sanket odisha tourism 2016
Chandipur
Bhubaneswar
Chandipur – Come to see the sea playing hide and seek.
Website: odishatourism.gov.in/www.visitodisha.org • E-mail: oritour@gmail.com • Toll Free : 1800 208 1414, OTDC Central Reservation Counter (10 am - 6 pm): Tel. : +91674 2430764
If you’re looking for an extraordinary holiday destination, look closely at Odisha. Dotted with some of the world’s finest beaches and waterfronts at Puri, Chandipur, Gopalpur, Talasari and Astarang, Odisha is the sun, sand and surf paradise like none other. But it isn’t only the beaches that will bring you to its shores. Odisha’s resplendent past, evident at Khandagiri, Udayagiri, Ratnagiri and Konark; pristine wildlife beauty at Bhitarkanika, Similipal and Chilika; and unflinching devotion at Jagannath, Lingaraja, Ananta Vasudeva and Mukteshwar temples will leave you spellbound for years. So make it to Odisha this year. It promises to be a one-in-a-million holidays.
TAKE YOUR BODY WHERE YOUR MIND HAS BEEN LATELY. TAKE YOURSELF TO ODISHA.
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FROM THE EDITOR
Editor-in-Chief CHANDAN MITRA EDITORIAL BOARD Vice-Chairman & Joint Managing Director Amit Goel Chief Executive Officer Abhishek Saxena 09818600128 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Charge Rinku Ghosh Feature Writers Devi Singh Priyanka Joshi Chief Designer Anand Singh Rawat Senior Designer Santosh Kumar Yadav Pre-press Manager Syed Nawab Raza Staff Photographer Pankaj Kumar SALES & MARKETING General Manager Kumar Gurudutta Jha Senior Manager Madhukar Saxena Managers Bharat Singh Sajwan & Prabhakar Pathak Senior Marketing Executive Komal Sharma Media Coordinator Anil Kumar 09871379898 GOVERNMENT & PSU General Manager Tapan Ghosh Senior Manager Neeta Rai MUMBAI OFFICE General Manager Devendra Adhikari KOLKATA OFFICE Vice President Suzanna Roy General Manager (Circulation) Rajeev Gautam Printed and published by Chandan Mitra 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 2nd floor, Patriot House, 3, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110002. Editor: Chandan Mitra. 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; 2nd Floor, Patriot House, 3, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002 Phone: 23718296/40754136 Fax: 23755275 Email: exoticapioneer2016@gmail.com
THE INVASION OF THE HILLS
AT
the outset I wish to clarify I have nothing against vegetarians. As the cliché goes, some of my best friends are vegetarians, while some others such as my wife have turned 75 per cent vegetarian. So, when I use the term Shudh Shakahari (SS) I don’t mean to refer pejoratively to vegetarians as a community. To me it denotes a mindset that finds expression in the proliferation of noisy and unruly tourism, especially in the hills. When you see a sudden outburst of gaudy signboards proclaiming pure vegetarian restaurants in any leisure destination, you know you have reached the wrong place to spend a holiday. That, of course, is unless you have an obsessive desire to rub shoulders or share culinary tastes with Chunnu, Munnu, Mummyji, Daddyji, Pammiji, Lovely, Sonu, Bunty, their parents and extended family.Now, admittedly, the Chunnu-Munnus of the world also need places to holiday. I know this will raise the spectre of apartheid, fascism, snobbery et al, but some holiday destinations should come with the statutory warning. “You are likely to encounter the SS brigade here and that could be injurious to your peace of mind.” I remember how a 36-hour stopover at Manali once, en route to Leh, caused immense dissonance, not only because of the Chunnu-Munnu invasion of one of India’s pristine holiday destinations, but also because of the massive ecological damage the SS brigade had wrought to what was once a quiet, pine forest-studded village. One travelled a good 600 km from Delhi, much of it over treacherous mountain roads, to escape the madding crowd of the cities. But Delhi seemed decidedly peaceful in contrast; the madding crowds had evidently migrated to Manali. Having already destroyed Nainital, Mussoorie and Shimla, they are spreading their tentacles to the more secluded hill stations. Kullu and Manali have supinely surrendered to the SS onslaught. Manali must beat every other place in the world in the number of hotels per square centimetre. As soon as you reach the outskirts of its once-sylvan outskirts, loud signboards announcing speciality Shudh Shakahari restaurants commence their assault on your aesthetics. Pure vegetarian thalis of all North and South varieties, occasionally interspersed by offers of traditional Bengali cuisine from Palbabu of Howrah vintage, dot Manali’s Mall. Gone are the small local or Tibetan eateries that used to make delightful trout preparations or steaming momos. On a stroll, I could not locate a single decent teashop or cafe. One had to finally retreat into a first floor bar-cumrestaurant with large glass windows to observe the sights. But what is the enervating sight that you can see from your window or balcony? A jungle of unregulated concrete, complete with clothes drying out in the sun, tin roofs of makeshift hotels and more under-construction multi-storeys. Hardly enough reason to travel all the way even if the weather is still invigorating. Arguably, for those willing to pay for seclusion, Manali has some fine resorts. But that is not the point for escapism is not a long-term solution. Development is playing havoc with the environment. Westerners, however, are environment conscious. They don’t litter and, by and large, keep to themselves. As a result, I found Leh a cleaner town than before since fewer Indians regard this as a tourist destination whereas Europeans throng Ladakh in thousands. What I fail to understand is the middle class Indian tourists’ penchant for exhibitionism. I equally fail to comprehend why they must do exactly what they do back in their native towns. To my amazement, I found people flocking to “shopping malls” even in Manali, though they are no more than ordinary clothes shops peddling standard Sarojini Nagar stuff. In a bid to be in with the times, such outlets have declared themselves as malls just as hotels are hotels no more: Even the most ramshackle Chunnu-Munnu hideout calls itself a resort nowadays. What to do, democracy after all is a game of numbers, isn’t it?
[CHANDAN MITRA] Editor-in-Chief
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Little black book [p14] Vikas Khanna: A quick peek into his style file Globetrotter [p18] Walk between two continents: Iceland Getaway [p26] Before sunrise after sunset: Bali Travel Bug [p36] Let the salt rub off on you: Rann of Kutch
[p64]
I N S I D E JANUARY 2017 VOLUME 11 NO 3
COVER: RANN OF KUTCH PHOTO: PANKAJ KUMAR
CONTRIBUTORS
New Hotspot [p48] Flushing meadows: Lolab and Bangus Eco Luxury [p54] Nature’s reserve: Vanghat Father-Daughter [p64] Beyond the stardust lies the apple of his eye: Aishwarya Rajnikanth Dhanush Gypsy Soul [p72] World Spin: Unusual hotels Shopping Row [p76] Hip haat: Hauz Khas and Shahpur Jat Trend Meter [p102] Cape fever: Swing in style
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar [p92] GURUSPEAK: The year is yours Bharat Thakur [p94] FITNESS: Against all odds Magandeep Singh [p96] BLITHE SPIRIT: Do the brew Kushan Mitra [p98] HOTWHEELS: Own the moment Sanjay Jumaani [p104] NUMBER GAME: Count your fate
[p102]
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TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES 108 INCLUDING COVER
OUR
PARTNER
HOTELS
Send us your feedback at exoticapioneer2016@gmail.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/Exotica-394686670715776
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TRAVEL NEWS
FLORIDA
THE BRIGHTER SIDE
travellers will have the option to explore even more of the sunshine state with a rail service that connects the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Brightline trains are a brand new way of touring South Florida cities. The journey starts in Miami and ends at West Palm. By 2018 the route will extend to the city of Orlando. The trains, which will be operational by mid-2017, are packed with amenities like Wi-Fi, gourmet cuisine, spacious luggage racks and bike storage. The coaches are pet-friendly and wheelchair-accessible.
THE SWISS TASTE
THE
First and Business Class guests of the Swiss International Airlines will be served specialities from Canton Grisons — the creations of top chef Sven Wassmer — on its longhaul services from Switzerland till early March. SWISS will also be featuring Grisons’ culinary delights on European short-haul services. The meals in both classes are rounded off with select Grisons cheese and top-notch regional wines.
NEW INNINGS
CELEBRITY
Cruises’ millennium class ship, Celebrity Constellation, recently made its maiden voyage to Mumbai. The Millennium-class cruise ship docked in the city of dreams as part of its existing Asia sailings. The ship has the best-in-class staterooms, spa, technological facilities and gourmet offerings. The suites take indulgence to a new level with private verandas while concierge class guests can enjoy priority check-ins.
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BEACH FRONT
INIALA
Shores, a collection of new five-bedroom villas in Natai, Phuket, is offering prime beachfront living. Each villa has a private, infinity pool with uninterrupted views of the golden sands of Natai Beach. Housed within an exclusive, private estate framed on one side by tall palm trees and the pristine Andaman Sea on the other, the villas have been specifically designed to provide the ultimate family retreat on the beach. Features include a lounge area as well as in-house private spa room with a wide variety of beauty, wellness and massage therapies providing the perfect haven to revitalise the mind, body and spirit.
ON A HIGH
WILLIAM
restaurant at Belmond Reid’s Palace, Madeira, has gained its first Michelin star. The signature dining experience, led by Executive Chef Luís Pestana, has been listed in the Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2017. Named after William Reid, a visionary and the founder of Belmond Reid’s Palace, the restaurant was launched in June 2015. The modern European cuisine here is influenced by international cooking techniques and innovative flavours. Belmond Reid’s Palace is the fourth hotel in the Belmond portfolio to be awarded a Michelin star — alongside their other properties in Rio de Janeiro, Venice and Oxfordshire.
HOMESTAYS IN ANDHRA
IN
order to promote rural tourism in the state, Andhra Pradesh is encouraging organised, community-based, environmentally and socially responsible rural homestays across the countryside. The state tourism board signed a strategic partnership deal with Rightstay (MakeMyTrip) and Stayzilla to provide an alternate source of income for villagers and enhance their livelihoods.
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FLY HIGH
GARUDA
Indonesia has launched its service from Jakarta to Mumbai via Bangkok. Mumbai serves as the airline's first gateway in the region, and by launching three weekly services to the commercial capital, the airline provides the first direct link between Indonesia and India. The opening of Garuda Indonesia's flight to Mumbai is part of its international network development programme, especially in South Asia. It also manifests the airline's strong commitment to continuously support the Indonesian government's programme to double the number of international tourists visiting the country by 2019.
NOUVEAU ARRIVE
PULLMAN
Shanghai Jing An was recently launched in China following a yearlong refurbishment of the former Grand Mercure Shanghai Central. The rebranded hotel is located in the central business district — a three-minute walk from the railway station and main metro lines with easy access to the commercial hub, shopping and entertainment district. Dining options include Venu, an all-day dining restaurant with an open kitchen serving buffet and a-la-carte. They also have a Chinese restaurant featuring 19 private rooms offering authentic Shanghainese cuisine.
IN ALLIANCE
BANYAN
Tree Holdings announced its collaboration with AccorHotels to develop and manage Banyan Tree hotels around the world. Banyan Tree will also have access to AccorHotels’ global reservations and sales network, as well as its loyalty programme Le Club AccorHotels. AccorHotels will invest an initial SGD 24 million in Singaporebased Banyan Tree and both parties will co-develop the brands owned by Banyan Tree around the world. This investment will be made through a mandatory convertible debenture that at conversion will give AccorHotels an approximately 5 per cent stake in Banyan Tree.
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A PRETTY PICTURE
INSTAGRAM’S
‘Year in Review 2016’ has crowned Atlantis, The Palm, as the fourth most Instagrammed hotel in the world and the most snapped hotel on Instagram in Dubai. Situated on the apex of the Palm in Dubai, the award winning, five-star resort is a firm favourite with celebrities and tourists from all over the world and has been the most iconic landmark on the skyline since its opening in September 2008. With over 180 pictures of Atlantis flooding Instagram daily and a 70 per cent rise in followers since January this year, the resort narrowly missed out on the top spot by Las Vegas institutions The MGM Grand and The Cosmopolitan as well as New York’s W Hotel.
ROSEATE GLOW
MANDARIN Oriental, Hong Kong, has announced an exclusive collaboration with Swiss luxury watchmaker-jeweller Piaget with the launch of two new room packages. With a long history in jewellery and watchmaking, Piaget Flagship Boutique has been located at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong since 2012. The Piaget Rose Packages will allow guests to celebrate a special occasion or a shopping getaway at the hotel and bring home a signature piece from the iconic Piaget Rose collection. The Piaget Rose Room package starts at HKD 9,888 plus.
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FAVOURITE HAUNTS OF STYLISH PEOPLE
You will always find me wearing Rayban sunglasses.
I swear by Tissot watches.
I’m currently reading You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.
The fragrance I wear is Dior Homme Sport.
I love Nike sneakers. They are the best blend of comfort and style.
VIKAS KHANNA is a celebrity chef and Michelin-starred restaurateur. He was listed as the hottest chef of America in 2011. He has also judged MasterChef India
I have not holidayed for 16 years. But I would love to visit Bhutan.
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My wardrobe is full of Giorgio Armani. I have a beige sweater which I love so much that I don’t even wear it often as it might get stained.
I’m in love with Pink Floyd. Nobody can beat them.
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GLOBETROTTER
between Walk twocontinents
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Thingvallavatn
When in Iceland, make sure to visit the Thingvellir National Park where you can literally see the north American and Eurasian tectonic plates drift apart. SAMRAT MUKHERJEE has his own Game of Thrones moment in Iceland, at the world’s first parliament
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hardly expect a mouthful of alphabets when you are planning a vacation in Iceland, a very comforting moniker in a fairytale sort of way. But once here, you have to be easy with words like “Eyjafjallajökull,” the name of one of the active volcanoes in the south. It’s more than the play on alliterative and odd consonants; Iceland also belies its polar appeal of placid icecaps and barren stretches as it happens to be one of the world’s most active volcanic hotspots. Landing at Keflavik airport and driving towards
the capital city of Reykjavik, we zip past undulating stretches that are mossed and grassy green but hardly have any trees. Yet Iceland was not always treeless. When the first Vikings arrived, it was densely vegetated from the mountain to the shores. The first of the Vikings cut all the trees along the coast for firewood and building material. The top soil loss due to continuous marine erosion made it very difficult for the trees to grow back. The sheep, which accompanied the Vikings, also deterred growth. And then there were the frequent volcanic eruptions. It is only now that concerned citizens are into aggressive
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Thingvellir National Park; rift valley
tree-planting drives, a move that has resulted in greening cities more than countrysides, which are still relics of geological time. Almost all houses in Iceland are heated by geo-thermal energy given the profusion of hot springs. Sometimes the temperature of the springwater is as as high as 98 degree centigrade! Having landed in August, I am prepared for the cold but truth be told, it is not bitter or unbearable. Most of Iceland hardly ever goes below freezing point even in winters. It can get windy sometimes but thanks to the warm Gulf stream currents, the temperature never falls unbearably low.
