stars. Adds Karanvir, "Rather than featuring a leading model, there is an actor on the cover page of fashion magazines. Like in the times of Mehar Bhasin and Milind Soman, models don't get instant recognition now." Both models are open to offers from Bollywood as they feel modelling is not a safe bet. "You can't stretch a modelling career beyond five years. Every brand changes its ambassador after three years. A fallback option is necessary," adds Karanvir.

He also feels it's a bit easier for women in the modelling world. "Most of the fashion brands target women. The market is huge for their accessories. For men, it's still just a wrist watch. Thus, it means lesser options." It also means the scene in the modelling world is ever-evolving!

ashima@tribunemail.com

Bollywood or Hollywood is the choice for most actors. But then are some who prefer the vernacular medium (read Marathi, Kannada, Oriya etc). And for Kreesha Khandelwal (she emphases on the surname) it is indeed the latter. "I love to do vernacular films as I can come across different cultures and people, which is what real India is all about," says Kreesha.

Hailing from Rajasthan, she always wanted to establish herself as a classical dancer. "My heart and soul lies in classical dancing." How come acting then? "I started my career with modelling and it was later that I was offered films."

And what has been the journey been like? "My debut Hindi film was 'Miss India 2003'. After that I moved Down South. There I got my first Telugu film 'Hamsa Lekha'. Later I bagged a role in Bhojpuri film 'Aaj Ke Karan Arjun', and the rest is history. My Tamil film 'Eepuu' is also set for release," she says. Language sure must have been a problem! "Not at all. Translators always helped me out. Besides, it is fun to learn a new language. I still cannot speak them though," laughs Kreesha.

She has also endorsed the products of a few companies. "I have done advertisements of brands like Ayur, Tasty Snacks, Scottish Yards Fashion Line etc. Recently I worked with Hrithik Roshan for an Acer Advertisement." Hrithik…the experience was surely worthwhile. "Oh! It was amazing working with him. I had so much fun and there were no star tantrums. He made me feel very comfortable, beside he is my favorite actor as well," says Kreesha. What about family support? "My family supports me fully. I am the first actor from the Khandelwal community, therefore I get immense love and affection from people whenever I visit Rajasthan."

Kreesha likes performance-oriented roles. "For me satisfaction is most important," she says. Is shift to television possible? "Yes, of course. TV is a growing medium and if I get a good role I would definitely grab it." 

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra, along with his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, danced at the event on Thursday."I am thankful to the audience that they gave space in their hearts for 50 years. In fact, by giving respect and appreciation, they helped me keep a strong will. I know that you would never take me out of your hearts," said Dharmendra.

"I need your love and I have said this many times earlier that it (acting) is not a profession but the love of my life," he added.

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan launched the soundtrack felicitated Dharmendra on his 75th birthday.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate Dharamji for completing 75years of his life. And it is my wish, and I am sure all of you also wish, that he lives for 75 more years and keeps working in movies like this," said Bachchan.

Sunny Deol said working together with his brother and father was like a party.

"It was a lot of fun and we are working together for the second time. We had come here for the music release and everyone liked it, and now the music of the movie is reaching the audience, and I hope that everyone would like it," said Sunny.

Bollywood actors Sunil Shetty and Salman Khan were also present at the event.

The soundtrack has been composed by a number of renowned music directors, such as Pyarelal of the duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal, DJ team Rhythm-Bass-Dhol (RDB), Anu Malik, Sandesh Shandilya, and others.

The lyrics are credited to Dharmendra and veteran lyricist Anand Bakshi, Irshad Kamil, and others.

—ANI

Her personal troubles ruined her Hollywood career but Lindsay Lohan is planning to make her big comeback with the hit reality show Dancing With The Stars.The 24-year-old, who is currently in court-ordered rehab, is in talks to be a contestant on the next season of the show which sees celebrities vie for the Best Dancer trophy, reported Star magazine online.

"Lindsay has been talking with the DWTS people. She is definitely interested and considering being on the show," said a source close to the Mean Girls star.

And she has the full support of her team at the Betty Ford Clinic, where she is undergoing treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

"Lindsay's treatment team thinks it would be a perfect transition back to work for her. She would have a set schedule everyday, would be occupied and would be very 
productive.

Lindsay wanted their approval before proceeding in talks with the producers and she got it," added the source.

The actor spent the recent Thanksgiving holiday in Los Angeles with her father Michael and ex-girlfriend Samantha Ronson.

Lohan was admitted to the Betty Ford Centre in Palm Springs in October after being ordered into rehab by Judge Elden Fox, narrowly escaping a return to jail.

The order was the result of a probation violation after she failed a court mandated drug test which could have landed her back in jail for 30 days.

She will remain in rehab until January 3.— PTI

Hollywood superstars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are looking for an exotic new location where they can spend the Christmas holidays with their six children.The 35-year-old actor told TV host Larry King that she and Pitt are currently "looking for a country for Christmas".

"This is our one year abroad. We do one year at home, one year abroad," Angelina said during an appearance on CNN's Larry King Live.

