Spiceroute November 2013

Volume VII Issue XI November 2013

www.spiceroutemag.com

The inflight magazine of SpiceJet

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Wedding Special

Beauty guide, delicacies, haute heirlooms

Children’s Day special contest winners!

Khajuraho Heritage halt

Bangkok beyond shopping

Celebration

time Dear SpiceJetters, I take this opportunity to wish all our passengers a very Happy Diwali. It is that time of the year when our entire nation celebrates the festival of lights and welcomes the goddess of wealth in every household. With schools closing for a short vacation, it is also a reunion time and we at SpiceJet offer you a pick of 46 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations for either vacation or a family get-together.

Your constant feedback has not only helped us in improving our product but also in adding new destinations. I am pleased to announce our 10th international destination - Bangkok to our fast expanding network with direct flights from Pune and Bangalore and connections to various other Indian cities over these two gateway points. For further information on schedule please log onto our website spicejet.com.

In this edition of our in-flight magazine we bring you a special wedding guide with articles on exotic cakes, heirloom trousseau and much more. We also have the wonderful contributions of young artists and poets to celebrate Children’s Day, while the cover story will tell you about what not to miss while in Bangkok.

Feel free to share your feedback/suggestion at custrelations@spicejet.com Happy flying!

Kalanithi Maran Chairman

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COO & Publisher: Vikas Johari CEO & Managing Director: Prakash Johari CFO: Kuldip Singh Editor: Florina Soren Information: info@maxposure.in Submissions: editor@maxposure.in Advertising: sales@maxposure.in Accounts: accounts@maxposure.in Careers: hr@maxposure.in E-mail: spiceroute@maxposure.in MaXposure Media Group India Pvt. Ltd. Head Office Unit No F2b, 2nd Floor, Mira Corporate Suites, Plot No . 1 & 2, Ishwar Nagar, Mathura Road, New Delhi -110065 Tel: 91.11.43011111, Fax: 91.11.43011199 West | Mumbai | Time Square Building, 3rd floor, Western Express Highway, Andheri (E),Mumbai-400069, Tel: 91.22.61991111, Fax: 91.22.61991115 Ahmedabad | 4, Megabyte Business Centre, Navrang Building, Opp, Samsung Show room, Swastik Char Rasta, C.G.Road, Ahmedabad - 380009, Tel: 91.79.40193627 Indore | 7/1, 409, 4th Floor, Ratan Mani Complex, Opposite Inter Star Showroom, New Palasia, Indore - 452001, Tel: 91.731.4248881 East | Kolkata | DPS Corporate Club, 1st Floor, 9A Sebak Baidya Street, Kolkata– 700029, Tel: 9133.40680111 Raipur | Magnetto Offizo, Office No.546, 5th Floor, Magnetto The Mall, G.E.Road, Labhandi, Raipur. Tel: 91.771.4264571 South | Bangaluru |1010 A Wing,10th Floor, Mittal Towers, M.G. Road, Bangaluru-560001, Karnataka, India, Tel: 91.80.40921037-38, Fax: 91.80.41510657 Hyderabad | 1-11-222/2 Ground Floor, Street No.4, Gurumurthy lane, Begumpet, Hyderabad-500 016, Tel: 91.40.40021545 Chennai | FL 9, Alsa Mall, First Floor, 149, Montieth Road, Egmore, Chennai-600008, Tel: 91.44.42015685, Fax: 91.44.42015684 International Sales Offices EUROPE : London | Seraphine Money | IMM International 10 Denmark Street, London WC2H 8LS- UK Tel: +44 20 3301 4900, Fax: + 44 20 7240 3258 Mob: +44 777 459 8220 France l Nicolas Devos | IMM International C/O 80 Rue Montmartre75002 PARIS - FRANCE , Tél: +33 (0)1 40 13 79 06, Fax: +33 (0)1 40 13 00 33, www.imm-international.com Switzerland | Nathalie DupuY | IMM International CHOffice Director IMM International Rue Tabazan, 91204 Genève Tel: +41(0)22 310 80 51, Mob: +41(0)78 95 25 900 Email:n.dupuy@imm-international.com Italy | Sandra Bonini | G+J International Sales Italy Srl Via Benedetto Marcello,4, 20124 Mailand, Italy Tel: +3902.20526722, E-Mail: bonini.sandra@guj.de Germany | Claudia Scheil | Gruner +Jahr AG & Co KG Am Baumwall 11,20459 Hamburg, Germany Tel: +49 40 3703 2944, E-Mail: scheil.claudia@guj.de

ASIA: Singapore, Hongkong, China | Peter Jeffery | Asian In-Flight Media Ltd Unit 1802, 18/F, 88 Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2850 4017, Fax: (852) 2850 4097 E-mail: peterjeffery@asianimedia.com Malaysia | Shallie Cheng | Mind Sense Sdn.Bhd. No.107, 1st.Floor Menara Mutiara Majestic, Section 3, 46,000 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Tel: 60.3.7781.7700 E-Mail: shalliecheng@gmail.com Japan | Michiko Kawano | Pacific Business Inc Akutagawa Bldg, 7-7 Nihonbashi Kabutocho, Chuo-ku Tokyo 103-0026 JAPAN Tel: +81.(0)3-3661-6138, Fax: +81.(0)3-3661-6139 E-Mail: kawano-pbi@gol.com South Korea | Jung-Won Suh | Sinsegi Media Inc. Jungang Bldg., Room 817, 44-21 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul Korea 150-890 Tel: 82.2.785.8222, Fax: 82.2.785.8225 E-Mail: sinsegi-2@sinsegimedia.info Thailand | Stephen Marsh | Media Representation International Co., Ltd. 168 Sukhumvit Soi 20, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110 Thailand.

Tel: +662.204.2699, Fax: +662.663.7048 E-Mail: stephen@mediarepint.com, www.mediarepint.com Middle East: Manoj Khimji | Red Dot Media 1107 Fortune Executive Tower, Jumeirah Lakes Towers (Cluster T), PO Box 358639 Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 422 8900 Email id: manoj.khimji@reddot-media.com Americas: Canada | Wayne Saint John | Publicitas Canada 468 Queen Street East, 300 Toronto, Ontario M5A 1T7 Tel +1.416.363.1388, Fax +1.416.363.2889 E-Mail: wstjohn@aprcanada.com, www.publicitas.com/canadaapr USA West coast | Ralph Lockwood | Huson International Media 1999 South Bascom Avenue Suite 450 Campbell, CA 95008, USA Tel: +1.408.879.6666, Fax:1.408.879.6669 E-Mail: ralph.lockwood@husonmedia.com USA East coast | Francesco Lascari | Huson International Media Huson International Media | 13-17Laight Street | Suite 401, Box 7| NewYork, NY 10013 Tel: 212.268.3344, Mob: 646.407.6966 Email: francesco.lascari@husonmedia.com

Turkey | Tan Bilge | Media Ltd. Ali Sami Yen Sok. No. 2 Kat 3, 34394 Gayrettepe/Istanbul, Turkey Tel: +90 (0) 212 / 2 75 84 33, Fax: +90 (0) 212 / 2 75 92 28 E-mail: tanbilge@medialtd.com.tr For Advertising | 91.9892010669 M E M B E R

Spiceroute MAGAZINE. Printed AND PUBLISHED BY VIKAS JOHARI ON BEHALF OF MAXPOSURE MEDIA GROUP (INDIA) PVT. LTD. (MMGipl) for spicejet ltd. AND PUBLISHED AT MMGipl, Unit No F2b ( Second Floor), Mira Corporate Suites, Plot No . 1 & 2, Ishwar Nagar, Mathura Road, New Delhi -110065, india. Spiceroute MAGAZINE is published monthly.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE WRITING, ARTWORK AND/OR PHOTOGRAPHY CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE USED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF MMGipl. MMGipl DOES NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF UNSOLICITED PRODUCTS, MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ARTWORK, TRANSPARENCIES OR OTHER MATERIALS. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or SpiceJet. All efforts have been made while compiling the content of this magazine, but we assume no responsibility for the effects arising there from. MMGipl DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY FOR SERVICES OR PRODUCTS ADVERTISED HEREIN. FOR INQUIRIES | MMGipl TEL: +91.11.43011111, www.Spicejet.com, www. maxposure.in

now follow us on twitter & facebook www.twitter.com/flyspicejet; www.facebook.com/flyspiceJet

November 2013 4 www.spiceroutemag.com

Contents 18 HOT DATES November happenings across SpiceJet network

Cover story 34

bejewelled bangkok Of temples, myriad markets & street food

42 City guide 48 hours in allahabad A bouquet of fascinating sights and sounds

50 Quick getaway experience serenity Head to Puducherry for peaceful harmony

58

Temple town Ranakpur’s desert charm

68 Theme holiday ChiselLed beauty Wonders in stone at Khajuraho

NOVEMBER 2013 74 Volume VII Issue XI November 2013

elephant tales Drive to Pinnawala Orphanage

www.spiceroutemag.com

The inflight magazine of SpiceJet

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80 Festive flavour LIGHT & SHINE Cultural festivals this November

92 Spice trail dill-icious Add taste to your food with Dill

WEDDING SPECIAL

BEAUTY GUIDE, DELICACIES, HAUTE HEIRLOOMS

CHILDREN’S DAY SPECIAL CONTEST WINNERS!

KHAJURAHO HERITAGE HALT

Bangkok

96 Gourmet delight

BEYOND SHOPPING

next on my plate Food trends ruling the runway

SpiceJet now offers over 150 connections on its existing network For details log on to www.spicejet.com November 2013 10 www.spiceroutemag.com

Contents 102

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gorgeously delicious Wedding cakes - the new rage

travel buzz

166

108

legendary biryanis To each his own

GADGETS

114 In Conversation

FilmS

170

lens magic Teté-a-teté with Raghu Rai

172

120 Glam world

190

BOOKS Games

haute heirlooms Traditional wear from private closets

194

zoom in

126

biopic bandwagon Stars playing ‘real’ people

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132 Well-being

204

Predictions SPICEJET DESTINATIONS

beauty inside out Tips & tricks to look good on your D-day

214

SPICEJET ROUTE MAP

215 138

Fleet Guide

pERFECT PEACE Try meditation for complete well-being

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144 Culture canvas

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SPICE BITES

dramatic revival Read about folk theatre form Kattaikuttu

SPICEJET OFFICES

150

SPICEJET SCHEDULE

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Balmy muscat Omnipresent fragrance of the aromatic city

156

creative colours Vibrant rangolis this Diwali

160 Good samaritans spreading smiles Education and employment for many

176 Kids’ corner artistic hues Children’s Day contest winners

SpiceJet now offers over 150 connections on its existing network For details log on to www.spicejet.com November 2013 12 www.spiceroutemag.com

Alstone International

E: info@alstoneindia.com • www.alstoneindia.com Toll Free No. 1800-1233123 • SMS ACP TO 56161 Branch Offices: Ahmedabad • Bangalore • Chennai • Delhi • Indore • Kochi • Kolkatta • Lucknow • Mumbai • Noida • Pune • Ranchi

Spice mail

Letters from the

SpiceJet family SINCERE STAFF The honesty and integrity of your organisation is commendable.

I am thankful to your entire team for your effort in returning my wallet that I had left behind on a SpiceJet flight.

Saketh Ram Hyderabad

HOT MEAL SpiceJet’s new and fresh menu has a plethora of options to choose from and I really enjoyed the hot meal on my flight to Mumbai.

QUICK CHECK-IN The check-in process at SpiceJet is smooth and hassle-free. I am also impressed by the positive attitude of the SpiceJet staff. Keep up the good work.

Mohan Srivastav Delhi

Mardik Panchal Pune

November 2013 14 www.spiceroutemag.com

FOR TRADE/DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES, CONTACT +91.9810814852

HOT DATES

14 10 Bling it on!

Dubai International Jewellery Week provides the perfect platform for global and regional manufacturers to meet buyers from the Gulf, North Africa, India and beyond. The four-day extravaganza will witness more than 400 exhibitors from over 20 countries. This will be held at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from November 10- 13.

12 Paintings galore Gallerie Ganesha presents a solo exhibition titled Paradise Regained by Alok Uniyal. Inspired by Kashmir, the show has 20 paintings in acrylics on canvas, each panoramic work defining the state’s breathtaking natural beauty, its culture and eternal romance. The exhibition will be held at Gallerie Ganesha, E-557, Greater Kailash – II, New Delhi till November 14.

Children's day feast This Children’s Day , Rodeo offers a special kids menu and a free milkshake to all children. Yummy fish and chips, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, pastas, lasagne, ice-cream... there is a lot on offer. At Rodeo, A-12, Inner Circle, Connaught Place, on November 14.

15 Filming extravaganza The 19th Kolkata International Film Festival will witness a yet-to-be-released Rituparno Ghosh movie as this year’s opening film.

The first edition of the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture may also be held during the festival, which is scheduled from November 10 to 17.

16 Story fest Kahani festival is back with its second edition. At this festival, stories will be told through puppetry, poetry, music, written and oral traditions of all kinds. This will be held at the Step by Step School, Chitrakoot Scheme, Ajmer Road, Jaipur on November 15 and 16.

November 2013 18 www.spiceroutemag.com

NOVEMBER

17 Mumbai Bookathon The fourth edition of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai International LitFest will witness over 120 writers and thinkers from all over the world. The venue for the LitFest will be the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. It will run from November 14 to 17.

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A musical night Get ready for a fun and happening night at blueFROG Mumbai where artists such as Rob Garza, Lenka and Fatoumata Diawara will be performing on November 22, 23 and 28.

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theatre time The Red Theatre presents Chetan Bhagat’s Revolution 2020: Love. Corruption.

Ambition. It is a story about three childhood friends – Gopal, Raghav and Aarti – who struggle to find success, love and happiness in the holy city of Varanasi.

The play will be staged at Ranga Shankara in JP Nagar, Bengaluru on November 26 and 27.

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Travel buzz

Travel news 1. Yet another award for Spiceroute!

Spiceroute magazine has once again won a trophy at the prestigious 53rd ABCI Awards held recently in Mumbai.

Receiving the trophy at the glittering awards night, Prakash Johari, CEO & Managing Director of MaXposure Group, said, “I would like to thank SpiceJet airline for giving us the opportunity to create a magazine par excellence.

I also thank ABCI for recognising our efforts.” The magazine has won a silver award in the External Magazine category leaving behind many other corporate Volume VII Issue X October 2013

publications. The event was attended by top think tanks from across the country along with global business leaders. ABCI is India’s largest non-profit organisation for business communications professionals since 1957, and the awards aim to recognise best practices in business communications.

SpiceJet is a preferred airline among both domestic and international passengers. The airline is fast expanding its network and now flies to 56 destinations across the globe.

Volume VII

www.spiceroutemag.com

Issue

Says a proud Florina Soren, editor, Spiceroute, “This is the third time that we have won this award. The magazine aims at giving the passengers up-to-date and reliable articles on varied topics and destinations. Spiceroute is an extension of the airline and we are glad that the readers as well as the jury like our magazine.”

Spiceroute is published by MaXposure Media Group, one of the leading publishing houses in India.

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2. Asia-Pacific travel on rise The charm of the Asia-Pacific region for tourists is making itself felt across the world. Asia-Pacific travel is expected to reach USD 351.9 billion this year, according to industry research authority, PhoCusWright. These figures were released at the sixth edition of ITB Asia, ‘The Trade Show for the Asian Travel Market’, held at the Suntec Singapore Exhibition & Convention Centre recently. Backed by the emergence of economic powerhouses, especially China, India and South East Asia, the region has confirmed itself as one of the driving forces in world travel. The Asia-Pacific travel market ousted Europe to become the world’s biggest regional travel market in 2012, earning gross bookings of USD 326.2 billion, and this figure is expected to grow another eight

percent this year. The study also states the projected growth figures for the countries within Asia Pacific over the next three years led by China, Japan and the Pacific region. “We expect the Asia-Pacific travel market to maintain its growth through 2015 to reach USD 407.3 billion and

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November 2013 22 www.spiceroutemag.com

China will account for a third of that. The Indonesian market is also poised for rapid development in the next three years and double-digit growth is forecast for several Asia-Pacific markets through 2015,” said Chetan Kapoor, Research Analyst – Asia Pacific, PhoCusWright.

Travel buzz

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5 5. Language guide

3. Sustainable tourism development by Maharashtra

4. Record 3.18 million arrivals in Philippines

Ecotourism may soon be on the rise in Maharashtra, further improving tourist inflow into the state. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Quebec in Canada to develop a close tourism partnership and share best practices for development of responsible and sustainable tourism.

The MoU includes development of ecotourism, especially in national parks and wildlife areas as well as promotion of MICE tourism (that includes meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).

As part of the MoU, MTDC has also roped in a Canada-based management consulting organisation, SAJE Montreal – Centre of excellence in entrepreneurship, to provide MTDC with a solution for the Lonar crater’s sustainable tourism development after surveying the spot and with a tourist diagnostic analysis. The tourism body will use Quebec’s expertise in developing the Kaas Plateau as well, said officials, as per a media report. An MTDC official said that SAJE Montreal has taken up several such projects across the world in the past.

So if you’re fond of nature, think about vacationing next in Maharashtra.

The Philippines is fast gaining popularity as a tourist destination. It registered 3,180,903 visitor arrivals between January and August, 2013 – a record figure. The Department of Tourism, Philippines in a survey stated that the country achieved an increase of 11.28 percent above last year’s arrival figures for the same period.

The country had recorded 2,858,348 arrivals in 2012 in these months. The Indian market generated 46,395 tourists in 2012. This year, the country is expecting a 50 percent growth in Indian tourist arrivals – at over 66,000. Philippines has been engaged in an aggressive marketing campaign since last year and this has been been yielding results – it has been attracting increasing number of travellers from India throughout the year. To continue this progress rate, Department of Tourism Philippines and the Philippines Tourism Marketing Office, India, which promotes the destination in the Indian market, participated at Locations (a B2B annual exhibition and conference).

The Locations exhibition had brought global local vendors and allied service representatives under one roof and gave them an opportunity to interact with members of the Indian film industry.

November 2013 24 www.spiceroutemag.com

Celebrity Cruises has recently launched Cruise Lingo, an interactive language and culture guide mobile phone application that makes it easier for vacationers to speak local languages as they cruise to various exotic locales. It’s a customised version of the award-winning mobile app from TripLingo and allows easy access to authentic local phrases and relevant information to enhance their travel experience. By simply speaking or typing a phrase such as, “Where is the ATM?” into your mobile, the translated language of the local destination appears on screen. An interactive book offers multiple versions of each phrase, including formal and slang options. Other features of Cruise Lingo include voice-to-voice translation; an intelligent “flashcard” learning system, and an on-demand “crash course” in local cultures. The crash course contains information including general etiquette, safety information, doing business, country information, travel tips, dining guide, music and local pop culture. A great way to better appreciate each destination you visit.

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Travel buzz

7. Singapore tourism campaign in India Singapore Tourism Board (STB) along with Wildlife Reserves Singapore launched the third phase its campaign, ‘SingaporeThe Holiday You Take Home With You’ in Mumbai recently. In this phase they are marketing Singapore with the tagline ‘Leave curious, return inspired’, highlighting the country’s collection of unique wildlife and marine-themed attractions. Officials from Wildlife Reserve Singapore shared details about their offerings and also the latest river safari which has attractions such as Marine Life Park comprising S.E.A. Aquarium, Adventure Cove Waterpark and Dolphin Island. The grand opening of this riverthemed water park, the first and only in Asia, will happen in December and all the attractions will be functional thereafter.

Chang Chee Pey, Executive Director, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, STB, shared a few presentations and stories about Singapore’s history to give an overview of how the country has been bringing history and nature closer to the its people. So get set and head to Singapore!

6 6. VoA to 40 countries In a decision that could increase foreign exchange earning from tourism for the country in future, the Planning Commission of India has recommended a comprehensive overhaul in the visa facilitation process for travellers intending to visit India. Keeping the suggestions of the Indian tourism industry in mind, the Planning Commission in a joint meeting of the officials of the related ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs, Tourism and the like has recommended that the government extend Visa on Arrival ( VoA) facilities to citizens of 40 more countries. And apart from this pathbreaking decision, the Commission also recommended VoA for senior citizens and pensioners from all countries, as well as the idea of setting up online visa processing system to enhance smoother facilitation of visas for overseas travellers.

The joint meeting has also empowered Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Home Affairs to prepare a road map for infrastructure and manpower required for all these services.

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November 2013 26 www.spiceroutemag.com

8 8. Autumn festival in Japan The Karatsu Kunchi festival, one of the major festivals of Kyushu, is held at Karatsu-jinja Shrine which has a history of about 400 years. This festival features floats called hikiyama, the largest ones being 6.8 meters tall and 3 tons in weight.

These gigantic floats, which are lacquered and finished with gold and silver leaf, are artistic masterpieces designed in the images of lions, grampuses, samurai helmets, sea bream and flying dragons called hiryo. The oldest surviving float is the Akajishi – Red Lion, which was produced back in 1819; it has since undergone major repairs six times but still retains its original form. The floats are normally displayed at the Hikiyama Float Exhibition Hall adjacent to Karatsu-jinja Shrine. So, if you happen to be visiting this region, you might wish to have a good look at the designs of the floats. The highlight of the festival is the Otabisho Shinko which takes place on the second day. The sight of people powerfully hauling 14 floats through the sand along Nishinohama Beach, with their wheels getting stuck in the sand from time to time, is an overwhelming spectacle. On from November 2 to 4.

Travel buzz

10. One-stop wedding shop With over 50 luxury brands to choose from, The Gallery on MG has everything you need under one roof to make the wedding season memorable. You have a selection of trousseaus and wedding fineries from select designers of the Indian fashion industry including Abu Jaani-Sandeep Khosla, JJ Valaya, and Ravi Bajaj among others. Post this, you can take a quick break at the resident coffee shop, Cafe Estasi on the lower ground floor as you soak in the serenity and aesthetics of this ambiance. Or enjoy one of the luxurious therapies at the Aradya Spa. Finish your day, with something for your daughter’s new house from iconic international home décor marques such as Casa Paradox, Ayaan and Home ETTU among others – brands that explore different expressions of contemporary and traditional design aesthetics. Your trip will be complemented by music from Bang & Olufsen, and art by Arushi Arts.

9 9. North East culture fest The North East Festival 2013 brings together the cultural diversity of over 200 tribal groups and showcases their cultural and traditional heritage. Renowned names from the region will participate in cultural evenings of songs, dance, performances and fashion shows on November 8 and 9 at IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi. The two-day event would have stalls showcasing North East cuisine, traditional handloom and handicraft, books, musical instruments, tourism potentials and top musical talents of the region would perform in both the evenings. As part of the event, on both days, separate sessions will be organised wherein leading personalities with strong association with the North East would speak about the region. The Festival is being organised by TrendMMS (a reputed socio-cultural trust of north east) in association with all eight state governments of north east along with the IGNCA.

11. Wellness high The Global Spa and Wellness Summit was recently held at The Oberoi, Gurgaon. This three-day event featured hoteliers, industry experts and spiritual leaders including His Holiness The Dalai Lama. India’s hospitality titans related their personal and entrepreneurial journeys, while key notes

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and panels featured world-renowned Indian and South Asian spiritual and wellness leaders. Industry stalwarts commemorated the spa and wellness industry’s role in the tourism growth story – both globally, and in India. The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) is an international organisation representing senior executives and leaders from over 40 countries, joined by a common interest to drive economic development and understanding of the spa and wellness industries. Delegates from diverse sectors, including hospitality, tourism, health and wellness, attend the organisation’s annual Summit, which is held in a different host country each year. Kapil Chopra, president The Oberoi Group, says, “It’s a big time for wellness and spas in India, and we are proud to have top-class spas in our properties.”

November 2013 28 www.spiceroutemag.com

12 12. Music fiesta If you are fond of live music and dance, you can head to Bangkok, one of SpiceJet’s latest destinations, where W Hotels Worldwide are hosting an event with upcoming DwJs. In collaboration with burn®, The Coca-Cola Company’s globally leading energy drink, they recently announced six winning DJ/producers who have been selected to join the 2013 W Hotels & burn DJ Lab as part of an extensive global online search for emerging DJ talent. Chosen from more than 1,400 online entries by a panel of esteemed industry mentors, this year’s diverse group of rising talent then took part in a week-long DJ ‘boot camp’ at the W Retreat Koh Samui in Thailand.

The DJs and mentors celebrated the completion of the boot camp with a public performance together with three-time Grammy nominated Paul Oakenfold, English record producer and a DJ known for his specialisation in trance music, at W Bangkok.