STANDING ON A CONTINENTAL SHELF
THINGVELLIR
National Park, just 49 km from Reykjavik, seems deceptive with its fissured surface, water flows, deadpools and scant grass forming a haphazard mosaic of scrubland. But the momentousness dawns upon you when you realise you are in the middle of a continental drift. One side is the North American plate and the other side the Eurasian plate, which have collided, pushed each other, twisted and fractured over millennia and are now
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drifting apart. Walking in the rift valley, you feel like a blip in time. The divergence of the ridge started in the north about 150 million years ago and 90 million years ago in the south. These movements continue today, manifested as they are in earthquakes, reactivation of old volcanoes and creation of new ones. With the wrinkled earth around me, having borne the pangs of an eternal process of birth, I wonder about our place in Nature. And I wish humans could see themselves in this gigantic context. It is this wish that takes me to the Nikulásargjá fissure, popularly known as Peningagjá or “coin fissure.” Visitors throw coins in the water accumulated here; it is so clear that you can see them glimmering at the bottom. In 1907 a bridge was built over the fissure for the visit of King Frederick VIII of Denmark and ever since then, people began throwing coins in it. It may seem like a few feet deep but is actually more than 10 m and ice-cold. Apparently, the water is clear because it comes from a glacier and takes 30 years to filter through! Thank the waters or the elements, but Thingvellir is also famous for its human history. The world’s first ever parliament took place here in 930 AD. The Lögberg or the Law Rock was the
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Öxarárfoss waterfall
place from where the elected speaker would preside over the assembly and recite the law of the land. The foothill of the ancient Law Rock was used as Alþingi or as assembly till 1798. This is the same place where the Thorgeir Thorkelsson announced in 1000 AD that Iceland would follow Christianity but people could still incorporate a few pagan customs. Just by the Icelandic flag that marks the spot where the Law Rock was supposed to be you can see the Drowning Pool, where 18 women were drowned between 1618 and 1749. A memorial plaque with their names can be seen near the pool and according to our guide most of the women were accused of having loose morals or witchcraft. Apparently 15 men were hanged and 30 were beheaded in the same period. Having had enough of looking within crevices, I head to Thingvallavatn, the largest lake of Iceland in the southern part of Thingvellir National Park. And since nature believes in continuity, do not miss the Öxarárfoss waterfall. On the face of it, this is just another river tumbling down in rhythmic cascades across a rolling terrain. Except that the river that falls off the edge of the North American ridge continues to the European shelf.
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WHALE-WATCHING
DAYS
Humpback whales at Faxaflói Bay
in Iceland are bright and sunny and I choose to go whale-spotting at Faxaflói Bay which is very close to Reykjavik. Tour operators provide you with warm jackets as the sea winds can be really harsh and cold. Half an hour on the boat and it hobbles. It’s a school of dolphins, playfully swimming around us, glistening in the sun, plopping and flapping. Our guide tells us how the need to keep the ecosystem intact has led to a drastic reduction in whale-hunting over the last few years. Whales help balance the marine food chain, keeping a check on certain species which can get overpopulated in no time. Even the whale faeces is of use to phytoplanktons who use the nutrients in it to grow and thrive. In turn, other marine life feed off phytoplanktons. Also, they clean the air, removing tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year. Almost an hour in the sea, we are surrounded by a gaggle of puffins. And then the majestic mammal makes an appearance. First, there’s the Minke whale, around eight metres long, probably a female. It seems to surface in a hurry, exposing the entire length of its shiny black back, including dorsal fin and blowholes. Understandable, because this species breathes rapidly three to five times at short intervals before “deep-diving” for two to 20 minutes. Ours deep-dives with a pronounced arching of the back. Next is a Humpback around 15 metres long. famous for its spectacular breaching and lobtailing. This one didn’t heave up, storming through the blue waters in a Moby Dick moment but we do see its black edged white tail flicking the waters in the sun. The Humpback, though solitary by nature, tends to befriend the bottle-nosed dolphin and sings too!
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SKY LIGHTS
I CHECK
into a small countryside farmhouse at Hella only to spend a day with Icelandic horses. Brought in by the Norsemen, they are home-grown and never exported. Neither have they ever been cross-bred. Hardy, stocky and strong, they do not fall sick easily and live longer than an average horse. And they are great at crossing the barren stretches in the howling winds. I am glad at staying back for the night as I manage to catch the most amazing celestial show called Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. These
shifting light beams in various colours of the spectrum are caused by electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. But its visual experience is beyond all logic. For the multi-coloured streaks across the night sky look like spirits traversing the cosmos. One can never tell from where they will come and where they will disappear. They may snake their way across or burst out from outer space, funnelling down swathes of green and blue. They may flicker or blaze. They may be a flash or a hemispheric shroud. In the end, you just feel you are in the realm of the mystic. Icelanders believe so too.
Northern Lights
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G E T A WA Y
, sunrise aftersunset Before
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Bali continues to top most surveys for wholesome beach and island experiences. If you want to slow down in life and re-centre yourself, this is where you should head to, suggests RINKU GHOSH
IT
feels great to be serenaded by a band of musicians, sensing the longing for romance in the smell of the freshly toasted corn from the pushcart on the beach. The sand is still warm, from the efforts of a day well spent, the fishermen have hauled their boats with the sunset, and the ocean lies calm in the distance, skirting the fairy lights on the shoreline playfully. The night birds flit past the immensity of the dark waters under a star-spangled sky. Somewhere an old boatman puts up a lantern, settling down with his anchor as the waves rock and lull him to sleep. It’s his quiet hour. Inland, it begins to bustle. The open bars and lounges warm up with new arrivals. Everybody begins as a stranger on Jimbaran beach. And ends up being a confidante.
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SANUR
Unlike any tourist hotspot, Bali sorts out its visitors quite naturally. While Jimbaran Bay is upscale, Sanur is for the peace and quiet-seeking European couples and art residents, Kuta is for family fun and Seminayak is for Indians. From the Indian perspective, Seminayak works because of its easy hangout feel, Indian restaurants (many of us are still not experimental with southeast Asian cuisine), night-long shopping boutiques, cafes and walk-in jazz bars. A performer group actually waves at us and invites us in, asking us to join mates in
KUTA
an impromptu performance and a couple of beers. But it is Jimbaran Bay, fronted by colonial style private mansions, high end resorts and an expat melange where the real cauldron stirs. It is lined with seafood restaurants, each stocked with live specimens in aquaria that are pulled out to create the most delectable seafood platters on call. All touched up with a hint of sambal sauce and local spices. The Balinese dancer puts up a show, the wandering minstrels halt at each table and we loll by the sea, with the fishermen’s boats bobbing up
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SEMINAYAK
and down the tides. The evening glows with a comforting warmth, though the lighthouse blinks in the distance, showing us a sliver of the black waters and the terrifying vastness of the ocean all around. There could be no better clarity to a day than standing atop the cliff temple at Uluwatu. For at the edge of a limestone plateau, 250 ft above the waves of the Indian Ocean, you are at world’s end staring at eternity. The limestone cliffs rising from the heart of the ocean and brought to life by
JIMBARAN
tropical greens and bursts of wildflower…..the waters changing mood and colour, now azure, next aquamarine, then blue…..the horizon heaving its stillness….and the waves crashing into the dark rocks, churning up the whitest froth and foam... Perhaps the waves pay homage to the temple god, who presides over all existence. That is why the ocean swells put up a giant ballerina act, gathering their might, tiptoeing to a crest and then falling in a gorgeous frill of surf. You could lose yourself in interlocked moments, without beginning and
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BODY SPA
without end. Statistically speaking, this is a 10th century temple, complete with an elaborately sculpted Ganesha, intricately carved friezes, lattice work, pavilions and courtyard, seemingly straight out of the Kalinga and south Indian shore temples. But the deity and trinity are still austere and imagined. It is here that we see what is to become a constant theme, the split gateway, two parallel half arches, taming the flow of energy or perhaps channelising life in between, preventing it from breaking banks. Apparently, a Hindu priest from Java, Mpu Kuturan, set this temple up to protect the islanders from the fury of the ocean. He believed Uluwatu to be the perfect lift off to moksha. And he did find his absolution here. Story goes that a fisherman saw him vanish into the clouds as a great flash of light!
IF
land is not your thing, then the sunset cruises on Bali Hai are a must-do, if only to see the sun break up into its speckled avatar and trail the wispy clouds, dare yourself to tuck a frangipani behind your ear and skim the water basking in the afterglow of a happening day. These luxury cruises lay out the most lavish dinner buffets for guests in the floating restaurants accompanied by some live music bands and scintillating cabarets after hours. You may have seen these in other cruise boats as well, particularly those near Bangkok or Singapore, but the Bali cruises are not sexed up deliberately. It is about a fashionable night out in the high seas, under a dome of stars, losing yourself without boundaries, clinking some tall glasses and the shimmering lights of the harbour guiding you home from the deep. LUXURY CRUISES
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If that’s still not it, get some deep pore relaxation at night long Balinese spa and massage centres, for a quick detox for a new day. While the economy range is available all over the town, with the staff staying in a dorm a floor above the establishment in sweatshop discipline, the traditional expertise comes at the Anika spa. Now this is a courtyard sprawl of an old house, complete with latched wooden doors and windows, sunken pools in treatment rooms, mosaic floors, stone flats, plunge pools, rattan chairs and the most experienced masseurs kneading out your stress in long, elaborate pulls. The world swears by Balinese massage, which is again, like everything else the result of many inspirations — the healing ayurvedic
techniques, along with oil and herb poultices from India, the acupressure philosophy from the Buddhists and the aromatic and beauty treatments of the royal palaces of Java, during the golden years of the Majapahit era. Native Balinese massage was originally just meant for healing, males entrusted with the delicate job of being medicine men. Given this history, little wonder then that Anika gives us major feel of a rain-washed Kerala. More so because of stone nymphs pouring water from their pots. But it is the volcanic mask that sets you apart, the wet earth easing your pores and making you au naturel. Ideally, consider a spa a day before leaving Bali, the greatest takeaway there is.
BEACH VIEW
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IF
going primal is on the agenda, head to the monkey sanctuary at Ubud, looking straight out of Jungle Book. Here simian antics that we are so used to have been graduated to a fun tourist experience, and the forest has engulfed the mossy temple ruins from centuries ago. This is rainforest country but a monkeythemed enclave has been meticulously built around it. There are eco resorts, open-air lounges and restaurants, high-end boutiques selling organic products and the ubiquitous monkey sculptures, particularly those of the “see, hear and speak no evil” variety. We stand under the great split banyan tree, the vaunted arch from the old stump turning the sky into a rabbit hole and clambering its way up the forest floor on its mangled prop roots, like an old monster spreading its tentacles. The monkeys run along the strangler tree, clutching at vines and hotstepping over canopied branches of smaller trees. There are four monkey kingdoms at Ubud, each supposedly protecting the temples. Now the
MONKEY KINGDOMS AT UBUD
shrines, they are a wonder, testimony of our seafaring predecessors and their cultural sway over the region. For it’s not just one or two temples but an entire stone complex laid out in levels, elaborately sculpted and carved, complete with plunge pools, mythic gargoyles, curved banisters, Kali, Uma, Ganesha, avatars and angels. A heaven indeed hidden from mortal eyes.
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ECO RESORTS
The monkeys keep the tourists busy, pillaging their camera bags to search for food themselves. Our guide tells us not to stare into their eyes and sit down gently and submissively should they decide to perch on our shoulders. As we go emptyhanded, they are particularly not interested in casting a second glance at us, focussing on berries instead and rubbing a flintstone on a cobbled
pathway. There are lovers who are unmindfully in the act in the middle of a trail, a gaggle of families bickering over territoriality, mothers admonishing their young, friends back-slapping each other, elders scowling — the monkey colony is as remarkably human as it can get. The trail opens out to burial flats. Cremation is serious business to the Balinese, an elaborate ritual to send off a soul
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to the other world so that they can watch over their family more intently. They temporarily bury their dead till they have made lofty arrangements, then exhume them for cremation. Our guide picks up a biscuit wrapper from the trail and hands it over to womenfolk who are collecting every tourist trash from the tangle of bushes and grass. The foresters have been made stakeholders in the tourist economy, a part of the revenue allocated to them. However, it is not just the moolah….it is a vow to Mother Nature.
IT
RAFTING AT TELAGA WAJA
is only while rafting at Telaga Waja that we feel the womb of the forest around us. For here, the forest entangles and grows around, rather into you. The river is shallow but rocky, tossing and turning us into wild epiphytes as we bend low to avoid the low-hanging branches. At one instant, we ride the crest of a rapid, grating over a stubborn and craggy outcrop, the next we are in a peaceful trough, then the undertow suddenly pulls us to a scary dark rockface that turns the boat perpendicular and tilts us over. Spinning wildly, bounced off rocks, gasping for air and clumsily alternating between oaring and holding on to the rope, it is a race of an experience. Because you are slicing through the waters. And the forest. Like the first man perhaps. Is the tempting tendril an asp in disguise? Is the hidden cave home of a monster? Does the hairy nettle sting you as bad as the insects? But when you trailblaze your way under a waterfall, cascading hither thither from nowhere, your fears get drenched and you start looking around. There are the wild bananas, tamarind and clove in the highlands, shades of green ascending in layers, occasionally broken by a solitary flowering tree, as if deliberately put there. You see innocent village kids on a hunt for the freshest frangipani, sometimes jumping into a shallow pond, the waters sliding off their skin as it would from a lotus leaf, sun rays glinting off their bare backs. Our guide had explained his double-layered sarong to us. “One is a macrocosm and the other microcosm.” Here two become one.