"We've done Missouri with Brad's family. We have our map books out and we're looking for a country to go to. We haven't picked one yet but we want to travel abroad," said the Oscar-winning actor.

Jolie who grew up in New York, said that she has fond memories of Christmas.

"I love New York at Christmastime. I used to come here all the time when I was a little girl, with my mum, so I have happy memories of Rockefeller Centre and the park," she said.

The actor also told the talk show host that she and Pitt, her partner of five years, do not intend to add to their brood any time soon.

"We've no plans at the moment. But we're always open to the idea," said Jolie.

The couple are parents to adopted children Pax, 7, Maddox, 8, and five-year-old Zahara, as well as their own children Shiloh, 4, and two-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

The brood has travelled the world with their parents this year, staying in Venice, Paris and Budapest among other places. — PTI

As part of his India tour next year, Canadian rockstar Bryan Adams will give a live performance at the HITEX Exhibition Centre here on February 16.Bryan, who has won 15 Grammy awards, is likely to perform some of his legendary rock-n-roll numbers, including Summer of 69, Run to You, 18 Till I Die and Everything I Do as well as songs from his latest album Bare Bones, Netsurf Entertainment, Managing Director Sujit Jain said.

The Indian edition of 'Bryan Adams Live Full Band Show World Tour' is being brought to India by Netsurf Entertainment, which has tied-up with the NGO Save The Children India, which works for the welfare of underprivileged children and is run by actor Suniel Shetty's wife Mana.

Suniel Shetty, brand ambassador of Save The Children India, who was also present at the press conference said, "Hyderabad is also very big on music and we are hoping to get big crowds with over 25,000 people for the event." "We are doing it for a cause and over 25 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of tickets of VVIP lounge is directly going to Save The Children," Shetty said adding "A lot of my friends in Bollywood have already extended their support to the event and also agreed to be there." "Working towards the welfare of underprivileged children has been very satisfying and I have been associated with Save The Children for over 20 years," he said.

The tickets have been priced from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,500 while for VVIP lounge it will be Rs 8,000, Jain said. — PTI

Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp may be finding it hard to come out of his reel-life character Jack Sparrow - because he hasn't yet found a dentist to remove the false set he wore for the role. The Hollywood actor has spent the last few months filming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and he has been wearing unsightly semi-permanent dentures for his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow.

The star has been forced to promote his new movie with same teeth, as he hasn't yet found a dentist to remove the false set.

Depp has now hit the promotional trail for upcoming thriller The Tourist and has been attending red carpet events and interviews with a crooked smile.

"I will have them in until I can find a dentist to rip them out, essentially. They sort of have to be yeah, yanked out... we just literally finished filming like, you know, last week," he said.— ANI

It looks like singer Jessica Simpson and her fiance Eric Johnson will be signing a pre-nuptial agreement. Slamming reports that Johnson was a 'gold digger' and was after Simpson's fortune, a source close to couple said they would definitely go for a pre-nup.

"There will definitely be a pre-nup for the pair. Jessica has said she wants one. Jessica and Eric have talked about it," said the source.

"(Eric) understands that there needs to be a pre-nup. He's supportive of it," the source added.

"He really loves her. He's a low-key guy. He's not into the glitz and materialism of Hollywood at all," said the source.

According to reports, Simpson is estimated to have grossed about $ 750 million just from her fashion brand in 2010 alone. —ANI

A close observation of a typical Punjabi cuisine menu is enough to reveal the taste of people from the region—well sautéed dishes and a few spoons of butter are a must!

Use of as many spices as possible is mandatory and that's what brings about the perfect taste of butter chicken, masala chicken or dal bukhara. Surprisingly, grilled food, which is neither spicy nor laden with butter, is as popular as the traditional dishes. However, that too is served with dips and sauces, which adds spice to the otherwise bland chicken chunks and paneer pieces. "Even if the food is well marinated, people from the region prefer to have it with a dip or chutney. And we realised the add-ons are as important as the basic dish," asserts Zorawer Kalra, MD, Punjab Grill.

So, with juicy chunks of well-marinated chicken, the typical mint chutney is a must. It's mild to suit everyone's taste. Zorawar adds, "It's yogurt-based. Chillies are added to neutralise the tangy taste. Another popular choice is the Burrhani dip made of yogurt and garlic. It is served best with grilled fish and salmon tikka." A spicy tomato chilly sauce is a must try, but for that you will have to order for the Kurkure dish. "Kurkure is the fried Indian wanton that's served dipped in the sauce. People who have tasted the dish order it everytime just to taste the dip that's served only with Kurkure." There are four such special sauces on the menu.

At the newly opened restaurant, Nando's, four varieties of the Peri-Peri sauce find a permanent place on the table. "It's a wrong notion that sauces are mere add-ons. In fact, these are as important as the marination of the chicken or paneer or raw vegetables for that matter," says Sarfaraz, Shaikh, Nando's operations manager, India. The sauce made from the special birds eye chilly is available in four varieties to suit individual tastes. "Some people like less spicy food and some that extra bit. For this reason, we have mint and herb, mild, hot, extra hot flavours of peri peri sauce," he adds. Besides peri-peri, there are options of mayonnaise and yogurt-based dishes.

