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FOR THE DISCERNING READER LOCATION COURTESY: SRI VENKATESHWAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, DWARKA
Delve into the best of travel, hospitality, wellness, food, fashion, interiors and more every month with Exotica, the monthly luxury lifestyle magazine. Read interviews with trendsetters, celebrities, industry leaders and authors to deep dive into what it took to get them there.
HERE COMES THE SUN
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EXECUTIVE EDITOR Navin Upadhyay CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Abhishek Saxena 09818600128 EDITORIAL Consultant Editor Saimi Sattar Chief Designer Anand Singh Rawat Production Manager Syed Nawab Raza Staff Photographer Pankaj Kumar SALES & MARKETING Vice President Jetender Rawat 9810404096 General Managers Kumar Gurudutta Jha & Sweety Verma Senior Managers Madhukar Saxena & Divyesh Kothari Managers Bharat Singh Sajwan, Prabhakar Pathak & Barun Choudhary MUMBAI OFFICE General Manager Devendra Adhikari KOLKATA OFFICE Vice President Suzanna Roy HYDERABAD OFFICE V Sunil Kumar General Manager (Circulation) Rajeev Gautam Printed and published by Navin Upadhyay for and on behalf of CMYK Printech Ltd, printed at JK Offset Graphics (P) Ltd, B-278, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi-110020 and published at No. 6, Behind Gulab Bhawan, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002. Executive Editor: Navin Upadhyay. Entire Contents Copyright (C) 2006 CMYK Printech Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation in any language in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Requests for permission should be directed to CMYK Printech Ltd. Opinions carried in Exotica are the writers’ and not necessarily endorsed by CMYK Printech Ltd. The publisher assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material or for material lost or damaged in transit. All correspondence should be addressed to CMYK Printech Ltd; F-31, Sector-6, NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh-201301 Phone: 0120-4879800 & 4879900 Email: letters2exotica@gmail.com
END IS THE BEGINNING
HOW
many times have you heard, “Things must fall apart for things to fall into place”? Maybe about the same number of times that you’ve put together your shattered pieces, one broken chunk at a time to become whole once more. But in the end — you know — you will survive, thrive and even reinvent much to the consternation of your detractors. And that is thanks to your indomitable spirit and belief in yourself. Our celebrity interview this month is a lady who went from one thing to the next in the blink of an eye, never doubting herself or her abilities to make the best of the situation. Sabira Merchant — celebrity trainer, actor, entrepreneur and more –— is the first name that comes to mind when you think of an erudite person speaking English with perfect diction. But there is so much more to her. Her autobiography, A Full Circle, gives an insight into the challenges she faced and the way she turned these around so that they appeared like an opportunity. One of our travellers travelled further than the popular (and much commercialised) hill station of Shimla to explore the captivating attractions of Mashobra. She discovered that sometimes it is the small things — a cerulean blue sky, chirping birds and fresh air — are worth more than their weight in gold or even platinum. A sojourn to Chandigarh, meanwhile, revealed that any city can be experienced in several ways but the spirit — that binds it — remains unchanged. So, three places in one city in a day might seem a lot but, here, it was doable and not at all rushed. For those who are spirited, the liquor craft brands have offerings that are distinctly Indian not only in the flavours but also in the presentation. Moving on to the aspect of staying hip and happening... after a hiatus of two years, the Fashion Design Council of India was back to hosting the weeks that personify the latest in style, trends and glamour. Not surprisingly, celebs lined up to walk the ramp and onlookers too queued up to watch as the oomph factor had been missed immensely. Another event back on the offline calendar is the Surajkund International Crafts Mela which returned with its usual mix of culture, commerce and crafts. All this and more in this issue. Till next time... Tot ziens!
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[p16]
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I N S I D E APRIL 2022 VOLUME 16 NO 6
Trend meter [p36] A whiff of style Blithe spirit [p44] Three cheers for Indian craft liquor About town [p50] Culture curry
COVER: COLOURFUL TIFFANY LAMPS AT SURAJKUND MELA,
Celeb talk [p10] Queen of perfect diction: Sabira Merchant Travel bug [p16] Three places in one day: Chandigarh Novel paths Echo of the mountain: Mashobra [p26] Embrace local culture [p32] TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES 64 INCLUDING COVER
HARYANA PHOTO COURTESY: PANKAJ KUMAR
CONTRIBUTORS Bharat Thakur [p55] FITNESS: Offset ill-effects of over usage Sri Sri Ravi Shankar [p58] GURUSPEAK: As joyful as a child
[p46]
Sanjay B Jumaani [p61] NUMBER GAME: Count your fate Follow us on:
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OUR PARTNER HOTELS Send us your feedback at letters2exotica@gmail.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/Exotica-394686670715776
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Rings and earrings as I am not too big on accessories. Something very minimalistic works for me.
FAVOURITE HAUNTS OF STYLISH PEOPLE
Carolina Herrera has some great perfumes not just for women but also for men.
The first time I read The Alchemist, I was in college and it was really inspiring.
Chinese food and anything with Asian flavours. I love pani puri, sev puri that I have always loved.
Actor and model SAHHER BAMBBA made her debut with the film Pal Pal Dil Ke Pass (2019) and was a part of two series The Empire and Dil Bekarar. She has appeared in B Praak’s music video, Ishq Nahi Karte, opposite Emraan Hashmi recently
Koh Samui because I love beaches. It is a very quiet and beautiful place.
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TRAVEL NEWS
SHARJAH: THE LARGEST SAFARI IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE AFRICA ADVENTURE
lovers have a new spot to look forward to. Get set to experience Sharjah Safari, the largest safari in the world outside Africa. The place, nestled in the lap of nature, was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. Tourists and visitors can observe the endemic wildlife in Africa, native African faunae roam without fences, in an environment similar to their natural habitat. Sharjah Safari is host to more than 120 species of animals, which live in Africa and up to 50,000 animals, ranging from birds, reptiles and mammals; such as lions, elephants, giraffes, black and white rhinoceros, crocodiles, deer, bulls and many other endangered animals There are 12 different environments, inspired by all parts of Africa, representing the life and terrain of the continent, and the animals and birds that live in it. Sharjah Safari contains several areas that simulate the real regions of Africa, and the first area, ‘To Africa’, takes visitors on a unique walking experience to explore the wildlife endemic to the islands and archipelagos scattered along the eastern coast
bordering the Indian Ocean. The second region, the ‘Sahel’, is represented by deserts, pastures and diverse wildlife. It extends from the Atlantic coast of Mauritania in the west to Eritrea and the Red Sea in the east and is a transitional area rich in wildlife between the Sahara Desert in the north and the Savannah to the south. The third region, the ‘Savannah’, extends in eastern and southern Africa from the coast in the north to the Kalahari in the southwest. This tropical grassland covers half the area of the African continent and is home to the largest concentration of biodiversity on Earth. While the fourth region, the ‘Serengeti’, celebrates the largest migration of animals in the world every year, as large groups of herbivores migrate across these plains. The fifth region, ‘Nkorongoro’, formed from an extinct crater, is a unique ecosystem and home to some of Africa's most famous species. While the sixth region, ‘Moremi’, is inspired by the canyons and valleys of southwest Africa that were formed over centuries by heavy monsoon rains, and these dry and sandy riverbeds contain aquifers that support life throughout the dry season.
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the two years that travel played peek-a-boo with the world, the team at Jehan Numa Wilderness has been busy creating ways for guests to experience Satpura. Guests can ride on horseback through the wilderness at the Reni Pani Jungle Lodge in Satpura, witness exclusive big cat sightings and the butterfly eco-system in the more recently opened Bori Safari Lodge or go for a picturesque boat ride that traverses the forests to connect the two lodges. Visitors can explore parts of the Satpura landscape that were not easily accessible before. Reni Pani Jungle Lodge was one of the first to successfully introduce non-motorised safaris on land and water, as well as ‘under the star’ canvas experiences within the park. Besides being eco-friendly, these activities allow a more immersive experience of the forest and all its elements. Committed to the preservation of the country’s wildlife heritage and involving local communities within the tourism fold by providing them alternate livelihoods, Aly Rashid, director and CEO of Jehan Numa Wilderness and his team have been instrumental in putting Satpura on the Indian travel map. Towards this effort, Jehan Numa Wilderness opened the contemporary and rustic eight-roomed Bori Safari Lodge close to two years ago. A part of the larger Satpura Tiger Reserve and away from the crowds, the sanctuary is a thriving tiger landscape in the region. Aly says, “In most popular wildlife parks in India, there are usually several jeeps at a sighting. But, at Bori, there is exclusivity. The forest here is extremely raw and unexplored. Big-game sightings of leopard, tiger, sloth bear and wild dog are very good. It is a great place to see classic Central Indian birds like the crested hawk eagle, Malabar
pied hornbill, sirkeer malkoha, different species of owls and more. The night safaris are great for leopards and sloth bears as well as to spot some rarely seen nocturnal species like Indian palm civet, small Indian civet, Indian crested porcupine, and jungle cat.” One can even safari between the lodges. The journey between them is either an all-day safari transfer or a two-hour boat ride across the landscape that comes with a few sightings of the avian kind. With the two lodges, Reni Pani and Bori Safari, travellers can explore the whole range of Satpura experiences. There are many wildlife spottings of sloth bears, leopards, Malabar giant squirrels and more. The Bori Sanctuary is great for sighting big cats and mammals. Both safaris are great for birding with many rare species. “We also offer anthropological excursions in the Satpura region up to Pachmarhi for insights into rural living here. Combining the two lodges into a single itinerary will give guests a holistic understanding of the region, enable multiple naturebased experiences and a rare chance to see all of Central India’s icons namely tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Indian wild dog, gaur and Malabar giant squirrel in one landscape”, says Aly. Jehan Numa Wilderness’ makes a constant endeavour to preserve the natural environment in the region. The team is creating an eco-system for butterflies in an area at Bori Safari Lodge and have planted indigenous trees for the caterpillars to feed on and nectar trees for adult butterflies to thrive on. The butterfly ecosystem will be fully developed by October for guests to explore. Satpura Tiger Reserve is home to over 50 species of butterflies that are pertinent to the process of pollination much like bees.
SATPURA GETS ITS FIRST LODGE IN BORI SANCTUARY
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FRANKFURT’S MOST FRANKFURT
CONRAD MALDIVES RANGALI ISLAND REFURBISHED
is a scenic city with the perfect blend of traditional and modern architecture. Take out your phones and get ready for these unmissable spots for your Instagram! A HISTORICAL BACKDROP AWAITS YOU: At the top of the list are of course the Römerberg and the New Old Town, which capture a wide range of options, including the half-timbered row houses. TAKE A PICTURE IN THE MOUNTAINS: The Lohrberg, Frankfurt’s local mountain and only remaining vineyard within the city limits, makes for the perfect spot, providing a view of the Frankfurt skyline. ADD A NOTE OF THE OPERA TO YOUR GRAM: The Alte Oper Frankfurt has details to frame in a photo: bas-reliefs, medallions, frescoes, tiles and mosaics. In spring, you can capture the cherry blossom avenue next to the Alte Oper. And Frankfurt’s fashionable, stylish Goethestrasse, is just some steps away.