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W AT E R C A R N I VA L
ADVENTURE ISLAND Jalmahotsav calls out to all thrill-seekers with its second edition in Madhya Pradesh
THE
month-long adventure tourism festival of central India continues to lure enthusiasts from all over the world. The festival happening in Hanuwantiya district of Khandwa, about 3 km from Indore, wraps up on January 15. A serene destination by the banks of Indirasagar dam, Hanuwantiya offers an unmatched scope for fresh experiences. The water carnival is a treat for adrenaline junkies as they have a wide range of water, land and air activities to choose from. These include parasailing, para motoring, hot air ballooning, wind surfing, island camping, jetskiing, wall climbing, Burma bridge, night camping and plenty more. This quiet, secluded place has been transformed into a tented city to host the guests
from India and abroad. After sundown, you can witness a wide range of cultural renditions, from folk to classical to fusion, catering to various sensibilities which also made for a perfect set-up for Christmas and New Year celebrations. Not to miss the cycle rides in the lane and bylanes of the villages and many more recreational activities. Retail therapy at its best can be experienced at the craft bazaar, displaying handicrafts of heritage brought in from different parts of the state. You can also walk through and explore the food bazaar. There are two kinds of packages to choose from — tent city and island night camping and you can take your pick from either the deluxe or premium versions. — For details log onto www.jalmahotsav.com
GETTING THERE Nearest Railhead: Khandwa Nearest Airport: Indore Tourist Helpline: 18002337777 www.mptourism.com
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TRAVEL BUG
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Is this the sea? Gentle and calm, waking up with the sun? Not really. It is a salt flat of Kutch, a perennial hope in what is left behind. Be it salt-making, embroidery that is more valuable than a family heirloom, milky tea in a bhunga or getting deluded by mirages on the flats, the Rann of Kutch always reveals something new. PRIYANKA JOSHI and PANKAJ KUMAR return to celebrate a new day
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is born amid extreme desolation. I believe it as I see a boat, bobbing up and down shimmering waters in the distance, across the flat land extending to infinity in all directions, cracking under the pressure of an ever expanding universe. I feel like an ionic burst in the middle of a geological wonder. The earth’s crust seems to give way and drift away as the ocean rushes in from beneath. “Take me to the water,” I plead with my driver. “It’s nothing,” he insists. I implore him with a hundred rupee note to save me from the edge of an apocalypse. “I need to get on the boat,” I scream. He gives in to the temptation of hard times but curses me for nursing an illusion. He
rages ahead but the waters keep receding. And then I see a truck, skimming effortlessly over what I thought was the sea. I blink. This is no miracle for sure. My driver snaps me back to reality. “Welcome to the Little Rann of Kutch, you just witnessed a mirage and that’s the reason why so many travellers lose their path.” Life lesson learnt, nothing is what it seems like. And galloping across the white flats of Little Rann, the sameness does make you feel you have lost control, the sharp edge of the horizon teasing you to fall off the mammoth uncertainty around you. Only you can’t, as the curl of dust and sand clouds your vision. So I do not react when I see white hillocks sail past me, iceberg-like. Turns out this time it’s not an illusion of the scorched earth. These are the salt hills that add flavour to a nation’s life.
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A PINCH OF SALT is the first time that I see dots of colour perking up my senses. Women going about their daily life in bright mirror-work skirts have never seemed so vibrant. This tough terrain has dominated Surendra’s life since he was a child. He is an Agaria, a salt worker, whose tribe has made a speciality out of extracting this most important ingredient of life. The Little Rann of Kutch is home to him and his family for eight months a year, from September to April. The remaining four months they spend in Kharagoda. Not just him, the Rann of Kutch is home to more than 100,000 workers like him for eight months a year, who come from villages 30 to 40 km away. During monsoon, water from the Arabian Sea floods the Rann converting it into a lake. In September, when the waters recede, it’s time for the Agarias to move in. Mud huts come up as they stay on the flats till spring, making the Vadagara variety of salt — it has big crystals and is considered inferior to the powdered marine salt sold in most of urban India.
THIS
Vadagara is made from sub-soil brine. Agarias dig a 6-9 metre-deep well from where the brine is pumped out. This is then taken through channels to large flat pans. Getting these pans ready to receive the brine is tough work. Agarias stamp hard and level the earth with their bare feet, with no care for blisters. The pressure tightly packs the loose soil and ensures the brine does not seep back. “The initial layer of salt that is formed, once the brine evaporates, is scraped with heavy wooden rakes, locally known as gantaras. Some dry branches are thrown in, around which salt crystals form,” says Surendra. Once the salt has been harvested, it is sent to collection points. Here traders take over. These collection points are taken to the nearest railway station for transportation to salt factories. “Little Rann is the only place where salt pans exist in the desert and not along the sea shore because of the high salinity in groundwater. Many companies have their own pans but we still follow the old and traditional method of extraction,” he tells us. By the time we reach the factory, which is really a series of sheds, you can breathe and taste salt in
(Clockwise) Sunset view at the salt hills; woman worker spreads the granules; Agarias dig a 6-9 metre-deep well
for collecting saline water
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(Above) Factory floor; (below) salt piles; the country’s oldest mall by Hindustan Salts Limited which was run by the British before independence
the air. Suddenly, you seem basted in excess and yearn for a wash. Ali, the factory hand, takes us to the washery where the salt is cleaned in multiple stages. Then the slurry undergoes the centrifugation process. The salt cakes obtained at the outlet are devoid of impurities such as iron and other insoluble material. Says Ali, “Multiple washing also controls both the impurities (soluble and insoluble) like calcium and magnesium. In the end, we add iodine.” These salt cakes are dried, sieved for uniformity of granules and blended before being packed. Like Surendra, Ali has grown up with a familial legacy. Walking us through his ancestral village of Kharagoda, he tells me, “My grandfather says the Britishers came here in 1905 and taught us salt processing. They built this place, especially for workers like us. We are just carrying forward that legacy with our skill.” Structured colonies, hospitals, cricket grounds and a market colonnade are all that remain of the erstwhile British factory hub. It is here that I make a startling discovery — the country’s oldest mall by Hindustan Salts Limited which was run by the British before independence. Ten shops under one roof, lined neatly along a passageway, the shopkeeper sitting on raised stone platforms. Tailor Habib Khatri is a torchbearer of those times. “My forefathers started stitching men’s clothes from the colonial era. I do that now. Women around these parts still stitch their own clothes at home.”
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Tribeswoman in front of her bhunga
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COLOURS OF GUJARAT The tribal women’s dexterity with the needle and thread is on full view at Sumresar village in Bhuj district. The village has a big population of Hindu immigrants from Pakistan, who settled down here after the 1971 war. Women settlers have organised themselves into a cooperative under the Kala Raksha Trust to preserve traditional tribal embroidery like suf, rabari and kharek. Ramesh, the manager of Kala Raksha, explains, “The suf style of stitching is based on triangular shapes and worked from the back of the cloth. It’s a detailing style and its virtuosity is displayed in variations. Rabari embroiderers outline patterns in a tight square chain stitch with mirrors. They borrow colours and motifs from their environment, be it red or black, yellow and white. The threadwork is more than art, it symbolises membership of a community. At a Rabari wedding, (Above) Rabari embroidered door toran; an artiste at work
the bride’s home is lavishly decorated. But it is not until the midnight ceremony that the bride’s embroidery is shown. Only glimpsed beneath her veil, the groom’s family proudly displays the dress and uniform embellishment while introducing her socially. Jewels do not matter in this show of talent. Since this is a hereditary art, most mothers bring their girls along so that there is a thread of continuity.” Except now, thanks to the trust, they can contemporise designs for the urban market under the guidance of mentors from NID. “We train more than 100 women and now they work with big labels like Ritu Kumar, Anju Modi and the Jaypore brand.” He introduces me to Anvita, who comes down from Delhi fortnightly. “I only guide them regarding the placement and look and feel of the motifs. This is a very difficult task because setting patches on a kurta could take two to three months.”
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THE MUD HOUSE We head out to the Great Rann at the crack of dawn. It’s a somnolent ride till the caravan trundles to a stop in front of a village with circular mud huts called bhungas. Our hostess insists we have tea and hardsells her milk. “Our cows are the best in the world and milk tea here is like no other,” she tells us, laying down a bedspread on a mud platform. And indeed the tea is luscious. These conical huts make for great insulation, keeping out extremities of heat and cold. Another villager Lala Bahan explains this traditional architectural feat: “First, we mix desert mud and clay together to form the conical structure with a thatched roof. Once the clay dries off in five days, we apply a layer of white paint. We stencil folk motifs like peacocks, camels and slices of village life with a cardboard. Then we emboss them with mirrors of different shapes and colours.” The cardboard stencils are not thrown away but used as tiles for the interior. I revise my views on art. For nature inspires the best expressions even through its scarcity. I have never seen more creative a people who are used to clinical and precise rationing of resources. I notice a woman in a long black skirt offsetting it with a colourful dupatta thrown around her torso and traditional jewellery. She is a Malik Jat, the tribe that came here from Iran about 500 years ago. They are known for their fine art but don’t like the interference of tourists in their life. Sporting a giant nose ring, a badge of identity for them, she refuses to give me her name. But she does agree to tell me about her nose ring. “My mother-in-law gave this to me. Every married woman wears one. It’s so heavy that we tie it with a piece of cloth string that goes over the head and is tucked into our pony tails or plaits.” What is pride without a little pain? Or is it worth it?
(Above) Suf; Kharek and Rabari motifs have distinct characteristics; a girl regales in her traditional costume; Malik Jat tribe woman; circular mud huts called bhungas in Great Rann of Kutch
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THE MAGICAL LAND We leave the secretive world of the women and walk into a blazing sunset on the Greater Rann. Am back at the expansive flats again. There’s the white of the land and the blue of the sky. In the dulcet hour though, the sun has managed to seep through the harsh edges of the Rannkshetra. We decide to stay back till the moon comes up. And because bleakness is a way of life, camel owners decorate their camels and carts with
colourful ornaments. I come across Akil, a camel cart owner, who calls his pet Tuffan and has even got him tattooed. No screaming animal rights, they are temporary. But it is the magical midnight hour that steals all the colour, a silvery moon that hangs low from an ink dark sky, the white of the earth tufted up by the moonbeams that refract a midnight blue around us. It’s almost like a space journey, the moon seemingly getting closer and closer,
Sunrise on the Rann as the sea gushes in. One of nature’s wonders deserves quiet contemplation
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palpable, alluring and freezing you into stillness. It has cast a fairytale spell. Even though there is no vegetation, no flowers, and no physical movement at all, there is magic in the gentle rustle of breeze. Out in the great wide open, you tend to forget the cold, the fatigue and all the petty issues of life. The land challenges you like a giant canvas — the space is vast; come paint it with your ideas. One that can be attempted only with the dawn of a new day, the sun reddening the sky gradually,
the moon holding on desperately, the mercury sliver suddenly lighting up a great ball of fire that floods all consciousness. And then there it is again. The mirage. Shimmering water. This time, so close. It seems a sea has foamed up overnight and couldn’t quite retreat as fast, its eddies crystallising before they could swirl back. The BSF jawan tells me otherwise. “That’s the sea. The full moon raised the tide which is why the waters have rushed inward. You are lucky.” As they say, God fulfills himself in many ways.
(Above) Sunset on the flats; full moon night at the white desert near Dhordo
GETTING
THERE Kutch is located in Bhuj district of Gujarat. Its administrative centre, has a great road, rail and air connectivity with major cities. State and private buses are available at timely intervals.
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NEW HOTSPOT
WILD ABODE Get closer to nature with Satkosia Sanctuary, Odisha’s very own haven for flora and fauna
SATKOSIA
Baisipalli Sanctuary, popularly known as Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary, is one of Odisha’s famous wildlife hotspots. The Gharial Breeding Project, the latest venture of the wildlife reserve, has attracted a lot of attention and contributed to its popularity. The idyllic green sanctuary spans 1,330 sq km and was established in 1976. The entire area is divided into two parts by the Mahanadi river and is situated between the districts of Budh, Angul, Nayagarh and Cuttack. The sanctuary is valued by wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers, scientists and adventure freaks. In its secluded premises, it houses elephants, tigers, leopards, mouse deer, wild goats, sloth bears, spotted deer, giant squirrels and four-horned antelopes. It is also home to gharials, fresh water turtles and snakes. Its most distinctive feature is the Gharial Research and Conservation Unit, which is situated at Tikarapada. You can explore the wild side of the sanctuary by visiting Baghmunda, the territorial stretch of tigers. Apart from the core, you can tour places like Tikarpara that offers beautiful views of the gorge, Hati Girga, known for its watch tower. Labangi is situated on a hill top. Purnakot has hiking trails and Kandhaid intense jungles. Besides exploring the forests for various kinds of animals, you can also enjoy panoramic vistas and opt for activities like trekking, elephant rides, night safaris and boating provided by the forest department.
HOW TO REACH
RAIL: Sagadapata is the nearest railway station. ROAD: Hire a bus or taxi from Cuttack. BEST TIME TO VISIT: December and January. WHERE TO STAY: Tented accommodation is available near Tikarpada. The option of guest houses is also available in and around the sanctuary.
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NEW HOTSPOT
Flushing
meadows This year, look beyond Gulmarg. Include Lolab and Bangus Valleys in your next holiday plan if you want to go off the beaten track. And love stories. KHURSHEED WANI gives you a lowdown
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Lolab Valley
ALMOST
a century ago, famous poet Allama Iqbal composed an ode to Kashmir’s Lolab Valley, comparing its spring water to restless, shimmering mercury. What do you say of Lolab, where valley after valley throws up a surprise, tucked as they are in the folds of the mountains, inadmissible at first, welcoming and open once you have made it? Be it fruit orchards, lakes, flower meadows or plain rice fields, their unlimited, free
expanse and other worldly stillness would easily make you wonder if indeed a slice of heaven had fallen off on the mortal side of the Himalayas. But it is not until you hear stories that you believe otherwise. Legend has it that Sogam, the headquarters town, was the seat of a king who lorded over a hundred villages. And it was once so densely populated that a sheep, which climbed the roof of one house, situated at one end of the village, could reach the other end without having to come
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down in between. Apparently, the king also built “84 lakh of stone buildings.” Maybe, Lolab had seen civilisational excesses and in our time had quietened down to being a sylvan avatar. Maybe, the human race still has hope of turning over a new leaf. Every inch of this virgin paradise in the Kupwara district of north Kashmir, ensconced between the Pirpanchal and Shamsbari mountain ranges, is a tourist’s delight. It is just a three-hour drive through the historic Sopore town where swathes of apple orchards demonstrate the prosperity of the people. They say colours come alive at Lolab, verdant green in summer and pure gold in the winter sun. The mighty firs and pines are caught in their timeless swirl. Walnut and apple trees change with the seasons. And in the tiny hamlets that dot the valley, a life that is distinctly and uniquely Kashmiri is abundant. Timber houses with sloping thatched roofs; the brilliant vermillion of chillies drying from windows; women carrying samvovars of tea into the fields where every member of the family is engaged. The entire 25 sq km stretch from northwest to southwest is filled with lush green forests and pastures, somewhere a few yards and at other places as wide as 5 km. The shimmering waters of Lalkul stream try to avoid the sun which gives away its playful run among the grassy knolls. In fact, there
are so many mountain streams frolicking in and around Lolab that it is now home to about 11 lakes. Cold facts aside, this is the stretch where many Hindi films of yesteryear's were shot. If it were lovebirds taking a tonga ride, singing an everlasting song under the shade of poplars on both sides of the road, be sure they had camped here years ago. And nothing much has changed really. THE MAIDEN RIDE
KUPWARA
is one of the most peaceful towns that have recently woken up to tourism with hotels and a bustling marketplace. We crossed it as the sun surpassed the eastern peaks and pierced through the conifers, which broke down a day into a thousand shimmering slivers. We took a right turn towards Lolab on a narrow road. And then it was time for surprises by the bend. No sooner did we wrap around one mountain side, another, even bigger and greener, would miraculously heave out of the earth without so much as allowing a peep of what was to come. The more the mountains, more the valleys. Lolab, in fact, is a cluster of villages, each a valley in its own right. The Army post at Zangil was the marker that Lolab was near. It closes at night, so visitors have the option of doing a day trip or staying over.