Throughout the next year, all the DJs will participate in a global music tour, spinning at the W brand’s most dynamic hotels and exotic retreats around the world. So exciting times lie ahead with live concerts by big names and a chosen few new ones in the field!

Cover story

Bangkok Bejewelled

Street foods, serene temples, friendly people - make the most of Thailand’s exuberant capital where there is always something for everyone.

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A

s my plane started descending, I looked through the tiny window in eager anticipation of what would be my first sight of a highly popular international destination among Indian tourists. My excitement was not unwarranted – the city did not disappoint. While much has been said and written about Bangkok, none of it does justice to the unique combination of sights, sounds and scents that combine to give the city its soul. It is more than just an inexpensive shopping destination, which seems to overshadow all other elements of the city. The more I explored, the more layers the city seemed to have.

Discovering Bangkok was like turning the pages of a multi-dimensional thriller, one is never sure of what lies ahead.

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Cover story

is considered as a value-for-money getaway, it is the first choice for all those who wish to fly off to make their wedding a special affair.

Old-world charm Once termed the ‘Venice of the East’ Bangkok was built around canals and rivers, which are also the only available causeways here. Having heard a lot about boat rides here, we set out to explore the old side of Bangkok on a longtail boat. We set sail on an early morning to see ramshackle wooden stilted houses, heritage temples and their famous floating food stalls.

Top: Chatuchak weekend market is a must visit Left: Posh Siam Paragon mall

Just like many other fellow Indians, this Bangkok visit was my first international trip. I had gone with two friends, and the thought of three young girls travelling all alone for the first time was exciting in itself. We were oblivious to the fact that this destination will give us memories to last a lifetime! We headed straight to our hotel (as instructed by our parents). We were booked on the 32nd floor, from where we got a fantastic view of the entire city. Excited, curious and bustling with energy, we took a quick shower and headed out to discover this enchanting city of skyscrapers, historical temples and intoxicating food.

The big fat Indian wedding has found a new overseas destination – Thai officials say that in the last three years, more and more Indians are choosing Bangkok for wedding functions. The trend of destination weddings has been increasing by leaps and bounds, and since Bangkok

The old city boasts of some sparkling must-see temples such as the Wat Pho which houses an enormous reclining gold Buddha, the Grand Palace and Temple of the emerald Buddha. As the boat steered into a quiet canal, we saw some traditional teakwood houses on stilts. They even had floating souvenir shops for drinks and small eats! A lot has been said about Bangkok’s street food. The aroma of the peanut oil seems to encapsulate the entire city. So after satisfying our thirst for knowledge, it was time to satiate our tastebuds. We were informed by a friendly old Thai woman to follow our nose to Chinatown where our search for the famous Durian ended. Don’t be deterred by the smell of this king of fruits.

Its creamy texture is something to relish, surely making it a not-to-miss while you are in this city.

Myriad markets Bangkok’s flea markets are immensely popular all across the globe. The chic and trendy fashion of this city is followed worldwide. As laymen, all we knew about Bangkok was cheap shopping. In this anticipation we jumped into the famed tuk tuk and scooted to the Chatuchak weekend market. Alleys after alleys of

Wat Pho Temple in old Bangkok houses an enormous reclining gold Buddha November 2013 36 www.spiceroutemag.com

Cover story

Fact file

✓ SpiceJet offers direct flights to

Bangkok from Pune & Bengaluru.

✓ The Suvarnabhumi

International airport is 17km from Bangkok city.

✓ Local tuk tuks are the most

convenient mode of transport.

shops selling everything from one-off fashion accessories to knock-off kitsch products to farm-fresh flowers and agricultural produce – it was a fascinating experience. This 35-acre market area is literally where you can ‘shop till you drop’ as it houses more than 8,000 stalls displaying diverse merchandise. Night markets of Bangkok are worth visiting as well. You can try the Patpong market which gives you a multitude of options to shop – from branded bags to stylish shoes and clothes. Found in the built-up area known as Silom, the place is always busy, almost chaotic, and attracts a lot of foreign tourists. But remember: don’t be fooled by

first impressions and bargain hard. You’ll end up with some great buys!

If you are one who enjoys retail therapy in the comfort of air-conditioned malls, you can try Modern Bangkok. It is centred along Rama 1 Road, which becomes Phloen Chit Road, before transforming into the seemingly neverending Sukhumvit Road. This is the city’s retail and entertainment heart and the superb BTS Skytrain runs overhead along much of this route. Siam brings you to shopping central: posh Siam Paragon, colossal Central World and budget MBK. While we did some window shopping at Siam Paragon where renowned Thai couturiers have their stores, the threefloor MBK mall was another shopaholic’s delight. The top floor was home to the first copies of luxury watches and one could easily bargain up to 50 percent of the quoted price. One surely doesn’t realise how time flies while you are at this floor, especially if you are a girl!

Continuing our mall hopping we took a sky train straight to the Platinum

Far right: Thai girl in traditional dress doing the traditional greeting wai; Right: Wat Phra Kaeo Temple

November 2013 38 www.spiceroutemag.com

mall. Considered the largest stylish wholesale and retail fashion mall with more than 2,300 shops, this place is a shopaholic’s mecca. The women’s fashion and accessories section dominates the stores selection in this mall. However, you can also find men and children sections.

The store highlight is WIGGY – the wig store. Don’t miss it, even only for a stop to try a wig on yourself. You can’t tell the difference between your own hair and the wig after you wear it. When it comes to prices, nothing can beat this mall. They offer the latest designs at very affordable rates. I bought a dress for just 300 baht

The Platinum mall is the largest stylish wholesale and retail fashion mall with more than 2,300 shops

SpiceJet flies to Bangkok.

See schedule, page 222.

Cover story

At the 63rd floor of The Dome at Lebua is Sky Bar, the world’s highest open-air bar retreat is an award-winning spa with a holistic approach that promises to cater to all senses.

Dine in st yle and a few tops, each for only 120 baht.

Doll shoes and cute ballerinas with bows on them are must buys if you visit this mall.

Heal the heel After a hectic shopping spree our tired soles needed some pampering. There are hundreds of massage places in Bangkok, ranging from five-star-spas to the cheaper local foot massage places. Earlier we were quite skeptical to try massages in this

Not to miss

city as stories of Bangkok massages have always been a part of juicy gossip. But our desire to experience the local life was far greater than our uncertainties. So we walked into one of the tranquil retreats named Touch, where an hour-long foot massage cost only 300 baht and included a shoulder, back and head rub.

If you have time in hand, then you must visit the Thann Sanctuary for a traditional Thai massage. This mystical cave-like Clockwise from top left: Soi Cowboy entertainment district; A local hawker on the streets; A colourful tuk tuk

The aromatic jasmine rice and authentic phad thai.

After a long and tiring day of discovering the native life of Bangkok we decided that it was time to taste luxury. Heading to the most stunning multi-hued Sky Bar at Sirocco was the best way to end the first night in this scintillating city. Suspended in the sky on the 63rd floor of The Dome at Lebua, the Sky Bar is the world’s highest open-air bar, overlooking a panoramic view of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River. With such an enthralling ambience coupled with a seductive selection of the finest vintages, beverages and cocktails in Bangkok, the Sky Bar soars as one of the prized destinations in the city. A hospitable steward greeted us at the entrance with the traditional swadee ka (meaning hello in Thai), and instantly, we were in love with this place. The second part of the famous Hollywood movie Hangover was shot at this bar. If you are a fan of the movie, try a Hangovertini. The mixologist at Lebua created it especially to celebrate the film. There are plenty of other original cocktail choices, as well as a good range of beer and wines.

Most people just spend a day or two here before leaving to go to the islands or the jungle because they feel there is nothing much to do in Bangkok. But I would say that there is much more to this city than just temples, shopping and traffic. It’s a city which has a charm of its own. Don’t forget to step our after the sun sets – Bangkok looks best at night.

Candy cabs which are in varied colours such as bright green, sky blue and baby pink.

A beach break to Hua Hin or Ko Samet for adventure sports.

November 2013 40 www.spiceroutemag.com

48 Hours

in Allahabad

City guide

Steeped in history, this magical city offers fascinating sights and lip-smacking food options.

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I

f the city of Allahabad was a stage, it would undoubtedly be perceived as a dramatic one. Over time, virtually every major character of Indian history has passed through it. Under different influences, the city has grown and changed, and in no particular order.

Exploring the city chronologically is thus quite an impossible task. Just take in its sights and sounds as they appear.

DAY ONE

08:00 AM Jalebi-dahi When in Allahabad, do as the Allahabadis do and begin the day with a platter of fresh jalebi and dahi. Hira Halwai on Maharishi Dayanand Marg is an apt place to get the flavour just right. The piping-hot jalebis make for a lip-smacking contrast with the cold dahi.

43

City guide

SpiceJet flies to Allahabad.

See schedule, page 222.

Hariram samosa and namkeen shop is over a century old, & still popular 09:00 AM tombs to remember

Devote the day to examining the Mughal past of Allahabad. There’s no better place to begin than the garden of Khusrau Bagh. Three Mughal tombs stand in a straight row here. The most important one is that of Prince Khusrau, a Mughal prince whose revolt against his father in a premature bid for power saw him being blinded and imprisoned. He eventually died in Allahabad in 1622 and was buried here. Close by are tombs of his mother Shah Begum and his sister, Nisar Begum.

Nisar Begum’s elegant tomb stands on a high plinth and has beautiful geometric patterns on its ceiling. Interestingly, there is also a fourth tomb, believed to be that of Tamolan Begum whose identity remains obscure. Though some historians believe she may be another sister of Khusrau.

11:30 AM legends galore

The fort at Allahabad overlooks the

Sangam – fabled meeting point of the three great rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. Built by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1583 to fortify the line of the river, the fort is now controlled by the Army. Inside lies the Ashokan stone pillar that dates back to 250 BC. Its surface is as smooth as it would have been two millennia ago. Within the vast fortress complex and inaccessible to the general public without special permission is the Patalpuri Temple. An incredible sight here is the Akshayvat – a giant fig tree,

whose branches have multiplied manifold, taking roots as trees in their own right.

It is steeped in mythological stories. One legend holds that Ram, Lakshman and Sita had taken shelter under this tree.

Many pilgrims to the Sangam believed that anyone who died after jumping from the tree would attain salvation.

02:00 pM lunch at hariram

A growling stomach is enough to again remind a visitor of the charms of Loknath Galli in the old city, known for its snacks.

Clockwise from top: Tombs at Khusrau Bagh; Musing at the Sangam; 5th century Ekmukha Shivalinga now at Allahabad Museum

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City guide

Best-kept secret Within the military-controlled precincts of the Allahabad Fort lies an Ordnance factory, working on truck engines.

Clockwise from left: Allahabad University; Gargoyle at Cathedral of All Souls; People crossing one of the bridges at the Sangam

Inside is a stunning Mughal era palace, the Rani Mahal, abode of a queen in Akbar’s time.

Today, bats have made it their home.

The highlight is undoubtedly Hariram samosa and namkeen shop. Over a 100 years old, it was founded by a failed financier from Agra called Mutthilal in the 1890s and named after his son. The shop is now famous for its potato-less samosas and has even served them at weddings – of Indira Gandhi and Vijayalakshmi Pandit!

03:00 pM museum magic The best place to spend the hot afternoon hours is Allahabad Museum. Located in the attractive Chandra Shekhar Azad Park, the location itself speaks of the freedom struggle. The galleries within depict a kaleidoscope of Indian history – from rock-art to the spread of Buddhism, from

the Gupta period to that of the Mughal empire. The museum also offers replicas of Hindu iconography – pick one up as a souvenir. If you’re lucky, you get to spend time with some of the museum staff, a knowledgeable set of historians with valuable experience of archaeology.

restaurant at the Grand Continental on Sardar Patel Marg. The restaurant offers a variety of continental, Chinese and Indian dishes, both vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Top it off with kulfi-faluda at Shanti Kulfi in Civil Lines to make it a rewarding day.

05:30 pM boat ride at dusk As dusk approaches, visitors can walk down to the Ghats and taking one of the boats available, move down to the Sangam.

As the boats gather in the last light of the day, the setting is almost magical.

DAY two

09:00 pM international palate For dinner, try the Khana Khazana

08:00 aM charming church

It’s hard to ignore the dahi-jalebi!

Duly fortified with this breakfast, you can complete a brisk round of the city, beginning at the All Saints’ Cathedral, close to the GPO. Gothic arches and ferocious looking gargoyles give the building a character of its own. Allahabad is home to many interesting churches but nothing matches this pathar ka girija, the church’s popular local name.

10:30 AM artistic universit y

The University of Allahabad dates back to the 19th century and possesses several buildings that showcase a definite effort to create a synthesis of architecture – a meeting of east and west. Slender minarets emerge at the ends of long corridors, the Mughal style dome meets the Gothic pillared walkway. The November 2013 46 www.spiceroutemag.com

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Anand Bhawan, home to the Nehru family, was later made open to the public by Indira Gandhi

Faces carved on a wall at the Allahabad University include a Red Indian chief style of building embellishment seen at the University is accentuated at the Muir Central College. Another minaret beckons here but what is intriguing are the faces carved on the outer wall, including that of a Red Indian chief.

12:00 pM cemetery stop

In a quiet corner of the city lies Kydganj, home to a British cemetery. Many who lie here seem to have died young, the life expectancy of the British in that era in India being low. Gravestones have names of famous regiments carved on them. You feel like you are walking through a chapter of history, but it’s not a spot where one wants to linger for long.

01:00 pM snack time Returning to Loknath Galli, it is time for tikki at Nirala Mishtha Bhandar, topped up November 2013 48 www.spiceroutemag.com

by a delicious lassi at Rajaram Lassi Wala.

Just walking through the Galli, taking in the sights and sounds, is an experience.

02:30 pM motilal nehru's gift We then decided to follow the footsteps of Motilal Nehru, who left the congested inner city of Allahabad once his law practice began doing well and established a grand house at Swaraj Bhawan located at 1, Church Road. He paid `19,000 for the house, a truly princely sum in that era. Originally owned by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the house later became the hub of the country’s freedom struggle. From 1930, the house was used to serve as the headquarters for the Indian National Congress. The Nehru family then shifted to an equally grand mansion built by them in the same complex, the Anand Bhawan.

Indira Gandhi decided to open Anand Bhawan to the public in 1970. Today, the two buildings form a grand museum of the independence struggle that has few parallels in the country.

05:00 pM abuzz malls The best way to sign off the trip is to walk through the new malls that have come up in Allahabad, such as the Atlantis and the Vinayak City Square. These are abuzz with young people on most days, but old city markets continue to retain their charm.

Quick getaway

Experience

serenity

Peaceful Auroville, scenic streets and an unforgettable sunrise make Pondicherry a place to feel, not just visit.

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f you’re an inveterate traveller in search of serenity, Puducherry (erstwhile Pondicherry) is the place to be. Its unadulterated beaches provide the perfect opportunity to spend some time with yourself. The city is divided into the White town and the Black town, separated by a canal. The French East India Company had set up a trading centre here and made it the chief French settlement in India. That part of the town still boasts

R a n gaswa m y

of an Indo-French history and is known as White town. Here you’ll find grey and yellow buildings belonging to the Ashram of Sri Aurobindo and the Sri Aurobindo Society respectively; along with French establishments, heritage houses and the Alliance Francaise. It’s a tourist’s delight mainly because of the beach and important places like Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Nehru Street (the fashion street), the city museum and eateries like Le Cafe November 2013 50 www.spiceroutemag.com

by the beach. Strolling down Goubert Avenue, a main road adjacent to the beach, you will find the landmark Gandhi and Nehru statues, the French War Memorial dedicated to the martyrs of the First World War, and the majestic old lighthouse.

Finding calm Puducherry is not just a place to visit, it is a place to feel. You’ll realise that when you witness the sunrise. There could be

Quick getaway

SpiceJet flies to Pondicherry.

See schedule, page 222.

Clockwise from right: Bridge at the end of Promenade Beach; Youngsters enjoying a meal at Le Cafe; Visitor’s Centre at Auroville

nothing more wondrous than the sound of the waves crashing on the shores of the beach as dawn breaks. Post this, visit the Ashram founded by Mother Mira in 1926.

It surrounds a tree-shaded courtyard, at the centre of which lies the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Bharathiar Park (named after the famous Tamil poet) has different species of trees that are over a 100 years old. Just across the park is the Romain Rolland library, named after a French writer and traveller. At the turning of the library is the city museum, another must visit. It was once the residence of a French tradesman Carvalho, and

in 1998, was restored and converted into a museum. It traces the history of Puducherry to the era of the Cholas and houses a fine display of coins, articles, statues and statuettes. A replica of a chair used by the French governor Francois Dupleix is on display, along with the early 19th century vehicle Pousse Pousse.

Streets to remember For a photographer like me, it was a pleasure shooting on the rues (French for streets) of Puducherry. They’re not crowded and traffic is less. The place is a harmonious blend of the modern and

Auroville eats Tanto serves great pizzas with a huge range of toppings, and exotic dishes like octopus pasta.

Boulangerie is the daily morning bread provider.

Have a meal at the well-landscaped Roma’s Kitchen or the popular Solar Kitchen.

November 2013 52 www.spiceroutemag.com

the traditional – French buildings give the feeling of being in an arrondissement (French administrative district) while the good old times are revived by the presence of the joshiar (fortune teller) on the beach, and the kili joshiar (parrot card reader) and palmists on the streets.

In the Black town of Puducherry, you’ll find Casablanca, a three-storied treasure trove for shopaholics offering everything from aromatic oils to organic designer clothes, handcrafted sunglasses to regular designer labels. As you walk on the Mission Street, you will find

Quick getaway

Fact file

✓ Apart from direct flights, you

can take a train to Puducherry.

The railway station is located on the south end of the town.

Buses are popular. Puducherry

✓ has a good network of roads

which connects it with most of south India.

Bharathiar Park has tree species that are over a century old many other inviting shops. You can grab a scalding mug of cappuccino or hot chocolate along with croissant at Hot Breads, or come back crossing the canal to have hot dosa and kaapi (coffee) at Surguru Spot, or relish chaat with a Southern touch at Adyar Ananda Bhavan.

Conscious town About 15km away from Puducherry is Auroville, a universal town. I would call it a conscious town, where people from 43 countries live. There are no traffic signals, amusement parks or shopping malls here!

It’s a place to just be with yourself.

The Matrimandir, an incredible architectural edifice, is a place for meditation. This sublime sphere-shaped structure was built by the famous architect Roger Anger. It was the Mother’s (Mira Alfassa) idea to dedicate the Matrimandir to the mother of this universe, a presence or being that has been experienced under different cultures and nationalities. Inside, two spiralling ramps lead to the inner chamber where you can meditate. The construction is such that the heliostat placed on top of the Matrimandir reflects a ray of sunlight down into the chamber to touch the crystal at the centre. The rays

Clockwise from top: Inside the Visitor’s Centre; Casablanca & Hidesign at Mission Street; Bharathiar Park

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travel straight down through the different levels of the structure to touch the lotus pond below. Except Sundays, a visit inside the Matrimandir can be arranged at the Visitor’s Centre, where you can also get information about Auroville, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, all displayed in a huge hall. The Visitor’s Centre also houses three boutiques, a book shop, an information centre and the aptly named Right Path Café. There is also another organic designer shop called Upasana near CSR, a few metres away from Matrimandir.

You can choose a hotel in Puducherry and visit Auroville, or stay at Bharat Nivas – Auroville’s oldest guest house. It houses the Indian pavilion which includes a Tamil heritage centre, a kala kendra, an auditorium, and much more.

Quick getaway

Temple

town

Outstanding carvings on Jain mandirs, beautiful handicrafts, charming local sights... Ranakpur is a must-visit for the desert-weary traveller.

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wizened Rajasthani sporting a tomato-red turban and fake aviators sped along on his motorbike. Village belles with neatly done-up hair and glittering odhnis sashayed down the roads armed with pots of water. Herds of goats, cows and buffaloes were the only reasons

why our cab driver had to use brakes as there was literally no traffic on the roads.

Comfortably low hills (the Aravalis), gurgling mini streams and waterfalls kept my husband, daughter and me enthralled throughout the two-hour drive from Udaipur airport to Ranakpur. In Desuri November 2013 58 www.spiceroutemag.com

tehsil near Sadri town in Pali district, this tiny town lies on the western side of the Aravali range. Jodhpur is another 1.5 hours away, approximately 160km.

Oasis of calm When we reached our destination, Mana

Quick getaway

SpiceJet flies to Udaipur.

See schedule, page 222.

Right: Visitors flock the Ranakpur Jain Temple, known for its intricate carvings Below: Muchhala Mahavirji temple is in the process of renovation

Dedicated to Adinatha, Ranakpur temple took over 50 years to build

Hotel, we were given the traditional welcome with tilak and aarti, and a refreshing glass of rose sherbet. The property is truly a manna for the soul, providing spiritual nourishment and a feast for the eyes. This designer boutique hotel is spread over a generous 3.5 acres and has luxury villas apart from rooms and suites.

With a separate dining area and charming outdoor seating, each villa is an experience in itself. Efforts are to marry the cuttingedge contemporary interiors with traditional Rajasthan – so you come across

typical Rajasthani statuettes, a camel cart, and even indigenous vibrant tablecloths in the dining area. One more thing we liked about Mana – the reception has an LCD screen that displays photographs and information about local sightseeing options for first-time visitors. Barely 1.5 years old, this hotel has managed to carve a unique niche in this traditional town.

Some of the dishes on the menu also deserve special mention – the generous Rajasthani thali, the delicious laal maas, and the simple but flavourful dal tadka.

And one more thing that makes the guest feel really at home – Maggi!

Like a prayer The pride of Ranakpur is the Jain Temple.

Built in the 14th century, this impressive four-faceted marble structure spread over 48,000 sq ft has a beautiful facade, with numerous carved domes surrounding the main one. Dedicated to Adinatha, the first Jain teerthankar, it’s said that this temple took over 50 years to build. Legend has it November 2013 60 www.spiceroutemag.com

that Dhanna Shah, a Porwad (belonging to an ancient Jain community from southern Rajasthan), saw the design in his dreams.

He got it built under the patronage of Rana Kumbha, the then ruler of Mewar.

Foreigners, leather belts and cameras are allowed after 12 noon. They are strict about the rules... since I was in a sleeveless kurta, I had to take an odhni on rent – a pretty pink-and-green piece which I was happy to wear! As soon as you step inside, high ceilings and intricate pillars take your breath away. It’s said that no two pillars are the same, and that it is impossible to count all the pillars – you come up with a different number every time! The ceiling is divided into large blocks, each is different, and the designs stand out. One pillar is deliberately kept slanting to avoid perfection: “Nazar na lagg jaye!” explains our guide. There are smaller shrines on the sides for the other Jain gods.

Next we took a look at the Sun Temple, right next door (and originally an

Quick getaway

Photo | Yajuvendra Upadhyaya

Durries made from camel and goat hair are fire and water-proof

extension of the Jain temple), which has now been taken over by the Udaipur Royal Family Trust. Though much smaller, the carvings have the same magnificence.

We then drove to Ranakpur Dam, half an hour away. And took the short walk uphill to one of the most scenic views of the river Magai. Calm and serene, it was a rejuvenating sight.

durries. They’re made using four materials: cotton, silk, wool, and a combination of camel and goat wool. The threads are dyed with natural colours – mehndi, haldi, coffee, saffron and the like.

They’re woven on a hand-operated loom with a system of interlocking (horizontal threads are passed over and under vertical ones) which guarantees durability. The smallest piece takes at least two weeks to make. The durries can be handwashed, the colours don’t run; and since it’s such a tight weave, they also do not lose their shape. It’s a tough art, especially when using the rough camel and goat hair since these cut into the karigar’s fingers. But these create unique fire and water-proof pieces. The karigar actually placed a lit match on the camel-and-goat-hair rug, and it remained ‘unharmed’ till the flame blew itself out! The artisans have realised the value of their talent and you won’t get anything for less than `3,500, which is fair considering the time and effort for making the durries. They’re ready to create modern patterns on request. You can also order from your respective city and they’ll courier your durrie across. Credit card facility is available too.

Local flavours Ranakpur is famous for its traditional

Clockwise from above: An improvised village well; Dining area at Mana hotel; The exquisite, comfortable villa

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Another half an hour’s drive away, during which you’re sure to spot langurs, peacocks, mongooses and of course camels (we a saw a rare black one too!), is the Muchhala Mahavirji temple. The pandit ji gave us a warm welcome and told us the story behind the unusual name.