CONRAD
Maldives Rangali Island has revealed the first look into its completed multi-million dollar refurbishment programme ahead of the official ‘Grand Relaunch’. The twin-island resort continues to deliver its latest chapter of authentic barefoot luxury, following an extensive two-year transformation. The renovations at Rangali Island have now been completed, resulting in 50 refurbished overwater villas and spas, as well as a brand-new gym. The revitalised spaces will allow for further connection with the natural habitat, resonating with the aspirations of a new era of luxury travellers whilst providing a modern setting for loyal guests to craft new memories. With these new offerings, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island continues to evolve and adapt to the expectations of its discerning jet-set clientele. Superior enhancements across Rangali Island include: 50 REFURBISHED OVERWATER VILLAS: The overwater villas sit above the resort's lagoon. Dedicated to couples and honeymooners, the overwater villas on Rangali Island have been transformed to include new interiors, combining integrated indoor-outdoor living spaces with uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean and direct access to a private
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INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOTS TAKE A SELFIE WITH BEETHOVEN: Set up on the hill of the former Schweizerhäuschen, the monument depicts the genius, Beethoven, in the form of a powerful man. Behind him are two geniuses in the form of women, entitled Sensing and Calling. This lesser-known spot is perfect for a selfie. The only people photobombing it would be Beethoven and the two women. CAPTURE PEACE IN YOUR PHOTOS AT THE BETHMANNPARK: Shielded from the hectic city traffic by thick walls, the oasis of calm is located in the former garden area of the Bethmann banking family. With its diverse blossoms and lush flower beds, Bethmannpark is more like a small spa park. The Chinese garden, along with its pond, a small bridge and a step portal decorated with dragons is the perfect place for your grid.
sun deck. From the spacious Sunrise and Sunset Water Villas (86 sq m), oceanfront Premier Water Villas with Pool (152 sq m) to the ultimate overwater haven Two Bedroom Rangali Ocean Pavilion with Pool (451 sq m), this adult-only island caters to the evolving needs of the sophisticated traveller. REFRESHED OVER WATER SPA: Guests visiting in 2022 will be amongst the first to experience the newly-renovated Over Water Spa at Rangali Island. Spa-goers have a new indoor and outdoor lounge which is an ideal sanctuary to while away the hours to the sound of the waves. This space has been further enhanced with a new reception area, elegant changing rooms and spacious showers. BRAND-NEW GYM: With an emphasis on health and well-being, a new and fully-equipped gym has been incorporated into the adults-only setting. Complementing the gym on the main island, adults will have access to a sophisticated workout space. The final chapter of the refurbishment will bring elevated dining offerings with transformations taking place across three of the resort's restaurants and bars, the introduction of a new Teens Club and enrichment of the Kids Club and Dive Centre.
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C E L E B TA L K
Queen of perfect diction
For people of a certain age, the name SABIRA MERCHANT immediately extracts the response, “What’s the Good Word?” The English game show that was part entertainment and part educational had a dream run of 15 years on Doordarshan from 1972 to 1986. And then, others remember her as the person who inculcated a certain grace, poise, perfect pronunciation and confidence among Miss Indias. There are still others who recall her several theatrical and film outings. Many Bombayites (now Mumbaikars) have fond memories of Studio 29 — a membersonly nightclub, that was a trailblazer in the eighties — set up by her. Merchant is a sum total of all this and more. She details her adoption by her relatives, her sojourn at a Swiss finishing school, her love-filled marriage and unknown details of her personal and professional aspects in her autobiography, A Full Life, which was recently published by Bloomingdale. In a conversation with SAIMI SATTAR, she talks about her journey, the way she keeps abreast of the times, how she straddles each role with ease and what keeps her going strong at almost 80 years
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It is difficult to classify you... celeb trainer, etiquette teacher, entrepreneur, actor and so much more… Did you always have this urge not to be boxed? No, I did not think of it as boxes or anything like that. Just that one thing led to another. The fact that I was good at speaking and languages and able to hold a conversation got me into radio and, from radio, it was natural that somebody asked me to go on stage. And then, when I was on stage, TV was a natural progression and that is my most popular stint because the whole of India was watching What’s The Good Word? And it went on for 15 long years. When I look back, I don’t think, ‘gosh, 15 years!’ as it is a long time for a programme to hold attention. So, it must have been very good at that point in time. A Full Life illustrates how things just fell in place and you did not really plan for them. But once you did something, you worked hard to achieve perfection. Would you say you were a lucky person or a hard worker? Of course, you need to work at it. Unless you work on anything that comes your way, you cannot be good at it. Right now, I do a lot of workshops and have to concentrate on those. I have to be good at them. Otherwise, people won’t want these. Your workshops weren’t set in stone and kept on evolving depending upon the requirement... Yes. These started with something in my mind. And then, I realised that the same people, who I was teaching to speak well, could not eat well or meet and greet other people well. They were entering a room and just plonking themselves down and expecting people to come to them and say something. It doesn’t work like that. You’ve to go up to people and break into the conversation. You can’t expect people to come up and talk to you. What is so special about you that people will do that? So, I teach people to go in the front. If there is a
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father, who made me feel like a total princess. group of people, go and interrupt the conversation So, I learnt things from both sides. It was very and say, ‘Hello, everybody. Care if I join in?’ good and helpful. And no one is going to refuse. They will make With the coming of the internet, would you say the space for you. Introduce yourself, ask someone if role of an etiquette trainer can be replicated online? they want a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. These One to one is always the best way. There is nothing are ice-breakers. that can replace live workshops and I am waiting You wear so many hats, how do you manage each? for them to start. Looking into the eyes of a Does the synergy between each help improve and participant, shaking her hand is so much more develop them? meaningful than saying hello over Zoom. It is not I guess so. You have put it so well. One talent will the same. Laughing with them, giving them a pat lead to another and one talent would develop the on the back and saying, ‘You’ve done this well and, other certainly. My television background helped now, let’s do that’ is so gratifying. It becomes such me in meeting people, going up and introducing a camaraderie, a friendship forms and a myself and being comfortable with them. When relationship develops. you walk into a room, you should not have The world has changed in other aspects too. The trepidation about ‘if I am going to be accepted’ or importance of just being civil and wonder ‘what am I going to polite do not seem to be in say’. Just move into the room STUDIO 29 WAS A MAGICAL PLACE. WHEN I THINK fashion. Care to weigh in? and be easy. If you are easy BACK, IT SEEMS I don’t think I agree with you with yourself, you will be easy UNBELIEVABLE BECAUSE there. Things like being kind or with others. Become popular. If IT WAS SO PERFECT. I WONDER IF IT REALLY civil never left us. It reminds you sit in one group, you will HAPPENED OR WAS IT A me of the line from my play, A just become comfortable and DREAM? I CAN’T DESCRIBE THE AMAZING FASHION Streetcar Named Desire, ‘I’ve won’t move. If there is a group always depended on the of men at the other end, go and SHOWS ON THE DANCE FLOOR, HOW GORGEOUS kindness of strangers.’ All these join them. It usually happens THE GIRLS WERE AND HOW THERE WERE people are very kind to you and that men and women sit in HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE you are kind to them. This is an separate groups. So, you be the WHO CROWDED AROUND LISTENING TO THE MUSIC age-old thing that will never first to go across the room and never go away. It will always be say, ‘Gentlemen, may I join there. Being kind, polite and gentle towards people you?’ Who is going to say no to that? Even when I as well as considerate of their feelings are go to parties, I find people in groups and not important. If someone has been standing for a mixing at all. long time, I would ask them, ‘Would you like to sit How much of an influence did your biological and down, dear?’ Or encourage an older person to use adoptive parents have on your life? You learnt to the lift first. These are certain niceties that are socialise from your adoptive father and imbibed important and will never go out of fashion till we spirituality from your birth father... have manners. And we still have a lot of gentility Yes, I think that I was very blessed. Even though at and manners left in us. that time I did not think of myself as being What was special about Studio 29? And have there blessed. I thought why should I have been given been any other places that replicated its success or away and I should have been with my real parents. captured its spirit? But then I could not accept them as my real No. Nothing really captured it. It was a magical parents as they were very different from the place. When I think back, it seems unbelievable people I grew up with. I was more comfortable and because it was so perfect. I wonder if it really at ease with my adoptive parents, especially my
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happened or was it a dream? I can’t describe the amazing fashion shows on the dance floor, how gorgeous the girls were and how there were hundreds of people who crowded around with a little drink in their hands, listening to the music and watching the people. We had jazz shows, piano recitals, plays... I used the place to the maximum even during the early hours before 88.30 in the evening when people started coming in to enjoy the music. This gave the place a lot of popularity. We even had something called The Indian Experience, shown on three screens. It appeared as if one was going to a bazaar or entering a beautiful home or watching someone play a musical instrument on the road and so much more. It had a wonderful commentary on life in India. It was just so absorbing. I even screened it in the daytime for foreign tourists who would come and watch it. What's the Good Word is still remembered so many
years after it was aired. What do you attribute its popularity to? At that time there was nothing else to watch in English. There was only Doordarshan which aired only a couple of programmes in English. So, a good programme in the language attracted a lot of attention. Everyone wanted to be entertained but also wanted to learn. It was a way of learning. A lot of children watched it and learnt good language, English and excellent words. You could take any word from the dictionary and it was explained to the audience. The generation which is now in their 50s and 60s grew up watching it. They come with their teenage children for the classes and still say, ‘We watched What’s the Good Word? and we are so happy that our child has a chance to learn from you.’ They take photographs, reminiscence and do things like that. TV catapulted me into people’s homes. As Shobha De said, ‘They are having their curry rice and watching What’s The
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skip but with a trainer standing in front of you, Good Word?’. It was something you grew up with you are bound to do it. I have been doing it for 20 and remembered. It went on for such a long time years. I have that sort of discipline which helps to that a 10-year-old became a 25-year-old. direct me positively. Discipline is very important Your life had its fair share of ups and downs... but you in life. wear your troubles lightly. How do we achieve that? A secret that you haven't shared in the book… I think it is my faith in God. I feel he will get me Umm, nothing really that I haven't shared. I have through the tightest spots. I think there is a big put everything that I wanted to be there. force up there guiding me. I happen to be Lockdown was a learning lesson for all of us. What Christian and I pray to the Lord to guide me and I were your learnings from it? know he has my well-being at heart. I have the I learnt to fend for myself and keep myself utmost faith and nothing can shake it. I have entertained by doing more workshops. I teach complete dependence on a source that will not fail twice a day instead of once a day or once in a me. So, I am not rudderless or meandering while. I have two sets of tuitions in the morning through life. So, I live with that kind of deep and afternoon. I exercise regularly. You learn to religiosity or rather faith that will never fail me. depend on yourself more and grow internally. It is You’ve trained so many Miss Indias. How have the the perfect time to grow. participants changed over the years? Would we be seeing you in any Some of the girls that come WHATEVER YOU DO, YOU more films or plays? now are very good. But the SHOULD DO IT TO THE I’ll tell you very frankly, there charisma that Aishwarya had... BEST OF YOUR ABILITY. are very few roles for an though I started training YOU SHOULD MAKE THE MAXIMUM OF WHAT HAS 80-year-old. I am going to be 80 afterwards. Neha Dhupia had a BEEN GIVEN TO YOU. soon. Do you believe it? I don’t lot of charisma too. The girls YOU SHOULD NOT SAY believe it myself. are very good looking. They are ‘IT IS ALRIGHT’ AND LET IT SLIDE. NOTHING JUST You have too much spunk to be very bold. They are more HAPPENS IN LIFE, YOU that old... informed as they can Google HAVE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN (Guffaws) My last role was in and they are on social media so AND WANT IT TO HAPPEN. YOU HAVE TO WILL IT AND My Fair Lady where I played they keep learning. But the girls SWING IT TO HAPPEN Professor Higgins’ mother. It earlier had a lot of charm and was a real joy. I don’t look 80 and that helped. I just chutzpah. Their personalities were very intriguing. loved the role. Though the role was small, I really I do not find that now. Though I haven’t trained shone and people said that they only remembered the last few participants. Adline Castelino (in me. It was so wonderful to hear that. I’ve had a 2020) who went on to be number three at the Miss really great stint in theatre. If something good Universe competition was the last and she worked comes along, we will see. very hard during the lockdown. I was the only And you’ve played Julius Caesar... my absolute person she saw during the time and she had a lot favourite Shakespearean character... of charisma. Just call it Caesar. Alyque (Padamsee, director of You truly had a full life. You lived more in 20 years the play), of course, says in the foreword that he than people do in 70… the secret to doing so? was keen on casting me and he took it as a It is just that even now I go out... I had gone to challenge particularly because I am a small person visit my dentist and do that every three months. I and not a big, huge woman. And for someone small have a trainer coming every day and that is and diminutive, to play Caesar, is a challenge. But another kind of discipline because if I am eating so was Indira Gandhi... she was not a big woman. and drinking every day then I need to do some That is what Alyque always used to tell me. form of exercise. If I am on my own it is easy to
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TRAVEL BUG
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In less than 24-hours, SAIMI SATTAR delves into a slice of Chandigarh living and finds a universe
Anjeeri kofta at Baluchi
lovers and friends; business owners, government officials and retired personnel; fashionistas and housewives; fitness buffs and nature lovers; visitors and residents — Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh is the meeting ground of the unlikeliest of people from disparate walks of life. Even to a casual visitor, it is apparent why this place in the Union Territory holds charms that are akin to Marine Drive in the Maximum City of Mumbai.