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We headed towards a plateau called Wawoora where we picked up local guide Riyaz Ahmad. Lolab, he said, might have derived its name from a feudal king Lolo, who ruled these parts many centuries ago. However, he believed the name was a combination of lol (love in Kashmiri) and aab (water). “We have abundance of both — love and water,” he said proudly. Though it was my maiden visit, each of the villages seemed strangely familiar. Was sure had seen them in my childhood dreams and felt I was destined to be here. As if drawing on the fairytales of childhood, Riyaz recounted the story of the mythical Raza Loh who did penance for 12 years in one of the meadows after which he got a boon to drain the waters and invited shepherds to settle down. STORIES AND STORIES spring has a story but none is so quirky as those in Chandigam. One doesn’t entertain women because one of them had unwittingly broken the sam or the stones lining it causing the water to drain out, another changed its shape at the behest of a saint, yet another bubbled up with kheer offered by devotees, while the darkest pool is considered to be full of snakes and portends evil. The original village spring, however, has now become a swamp. But before 1947, excavations had led to the retrieval of earthen lamps and pottery associated with holy rituals, confirming the antiquity of the place. Digging had also confirmed the presence of several underground springs. Chandigam is about 25km from Kupwara. A sprawling tourist bungalow is the latest addition to its fame as a holiday destination. Connected with a macadamised road network, it is turning out to be a popular camping site. The lush green forests provide ample scope for trekking and mountain biking. Needless to say, locals aren’t complaining and we found a group of carvers embellishing the woodwork and fencing of the bungalow surrounded by tall conifers. On way to Doraswani, we spotted villagers preparing fields for a paddy crop. Kashmiris love their rice as much as coastal people do. On a narrow pathway, we stopped for a while to watch two peasants, knee-deep in mud, with their bullocks and ploughs tilling land for the kharif crop. You may argue that there is nothing new in India’s pastoral bliss. But there was something about the pines in
EVERY
(Left) On the road to Lolab Valley; (above) a tourism facility at Chandigam; a farmer ploughs his field
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the background and the tall, extraordinarily fair, heavily bearded, handsome men with pronounced facial features, draped in long, ochre robes, that added grace to a mundane routine. Villagers still live in their old, thatched mudhouses or log huts. Each home is invariably surrounded by walnut trees, which produce the best quality of the dry fruit in Kashmir. “Every village in Lolab is hundreds of years old. People know how to live in this forlorn area. Invest a small amount in a proper way, re-arrange things and you get a befitting tourist destination,� said block development officer Aziz Ahmad, who trekked with us to Inderbugh village. On the way, we spent some silent moments at Lav Nag, which sprung up after a mythical havan was performed there by ancient sages. The girth of the cedar and pine trees was phenomenal, momentarily taking us back to gargantuan times. But the immensity of this mystic land was softened by the smell of fallen pine cones, decomposing needle leaves and the fragrant wild flowers lining the pony track, used by the villagers to fetch firewood from the forest. The hill that separated Kupwara from Lolab Valley was thickly forested with walnut trees. In the midst of this was a resident clairvoyant, popularly known as Baba. A religious recluse, he was known for being able to look into the future of whoever cared to go and ask him to do so. Having nothing much to do in the evening, we trooped into his lair. A fire was raging in a pit and around half-a-dozen
A view of the Patushahi village; (below) meadows of Lolab
devotees, all Muslims, were sitting closest to the entrance, facing the Baba on the other side of the fire. Who said enlightenment could be segregated? A MODEL VILLAGE said a trip to Lolab would be incomplete without visiting Warnow village. So we took a left turn to embark on a narrow boulder-strewn road that belied its claim as the first model village of Kashmir Valley. We crossed a stream on a wooden bridge without railings. Warnow boasts of century-old, two-storeyed log houses, entirely made of timber, of which one was special. A renowned Islamic scholar of the 20th century, Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri, was born in this house. He set out in search of knowledge at a young age and became one of the few Islamic scholars with extraordinary command over the sermons (hadith) of Prophet Muhammad. He is known as one of the best luminaries of Darul Uloom Deoband. Iqbal is said to have metaphorically referred to Allama Kashmiri when he praised the springs of Lolab. The place has much to offer to heritage lovers. At Kalaroos, 19 km away from Kupwara, the past and
RIYAZ
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present architecture blend in a happy co-existence. Outside Madmadav village, there are ruins of an old building, probably a travellers’ inn, the likes of which are seen on the Mughal Road in south Kashmir. This is called Satbarran, meaning seven doors. From the last point, a trek of 1.5 km leads to more ruins and a dark, endless cave that is believed to be a secret passage for silk traders to Central Asian countries. The Seemab Valley is fed by the Daal Kul stream that sings an eternal song while brimming with ice-cold water from melting glaciers. In the distance are the white peaks, coated by a fresh layer of snow every night. Somehow, the Himalayan crests seem like dormant pimples on the earth, the expansive plain at this height lulling you into believing the world is flat. NATURE’S GOODNESS is a trekkers’ delight. The Rangwar-Lalpora stretch is known for its lush pastures and wild flowers. A hutment by the tourism department serves as base camp for trekking towards Bandipora. “You can pass through the mesmerising meadows of Nagmarg”, informed Yasin Lone, chief executive
LOLAB
officer of the newly set up Lolab-Bangus-Drangyari Development Authority (LBDDA). As we sat at his sprawling office, he told us how our trip was incomplete without Bangus Valley. “The biggest meadow there is a three-hour straight walk, untouched by humans, full of the softest grass, prettiest flowers and wild horses.” A Kashmiri poem described it as Anendasagara (Ocean of Eternal Joy). It is believed that the valley was once a landlocked sea that disappeared to create the beautiful meadows. Stories, there’s no end to them. And what would wanderlust be without them? Lolab and its adjoining Bangus valley and Drangyari areas are emerging as new hotspots. Bangus is a particularly alive meadow full of wild flowers and lush green swathes. It has a great potential for becoming Asia’s biggest golf course, spreading around 300 sq km. It is locally known as Bodha Bungas (big Bangus) consisting of a linear elliptical bowl, aligned along the east-west axis. A similar valley known as Lokut Bangus (small Bangus) lies in the northern side of the main valley. The government has embarked upon an ambitious plan to develop infrastructure in Bangus Valley. A tourist guest house, comprising nine bedrooms, has come up at Chandigam and Sogam. The authorities are working on making Bangus a permanent fixture on the tourism map of the state. The Drangyari circuit has already gained huge currency among the local tourists. Lying in the foothills of Nattishanner, it is surrounded by Badi Bahak, Aincha and Tilipatra and is a repository of medicinal plants. Kashmir never gives itself away all at once.
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ECO LUXURY
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Vanghat is a haven for naturalists, wildlife enthusiasts, photography lovers, anglers, forest hikers and simply anyone seeking time-out from the din and distress of modern urban lifestyle. A perfect model of responsible tourism, ANUPMA KHANNA recommends the richest haul of forest life
SECLUSION
is at times the best companion. When silence gives a voice to the soul, the nothingness around us creates an awareness of the whole that we are. In our want for more, we often lose this beautiful part of ourselves. For most of us, our travels are an escape to rediscover this lost self and amass a great wealth of experiences. Yet, getting to the right place to spend a few days of peaceful contemplation and being one with nature is not always easy. Which is what makes Vanghat, a remote eco-lodge in the thick jungles of the Corbett National Park, a unique and appealing place to stay at for a rejuvenating quiet holiday. The eco-lodge has recently been nominated in the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards 2016 for Best Contribution To Wildlife Conservation. A haven for naturalists, wildlife enthusiasts, photography lovers, anglers, forest hikers and simply anyone seeking timeout from the din and distress of modern urban lifestyle, Vanghat is exactly what its name suggests — it is a forest skirting a river. View of Vanghat
PHOTO: WANDERTRAILS/GERARD DAVID
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An eco lodge in the thick jungles of the Corbett National Park; (right) meals served at Vanghat are reminiscent of home-made food
GETTING THERE
3 For those coming directly it is essential to fly to Delhi which is close to Ramnagar. 3 A train journey from Delhi to Ramnagar is good and the most convenient. You need to take The Ranikhet Express 5013. 3 You can also take a taxi or bus from Delhi. It will take 10 hours.
Tucked away in the wilderness, it promises memorable stays in rustic-styled cottages handcrafted by hill masons. Clay with savanna thatch growing naturally in the area form the exterior of the mud huts while driftwood and eucalyptus logs make for the unassuming charm of the woodwork. The retreat itself sits pretty on an isolated bank of the western Ramganga in the lesser known but incredibly rich Kalagarh tiger reserve of the Corbett National Park, a six-hour drive from Delhi. Most significantly, it begins where the road ends; you will need a 2km hike into the forest to retreat to a sylvan hideaway. Vanghat has only four large mud cottages and three stone cottages amidst a vast expanse of virgin forest. What this provides to travellers is personalised care by the warm and
simple local staff. They know the forest like the back of their hands and can tell you not just about the wild sprawled all around but nuggets of folk wisdom that is born of a primal force. “When it comes to sustainably built dwellings conducive to local weather conditions, no one knows it better than the indigenous tribes of the area. Our large mud cottages and community areas like the dining area are inspired by the architectural pattern of the Vangujjar tribes. The stonework is unique as it has been done with the age-old technique of securing river stones deftly with clay,” describes owner Sumantha Ghosh, who is also an environmentalist. Van Gujjars of Uttarakhand are a nomadic, forest-dwelling and cattle-herding community with an intriguing traditional lifestyle. The tribe’s distinct identity is embodied in its name, Van or forest and Gujjar meaning “the way we are.” Their mud and thatch settlements, or deras, deep inside the forest are made in such a way that they remain warm in winters and cool in summers. People in the hills have for ages built their homes with stone, clay and slate with insulated ceilings of wood and clay seals. It is interesting to note that Uttarakhand is in the high-risk seismic zone and
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these simple structures raised by village folk have shown remarkable strength to withstand many a temblor. Food forms an important part of travel for most and the meals served at Vanghat are reminiscent of fresh home-made food. They keep a low inventory, do not use a deep freezer and have a small number of cottages. What this translates into is wholesome food cooked with care. The menu fare consists of Indian, Tibetan and European cuisine. And of special charm is the Pahari cuisine served mostly for lunch. The staff is happy to personalise recipes to suit the tastes and requirements of the guests. The cottages use solar energy and as dusk falls, the pathways are lit only with traditional paraffin lanterns and beautifully encased candles so as to leave the surrounding wildlife undisturbed. It feels like being in a time warp and a part of primeval life, to have candlelight dinner in the mystical silence of the surrounding dense, dark forest abounding in tigers, birds, deer, butterflies, otters and elephants. At times, only a few metres from a cottage, you would find the footprints of yellow-throated marten, mongoose, civet cats, langur, sambhar, barking deer and elephants. It is common to find quills of porcupines, a very fascinating creature
which is exclusive of the night. Tiger and leopard pug marks follow these rich prey. There are goat antelopes characteristic of the Himalayas and the serows, one the most elusive and most rarely sighted mammals. These extremely shy ungulates dwell in deep rocky crevasses in some of the remotest parts of the forest. Although the Corbett National Park is famous for its big cats, the deep forest is home to a fascinating variety of wildlife and vegetation that one must surely catch sight of in a walking tour of the jungle. As Ghosh points out, “The luxury of being located next to a river is that, being the lifeline of one of the oldest protected forests of Asia, it generously blesses the environs with a richness of flora and fauna.
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Wildlife photographers capture fleeting moments on camera
However, much is wasted in the pursuit of these larger than life, elusive, solitary great cats and the success of a forest trip is sadly sometimes evaluated with nothing less than the sightings of these big cats. Visitors thus miss truly relishing the abundance of these amazing forests, particularly the variety of trees.” So Vanghat offers safaris to explore the woods on foot for a live “feel of the forest,” a great pleasure for nature lovers. The lodge organises many non-intrusive wildlife activities like walking safaris, bird watching, photo tours, camera trap holidays and angling. Guests have the opportunity to join in several of the conservation projects that Vanghat supports and the pleasure of getting their hands muddy as they help out in one of their organic farms or oak forest restoration.
Being nestled in a bowl-shaped valley and surrounded by forest on all sides, it nurtures a rich biodiversity. The undergrowth offers sightings of gems such as Chestnut Headed Tesia, Red Billed Leothrix, Minla, White Tailed Rubythroat and rareties like the Nepal Wren Babbler. Probing along the river, one meets gorgeous birds like the Majestic Crested Kingfisher, Little And Spotted Forktail and Browndippers. Winters bring to the forest a large number of butterfly birds — the Wallcreeper, a fabulous bird that discreetly haunts the mountains. The area is home to over 50 species of birds of prey and the early morning valley-to-valley flights of the Great Hornbill are a sight to behold. For those seeking an authentic village homestay experience, a stay at the cottages can be clubbed with an unforgettable memory of being
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hosted by the heart-warming hospitality of the simple folk who live in the villages. In all of this, the one thing that sets apart Vanghat the most is its commitment to responsible tourism, an urgent need for the fragile ecosystem of this Himalayan region. The ethos of the lodge is to completely minimise any impact on the surrounding wildlife. The grounds are cleared of foreign invasive species and re-planted with native endemic grasses, shrubs and trees. There are no fences to keep wildlife out and any number of animals can be seen regularly wandering around the camp, including elephants! Vanghat supports a handful of local conservation initiatives and hosts gap year students and interns who have addressed many grassroots conservation issues in their research
on the area. The eco-lodge has been visited by quite a few well-known conservationists including among others Ruth Padel, a conservation and wildlife author and great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin. “We firmly believe that maintaining a low inventory is the least we can do to create a non disturbing habitat for our true hosts — the wildlife we share the Vanghat forests with. Even before the cottages of Vanghat were constructed, we applied our mind to habitat restoration. Almost 5,000 plants have converted Vanghat into a tropical paradise. Till date none of the structures has been damaged by the visiting elephants or other creatures,� shares Ghosh, who believes that interdependence has t be earned and fostered. With no fence, light or sound pollution, Vanghat is an excellent example of co-existence with the wild.