Hair from the temple pundit’s moustache fell into the prasad which was offered to the then king of Udaipur. Scared, the pandit said it was hair from the god’s moustache. Despite the fact that Mahavirji did not have a moustache, he appeared before the king wearing one, and since then the temple has an idol of the lord with a moustache. Also made of marble, this temple has some unique sculptures, including one of Kuber with his treasure chest. It’s in the process of renovation and we got to see idols of other gods in a separate room within the temple precincts.

Specially for camels Another half an hour away is Camel Charisma, an NGO that aims to diversify income opportunities for poor camel owners. So they make soaps out of camel milk and paper products – diaries, photo albums and more – out of processed

Quick getaway

Clockwise from far left: Beautiful camel dung products; Weaving traditional durries; Breathtaking view from Kumbhalgarh Fort

Fact file

✓ Nearest railhead: Falna,

approximately 25km away

✓ Nearest airport: Udaipur,

approximately 90km away sporting shopkeepers wore the traditional attire, complete with pagdi, and posed for us.

Spectacular Kumbhalgarh Kumbhalgarh Fort, with a 36km perimeter wall, is said to hold the distinction of being the second-largest man-made wall after the Great Wall of China! We took the longer

Though it was built between 14431458 AD (by Maharana Kumbha), the upkeep of the fort is good, including landscaping; greenery and flowers abound.

And once you reach the fort, climb the many stairways, have a look at the ancient canons and water structures (ponds, stepwells and more), take a peek at the hills from the many jharokhas, and just explore the sprawling fort to your heart’s content!

Do remember to carry a bottle of water along – it’s a tiring trek.

Before leaving, we picked up souvenirs at a local shop – traditional Rajasthani skirts, colourful jewellery, warm jackets with beautiful booti designs. Great mementos of an unforgettable trip!

Photo | Neharika Mathur Sinha

camel dung... All with heavy-duty machines in a separate enclosure along with an array of ‘clotheslines’ with clothespins on which the sheets of paper are hung out to dry.

There are also socks, gloves, shawls, caps and more made of camel hair, which made ideal gifts for friends and family! On our way back, we stopped at a local textile shop and bought traditional odhnis... The

route to the airport the next day so that we could stop there on the way – it takes one hour to reach Kumbhalgarh, and another two hours to reach Udaipur airport from there. There are over 360 temples within the premises! It’s a 1km long uphill walk to the fort (it’s 1,100 metres above sea level), through the many fortified gateways where we stopped and sat to catch out breath, but well worth the effort for we got a marvellous view of the Aravalis.

November 2013 64 www.spiceroutemag.com

youmeandwe.co/MN/Oct13

MUMBAI - Bandra (W) - Turner Road, Tel: 26559000 Andheri (W) - Lokhandwala Tel: 26345090 www.maheshnotandass.in

Theme holiday

Chiselled

beauty

Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh has secured an envious position in the world map, thanks to these wonders in stone.

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hat caught me by surprise at Khajuraho, a world heritage site, was the overwhelming number of foreign tourists, which overpowers the locals visitors. At one point, hearing a vernacular language from afar was the only reminder that I was standing in my own country.

Having read about Khajuraho in history books, this place always held a sense of enigma for me. And it so happened that one of my cousins, who is working with an airline, was posted here and we were visiting him. The quaint little airport was inviting in all its freshness.

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The small-town charm is unique and sets the mood of all visitors who progress from one temple to the other, examining each wall with equal enthusiasm. It goes without saying that all tourists coming to Khajuraho have the temples as their main focus. However, the drive to the

Theme holiday

SpiceJet flies to Khajuraho.

See schedule, page 222.

Fact file

✓ Getting there: Khajuraho is well connected by air as well as rail.

Where to stay: Khajuraho has many budget to luxury hotels including the state-run ✓ Hotel Jhankar.

UNESCO has declared these temples as rare heritage sites

destination, and in fact the whole setting has something mesmerising about it.

stone charm After a little freshening up, and a quick snack of poha (the staple diet of Madhya Pradesh) and a steaming cuppa, offered by my bachelor cousin, we all left for the much-awaited temple tour. Madhya Pradesh always manages to surprise me with its wide array of offerings; from the

Top: Khajuraho temple during the light and sound show Left: Visitors admiring the intricate designs

silent stupa at Sanchi to legendary rock paintings in Bhimbetka to the ethereally romantic Mandu. With my previous experience, I knew Khajuraho too would be equally captivating. The sight of these tall temples from afar was enough to make me fasten by stride. The well-manicured green lawns give a certain order to this group of temples. As I came close to the temples, I was at a loss as I did not know what to admire most; the humongous size of the temples or the intricate carving which made sculptures look as real as humans. UNESCO has declared these temples of Khajuraho as one of the rare heritage sites and people from across the world are drawn here.

The temples are clearly marked into three different groups, each with its own uniqueness. The Kandariya Mahadev which lies in the western group is one of the most popular temples and is 32km tall.

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Though the temples here are dedicated to different Gods, what is common among them all is the fine workmanship of the artist who has carved not only human figures to perfection but has almost been able to reflect the mood and emotions into the carvings as well. Built during the Chandel rule, only 22 temples survive now out of the original 85. But when one sees it up front, it is tough to imagine such work of art is possible by human hand. These carvings go a long way in proving the excellence of human art.

Wild side If you are in Madhya Pradesh, it would be a mistake to visit only one tourist attraction and leave as the state has much more to offer. After this close encounter with heritage, I thought it would be a nice idea to also get a glimpse of the wild side of Madhya Pradesh. Since my seven-year son is a die-hard wildlife enthusiast, soaking in

Theme holiday

Not to miss The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every year in February.

The light and sound show every evening is a must see.

Visit to the nearby village gives a glimpse of local life.

For details log on to:mptourism.com Clockwise from top: Jungle safari at the Bandhavgarh National Park; Annual dance festival; Tigers relaxing at the sanctuary

everything that the wildlife channels have to offer (despite my strong parent instinct, I have to admit most of his animal knowledge came from the idiot box), I thought it would be a nice idea to visit Bandhavgarh National Park. A couple of hours’ drive away from Khajuraho lie the two wildlife sanctuaries; Bandhavgarh and Panna.

The sun had already set when I reached Bandhavgarh, and the adventure began much before the morning safari.

The Madhya Pradesh hotel, where my stay was booked, is inside the forest area and it was almost an hour of driving amidst thick jungle land before I reached the hotel (and finally I could breathe in peace). As much as I would have loved to see a wild

cat walking majestically by my side and the setting too was perfect at eight at night, I did not want such luck. That night the warm bed inside a closed hotel room was all that seemed tempting.

The next morning, I was more prepared for the safari and unlike many others, I left the tiger sighting entirely to the tiger himself as it was his land that I was visiting after all. I set out with a mind to enjoy the wild beauty of the jungle as its November 2013 72 www.spiceroutemag.com

vast expanse fascinated me. Bandhavgarh National Park is a blanket of green spread at the Vindhya hills. With 105 sq km of core area and around 400 sq km as buffer area, this is one of the largest national parks in India. Topography is perfect with undulating forests and open meadows.

Deer, antelope and unending varieties of winged species enhance the beauty. The majestic tiger, however, decided to pay truant, making my resolve to return to Bandhavgarh even stronger. 

Theme holiday

Elephant

tales

Pinnawala Orphanage is home to little pachyderms who’ve lost their mothers due to freak accidents... It’s a rare chance to see these giant babies up close!

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ur trip to Sri Lanka started from Colombo. In between we had the pleasure of driving through sylvan countryside to the ancient Buddhist capital Kandy and Nuwara Eliya (better known as ‘Little England because it was a British colonial town), and then back to Colombo. It was on this last leg that we stopped off for a couple of hours at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, 13km outside Kegalle town (pronounced Kay-gol) on the KegalleRambukkana road. We were still 90km away from Colombo.

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We reached Pinnawala around two in the afternoon. The elephants were out for their bath in the river Maha Oya. By the time we paid for our tickets and walked in, some of them were already lumbering back. The big ones had heavy chains on their ankles but were quite unperturbed despite the fact that all of us gawking at them and clicking pictures.

Not many of us have had the good fortune of seeing these giants up close and without the protection of zoo walls

Theme holiday

SpiceJet flies to Colombo.

See schedule, page 222.

or circus tents! We walked on to the river viewing deck (which was also a cafeteria) and watched.

Photo | Shyamola Khanna

There were hundreds of visitors milling close to where the elephants were splashing water on each other. One little baby elephant was quite happy by himself.

I guess he had mastered bathing himself and did not need any help. Or maybe he was one of the many orphan babies being nurtured at Pinnawala‌

How it began The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Spread over 25 acres, this protected park is also a breeding place for elephants.

The first baby elephant was born in 1984.

Since the inception of this orphanage, 67 animals have birthed here, and the numbers are growing every year.

Things to do Although there are enclosures for the bull elephants and some of the wild ones, they are placed a little away from the normal route laid out for visitors. Generally, the elephants are encouraged to make their own herds which roam free with a mahout to take care. The animals appear to be well-rested, fed and cared for. The enclosures are constantly being cleaned out – there are no traces of any dung or dirt. But then, even the visitors are subdued and you do not hear any loud noises or unusual sounds. The posters do

On the banks of the Maha Oya river at Rambukkana, this area used to be a coconut plantation. The orphanage was mainly established to protect and provide care to the many abandoned baby elephants found in the jungle. The mother would have either died or been killed. In some instances the baby had fallen into a pit, and in others the mother had fallen in and died.

When the orphanage was finally opened to the public, it was mainly to raise money for the adequate care of the animals. Elephant orphanages are rather rare and now Pinnawala has the distinction of being one of the largest in the world.

Clockwise from above: Elephants enjoy a bath in the Maha Oya river; Bottle feeding a baby; Play time

November 2013 76 www.spiceroutemag.com

When the orphanage was opened, it was mainly to raise money to take care of the baby animals

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Theme holiday Fact file

✓ Getting there: The nearest

railhead is Rambukkana, 2km away. The nearest airport is Colombo, 90km away. You can take cabs from both places.

✓ Where to stay: Hotel Elephant

Bay is right opposite the elephant orphanage. There are a few more hotels and inns a few kilometres away.

exhort the visitors to be calm and not to stray from the fixed pathways which have tall bamboo growing on either side.

At 8am, the baby elephants are fed milk through bottles while the older ones get leaves and fruits. If you or any child wishes to feed the babies, you can book a bottle in advance. Sometimes, when there are not too many people in the park, a little money helps you get a bottle on the spot! On other days, when it is a busy time, advance booking is an advantage as a lot of people want to feed the baby elephants – you may never get the chance to get up close to these giant babies!

Between 10 a.m and 2 p.m, the elephants cross the road and walk about

It is a scorching day but we do manage to walk around the enclosures.

And come across some interesting sights making the effort worthwhile... This one was particularly memorable: We find two adorable elephant babies fighting to scratch their ears at a stone post – as soon as one moves a bit, the other one steps in!

It almost seems like two kids are fighting over the same toy!

400 meters to the river for their bath, and this is where most people get close to them and of course click pictures.

Some parents, along with their excited children, walk along to the water’s edge so that they can touch the baby elephants.

Fortunately the river is not a raging torrent here – many boulders and rocks on the water allow visitors to come in close. The animals appear to be quite comfortable in the presence of so many people. Of course one can make out the mahouts – swarthy stout men keeping a vigilant eye out for any errant behavior!

Dung benefits

Above: The Buddhist town of Kandy is an hour’s drive from Pinnawala Left: You can also visit the Sigiriya frescoes nearby

November 2013 78 www.spiceroutemag.com

We go back to the cafeteria across the road. As we amble around the shops, we come across a poster that catches our eye.

It proudly announces: “Paper made from elephant poo”! Graphic drawings explain how the elephants eat grass, bamboo and leaves; and after the digestive process, the huge globs of elephant dung are collected and treated to make paper.

After the initial ‘ewwww!’ reaction, we decide to walk into the store to satisfy our curiosity, and discover some unusual paper objects. The paper looks a lot like the handmade paper we get elsewhere across the globe; there are stacks of stationery, various kinds of file covers, note books, cards and any other product you can think of in paper. No there is no offensive smell... it is indeed a novelty. But unfortunately, there seem to be no buyers!

I guess people here are yet to get over the ‘ewww’ factor!

Festive flavour

Light &

shine

When the cool winds blow, it’s time to celebrate the festival of diyas and firecrackers, and be part of famous fairs and pujas.

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Diwali Diwali, the festival of lights, began as a celebration marking the arrival of Lord Rama after 14 years of exile. It is all about frenzied shopping, gifting, cacophony of crackers, razzle dazzle of lights, and glitter and ceremonial lighting of diyas and candles, while offering prayers to the goddess of wealth Lakshmi and the god of auspicious beginnings Lord Ganesha.

Down the ages, Diwali has come to be celebrated for a whole host of reasons. For business communities, it heralds the New Year – a fresh start when old accounts are settled and new ledgers opened. It marks the New Year for the Jain community while commemorating the death anniversary of their 23rd Tirthankara Mahavira and his attainment of moksha. Diwali celebrations begin from Dhanteras when purchasing November 2013 80 www.spiceroutemag.com

a new metal or utensil is considered auspicious, followed by Chhoti Diwali, also celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi in some parts of India. The day after Diwali we celebrate Govardhan Puja, followed

by Bhai Dooj. Homes are decorated by beautiful rangolis or alpanas, made painstakingly by the women of the house.

When: November 3 Where: Across India

Photo | Dilip Banerjee

Festive flavour

Pushkar Mela The Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan is India’s greatest tribal gathering, featuring performances by musicians and dancers from Thar Desert. Thousands of people including cattle traders, shopkeepers, merchants, dancers, musicians and artisans congregate at Pushkar for this five-day long event – India’s largest cattle fair. The mela has become more touristy, but it continues to be a delightful experience. The camel race is usually the first event. There’s also the well-known longest moustache event, matka phod, bridal competition, gorband – camel decoration and more.

Pilgrims bathe in the holy Pushkar lake to be cleansed of their sins. Pushkar is also home to the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma. There are many places offering body tattoos, and even body piercing. You can catch a glimpse of the spectacle by taking a hot air balloon ride.

the Sikh community. During the threeday akhand path, the Guru Granth Sahib is read from beginning to end without a break. The Granth Sahib is also carried in a procession on a float decorated with flowers throughout a village or city. Five armed guards, representing panj pyares, head the procession carrying nishan sahibs or the Sikh flag. Prayers and kirtans at gurudwaras are followed by community meals called langar where all are welcome. All participate in this karseva as service to the community, cook and distribute food with the traditional karah prasad.

When: November 17 Where: Across India, particularly Punjab

When: November 9 - 17 Where: Pushkar, Rajasthan

Gurunanak Jayanti Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism in India, was born in 1469 AD at Tolevandi, near Lahore, and his birth anniversary is celebrated as Gurunanak Jayanti with much pomp and religious fervour across

Chhath Puja Chhath Puja, an ancient Hindu festival, is celebrated in Bihar to thank Surya (God of Sun) for sustaining life and energy on earth. Devotees offer prayers to the setting sun on this four-day festival. Rituals include fasting and offering prayers on the banks of the river Ganga, Yamuna or any water body. On the first day, devotees takes a dip in the water body at sunrise and bring holy water home to make prasad. The worshipper has to stay away from daily rigours and pleasures of life and sleep on the floor with a single blanket during the puja. The next morning, devotees maintain a strict fast with no water and food, which ends after sunset. After eating at night, the devotee is supposed to start another fast on the following morning that lasts for 36 hours, i.e. till the third day evening. During sunset on the third day, millions of people stand in the river with offerings for the sun god that include flowers and small diyas or earthen lamps. They then break their fast. On the morning of the final day, devotees visit the banks of river Ganga before sunrise and welcome the sun with folded hands.

When: November 8 Where: In various parts of India, especially Bihar

November 2013 82 www.spiceroutemag.com

Launch pad

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November 2013 86 www.spiceroutemag.com

Spice Trail

Dill-icious!

This cousin of parsley is a valuable functional food, and a surprisingly versatile background player in recipes spanning cultures and diets.

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ide, flat, tear-shaped pod with light-brown borders and a dark, oak-like center, Dill is the most easily recognisable and loved herb across the world. Food-lore has it that the herb was in use since pre-Biblical times. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used Dill in a recipe for mouth cleanser. Ancient soldiers would apply burnt Dill seeds to their wounds.

Ancient Egyptian writings agree. According

to ancient Greek and Roman cultures Dill, both fresh and seed, was considered a sign of wealth and revered for its healing properties. Today, Dill is a noted herb in the cuisines of Scandinavia, Central Europe, North Africa and the Russian Federation. A member of the apiaceae family, Dill’s green leaves are wispy and fern-like and have a soft, sweet taste. Dill seeds taste similar to caraway, featuring a November 2013 92 www.spiceroutemag.com

flavour that is aromatic, sweet and citrusy, but also slightly bitter.

SELECT & STORE Buy fresh Dill weed leaves that look feathery and green in color. Slightly wilted ones are still acceptable since they usually droop quickly after being plucked.

Fresh Dill should always be stored in the refrigerator, either wrapped in a damp

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Dill seeds, leaves and twigs possess healing properties. It’s a flavourful way to good health! paper towel or with its stems placed in a container of water and a wee bit of salt – and consumed within a week. You can also freeze Dill leaves in ice-cube trays covered with water or stock that can be added when preparing soups or stews. Dried Dill seeds can be stored in tightly sealed glass containers in a cool, dry and dark place for up to six months.

easy dill rolls Ingredients ¾ cup small curd cottage cheese 2 tablespoons butter 1 /3 cup water ¼ cup finely minced onion 1 teaspoon Dill seeds 2¼ cups flour, divided 2 tablespoons sugar 1 package active dry yeast ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg Method Whisk cottage cheese in a food processor. In a saucepan, combine butter and water and heat until butter melts, stirring frequently. Stir in onion and Dill seed. Set aside to cool for around 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine 1¼ cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add to flour mixture along with egg; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to form a stiff batter. Cover and let rise for around 30 minutes.

Spray six muffin cups with non-stick baking spray and dust with flour. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.

Let rise, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, until batter fills cups.

Preheat oven to approximately 204°C. Bake rolls for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and remove from pan. Let it cool. Serve.

INDULGENCE Dill is best enjoyed as a garnish or a flavourant. Fresh Dill weed should be washed thoroughly in water to remove sand, dirt and any residual pesticides.

To keep the fragrance and aromatic flavour intact, Dill is generally added just before serving a dish. It goes perfectly with salads, dips, soups and even in a marination rub for meat and fishes. Like most hearty foods, Dill seeds have a certain amount of acidity. Try Dill seeds in pickle brines for cucumbers, beets and carrots, as well as pickled fish. Along with vinegar, it helps cut any unwelcome fishy funkiness. In Indian cuisine, Dill is used to temper dal and a few meat dishes.

MEDICINAL WONDER Traditional medicine has always valued

November 2013 94 www.spiceroutemag.com

Dill for its beneficial properties. Dill is a medicinal plant whose seeds, leaves and twigs possess healing properties. Dill possesses flavonoids, monoterpenes, amino acids and minerals, making it a flavourful way to good health. It also serves as a protection against free radicals and carcinogens. A regulated consumption of Dill can help neutralise particular types of carcinogens, such as the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and the smoke produced by trash incinerators.

Dill also is an anti-bacterial spice.

The total volatile oil portion of Dill has also been studied for its ability to prevent bacterial overgrowth. In this respect, Dill shares the stage with garlic. Dill is also a flavourful source of calcium, and aids in preventing bone loss that occurs after menopause and in some conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Flavonoids and group B vitamins in Dill have a soothing effect on our nervous system which happens through the secretion of hormones and enzymes in our body. Dill is said to help people with nervous system disorders sleep better.

Gourmet delight

Next on

my plate

From organic to raw, steaming to grilling, traditional to molecular, we look at trends that are making their way to the gourmet runway.

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reen tea is the new coffee. Burmese the new Chinese. Red velvet the new chocolate cup cake. Sliders the new snacks. With food trending much like fashion, we took our predict-o-meter to find what is brewing in the chef ’s kitchen.

And here’s what we got...

Grilling goes Oriental Grilling in Chinese? Seriously? Well that was our reaction when we tried galangal soy marinated beef skewer at Mumbaibased oriental restaurant Singkong a few months ago. The meat, juicy and flavourful, came slightly grilled and not steamed as usually expected. Did it make a mark? Yes, because since then, Singkong has been literally cooking up a storm with its grilled variants of the steamed and wok-tossed variety, marking a new trend November 2013 96 www.spiceroutemag.com

Gourmet delight

With their crunchiness, flowers and stems make for perfect ingredients of presenting the grilled Oriental cuisine.

Says head chef, Singkong and practitioner Vikas Seth, “Grilling is going to be the next big medium of cooking for Oriental cuisine. It enhances the flavour of the dish; at the same time, it is much healthier.”

Also new is the inclusion of leaves for imparting new flavours. Come next month and Singkong will be serving a whole new lot of grilled vegetarian variety like pandan leaf wrapped spiced cottage cheese served with coriander chilli soy and wrapped chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce.

Fruit to flower Flowers in cooking are nothing new... but buds, roots and sprigs definitely are. If Chef Joy Bhattacharya’s (executive chef, Oberoi Hotels) attempts to bring ‘spring on table’ are anything to go by, then soon favourites like broccoli, lolorossa, radish and zucchini will be replaced by their flowers, stems… and roots! And the list is not limited to exotic Chinese vegetables; on the cards are traditional favourites like pumpkin flower, the inside bark of the

banana tree and, says Chef Joy, “lots and lots of grasses”. The search for newer, fresher flavours that could add a zing to run-of-the-mill dishes has led to this trend.

“We are now also looking at something that can remain fresher longer – and these flowers and stems with their crunchiness are perfect as ingredients,” adds the chef.

Fresh over synthetic We have always had raw mango play base to curries and chutneys, and pumpkin to sauces – so what’s new in this you would ask? Well fruits – especially ripe ones – are making a comeback, not only as a base for

curry (ripe mango fish curry, anyone?), but also for desserts. Olive Academy Dean and award-winning Chef Sabyasachi Gorai in fact has already begun a whole new concept of ‘fresh fruit dishes’. Still in the experimental stage, the idea behind the concept, says Chef Gorai, “was to develop a new way of cooking dishes minus the artificial sauces and flavourants”.

In effect, says Chef Saby, “it would help menus turn more seasonal, help the chef get more experimental, and dining out will be healthy.” The passion fruit cake, which uses passion fruit to replace much

Clockwise from above: Oriental grills are gaining popularity; Fruits as ingredients are in demand; Flowers and stems make for exotic additions

November 2013 98 www.spiceroutemag.com

Gourmet delight

With diners knowing their jalapenos & goudas, Indianising a cuisine is no longer an option of butter and essence; and the jackfruit bread have been some of the successes of the ‘ripe fruit movement’.

Meat goes raw Thanks to a decent supply of prime meat and seafood, raw food and flavours have seen a makeover – from being a part of appetisers and salad to main courses. Top among them have been fresh tuna, salmon and of course marinated beef, Ethiopian style. The reason, says Chef Amey Marathe, “is the novelty – not only for taste value,

but also preparation. The perishable nature makes these preparation extremely precarious.” But that hasn’t stopped the former Hard Rock chef to experiment with dishes that are out and out raw: “right down to the garnishing and flavourings,” he says. His salmon carpaccio; made of salmon, dry wine and whole pepper; is an example of the rise of the ‘raw food menu’.

Purist world cuisine When in India, make it for the Indians. Not so long ago, this would be the advice to

Clockwise from top left: Raw meat dishes are in; Burgers are now served in slider forms; Floral ingredients up the look and taste

November 2013 100 www.spiceroutemag.com

anyone who was starting a restaurant in India. Then globalisation happened, and spoilt everything. Says Chef Milind Sovani, whose recently opened restaurant April Rain advocates the culture of ‘cuisine as it is’: “With diners knowing their jalapenos and goudas, Indianising a cuisine is not an option. Today what wins is how true you are to flavours and to cuisine. And that’s what is going to be the future.”

Of course, says the culinary veteran, “Innovative blends of global flavours and cooking style like molecular cuisine will be in, but eventually it will be about the broad cuisine and the chef.”

Indian in miniatures Forget mini pizzas and burgers, the table will now belong to Indian burgers and vada pavs served in slider forms, says culinary consultant Pradeep Tejwani.