FAMILIES,
FEEL THE BREEZE
OVER
five years, I have been to Chandigarh several times for work but managed to caught only a fleeting glimpse of the reservoir at the foothills of Shivalik hills. This three-km²
rain-fed lake was created by Le Corbusier — the Swiss-French architect and urban planner who is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern architecture and credited with designing Chandigarh — and chief engineer PL Verma in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream. To preserve its tranquillity, Corbusier insisted that motorboats couldn’t navigate its water and vehicular traffic should be prohibited on top of the dam. And Chandigarhians continue to honour his wishes even 64 years later which lends Sukhna a profound serenity and charm. Declared a protected national wetland by the Government of India, it plays host to several migratory birds every year. And it is this combination of reasons that — as the evening approaches — people are found
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The different vistas of Nek Chand Saini’s Rock Garden
gravitating towards this stretch of water making it boisterous and peaceful at the same time. Sitting on the parapet, digging into a bag of popcorn, I swayed to the notes of a flute player as he recreated a melodious 1950s Bollywood hit song. And I wasn’t the only one caught in the spools of magic that he wove. A five-year-old matched steps to the tune. The sky was set aflame in shades of orange, pink and yellow as dusk fell. If you want to do it like the residents, Sukhna is the ideal place to
end the day in the city. And I was just doing that. I had reached Chandigarh late in the morning and checked in at The LaLit at the Rajiv Gandhi InfoTech Park. The hotel’s 179 suites and rooms have built-in full-length glass windows offering sweeping views of the Shivalik Range and the forest beyond which gives one a peek into the verdant green. Vijay Bhalla, the affable and knowledgeable general manager, welcomed me warmly and suggested places that I could cover in
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Sukhna Lake is a favourite place to end the day in the city
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a day. Making my way to the room, Elfie, the stuffed colourful toy elephant placed on the bed caught my eye. He is the protagonist of an activity book for children and was a change from the towel art that one often encounters in hotels.
the vibrancy, the heady fragrance and the overall calm atmosphere of the garden.
INVIGORATE THE MIND
IF
you utter the name Chandigarh, nine out of 10 chances are that people will mention Nek SMELL THE FRAGRANCE Chand Saini’s Rock Garden. So, giving that a miss a day is all I had, I decided to make the could be tantamount to sacrilege. Spread over 40 most of it. So, post-lunch I headed out acres, it is made out of industrial and home waste. to the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden to explore the What still seems astounding is that Saini, a charms of this botanical space spread over 30 acres government official, started building the garden with 50,000 rose bushes of 1,600 different species. secretly in his spare time from 1957 and could keep In hues that are as unusual as blue-pink, the place it a secret for a good 18 years! By this time, it had is a visual treat for anyone spread over 12-acres. Orders Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is a visual treat who finds vividly-coloured were passed for its demolition flowers to be a balm for the but had to be withdrawn in eyes and the soul during the face of spirited resistance spring. I sat there soaking in by the citizens. A clear
SINCE
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indication of lived Democracy. Recently, the audience could catch glimpses of the garden in Shershaah (2021), the film based on Captain Vikram Batra’s life. Sauntering through the place, one can’t help but notice that while each doll in every enclosure was made with similarlooking waste, they weren’t really identical and had some minute differences. The place seemed to embody the very Nehruvian idea of ‘unity in diversity’ that many of us grew up with, even as late as the 1980s, and continue to believe in. Whether Saini thought so is debatable but, in hindsight, it is not improbable given that so much of the popular culture — from films to theatre and art — was influenced by the zeitgeist of the age. It was time to head towards Sukhna replicating the denizens of the city. Another thing that the city prides itself on is the food. I ate a sumptuous dinner at the Baluchi, the signature pan-Indian restaurant at the hotel. Executive chef Nandita Karan had curated a meal that was put together by Chef Janardhan Dhyani. The Gucchi mushroom galauti could give its non-vegetarian version a run for its money. Tender meltin-the-mouth, I would gladly make a meal out of it. But there was more. Tandoori broccoli, drizzled with a cheesy white sauce was the next starter and was quite delectable. In the main course, there was the slightly sweet and extremely decadent Anjeeri kofta, a Rajasthani speciality, Palak methi papad and Dal Baluchi, all of which made for one of the most memorable meals that I have had in recent times. I sighed satisfiedly as I settled in for the night for in under 24 hours I had experienced a slice of the city.
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Facade of LaLit, Chandigarh; Palak methi papad and Gucchi mushroom galauti
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES Haryana has made rapid strides on several fronts and is well on its way to inclusive growth propelled by social justice and public welfare. Innovation and people-centricity sign off most of the state government’s policies and programmes which have made the difference in the lives of the people. Haryana has traversed the distance to emerge as a trailblazer from a path-chaser. Some of the state’s policies have been commended and recommended by the Central Government to the states to emulate. In a free-wheeling interview with EXOTICA, Chief Minister, MANOHAR LAL, dwells on issues as different and distinct as chalk is from cheese. These range from his innovative style of transparent and good governance and delivering hassle-free services at the doorstep of the man in the street to coming down on graft with a heavy hand and making Haryana an economic and sports power house Your government is credited with several achievements in over seven-year tenure. What, in your view, is singularly most important change which has positively altered common people’s lives? Frankly speaking, the achievements are many but if you want me to single out one, changing people’s mindset is the biggest change we brought about. Change both in the way the administration delivers services and how people look at and up to the government. Drawing inspiration from the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the systemic changes we introduced have helped bring services to the doorsteps of the people, and restored the faith they had begun to lose in the administration by slamming the doors shut on graft. Sniff the air and you can feel the change. Your government bets big on e-governance. How has it worked? Our stress on transparency explains our focus on e-governance. From day one, we decided to harness e-governance as a major instrument for changing the system. Many schemes and programmes have been digitised. And to bring all of them on a single platform, Antyodaya Saral portal was developed where 618 services and schemes of 47 departments have been made available. So far, 72.32 lakh people have been registered on this portal, which means 2.75 crore population of the state has been covered. The data of more than 82 per cent families has already been verified. All schemes and services
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HARYANA IS BOTH A SPORTS POWER HOUSE AS WELL AS A NURSERY. WE HAVE SPORTING TALENT IN ABUNDANCE. ALL THAT THE PLAYERS/ ATHLETES NEED IS MODERN FACILITIES TO HONE THEIR SKILLS TO FACE UP TO THE BEST IN THE WORLD. REALISING THIS FULL WELL, WE DID ALL THAT WAS NEEDED TO SPAWN A SPORTING CULTURE, DEVELOPED FACILITIES RIGHT UP THE VILLAGE LEVEL, AND INCENTIVISED MEDAL WINNERS BY GIVING THEM BOTH CASH AWARDS AND GOVERNMENT JOBS. THIS EXPLAINS HOW HARYANA GUARANTEES A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THOSE OPTING FOR SPORTS AS A CAREER
are being linked with the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) portal. From this year, most of the government services will be available online. Haryana is a small state from the standpoint of area and population but it has notched extraordinary achievements in sports. What has your government done to promote sports? Haryana is both a sports power house as well as a nursery. We have sporting talent in abundance. All that the players/athletes need is modern facilities to hone their skills to face up to the best in the world. Realising this full well, we did all that was needed to spawn a sporting culture, developed facilities right up the village level, and incentivized medal winners by giving them both cash awards and government jobs. This explains how Haryana guarantees a bright future for those opting for sports as a career. What role digital governance played in combating corruption? When I assumed office in 2014, corruption was rampant. ‘Parchi’ (recommendation) and ‘Kharchi’ (paying bribe to get a job done) was the order of the day. We adopted zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. Conscious efforts have been made to eliminate the menace of graft and ensure that the benefits of government welfare schemes and programmes reach people swiftly and smoothly, something which was lacking. In order to minimize human intervention which left the doors ajar for graft, we introduced digital governance and the advantages started flowing to the eligible beneficiaries expeditiously. The digital governance campaign launched in 2014 has now reached PPP. I am of the firm conviction that PPP, designed after drawing inspiration from the Antyodaya vision of the Prime Minister, will prove to be a revolutionary step. It would make benefits of social welfare schemes reach the doorstep of every eligible person. He would not have to run around in government offices to get his rightful due. Which were the main gates of corruption your government closed? The Prime Minister says “corruption is like a termite which makes the country hollow and all the people of the country have to work together to rid the nation of it as soon as possible”. Getting guided by this, we swung into action to slam the doors shut on all sources of corruption. There were many, the big ones being recruitment to government jobs, granting permission for change of land use (CLU) and transfers.