The sauce complements the healthy grilled food. It contains no MSG or artificial colours; is fat free and 100 per cent herbal in nature.

Since marination for most dishes is standard, a variety of sauces account for the difference in taste. At Taj, different sauces are served with each dish. "The popular ones are black current jus (French term for sauce), which is served with turkey. With duck we offer orange blaze. Chicken is teamed up with thime sauce and butterscotch jus. Sauces are also customised as per the taste and demand of the customers," informs Ramit Kohli, Sous Chef. Taj. He says adding sauces and dips to the dishes helps retain the moisture, which is lost when the food is grilled. So, there is much more to the usual mint and coriander chutney.

ashima@tribunemail.com

Struggling to control your diet? Just think about eating your favourite food and it could make you eat less, says a new study.Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have carried out the study and found that if one imagines eating one's favourite snack, the real thing will become less appealing.

In the study, volunteers were asked to visualise eating a large handful of M&Ms, one by one.A second group was 'given' just three imaginary M&Ms to eat, while a third group was told to think about feeding a machine with coins -- an action similar to popping sweets in the mouth. Next, the men and women were presented with a bowl of chocolates and told they could eat as many as they liked.Those who had just imagined eating lots of the sweet treats got through only half as many of the real thing as the others, including those who had thought about eating just two or three. This suggests that repetition is key to the effect.

Other experiments showed that in order to curb appetite, the volunteers had to imagine eating the sweets—simply visualising placing them in a bowl one by one did nothing to tackle hunger. Only the food that is thought about becomes less appetising, so thinking about chocolate biscuits won't stop you from tucking into chips, say the researchers. "People tend to try to avoid eating unhealthy foods by suppressing their thoughts of them. That tends to be a flawed strategy because it suggests you are going to stay in the initial state of craving, whereas our research suggests that repeatedly imagining the consumption of a food seems to decrease one's appetite for it." So they might be better off imagining consuming the foods," the researchers wrote. — PTI

A new restaurant has opened in Shandong province of China, and has robots as waitresses. The Dalu Rebot Restaurant, in Jinan, has six robot waitresses and can cater for up to 100 diners.

The website Orange reported that the 21 tables in the restaurant are set in circles and the robots follow a fixed route to serve diners in rotation.

After serving, the robots return to the kitchen to refill their cart for the next round. Restaurant spokeswoman Wang Xianwei said that all of the waiting on tables was done by robots. However, humans in the kitchen prepare the food, mainly the Chinese version of fondue and people are also employed to welcome customers and explain to them how the restaurant worked.

The Shandong Dalu Science and Technology Company developed the restaurant, which plans to further develop the concept. — ANI

Porridge seems to be a hearty meal, for a new study has found that eating three portions of the wholegrain food daily can protect one's heart by slashing blood pressure levels.

In fact, researchers at Aberdeen University have claimed that the breakfast staple could even be as effective as taking medication for a healthy heart.

The study has concluded that if everyone added three portions of wholegrain food to their daily diet it would slash rates of heart disease by 15 per cent and strokes by 25 per cent.

The researchers have found that the superfood can also cut high blood pressure, known as hypertension.

They have based their findings on an analysis of 206 volunteers, aged between 40 and 65. Some were normal weight, some fat and some obese and the amount of exercise they did also varied. Most had blood pressure levels considered borderline hypertensive.

The volunteers were asked to eat their normal diet, but include in this either refined foods such as white bread, or three portions of wheat products or three portions of wheat and oat products such as porridge and wholegrain cereals. Those who added wheat or wheat and oats saw their blood pressure reduced significantly compared with those who had refined diet. — PTI

In my opinion, the heady fragrance of freshly cut pineapple comes a close second only to the aroma of ripe mangoes. Unlike mango, pineapple is a fruit you can devour without any major guilt fringes. 85 per cent of the fruit is water content and the remaining 15 per cent is chock full of things essential to our well-being!

The rough-skinned fruit is topped with a crown of spiky leaves but hey! Don't let that discourage you! It's also topped off by a great flavor. To check if a fruit is ripe, try pulling off one of its top leaves. If it comes away easily, it is decidedly ripe. Pineapple can be eaten either fresh or cooked. When cooked it will naturally lose a certain percentage of its nutritional value, but still remains a nutritious food. The sugars tend to concentrate near the bottom of the pineapple, so if you cut off the top, and place the plant upside down on a plate an hour or so before you plan to slice and eat it, the sugars will gravitate downwards through all of the flesh, making the pineapple equally sweet throughout. Isn't that strange?! Pineapple is credited with many health benefits. It is a rich source of manganese, Vitamin B1, B6 and C. Just one cup of this nutritious fruit contains almost a complete day's requirement of both Vitamin C and Manganese. These natural health energizers may help boost your immune system, soothe an irritable digestive tract, and fight off colds. So whether you choose to turn it into a salad or a halwa, do savour and enjoy pineapple ka jalwa!