“So instead of the usual big portions, single dish; a serving of burgers will now have vada pav, chicken tikka and achari tikka with desi mayo – served a la sliders style,” he says. A trend that is likely to be seen also in the dessert arena, especially the western side of dessert.

Says macaroon queen Pooja Dhingra of Le 15, “Desserts, including cup cakes, will go finger size with a lot of Indian flavours being incorporated. High on the list now is flavours like rose, saffron and spices like Indian cardamom.” Pooja in fact is working on a new set of macaroons that will impart the flavours of different Indian spices.

Gourmet delight

Gorgeously

delicious

Wedding cakes, a foreign concept as far as Indian weddings were considered till a few years ago, are finding their way into people’s hearts (and palates).

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eddings have always been big in India. With all the flamboyance and extravagance around glamourising traditions, we are opening up and adopting some international rituals as well.

Television channels showcasing big fat Indian weddings, international nuptial ceremonies, and entire shows dedicated to fantastic cakes have contributed to the popularity of wedding cakes in India.

for Indian Weddings “Wedding cakes are new to our culture,” says Nitin Khurana, owner, The Sweet Boutique. In the US, banks offer loans for wedding cakes, Nitin tells us. A majority of his clients are typically NRIs or youngsters who have lived abroad for a few years. But in India, though the trend is becoming increasingly popular, it is still considered an indulgence and even a waste. Even so, the masses are also going for multi-tiered, November 2013 102 www.spiceroutemag.com

Gourmet delight

fancily decorated cakes to be cut by the bride and groom. Kajal Karni Bajaj, chef, designer and proprietor of Sugar Blossoms Cake Studio, adds, “As wedding planners in India have become more sophisticated, they too have started recommending their clients have a wedding cake as part of the ceremonies as it represents celebration.”

a cake, but it’s another thing to be able to put it all together keeping in mind colour, design, structure and the like,” she admits.

Being in the business of wedding invites as well, The Sweet Boutique does multi-tier cakes and is often requested to match the cake decoration with the wedding card, bridal outfit or jewellery.

“We once made a 6ft, seven-tier cake in white and silver, embellished with Swarovski crystals,” shares Nitin.

According to him, since clients end up paying a hefty amount for a wedding cake, the ingredients and embellishments (in this case Swarovski diamantes) need to offer complete value for their money.

It is also interesting to note that this ‘international’ trend is not limited to flamboyant Delhi and hip Mumbai.

“Wedding cakes were once only for the elite, but it is a new trend to cut a cake and at least 60 percent of the public is showing an interest in wedding cakes on their special day,” shares Chennai-based Janaki Muthu, partner, Cake Square. Surprisingly, in Janaki’s experience, wedding cakes are offered as a special gift to a couple by their friends. “We also get a lot of orders from NRIs who send wedding cakes to their family members,” she shares.

Unique Flavours

One of the most elaborate wedding cakes was a seven-tier Jodha Akbar theme cake

Designer Cakes Creating elaborately designed, multitiered cakes is no child’s play. Even though she graduated from NIFT (in fashion design) and then Fashion Institute of Technology, NY (in fashion merchandising), baking is something that Kajal truly enjoyed. She initially started as a home baker in Toronto, Canada and took a couple of courses to improve her cake-decorating skills. She then got a Masters in Confectionery Art from the prestigious Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionery Arts.

Kajal’s background in fashion helped her immensely with cake decoration as well. One of the most elaborate wedding cakes she baked and decorated was a seventier Jodha Akbar theme cake with elements of design taken from the bride’s jewellery set. “It is one thing to be able to bake a cake (purely a science) and learn the soft skills required to decorate

Immense hard work and creativity goes into making these wedding cakes

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While the Cake Square receives requests for their fruit-flavoured cakes, Nitin feels that people are less experimental with the flavours. Since Indian weddings are typically large affairs, people prefer to stick to universal favourites like chocolate truffle or pineapple. “However, we do offer multi-layered cakes with different flavours,” he says.

He adds that red velvet has become quite a rage lately. Kajal agrees and her best-selling flavours too are red velvet

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Gourmet delight

Base tiers of heavy cakes should be placed on a thick fiberboard or plywood base to avoid damage they would like their wedding cake to look like. “Some clients are pretty sure of what they would like and I just have to sketch it out on paper. For others I recommend designs, colour palette and more. Once they have agreed on a design, we go over the flavours. The clients can taste different cakes and butter cream flavours and decide which one or a combination they want, depending on how many tiers the cake will be,” she explains.

From chocolate to vanilla to fruit, these cakes are available in many flavours

and Belgian chocolate, “although we do a delicious Fluffy Banana with a Dulce De Leche,” she says.

how to Order Kajal explains the entire process involved in ordering a wedding cake. First, the client has to book an appointment and go to their cake studio at Meharchand Market.

She then sits down with them and goes through with the client’s vision of what

Almost everybody who specialises in wedding cakes offers cake-tasting sessions.

Nitin states that he offers cake tasting to clients, especially in different flavoured tiers, even though they might be pressed for time. After all, with rates going up to `2,500 per kilo, and seven-tier cakes weighing almost 30kg, people might as well get a taste of it before serving it to their guests!

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Carry on Do not fret if you are getting married away from the hustle and bustle of metro cities, because moving a tiered cake from one location to another does not have to be difficult. Following some simple guidelines ensures that your cake will arrive safely, whether you are travelling hundreds of miles or just a few. One needs to be certain the cake is constructed on a sturdy base made of thick corrugated cardboard. Base tiers of heavy cakes should be placed on a fiberboard or plywood base, about ½ inch thick. Also, each tier is packed individually in different cardboard cake boxes and sturdy cake stands are used to keep them from moving while travelling. At times, thick plastic rods are inserted through the tiers to ensure they don’t move. So you’ll find that when you reach your destination, your pretty cake will be in one piece, ready to be cut!

Gourmet delight

Legendary

biryanis

This quintessential comfort food for most Indians is a collage of traditional flavours. Read on to know the various kinds on the menu.

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ift up the lid and the atmosphere is redolent with the aroma of saffron, rosewater, kewra and spices. Undoubtedly, the waft of biryani is unparalleled. And from the aroma itself, one knows how well a biryani is cooked.

The true test of a good cook or chef, they say, is a perfect biryani. Similarly, every foodie enjoys a biryani, no matter from whichever region. Manav Koul, Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency, Pune analyses, “Starting from the spices and the ingredients used to the way it is cooked, every tradition of biryani boasts of a distinctly unique flavour that becomes its speciality. Biryani is popular across India due to its rich taste and the savoury combination of exotic spices along with a wide range of ingredients like mutton, chicken, fish, egg, vegetables, and more.�

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Gourmet delight

Most regions follow the two styles of cooking – kachchi biryani and pakki biryani Culinary Masterpiece Biryani is a royal dish originally prepared for nawabs and nizams. The word biryani is derived from the Persian word birian meaning ‘fried before cooking’. In the olden days, rice was fried in ghee. This imparted a nutty flavour to the rice and burnt the outside starch layer. After the rice was stir-fried, it was boiled in water with spices, till half-cooked. The right amount of ingredients added at the right time, the quality of rice, the amount of heat, the kind of vessel used for cooking and the right cut of meat are some factors that determine the taste of the final dish.

Biryanis can be served simply or given a royal touch with the addition of dry fruits and nuts.

Raita is the most popular accompaniment

Most regions in India follow the two predominant styles of cooking biryani; kachchi biryani and pakki biryani.

Kachchi biryani, in which the meat is marinated first with spices, yoghurt, raw papaya and then cooked along with the rice on dum or a slow oven, is a culinary masterpiece and requires an experienced cook. On the other hand, in pakki biryani, the meat and the rice are prepared separately and then put together and cooked on slow flame for a long time (dum phukt style) with flavours of saffron, cardamom and kewra essence.

All Indians have their own regional favourites and there is a lot to choose from. A plethora of variations too have crept in. Manisha Bhasin, Senior Executive Chef, ITC Maurya explains, “At present, there are seven distinct styles of biryani within the Indian subcontinent alone...

Awadhi, Calcutta, Hyderabadi, Memoni, Sindhi, Sri Lankan and Tahari. And each of these styles has minor variations depending upon family tradition, innovations, and specific local ingredients.

Dum pukht biryani served at ITC Hotels is one of the most popular biryanis.”

To each his own Who can resist an Awadhi biryani?

Nalli rogani biryani is a hugely popular Lucknowi biryani, as that is where it all began. In this biryani, the meat is first sautéed and then cooked separately. The rice is later cooked in the same stock. Chef Koul adds, “This biryani is made with rich basmati rice and meat, flavoured with essence. Use of saffron, cream and exotic spices like cardamom, mace, cinnamon, cloves, makes it richer.”

Awadhi biryani may be the rage, yet the name that is synonymous with biryani is Hyderabadi. No celebration is complete without a Niyamat-e-arabBiryani. Chef Amit Dash, Executive Sous Chef, Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai International Airport adds, “Hyderabadi biryani can be prepared both in the kachchi or pakki method. Mutton pieces marinated in turmeric are pressure cooked before joining a bed of rice carrying the rich flavours of coconut milk, lime and

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an assortment of exotic spices, making mutton biryani a complete feast.”

South India too boasts of its biryani tradition, apart from Hyderabadi biryani.

Fried rice called neichoru or ghee rice was a delicacy meant for special occasions when the Arcot nawabs ruled Kerala.

This dish has now evolved and become a biryani. The Moplahs added their touch and have come up with several variants of the biryani, some of which are extremely spicy. Chettinad biryani from Tamil Nadu is equally a treat for the tastebuds.

Bhatkali biryani from the coastal regions of Karnataka and Beary biryani from the south of Karnataka, too are legendary.

Kolkata biryani, which is in a way an off-shoot of the Awadhi biryani, is far spicier than other regions. What also sets it apart is that it is lighter and uses potatoes. Ingredients such as mace, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom make this biryani unique and lend it a special flavour. “Meat is marinated with yoghurt, powder spices and cooked separately from rice. The flavour and colour of rice is increased with the addition of saffron and kewra or rose water as well,” reveals Chef Koul.

Spice it up!

Other famous biryanis from India include Bombay biryani, the Thalassey biryani or Malabar biryani, Sindhi biryani, the Vaniyambadi biryani hailing from Vinyambadi province in the Vellore district, Kalyani biryani and the Hyderabadi beef biryani. Healthier versions are emerging too. Biryani is being prepared with brown rice, less ghee and sans any red meat.

Typical variations aside, biryanis can be given an interesting twist according to one’s own palate. Mutton and chicken may be the most preferred ingredients, but eggs, fish, prawns, mushrooms and paneer are also used to whip up a delectable dish.

Typically, biryani is paired with a raita in most parts of India. Chef Dash elaborates, “Biryani is generally served with a mirchi ka salan, which is basically a peanut and whole green chilli gravy, and raita with chopped onions.” Yet, many believe that a biryani should rule the meal and needs no other accompaniments.

Chef Bhasin believes, “The protein in meat and carbohydrates from rice makes it a complete food which does not need many accompaniments.” No wonder then that the biryani is a royal dish and a pure gastronomical delight!

Coriander and finely chopped raw onions are good garnishes

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In conversation

Lens

magic

Padma Shri Raghu Rai is known for his expertise with the camera. Recently, his photographs of trees have been immortalised in a book.

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alling him famous is a cliché, assessing his photographs as “excellent” is toeing the repeatedly tread line, and expecting him not to come out with a volley of surprising shots even at the age of 70, is grossly underestimating him. Padma Shri Raghu Rai is perhaps the most talented and sensible photographer in India. Gallery Photo-ink recently displayed an exhibition of his photographs of trees, and has come out with a book on the same. He already has nearly 35 books and umpteen shows to his credit...

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In conversation

Beauty lies in black and white – most of Raghu Rai’s photography is done in greyscale

Popular books Bangladesh: The Price of Freedom, 2013 Mother Teresa: A Life of Dedication, 2005 Indira Gandhi: A Living Legacy, 2004 Dreams of India, 1988 Faith and Compassion: The Life and Work or Mother Teresa, 1996 Raghu Rai’s Delhi, 1994 A Day in the Life of Indira Gandhi, 1974

Tell us more about your tree shots.

These are non-dramatic photos emerging out of a meditative exercise. They were taken in different ages, time zones and locations. I managed to develop a relationship with the trees, and some excellent photographs shaped up.

You had recently come out with Bangladesh: The Price of Freedom...

Yes. The response to this coffee table book published by Niyogi has been tremendous. It came out after I discovered that among my piles of unopened boxes, there were umpteen images of Bangladesh’s painful birth. I found them 40 years later.

told an officer that I’m Raghu Rai, a Punjabi. He straightened his gun on me thinking I was a Pakistani spy. Later on, things were resolved.

Which personality was your favourite ‘subject’?

Mother Teresa was an amazing woman. She was always connecting to God and her expressions were awesome.

Your experience while taking those shots?

I was scared to death. A friend of mine took me to one of Mukti Bahini’s offices (small groups of Bangladeshi revolutionaries). I November 2013 116 www.spiceroutemag.com

When Indira Gandhi used to attend press conferences, the intensity of her face used to be magical. My meeting with Satyajit Ray was also one of the finest in terms of expressions.

Your take on current photography trends?

Photography is no longer restricted to people who specialise in it, say via a

Do you feel today’s youngsters are in a hurry?

Yes, they are. But when they take a decent shot, it feels really good.

But again, there are no short cuts to creativity.

Who do you think can carry your legacy?

(Laughs). The new generation should now make their own new legacy.

An old selfportrait with his children Nitin and Lagan

Photography for me is dharma, meditation, spirituality, my life professional course or vast experience. Almost everyone has a camera – people have it in their mobile phones. Many buy a DSLR which gives excellent quality shots. But the creative part is missing, these pictures lack character, many are extremely bad in quality.

Does it upset you?

(Laughs).Thankfully, I have the arrogance of flying over this radar. Photography for me is dharma, meditation, spirituality and my life.

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What are your tips for photography aspirants?

Dedicate yourself completely to this art. Be there all the time.

Don’t attempt to take every beautiful picture you have taken before. Use your creativity.

You keep away from technology-driven modes of communication…

Yes. I am not on Facebook or Twitter. I am old fashioned (laughs).

Tell us something about your family.

I have three daughters and a son from two marriages. My eldest daughter is an aerobics teacher, one is an architect, the third is a collegiate and also a documentary maker. My son has taken up photography as a profession. He also runs Centre for Photography in Delhi in which he imparts courses in the creative and technical aspects. I also teach there occasionally.

Glam world

Haute

heirlooms

Far from the razzmatazz of a commercial wedding, young brides-to-be opt for bespoke traditional wear from private closets for their D-day.

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s adolescent girls, standing in front of the mirror, we all have wrapped ourselves in our mothers’ dupattas to dress like a bride. Is it just part and parcel of growing up or the desire to be a reflection of your mother? The answer I find is within me. Even today, when I flip through the yellowed pages of my parent’s wedding album, I’m mesmerised by the beauty and elegance of the yesteryear’s bridal wear. Hailing from a Sikh family, I have always seen women donning the traditional salwar kameez on their weddings. So her wedding dupatta is what caught my attention. A traditional gotta pati detailed dupatta in crimson red and parrot green colour made my mother look even more beautiful. In an attempt to look like her, I pestered mom to open her wedding trunk and give me the dupatta so that I could use it with my red raw silk suit. But since it was nearly 30 November 2013 120 www.spiceroutemag.com

Glam world

years old, the dupatta had become limp and liable to tear if used. So I decided to revamp it by layering a plain piece of cloth at the back for support. And I was all set to recreate the same magic which my mother had stirred up 30 years ago. Many like me wish to carry the heirloom bridal wear legacy forward. With Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor recently wearing the heirloom joda of the Pataudi family recreated by veteran couturier Ritu Kumar, this trend is gaining immense popularity.

reviving technique Reviving heirloom bridal outfits is not a passing trend, it’s a practice that has been around for many years across the world.

And not just for sentimental reasons, but also for the unique look which every bride wants and an antique outfit can so beautifully provide. Add to that the fact, that reviving the much-treasured outfit can be a huge cost cutter in the overall wedding expense.

With the kind of expert help from designers so easily available today, restyling the bridal saree so that it matches your taste and requirements while still retaining its old-world charm, is not an unachievable task. Asian Bridal Wear couturier Hema Thakorlal from the designer label Viraaj Collection gives some great tips on how you could take this trend forward: “There are several ways

in which the “new” can be incorporated while retaining the beauty of the “old”; from getting a new structured choli with a contemporary design to modernise the look of the outfit, or working with a glamorous layered look with the saree draped as odhni over a new simple lehenga or saree,” she says.

Beautiful zari borders from old kanjeevarams can be used on new fabrics for a fabulous modern look

“Beautiful zari borders from old kanjeevarams can be used on new fabrics for a fabulous look. If the fabric of the saree has lost its sheen, the heavy borders and motifs can be used on solid silks and velvets or gorgeous tie-and-dyes to give it a new fashionable avatar. You may be lucky and the saree can be used as it is.

In this case, just adding lining all around the saree in a similar colour tone or even a contrasting colour, if it works with the overall look, can give the outfit an instant facelift,” she adds.

Reviving an old garment requires a lot of careful hard work. Ask Madhu Jain, who revived an old khadi sari, handwoven

by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for Maneka Gandhi in 1941. Maneka wore the beautiful saree in March this year for her son Varun’s wedding. “It was a bright pink sari in pure khadi. The trademark of the khadi fabric is its stiffness, but this saree was so old that it had become limp. I used an old ayurvedic concoction to give it more body and strength,” explains Madhu.

Clockwise from right: Traditional Muslim gharara; Maneka Gandhi in a vintage khadi saree; Kareena Kapoor looking ravishing in the Pataudi joda

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Glam world

it as a gift from her in-laws. This is an effort to bring the old traditions back and take one’s lineage ahead. I want to keep this Punjabi custom alive so that future generations know how important such things are to a family.”

epitome of grandiosit y

In royal families, it is a tradition to wear something from the mother’s wardrobe onGOING legacy On the other hand, in royal families it is a custom to wear something from the mother’s wardrobe. “I get many families who want their ancestral sarees to be revived in such a way that they can be used in the trousseau,” says revivalist and designer Neeru Kumar, who has worked with old and exquisite Paithani sarees for families for many years now. “Paithani as we know it has been modernised now. The older Paithanis did not have parrots or peacocks on the pallu of the saree,” she points out.

Top to bottom: An exquisite neck piece from Abharan’s bridal collection; Wear this fusion piece for a mehndi or cocktail function; A traditional south Indian bride

“Though people are talking about heirloom jewellery and trousseau due to celebrity weddings, it is nothing new to me. I wore my mother-in-law’s phulkari dupatta, and now I plan to ask my future daughter-in-law to do the same when she marries my son. It was a privilege when my in-laws gifted that dupatta to me and asked me to wear it on my wedding day,” asserts Tejinder Kaur from Ludhiana.

She adds, “This phulkari is over 75-years-old and my mother-in-law got November 2013 124 www.spiceroutemag.com

Being the youngest in the family, I have to agree that I have been the most pampered person in the house. From my childhood I have always had an eye for exquisite pieces from my mother’s closet and after the wedding dupatta, it was time to try my mother’s wedding jewellery. The multicoloured kundan set which is now three decades old, still had an invincible charm and it was soon that my mom decided to keep it aside for me to wear on my wedding day. This grand piece holds a special place in my heart and the fact that I’ll wear it on my wedding will surely make it more treasured.

Manisha Mahajan, a 22-year-old bride-tobe who lives in Delhi, shares the same feelings. “My mother gifted me a paasa (wedding hair accessory) which was made from my Nani’s nath (traditional nose ring). I was mesmerised looking at the exotic piece of jewellery and instantly decided to wear it on my mehndi ceremony, as it would go best with the outfit I was planning to wear that day. It was indeed an emotional moment and I felt privileged to wear my grandmother’s treasured possession,” she says.

However, if you are not lucky enough to have such treasures passed down from generations you can head to Abharan.

They have been pioneers in this field since 1935 and are known for their quality control and the promise of providing innovative designs. Their enchanting bridal collection displays old-world charm fused with contemporary designs. Excellent craftmanship and a vintage feel takes the trend of heirloom jewellery a step further.

With the wedding season knocking at the door, Abharan has opened two new showrooms in Karkala and Kundapur in Karnataka. So if you have a special liking for vintage jewellery, the options are plenty.

Glam world

Biopic

bandwagon

Stars playing ‘real’ people has emerged as the most reliable hit formula in Bollywood. Here’s a lowdown on this latest trend.

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he phenomenal success of films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Paan Singh Tomar has triggered a paradigm shift in the way content is being planned in the world of Hindi cinema. Today, every filmmaker is interested in making a film based on real-life events or a personality who has made a name for himself or herself inspite of all odds. Hollywood has

seen a spate of biopics over many years, but it is interesting to see that our Indian film industry too is now happy saluting the legends of the past. And with great success in most cases!

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a tribute to ace athlete Milkha Singh, has been declared a superhit by many. Paan Singh Tomar, The

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Glam world

From sports to history to music to science, filmmakers find inspiration in all domains future best roles, producers are putting in a lot to make these well-researched biopics. Let’s take a look at a few promising ones...

Dirty Picture, Bandit Queen and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero are some of the films based on the lives of an ace athlete-turned-dacoit, an item girl, a dacoit and a freedom fighter respectively. And all were highly appreciated. Taking this trend further, the Hindi film fraternity seems to be on a biopic-making spree and audiences seem to be lapping them up with great interest.

Real to Reel From sports to history to music to science, filmmakers are finding inspiration from every domain. Carving out some of the Clockwise from above: Farhan Akhtar plays Milkha Singh; Priyanka Chopra talks about her film on ace boxer Mary Kom; A still from Rang Rasiya

Five-time world boxing champion and the only woman boxer to win a medal in each one of the six world championships and a bronze at the 2012 Olympics, Mary Kom is the muse for Omung Kumar’s upcoming film. Playing the protagonist is the very versatile Priyanka Chopra who is putting in incredible effort in terms of physical training and make-up for this film.

An enthusiastic Priyanka recently visited Imphal, the capital of Manipur, to do her research on the boxing legend. She got a true feel of what makes her a boxing star by visiting the place where the champ used to practice. Asked if she considers Priyanka the right choice, Mary says, “She visited my home town and got a feel of the life here. She was eager to know about me, my life and struggles, how I talk, she wanted to know everything.”

After Farhan Akhtar as ace athlete Milkha Singh, Bollywood’s action star

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Akshay Kumar could well be on his way to essay the role of late wrestler-actor Dara Singh. Director Rohit Jugraj has apparently approached Dara Singh’s son Vindoo with a cinematic proposal. Akshay too is keen to portray the celebrated Dara Singh, but says he needs time to work on his physique.

The current heart-throb of Bollywood and one of the finest actors of recent times Ranbir Kapoor will be essaying the role of the legendary singer Kishore Kumar in Anurag Kashyap’s next movie. The actor considers himself lucky to have been the choice for playing the role of the veteran singer but, at the same time, feels it’s a big responsibility on his shoulders to do justice to this role.

Top actor Shah Rukh Khan has also been offered the role of hockey legend Dhyan Chand in an upcoming biopic.

The film will reportedly be produced by Manmohan Shetty. Dhyan Chand, a Major in the Indian Army who hails from Jhansi, scored over 400 goals and won three Olympic gold medals for the country.

Glam world

Clockwise from far left: Shah Rukh Khan may play hockey legend Dhyan Chand; Sachin Khedekar as Subhash Chandra Bose; Seema Biswas as Phoolan Devi

Biopics inspire and motivate the audience with success stories After Chak De, this will be the King Khan’s second movie stint with hockey.

Ketan Mehta’s much delayed Rang Rasiya, which has been ready since 2008, is expected to be released by the end of this year. The film is a tribute to 19th century painter Raja Ravi Varma. Randeep Hooda is playing the lead role and Nandana Sen dons the role of his lover in the film.

Popularit y quotient The success of the film lies in the hands of the filmmaker, protagonist, as well as the audience. Biopics seem to be gaining

momentum and making immense profits as compared to the other run-of-the-mill films. What makes biopics a favourite amongst the audience? Film viewers believe that the struggles of the character makes an interesting story, a story filled with dukh, dard and then kamyaabi.

The determination, courage and grit that takes a common man to the pinnacle of heroism, which is deemed to be a pivotal element in a Hindi film, has its essence spread in the stories of celebrated real-life heroes. This in turn inspires and motivates the audience. The bug of inquisitiveness is not only responsible for killing the cat but also for the birth of a masterpiece on

screen. The audience is eager to relive the history, the urge to know more about the celebrated personalities, their lives and secrets, makes another reason why the genre of biopics is fast catching up.