We are determined not to let anything come in the way of merit-based transparent recruitment to government jobs. We have been able to recruit over 85,000 persons on merit. For making recruitment to government jobs, we have introduced a common entrance test. The first such exam will be held in June, 2022 to fill 50,000 vacancies. We have busted the racket and imprisoned members of various gangs working as touts. In the paper leak case for recruiting police constables, seven FIRs were lodged and 74 accused have been arrested. For maintaining probity in examinations, we brought the ‘Haryana Public Service Unfair Means (Elimination) Bill 2021’. It provides for a two-year ban on taking examinations, besides imprisonment of two to 10 years and a fine of Rs 5,000 to Rs 5 lakh, on those responsible for paper leak or copying. Another big source of graft was CLU. It had become synonymous with corruption. We have wiped off this blot by making the entire process online. For checking irregularities in the registration of land and property, the process of issuance of NOC by various departments, boards and corporations has been made online. For bringing about transparency in land records, WEB-HALRIS has been implemented across the state. For checking malpractices in the Transport Department, the post of DTO has been created as part of ‘Operation Shuddhi’. Besides, E Nilami and E Ravana schemes have been introduced for awarding mining contracts. We have also put an end to what had come to be known as the ‘transfer industry.’ Besides, ghost beneficiaries of ration, scholarships and subsidies have been weeded out by resorting to IT services. Hundreds of welfare schemes have been linked to DBT and the amount is now directly transferred into the bank account of beneficiaries. Throw some light on your flagship scheme Mukhymantri Antyodaya Utthaan Yojna. Sourced to the vision of the Prime Minister, the flagship scheme ‘Mukhymantri Antyodaya Utthaan Yojna’ aims at identifying poor families in the state and improving their living standard. Using the data from PPP, we have succeeded in developing a system to realise our goal. Our target is to raise the minimum annual income of each family in the state to Rs 1.80 lakh. Under the scheme, 2.49 lakh families with annual income lower than Rs 1 lakh have so far been identified. We organised 570 Mela Diwas in two phases at 156 locations across the state in which 1.22 lakh families participated. The PPP is seen as a milestone scheme and many states have evinced interest in implementing it. What was the idea behind this scheme?
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integrated multi-model logistic hub is We felt that common people, particularly the WE IMPLEMENTED ‘HARYANA being developed at the cost of $700 million. poor, were unable to avail themselves of ENTREPRENEURS This project is being developed with benefits of social welfare schemes as they had AND EMPLOYMENT assistance from the Delhi-Mumbai industrial no time to visit government offices. If they did, POLICY’ IN 2020 TO PROMOTE corridor project. they would have to forgo a day’s wages. So we INDUSTRY IN THE Near Kharkhauda, a state-of-the-art decided to ensure delivery of the scheme’s STATE ON A BIG industrial and commercial township spread benefits and services to the poor at their SCALE, IT AIMS AT CREATING 5 LAKH over 3,300 acres and a 1,400-acre Industrial doorstep. This led to the making of PPPs. It NEW JOBS, Model Township in Sohna are being facilitates people to take benefit of all welfare ATTRACTING developed. These townships, besides being schemes through sole document. INVESTMENTS WORTH OVER RS 1 closer to the KMP Expressway, are also linked The distribution of food grains under PDS is LAKH CRORE AND to the Gurugram-Sohna-Alwar highway. being done through the PPP and the data on EXPORTS WORTH Haryana is the first state in the country to births and deaths is being auto-updated. Data OVER RS 2 LAKH CRORE have taken the decision to develop clusters in about youth, their skills, education and each district. Under the mini-cluster project, 15 unemployment is also available on this portal. mini clusters have been completed and the State has plans People no longer need to approach government offices for to develop clusters at the block level. seeking old age pension; it automatically starts coming to What has been done to take care of the MSME sector? their bank account as per the data available on the PPP. A separate department has been set up to promote MSMEs Some states have evinced interest in the scheme and sought in the state and an online facility has been created for the details from us. entrepreneurs. Not limiting our focus to the ease of doing Despite the pandemic, Haryana remains an attractive destination for business, we have also concentrated on the ‘cost of doing investors. What measures have been taken to attract investors, business.’ For cutting down the cost of industrial plants, a particularly foreign investors, to the state? leasing policy has been formulated. Yes! Haryana has emerged as a cynosure of all investing The ‘Haryana Grameen Udyog VikasYojna’ has been eyes, both domestic and foreign. This is the outcome of launched to develop micro industries in rural areas. Under several effective steps taken to create industry and businessthe Haryana Agriculture and Food Processing Policy, 2018, friendly environment. Besides financial incentives, we ensure approval has been granted to 15 projects worth Rs 200 crore time-bound delivery of government services, fast-paced for a food park and food processing units. clearances and assure ease-of-doing business. How Haryana stands to gain from being a part of the NCR? For providing all services and approvals to entrepreneurs Being a part of the NCR and proximity to Delhi has helped under one roof, Haryana Entrepreneur Promotion Centre has Haryana in a big way. The national Capital, Delhi, is been set up where over 100 industrial approvals and surrounded by Haryana on three sides and 13 districts of clearances from 20 departments can be obtained through Haryana form part of the NCR. The three-side connectivity www.investharyana.in portal. All sanctions and permission with the NCR has not only helped the state in developing a are granted within 45 days through this portal. logistics hub but has also accelerated development of trade We implemented ‘Haryana Entrepreneurs and and industry. Employment Policy’ in 2020 to promote industry in the state on You know that the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway, a big scale, It aims at creating 5 lakh new jobs, attracting Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the western dedicated freight investments worth over Rs 1 lakh crore and exports worth corridor of railways pass close to Gurugram. Work is already over Rs 2 lakh crore. Under this policy, the process of in progress on the Gurugram-Alwar road and the Centre has obtaining land, labour laws, environmental clearances and approved Rs 6,000-crore Haryana Orbital Rail Corridors, regulatory laws have been simplified for the ease of doing besides the KMP Expressway. The process of land acquisition business and 56 services have been brought under the ambit for these projects has already been set rolling. of the Right to Service Act. The biggest benefit of this connectivity has been the Five more policies have been implemented for agriculture tremendous interest shown by investors. Business tycoons and food processing, textiles, warehousing — logistics, retail, are trooping in to set up units there. So far, over 1,000 units drug and pharmaceuticals and micro, small and medium with foreign investment have come up in Haryana. These enterprises (MSMEs). include Siemens, Suzuki, GE Honda, Smithkline Beecham, In the Nation Capital Region (NCR) are of the state, a JCB, Hollister, Harvel, Osram, Mitsbushi, IBM,Yokohama, warehousing and logistic hub is being constructed. Under Alcatel, POSCO, LG Perfetti, Johnson Matthey, Becton this project in Gurugram, a global smart city and Mass Rapid Dickinson, Capro and Harley Davidson. Transit System are being developed. At Narnaul, an
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Education is very important for building the future of any state. What Give an account of what kind of incentives your government offers to the your government has done in this regard? players and medal winners? Providing quality education and making it accessible to future Our government has done what no other government has to generations tops our list of priorities. Haryana is the first state incentivize sports right from playing to winning medals and in the country to implement the National Education Policy assuring the winners a secure future. We have many firsts (NEP-2020) for imparting skills and job-oriented education to under the belt. Haryana is the first state in India to offer youth. Education from school to the university level has been maximum cash prize to medal-winning sportspersons. We linked with skill development and technical institutes have have set up Haryana State Development Fund to provide signed MoUs with industry as per their requirements. cash prizes and other facilities to deserving sportspersons. Haryana is also working on the concept of providing During the last more than seven-year tenure of my education from KG to PG on one campus. For providing government, cash prizes totalling Rs 400 crore have been facilities in tune with private schools, 113 new Sanskriti given to over 14,000 sportspersons and Rs 50.38 crore in Model Schools have been set up and one college has been scholarships to 28,643 school and college students. set up in the radius of 20 km. Our target is to open at least Haryana is the first state in the country to provide one university and one medical college in each district an advance amount of Rs 5 lakh to any sportsperson of the state. qualifying for Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have We have set up 418 English-medium government model enhanced the honorarium amount from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 Sanskriti Primary Schools as centres of excellence and per month for those winning the Arjun, Dronacharya and another 1,000 schools have been included in the programme. Dhyan Chand awards. Corona has underscored the need for beefing up medical care. What your We have also started a monthly honorarium of Rs 20,000 government has done in this direction? to those winning the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award and Proving affordable modern health care facilities to common Rs 5,000 to those claiming the Bhim Award. people remains our primary concern. While new medical How many medal winners have been given government jobs so far? institutes are being opened, medical facilities are being The ‘Haryana Excellence in Sports Service Rules, 2021’ have upgraded and strengthened in the existing medical institutes been framed to offer government jobs to distinguished and hospitals. sportspersons. So far, 85 sportspersons have been given jobs All Corona patients are being provided free treatment and 550 Group ‘A’ and ‘C’ posts have been created in the and vaccination. Members of BPL families are being given Sports Department. Talented sportspersons are also being free treatment in private hospitals also. Financial assistance given 3 per cent reservation in Group ‘C’ posts and 10 per of Rs 2 lakh is being provided to BPL families cent in Group ‘D’ posts. HARYANA IS ALSO for Covid deaths and 79 families have availed What steps have been taken to promote sports culture WORKING ON THE themselves of this assistance so far. and set up infrastructure? CONCEPT OF PROVIDING Under the ‘PM Jan Aarogya Aayushman With a view to promoting sporting culture in the EDUCATION FROM Bharat Yojna’, 27 lakh poor families have been state, sports calendars are prepared and subKG TO PG ON ONE provided medical insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh junior, junior and senior sporting events are CAMPUS. FOR PROVIDING each. It covers 228 types of surgeries, 70 organised round the year and all over the FACILITIES IN TUNE pathological tests and 21 types of dental state. Besides, sports facilities and WITH PRIVATE facilities, besides 500 drugs. infrastructure have been developed right from SCHOOLS, 113 NEW SANSKRITI MODEL The ‘Mukhymantri Bal Seva Yojna’ has villages to the state level. Two state-level sports SCHOOLS HAVE been started for rehabilitating the Covid complexes, 22 district-level stadia, 12 subBEEN SET UP AND orphans and Rs 2,500 per month are being divisional stadia and 160 Rajiv Gandhi Sports ONE COLLEGE HAS BEEN SET UP IN given to each of these children. So far, 92 Complexes have been constructed. THE RADIUS OF 20 children have benefited under the scheme. Then, seven swimming pools, nine synthetic KM. OUR TARGET IS Currently, there are 13 medical colleges in athletics tracks, 13 hockey astro turfs and one TO OPEN AT LEAST ONE UNIVERSITY Haryana and our target is to set up one football synthetic surface have been built. In 13 AND ONE MEDICAL medical college in each district. In each of the districts, sports facility centres have been COLLEGE IN EACH 13 districts, a 200-bed hospital is being set up constructed and these are under construction DISTRICT OF THE STATE with ICU and oxygen facilities. A tertiary cancer in four more districts. care centre is being set up at a cost of Rs 72 crore at the Ambala Cantt Civil Hospital with the Centre-State partnership, where cancer patients will be provided all facilities. Haryana successively bagged Category-II award from the National Quality Assurance Standards from 2018-19 to 2020-21 for providing quality facilities at the Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres in the state.