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PROJECT TIGER
MACHLI’S
LEGACY
Corporate busybee by vocation, wildlife photographer by heart, DESH DEEPAK MISRA (Director, Human Resources, ONGC) weaves a photo-story around his exploration of the majestic Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. The reserve’s signature treasure — the tiger — is veiled in the copybook trails
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RANTHAMBORE
may be the king’s throne but it has its many moments with other wildlife species. It was incredible to see a pair of Rufous Treepies competing for space on the head of the camera crew, vocalising their claims with high-pitched sounds. Treepies in Ranthambore are friendly with park visitors — invariably they fly in and perch themselves on the jeeps and often the occupants of the jeeps handfeed them biscuits and sandwiches which they have smuggled in.
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THE
fauna of the park is quite diversified, including reptiles as well. Crossing a water body, we spotted a marsh crocodile resting on a rock near the water body. It reminded us that Ranthambore’s legendary tigress Machli (T-16) had killed one mugger crocodile to save her cubs, losing two of her canine teeth in the process. It earned her the title of “Crocodile Killer.”
RANTHAMBORE
boasts of one of the finest census of tigers, with each tiger given a unique numeric code identity. The tigress Machli was coded T-16. The odds were in our favor; we could see the full ambush — Tigress Krishna (T-19), granddaughter of Machli, was in full view escorting her three subadults, i.e. cubs between 12 to 18 months of age (T-63, T-64 and T-65). Courtesy effective use of cell phones among Gypsy drivers and guides, as the ambush came closer, a large number of vehicles converged on the spot. The sub-adults were playful, not the least distracted by the visitors’ vehicles encroaching their territory and privacy. It appeared that they were also habituated to their regular drill. The vehicles
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IN
a close encounter, while negotiating a turn on a road in the park, we caught an amazing shot of a chital fawn trying to have a quick drink. It got disturbed by our vehicle, and the mother-fawn duo swiftly disappeared in the thick undergrowth.
NEAR
the Malik Talao lake, we saw a herd of sambar deer, dining on the weeds submerged in water. It was a unique example of a dynamic and balanced eco-system — the sambars adapting their diet to the local menu to survive in the water-flooded plains. More than an hour passed uneventfully. As our spirits dipped, came an adult sambar, stretching out
on its hind legs to reach out precariously to the leaves of a strong-wooded Dhok tree of over 10 feet. A different posture can change the look of even animals. Dhok is a dominant species of the park, constituting around 80 per cent of the vegetation cover. The abundance of the species is understandable as the region is prone to droughts and it is capable of surviving long periods without water.
followed the cat family for around two kilometres, trying to set up the best angle to film them. The chase ended only when the T-19 family disappeared into the tall golden grass around the lake. We learnt that as the cubs grow up, their mother teaches them a lesson — to leave the territories they were born into and find new territories for themselves. Whether taking the sub-adults into the tall golden grass was a teaching lesson by the mother, we wondered. Reflecting on the 15-20 minutes of watching the four tigers, one thing that stands out is the maturity and majesty of the mother vis-àvis the sub-adults. The strides of Krishna were measured, steady, exuding her composure and confidence. The three sub-adults, although virtually the same size as their mum, were rather casual in their movements — so much like us human beings.
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F AT H E R D A U G H T E R
AISHWARYA RAJNIKANTH DHANUSH has legacy thrust upon her courtesy the two successful men in her life and showbiz. But she has her feet firmly planted on the ground thanks to her mother and grandmother. And having observed the set as a spectator, her vision has been wider. From atop an apple box. She would stand on it to reach the camera lens and assess a director’s frame through that. This magical experience shaped her will to become a filmmaker in her own right. Discussing her new book, a series of memory fragments, she gets chatty with RINKU GHOSH about retaining sanity as a star kid, seeking normalcy and, of course, the real man behind Thalaiva
BEYOND THE STARDUST LIES THE APPLE OF HIS EYE
Some of the anecdotes about your life and growing up under the shadow of superstardom are very specific and precise, almost visual. Have you been a diarist for a long time? I used to maintain a diary but I haven’t stored its volumes very carefully. Had I known that I would be writing a book someday I would have kept them safe. But I did manage to pull out threads of memories and experiences and the most important and memorable have come out in the book. I’m an inherent storyteller. I really love to write.
This book happens to be in fragments. There is no continuous flow or structure as such. Is this randomness deliberate? It just happened and wasn’t planned at all. I wanted the book to read like a diary because I was most comfortable expressing myself in the format. It all began with talk of blogging at the office. Everyone writes a blog, so people asked me why didn’t I start one too and do something creative other than write scripts? I hadn’t written in a very long time. I think your passions take a backseat when your priorities change after you get married and become a parent.
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You keep on procrastinating your other pursuits. So when the blogging discussion came up, I said I could not really do it because I am not a techsavvy person. Uploading, bringing everything to a certain structure, following fonts and edit tools are not something I’m good at. I have always liked to write with a paper and a pencil to be specific. I wrote the whole book that way and I had someone type it out for me. I have the written manuscript with me. Somebody told me to send it to a publication house and I could only think of Harper Collins because I was familiar with them, having read many books of theirs. They approved my first draft, which was very encouraging, and that’s when I decided to go ahead with it. It was not about the language... it was about keeping it real. Do you read a lot? I do. I’m a voracious reader. I read a lot of bestsellers.
IN HIS WORDS as long back as I can remember, he would come back from work, have a bath and spend some time in a dimly-lit room. Not only was the room kept dark, there were mirrors on four sides, reflecting the play of shadows, making the room seem extremely frightening to my young eyes. I asked him why the room was so dimly-lit and why it had those mirrors and why he spent so much time there. Appa smiled. Looking back, I understand that smile, especially since both my boys have started asking me questions about my habits and beliefs. His answer still echoes in my heart. “All my life, I dreamt of achieving something big. I struggled, worked hard with dedication and finally I achieved what I wanted. Fortune, fame and more. But as I climbed the ladder, I noticed something. The higher I got, the lonelier I became. There were very few around me who genuinely liked me. Many were jealous, which is a common human trait but they turned that jealousy into an irrational hatred. My friends couldn’t relate with me anymore as my goals had changed and become more complex, as had the subjects that interested me, the problems that troubled me. Some people see loneliness at the top as security, but the reluctance of most
From
The book, though shedding light on unknown facets of your dad (Rajnikanth) and your husband (Dhanush), is very balanced because you have actually upheld the unknown women we don’t know about, your mother and grandmother. The former started an unconventional, applicationbased school by setting up The Ashram and your grandmother wanted all of you to be career women. How did they shape your sense of identity considering you had the shadow of your father to deal with too at that point of time? I can’t think of my life without these two women. If there is anything normal about me, it is because of my grandmother, who gave me a middle class upbringing in the first few years of my life when I lived with her in Bengaluru. She urged me to become a lawyer and it is because of her persistence that I am currently pursuing a degree in law. Once at my parent’s home, we saw very little of our father. It was our mother who nurtured us, kept us away from the prying intervention that superstardom involves, made sure we moved around with uncles, aunts and relatives to avoid
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attention and ensured we grew up like any other kid without missing too much, given that we were in a protected circle. They have been such an integral part of my life that whenever I talk about myself, they will be mentioned by default. Deep in my heart, I have always wanted to be like them, imbibe their habits and traits. In a home with a male star pivot, women are expected to take care of everything by default. You have to compromise a lot and carry everything along. How did your mother see this through? It was undoubtedly a huge challenge for her. Because she held it together, my father could build his own milestones. I understand her better today because I’m a mother too now and going through the same challenges. The man of the house has his own set of challenges. When I got married to Dhanush, it was tougher for him as he is a year younger to me and was just starting out in the industry. By that alliance, he was forever tied up with a shadow of a looming star in the same field. It is a huge task to carve your own niche within these constraints. I think you need to give it to him more than me to get married that young (I was just 22) and take up both family and career responsibilities. And I think he’s made all of us proud. What is your true calling....being a filmmaker, writer or a legal eagle? I think I’m very comfortable making films. I was born in this industry, brought up here, married into it and I’m working in it. So I don’t think it can get any more familiar. I feel at home when I’m on the sets. Also, the fact that you know everyone, right from the light boy to the cinematographer, who have either grown up with you or have seen you grow up, is hugely comfortable. I think that’s my calling and that’s why I ended up here. No matter what you try, where you need to end up is where you end up. What were your earliest film experiences? Both of you sisters could have gone into acting, you had
people to have even a decent conversation with me troubled me. Most kept their distance due to respect, or a perceived difference in status. Alone in a constant crowd of people, I did not have time for anybody, not friends, not family, not even my own children. They were away at school when I left for work and fast asleep when I returned. Above all, I did not have time for myself. “So every day, I carve out a bit of quiet time in that room. I am an actor who is constantly in the spotlight, literally and figuratively. The shooting lights are so bright that sometimes they hurt the eyes. (Remember, this was the late eighties.) So I keep the room dim to give my eyes some rest and I also feel hidden from the spotlight and at ease with myself. There’s nobody to judge me, evaluate my actions or watch my every move. I can see myself in the mirror dimly, reflecting not just me but what has happened to me in the course of the day. The rights and wrongs I have done, or could have done, and in turn, what people have done to me. Have I used the day that god has given me well? Did I deserve it? What have I learned from it? I reflect on all this and absorb the lessons that are revealed in return. of the four mirrors gives me an illusion of being outside myself and hence outside the issue I am thinking about. It gives me a different perspective, sometimes four different perspectives. I have always been of the opinion that everything should be analysed and thought through from different angles before any conclusions are arrived at, or decisions made, and the mirrors are a physical manifestation of those different perspectives. The room is my homework. It helps me deal with my isolation and the loss of perspective that it brings. It comforts me and it is my alone time. I need it to analyse whether I am growing or stagnating, because at the top, nobody tells you that. Everybody should have this ‘me’ time to sit back, outside your everyday life, and see how you have weathered the precious twenty-four hours that god has given you. I am a clean slate again when I step out of the room. I am ready to sleep well and face the next day. It has now become a duty that I owe to my own well-being. I grow there and I learn there.”
“Each
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the advantage of pedigree. Why didn’t you make the conventional choice like other star kids? I think both of us were never into becoming actors. Having seen so much of energy on the sets atop an apple box, I always preferred to be the captain of the ship and call the shots. I couldn’t see myself just dressing up, touching my make-up and saying my lines. I cannot bear the pressure of looking good, superfluity is not for me. It takes a lot of effort. You need to have a certain mindset to be an actor.
Also the conventional parents we have, I don’t think my father would have wanted that for us as well. There’s no reason for it, it’s just his way of thinking. Did he ever imagine that his daughters would end up in the same industry or did he envision something else for you? I don’t think he had any ideas for us. As you know, I got married really young, he wouldn’t have even thought about it at that point. Everything just happened and I think he again believes in whatever is meant to be is meant to be. We just went with the flow. Films seeped into us very organically. From childhood, it’s always been something that you observe, absorb and keep on your memory shelf. You try to imitate the seniors you work with, you want to be like them, the kind of shots and scenes that you want to write. Who has been your greatest filming inspiration? Of course, my brother-in-law, Selvaraghavan, whom I assisted and from whom I learnt discipline. But the final nudge came from Dhanush himself. I was writing a script when I got pregnant. I had a lot of time at my disposal. I just kept writing and by the time I delivered, there was a script in hand. I first shared it with Dhanush and he thought of it as something that should be made into a film. He told me, “I will give you the dates, let’s go ahead and do this.” That’s the confidence he had in me and he coproduced it.
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Have you ever thought of a script that would fit the larger-than-life on-screen persona of your father or would you rather keep it more real? No, I don’t think I would ever like to direct him. I like the space we are in and I enjoy where we stand. This year I’m going to be producing his movie under our banner, Dhanush’s and mine. And I think that’s more interesting for me, to be his producer and take care of him. I am one of his biggest critics. I feel that some of his movies are a bit over-the-top. I make sure I convey this to him without sounding harsh. A lot of experimentation is happening in regional cinema. You are part of this new clutter-breaking movement. Do you think regional films are getting their due and how can you make them more pan-India? I think we are getting there, it’s slow but steady. We are not going backwards at least. The beauty of cinema is that you can never predict your audience. You think something will work but it totally backfires. At other times, you are simply experimenting and it does exceptionally well at the box office. So unpredictability is the biggest strength and weakness too. Every movie is a gamble. But the audience is certainly more welcoming now. It’s no more about just stars or flamboyant sets. If it’s good content, and if it’s a new person, the people are more than willing to encourage and support that film. As for pan-India reach, I am not much in favour of subtitled releases. Today there are a lot of good Marathi movies being made into Tamil and Tamil movies being made into Hindi. So there is a healthy exchange of ideas and storylines. I like the idea of remakes for promoting good content. Language is a huge barrier in our country and no matter how many subtitles you add, people need to understand the language to feel a film. Then there’s the cultural context. Take the example of Visaranai, which was selected for the Oscars. If you were to make it in another language, you would have to tweak it because you can’t go beyond regional barriers. Lifestyle in the north is so different from
the south. Nobody would relate to it. So we have a lot of limitations and challenges with regard to being pan-India but we are getting there. What kind of content is generating interest in the southern film industry? The thrust is on original, easy-to-make content. Today everything put together — piracy issues, satellite rights and demonetisation — has made it difficult to mount a meaningful film. Even if you do manage to generate good content with a small budget, distribution becomes difficult in a star-driven industry. The whole system is evolving though.