Being based on real-life stories, with real characters, each biopic stands out when compared with the run-of-the-mill romances and (at times) senseless and flippant comedies.

In this fast-paced world, the audience usually awaits such a film also because it saves them the effort of having to read through a biography or autobiography.

Biopics encapsulate the story in three hours, while adding the ‘real’ feel to it, making it an engrossing and interesting watch for one and all. And with cash registers ringing, filmmakers feel this genre will never fail them.

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Well being

Beauty

inside out It’s important to feel your best, especially when you’re the bride-to-be. Here are expert tips and tricks to help you look good on that special day.

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clear complexion, bouncy hair and blemish-free shining nails make you beautiful. Coupled with the right makeup, outfits and accessories, you can look great on each wedding function. Ideally, keep three months in hand before your D-day.

Body beautiful Inside: Exercise – follow a strict regimen... try gym, biking or just a treadmill at home. Says Dr Arun, head fitness trainer at Snap Fitness, a chain of health clubs across India, “Cardio exercises – aerobics or jogging can help you lose weight.

For toning the body, it’s a good idea to work with a personal trainer who’ll keep motivating you too. Stretching and breathing exercises help a lot.” Yoga is a good option – it improves muscle elasticity and helps reduce the wedding stress. “But remember that proper rest is equally important. A weekly wellness November 2013 132 www.spiceroutemag.com

Well being

Stretching exercises can help relieve stress and tension in the body

Clockwise from left: Exercise helps tone your body; Don't forget to take care of hands; A spa session can be therapeutic

programme like a massage is a good idea.

Alternate jogging with swimming or kickboxing to avoid monotony,” he advises.

All the exercise needs to be coupled with the right food. “There’s no point in going for a crash diet – it just makes you look weak, and the weight loss might not be at the right places,” says Sonal Raval, Head Nutritionist at Snap Fitness. So as soon as you read this, start having small,

frequent meals through the day. “Every three hours is ideal, making sure you have your last meal at least two hours before you sleep. The meals should not be high in carbs (avoid maida-based foods – white bread, instant noodles...), and should contain enough fibres. Salads and cereals are great options,” she says. Five servings of fruits daily help boost immunity and lower cholesterol. “Eat your rainbow,” she adds. “Try and eat seven colours of fruits

and vegetables in a day. And don’t forget protein (in dals, meats...) to keep muscles healthy. Avoid fat, butter and fizzy drinks.

Outside: Be it a lehenga, a salwar suit or a saree, choose clothes that compliment your body type, and colours that enhance your complexion. Try the outfit at least thrice to check the fitting and to get an idea of the look. On your third try, wear the accessories (jewellery, heels, clutch...) too and ask a close friend to be around for a frank and balanced opinion. Don’t forget to show the outfit to your beautician so that she can decide what hairdo will look best.

You need to ensure that your own skin is in top condition. Amit from Neo Veda Spa at The Metropolitan Hotel in Delhi recommends a body polish and scrub 2-3 days before the first function to ensure smooth, luminous skin. “It opens pores and brings a shine,” he says.

Get that glow Inside: Remain happy – wake up everyday with a smile. And be sorted in your head.

Have a personal belief and value system and live by it.

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Well being

remember...

Try new products/ brands a month before – you’ll know in time in case there’s any allergic reaction.

them, showcasing possible looks for each function. And I do the makeup on half their face beforehand so that they understand the texture and feel of the look I plan to give them.”

Invest in a trial run with your makeup artist a week before.

Shining tresses

Get your final hair cut or trim two weeks before.

Facials, massages and waxing should be done a week before.

Above: Eight glasses of water a day flush away toxins Left: Regular treatments ensure healthy, happy hair

Establish a sleep routine – it affects your skin and hair.

Go to bed early before the D-day.

Each day, drink eight glasses of water to flush away all toxins and prevent blemishes. Avoid tea and coffee for whiter, stain-free teeth. “This will also prevent a puffy face and acidity. Start drinking green tea instead,” says Raval.

Outside: Oral hygiene is essential – floss daily. Don’t forget the CTM (cleansetone-moisturise) routine, morning and evening. Always use quality products – your skin deserves it! Before you step

out, slather on sunscreen with an SPF of minimum 30. Accentuate your features with the right accessories and makeup.

You can visit a qualified beautician for advice. Ideally, hire one makeup artist for all the functions so that she can give you a different look everyday. Says international nails and makeup artist Pammy Kaul, “I often see a serious disconnect between the makeup artist and the bride. So I spend time with my client and do a proper powerpoint presentation for November 2013 136 www.spiceroutemag.com

Inside: Eat protein-rich pulses and dry fruits to nourish and strengthen hair.

Go for foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (which your body needs to grow hair) – fish like salmon and sardines, eggs and chicken for non-vegetarians, and walnuts, spinach and lentils for vegetarians.

Outside: Always keep your scalp clean; shampoo every alternate day. And massage it with a good oil to improve circulation. Rod Anker, director, Monsoon Salon stresses that you get your hair prepared three months prior to ensure it's in prime condition on the wedding. “Make sure you have had protein treatments to ensure that your hair shines in all the photos. Planning how you are wearing your hair prior to the day is key – so sit with your hairstylist and have a practice session,” he says. Colour should be done 4-5 days prior to the wedding to make sure that it looks fresh, but not ‘just done’.

"Through the year, you must go for regular trims to prevent split ends, every 6-8 weeks," adds Anker

Well being

peace

Perfect

New-age healing is about chanting, meditation, asanas and everything that brings in complete well-being.

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ver watched a two-year-old playing with a small piece of paper for hours; never losing concentration while discovering different ways of folding it or tearing it to pieces? It will surprise you to know that the child is actually practicing meditation in its simplest and purest form.

No wonder children are the happiest, most stress-free, focused little individuals!

Benefits in abundance

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Different people follow different steps to experience what our two-year-olds do – internal peace, abundant energy, no November 2013 138 www.spiceroutemag.com

Well being

Right: Concentrate to get maximum benefit Below: Painting can also be a form of meditation

Meditation lowers blood pressure, reduces anxiety attacks and even helps in weight loss stress and a sense of well being. In this age of fast-paced living where the child in us is lost and stress-related illnesses are common, regular meditation offers numerous benefits.

Most of us would think that meditation is complicated and timeconsuming. Not really. “It is nothing but being fully aware of something and concentrating on that – be it the barking of a dog, the sound of a fan, or the movement of your breath. Remember to keep your spine and neck straight while you observe and absorb the sights and sounds around you,” says 63-year-old Sandhya Kalyanpur, who’s been practicing meditation since childhood.

Meditation is like a cure which comes for free. Benefits? It lowers high blood pressure, reduces anxiety attacks, decreases tension-related problems such as headaches, ulcers, insomnia and joint problems. It also increases exercise tolerance, helps weight loss, reverses the aging process, cures infertility, resolves phobias and helps with addictions.

easy ways Take a walk in the park... focus on the sounds of chirping birds or rustling leaves.

Chant a mantra or the name of your spiritual guide.

Concentrate on whatever you're doing – live the moment!

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For one and all You do not need any instrument or prop to practice meditation. People from any age group can practice it. Delhi-based yoga expert Seema Sondhi has benefitted from practicing yoga and meditation for the last 18 years after she suffered excruciating pain from five slipped discs and was bedridden. “In yoga, you practise pranayama (exhaling and inhaling) to focus on your breath and stretch your body to energise your life force,” Sondhi says. Most people relate to yoga because of its asanas or postures that combine exercising with breath control. Some of the simplest forms of meditation require no time and effort. You can choose silent meditation where you can focus on any object in your surroundings for 10-20 seconds without blinking and opening your mind to all the thoughts that come to you then. Make your mind your friend; involve it. The mind will pray its pranks. Let it. You be the silence that absorbs all the sounds, sights and smells around you. Even if you’ve been aware for 10 seconds, you have meditated. Gradually you’ll notice you can meditate for longer spells.

Meditation may be done to seek the spiritual and divine, to cure a medical ailment or condition, to curb aggression or anger, to make you a better person by instilling compassion and kindness, or simply to calm and relax you. The mode you choose varies with the goal you have.

So if you are sitting amid a heap of files and papers in office trying to meet a strict deadline, take a couple of minutes off, sit back straight on your chair, close your eyes and focus on breathing deeply. Doing this for a couple of minutes can remove tension and give you renewed energy.

Or try walking, anywhere – to the bus stop, train station, grocer or for a meeting. The constant cycle of alternating your left foot with your right leaves you

Well being

Soka Gakkai International believes chanting can bring vitality, courage and mental health

Right: Listen to music to relax your mind Below: A child engrossed in playing with paper is also meditating

in a meditative state. Concentrate on this cycle. Relax as you walk, slowly, soaking in all sensations.

If you have some more time, meditate with nature. Go to a place that is surrounded by natural beauty, where you can either close or open your eyes and absorb all the smells, sounds and sights.

Focus on the sound of water or a chirping bird, the taste of a freshly plucked fruit, the smell of earth or rain...

Or simply live in the moment and do what your mind tells you to – sleep, paint, listen to music, cook, dance, swim.

Remember to always concentrate on that particular activity and enjoy it thoroughly. It will leave you feeling refreshed, recharged and happy!

Charm of chanting Today, people of different religions and followings can chant mantras or the name November 2013 142 www.spiceroutemag.com

of their spiritual guides. A Buddhist sect that practices chanting and is gaining popularity among India’s youth is Soka Gakkai, which in Japanese means society for value creation. The sect follows the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, a Buddhist monk. Says Priya (name changed) of her 33-year old friend Jhelum Biswas Bose, who has been a follower of Soka Gakkai for 5-6 years, “I have seen Jhelum grow from an unsure, nervous person to a happy, cheerful sensitive and confident person who is aware of her responsibilities to herself and everything around her. The practice is not done in isolation and focuses a lot on a one to one connection of people. The change has happened over time, not overnight.”

Members of Nichiren Buddhism perform a morning and evening practise known as gongyo where one chants Nam-myohorenge-kyo and recites portions of the Lotus Sutra, a sacred Buddhist scripture.

Soka Gakkai International or SGI believes that chanting can bring vitality, courage, and mental and physical health.

For beginners, five minutes of meditative concentration and chanting could be an achievement, but someone who has been regularly practicing it over a period of time will tell you its powers are magical, and can even assist you in self-healing. “There is a divine and universal energy that surrounds us.

When you become aware, you inhale that divine energy through your breath and channelise it to the problem area – be it a headache, a muscle pull, a wound, an internal injury or any other ache and pain.

Never underestimate the power of your mind,” asserts Kalyanpur.

Culture canvas

revival

Dramatic

Folk theatre form kattaikuttu has found a new lease of life, with never-before participation by girls as well.

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eenage Tamilarasi cast as Ravana pranced in a perfect circle around the stage, in fast yet rhythmic dance steps. She paused to deliver a dialogue, then swirled rapidly in circles, doing perfect pirouettes this time. Then, without the slightest hint of a pant, she sang in full-throated voice sans a microphone. The performance

Samu el

proceeded seamlessly, without any prompting. The actors aged between 14 and 20 were professional to the core.

It was the kattaikuttu performance of Ram Ravana, staged by the students of Kattaikuttu Gurukulam. Yes, the school follows the gurukulam method November 2013 144 www.spiceroutemag.com

of teaching. And girls are also trained in kattaikuttu, in contravention to tradition.

A 20-minute auto ride from the silk town of Kanchipuram near Chennai takes one to the Kattaikuttu Gurukulam in the verdant Puncharasanthangal village.

Culture canvas

BEHIND THE SCENES As dark clouds gather, there is a call for rehearsal. The children pretend to be busy, levelling the pathway that turned slushy after the rains. An amused Ms. Hanne M. de Bruin beckons to her husband to see what the children are up to. Suddenly, rain pours down, forcing them indoors.

The playful children giggle as de Bruin jovially says, “See, the rain helped me bring you indoors for rehearsal.” Once in the rehearsal hall, they settle down immediately. The playfulness has vanished from every face; they are focused. As the non-participants are seated, the junior cast begins its rehearsal. When the cast delivers dialogues in the form of songs, the nonparticipants sing along for practice. Green Kumar, an apprentice, corrects the actors’ steps, expressions and modulations, under the watchful eyes of de Bruin and Rajagopal. The duo offer tips to fine tune the performance.

Kattaikuttu or kuthu (pronounced koothu) is a traditional theatre performed by troupes called ‘companies’. Music, singing, dancing, humour, elaborate costumes and make-up are an integral part of kuthu. Episodes from epics are performed through the night. Kuthu is traditionally an all-male ensemble. Given the rigorous training and the stamina required to perform for eight hours,

Kattaikuttu Sangam was started as a platform for companies to see each other’s performances women were thought to be unfit for kuthu. But the gurukulam girls are proving this myth wrong.

REALISING A DREAM The lure of the art was irresistible to young Rajagopal as his father Ponnusamy and grandfather Chandran were kattaikuttu performers and teachers.

He started performing as a 10-year-old.

Having missed schooling, it became his ambition to start a school where he could teach academics as well as kuthu. When Hanne de Bruin, an Indologist from

Clockwise from top: Make-up in progress; Eyes are always in focus; In traditional attire

the Netherlands, came to research on traditional theatre she met Rajagopal and later married him. In 1990, they started the Kattaikuttu Sangam, an association of and for performers. Started as a platform for companies to see each other’s performances and exchange ideas, the Sangam conducts annual kuthu festivals.

As part of their initiative, children in villages around Kanchipuram were taught kuthu during off season. To take it forward and to give fruition to Rajagopal’s dream, the gurukulam was started in 2002. The first batch of students: three girls and 18 boys. Mornings are devoted to academics and afternoons for kuthu training.

Everyone learns to play the male, female, chorister, the kattiyakaran or clown roles and one musical instrument – harmonium, dholak, mridangam or mukaveenai, a wind instrument. They first learn to sing using the script, then move on to dialogues and dancing once casting is done.

The children learn contemporary dance, photography, English theatre,

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Culture canvas

Rajagopal scripts original plays to suit contemporary preferences, to create awareness and classical and folk arts such as bharatanatyam, African dance and bommalattam from overseas volunteers and expert guest faculties.

BENEFITS GALORE The students drawn from the surrounding villages are underprivileged; some of them are from single-parent families and some have only guardians. So except a nominal fee of `500 for accommodation their education, training, food and uniform are free. Rajagopal and de Bruin, whom the children address as paati and thatha

– Tamil for grandparents, not only teach them, but envelop them with warmth and love, making them feel secure.

Though kuthu is popular in rural areas, the need to think and move beyond the epics and the rural stage was felt. Rajagopal scripts original plays to suit contemporary preferences. Kuthu was traditionally used to cultivate moral values; innovative plays are being used to create awareness about the environment, importance of education, consumer rights in mobile communication and such.

Clockwise from top left: Actual performance; At one of the rehearsals; Children studying

The gurukulam has grown to form a young professional company, an all-girls company and a junior company. Their performances are very professional and hence are in demand. Contempt towards traditional theatre is giving way to pride. The present batch has 21 girls and 28 boys. Rajagopal adds that more than 100 students have passed out of the gurukulam’s portals, after eight years of training. They are now better placed, leading better lives. As paid apprentices, some of the first graduates are being groomed for leadership roles. They serve as teachers, liaison executives, coordinators, costume designers and the like, depending on their interests.

Thilakavathy, one of the first girl students, is passionate about kuthu and has had to coax and convince her parents to let her stay on in the gurukulam.

She talks excitedly about her earlier performances in Liverpool and Paris, as well as in Indian cities. She has grabbed an opportunity to teach kuthu at an NGO for disadvantaged children.

The rehearsal continues; Green Kumar is so involved that his expressions keep changing according to the dialogue.

During tea break, the little children do not walk about. They prance, sashay and pirouette. It is obvious that for the gurukulam students, kattaikuttu is not just theatre. It’s a way of life.

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Culture canvas

Balmy

Muscat

Apart from its scenic beauty, it is the omnipresent fragrance that you will carry forever from this aromatic city.

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arrive in Muscat, the capital city of Oman, to a lingering seductive fragrance hanging heavy in the afternoon heat.

Instantly, I step into the time when the three wise men, the Magi, brought gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense to infant Jesus. Often it’s the olfactory signature of a place that stays with me forever. Oman is for me the woodsy, fruity smell of frankincense (Luban in Arabic), the Biblical gift which was as prized as gold in times of yore.

Frankincense is the sap of the boswellia sacra tree, a short tree so hardy that it can even grow out of a rock. The milky white resin obtained by making incisions on the bark with a special knife called the mingaf, has been used since antiquity. Legend has it that the Queen of Sheba built her palace along the ancient trade route so that she could hoard it for personal use. Roman emperor Nero November 2013 150 www.spiceroutemag.com

Culture canvas Fact file

✓ How to get there: Fly SpiceJet

from major metros to Muscat.

✓ Visa: Apply to the Embassy of Oman in New Delhi. They take two days to process the visa.

Getting around: Muscat has a ✓ hop on hop off Big Bus tour with recorded commentary.

burned an entire year’s frankincense harvest at his favourite mistress’ funeral!

Aromatic pleasure I soon discover that frankincense is a variation of the Indian dhoop or sambarani; used for centuries to purify air and treat arthritis. I walk through the Muttrah Souk in Muscat, gazing at shops filled with bottles and jars of scent, ranks of incense burners of all colours, designs, shapes and sizes. I smell a variety of fragrances; from the attar delicately scented with jasmine to black, thick Oudh oil from India in a range of packaging from crystal bottles to gift hampers.

Women even create their own blends of a perfume potpourri called bakhoor by blending a combination of grated sandalwood, attar, rose water, myrrh, raw perfume oils and a variety of aromatic resins. The quality of frankincense is

Frankincense is a variation of the Indian dhoop, used for centuries for purifying the air determined by the colour – the best ones are larger silvery white beads; the cheapest grades are brown and muddy.

Another resin that I find all over also has Biblical connotations – myrrh which burns releasing a pine-like fragrance, was even brought along with linen, to embalm the body of Christ. Over next few days I find incense to be the omnipresent Omani motif at traffic intersections, in

homes where hostesses leave an incense burner as they offer kawha and dates, in offices and shops. Muscat even has a huge model of a frankincense burner high up on a hill. I watch nubile women with kohl-lined eyes sample scents from crystal decanters at swish malls and men buying traditional bottles of perfume for their women. At the lavish Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, they say that frankincense

Top: Incense burners Far left: Varied perfume and resin packaging Left: Dry flowers have a unique fragrance

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Culture canvas

Model of an incense burner on a hill in Muscat

is burnt in the air-conditioning plant and wafts through vents. Abdul Rasool, my ever-smiling guide and driver, says that to smell good is godly – I have to agree!

Age-old tradition Abdul tells me that long ago frankincense was used as an antiseptic when camels cut themselves in the desert. I learn that certain varieties of the resin are edible – they can be cures for an upset stomach or a sore throat and pregnant women even chew on frankincense

to do...

Wander through the souks, catch an opera, go snorkelling and dolphin watching and visit museums.

Take trips to Nizwa to see the fort, Ras al Jinz to watch nesting green turtles and dune bashing at Wahiba sands.

praying for an intelligent baby. Festive occasions like birth of a child or weddings are incomplete without the burning of incense. Today, the best Omani frankincense comes from the Dhofar region where monsoon rains help produce some of the finest qualities of this resin; they harvest this resin twice a year.

About 30 years ago, the Sultan Qaboos bin Said decreed that the ancient biblical art of perfumery should be revived and commissioned a master Parisian perfumer to create ‘the most valuable perfume in the world’. Today, the Amouage perfumes are retailed in over 52 countries worldwide, to an elite clientele.

I visit the state-of-the-art factory in Muscat with copper alembics, used for distilling perfume, decorating the landscaped grounds. Amouage’s creative director invents perfumes with a story line, drawing inspiration from popular theatre, opera and drama.

Over 120 different ingredients November 2013 154 www.spiceroutemag.com

are used in their fragrances, ranging from Omani rose, lime, saffron, ambergris and spices like cinnamon to form a winning bouquet. There are exotic add ons like jasmine, patchouli and sandalwood. We take a tour of the state-of-the-art factory.

The scent is developed in Paris and Grasse, south of France by professionals called ‘noses’ under the guidance of the creative director, Christopher Chong. It is then sent to Oman where it is mixed with ethanol and then goes through the maceration process and a series of cooling for about eight weeks. We see the enfleurage method where delicate flower petals of rose and jasmine, are placed on glass plates and covered with fatty oils.

The fatty oils absorb the essential oils and are rinsed with alcohol afterwards. Once the alcohol evaporates by distilling in an alembic, you are left with concentrated essential oils known as absolutes. The use of machinery here is minimal. The scent is developed in the south of France and then mixed at the factory in Oman where it is bottled by hand. Each bottle has a small note that says “Thank you for choosing Amouage” and it includes the name of the person who packaged it.

Culture canvas

Creative

colours

Rangolis add a vibrant splash in every household across India on Diwali.

Now they’re being made with a mix of traditional and modern motifs too.

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still remember my mother, dressed up in one of her fine sarees, busy drawing out patterns on the floor at the house entrance, using fine rice powder and flour (atta), dyed in vibrant hues, year after year. My sister and I (both now married and making similar rangolis in our respective houses) used to join her, filling

S i n ha

colours in the beautiful patterns. Often, we would mess up the design. But she would smile at our childishness and add a new line over the spoilt one. This is what Diwali is all about: togetherness, being there for each other, creating something beautiful, and working towards bringing happiness and prosperity into your home.

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Welcoming prosperit y Along with light, colours play the most important role in Diwali. Families get together and make all efforts to make their house look pretty and welcoming for Goddess Lakshmi. And a rangoli at the entrance is a must to attract the goddess. The word rangoli means a

Culture canvas

The rangoli line must be unbroken, as evil spirits are said to enter through any gaps creative expression of art through the use of colour. It signifies good luck for the household. It’s called alpana in Bengal and kolam in South India. Raw materials vary from state to state. As per tradition, there is one important floor decoration that most homes have: A little water is added to roli or kumkum (used for puja) and the paste is used to draw Goddess Lakshmi’s feet (with toes pointing inwards to signal her entrance) and the satiya or swastika pattern (symbolising affirmation that all is well), both at the house entrance and in the puja ghar.

drawn out using the roli-water mix, rice paste or chalk.

Coloured powder (rice, atta, gulal, sawdust...) is taken between the thumb and forefinger and the pattern is drawn out. The basic designs – floral, geometric and motifs such as ambi, lotus, star, fish, bird, elephant, kalash and shankh are popular. Some designs are passed down generations. “Most of the rangoli designs are circular, symbolising the endlessness of time,” says Mrs Bhattacharya, a homemaker who loves making rangolis.

Apart from this, housewives today give wings to their imagination to make interesting designs. These may also be

For colour, the media – be it rice, rice powder or sawdust – is dyed using natural colours such as mehndi and haldi. Pulses of all hues were also a popular medium.

Others use just flowers and leaves – both fresh and dry ones – to create larger-thanlife 3D rangolis.

Modern versions include the floating rangoli, which basically comprises patterns made on water – it can be inside a flat earthenware urli. While the complicated ones are professionally made, you can create a simple one just by creatively placing a few blooms (with the stems cut) such as rose and marigold into the urli filled with water. Add a few light diyas and your ‘water rangoli’ is ready.

“Nowadays, beads are also being used to add an element of glamour to the beautiful designs. Sparkle powder is added to the powdered colour to add a sheen to the artwork,” points out newly married Kirti Gupta. Another new way is to simply use

There are also sticker rangolis available in the market, which can simply be pasted on the floor. But the charm of the festival lies in putting in the hard work, and then letting the compliments pour in!

One thing to keep in mind when drawing a rangoli – a line has to be ideally drawn at one go, whatever be the medium used. It must be an unbroken line as evil spirits are said to enter through any gaps.

Many times, to make it easier to follow the design perfectly and ensure symmetry, dots are first put and these are joined with the colour. Once the design is ‘sketched’, the colours are filled in.

Hues and how

poster colours and paint the design on the floor. The size can vary, according to mood and the space available. Diyas are placed creatively on the rangolis at night, making for a beautiful mix of light and colour.

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Clockwise from above: A flower rangoli; Lighted diyas add warmth and vibrance; Gulal makes for a good colour base

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Good samaritans

Spreading

smiles

Improving quality of education and employment opportunities in remote areas, SCALE has become a godsend for many.