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N O V E L PAT H S
Echo OF THE MOUNTAIN
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Orophile SAIMI SATTAR discovers that Mashobra unveils its hidden charms for those who prefer to watch the drama unfold in the sky... to rejuvenate their souls
I
would suggest that you carry something warm. The weather in the mountains can change dramatically at any time,” ventured Rohinikant as I was stepping inside the car. Not more than an hour had passed when the words spoken by the activities manager at Welcomhotel By ITC Hotels, Shimla rang true. Within seconds of the first spots of grey gathering in the sky overhead, a giant blob of raindrop landed on my shoulder. I shivered slightly. Responsible for the activities desk, Rohinikant goes about finding out the interest of the guests, making suggestions and crafting expeditions that have their likes and fitness levels in sync. It was this attention, to ensuring every visitor’s comfortable stay is, that I noticed when I had first entered the hotel spread over 30,000 sq ft a day before. As the car pulled into the driveway, the huge glass doors — in what appeared to be the
rooms — demanded attention. And as an orophile who feels most at home in the mountains, I found peace seeping into my being at the thought. Entering the room, I was not disappointed. Irregularly shaped, each room is designed by architect Amin Nayyar of ANA Design Studio in a manner that a panoramic view of the valley is transported right inside. I was told that each of the 47 rooms and suites (Deluxe Rooms, Superior Rooms and Executive Suites) have windows that are placed at very specific angles to receive incessant sunlight from dusk to dawn. Opening the shades, there was an uninterrupted view of the verdant green. I could sit right on my bed and catch the setting sun. Anyone who knows me is aware that sunset chaser is a hashtag, that has featured the maximum number of times in my posts. Bliss! Even if I strained my ears, a car swishing past
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GETTINGTHERE You can take a flight/train or drive down to Chandigarh from Delhi. Mashobra is about 130 km from the Union Territory and takes four hours to reach
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or traffic seemed to be a distant and forgotten memory. Certainly, a relief when you are coming from the capital where a population density of 10,000 per sq km ensures that chaos and a permanent flow of vehicles are constant. The stillness, though alien, was welcome. I sighed and drew in a deep breath. The crisp air with a hint of pine cones was exhilarating. The mountains were whispering in my ear to take it easy and take the time to rejuvenate my soul which felt weary from the daily business of living... For those who want to step back, disconnect and go for a digital detox, the place is perfect. You could count the shades of blue in the sky before these take on orange hues and turn purple-pink in the evening or just catch up on some reading or family time. It’s ideal for those who don’t holiday with an agenda to tick mark tourist spots but to just satiate in the views that the place has in ample measure. Turning around, I realised that I had been so caught up with the view outside that I had missed what lay within... the room. Done up in mauve, white and grey and lined with wood, the rooms defined chic in an English sort of way (blame it on the colours). The wallpaper behind the headrest of the bed with its white roses against a backdrop of grey was particularly elegant and speaks of the good taste of AP Associates and Fab Interiors who have done the interiors. Each of the curves and twists in the room has been utilised artistically whether to create a small alcove for a wardrobe or to place the coffee and tea paraphernalia or for a sofa and futon to sit and
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languorously admire the view. The perfect spot to settle down with hot chocolate and a thriller, if you are not tempted by the drama unfolding in technicolour in the sky. But then, a growling tummy indicated that aesthetics weren’t enough to get by and there were matters of the stomach to be attended to. We had been told by all and sundry that Rajnish Malkoti, executive chef, had put together a delectable Himachali thali which I should certainly try. So, at WelcomCafe Cedar I settled for the same at lunch. Served with Mandwe ki roti smothered with oodles of ghee, it had Chamba kadhi, Saag chana, Himachali rajmah, Boondi ka meetha, Dehra murg masala, Khatta maas and a drink made out of curd called Kheru tempered with spices. Dheeraj, our server who lives in a village within walking distance (by the standards of residents of
mountains and certainly not of the plains), told us that Kheru is drunk to ward off colds and coughs. When I commented on the tenderness of the mutton, a rarity in most mountainous regions as goats are more muscular, he told me that it was brought from nearby Chandigarh. I could write paeans to each of the delectable dishes but would just recommend it as a must-try and let your palate do justice to its flavours. While that place is ideal to do just about nothing, those who are afflicted by the constant need for activity on a holiday can repair to the Arcade with its video games and more. I raced a car for a bit and realised that I would prefer to run in the opposite direction — to the view of the warm sun, cerulean skies and the rugged mountains. Sitting out on the balcony, the colours of the
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sky reflected on the glass looked all the more astounding. There are moments when you want to fall to your knees and thank the powers that be for all the beauty that the eye can see. Yes, it is that kind of place... The next morning, I headed out on the Blue Pine Trek with Manoj Kamal. An easy climb, we traversed the narrow meandering path with some caution as he pointed out the different oaks, cedars and pines while detailing the speciality of each. The air was laden with the smell of the trees peppered with wildflowers that lined our path. Kamal pointed out the Shali peak in the distance, which is a slightly tougher trek and I wished for more time to undertake that. But then, if wishes were horses... Instead, we made our way to the Craignano Nature Park perched at a height of 7,700ft. With its mix of a treehouse, a play area and more the place is ideal for a family outing. It is here that we encountered rain and dark skies and I mentally thanked Rohinikant for prevailing upon me to carry something warm even if it meant rushing delaying our expedition by a few minutes. Since I love cheese and have an avid interest in the local industry, Kamal took me to the Amiksa cheese started by an Indo French couple, François and Debarati Laederich. Though the couple was not around, I met the affable Chandan at the small operation. A great raconteur, he told me how initially the villagers were sceptical of handing over the milk to a ‘foreigner’. He recalled how things fell into place which brought him to the small operation. Chandan was coaching in Chandigarh to appear for the State Services exams before the pandemic stuck and the lockdown forced him to head home like many others. One thing led to another and here he was having learnt the art and science of making the perfect batch of artisanal cheese. “We have now expanded operations to several cities as the products are gaining in popularity,” he said proudly while laying out a batch of Borsalino, a spreadable, tangy cheese made from cow’s milk with fresh herbs, pepper and vegetarian rennet. Of course, I picked up some — a soft cheese and a smoked one. I returned to my retreat, hoping the day wouldn’t end as this place, far from the maddening crowd, was a cooling salve for my soul. The next morning, the car made its winding way back... to my actual home.
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N O V E L PAT H S
EMBRACELOC VIKRAM LALVANI believes that discovering and experiencing community, in all its hues, is the future of travel
THE
hospitality industry is an ever-evolving one that constantly adapts its services and amenities to changing trends and situations. Ever since the start of the pandemic in 2020, it has worked hard to capitalise on every opportunity that can help it to reposition its identity and make it more suited for new travel trends. While certain hospitality brands came up with advanced hygiene protocols to maintain safety levels at all times, others came up with new avenues of immersive holidays. One may agree that the idea of international holidays may
continue to allure in the coming times, however, our domestic travellers are expected to be scouting their next quick vacation within India. Based on a report published in 2021 which highlights the findings of a survey done by Make My Trip and Booking.com, people are expecting more immersive experiences within the short breaks and also more than 75 per cent of these travellers are checking up on the safety and hygiene policies before making their reservations. Be it staycations, workcations, weekday breaks, weekend getaways and, if I may add with that
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CALCULTURE with, the four-day working models; the year 2022 will be throwing multiple reasons for travellers to head out. Hotels and resorts — that are enriched by the local culture, regional uniqueness and geographical diversities — will attract greater traction. This may include exploring a region that offers pilgrimage and beachside vacation, a heritage trip clubbed with a hill station, or just a simple drive to a getaway that could also turn out to be a holiday to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. When it comes to spending time at a destination, a significant number of guests
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are opening up to newer ways of exploring their resorts and the area around them. This could be a little laid back like trying out some lesser-known local cuisines and getting on a happy high over a desi martini made with feni. Or it could step up to something more hands-on like picking up a hobby like pottery making in Andretta village in Himachal, baking a Bebinca in Goa, learning to pick apples in the orchards of Ratnari on long
holidays. For those who prefer an adrenaline rush, indulging in rappelling, kayaking or spelunking could be just the thing. Others prefer to go the local way and experience stepping out on a honey collection trail with the tribals or volunteer in a backward area. Besides that, there is always the option of exploring the local architecture and history on an e-bike and so much more. The campaigns by the Ministry of Tourism like Dekho Apna Desh promote the message of many places to see, discover and experience within India. These encourage local tourism and focus on domestic travel. Speaking of discoveries and experiences, it’s also important to note that local tour guides play a very crucial role in delivering the idea of a unique India. Hospitality brands that are able to
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maximise this relationship will help deliver the finer tastes of the region and its history. It’s a different awe when you are associating with a guide who has through generations expressed the culture, art, tradition as well as the language of the place and the people to umpteen curious travellers. Their findings and folk tales make the experience fulfilling and enriching. This also helps keep them employed and promotes their talents. Hospitality brands are making sure to dig desi when it comes to beverages and spirits, local snacks and create a fusion that can elevate the tastes and indulgences. It could also extend to offering more than just a spa by including Ayurvedic treatments and deep healing therapies, clubbed with Nadi Jyotish astrology and yoga, a Sattvik menu and more. The new age traveller now looks for more than just hopping from one unique destination to another. Instead, what they want is a unique experience that defines their location of choice. From spelunking in Wayanad, skiing in Auli, or staying on a houseboat in Kerala’s backwaters — India is full of unique experiences that are driving the trend of ‘Discoveries and Experiences’ (D&E) in the industry. The future of travel belongs to this new way of experiencing any destination. — The author is the chief of operations, Resorts, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited
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TARUN TAHILIANI: An amalgamation of modern and traditional silhouettes as well as drapes with technology and aerodynamic forms. With fluidity as well as glam of modern cut, the collection was an expression of modern India that is global. With metallic shine, unusual textures and modern detailing, it resonated with a sleek and luxurious design sensibility. From hand-painting to embroidery, to distorted prints on luxe fabrics, it showcased innovative textile explorations with zari threads and resham to create metallic textured sheen.
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TREND METER
The excitement was palpable, the stage was set and the flurry of activity behind the stage spelt out that after two years of digital and phygital showcases the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week was going live and offline. The faces on the ramp were old and new, celebrities and models and even a particularly articulate as well as good looking politician. The stage seemed bigger and those who track fashion were back at comparing notes about the hits and misses in the collections, stars and more. PANKAJ KUMAR captures the highlights of the event organised by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) together with Lakmé Fashion Week (jointly organised by Lakmé & RISE Worldwide) which was a fully on-ground, season-fluid edition at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium
SAMANT CHAUHAN: The collection was visualised with flashes of blue hues
that one sees after a burst of cool rain. Bringing his dream look to reality on the runway, Chanderi silks were blended with sheer organza and simple cotton. Chauhan experimented with some very heavy metallic looks that brought a new dimension to the ensembles. Ending the show was Manoj Bajpayee wearing a grey silk two-button jacket with two vents, peaked lapels and lavish floral embroidery on the front and shoulders. The matching trousers and black shirt completed the look.
RAHUL MISHRA: The Enchanted Garden showcased at the Italian Embassy was a flirtation between first-hand experiences and fantastical imagination. The looks actively aimed to imitate nature and its elements through various applications of handcraft, forming arrangements of Himalayan poppies, foxgloves, calla lilies and more. The craftsmanship and stand-out embroideries were accentuated with coloured beads and floral embellishments.