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How have the dynamics in the industry changed with regard to women working behind the camera? It is very male-driven. I won’t deny that. But if you had asked me the same question a decade ago, I would have said it’s pretty impossible. I’m a living example of the change, having made two films. Imagining a woman director 10 years ago would have been close to impossible unless she was putting in her own money. Today, the entire film crew has talented women helming things. There are women editors, cinematographers and art directors who are winning the National Award. It’s opened out so much now. I think the major change has been possible because of a change in mindset. Women are not told that they can’t step out of their homes leaving their child behind or made to feel guilty. Women are not scared of being judged by the society. As long as women know what they are doing, it’s all good. I think we have beaten our fears. Your mother is still looking after the school? She’s very active. She loves children and she feels that she’s not that old yet that any of us should come and take care of it. She’s very happy that we are doing our own thing. But yes it’s a huge institution she has started and education is a big service and a very responsible one at that. I don’t think that I’m ready to do it as yet. My kids go to another school though. I’m trying to keep their childhood as normal
as possible. They are only allowed to watch their father’s or grand-father’s films besides animated movies. In fact, they hardly know about any star other than their father and grandfather. This is deliberate. I don’t want them to give all their attention to films. I would be more than happy if they choose to be someone apart from actors. You mention in your book that all family vacations happened abroad because of the anonymity it afforded. You have never explored India with your dad.... That has been the most unfortunate. We wanted to but were never able to discover our own country. There’s a chapter dedicated to star-crossed love in the book. Nobody speaks about the insecurities and the pain in the industry. Speaking from my experience, it’s not easy being an actor. There’s a lot that actors lose out on, right from privacy to how people judge them. Everything is looked under a microscope where you just cannot go wrong. The pressure to deliver the best always is too much. It’s like everyone feels they have a right to know what’s happening in your life and decide for you. There’s no line drawn. There might be days when you are sad and you don’t want to be out there but you have to go and laugh and jump around. That is why I have a lot of respect for actors, even stage artistes, rather for whoever is into the performing arts. You have to be someone else at times when you don’t want to be that person. If an actor says, “I’m having a bad day,” then the producer is not going to wait for him till he feels better. His investment for the day is gone. How has your father dealt with the super stardom all these years, switching off at home with this mirror room which you mention in the book? He keeps his stardom outside, sheds it like a cloak. He is just like any other father who has a job. He has been extremely normal with us and always been very conscious about the fact that he shouldn’t behave like a star in front of us when we were growing up. So I don’t remember anytime when he has behaved like a star except outside where we have seen people
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because the on-screen person they see is someone they cheer for and have so much of adulation for and the off-screen person is the one who they want to be like. So it’s a beautiful balance that he strikes. Did he have those father-daughter conversations with you while you were growing up? No. While growing up, we didn’t have much time to spend with him. But I think we are making up for all the lost time now. We have a lot of conversations these days, we travel together. I spend a lot of time with him. It’s never too late to reconnect, I feel. Doesn’t really matter if it’s childhood or now. When do we see a female superstar in the Tamil industry? Is that ever going to be possible? I think every actress who’s been in the Indian film industry is a superstar in her own right. Imagine all these movies without the actresses in the songs, they would have no colour, life, emotion, drama or romance. So it really doesn’t matter who’s more important or who’s bagging the top slot. Without women, a story just doesn’t work out. In that sense, they are equals. Of course, now women-oriented films are working commercially too. How does Rajinikanth take his jokes trending on social media? Oh, he enjoys and laughs at them. They are beautiful, cute and quirky in their own way. If people think about him in every dramatic situation, I like to call it affectionate humour. asking him for his autographs or pictures. He was not a hands-on parent as he didn’t have the time, doing seven films a year. My mother did the balancing act and she’s done a brilliant job at it. His super stardom was shown to us at a much later age when we could take it. I admire my father for keeping the balance too. He keeps it real in real life. He’s okay with the way he looks and dresses, not worried about his age. He’s very real which I think is his strength. And that shows that he’s not under any pressure of being what he needs to be and what people expect him to be. That also makes people relate to him even better
Will he be seen joining politics, particularly given the void in the politicalscape of Tamil Nadu? (Smiles) I knew this question would come to me. As a protective daughter, I want him to dedicate the rest of his life to himself; doing the type of films he loves and spend time with family. But then again, I am no one to comment anything about his political career. What is your ultimate luxury? Bringing up my kids normally would be my greatest achievement. I don’t know if I’ll continue writing but I hope the writing bug stays.
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GYPSY SOUL
World Unusual hotels and places for your next vacation THE MANTA RESORT, PEMBA ISLAND, TANZANIA If you can’t wait for Poseidon to open, then The Manta Resort in Tanzania has its very own underwater room. The floating structure has three levels, including a roof to launch off into the sea, a below-sea level bedroom, where you’ll see friendly trumpet and bat fish, Spanish dancers, squid and octopus.
BIVACCO GERVASUTTI, MONT BLANC, ITALY Named after the Turin-born Alpine climber, the Bivacco Gervassutti capsule balances precariously on the edge of Mont Blanc. It’s inaccessible to most. Only those who climb the Val Ferret will be able to experience the capsule.
SWISS ALPS, EASTERN SWITZERLAND In the Graubünden mountains, they have unveiled a hotel without walls, roof or even a bathroom. Though the closest facility is 10 minutes away, guests have a private butler serving a salami sandwich and coffee in the morning.
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JUMBO STAY, STOCKHOLM ARLANDA AIRPORT, SWEDEN This former Jumbo Jet, dating around 1976, has been converted to provide an overnight accommodation. Choose between an en-suite, budget dormitory or twin rooms.
V8 HOTEL, STUTTGART, GERMANY Car fanatics will love the V8 Hotel in Stuttgart. All rooms are themed around the automobile with features such as vintage cars, racing paraphernalia and drivethrough cinemas.
PERU’S SACRED VALLEY, SKYLODGE Three transparent pods are placed above the ground on a cliff in the Peruvian Andes. The spectacular Sacred Valley is a region renowned for its breath-taking scenery, small villages and death-defying roads.
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FUTURE FORK
GLOW IN-THE-DARK COCKTAILS
IT’S
not just fluorescent clothes that you flaunt at parties. Think of a drink in your hand made of tiny galaxies glowing in the dark. Now you can light up your drinks by adding riboflavin and quinine usually found in B2 pills and tonic water. “Since these drinks are visually appealing, people ask for them more. However, these cocktails are scientifically advanced and require a lot of research to be done,” says mixologist Sandy Verma. In India, UV jellos or glow ice cubes are being used.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Top food trends to rule this year
PLATES NO MORE
“I
think it makes a lot of sense to serve food in bowls than plates. There are a variety of combinations that can work well in bowls, especially in pan-Asian cuisine,” says celebrity chef Aditya Bal. It’s not just an option for home or office deliveries, food being served in bowls is fast catching up in homes too. It does away with the need for unnecessary crockery, saves on money and space and is super convenient. A boon for places offering casual dining, this one comes at a time when the world needs to save on its resources. “Bowl gives a better chance to frame a dish. I would anyday prefer bowling a dish rather than plating it up,” says he.
WELLNESS TONICS
BOTTLED
beverages packed with powerful extracts of superfood ingredients will pick up steam this year. Look out for drinks with add-ins including maca, turmeric and apple cider vinegar. “Local superfoods have to be on top of the list, now more than ever. They are packed with healthy superpowers and spread a domino effect of betterment not just for health but also for the economy and the environment. We are currently working with dried sea buckthorn berries from the Spiti valley. It is the holy fruit of the Himalayas. The only plant in the world that has all 4 omegas,” says Akansha Rathi, owner, Cafe Shunya.
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PLANT MEAT
FANCY
beef but can’t have it because you are fighting belly fat? Not an issue. You can whet your appetite by the visually stimulating fat oozing out of a patty made entirely out of an indigenous array of plant-based proteins. Surprising? Well the nutrients and textures usually found in animal meat are extracted to form what looks like meat. Plant-based meat uses 99 per cent less land, 85 per cent less water and emits 89 per cent less greenhouse gas than traditional beef production. Bringing the concept to India, Mohit Yadav and Nitin Dixit, co-founders of GREENR Cafe, say, “India is moving towards conscious eating and living. Veganism is sure to penetrate deeper into our eating habits.”
GOURMET KIDS’ MEALS
THINK
about a meal for your little ones straight from their fantasy land. Considering children prefer fantasy land more than the real one, it’s anyone’s guess their meal should live up to this very expectation. And there you have it. Now you can treat your little champs to gourmet delights they would love to gorge on. The trend is gaining popularity in India with a few places dedicating an entire menu to kids. Shamsul Wahid, Group Executive Chef, Impresario Hospitality, says, “Smoke House Deli’s kids menu is a reflection of every kid’s dream meal full of choicest of ingredients with quirky presentation.”
FERMENTED FOODS
THE
hottest food term this year will be “gut health”, which means there will be more pickling and fermenting. So sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and yucatan pickles will remain foods du jour. Gut-friendly foods like these are thought to help with irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, fertility, immunity, low energy and libido. Chef Sonam Yolomo of Stellar, The Ashok, says, “The importance of fermentation has lost over the years because of technology and new ways of food preparation. But now people are waking up to the benefits of this natural process.”
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SHOPPING ROW
Exhibits of quirk bringing in some hygge at The Wishing Chair, Shahpur Jat
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Hip haat If it’s quirk and funk, then dig deep into Delhi’s urban villages. ANKITA JAIN tells you why Hauz Khas and Shahpur Jat still have a distinct personality amid the retail chaos. Where past is respected by finding relevance in the present. Photos by PANKAJ KUMAR
DELHI
is inherently a rebel and certainly loves to blur the lines of grammar all too often. Confined by the need to define itself with changing contexts and dealing with the impositions of being a power capital, it lets itself go in unseen hoods and alleys. And so it is that villages like Hauz Khas and Shahpur Jat live within the urban sprawl, meandering in a quirky mosaic of timelessness and history, textures and creativity, blends and subterfuge, avant garde and rustic, theory and evolution.
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(Clockwise) Iris and Emeline showing off the merchandise at the Hauz Khas outlet of Purple Jungle; horse-inspired bench; a mosaic of teak at display; a sofa sculpted out of old wood; a carved cat at Country Collection
And all this in a place that was once built by the ambitious warmonger sultan called Alauddin Khilji. If the past was about brutal rigidity, it is at perfect repose with the expansive embrace of the present. It is a full circle. It is on one such eclectic walk that I find myself among sitting ducks at the Hauz-i-Shamsi, a reservoir from the 13th century. Yes, the migratory birds have just about landed but it is the ducks in general skimming through the green waters. There are medieval relics strewn all around, age-old madrasas and havelis, domes and minarets, pavilions and a medieval bazaar segueing seamlessly into upper crust boutiques. From the days of the Silk Route, trading has been the greatest enabler of cultural exchange. The streets are crumbling and the wires overhead are irreversibly tangled, holding them together across the tide of time. The Hauz Khas village may be a bit scruffy at the edges but there’s no funkier spot in the capital. We climb up and reach the third floor of a building in a back lane. PURPLE JUNGLE young French women, Iris and Emeline, can’t get over their encounter at a “maddening”
TWO
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party in 2010. Talking through the knots in their life, they decided to follow their passion to set up Purple Jungle, a home décor outlet. And given that handmade kitsch is percolating our design sensibilities, Purple Jungle manifests an intriguing amalgam of everyday products, ranging from bags, posters, stationery, coasters, cushions, paintings and sofas. With coasters laid out in a criss-cross pattern, pouches and toys stuffed in steel utensils, metal tubs, bags resting on plastic chairs, funky and quirky designs do the trick here. Their products now retail out of stores in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and Surat. Giddy and elated, Emeline proudly shows us their first-ever product — a blowhorn bag delicately placed in a metal tub. Back in 2010, they began with old cinema posters as their leitmotif. But in the times of pop art, the merchandise from other boutiques and
chains forced them out of their comfort zone. “Competition makes you more innovative,” gushes Emeline. Sitting in the backwaters of Kerala, they brainstormed to create an urban Indian bazaar, suitably hip and fashionably Indian, with images of everyday life and street cred. COUNTRY COLLECTION seems like a spacious apartment, more like an artist’s tenement. The sofas are made of old wood. A Baroque-style lampshade with a corrugated texture is the piece de resistance in one corner, while a desk with a faded checker board pattern whispers elegance in the other. An old trunk with layers of coarse paint has been repurposed as a coffee table. The
THIS
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walls are a dreamy white and the weathered floorboards are discreetly exposed. Country Collection is a style of decor that embraces the warm patina of age. It redefines the way we do up our interiors with carefully coordinated oddities. It’s raw, yet refined. Modest, yet luxurious. And it shows respect for the past, by finding relevance in the present. Every piece of beauty here is hand-picked from different parts of India, Tibet and Nepal. They specialise in lights, fans and figurines. Fandeliers, which are essentially lantern-like chandeliers that drop down from the dial of a fan, are the highlight. One of their oldest articles is a 60-year-old sitar from Gujarat, hung on one of the corner walls. By creating a well-edited look with old, gently-used furniture and timeless flea market finds that have the edge of functionality, this brand of décor is not only sustainable, it is also warm, inviting and timeless. The boutique store is about inventiveness. It’s about putting together unexpected pieces of furniture and décor elements in a range of styles and periods and ensuring they sing harmonious notes in your interiors.
This season they have got in animal-shaped furniture. From chairs and tables inspired by four-legged creatures to safari-themed furnishings, bring the great outdoors indoor. While the backs of these chairs resemble the animal with incredible detailing, the front encases a cozy, classic Victorian seating, perfect for large open spaces. DESI ARCHIES
TWENTY
one-year-old Aditi sits by the window, sipping from a cup that reads Subah Ho Gayi Mamu. There are multiple turban-heads screaming out of her boxers while her T-shirt has a moustachioed man saying “Dishoom Dishoom.” So what’s her fashion statement? “I try and represent things that I see around me every day from mooing cows to blaring auto-rickshaw horns,” muses Aditi. “It’s in these mundane things that I see the humour. I am an Indian, I have grown up on movies with actors and actresses running around trees, I have seen kisses being represented
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by shaking flowers. It’s a fun way to celebrate our belonging.” So we step into Desi Archies. Here you can choose to tell time on an Indianised Elvis Presley face. Let your walls seduce you with a sepia-toned Madhubala. Write in a notebook with Gandhi’s colourful face or simply make lassi in a tall, Punjabi peg glass. Lean on a cushion with Devanagari script, sing along using your karaoke pillows or re-popularise human abuse as your cushion covers shout, “Mote gainde.” Deck up your space with a bobbing auto-guy or eat from a plate with a kathakali dancer staring at you. Or simply choose to outsmart everyone with a tote that comes with desi gyaan. ALL ART
OLD (Clockwise) A fashion lane in Hauz Khas; ethnic wear at Shagun; objet d’art at Country Collection
Bollywood posters since the 1950s, iconic Ravi Verma works, aged maps, lithographs and antique books, you name it, the past is there before you. Printed posters range between `500 and `3,000, depending upon the film and the actors on the posters. The shop has a collection of hand-made movie and show cards. These are priced `2,000 onward. “My father had a book store. But I could smell a desire for old hand-painted movie posters among many of his regulars. The hand-made posters have almost disappeared and been replaced by their printed versions. Posters with versatile actors like Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Amitabh Bachchan and of films like Mother India, Mughal-e-Azam and Sholay are bestsellers. Buyers include Indians as well as foreigners,” says shop owner Deepak Jain. LAMA
WE
almost miss it. Gawking at the window display of an old store, we spot this old hang-board near a narrow staircase with the word “Lama” painted in a flourish. By reputation, a Tibetan shop always has something new, exotic and chic. On top of the stairs, we take two steps and almost avoid crashing into the jewellery trays. “What can I do for you?” asks pretty Tensing
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Tseten, the girl behind the counter. I ask for the owner. “My mother is here,” she points to the small area to my left earmarked for clothes. Mom Chanja smiles, motions me to a chair, and pulls up a moda for herself. In fluent English, she unfolds the story of the shop. “A group of seven Tibetan families was making carpets in a unit started by my husband. But after he died, I couldn’t run it and carpetweaving was slowly ebbing out. So I diversified into handicrafts,” she tells us. The baubles come from many Tibetan settlements in Dehradun, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Sikkim, even from Bhutan and Thailand. The inventory is striking. Stone-studded silver pendants, chains, rings and bracelets are surrounded by colourful non-silver resin and bone creations. Buddhist and Hindu symbolic items such as prayer wheels, hand-bells and lamps share shelf space with wooden handicrafts, statues and pretty metal door-knobs. The clothes’ corner answers your question on where those backpacking tourists get their harem pants, straight-bottoms and wraparounds from. “Natural cotton fabrics,” says Chanja. There’s enough to pick from these and the stoles, shawls and scarves make nice gifts, definitely those with the Tara Yantra motif. Yes, who doesn’t need divine protection?