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CALE started with a vision to provide quality of life to society’s underprivileged.

They now focus on environment, school education and enabling health accessibility for the needy and remote rural residents.

a few childhood friends and talked. And in January 2002, SCALE (Society to Create Awareness towards Life & Environment) was born, registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

It was almost 12 years back that Arun Sinha decided to give up his successful corporate career and follow his dream of doing something for underprivileged children. At age 47, he got together with

“We chose Uttarakhand as our area of operation. It was a new state and so more open to changes, it was near Delhi where we are based, it’s a beautiful place where we all love to work, and most importantly, November 2013 160 www.spiceroutemag.com

the people needed us,” explains Sinha, who is the honorary secretary general of this ISO certified NGO. Despite not having government funds during the last 12 years, SCALE has made a difference to many thousands of needy people. Over 2,500 of its skill-trained youth have got jobs, turned entrepreneurs or are self-employed. In education, over 5,000 school children are being supported,

Good samaritans

They aim to donate 300 solar lanterns to Kanar village 3,000 students have been trained in IT, and over 1,000 women have been beneficiaries of SCALE’s tailoring program.

Almost 12,500 adults and children have been covered under its health initiative, 14,000 free physiotherapy sessions have been provided for old people in Delhi while SCALE’s medical team in Bengaluru is supporting 150 visually impaired and orphan children.

SCALE has also adopted seven schools in Uttarakhand. The help extended is holistic. Mr DS Rawat, principal and owner of the 32-year-old Vidya Mandir Junior High School in Haldwani, has been working for almost three years with SCALE. “A majority here live below the poverty line, belong to the labour class, and don’t have a regular livelihood source.

But their children study here and benefit from computer and science labs set up in the school by the NGO. English teachers have been recruited, improving their confidence levels. We stress on cultural activities and they have introduced newer ones like theatre to impart important social messages,” he says.

On the cards is a get-together with parents, to sensitise them about the importance of their children’s education.

“Many parents are illiterate, or too busy earning the daily bread to bother about looking at their children’s notebooks or getting their homework done. But their children do need guidance and support at home as well,” adds Rawat. Besides, SCALE conducts regular hygiene and nutrition seminars, and donates sanitary napkins for adolescent girls in all its adopted schools.

Kedarnath. SCALE has donated 850 beds, along with mattresses, quilts, mosquito nets, bed sheets and pillows (with support from the US-based IDRF – Indian Development and Relief Fund and other credible donors). Our representatives have climbed long and treacherous stretches of almost 14km to go to people’s homes and provide relief to those who genuinely need it,” Sinha tells us. He adds proudly, “We have a small but effective team and we make optimum use of resources. Our intense passion for our mission and the respect we have for each other – that’s what makes us achieve so much.”

COMFORT AND HELP When flash floods had lashed Uttarakhand in June, many had been killed and thousands rendered homeless. “People in Dharchula in Pithoragarh District were affected as much as Badrinath and Clockwise from top left: Donated equipment; Recently opened Science Centre at Savitri Shiksha Sansthan in Malli Bamori, Haldwani; Students supported by SCALE

Another initiative: Distance healing: The NGO recently tied up with a wellknown hospital for Dharchula residents.

Besides a paramedic training programme being organised for these people in Delhi, SCALE aims to set up a tele-medicine facility between the two locations.

“Otherwise, many villagers from remote areas bordering Nepal, in Dharchula, have to walk and carry their patient for 1415km, and then hill travel another 45km to reach a working health centre,” says Sinha.

SHINE LIKE THE SUN They have trained themselves and people from across Uttarakhand in assembling and repairing solar lanterns and installation and repair of solar water heaters. The aim

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Good samaritans

Clockwise from top left: Bedding donated to flash floodaffected Dharchula residents; Rashmi Sinha, management coordinator, working on a solar lantern; Honorary secretary general Arun Sinha

To generate employment, SCALE aims to train selected youth in computer assembly and repair is clear – their environmental programmes must also lead to building skill and generating livelihood. Their solar lanterns have superior features – they last longer hours and cost less. They’re modular so there’s no need to buy a new piece if a part stops working, saving precious money for the villagers.

youth and now they have a source of livelihood,” he tells us.

“The best part – we also provide a support clinic of 65 technicians to repair the products,” says Sinha. He’s passionate about turning it into a cottage industry in Uttarakhand. To coincide with Deepavali this year, they will donate 300 VK solar lanterns (named after late VK Kataria, one of the founding members) and 25 solar street lights to a small village called Kanar which is devoid of electricity.

ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY

Mr TS Parihar, principal and owner of Nav Jyoti Public School in Sooree Village in Almora District says he sees a visible difference with SCALE’s efforts in the region. “Apart from donating computers and sports equipment to our school, they have organised tailoring courses for ladies.

An important initiative is the solar work – they have trained around 20 unemployed

Including NCR Delhi, 200 technicians have been trained under their solar project. In Uttarakhand, training has covered districts of Nainital, Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar and Almora.

Electronic waste or e-waste is fast becoming a serious menace to our environment and health. Many informal recyclers get untrained youth to extract precious metals like lead, copper and gold from electronic equipment (computers, televisions, mobile phones...), that too without right equipment.

SCALE has formally tied up with Green Vortex, an approved recycler in Gurgaon, and also signed a tripartite agreement, along with Acer India. With the vision of improving the lives of the poor, Sinha aims to train selected youth in the assembly and repair of computers to generate employment for them in the IT sector. They also plan to conduct site seminars on safety awareness for informal

recyclers in India to ensure good health for their workers.

Their latest initiative – introduction of ECOgrade photodegradable bags from GXT, a US-based company. Using sunlight, these competitively priced bags degrade within 240 days, as opposed to approximately 400 years which regular ones take. They’re manufactured with the equipment used to make normal plastic bags with a few tweaks in the process for which workers need just a week’s training.

Many workers can be rehabilitated across the country by producing these bags. A GXT-approved factory in NCR Delhi has already started the manufacturing.

“Our society is like one umbrella, under which we live. SCALE is a small part of it. If only NGOs, individuals, our government and private organisations can create accountability towards social deliverables, we can break our self-created divides,” says Sinha. “At the end of the day, the smiles on people’s faces keep us going,” he signs off.

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Gadget guru

Accessorise right Making your smartphone wiser with these useful add ons...

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Bha t i a

2. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10

1. Universal Phone Tripod Like shooting videos and photos with your cell phone? A mini tripod can prove useful.

It anchors your phone and stabilises and steadies all your shooting, preventing “camera shake”, a prime causes of blurry images and video (apart from lighting and moving objects that are beyond your control.) Second, combined with timer shots, it allows you to take self-shots easily.

It has an adjustable phone slide or clamp gripper to accommodate all phone sizes.

Some have a handle to pivot the phone to various angles.

Specs: Universal mobile phone tripod mount and stand, fits most phones from 1/4 to 3/4 inches, portrait to landscape adjuster, portable, lightweight, compact model options.

Price: `200-1,500

If you own an Android or iOS smartphone but are not happy with its camera capabilities, listen up. Check out the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 lens-style camera attachment. The QX10 lens module links with your phone over the air via Wi-Fi Direct or NFC (Near Field Communication) and can enhance your phone’s sharp shooting capabilities substantially. Capable of shooting still images and HD video, the 18.2 megapixel QX10, which is controlled by your phone, has an 10X optical zoom, carries an microSD card slot, and an independent rechargeable battery can last for about 200 shots.

Specs: 18.2MP, 10X zoom, macro mode, HDR, autofocus, touch manual focus, exposure control, white balance control, light metering, ISO 100-1600, WiFi, NFC, microsD slot, memory stick slot, JPEG, MP4, battery remaining indicator, USB 2.0, Lithium-ion battery, microUSB cable, wrist strap, smartphone attachment, November 2013 166 www.spiceroutemag.com

PlayMemories phone app, 105gm, weight.

Price: `12,900

3. Windshield Suction Cradle Mount The ubiquitousness of the Google Maps on Android and iOS on most smartphones makes it ever so easy for us to use a GPS while driving. But holding up your phone again and again to peer at it with one hand at the wheel is certainly dangerous. So get yourself one of these suction-mounted phone holders for the windscreen of your vehicle. Not only does it hold your phone securely in place, it makes it more convenient to use the speakerphone.

Some models even allow placement on the dashboard. You can even charge your phone in this cradle.

Specs: Plastic body, multi-angle flexible arm for height and direction, suction cup and airlock to mount on glass, swivel joints, adjustable padded phone clamps, portrait to landscape view pivot lock.

Price: `300-1,700

Gadget guru

4. Power Banks Phones have become quite like oxygen for most of us. More so when we are travelling or outside our abodes. And a necessary evil of this heavy dependence on mobiles on the move is this constant need for a power source to charge them. If you’ve ever been stuck on the road alone with your phone battery almost on the blink or stone dead, you’ll know what we are talking about. So what you need to carry along is a portable power bank or battery

charger as a charging source. Available in various sizes and capacities, power banks can reinvigorate phones, tablets, iPods, and Bluetooth headsets, from 50-60 percent to several times over, depending on their rating and how topped-up they are at the time. There is a vast array of banks on the shelves, so pick what you require and make it a must-carry-along when you hit the road.

Specs: Portable, 60-300gm, LED level charge indicators, auto cut-off feature and overcharging protection circuit, retains charge for a period of several weeks when not in use.

Price: `500-4,500

5. Photojojo Phone Lenses While the aforementioned Sony QX10 is actually an independent camera that uses your cell phone merely as a viewer and shutter control, Photojojo lenses deploy the phone’s camera but enhance its shooting ability through more

November 2013 168 www.spiceroutemag.com

sophisticated glass. The snap-on set here comprises individual fisheye, telephoto, and wide angle/macro lenses. Each is to be used according to the kind of photography required. Apart from Android phones, these lens can be used with iPhones, iPod Touches, iPads, Blackberrys, and even MacBooks.

Specs: Aluminum snap-on frames, 180°fish-eye lens, ultra-wide angle at 0.28x, 0.67x wide angle, 2x telephoto, magnetic ring attachment for lens, compatible with Android, iOS and Blackberry devices, work with or without phone cases.

Price: `3,500

New Delhi 4353 2800

Silver screen

Films releasing in

November 2013 Upcoming Bollywood caper Krrish 3 The Bollywood versions of science fiction movies have never really had a great impact on the audience, who prefers masala flicks. So blending romance, emotion, thrill and superhero action of good against evil, the third sequel of Krrish is all set to blaze up the silver screen. The buzz is that Hrithik Roshan will be seen in three different characters who will also come together for a few scenes. As the drama builds up, by defeating the villain Dr. Siddhant Arya, Krrish is able to bring his father Rohit back and continues to fight against evil by protecting and saving innocent lives.

While Krishna lives a happily married life with Priya, Krrish emerges as everyone’s favorite superhero. The evil forces are gaining momentum with Kaal, the evil genius, trying to misuse his powers and

BOLLYWOOD

Ram-Leela Release date: November 15 Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Richa Chadda, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Shweta Salve Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali cause destruction. The battle between good and evil with breathtaking special effects promises to grab eyeballs and keep the audience enchanted.

Release Date: November 1 Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi, Kangna Ranaut Director: Rakesh Roshan

Upcoming Hollywood caper

Gori Tere Pyaar Mein Release date: November 22 Cast: Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Anupam Kher Director: Punit Malhotra

Bullett Raja Release date: November 29 Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia Holly wood

The Book Thief This movie is a classic tale of a nine-yearold German girl caught in the backdrop of World War II. Young Liesel Meminger is given up by her mother and goes on to live in the small town of Molching with Hans and Rosa Hubermann. The story is set in 1939 and turns tragic when, on the way Werner, Liesel’s younger brother dies leaving the girl traumatised with nightmares. From her new foster parents, Liesel learns to read and begins with the book she had found at the cemetery where her brother was buried. What follows from her knowledge of a few dark truths of her life and the way she decides to deal with them, is to watch out for.

Release date: November 15 Cast: Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch Director: Brian Percival

November 2013 170 www.spiceroutemag.com

Best Man Down Release Date: November 8 Cast: Justin Long, Tyler Labine, Jess Weixler Director: Ted Koland

The Wolf of Wall Street Release Date: November 15 Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey Director: Martin Scorsese

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Release Date: November 22 Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth Director: Francis Lawrence

by Sayanti Banerjee

Book shelf

Interesting reads I am Malala A young crusader at 16, Malala Yousafzai is a well known name today. However, her fight against educational rights began in the small Swat Valley in Pakistan. The book is an explicit narration of daily life under the threat of Taliban.

Little fears of school-going children, how they had to hide their books under the shawl... all bring to life the moments of terror these locals lived every day. A well written book of grit and valour.

Author: Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb Publication: Hachette India Price: `399 The Longest Ride Another of Nicholas Sparks’ romantic tale, the book has the quintessential elements of romance, suspense and plot to keep readers glued. A tale of two couples at different points of their lives and situation, it takes the reader through unexpected twists and turns. What is most unexpected is the ending... one has to reach the last page to believe it.

Author: Nicholas Sparks Publication: Hachette India Price: `350 The Ghost Hunters of Kurseong The teenage protagonist moves from Mumbai to the small hill town of Kurseong much against his wish. The setting is perfect and then opens before him a whole new world of untold mysteries. The author takes the readers through uninhabited houses, dark lanes, deaths (believed to be murders) and much more. A thriller which will keep children hooked till the last page.

Author: Shweta Taneja Publication: Hachette India Price: `295 Camera & Conversation A nice mix of photographs and conversations with people along the way, it gives the feeling of a story written through photographs. The book takes the readers through the lanes and bylanes of Puducherry. With exquisite shots of places and people, it is like visiting the city; however, the pictures could be used in a more illustrative way.

Author: Sapna & Ravikiran Rangaawamy Publication: Maitreya

by Florina Soren November 2013 172 www.spiceroutemag.com

Kids corner

Artistic hues

Spiceroute readers’ children get creative with pen, paper and crayons this Children’s Day.

November 2013 176 www.spiceroutemag.com

O

n Chacha Nehru’s birthday, we invited children to send us their favourite drawings and prose pieces. The results speak volumes of the children’s imagination and skills! Take a look – though we haven’t ranked them, here are a chosen few winning entries from the overwhelming response we received...

177

Kids corner

Ananya, Class III, Ghaziabad

Aishani, Class I, Ghaziabad

Tree Poem A tree stands with the help of its trunk, Like a big hand on a clock.

Some trees stand, Some trees lean.

If it produces a bean, We get it from the tree.

A tree is a known ‘plant’, It gives shade and other things.

It has its leaves, As if it is signaling another tree to come.

Its roots are spreading out, Because it doesn’t have legs!

Ishaan Ghosh, Class VI, Bengaluru

November 2013 178 www.spiceroutemag.com

Kids corner

ESS rt, C C U S s effo u o u n i cont Make do not stop rk, Shuchi, And rd wo a IX h r u op Class yo t y e Delhi a h t d One ing you on be r t Will b ay may no Your w th and easy Smoo go back t Do no it bravely ce Just fa e deter mined ay ar aw If you s will move ouble urself T he tr you can yo ay And our w y d n i F le strug g true u o y re If tions a ing for you. a n i t s e t And d will be wai s succes T hen

Isheeka Sinha, Class IV, Delhi

November 2013 180 www.spiceroutemag.com

Ritisha Tankha, Class III, Delhi

Kids corner

Aaditya, Class III, Delhi

Aayush, Class IV, Noida

Pranav Pramod, Class III, Bengaluru

Ekansh, Class VI, Delhi

November 2013 182 www.spiceroutemag.com

Kids corner

Riddho Chatterjee, Class I, Kolkata Luvaansh Mishra, Class II, Faridabad

WHY DO WE NEED SCHOOL Please explain, Challenging request Why do we need school Let’s get rid of Sitting in those desks Exams and that test Is painful and cruel Teachers are there to We’re curious kids Instruct and teach Knowledge we seek Give me an iPad Our education system And I’ll learn at the beach We should definitely tweak Why pay teachers That’s my argument Let’s be frugal Why we don’t need I’ll get my info school Straight from GOOGLE Let’s make it a LAW I just have one more Or simply a RULE ...

Shagun, Class X, Delhi

November 2013 184 www.spiceroutemag.com

Flying high with flags, planes and more!

Kids corner

Advik Raj, Class I, Ghaziabad

Ronnie Class IV, Delhi

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, THE ROCK DRAGON One night, at a research lab for dragons... "Sir, it seems that this fossil of the dragon may have something very interesting and dangerous," said a worker. "And what is this thing may I know?" asked the senior, Dr Jameson. "It is some kind of liquid acid called Amber. It has the power to bring back the dragons," he replied. "Well, we will study this specimen tomorrow, very interesting this stuff," said Dr Jameson. Next day Nick Fury called all the AVENGERS – Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, The Archer and Black Widow to the at the S.H.I.E.L.D HQ. "Avengers," said Nick Fury, "What we feared would happen has happened." Archer asked, "What?" Fury turned to the television screen and set a video. It showed the picture of the research lab, but in just a minute, it was completely pulverised. Who did this? Then they saw the thing – it was a dragon.

Rennie Class I, Delhi

Favourite characters make great subjects for prose!

Tara Baruah, Class I, Delhi

November 2013 186 www.spiceroutemag.com

Kids corner

Ishaan Singh Class V, Delhi Bishmita Das, Class II, Guwahati

WHEN MY BIRTHDAY COMES When my birthday comes, I’m free from my Maths sums, I can make any wish, And eat my favourite dish, I am happy on my birthday, And I feel very gay, I call out names, And play games, It’s better than a Christmas gift, Because I can choose any gift.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer Roger Federer, There’s no one else who’s better, At the game you play.

Oh, what can I say.

Your lovingly beautiful shots Make me wonder how much you’ve trained, They give me inspiration when I’m drained The way you move around the court, Looks like you’re on a boat.

You’ve won so much and lost so little, Your temper is never brittle.

For a player so great who doesn’t believe in fate, In the end I ask myself when is greatness achieved?

Is it when you win your first tournament or is It when you think You’re the best or is it when You inspire others...

Maybe it’s when you are always asking Yourself what next?

Taruwar Singh, Class VIII, Delhi

Natureinspired kids make great environment ambassadors

Anand Sharma, Class V, Delhi

Games

Mind teasers Solutions GOT CARRIED AWAY

OCTOBER 30, 2011

AWHILE SUITOR REFUSE AIRING SWAYED COLUMN There were able to win the hot-air balloon competition because they —

Answer : THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

PRINT YOUR ANSWER IN THE CIRCLES BELOW

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

PRINT YOUR ANSWER IN THE CIRCLES BELOW

©2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

EADSYW

MOLCNU

OUIRST

LHIWEA

NIRIGA

Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jumble

LHIWEA

NIRIGA

MOLCNU

OUIRST

©2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jumble

SEUFRE

EADSYW

Unscramble these six Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form six ordinary words.

SEUFRE

Unscramble these six Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form six ordinary words.

Find the difference

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

Answer : AWHILE SUITOR REFUSE AIRING SWAYED COLUMN There were able to win the hot-air balloon competition because they —

GOT CARRIED AWAY

OCTOBER 30, 2011

November 2013 190 www.spiceroutemag.com

Launch pad

Shop hopping Surprise your kids with these products.

Travel smart Perfect eyewear This candy-coloured frame from Espirit is a Californiainspired look which features an iconic front in monotone hues of pink, rose, black or navy. The cool visage is offset by gregarious temples in colourful peppy stripes or icecream-like marbled print.

Basecamp brings to you a Microwave Sterilizing Bag which is perfect to carry when on vacation, to sterilise your child’s bottles, spoons, cups or dummies. Simply fill the bag with 60ml water and microwave for less than three seconds to sterilise the desired item. Compact and handy, these sterilising bags are a must-have for new moms.

Price: `2,250 Availability: All leading retail stores

Price: `520 Availability: D-5, Inner Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi

Happy feet

Part y time

The stylish collection from ‘Polo by Ralph Lauren’ offers a choice of both casual and smart styles to suit all occasions at a great price. This new collection has five different styles to choose from. The Preppy deck shoe, the Chandler Sneaker, the canvas Bollingbrook Sneaker, the EZ Sneaker and the High-Top sneaker are the styles on offer.

Price: `2,595 onwards Availability: Selected showrooms of Metro, Mochi and INC.5

The Victorian Love collection from Coochhie Coo brings romantic frills, flowy garments, ruffles and soft fabrics.

This one-shouldered love rubble in organza decorated with Swarvoski can make the perfect party wear for your young princess.

Price: `9,200 Availability: F 43, First Floor, MGF Metropolitan Mall, Saket, New Delhi

November 2013 192 www.spiceroutemag.com

Zoom in

Soulful

sojourn 3

November 2013 194 www.spiceroutemag.com

Gateway to the seven sisters, Guwahati promises something for everyone – serene beauty, wildlife, famed temples and festivals.

P HOTO G R AP HS

|

P ho t ograph y

Clu b

of

A ssa m

1 2

1. A panoramic view of the entire city, with the Brahmaputra flowing by.

2. B eautiful circle of light in the heart of the city.

3. The famous one-horned rhino.

195

Zoom in

1

5 November 2013 196 www.spiceroutemag.com

Photo | Kuku Christina

2

3

1. A lonely boatman near Sualkuchi, 35km away.

2. B asishta Ashram attracts many tourists.

3. A ssamese beauty.

4. T he Ambubashi mela, an annual event, in full swing at the well-known Kamakhya Temple.

5. B icycles with fish tanks, ready for door-to-door delivery every morning.

4

197

Predictions

Forecast for November 2013 By

D r . P r e m K u m ar S har m a

Aries Support of a well-wisher at work will help you climb up the ladder of success with ease. Businessmen may devise new strategies to promote their product line.

Those craving companionship will succeed in finding a special friend.

Expected payments are likely to get released soon. Promotions may be delayed.

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Time for some exciting family moments and fun. On the work front, you are likely to exceed seniors’ expectations. Yoga and meditation will help you relax. Elders should keep monitoring their blood pressure and general health.

Friends and relatives may visit towards the end of the month.

You manage to impress someone from the opposite camp and kickstart a romance. Those in the field of IT and marketing are likely to hear of appraisals. Don’t stand for anyone’s guarantee. Be pragmatic in your approach while dealing with friends.

A family friend is likely to come with a proposal that you simply cannot refuse. It is time to take positive steps for curbing extra expenditure. A distant relative may come and stay with you for some time. Those looking for a job change are likely to hear of some exciting opportunities.

Good Luck Tip: Wear a copper coin in a yellow thread or gold chain around your neck.

Good Luck Tip: Hang 9 I-ching coins tied in red thread to your phone or laptop to open up new lines of communication.

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

This month calls for learning new lessons and implementing new strategies for better future. Prioritise what you want to achieve and you shall find people supporting you. A young family member may develop special feelings for you, so return the affection.

You’ll take great decisions by being cool and composed. A professional ego problem will disappear as you get to know each other better. Travelling with friends will be fun. Be discreet with views so that you’re not stuck with unwanted commitments.

Take time to get an overview of the situation before making any important decisions. Those in the IT field may have to work harder to get things done. A business tour proves fruitful. A profitable deal is likely to end your financial problems to a large extent.

An incident on the domestic front can cause mental turbulence but you will handle it well. Work wise, things improve remarkably.

Your boss will be happy with your performance. Health remains satisfactory, remain disciplined.

Good Luck Tip: Keep a pair of mandarin ducks on your bedside to increase bonding.

Good Luck Tip: Clean your purse regularly. An untidy or cluttered purse invites more expenses.

Good Luck Tip: To boost your growth prospects, place fresh green plants in your work area.

Good Luck Tip: Keep some notes and coins tied in a red pouch in your wallet to help increase savings.

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Lonely hearts are set to strike it rich on the romantic front. Some new additions in the family will lift up the excitement and give you moments of celebration. You earn a lot of goodwill this month but the financial side remains gloomy for some time more.

This is the month to smile and rejuvenate. Your dedication at work is rewarded. A family member helps you to complete an important task. You stand to gain from a deal, but remember not to start overspending in excitement.

A mistake on the work front can cost you dearly, if not taken care of. Health of a near-and-dear one may require you to give them some extra time and attention.

Avoid investing your time and energy in speculation else it may call for unnecessary frustrations.

You are likely to get into a longterm relationship and enjoy uninterrupted bliss. Students planning to study abroad may hear from preferred universities. Check all documents and policy notes in case of investments.

Good Luck Tip: Carry a small white crystal in your left pocket if appearing for an interview.