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MANISH MALHOTRA: The
colour palette of Diffuse revolved around a galaxy of blacks, reds, pinks, purples, blues, greys and gradients. There were separates like Bomber jackets, embossed ensembles, breezy kaftans, balloon pants with vests, bedazzled long fringe tops, hand-painted skirts, blazer dresses, baggy oversized vibes, feather rimmed sarees, jackets with sharara, tube tops with ghararas, pantsuits, sarong saree, and the signature sequins’ saree all styled in bijoux layered bags and duffle bags, chunky bijoux accessories and expressive makeup.
ANJU MODI: Working with the inspirations that revolved
SUNEET VARMA: The
Eternal Lightness of Being celebrated life and living in the moment, with youthful, elegant day and evening separates. The ensembles transited easily from casual to a more special occasion, with just a slight twist in styling. Caressing textures using crinkled chiffon, crushed georgette, sheer organza and black, red and colourful thread embroideries were the highlight. There were tasselled short dresses, trousers, colouron-colour sequin and thread embroidery on long evening dresses with slits and shimmery delicate embellishments and origamiinspired rope embroidery on jackets. The show also witnessed an unconventional entry on the ramp — short sexy sarees by the designer.
around Sattva — one of the three gunas in the Hindu and Samkhya philosophy — Sattvic was a tribute to the indigenous energy and vibration. The silhouettes were explored through design and organically developed. The colour story revolved around haldi, chandan and keshri turned the ensembles into a serene and pious offering for the body and the soul. With gorgeous yellow and white combos with a hint of pink and fuchsia, there were shaded kurtas, angarkha and luxurious lehenga, choli and dupatta trios.
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RINA DHAKA: This collection brought out the
VARUN BAHL: Quintessential used upcycled embroidery and delicate silhouettes. Utilising abstraction and juxtaposition, the collection was about curvilinear lines and forms with a vivid explosion of colour and the softness of delicate shapes and layers. The pieces were made by using the amalgamation of both traditional and modern designs. It also celebrated the return of the grand, extravagant Indian wedding, after two subdued and challenging years.
gypsy in every woman with its fresh floral touches and feminine fluidity of drapes. The silhouettes were breezy, lightweight and skin-friendly. The flared kurta with cuffed pants, corset choli with a trendy maxi skirt and the palazzos with a long overshirt signalled easy dressing. Closing the show was Bollywood star, Padma Shri Kangana Ranaut in a white self-design sari and a knee-length matching coat.
ANAVILA: The Khadi collection by the designer
was created with fabrics expertly woven by the weavers of the Burdwan region in West Bengal. Natural dyes — for the delicate, contemporary jamdaani motifs added the perfect organic appeal to the saris and kept the collection deeply rooted in the ethos of the region — were consciously used. The delicate saris, long kurta, salwars, tunic and cropped pants were great summer looks.
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ASHISH N SONI:
Change Has Different Faces was inspired by the transformation that the world has experienced in the past two years. With each look broken up into four stories, the designer presented a variety of textures, embellishments, and prints, along with colours and repurposed deadstock fabric. Textured whites, gelato pastels and floral prints radiated joy. The collection ranged across soft elongated silhouettes, ankle-length pants, the 80s inspired floral prints and wide corduroy suits while the fabrics ranged from cotton-viscose, organza, chiffon, fine cambric, silk jacquards and upholstery leftovers.
FALGUNI SHANE PEACOCK: Earthbound embraced a contemporary colour palette that provided a futuristic edge. Set in the '80s, the collection narrated the story of time travel to the Earth. The runway saw a splash of big and bold shoulders, bright colours and plenty of rock chic, edgy, unconventionally futuristic outfits and statement styles. It reimagined bodysuits and short bodycon dresses with striking cutouts and unique hemlines. The signature elements of the designers — feathers, sequins and prints — were combined with on-fleek silhouettes and vivid colours. Actor Ananya Panday wore a dramatic yet structured outfit in bright pink.
JJ VALAYA: Rumeli –
The Summer Story was a perfect offering for the new fashion season in India. The inspiration was from the life of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala, which was evident as the designer unveiled a grand sartorial story. The collection closed with the actor Mrunal Thakur who walked the runway as the showstopper.
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PAYAL PRATAP: The designer used Bemberg™, the environment-friendly and biodegradable material, by Japan's Asahi Kasei Corporation in her collection. The colour story remained true to indigo tones as well as deep shades of burgundy and ivory but then moved to brown, rust, brick and gold. The tailored, structured jackets with print placements evoked a blend of the Far East with India. The appliquéd jackets, wrap jumpsuits, lungi skirts, wide-leg pants, knotted skirts and wraparound bodice silhouettes were ideal for a holiday wardrobe. Subdued glitter came in the form of sequins that highlighted the 3D textures of the flowers and motifs.
RIMZIM DADU: A Sea
PANKAJ & NIDHI: Marbella was inspired by the picturesque town of the same name on the Southern coastline of Spain. From coral to bougainvillaea pink and then onto sunny lemon yellow, the palette moved to fresh, leafy green and brought in neutral clay and sandy beige. The layered cutwork embroidery was perfectly balanced with hand-cut and thread edged silk organza petals and leaves that fully covered the flowing tulles and twills. Actor Sanjana Sanghi brought the show to a close in a dazzling, metallic, pink mini with intricate sleeve detailing.
Of A Million Stories replicated the ripples and waves of the seas, textured riverbeds, tropics and changing skies with the surface texturing for the ensembles. Metallics ruled in shades of blue, emerald, sparkling silver and pristine white. All of this was complemented with diamond jewellery with a combination of new-age cuts, mixed fancy cuts and redefined classics with a twist.
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SHANTANU AND NIKHIL: Nomad brought all that is happening around us through symbols, textures, shapes, and patterns. There were sweaters in rough knits that seemed like they were made of rope yarn while classic intarsia featuring large leopard spots were cut into voluminous jackets for the urban jungle. There was felt, used for its strength, and miles of chiffon used for its vulnerability, drape and drama. Oversized sweatshirts featured the magnificent Kirtimukha (a mythological creature in the temples of Southern India) while leather and feather embroideries led us to tribal design inspiration. There were huge bags and vintage fisher hats while puffer jackets and studded harnesses coalesced comfort and couture.
SIDDARTHA TYTLER: Sometsuke drew its creativity from blue and white Japanese pottery. The shade card was a sprinkling of colours with blue, black, ivory, emerald and touches of gold and gunmetal. There was a clear blend of couture as American sportswear with layering became the focal point.
SHIVAN NARRESH: The Fresconian Series was inspired by the artistry of the murals and frescos which were witnessed by the duo during a visit to the Shekhavati region in November 2021. Five hand-painted, reinterpreted prints adorned their creations in the five fashion categories. Each print was a homage to the artists and artisans with shimmering skein lustre and painstaking detailing.
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REYNU TAANDON: The line offered a choice for the luxury vacationers and holidaymakers who trot around the world. It moved from daytime fun wear to dramatic evening ensembles. The easy-breezy shirt dresses and relaxed, languid kaftans were divided into three colour groups of prints. There was a line of kaftans, tiered skirts, maxis, one-shoulder gowns and separates. The collection was well structured and offered a flamboyant array of ensembles. Urvashi Rautela closed the show wearing a flamboyant black, floral, printed, flared, tiered long-sleeved gown with white edging and cutouts at the waist.
CHARU PRASHAR: The Khadi Bride glamourised the humble fabric and turned it into a bridal trousseau essential. There were hot spicy coloured prints that were handcrafted to create memorable wedding wear. An ornate scalloped kurta, choli with pleated lungi, kurta with wide pants, the final sari with a long coat for the bride and sherwani for the groom were all perfect bridal attire in shades of haldi and green.
PAWAN SACHDEVA: Men Verse opened with Aparshakti Khurana striding in a grey belted suit with black lapels and trousers. The shade card roster was subdued at the beginning with ivory and bare tinges of beige gradually moving to grey and finally bursting into bold splashes of sun yellow, strong orange and tanned blue. The brilliant orange side buckled jacket and the beige belted kimono-style brought diverse silhouettes to the centre stage. Raghav Chadha, Member of Parliament, closed the show in a black suit belted with an orange closure and a polo neck shirt.