SHAGUN
WITH
the wind blowing gently through our hair and strains of music floating in the air, we find a tiny store which recycles old Banarasi saris into beautiful dupattas and shawls. Shagun has some great picks for those
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who care for the planet. So, next time you plan to throw away an old sari, drop them at this place and they will surely turn those into beautiful kurtas, scarves and much more. You do not need to visit a designer boutique. WISHING CHAIR a rabbit-hole and tubular bylane of the trendy urban village of Shahpur Jat, we could not have wished for a more charming store that allows full play to our fairytale-bred imagination. Shelves and shelves of delightful recycled and upcycled odds and ends, unique knick knacks, whimsical, quirky and quaint this, that and other, diversely hand-picked and customised things for the home, office and garden.... The garden in here is always in bloom. The feel is fresh, the vibes are good and the approach is innovative, defined by a European colour palette curated by Indian craftsmen. Vivita Relan has put her heart and soul into her passion, creating clever stray pieces of furniture, wired cup stools, lights, unique hand-made stationery, posters, candles, jars and so on. The chalkboard and window displays in tandem with the monthly themes characterise this place. Starting from as low as `50, there is something for everyone here. Odds are against you leaving without any find.
IN
NEEDLEDUST
WALKING
down the narrow lanes of Shahpur Jat, the other thing which catches our eye is the ubiquitous jutti. So what’s special here? Mixing florals with stripes or checks, kalamkari prints with ikats in contrasting and complementary colours, the rules are being twisted and bent, with sometimes a third monochrome-printed fabric being added to the mix. Shirin Mann Sangha, the brain behind Needledust, a Delhi-based designer jutti label, says, “When we launched, there was
Furniture ideas for a bohemian garden; a string of cushions and flower pots at The Wishing Chair; kaleere at Suhana
no other label, company or brand that was reinventing juttis for the contemporary user. The ones you could find off the streets did not match fashion sensibilities. I used good quality leather, cushion for comfort and modern designs with pop colours.” SUHANA
AS
we settle with our cups of coffee, jewellery designer Ratika Sud fills the room with her effervescent chatter. She says trends always do a U-turn, especially when it comes to jewellery. Which is why traditional jewellery like haathphool (hand harness) and mathapatti
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(headpiece) are the new stars in the style circuit. Earlier restricted to bridal wear, these pieces lately have got a quirky makeover. Ornate mathapattis are a rage and an easy way to stand out in a crowd. These pieces are getting popular among youngsters, who are opting for their contemporary versions and teaming them up with trendy outfits. The merchandise they offer varies from junk art and e-waste jewellery and badges to customised printed T-shirts, art decor, feature walls and customised gifts. They make the artistic jewellery and decor items themselves while outsourcing printing of badges and shirts. Pop-up jootis at Needledust; innovative designs upping the outre from The Design Garbage
THE DESIGN GARBAGE if you could turn your favourite shirt into buttons for your new one? Or instead of throwing out those old Crocs and water bottles, use them to grow plants? Better still, re-use those jam jars to serve milkshakes or just give them a more creative spin and turn them into aesthetic chandeliers. Upcycling, or giving new life to what would otherwise be considered as waste, has been catching on in a big way, be it due to awareness of the burgeoning problem of dealing with consumer waste or simply to keep intact the sentiments attached to an old product. Come to think of it, it’s not such an alien concept, given that back in the day, our mothers or grandmothers used to find a way to reuse that old sari by turning it into a dress or quilt. This time, it’s making an appearance with a more creative twist. So, the next time you are about to throw away your paint-worn metal chairs, Mason jugs, rococo chandelier or bleached turquoise dresser, think about repurposing and repositioning them in unpredictable places in unexpected ways. Life is about evolution.
WHAT
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SHOE ADDICT
Oil pull-up ankle shoes with jute texture in pure leather from Woodland for men. Price: `5,295
Alberto Torresi falcone black boots for men. Price: `3,995
Booties to keep you stylish and warm
Light blue denim sequinned ankle boots from Manolo Blahnik. Price: `1,88,984
Novia is a contemporary rendition of the classic hiking boot from Church’s. Price: `53,100
Miu Miu boot inspired by British aristocracy. Price: `1,02,602
This Jimmy Choo comes with sleek and simple design and a rich detailing. Price on request.
Brune tan leather ankle boot for men. Price: `9,999
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Stow country boot for men from Tricker’s. Price: `32,405
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F LY H I G H
Take-off The revamped Jaipur International Airport soars above expectations
THE
only international airport in Rajasthan, Jaipur is wellconnected to aviation hub cities of Delhi and Mumbai. It is networked to other important cities like Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati as well. Besides it is well-connected to international destinations like Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah, Abu
Dhabi, Bangkok and Singapore. Jaipur International Airport is the first DGCA-licensed and IMS-certified aerodrome. It boasts of quality, environmental, occupational health and safety management systems. The new terminal building at Jaipur International Airport was commissioned in 2009. It has an area of 18,000 sq m and is made of glass
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and steel with facilities such as inclined arrival baggage claim carousels, escalators, public address system, flight information display system (FIDS), CCTV for surveillance, airport check-in counters with Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and car parking among others. The airport is equipped with CAT III B system and can facilitate landing of aircraft even in foggy
or poor visibility conditions up to 50 metres RVR, resulting in minimum diversion of flights. ASMGCS support ATCOs during such conditions by continuously providing the real time monitoring of surface movement (R/W, taxiways, apron and parking bays) to effectively control and supervise the motion and more importantly ensure the overall safety of aircraft operations.
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EXPANSION PLANS
THE
passenger terminal building at Jaipur International Airport will be stretched out pretty soon to cater to increasing needs. The peak hour capacity of the existing terminal building is 720 passengers. During the year 2015-16, 2.5 million domestic passengers and 0.36 million international passengers travelled through the airport. There is a proposal to construct an integrated terminal building around 1,25,000 sq m with a basement area of 20,000 sq m with captivating local architectural features. It will offer VIP/CIP lounge, media planning, retail area, F&B planning and maintenance-friendly solar lighting and roof top solar system. The departure concourse area will have adequate number of check-in counters, immigration, custom foreign exchange counters, adequate office space for custom, immigration and airlines. The arrival area will have baggage trolleys, information counter and prepaid taxi counter with appropriate sites for baggage make-up and breakdown.
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Security hold area with aerobridges and bus lounge area with duty free retail without affecting the passenger movement are also being planned. The common concourse on the ground floor will have snack bar, travel requisites and other associated facilities. The terminal building will be centrally air-conditioned with Public Address System, CCTV and FIDS and required number of ETDs, DFMDs and HHMDs as per norms. Green building norms will be followed for four-star rating of GRIHA guidelines. A vehicle road and multi-level car park for 2,000 cars are being planned. As a short term measure to provide immediate relief to the passengers, gates at first floor departure area will now have a connecting ramp from the ground floor. A passenger lift to the restaurant in the general concourse area will also be provided. A tender has already been called by the maintenance wing of the Jaipur International Airport with completion period of two months. The bus bay on the first floor departure site will get additional space.
CARGO TERMINAL
AFTER
shifting passenger movement from Terminal-1 to the newlyconstructed building at Terminal-2, the old terminal building was abandoned. It was decided that such
old buildings at all airports would be used for cargo operation. The Domestic Cargo concept was introduced while the Common User Domestic Cargo Terminal (CUDCT) was started from July 24, 2013 with only two domestic airlines, Indigo and Go Air. All other airlines were requested to join CUDCT. Air Asia and Air Costa joined CUDCT in 2014 and Jet Airways and Spicejet joined the following year. Air India is yet to join due to administrative issues. The local cargo trade has shown good response and cargo movement has increased manifold. The present average movement of cargo tonnage is 1,152 MT and revenue generated is `17.59 lakh per month. In the current financial year, the revenue is expected to touch `2 crore. Apart from the above the Jaipur International Airport is going to start facilities for Customs Cargo Handling in the premises of Terminal-1. The Commissioner of Customs in Jodhpur has issued a facility notice. Efforts are being made to complete all required facilities for operation of international cargo by Airports Authority of India (AAI). After completion of facilities, the Commissioner of Customs will approve AAI as customs cargo service provider of international cargo at the terminal.
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GURUSPEAK
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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Spiritual Guru
The year is
yours Ways to achieve inner peace and prosperity in the New Year
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HAPPINESS,
peace and prosperity are wished for by every lip on New Year but do we really know what peace means? Peace lies within us. As we move beyond a year and welcome a new one, let’s all take a resolution to become aware of this peace inside and allow our smiles to reflect the true sign of the prosperity that lies inside us. Here are some ways to do it:
Give divine a chance, be grateful This year, let the devotion flower to its fullest and give it a chance to work. Our love, faith and belief should be deep rooted, and then everything else moves on its own. The feeling that “I am blessed” can help you overcome any failure. Once you realise that you are blessed, then all the complaints and grumbling disappear, your insecurities disappear and you become grateful, contented and peaceful.
Take out time for yourself Everyday you are engaged in only gathering information and you do not take out time for yourself to think and reflect. That’s when you feel dull and tired. A few quiet moments are sources for creativity. Silence heals and rejuvenates and gives you depth and stability. Sit alone for a few minutes, eyes closed, get into the cave of your heart, and kick the world away like a ball. It will improve your life.
smallness will simply drop and you will be able to live every moment of your life.
Be kind, do good deeds Make a commitment to make this world a better place to live. Do some acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Service alone can bring contentment in life. It creates a sense of belonging. When you bring some relief to someone through selfless service, good vibrations come to you. When you show kindness, your true nature, which is love and peace, comes to play.
Smile more, it is helpful Every day, every morning, look in the mirror and give a good smile to yourself. Don’t let your smile be snatched away by anybody. Usually, you let your anger float freely and smile rarely as though a smile is costly. Make your smile cheaper and anger expensive. When you smile all the muscles in your face get relaxed. The nerves in your brain get relaxed too and you become peaceful within.
Be a student always Know that you are a student forever. Do not underestimate anybody. Knowledge may come to you from any corner and anybody. Each occasion and person in life teaches you. The world is your teacher. When you are always looking to learn, you will stop underestimating others. Humility will dawn in your life.
Know the impermanence of life You have to realise the impermanence of life. Millions of years have passed and millions will come and pass. Nothing is permanent. What is your life? It is not even a drop in the ocean. Just open your eyes and ask; who am I? How am I on this planet? What is the purpose of my life? What is my lifetime? An awareness will dawn upon you and you will stop worrying about little things. All
Make meditation a part of life When we have higher goals in life, they lead to stress and restlessness which can only be released through a few minutes of meditation and introspection. Meditation gives you deep rest. Deeper you are able to rest, dynamic you will be in your day-to-day activities. — www.artofliving.org
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FITNESS
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THE
Bharat Thakur is a yoga guru and founder of Artistic Yoga
modern woman lives a hectic lifestyle which tends to take a toll on her health and well-being. There has been a sharp increase in gynaecological disorders like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), endometriosis, uterine prolapse and other infertility issues in recent times. Stress, unhealthy eating habits, lack of sleep and exercise and genetics contribute to these endocrinal disorders. PCOS is a condition in which there is an imbalance in female sex hormones — progesterone, estrogen and androgen — which lead to the growth of ovarian cysts (benign masses on the ovaries). PCOS can lead to weight gain, irregular periods, acne, hirsutism (excessive hair growth on face, chest, back and abdomen), insulin resistance (diabetes) and infertility. Women may conceive with much difficulty but there is an increased risk of miscarriages. Women suffering from PCOS also experience mood swings and depression. A healthy diet, good sleep cycle and regular exercise can help deal with this problem. Weight loss is essential to counter PCOS. Obesity is a common factor among women suffering from PCOS. Majority of women tend to gain heavy weight around the waist and abdominal area. This increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and sleep apnea. Women may also tend to overeat due to mood swings. In some cases, symptoms like acne, hirsutism and irregular periods are clearly present. Yoga can help women restore health and balance as it improves metabolism. Specific postures can help keep the uterine, pelvic and groin muscles flexible and relaxed, reducing pain and discomfort. Research has shown that yoga is the best way to counter the erratic hormonal changes that lead to PCOS. It can also improve the reproductive functions by reducing stress and balancing the neurohormonal profile. The different pranayama techniques like bhastrika, anulomvilom and brahmari also help greatly to improve health and energise the entire system.
PCOS is a common gynaecological problem found in women in the childbearing age group
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ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA Sit with your back straight and legs stretched out. Bend the left knee and place it under the right leg with the foot close to the right buttock. Bend the right knee and place the right leg across the left knee. With your left hand, lock the right knee in place. Do this by holding on to the right foot. Place the left hand on the left knee or simply hold the right knee with your left palm or elbow. Place the right arm behind the back. Now twist the back as much as possible and look behind you. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally. BENEFITS: Stimulates the production of insulin. Massages the abdominal and reproductive organs.
HALASANA Lie flat on your back, arms by your side. Lift your back off the floor and take your legs towards your head. Exhaling, gradually lower your legs, touch floor with toes and straighten legs. Hold for a minute inhaling slowly. Raise both legs, exhale, bring them down slowly. BENEFITS: Regulates the functioning of the thyroid. Strengthens back, shoulders and neck.
BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA Sit cross-legged and close your eyes taking a few deep breaths. Close your ears with your thumbs and fingers pressing the top of your head. Inhale deeply to a count of five. Exhale as you make a humming sound. BENEFITS: Eases constricted blood vessels and nerves. Relaxes the vocal chords.
YOGA NIDRA your body, breathing out feel the Lie flat on your back with legs slightly apart. body relax. Close your eyes, breathe in, feeling the stomach rise and the chest expand. BENEFITS: Breathe out, letting the chest and stomach fall. Relaxes the entire body and mind. Develops awareness of the body and mind. Breathe in and feel the oxygen flow through
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BLITHESPIRIT
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Magandeep Singh Sommelier
DO THE
BREW So what if Christmas is behind us? It is never too late for mulled wine — the ultimate social sip for a wintery evening
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first thing about mulled wine is that we always assume it to be served hot. While this is helpful, considering that it is served during winters, it needn’t always be the case. The heating is purely to extract the flavours of the many spices that go into the making of a good mulled mix. Once the desired flavours have been transferred, you can cool it down and serve it chilled too. No, that doesn’t make it a Sangria as it is all about spices than fruity flavours. The range of spices added to a mulled wine varies. Cinnamon and cloves are the most common. Star anise too. Thereafter it gets murky. I am not a fan of strong spices (cardamom for one, pepper, another) so if one must use them, be prudent and err on the side of conservative. Mulled wine is to be served hot; so it should always simmer but never boil. And never heat for too long either — alcohol is expensive and considering how it boils off faster than water — the more you heat the more you lose of it. Sure you can spike it up later but alcohol lost is always a cost. Don’t get too fancy with the fruits; on heating (a) many fruits release pectin which makes the brew thicker and (b) some fruits disintegrate or make the mix cloudy. I prefer to add the fruits, if any, right in the end when the mix is ready. Also, I stick to the citrus kind — oranges and sweet limes. The base wine shouldn’t be the cheapest plonk
you can get your mitts on. Remember you are heating the mix which will concentrate whatever it is you began with. Bad wine will only become worse to taste and no amount of spice or sugar can mask that. So always use a decent wine to make into a mulled. Sugar additions should be done slowly. Being hot, sugar will dissolve easily even when the wine is ready so don’t be too generous up front. Some use jaggery or even honey but it can make the wine more viscous, adding a flavour dimension that is not for everyone. Serving up mulled wine is easy. Put it in a jug (not a punch bowl as the increased surface area makes it lose temperature fast) and ladle it out generously. Always give a few swirls to mix up the contents before serving. Make sure no cup gets all the flotsam so remember to sink the ladle right to the bottom each time you begin doling it out. If spiking to spruce up the potency, I use a dark spirit, preferably rum or maybe whisky — Bourbon over Scotch for me. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or better yet, a candy cane. I have even tried toasted marshmallows on a stick. The ideal making time for a mulled wine is no more than 20 minutes so prepare everything and get it going with logistical precision so that you don’t end up with an empty jug or emptier cups. Timing is everything even when it’s only about having a casual time with friends on a wintery evening.
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HOTWHEELS
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Kushan Mitra Auto & tech expert
Own the moment Mercedes-Benz India continues to believe in performance brand AMG with its latest launch
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the German luxury brands have performance divisions. BMW has the famed “M” work and the Audi comes with its “RS” badge. Cars that come with the performance package and not just the “go-faster” stripes and door sills can be exhilarating to drive. But of all the full-bore
brands, nothing comes close to Mercedes AMG. That is because AMG did not begin as a part of Mercedes-Benz, and also possibly because Nico Rosberg just won Mercedes AMG’s third Formula 1 driver’s title on the trot and the company is making the most dominant F1 racer since the heyday of McLaren Honda.
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But at the end of the day more than success on the racetrack, what matters is how successful one is at the showroom. While you can buy full-bore, utterly insane AMG cars such as the C63, E63 and AMG GT, the Stuttgart-based carmaker wants to democratise insanity. Then again, as recent events have shown, democracy is insane, but let us not delve into global politics here. The CLA 45 AMG that they introduced a couple of years ago gave you the access to a car with over 350 horsepower for just over `70 lakh. Unfortunately, during the recent refresh of the CLA, the AMG variant got dropped but fear not because Mercedes-Benz India has brought in the C43 AMG for a shade under `75 lakh. And in most respects it is a lot better than the CLA 45 AMG. First and foremost, it is based on the new C-Class platform, so it is a lot bigger inside. Secondly, the 45 AMG cars use a highly-boosted two-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine while the 43 AMG cars, which are the C43 sedan and the SLC43 cabriolet, use a bigger V6 BiTurbo engine. Now the increased displacement does not really add a lot of power. The C43 has only twelve additional horsepower compared to the CLA45 but the power comes on a lot nicer and a lot lower
down the rev range and the new car loses the manic whine of a highly turbocharged engine. It isn’t faster though because the CLA45 made it from 0-100 in 4.6 seconds but this one does it in 4.7 seconds. Yet, it can carry four fully grown adults in comfort, the CLA’s limited rear legroom scores against it. And once past a hundred, the C43 seems to go faster, on the back straight off the Buddh International Circuit, easily blowing past 240 clicks. A bit more room and it could surely hit its top speed of 250. But all is not hunky-dory with the C43 AMG, primarily because there is the utterly insane C63 AMG. Because that car has 510 horsepower and 700 Newton-metres of torque which devour roads almost as fast as it eats tyres, and just loves going sideways. The C63 will put a massive smile on your face. It is just that the C63 AMG costs double that of a C43 AMG and while the C63 demands you know what the hell you are doing, the C43 is almost idiot-proof. Thanks to the very capable four-wheel drive system, which in this case is Mercedes’ 4MATIC system. The earlier CLA45 was also a fourwheel drive system, but only a “partial” one that only sent power to the rear-wheels if it sensed things were getting a bit out of hand. The C43 has
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a 31-69 bias between the front and rear and seems extremely well-balanced through the corners. While driving through the mid-field section of the Buddh International Circuit, it was almost impossible to push this car over its limits. I’m sure one can but the C43 holds the road and corners superbly. It feels like a genuinely capable car. And it is a good looking one as well. But like most AMGs, this remains a sort of chuppa rustam, it doesn’t advertise performance and the AMG
touches on the outside are subtle. Like the stunning 18-inch alloy wheels. So should one buy this? Frankly, the AMG cars are great fun and while the C43 lacks the degree of insanity of its sibling, it moves plenty fast and is surprisingly easy to drive. But it also doubles up as a usable sedan, and at this price point there really isn’t much choice, although there is the Audi S5 but there is a model change due for that car shortly. So fast and fun and under a crore. Not too bad!
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CAPE TREND METER
SWING IN STYLE WITH
Autre by Gautam Gupta teams up a green silk-blend number with solid palazzos. Price on request.
Robe-inspired cape by Pallavi Mohan. Price on request.
Silk-printed kimono style by Payal Khandwala. Price: `19,500
Breeze peplum cut by Anu PD. Price: `11,000
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FEVER THE SEASON’S FLUID LINES
Gold-sequinned throw by Ridhima Bhasin. Price on request.
Pure chiffon cascade by Kavita Bhartiya. Price on request.
Geometrical-patterned digital outing by Abhi Singh. Price on request.
Cape-style dress in hand-woven fabric with silk thread and zari embroidery by Samant Chauhan. Price: `69,000
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NUMBERGAME
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COUNT YOUR FATE
NUMBER 1 (Ruled by Sun, people born on the 1st, 10th, 19th and 28th) You could look forward to more opportunities than the year gone by. But you need to capitalise on and choose the better ones. Sealing a deal isn’t difficult and sometimes prudent than letting one go by. Those willing to tie the knot or a job change should keep their eyes and ears open.
NUMBER 4 (Ruled by Uranus, people born on the 4th, 13th, 22nd and 31st) For those who want to prove their mettle, now is the time to spend your resources and capitalise on them. For students, it can be a learning and enriching experience. Those eligible have a greater chance to tie the knot. Job hoppers might get a good chance. Take care of your lungs and throat.
NUMBER 7 (Ruled by Neptune, people born on the 7th, 16th and 25th) You could juggle between spirituality and materialistic spheres with ease. Your love life that may have seen some upheavals can get sorted too. Finances could look up from August onwards. Till then you have to fight your own battle. Yoga and meditation may work even better than gymming.
NUMBER 2 (Ruled by Moon, people born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th and 29th) You are creative and dreamy but to achieve dreams it’s necessary to wake up. The year of the Sun is the right time to come out of hibernation for those who have been planning a career move. If you combat your mind then there is so much awaiting you. You are destined for recognition and honour.
NUMBER 5 (Ruled by Mercury, people born on the 5th, 14th and 23rd) Your dry wit can act as a shield, use your communication skills to your advantage. Though you love to travel, there would be fewer opportunities. Focus on an enduring relationship so that you get back the love with equal intensity. Try yoga and meditation to ward off depression and anxiety.
NUMBER 8 (Ruled by Saturn, people born on the 8th, 17th and 26th) Try not to feel lonely and isolated, you could do with more than a few friends that you have. Basking in their presence will bring the hidden best out from within you.Those looking to get hitched can have more opportunities coming their way. Try not to wait till the end to complete targets.
NUMBER 3 (Ruled by Jupiter, people born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st and 30th) You are hardly ever “cashstrapped”, so demonetisation would have come to you as a rude shock. Though you would feel cramped, remember that you have and will come out of the tightest of situations with bravado. Don’t neglect your loved ones. Do not strain yourself too much.
NUMBER 6 (Ruled by Venus, people born on the 6th, 15th and 24th) You should brace yourself to push harder to achieve the desired results. Do not allow yourself to get downhearted if your efforts don’t fructify. Love and romance are things that you can hardly do without. Work on your food habits, do not overindulge. Pay attention to physical fitness.
NUMBER 9 (Ruled by Mars, people born on the 9th, 18th and 27th) Do not let your ego come in between relationships — personal or professional. Those looking for a job change should rather lie low. Socially you could do a lot for your fellow-men. Romance can be the grey area that needs some ironing. Take some time out for your health too.
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WINTER CARE
BE YOUR OWN SUNSHINE FOR SKIN
o Cleanse your face twice a day with a cream or gel containing aloe vera. It will check moisture loss in skin. Apply a sunscreen before going out in the sun. o Before sleep, apply nourishing cream on your face and massage it with upward and outward movements for five minutes. o Apply an under-eye cream or pure almond oil sparingly and massage lightly, using only the ring finger for one minute under each eye. Massage in one direction only. o The skin on the lips is also thin and lacks oilproducing glands. It becomes dry and chaps easily. After cleansing, apply almond oil or cream on the lips daily and leave it on all night. Sunprotective lip balms are also useful. o For body, arms and legs, apply warm sesame seed oil before shower, massaging it into the skin. Immediately after a shower, apply a body lotion while the skin is still damp. This helps to seal in the moisture.
FOR HAIR
SHAHNAZ HUSAIN suggests how to conquer cold and have no more beauty woes
o Apply a creamy conditioner to tackle dry hair. Leave on for two minutes and rinse with plain water. Also apply a leave-on type conditioner or hair serum. o Heat pure coconut, sesame seed or olive oil and apply on the scalp and hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for 10 minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap 5-6 times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better. o Mix honey with one teaspoon orange juice and apply on the face, to make it soft and smooth. Wash it off after 20 minutes. Honey suits all skin types. o For extremely dry and damaged hair, mix together olive oil and the yolk of an egg. Apply this on the hair. Tie an old scarf on the head and leave the mixture on for an hour. Wash off hair with a mild shampoo. o Beer makes a good rinse for dry hair. After shampoo, add the juice of a lemon to the beer and rinse the hair. Wait for a few minutes and wash off with plain water.
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SIGN-OFF
By RINKU GHOSH
W
IT’S ABOUT WE-TIME ho says family vacations are not worth writing about anymore? In fact, meaningful family excursions are expected to dominate top travel trends of 2017. Call it group detox or whatever, but travelling with the family is being seen as a far greater bonding ritual than visiting each other cross-country. Not only that. To ensure quality time, families are increasingly choosing destinations that are outside the purview of satellites. No TV, no WiFi, no mobiles and certainly no digital corruption of any sort. The idea being to really listen to each other and indulge in some group therapy with some of your closest people, who, at the end of the day, accept you just as you are. I willingly participated in some family outings myself recently and have found them to be infectiously encouraging and positively reorienting. The first was during the festive season with the maternal side of my family, comprising mostly oldies. It was their bucket list desire, to chill out together like there was no tomorrow while their limbs still moved and their brains weren’t dead. Metaphorically of course. It was a reunion to celebrate life together while they could. They booked a resort in Kumbhalgarh near Udaipur for what they called a destination retreat; ate, drank and made merry with children and grandchildren. And yes, they climbed forts with an agility that definitely put me to shame, sampled every form of highway food during the drive without tummy troubles, drove into unknown forest territory with elan (they did not use GPS) and danced into the night. For seven days. Then there were the craziest and most candid conversations. Some suggestions, some differences. Life lessons and shared experiences. Laughs and cries. In the end, I realised that my own enthusiasm, free-spiritedness and passion came from the same gene pool and DNA, a fact
that I have perhaps not acknowledged all too often. And the family gave me a renewed thrust to look ahead in life and make more of it than I had ever done. They didn’t mind signing off, provided I replanted their roots. The second instance was during the New Year weekend with my in-laws, another multigenerational outing after my husband’s death. It was not about remembering or pivoting him but creating a new personal history. We all knew where we stood but on this trip it was about admitting what we did or could not do because of selfishness or compulsion. No judgments or opinionating. And as the sunbeams washed the rice terraces of the Chamba Valley — green, yellow and snow-flaked — from behind the mystic mountains, we held hands. And vowed to be a better family. A wife spoke her heart out with her husband, who is otherwise more loyal to his phone and gadgets; a son got to know his father’s softer side; a father made up for lost time with his son walking in the woods and playing ball in the great outdoors; a brother decided to take up the brush again. As for me, it felt good to know that they still wanted me in their circle of trust and repose. And much as we loved and respected each other’s privacy in daily life, that week was about having all three meals together, something we had never done in 19 years of my married life! That was something. Family holidays are a trending topic in the West too. Travel operators in the US are organising special nature, culture and ancestry tours, especially focussed on “we-time.” Fractured as our lives are by the demands of our times, pulled and pushed around by the stresses of modern living and leashed as we are to a digitally connected world, we desperately need a break. Together. Happy 2017!
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