Good Luck Tip: Mend all leaking taps, as this would invite more expenses or losses.

Good Luck Tip: Regularly drop a coin in a bowl while going out or coming inside the house to increase personal assets.

Good Luck Tip: Wear a blue band on your right wrist while attending important meetings.

November 2013 198 www.spiceroutemag.com

Good Luck Tip: Keep a miniature rooster on your work station to improve rapport with colleagues.

Good Luck Tip: Donate some stationary items to an orphanage.

It will help you in stepping up the career ladder.

Advertorial

Scintillating jewels Don these exquisite pieces from ORRA to look ravishing on your D- Day.

T

he modern bride is enthusiastic about adorning diverse looks on one of the most important days of her life. From a demure Indian bride who dazzles in traditional jewellery to a stylish diva who prefers a classic metal like platinum, ORRA helps her attain that dream look. Keeping in mind the eclectic tastes of a bride, this year ORRA has launched two exclusive creations – one inspired by royalty and another by dance. These exclusive pieces are available across ORRA’s 35 stores in 26 cities. The brand

brings various collections to choose from this wedding season.

The Mewar collection makes use of coloured stones and pearls to replicate jewellery styles of royalty. Earrings are inspired by the traditional Borla worn by Rajasthani women as maang tikka. So even within a traditional concept, ORRA has managed to bring in innovations, something which they are famous for. To dazzle at your cocktail ceremony, you can try the platinum ballerina earrings – pear-shaped earrings displaying a diamond studded matt finish yoke.

Building success IPIPL benchmarks all its projects with a blend of international style and standards.

I

CON PROJECTS INSPACE PVT. LTD. serves their clientele with interior design and turnkey management in the categories of Hospitality, Residential, Retail as well as Workspace.

It was founded by Mr. Amit Porwal in 2003, who has travelled globally, always ensuring the warm reputation of Indian ways. Turnkey interiors is the order of the day, with the emerging interior design services in India having adapted this new concept. Turnkey, as the word suggests, allows the end user to

achieve his dreams of building a space interacting with only one agency. Revamping, renovating or expanding the interior design aspect of any space or facility is a tedious task considering the innumerable angles that vie for attention and detailing.

Under such circumstances, formulating a clear picture of the space planning, interior design, workspace analysis, retail design, as well as the roll-out assumes significance. Beside this, considering the intangible aspects of the organisation like company principles, central

While executing a project, attention is paid to protect the environment and recognise the role it can play

philosophy, corporate identity and drawing the essence to create an artistic expression, expresses itself through the interiors. “Project Management” is another forte of this brand.

Extensive coordination between various agencies, consultants, contractors and above all a disciplined approach ensures not only timely completion, but also “a dream come true

November 2013 200 www.spiceroutemag.com

project”. While executing a project, special attention is paid to protect the environment and recognise the role it can play in influencing the choices its customers make in reducing their own environmental impact.

Working to pursue sustainability in the built environment is an important facet of their business.

They work in the guideline and norms of ISO standards.

Advertorial

Dazzle on your D-day Pick your favourite from Mahesh Notandass’s wide range of stunning fine jewellery.

T

he Mahesh Notandas collection offers classic and vintage inspired jewellery with inimitable cuts to add mesmerising jazz and sparkle. This alluring collection characterises striking statement pieces including pendants necklaces, rings and earrings

The finest pieces of earrings are stylishly designed in gold, diamonds, rubies and pearls

– the complete look of a woman. Giving a classy edge, the finest pieces of earrings are stylishly designed in gold, diamonds, rubies and pearls. The breathtaking artistry of necklaces and lockets is sure to make every woman look attractive.

Add beauty to your fingers with the mixed creativity of the rings with an exclusive finish of gold and diamonds. Every piece is articulated to make heads turn and make you the conversation starter. All the pieces are designed keeping the festivity and celebration in mind as India is a land emotionally attached to festivals and marriage.

Upcoming properties Wyndham Hotel group offers best lodging choices for every segment.

Wyndham Hotel Group has undertaken an impressive expansion drive over the last few years. As on the second quarter of 2013, the Group has 17 operating hotels in India with

Deepika Arora,

Regional Vice President - India Wyndham Hotel Group Asia Pacific

a total room inventory of 1,852 under the Ramada, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Dream and Days Inn brands.

The Group has a strong Pan-India presence with hotels in key cities including Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Udaipur, Jalandhar, Varanasi, Agra and Goa among others.

Wyndham Hotel Group holds an ambitious plan to develop nearly 30 hotels and increase the inventory to over 3,000 rooms within the next four years. By end of this year, the Group will open its

first Ramada Encore and Howard Johnson Hotels targetted at the potential mid-market segment.

In addition to the new launches, the Group has been working aggressively to strengthen its existing Ramada portfolio.

The 149-room Ramada Amritsar was opened this July in the heart of the city. In the later part of this year, it is anticipated that more than four hotels operated under the Ramada brand will open their doors to the public.

The Indian market offers a great opportunity and is key to the Group’s expansion plans. The

The 149-room Ramada Amritsar was opened this July in the heart of the city. More hotels are in the pipeline November 2013 202 www.spiceroutemag.com

emergence of India as a preferred leisure and business destination has increased pressure on the Indian hospitality industry to constantly improvise itself to cater to the growing demand of all travellers.

The fierce competition coupled with a desire to stay in the number one position has led most hospitality players to introduce innovative ideas, hospitality products and services to woo more customers and stay ahead of competition. Domestic travel will remain dominant throughout the year.

Wyndham Hotel Group is embracing the new trends and adapting what is required to stay competitive in the market scene in India.

Destinations

Destinations

Agartala

Ahmedabad

ALLAHABAD

AMRITSAR

Airport: The Singerbhil Airport is located about 12km away from the city centre. Taxis are easily available from outside the airport.

Airport: Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport is located 15km from the city centre.

Airport: Allahabad Airport is located at a distance of 12km from the city. Taxis are available.

Must See: Kankaria is an artificial lake that dates back to the time of the sultans. It has become a crowd puller in recent times.

Must See: The Allahabad Fort, built from the year 1583 onwards

by Akbar, stands at the junction of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga.

Airport: Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport is an international airport, located 11km from the city.

Must Stay: Ginger Agartala on Airport Road offers convenient accommodation and services.

Must Stay: Formule1 off SG Road is a centrally located hotel. A free Wi-Fi zone, it offers comfortable rooms with quality bedding.

Must Stay: Enjoy your time in the great city of Allahabad by staying at Guest House Bungalow, which offers well-furnished rooms.

Aurangabad

Bagdogra

Bangkok

belgaum

Airport: Aurangabad Airport is located at a distance of 10km from the city centre.

Airport: Bagdogra Airport serves the towns of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Gangtok. Take a bus or private/ shared taxi to these regions.

Airport: The Suvarnabhumi International Airport is located about 17 KM from Bangkok city.

Airport: Belgaum Airport is located at a distance of 10km from the city centre. Taxis are easily available.

Must Stay: Situated on the Bihar More in Bagdogra, Marinas Motel offers a great stay option with finely furnished rooms.

Must Stay: The Banyan Tree hotels & resorts houses the Vertigo restaurant which offers a spectacular view of the city from the 61st floor.

Must See: In the heart of the city of Agartala lies the Ujjayanta Palace, a royal house carved and sculpted in Indo-Greek style.

Must See: The dark tunnels, passages and archways at the Daulatabad Fort, 13km away from Aurangabad, speak of its history.

Must Stay: Hotel Vits is a luxurious business-class hotel located on the Railway Station Road.

Must See: Visit the famed floating Must See: There are several tourist market in Old Bangkok and also activities that you can engage in at visit The Wat Pho temple to see the Darjeeling, Dooars and Siliguri. reclining statue of Buddha.

November 2013 204 www.spiceroutemag.com

Must See: Jallianwala Bagh is reminiscent of the Indian freedom struggle and is a well-known historical site in Amritsar.

Must Stay: Enjoy your time in the spiritual city of Amritsar by staying at Radisson Blu, a fine hotel.

Must See: Belgaum Fort is a huge fortress situated in the centre of the city. Dating back to 1519, the fort stands tall by telling the tales of the era gone by.

Must Stay: Relax at Hotel Adarsha Palace, situated on the College Road in Belgaum.

Bengaluru

Bhopal

CHANDIGARH

Chennai

Airport: Bengaluru International Airport is located 40km from the city’s business district. Taxis and Volvo buses are easily available from the airport.

Airport: The Raja Bhoj International airport is located in Bairagarh, 15km from the city.

Airport: Chandigarh Airport is located at a distance of 8km from the city centre. Taxis are easily available.

Airport: Chennai International Airport is 7km from the city centre.

Must Stay: Hotel Formule1 Bengaluru Whitefield is close to shopping and corporate hubs.

Must Stay: Revel in royal luxury at the Jehan Numa Palace Hotel in the upscale Shamla Hills area in the city.

Must Stay: Experience a stay with all possible contemporary comforts at the JW Marriott Chandigarh, a plush five-star hotel which offers great ambience.

Must See: Marina Beach is a 12km stretch of pristine beach, the second longest in the world.

Must Stay: The Residency is nestled in the shopping hub of the city. It is strategically located near the airport, railway station and city centre. For reservations, please feel free to contact the duty manager on 7401204255.

Coimbatore

Colombo

DEHRADUN

Delhi

Airport: Coimbatore Airport in Peelamedu is located 13km away from the city. Taxis are available.

Airport: Bandaranaike International Airport is Sri Lanka’s only international airport.

Must See: An exciting journey to the centre of a forest brings you to the magnificent Kovai Kuttralam waterfalls, about 37km away.

Must See: Gangaramaya Temple is not only a place of worship for Buddhists, but also a centre of learning for the religion.

Airport: Jolly Grant Airport is located some 30km from the city centre. Taxis are easily available from the airport.

Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport is located 20km from the city centre. Prepaid and radio taxis are easily available.

Must See: Situated 8km from the city centre, Guchchu Pani is a beautiful picnic spot.

Must See: The Purana Qila is an old fort or rather the remains of the 16th century Shergarh.

Must Stay: Le Meridien Coimbatore sets a benchmark in modern luxury and offers a perfect combination of comfort and extravagance for business travellers.

Must Stay: When you are in Colombo, choose to stay at The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden, near the airport.

Must Stay: Madhuban Hotel is a beautiful option with aesthetically designed rooms featuring modern amenities and culinary delights

Must Stay: At a convenient distance from the airport and NH8, Lebua New Delhi is a fine five-star hotel situated in Dwarka.

Must See: Ulsoor lake is spread over a huge area and dates back to the time of Kempe Gowda I and II.

Must See: Bhimbetka, located about 50km from Bhopal, is home to ancient rock shelters, which house amazing cave paintings.

Must See: Sukhna Lake is an artificial reservoir and a famous recreational spot.

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Destinations

dharamshala

Dubai

Airport: The Gaggal Airport also known as the Dharamsala Airport, is located 14km from the city.

Airport: Dubai International Airport is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main Must See: One of the major tourist airport of Dubai. attractions of Dharamshala is the Must See: While in Dubai, check Kangra Art museum. out the Jumeirah Beach a famous beach resort located just 15km Must Stay: Himachal Tourism from central Dubai.

Hotel Dhauladhar offers a

Goa

guAngzhou

Airport: Dabolim Airport in Vasco is 30km from Panaji, Goa’s capital.

Taxis are available.

Airport: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is the main airport of the city.

Must See: Sri Mangeshi Temple in the Priol area is a beautiful temple situated amidst refreshing natural surroundings.

Must See: The Pearl River flows through the Guangzhou city. Take a boat tour on the river to admire the breathtaking night view.

Must Stay: Bid farewell to your blues and relax at the White Pearl Suites situated near Baga Beach.

Must Stay: Crowne Plaza Science City is a plush hotel, perfect for your stay.

Indore

commanding view of the mountains. It is situated in the heart of the town.

Must Stay: Atlantis The Palm is a luxury resort built on the scenic Palm Island.

Guwahati

Hubli

Hyderabad

Airport: Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is 25km from the city.

Airport: Hubli Airport is the airport currently serving both the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad in Karnataka.

Airport: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport: Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport is 25km from the city.

Airport is located at a distance of 8km from the city.

Must See: Mecca Masjid is a

Must See: Assam State Museum operated by the Assam Government is located near Dighalipukhuri tank.

Must Stay: Located in Madhab Nagar, Khanapara, Greenwood Resorts offers a relaxing retreat.

Must see: Panoramic view of the city of Hubli, Nrupatunga Betta, 5km from Chennamma circle.

heritage mosque in the old city of Hyderabad, close to the historic landmark of Chowmahalla Palace.

Must Stay: Radisson Blu Plaza Must stay: Hotel Clarks Inn on the Hotel, Banjara Hills offers 155 Gokul Road is a modern-day retreat modern rooms with the finest of world-class facilities. complete with all the amenities.

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Must See: Rajwada is a remarkable mansion that sings the glory of the heritage of Indore.

Must Stay: Radisson Blu Hotel, located in the heart of Indore’s business hub, is ideal for the discerning business traveller.

Jabalpur

Jaipur

Jammu

Airport: Jabalpur Airport, also known as Dumna Airport, is 11km from the city centre. Prepaid taxi services are available.

Airport: Sanganer Airport is 13km from the city centre. Prepaid taxis are available.

Airport: Satwari Airport is 8km from the city of Jammu. Prepaid taxis are easily available.

Must See: Situated 25km from Jabalpur are the mesmerising Dhuandhar waterfalls, which call for a visit for sure.

Must See: Hawa Mahal is a beautiful historical monument, situated near Johari Bazaar. The surrounding area is great for souvenir shopping.

Must Stay: Kalchuri Residency is a plush three-star hotel in Jabalpur.

Must Stay: Gateway Hotel Ramgarh Lodge, Jaipur offers a royal experience.

Kathmandu Airport: Tribhuvan International Airport located in Kathmandu is the only international airport in Nepal. Taxis are easily available.

Must See: In the heart of the Kathmandu valley lies Darbar Square, an ancient square strewn with palaces and temples.

Must Stay: In the heart of Diplomatic Enclave and Durbar Marg stands Hotel Shangri-La.

KABUL

Airport: Kabul International Airport, also known as Khwaja Rawash Airport, is located 16km Must See: Mubarak Mandi was the from the city centre. royal residence of the Maharaja of Must See: Built in the late 19th Jammu and Kashmir during the century, Bagh-e Bala is preserved Dogra rule. and the area around the palace has Must Stay: Fortune Inn Rivera is a been turned into a large park. cosy retreat, perfect for a business stay as well as for a family vacation.

Must Stay: Make your stay memorable by choosing to stay at Kabul Intercontinental Hotel.

Khajuraho

Kochi

Kolkata

Airport: Khajuraho Airport is just 3 km away from Khajuraho town.

Airport: Cochin International Airport is situated just 30km from the city centre. Taxis are easily available.

Airport: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is 20km from Kolkata city. Prepaid taxis are easily available.

Must See: Fort Kochi is a small village located near the large city of Kochi. It is home to untouched picturesque beaches.

Must See: The Marble Palace at Chorbagan is now a museum, home to precious art by Rubens and Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Must Stay: Relive the past at Cochin Heritage Home, located just next to the Bishop’s House in the Fort Kochi area of the city.

Must Stay: Chrome Hotel on AJC Bose Road offers relaxation in the tech-savvy interiors, latest amenities and fine food facilities.

Must See: The prestigious Khajuraho temples which are ornamented with most striking, erotic and aesthetic sculptures that expose the philosophy in the Hindu religion.

Must Stay: Make yourself feel at home at Hotel Clarks, Khajuraho which is located at a convenient distance from the Khajuraho temples.

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Destinations

Kozhikode

Lucknow

Madurai

MALE

Airport: Calicut International Airport is located at a distance 25km from the city centre. Taxis are easily available.

Airport: Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport is located about 11km from the city centre. Taxis are available.

Airport: Madurai Airport is located about 10km from the city centre.

Taxis are available.

Must See: Krishna Menon Museum is dedicated to diplomat V K Krishna Menon, where his personal belongings are exhibited.

Must See: Bara Imam Bara, constructed hundreds of years back when there was a famine, is one of the most popular monuments in Lucknow city.

Airport: Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is the main international airport in the Republic of Maldives.

Must See: Sri Meenakshi Temple is one of the most popular temples Must See: The National Museum in the city that is dedicated to Shiva in Sultan Park and the Jumhoree and his consort Parvati.

Maidan with its green grass and lush vegetation are must-sees.

Must Stay: The Gateway Hotel

Must Stay: Choose to relax at the Gateway Hotel, a brand from the Taj Group, situated on the beach road in Kozhikode.

Must Stay: Vivanta by Taj, Gomti Nagar offers splendid standards in accommodation and is equipped with all the modern facilities.

Pasumalai offers high standards in accommodation and is equipped with latest amenities.

Must Stay: Cerulean View Boutique Hotel is one of the best hotels in Male.

Mangalore

Mumbai

muscat

mysore

Airport: The Mangalore International Airport is about 20km from the city centre.

Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is 30km from downtown Mumbai. It is advisable to take prepaid taxis.

Airport: Seeb International Airport Airport: Mysore Airport, also is located 32km from Muscat, the known as Mandakalli Airport, is the capital of Oman. main airport serving the city. Taxis are available.

Must See: The Grand Mosque

Must See: About 15km away from Mangalore city is the Pilikula Nisragadham, a beautiful lake with boating facility.

Must See: Take a walk in upscale south Mumbai. Visit Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Church Gate and Colaba Causeway.

Must Stay: Elegance and luxury go hand in hand at Gateway Hotel, Old Must Stay: Luxurious home away from home is the plush Novotel on Port Road in Mangalore Juhu Beach.

which displays modern Islamic Must See: Gumbaz is the burial architecture also houses the chamber of Tipu Sultan, father world’s largest carpet (70m X 60m). Haider Ali and his mother Fatima.

Must Stay: With a great location near the beach and a cluster of little restaurants, Omani Beach Hotel is the best place to stay.

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Must Stay: Overlooking the breathtaking Brindavan Gardens, Royal Orchid Brindavan is a fourstar luxury Heritage Hotel.

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Destinations

puducherry

Port Blair

Pune

Rajahmundry

Airport: Puducherry Airport is located at Lawspet in Puducherry.

Taxis are available.

Airport: Veer Savarkar International Airport is located 2km from the city centre. Taxis are easily available.

Airport: Pune International Airport is situated at a distance of 10km from the main city. Prepaid taxis and auto rickshaws are available.

Airport: The Rajahmundry airport is located in Madhurapudi, 18km north of the city.

Must See: Cellular Jail, a revered shrine dedicated to Indian freedom fighters, is situated at Aberdeen near Port Blair.

Must See: Saras Baug is a major landmark and has a Ganesh Temple. The place is a famous recreational site in the city.

Must See: The stylish French War Memorial, located in the renowned Goubert Avenue, is a monument for the soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War.

Must See: Sir Arthur Cotton Museum and the barrage at Dowlaiswaram give some interesting insights on history.

Must Stay: Try your hand at Must Stay: The Dune is a fascinating eco-beach hotel situated snorkelling and deep-sea diving at at the Kaala Pani Resort. in vicinity of the sun-kissed sea.

Must Stay: Relax in the lap of luxury at the Four Points

By Sheraton, a five-star hotel.

Must Stay: Simple, elegant and cosy rooms are what you can be sure of at Akanksha Inn, one of the best hotels in this city.

Riyadh

Sharjah

Srinagar

Surat

Airport: Riyadh King Khalid International Airport is located 35km north of Riyadh.

Airport: Sharjah International Airport is situated some 15km from central Dubai. Taxis are available.

Airport: Srinagar International Airport is situated some 12km from the city centre.

Airport: Surat Airport is located in Magdala around 11km southwest from the city centre.

Must See: The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is a must see. It offers excellent information on Arabia’s history, culture and art.

Must See: Souq al-Arsah is one of the oldest souks in the country and calls for a visit. Visit the traditional coffee house to have mint tea.

Must See: Hazrat Bal in Srinagar on the left bank of Dal Lake is a well - known shrine where a hair strand of the Prophet Mohammed is treasured.

Must See: Sardar V Patel Museum and Planetorium represents the rich history and eclectic ethnic mix of Surat.

Must Stay: Four Seasons Hotel Must Stay: Offering picturesque Riyadh at Kingdom Centre is a view of the city, Radisson Blu stylish business and leisure hotel Resort Sharjah is a nice hotel. located high in the Kingdom Tower.

Must Stay: Offering panoramic view of the Dal Lake, Vivanta by Taj is a good option.

November 2013 210 www.spiceroutemag.com

Must Stay: The Gateway Hotel Athwalines in Surat is known for offering plush accomodation along with latest amenities.

Destinations

thiruvananthapuram

Tirupati

Airport: The Trivandrum Airport is located at a central location.

Airport: Tirupati Airport is situated Airport: Tiruchirapalli Airport or at a distance of 14km from the Trichy Airport is 5km from the city Tirupati city. centre.

Must See: The interactive Kerala Museum, opposite the Napier museum, is the first of its kind, with touch-screen terminals.

Tiruchirapalli

Must See: The Sri Venkateswara temple is considered one of the holiest temples.

Must See: The landmark of the Trichy town is the Rockfort temple, a beautiful structure perched atop a hillock.

Tuticorin Airport: Tuticorin domestic airport is located 16.9km from the city.

Must See: The Palayamkottai Road area surrounds the Lord Bhagam Priyal temple, Lord Shiva and Lord Perumal temples.

Must Stay: Former home of Royal British Officers, Mascot Hotel is now a heritage hotel offering luxurious stay and amenities.

Must Stay: Having served some prominent personalities who Must Stay: Situated on the Mc thronged the holy town, Hotel Bliss Donald’s Road in the heart of the serves good comforts and food. city, Breeze Residency is one of Trichy’s premier hotels.

Must Stay: SRM Hotel offers an enticing home-away-from-home experience with its services and rooms.

Udaipur

Varanasi

Vijayawada

visakhapatnam

Airport: Udaipur Airport or Maharana Pratap Airport is situated at a distance of 22km from the city.

Airport: Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is 18km from the city. Taxi and auto-rickshaw services are easily available.

Airport: Vijayawada Airport is located in Gannavaram, just 20km from the city centre.

Airport: Visakhapatnam Airport is located about 7km from the city centre. Taxis are easily available at all times.

Must See: The splendid City Palace is one of the most beautiful palatial Must See: Take a boat ride at the Dasawamedh Ghat to enjoy the structures here. divine ambience of Varanasi to the Must Stay: The Leela Palace fullest.

Udaipur, located on the banks of Must Stay: Offering comfortable Lake Pichola, offers a spectacular stay, Clarks Varansi is one of view of the tranquil lake. the best options in the city.

Must See: Mogalarajapuram caves near Vijayawada are among the three cave temples known for the magnificent carvings of Shiva.

Must Stay: Haailand Buddhismbased theme park and resort is a unique holiday destination that evokes the mystique of South East Asia.

November 2013 212 www.spiceroutemag.com

Must See: Kambalakonda is a wonderful nature reserve, located about 20-25 minutes away from the city.

Must Stay: The Gateway Hotel, situated on the Beach Road in Visakhapatnam, is a comfortable hotel. Enjoy southern delights like dosas and peesarattu here.