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THREE CHEERS FOR INDIAN CRAFT LIQUOR WHEN
Kasturi Banerjee decided to start her rum brand Maka Zai (Konkani for ‘I want’), the sassy entrepreneur wanted to smash a few myths about the distilled spirit. “I wanted to move away from the character assassination of rum in India,” says Banerjee, founder and director of Stilldistilling Spirits, a Goa-based independent distillery that manufactures white and gold craft rum under the brand Maka Zai. Cocking a snook at perceptions of rum being a man’s drink and a monsoon/winter
The country’s alco-bev space is buzzing with a mind-boggling spectrum of brews, says SUSMITA SAHA
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BLITHE SPIRIT
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tipple, the banker turned bartender turned entrepreneur raised a toast to Stilldistilling Spirits in 2020, a homegrown manufacturing and blending company. Also tapping into his dream to create a noteworthy Indian whisky brand, Shivam Ginglani of Ginglani Distillers has launched Black Bow in Delhi NCR in January 2022. Blended in the mountains in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, it is a ‘Himalayan Whisky’ that’s charcoal mellowed for a smooth finish. “There is now a new audience that is digitally-exposed and wants to try out new things. S/he wants to know where their whisky is coming from. At the same time, we are a paisa vasool country. So, I want to offer an authentic Indian whisky at an accessible price,” says Ginglani, founder and CEO of Black Bow, that’s made with malts matured at 5,906 feet and pure Himalayan water. Black Bow and Maka Zai are just two of the independent brands from India that are fuelling the craft liquor explosion. Kicked off by a whole new wave of drinkers that are exposed to the highly-sophisticated Western booze consumption culture, Indian craft liquor brands are betting big on products that are not only comparable in quality to their international counterparts but also have their own original story. For instance, Terai India Dry Gin, which launched in November 2020, is distilled at the India Craft Spirit Distillery, the first-of-its-kind single gin craft distillery in India, in Behror, Rajasthan. Carrying forward the India theme, the packaging of Terai
I WANTED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF RUM IN INDIA — KASTURI BANERJEE,
founder and director of Stilldistilling Spirits
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‘THERE IS NOW A NEW AUDIENCE THAT IS DIGITALLYEXPOSED AND WANTS TO TRY OUT NEW THINGS. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEIR WHISKY IS COMING FROM. AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE A PAISA VASOOL COUNTRY. SO, I WANT TO OFFER AN AUTHENTIC INDIAN WHISKY AT AN ACCESSIBLE PRICE’ — SHIVAM GINGLANI,
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has been custom-created to pay homage to various local craft traditions. The faceted design of the bottle is inspired by Indian carved pillars, while its playful, wooden lacquered stoppers are handcrafted by the artisans of Channapatna, India’s ‘toy town’ in Karnataka. “The idea is to tell the story of India with subtlety and elegance. Through the stoppers, we wanted to draw attention to the Channapatna craft tradition and contextualise it with the memories of our patrons. It helps people connect to Terai,” says Karina Aggarwal, vice president, India Craft Spirit Co, which manufactures Terai. There are several reasons why a glut of homegrown liquor labels are competing for bar space currently. Their swelling fan base comes courtesy of a few factors, the biggest of which is the expanding liquor segment. According to a report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India is one of the fastest-growing alcoholic beverages markets globally, with an estimated market size of $52.5 billion in 2020. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8 per cent between 2020 and 2023. Indians are, indeed, in good spirits. According to sommelier and educator Gagan Sharma, ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ campaigns have boosted the confidence of newbie craft liquor brands and have helped them take off. Sharma is also the director of Indulge India, a collective that works with fine beverages, creating experiences for consumers and trade professionals. Driving the booze boom are several factors, both complex and nuanced. Predictably, lifestyle trends from the West are echoed pretty soon in the Indian market. Alco-bev consumption patterns too have travelled across the pond and have wound their way into Indian bars. Simultaneously, consumers here have been dying to upgrade from mass category spirits to more premium varieties, without breaking the bank on international liquors. “Every category in the alcohol space has helped the other grow,” says Sharma. He elaborates that the base ‘cheap and cheerful category’ allowed the accessibility of alcohol at lower price points, while the international brands helped create awareness and educated the consumer. Both these categories contributed to making space for craft liquor brands. Most homegrown craft liquor labels are devising ways to appeal to the proliferating consumer base. “Whisky in India is a 20-billion-dollar industry. And I am targetting the top seven-10 billion dollars of it,” says Ginglani of Black Bow. Some liquor entrepreneurs are also taking pains to learn about what keeps the buzz going for Indians. Surprising insights about consumer drinking behaviour have nudged these brands to
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‘THERE IS A HUGE GAP IN SERVICING THE BEER CONSUMER IN THIS COUNTRY. ABOUT 88 PER CENT OF THE BEER MARKET IN INDIA IS TAKEN UP BY STRONG BEER. BUT EVERY MANUFACTURER IS TRYING TO ADDRESS THE 12 PER CENT LIGHT BEER SPACE’ — ABHINAV JINDAL,
CEO, and founder, Kimaya Himalayan Beverages
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come up with an interesting product portfolio. In September 2019, Delhi-based Kimaya Himalayan Beverages launched its barley-based homegrown lager BeeYoung, that’s pegged as India's first strong craft beer. “There is a huge gap in servicing the beer consumer in this country. About 88 per cent of the beer market in India is taken up by strong beer. But every manufacturer is trying to address the 12 per cent light beer space,” says Abhinav Jindal, CEO, and founder, Kimaya Himalayan Beverages. BeeYoung focusses on the provenance of its star ingredients. The brand sources fresh varietals of hops from Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Germany and has tied up with French company Soufflet Malt to get high-quality malted barley grown in India. More importantly, Indian liquor labels are gaining international ovation. Some of our booze bottles are counted among the best in their categories across the globe and have ‘DRINKING IS NOT notched up top honours in the world BORING ANYMORE. of spirits. YOU CAN DO FUN The door was THINGS WITH YOUR thrown open by DRINK’ — NINAN, co-founder and creative Bengaluru-based head of Nao Spirits Amrut Distilleries in the previous decade when their expressions came under the global spotlight. Amrut Single Malt was first recognised by America’s leading spirits publication, Whisky Advocate, as the whisky of the month in 2008. Another expression, Amrut Fusion Indian Single Malt Whisky won the Malt Maniacs (an international collective of malt whisky enthusiasts) Daily Dram Award in 2009. In 2010, it won Jim Murray's 3rd Best Whisky Title, with a whopping 97.5/100 points. Murray is one of the leading lights of the global whisky world and tastes more than 4,700 whiskies for his yearly edition. “Winning these awards was the beginning of a new era,” says Nikhil Varma of Amrut Distilleries. If Indian single malts are taking the world by storm,
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other alco-beverages are not too far behind. Among the first ones to say cheers to the gin revolution in India, Goa-based Nao Spirits (helmed by Anand Virmani, Aparajita Ninan and Abhinav Rajput) has an award-lined resume. Its two gin entries — Greater Than (pegged as India’s first Craft Gin) and Hapusa — have notched up some serious applause from connoisseurs across the globe. While Hapusa has won the Best Contemporary Gin (India) at the World Gin Awards 2019 and a Silver at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards 2018, Greater Than has been declared the Best London Dry Gin (India) at World Gin Awards 2019 and has bagged the Bronze Medal at the International Spirits competition 2018. “Drinking is not boring anymore. You can do fun things with your drink,” says Ninan, co-founder and creative head of Nao Spirits. Also amping up the fun quotient is the line-up of Indian tipples at your nearest speakeasy. There’s Cazulo Premium Coconut Feni, Maya Pistola Agavepura, a 100 per cent aged agave spirit, meads from Pune’s Moonshine Meadery, Rahasya vodka by Blisswater Industries, in addition to a host of Indian craft beers, gins and multiple other spirits and brews. Sharma of Indulge India is also doing his bit to educate connoisseurs on the mind-boggling alcohol spectrum. He has been conducting regular online tasting sessions throughout the pandemic and has had participants joining from places as far-flung as the Khasi Hills and Jabalpur. This year he has an exciting line-up of offline experiences for Indian liquor fiends. What’s more, professionals from all walks of life are considering alco-bev as a viable business option and are pretty hands-on while creating their premium product repertoire. For instance, Sakshi Saigal, who brought the awardwinning gin Stranger & Sons to your bar cabinet has been actively involved in concocting her elixir. Saigal, along with husband Rahul Mehra, and cousin Vidur Gupta founded Third Eye Distillery in Goa in 2018. Saigal, who did a course on distilling in the Netherlands before starting her gin company, says that zeroing on the recipe for the product was a completely hands-on process. “We came to Goa and made the first few batches of gin on our own while trying different botanicals,” she says. “For the gin’s citrus nose, we selected four different citruses – gondhoraj limes from Kolkata, small local nimbus from Goa as well as sweet limes and oranges from Nagpur,” she adds. Clearly, good times are here for the Indian alco-beverage market, as it matures and discovers new homegrown spirits and brews. And one can only say cheers to that.
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‘FOR THE GIN’S CITRUS NOSE, WE SELECTED FOUR DIFFERENT CITRUSES – GONDHORAJ LIMES FROM KOLKATA, SMALL LOCAL NIMBUS FROM GOA AS WELL AS SWEET LIMES AND ORANGES FROM NAGPUR’ — SAKSHI SAIGAL, Stranger & Sons
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ABOUT TOWN
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CURRY
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The drums had fallen silent and the splash of colours was missing for two years. Surajkund, the setting of an annual fair, lay forlorn. But with the world opening up, the revelry is back at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela as it showcases the richness and diversity of Indian handicrafts, handlooms and cultural fabric. Organised by the Surajkund Mela Authority & Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs, the 35th edition of the fair has 20 countries and all the states of India as participants. Renowned national and international folk artistes and cultural groups have been staging performances while the multi-cuisine food court is showcasing dishes from all over the world. PANKAJ KUMAR captures the colours, flavours and commerce of the fair
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EVENT RAMADAN: The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. The annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts 29 to 30 days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. Fasting from dawn to sunset is obligatory for all adult Muslims who are not acutely or chronically ill, travelling, elderly, breastfeeding, diabetic or menstruating. WHEN: April 2 or 3 WHERE: Across the country
ATTUVELA MAHOTSAVAM: This water carnival welcomes the Goddess of Kodungalloor who visits her sister, the Goddess of Elamkavu. Goddess Bhagavathy is the presiding deity of the temple whose replica sailing on the waters is a major attraction. The procession of canoes starts from Attuvela Kadavu, two km away from the temple. WHEN: April 3 WHERE: Vaikom, Kottayam district, Kerala
devotees participate in bhajan or kirtan with music as a part of puja and aarti while others take miniature statues of the infant Ram, washing and clothing them, then placing them in cradles. Charitable events and community meals are also organised. Some mark this day by fasting. WHEN: April 10 WHERE: Across the country
RAM NAVAMI: This Hindu spring festival celebrates the birthday of Shri Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu. It falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of Chaitra, the first month in the Hindu calendar. The day is marked by Rama Katha recitals or reading of Rama stories, including the Hindu sacred epic Ramayana. Some
BAISAKHI: The first day of the month of Vaisakha is usually celebrated annually as the Hindu and Sikh solar new year. It’s a spring harvest festival. Sikhs hold kirtans, visit local Gurdwaras, community fairs, raise the Nishan Sahib flag and gather to socialise and share food. Baisakhi marks the birth of the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru. Later, Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. On this day Army officer Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to shoot into a protesting crowd, at Jallianwala Bagh leading to a massacre that influenced the course of the Indian independence movement. WHEN: April 14 WHERE: Across the country, primarily Punjab
GOOD FRIDAY: Jesus Christ was crucified on this day and it’s more appropriately described as an occasion rather than a festival. Christians fast and attend prayer ceremonies in churches. WHEN: April 15 WHERE: Across the country
POILA BAISAKH: This is the first day of the Bengali calendar and is celebrated as the New Year in both West Bengal and Bangladesh as well as the Bengali communities residing in the Indian states of Assam and Tripura. There is traditional feasting and people wear new clothes. Shop owners and traders also observe this festival as an auspicious day to commence their yearly business. WHEN: April 15 WHERE: Primarily Bengal, also Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh
EASTER: This day is celebrated for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. Easter is also the end of the Lent season which is a period of fasting, prayer, and penance. WHEN: April 17 WHERE: Across the country
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FITNESS
SMARTPHONES
have transformed the professional and personal lives of billions of people. You can communicate verbally and visually from anywhere and at any time, access the internet, get information, be entertained with social media, movies, games and listen to music. However, prolonged use can affect our eyes, posture, necks and shoulders, hands, forearms, nervous systems and sleep patterns. If we ignore these symptoms, they can develop into more serious conditions. It becomes imperative to build exercises that counter the negative effects of smartphone overuse. Yoga is ideal for this. It works on the whole body — externally and internally. Its innumerable postures, as well as breathing and relaxation exercises, can stretch the body, improve circulation and release muscular and mental tension. When we look down at our smartphones, we tilt our heads forward at a 60° angle. When we text or type, we hunch our shoulders. This tightens facial, neck and shoulder muscles leading to neck pain and incorrect posture. Simple asanas (postures) like Tadasana, Vrikshasana (tree), Dwikonasana can counter these effects by stretching the spine, the neck, pulling the shoulders back and straightening them. Simple neck rotations ease tension in this area. We use both hands to hold our phones and our thumbs to type messages. These constant repetitive movements inflame the tendon. This puts
pressure on the median nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel in our wrists and leads to thumb and palm pain as well as reduced hand strength. Simple hand movements and rotations help to get the circulation going. Many yogic postures (Tadasana, Sarpasana, Gomukhasana), incorporate arm and Bharat Thakur hand positions that stretch and is a yoga guru strengthen them. and founder of Smartphones also affect our eyes. Artistic Yoga We normally blink about 15 times a minute to moisturise and protect our While eyes. When we focus on our phones, smartphones are we blink less. This dries the eyes and amazing leads to fatigue. Studies show that this not only makes eyes more vulnerable technological breakthroughs, to problems but affects our ability to control our posture and our balance. prolonged use Yogic eye exercises can strengthen eye can have muscles and palming is excellent for relaxing, soothing and resting the eyes disastrous and brain. consequences Studies show that smartphones can disrupt sleep. At night, the pineal gland secretes melatonin, which prompts the body to feel tired and go to sleep. If you use smartphones at night, the blue light transmitted by them tricks the brain into thinking it is a day. This inhibits melatonin production and affects how much and how well we sleep. Yogic relaxation techniques (Yoga Nidra, Shavasana) yogic breathing techniques (Chandra Bhedana, Anuloma Viloma) or palming will help relax the body and brain to help you sleep better. Technology’s wonderful inventions can enhance our lives but overuse causes severe problems. Smartphones can't rule our lives. They are an accessory and an aid whose use in our lives should be balanced.
OFFSETILL-EFFECTSOFOVERUSAGE
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TADASANA
o Stand with feet slightly apart, arms by your side o Place your fingers on top of your head and interlock. Breathing in, turn palms out and stretch your arms upward, rising on toes and balancing weight equally on both feet. Hold for 10-15 seconds, breathing normally o Breathe in, exhale as you come back to the starting position o Repeat three-five times BENEFITS: o Stretches and loosens the entire spine o Stretches the hands, arms shoulders and whole body o Stretches the nerves of the carpal, relaxing them
HAND ROTATIONS
o Sit with your legs stretched out, back straight or stand o Stretch both arms in front of you, at shoulder level o Keeping arms straight, slowly stretch both hands up and then down, so fingers point to the floor o Now rotate the hands from the wrist three times BENEFITS: o Releases tension caused by repetitive movements o Relieves arthritis in these joints
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DWIKONASANA
o Stand with your feet one foot apart o Interlock your hands behind your back o Breathe in o Breathing out, bend forward while lifting your arms behind your back. Do not strain o Breathe in as you slowly come back to start position o Repeat three times BENEFITS: o Stretches neck, chest, shoulders and infraspinatus muscles between the shoulder blades
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NECK STRETCH & ROTATIONS
o Sit in any comfortable position, back straight o Interlock your hands behind the head where the neck meets the head o Gently push your head back as the interlocked hands resist. Hold and then repeat three-four times o Now, gently rotate your head clockwise three times and three times anti-clockwise BENEFITS: o Releases tension, heaviness and stiffness in the head, neck and shoulder region
PALMING
o Sit quietly, with eyes closed o Rub your palms together until they are warm o Close eyes, hollow the hands and place palms (not fingers) over the eyes without touching the eyelids o Breathe deeply, feel the warmth spread to the eyes and the muscles relax in the darkness o When the hands get cold, repeat o Do it three times BENEFITS: o Relaxes and revitalises eye muscles o Stimulates circulation of aqueous humour — the liquid between the cornea and eye lens. This helps correct eye vision
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GURUSPEAK
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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Spiritual Guru
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JOY
As
joyful as a child Being intelligent in life while maintaining your innocence is a gift of nature
in life comes when there is no stress and when you are connected to the Self. It is then that you see that the paradise of true peace is not somewhere out there — it is within you. When you are in love and happy to serve, you see yourself in others and are in paradise. These feelings are contagious and inspire others to be happy and serve too. Through your work, and your expression of peace, you are bringing out the divine qualities in others and this helps us create a paradise right here and right now. We want something all the time. One want or desire finishes and then another want comes up right away. Desires come in rapid succession, one after the other. They are in a queue, like at the Los Angeles airport. One plane takes off, and in another two minutes, another repeats the motion. Through meditation, we can relax the pace of life, observe our desires and go deeper into the experience. “What am I up to? What is the purpose of my life?” These very questions enliven the human values in our system and our Self. But don’t be in a hurry to find an answer to this question; the very question itself is sufficient enough for you to go deeper inside yourself. True peace is living from a depth of life, not getting stressed in any situation or circumstances and being able to influence circumstances and situations rather than get influenced by them. This is enlightenment. Getting rid of all our stress and tensions brings inner peace. Because our very nature is enlightenment, that is why humans and the Divine are not two separate things. Human is the outer skin and the Divine is the inside, like the pulp of a fruit. Stress is the outermost covering, such as the plastic wrapping around the apple. You can consider the skin (of an apple) as human, the inside pulp as the Divine and the packaging — in which it comes — as the stress, tension, or ego. Our inner peace and the related experience of harmony rely on our ability to take conscious stock of a situation, separate our emotions and observe the impermanence of stress, tension and ego. Without such a capacity, we would be animals and probably savage ones at that. Being human is like being on a bridge between two sides. On one side there is a shore of divine qualities, and on the other side, there is the shore of animalistic qualities. That is why there is more conflict in human life than in any other species. Animals are blissful; they have no problems, nor hold any
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grudges. The Divine, of course, has no problems. It is the human in between that has all the problems. That is the nature of the human mind. Have you ever paid attention to the behaviour of your mind during a conversation? If during that time you receive 10 compliments and one insult, the mind will forget all the 10 compliments and hang on to one insult. The mind continues to go on and on and on about it. What else does the mind do? It runs either to the past or the future. We are angry about the past or anxious about the future. In the first instance, the anger is about something that has already happened. Is it of any use? Anger now is meaningless because it is always about something that has already happened. And anxiousness is about something that is somewhere in the future. The future could be in 10 years from
now, or perhaps in 10 days. “What will happen tomorrow?” you wonder. You had the same question last year, the year before, and even 10 years ago. You were anxious about this or that. But when you just turn back, you see that all our anxiousness has happened to be meaningless. Taking a deep look into the present moment shows that our anger also seems to be meaningless. Such a realisation brings immediate peace to one’s life. The mind becomes full of joy and evolves into a peaceful state which you can call love. This notion of love is quite contrary to our usual definition of love as an act. When we live in the present moment, the mind is more clear, and not angry or anxious. It is simple and full of love. Very small children exemplify this. When you look into their faces, you see so much love in the way they look back at you. Why are children so joyful and sharing? Because they are in a state of love. They allow that love to radiate, without these blocks of tension, stress and strains. That’s why Jesus said, “Unless you become like a child, you cannot get entry into the kingdom of my father.” The requirement that ‘you must become like a child’ means that you must be in the present moment like a child. All of this love and awareness make children peaceful, and not angry about the past. Children are naturally peaceful over the course of time. Children don’t say, “Oh mommy, you didn’t give me candy yesterday, or you didn’t take me to the toy shop yesterday.” Children may have fought with you yesterday, but today they are friendly with you. Even very young babies live and act in the present moment. Five minutes ago they were crying, and before the tears even dry on their cheeks, they are smiling again. It is a magnificent and peaceful sight to behold. And we all have this ability. But what has happened in our life. The more intelligent we become, the faster we lose our innocence. Enlightenment is maintaining this innocence, and growing in intelligence. This combination of life — being intelligent in life while maintaining your innocence — is a gift of nature. It is very precious in life.
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NUMBERGAME
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Sanjay B Jumaani Numerologist
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COUNT YOUR FATE
NUMBER 1 (Those born on the 1st, 10th, 19th and 28th of any month) This month might not be as favourable as the previous one. But work-wise, you are likely to do well. However, the flip side is that you’ll experience soaring tempers given the fiery disposition of this phase. Moreover, an impulsive streak of decisions could push you off-track.
NUMBER 4 (Those born on the 4th, 13th, 22nd and 31st of any month) A mixed bag can be good news. Avoid being outspoken and try to be a good listener. Play your cards close to your chest. In health, alternative remedies can help. Workouts can keep other ailments at bay. It's time for R&D something, which you are good at. You will likely be busy and that's a good thing.
NUMBER 7 (Those born on the 7th, 16th and 25th of any month) An erratic time on the emotional front as your tempers fluctuate. Avoid getting in mindless arguments; refrain from outbursts that tarnish reputation and relationships. Translate your hard work to success. Mentally and physically you are likely to feel energetic. Travel could increase though not always for a holiday.
NUMBER 2 (Those born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th and 29th of any month) This could be a moderately eventful month with delays. But fret not as you’ll rejuvenate and be available for loved ones. Love life would take a leap; those who are looking to get hitched, would get ‘knotty’, and those married could resolve issues. You’ll be emotional and over-expressive but try not to be irrational.
NUMBER 5 (Those born on the 5th, 14th and 23rd of any month) Showcase your versatility at work. Try to expand the horizons of your job and welcome every task. Think constructively and be with positive-minded people. It is not difficult to mix work and pleasure. Avoid taking risks. Manufacturers could see a slow but steady revival. If you are looking for matrimony, expect delays.
NUMBER 8 (Those born on the 8th, 17th and 26th of any month) You may be lacking equilibrium with your peers or loved ones due to your rigidity. Start afresh; break the chain of disagreement. Learn to accept constructive criticism and work on your flaws but try not to overburden yourself with work. Be more wary physically and emotionally.
NUMBER 3 (Those born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st and 30th of any month) You're in your most favourable period and can expect two good months. In fact, 2022 adds to your lucky #6 too. You'll take some time out of your work and be more adventurous. You might also take some time out for a family outing or two. If you burn the midnight oil at work, you'll grow in your organisation.
NUMBER 6 (Those born on the 6th, 15th and 24th of any month) The next two months is your time to shine. The difference between success and failure is luck and you have that in ample store for you. Finances could march upwards. Rather than overspending, park your income in long-term assets. It’s the best time to take a call on career, shift in residence or tying the knot.
NUMBER 9 (Those born on the 9th, 18th and 27th of any month) This is your month and year. There’s no reason why you shouldn't succeed. Be conscious of your behaviour towards loved ones. You may, at times, have a harsh tonality. Let go of the urge to argue. Alternate remedies like yoga and Pranayam shall be your solution. Workouts are equally important.
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I N S TA D I A R I E S
SONAM KAPOOR celebrates her pregnancy with the post, “Four hands. To raise you the very best we can. Two hearts. That will beat in unison with yours, every step of the way. One family. Who will shower you with love and support. We can’t wait to welcome you.
KATRINA KAIF puts out an image, “About Last Night.”
FAMILIALFILES Celebs celebrate blood relationships and more on the platform ALIAA BHATT puts out a “Sister appreciation post. I love you @shaheenb you make everything better.”
SARA ALI KHAN wishes Ibrahim, “Happiest 21st Birthday to my baby brother! Mommy is saying Namaste to my Darshaks and you both are celebrating without me today — so it’s major FOMO. I love you Iggy potter. Missing you so much today. Always stay crazy yet sorted, silly yet bright, annoying yet supportive and basically the best.”
SHAHID KAPOOR fools around with his wife Mira, “Who’s tongue is more RED!!”
RAJKUMMAR RAO reminisces about his mother and says, “It’s been 6 years Maa, since you left us but I know you are always there with me. I’ll always keep you in my heart and I know you’re always there to guide me, protect me, love me and bless me. I’m a very proud son and I’ll always try and make you a proud Mother. You will always be my Hero. I love you Maa.”
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AN ECLECTIC
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Delve into the best of travel, hospitality, wellness, food, fashion, interiors and more every month with Exotica, the monthly luxury lifestyle magazine. Read interviews with trendsetters, celebrities, industry leaders and authors to deep dive into what it took to get them there.
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HERE COMES THE SUN
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