Routemap

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Spice bites

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Spice offices

SpiceJet Offices Corporate Office SpiceJet Limited, 319 Udyog Vihar, Phase - IV, Gurgaon 122 016, Haryana Tel: +91 124 3913939; Fax: +91 124 3913844 Customer Services E-mail: custrelations@spicejet.com Reservations Toll Free: 1-800-180-3333 and 987-180-3333 Regional Heads North & Central India: Sumant Rautela Email: sumant.rautela@spicejet.com Delhi T1 & T3, Nepal & Afghanistan: Nelash Godara Email: nelash.godara@spicejet.com East and Andaman & Nicobar Islands Mitali Gogoi Email: Mitali@spicejet.com West Vinod Saldanha Email: vinod.saldanha@spicejet.com Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Pankaj Handa Email: pankaj.handa@spicejet.com Tamil Nadu, Kerala, SriLanka & Maldives R. Ranjeev Email: r.ranjeev@spicejet.com Agartala Airport Manager: Avishek Kar Address: Spicejet Ltd., C.A. Agartala Airport, Agartala(Tripura) Email: avishek.kar@spicejet.com Ahmedabad Airport Manager: Johnson George Address: Spicejet Ltd., SVP International Airport, Ahmedabad(Gujarat) Email: johnson.george@spicejet.com Allahabad Airport Incharge: Vijay Yadav Address: Spicejet Ltd., Allahabad Airport, Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) Email: vijay.yadav@spicejet.com Amritsar Airport Incharge: Deepak Anand Address: Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar(Punjab) Email: deepak.anand@spicejet.com Aurangabad Airport Incharge: Ajay Chip Address: Spicejet Ltd., Aurangabad Airport, Aurangabad (Maharashtra) Email: ajay.chip@spicejet.com Bagdogra Airport Incharge: Saurav Raj Thapa Address: Spicejet Ltd., Civil Aerodrome, Bagdogra, Siliguri(West Bengal) Email: saurav.thapa@spicejet.com Bangkok Station Incharge: Gavin Jeffries Address: Spicejet Ltd, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand Email: gavin.jeffries@spicejet.com Belgaum Airport Manage: Pankaj Handa Address: Spicejet Ltd., Belgaum Airport, Belgaum (Karnataka) Email: pankaj.handa@spicejet.com Bengaluru Airport Manager: Panakaj Handa Address: Spicejet Ltd., Bangalore International Airport, Bengaluru (Karnataka) Email: pankaj.handa@spicejet.com

Bhopal Airport Incharge: Rajul Srivastava Address: Spicejet Ltd., Raja Bhoj Airport, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) Email: rajul.srivastava@spicejet.com Chandigarh Airport Incharge: Manmeet Singh Barham Address: Spicejet Ltd., Civil Airport, Chandigarh Email: manmeet.barham@spicejet.com Chennai Airport Manager: R. Ranjeev Address: Spicejet Ltd., Kamraj International Airport, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) Email: r.ranjeev@spicejet.com Coimbatore Airport Manager: Santosh Kumar Nair Address: Spicejet Ltd., Civil Aerodrome, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) Email: santosh.nair@spicejet.com Colombo Airport Incharge: N. Kalidassan Address: Spicejet Ltd., Bandarnaike International Airport, Colombo (Sri Lanka) Email: n.kalidassan@spicejet.com Dehradun Airport Incharge: Manish Pandey Address: Spicejet Ltd., Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, Uttarakhand Email: manish.pandey@spicejet.com Dharamshala Airport Incharge: Rahul Garg Address: SpiceJet Ltd., Kangra Airport, Gaggal (Himachal Pradesh) Email: rahul.garg@spicejet.com Dubai Airport Manager: J. Venkatramakrishnan Address: Spicejet Ltd., Dubai International Airport, Departure level-Terminal 1, UAE Email: j.venkat@spicejet.com Goa Airport Manager: Anish Dubey Address: Spicejet Ltd., Goa International Airport, Dabolim(Goa) Email: anish.dubey@spicejet.com Guangzhou Airport Manager: Vrushiket Bhise Address: Spicejet Ltd., Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Guangdong (China) Email: vrushiket.bhise@spicejet.com Guwahati Airport Manager: Bhaskar Borgohain Address: Spicejet Ltd., Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati (Assam) Email: bhaskar.borgohain@spicejet.com Hyderabad Airport Manager: Raghunath Singh Address: Spicejet Ltd., Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad (Andhra Pradesh) Email: raghunath.singh@spicejet.com Hubli Airport Incharge: Mahavir Gaur Address: Hubli airport, Hubli(Karnataka) Email: mahavir.gaur@spicejet.com Indore Airport Incharge: Pavitra Shukla Address: Spicejet Ltd., DABH Airport, Indore (Madhya Pradesh) Email: pavitra.shukla@spicejet.com Jabalpur Airport Incharge: Jaimin Premasawala Address: Spicejet Ltd., Jabalpur Airport, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh Email: jaimin.premasawala@spicejet.com Jammu Airport Manager: Deepak Koul Address: Spicejet Ltd., Jammu Airport,Civil Enclave Jammu (J&K) Email: deepak.koul@spicejet.com

Jaipur Airport Manager: Brijendra Sinsinwar Address: Spicejet Ltd.,Civil Airport Sanganer, Jaipur (Rajasthan) Email: brijendra.sinsinwar@spicejet.com Kathmandu Airport Manager: Rajendra Krishna Joshi Address: Spicejet Ltd., Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu (Nepal) Email: rajendra.joshi@spicejet.com Kabul Airport Incharge: Sunil Rehman Address: SpiceJet Ltd., Kabul International Airport (Afghanistan) Email: sunil.rehman@spicejet.com Kochi Airport Manager: Shamon P.S Address: Spicejet Ltd., Cochin International Airport, Kochi (Kerala) Email: shamon@spicejet.com Kolkata Airport Manager: Sagarnath Das Address: SpiceJet Ltd., Terminal II, NSCBI Airport, Kolkata (West Bengal) Email: sagarnath.das@spicejet.com Kozhikode Airport Incharge:Sajith Kannoth Address: SpiceJet Ltd., Calicut International Airport, Malapuram (Kerala) Email: sajith@spicejet.com Lucknow Airport Manager: Janardan Sahai Mathur Address: SpiceJet Ltd., Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) Email: janardan.mathur@spicejet.com Madurai Airport Manager: Balaji Ramanan Address: Spicejet Ltd., Madurai Airport, Madurai (Tamil Nadu) Email: balaji.ramanan@spicejet.com Male Airport Incharge: Hemanth Kumar Address: Spicejet Ltd, Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Male (Maldives) Email: hemanth.kumar@spicejet.com Mangalore Airport Incharge: C.M.Biddappa Address: Spicejet Ltd., Bajpe Airport, Mangalore (Karnataka) Email: biddappa@spicejet.com Mumbai Airport Manager: Tarun Kalwadia Address: Spicejet Ltd., Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (Maharashtra) Email: tarun.kalwadia@spicejet.com Muscat Airport Manager: Irfan Kanth Address: Spicejet Ltd., Seeb International Airport, Muscat (Oman) Email: irfan.kanth@spicejet.com Mysore Airport Incharge: KP Bopanna Address: Spicejet Ltd., Mysore Airport, Mysore (Karnataka) Email: bopanna.kp@spicejet.com New Delhi Airport Manager: Nelash Godara Address: Terminal 1D, IGI Airport, Palam (Delhi) Email: nelash.godara@spicejet.com Pondicherry Airport Incharge: S Mahesh Address: Spicejet Ltd., Puducherry Airport, Lawspet (Puducherry) Email: mahesh.s@spicejet.com Port Blair Airport Incharge: Arun M Address: Spicejet Ltd., Veer Sawarkar International Airport, Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) Email: arun.m@spicejet.com

November 2013 220 www.spiceroutemag.com

Pune Airport Manager: Adil Palia Address: Spicejet Ltd., Civil Enclave Pune Airport, Pune (Maharashtra) Email: adil.palia@spicejet.com Rajahmundry Airport Incharge: Amit Naraian Address: Spicejet Ltd.,Rajahmundry Airport, Madhurapudi (Andhra Pradesh) Email: amit.naraian@spicejet.com Riyadh Airport Incharge: Azhar Shaikh Address: Spicejet Ltd., King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) Email: azhar.shaikh@spicejet.com Sharjah Airport Manager: Debasish Choudhury Address: SpiceJet Ltd., Sharjah International Airport, Sharjah (UAE) Email: debasish.choudhury@spicejet.com Srinagar Airport Incharge: Sartaj Ahmed Mantoo Address: Spicejet Ltd., Srinagar Airport, Srinagar (J&K) Email: sartaj.mantoo@spicejet.com Surat Airport Incharge: Harin Rajguru Address: Spicejet Ltd.,Surat Airport, Surat (Gujarat) Email: harin.rajguru@spicejet.com Tiruchirappalli Airport Incharge: C.N. Kishore Address: Spicejet Ltd.,Tiruchirapalli Airport, Tiruchirappalli, (Tamil Nadu) Email: c.n.kishore@spicejet.com Tirupati Airport Incharge: N Nagaraju Address: Spicejet Ltd., Civil Aerodrome, Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) Email: n.nagaraju@spicejet.com Thiruvananthapuram Airport Incharge: A.C.Ratheesh Address: Spicejet Ltd., Trivandrum International Airport, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) Email: ratheesh.ac@spicejet.com Tuticorin Airport Incharge: Narasimhan S.R Address: Spicejet Ltd., Civil Aerodrome, Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) Email: narasimhan.r@spicejet.com Udaipur Airport Incharge: R. Shyam Sharma Address: Spicejet Ltd.,Maharana Pratap Airport Dabok, Udaipur (Rajasthan) Email: shyam.sharma@spicejet.com Varanasi Airport Manager: Rajesh k. Singh Address: Spicejet Ltd., L.B.S. Airport, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) Email: rajesh.s@spicejet.com Vijayawada Airport Incharge: Srikanth Yalla Address: Spicejet Ltd., Vijayawada Airport, Gannavaram (Andhra Pradesh) Email: yalla.srikanth@spicejet.com Visakhapatnam Airport Manager: Digvijay Wala Address: Spicejet Ltd.,Visakhapatnam Airport, Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) Email: digvijay.wala@spicejet.com

Spice schedule Destination

Agartala Bengaluru (Via-CCU-HYD) Bengaluru (Via-CCU-BOM) Guwahati Hyderabad (Via-CCU) Kolkata Kolkata Mumbai (Via-CCU) Ahmedabad Bengaluru Bengaluru (Via-BOM) Bengaluru (Via-PNQ) Chennai Chennai (Via-HYD) Chennai (Via-HYD) Chennai (Via-BOM) Coimbatore (Via-MAA) Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Goa Guwahati (Via-BOM-BLR-CCU) Hyderabad Hyderabad Jaipur Kolkata Kolkata (Via-BOM-BLR) Kolkata (Via-DEL) Mumbai Mumbai Port Blair (Via - DEL-CCU) Port Blair (Via-HYD, MAA) Port Blair (Via-HYD, MAA) Pune Pune (Via-JAI) Allahabad Delhi Delhi AMRITSAR Delhi Delhi Delhi Mumbai Srinagar Aurangabad Delhi Delhi Bagdogra Chennai (Via-CCU)

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-872 SG-874 SG-873 SG-872 SG-872 SG-874 SG-874

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

1505 1610 1325 1505 1505 1610 1610

2035 2300 1415 1855 1605 1710 2030

SG-285 SG-528 SG-345 SG-281 SG-917 SG-913 SG-206 SG-281 SG-104 SG-106 SG-106 SG-178 SG-137 SG-528 SG-917 SG-913 SG-912 SG-331 SG-528 SG-104 SG-528 SG-206 SG-104 SG-917 SG-917 SG-345 SG-912

1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 7 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 2,6 Daily 1,2,3,4,5

0945 0555 2120 0550 0610 1855 1905 0550 0605 0955 1005 2200 1505 0555 0610 1855 1055 0730 0555 0605 0555 1905 0605 0610 0610 2120 1055

1155 0935 0040 0815 0955 2215 2315 1000 0725 1125 1210 2330 1655 1435 0800 2035 1205 0955 1245 1030 0705 2025 1250 1235 1350 2250 1420

SG-2358 SG-2358

1,2,3,4,5,6 7

0935 1220

1125 1405

SG-2514 SG-2114 SG-2354 SG-443 SG-442

Daily Daily Daily 1,3,5,6 1,3,5

0825 1605 2050 1615 1310

0945 1725 2210 1850 1410

SG-162 SG-142

Daily 2,4,6

0810 1550

1010 1800

SG-324

Daily

1405

1835

Destination

Coimbatore (Via-CCU, MAA) Delhi Delhi (Via-GAU) Guwahati Kolkata Bengaluru Agartala (Via-BOM-CCU) Agartala (Via-HYD-CCU) Ahmedabad Ahmedabad (Via-PNQ) Ahmedabad (Via-BOM) Belgaum Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi (Via - BOM-STV) Goa Guwahati (Via-BOM-CCU-IXA) Guwahati (Via-CCU) Hubli Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Jaipur Kochi Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata (Via-BOM) Kolkata (via HYD) Kolkata (Via-HYD) Kozhikode Mangalore Mangalore Mangalore (Via-BOM) Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai

flight no.

freq

November 2013 222 www.spiceroutemag.com

arrival

SG-324 SG-885 SG-881 SG-881 SG-324

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

1405 1040 1620 1620 1405

2015 1305 2040 1720 1525

SG-873 SG-871 SG-286 SG-342 SG-529 SG-3301 SG-2902 SG-3006 SG-3302 SG-3416 SG-3002 SG-502 SG-224 SG-224 SG-186 SG-229 SG-216 SG-152 SG -875 SG-873 SG-528 SG-1084 SG-901 SG-871 SG-1124 SG-1028 SG-1074 SG-1109 SG-1098 SG-1088 SG-101 SG-246 SG-528 SG-524 SG-873 SG-901 SG-871 SG-1073 SG-3231 SG-3231 SG-344 SG-873 SG-344 SG-152

Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily 6 1,2,3,4,5,7 1,3,4,5,6,7 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily 246 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 2 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7

0610 0925 1235 0555 1940 0805 0750 0920 1150 1800 2135 0635 0845 0850 1510 1600 2105 1520 1155 0610 1005 1935 0630 0925 1120 1430 1520 1855 2210 2240 0725 1140 1005 1910 0610 0630 0925 1230 1035 1400 1015 0610 1015 1520

1255 1435 1435 0915 2300 0925 0835 1030 1245 1900 2235 0925 1130 1130 1755 1840 2350 2115 1310 1415 1435 2050 0740 1035 1235 1550 1640 2015 2310 2340 1010 1245 1245 2135 1125 1020 1305 1330 1130 1455 1405 0740 1155 1705

SpiceJet now offers over 150 connections on its existing network For details log on to www.spicejet.com

dep

Destination

Mumbai Pondichery Pune Pune Pune Srinagar (Via-DEL) Srinagar (Via-DEL) Surat(Via - BOM) Tuticorin (Via-MAA) Vijayawada Vizag BelgAum Bengaluru Chennai (VIA - BLR) Tuticorin (Via-BLR, MAA) Bhopal Delhi Delhi Hyderabad Hyderabad (Via-IDR) Indore Chandigarh Delhi Delhi Mumbai Srinagar Chennai Ahmedabad Ahmedabad (Via-BOM) Ahmedabad (Via-BOM) Ahmedabad (Via-HYD) Ahmedabad (Via-HYD) Bagdogra (Via-CCU) Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Belgaum (Via-BLR) Coimbatore Coimbatore Coimbatore Coimbatore Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi (Via-BOM-AMD)

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-529 SG-3415 SG-342 SG-228 SG-228 SG-224 SG-224 SG-152 SG-3302 SG-3303 SG-245

Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily 1346 257 6 1,2,3,4,5,7 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily

1940 1340 0555 2125 2200 0845 0850 1520 1150 1035 0745

2130 1440 0725 2230 2325 1330 1350 1840 1445 1150 0915

SG-3302 SG-3302 SG-3302

Daily Daily Daily

0955 0955 0955

1105 1245 1445

SG-2227 SG-222,6 SG-1053 SG-1063 SG-1063

246 246 1,3,57 246 246

0825 1955 2050 1940 1940

1015 2150 2230 2230 2030

SG-2112 SG-2116 SG-532 SG-531

Daily Daily 2,4,7 2,4,7

0835 1920 1615 1310

0940 2025 1850 1410

SG-282 SG-106 SG-106 SG-912 SG-916 SG-323 SG-3301 SG-3013 SG-2903 SG-3415 SG-1084 SG-3148 SG-3158 SG-3301 SG-3012 SG-281 SG-463 SG-324 SG-312 SG-182 SG-304 SG-306 SG-308 SG-325 SG-106

Daily 7 1,2,3,4,5,6 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 7

1225 0525 0530 0710 1955 1010 0620 0750 0955 1210 1805 2015 2050 0620 0610 0845 1350 1915 0635 0805 1150 1655 1900 2020 0525

1450 0925 0935 1025 2330 1335 0715 0850 1050 1310 1905 2115 2145 0925 0720 1000 1500 2015 0925 1055 1440 1940 2150 2305 1125

Destination

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

Delhi (Via-BOM-AMD) Delhi (Via-PNQ) Goa Guwahati (Via-CCU) Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Jaipur (Via-HYD) Jaipur (Via-HYD-AMD) Kochi Kochi Kochi Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata Kozhikode Madurai Madurai Madurai Madurai Mumbai Mumbai

SG-106 SG-208 SG-454 SG-321 SG-912 SG-3015 SG-1004 SG-916 SG-1012 SG-912 SG-912 SG-32,63 SG-3241 SG-3243 SG-321 SG-323 SG-464 SG-188 SG-3251 SG-291 SG-305 SG-303 SG-311 SG-106 SG-106

1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 7 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily 7 1,2,3,4,5,6

0530 0515 1555 0520 0710 1100 1745 1955 2135 0710 0710 0600 1050 1930 0520 1010 1735 2150 1320 0835 1330 1710 2110 0525 0530

1210 0930 1720 0925 0815 1210 1905 2105 2250 1045 1205 0725 1210 2055 0745 1205 2000 2355 1505 0950 1440 1810 2210 0730 0730

Mumbai

SG-273

Daily

0830

1035

Mumbai

SG-307

1,3,4,5,7

1325

1515

Mumbai Mysore Pondichery (VIA - BLR) Port Blair Port Blair Pune Pune (Via-HYD-AMD-JAI) Pune (Via-HYD-JAI) Tiruchirapalli Thiruvananthapuram Tuticorin Tuticorin Vizag Coimbatore Ahmedabad (Via-MAA) Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Delhi (Via-HYD) Delhi (Via-BOM) Guwahati(Via-HYD-DEL) Hyderabad Hyderabad Kolkata (Via-MAA)

SG-296 SG-32,61 SG-3415 SG-917 SG-917 SG-208 SG-912 SG-912 SG-3165 SG-3307 SG-3597 SG-3302 SG-3277

Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 1,3,4,5,7 2,6 Daily 12,3,45 7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

2010 0925 1210 1025 11,3,5 0515 0710 0710 1035 1835 0715 1320 1705

2155 1020 1440 1235 1350 0650 1420 1420 1140 2000 0835 1445 1855

SG-282 SG-3022 SG-282 SG-464 SG-284 SG-234 SG-110 SG-234 SG-234 SG-1022 SG-464

Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily 2,3,4 Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7

1050 0740 1050 1530 2045 1020 1515 1020 1020 1820 1530

1450 0850 1155 1630 2140 1430 1955 1730 1140 2000 2000

223

Spice schedule Destination

Mumbai Pune (Via- HYD) dehradun Delhi Delhi delhi Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Allahabad Allahabad Amritsar Amritsar Amritsar Aurangabad Aurangabad Bagdogra Bagdogra (Via-GAU) Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru (Via - STV-BOM) Bhopal Bhopal Chandigarh Chandigarh Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai (Via-AMD-BOM) Coimbatore (Via-HYD) Coimbatore (VIA BOM) Dehradun Dehradun Dharamshala Goa Goa Goa Goa Guwahati Guwahati Guwahati (Via-IXB) Hubli (Via- JLR-BOM) Hyderabad Hyderabad

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-110 SG-1022

2,3,4 Daily

1515 1820

1655 2330

SG-2413 SG-2325

Daily Daily

1130 1625

1240 1730

SG-171 SG-206 SG-883 SG-2356 SG-2356 SG-2410 SG-2113 SG-2352 SG-161 SG-141 SG-881 SG-885 SG-501 SG-223 SG-185 SG-209 SG-509 SG-151 SG-2327 SG-2326 SG-2111 SG-2115 SG-301 SG-305 SG-303 SG-315 SG-184 SG-309 SG-206 SG-211 SG-109 SG-2328 SG-2223 SG-2382 SG-2,61 SG-253 SG-257 SG-255 SG-885 SG-234 SG-881 SG-2441 SG-211 SG-231

Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,6 7 Daily Daily Daily Daily 2,4,6 Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 246 246 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2,3,4 Daily Daily Daily 6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

0525 1705 1850 0810 1040 0640 1415 1900 0545 1330 1345 0555 0605 1050 1145 1610 2030 0600 0610 1710 0710 1755 0635 1005 1350 1645 1830 1915 1705 0540 1010 1010 1505 1100 0835 1020 1250 1455 0555 1510 1345 0735 0540 0730

0700 1835 2020 0915 1200 0805 1545 2030 0740 1520 1550 1010 0855 1330 1430 1855 2315 1125 0805 1900 0815 1900 0915 1245 1640 1935 2120 2150 2315 0950 1430 1110 1605 1225 1105 1300 1525 1720 0820 1730 1720 1410 0755 0950

For bookings, visit our website at www.spicejet.com

Destination

Hyderabad Hyderabad Hyderabad Indore Indore Jabalpur Jaipur Jaipur Jammu Jammu Khajuraho (VIA-VNS) Kochi (Via-BOM) Kochi (Via-HYD) Kochi (Via-PNQ) Kochi (Via-BOM) Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata Lucknow Lucknow Madurai (Via-MAA) Madurai (Via-MAA) Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai (Via-STV) Mumbai (Via-JAI) Mumbai (Via-JLR) Mumbai (Via-AMD) Port Blair (VIA-CCU) Pune Pune Srinagar Srinagar Srinagar Srinagar Srinagar (Via-IXJ) Surat Tirupati (Via-HYD) Thiruvananthapuram (Via-BOM) Udaipur Udaipur Udaipur Varanasi Varanasi Varanasi

flight no.

SG-233 SG-221 SG-239 SG-2327 SG-2326 SG-2441 SG-133 SG-135 SG-851 SG-857 SG-2394 SG-131 SG-231 SG-217 SG-103 SG-104 SG-606 SG-607 SG-517 SG-417 SG-305 SG-303 SG-131 SG-411 SG-109 SG-103 SG-852 SG-119 SG-458 SG-151 SG-133 SG-2441 SG-206 SG-104 SG-217 SG-219 SG-853 SG-868 SG-224 SG-224 SG-851 SG-151 SG-233 SG-109 SG-2437 SG-2437 SG-2446 SG-116 SG-2394 SG-114

freq

Daily Daily Daily 1,3,57 1,3,57 Daily Daily 246 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 357 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily 6 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily 1,5,6,7 7 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily

dep

1345 1520 2030 0610 1710 0735 0715 1845 0845 1410 1145 0535 0730 0840 1120 0810 1555 1850 1045 1945 1005 1350 0535 0740 1010 1120 1555 1720 1855 0600 0715 0735 1705 0810 0840 1925 0730 1050 1200 1220 0845 0600 1345 1010 0810 1040 1810 0855 1145 1325

Note: Schedule subject to change and regulatory authority approvals.

1- Mon, 2-Tue, 3-Wed, 4-Thu, 5-Fri, 6-Sat, 7-Sun. November 2013 224 www.spiceroutemag.com

arrival

1555 1730 2240 0805 1900 0945 0805 1950 1010 1525 1435 1100 1220 1310 1600 1030 1810 2055 1155 2105 1440 1810 0740 0930 1215 1315 1805 1935 2100 0920 1015 1210 2025 1250 1045 2140 0850 1205 1330 1350 1120 0755 1725 1425 0925 1210 1940 1010 1320 1435

Spice schedule Destination

Varanasi Vizag (Via-HYD) Dharamshala Delhi GOA Ahmedabad Bengaluru Chennai Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Hyderabad Hyderabad Kolkata (Via-BOM) Mumbai Mumbai Guwahati Agartala Ahmedabad (Via-CCU-BLR-BOM) Bagdogra Bengaluru (Via-IXA-CCU-BOM) Bengaluru (Via-CCU) Chennai (Via-CCU) Delhi Delhi Delhi (Via-IXB) Jaipur (Via-CCU) Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata (Via-IXA) Mumbai (Via-IXA-CCU) Mumbai (Via-CCU-BLR) Hubli Bengaluru Delhi (Via-BOM-JLR) Hyderabad (Via-BLR) Jabalpur (Via-BOM) Mumbai Hyderabad Agartala (Via-CCU) Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bhopal Bhopal (Via-IDR) Chennai

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-127 SG-221

1246 Daily

1920 1520

2045 1915

SG-2384

Daily

1245

1430

SG-138 SG-876 SG-455 SG-262 SG-254 SG-258 SG-256 SG-1104 SG-1072 SG-804 SG-247 SG-804

Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 1,3,4,5,7 6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

1725 1340 1750 11,3,5 1330 1555 1750 0745 1415 1650 1330 1650

1905 1450 1915 1410 1555 1825 2015 0915 1545 2130 1440 1800

SG-874 SG-529 SG-885 SG-874 SG-529 SG-322 SG-881 SG-894 SG-885 SG-525 SG-525 SG-529 SG-322 SG-874 SG-874 SG-529

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

1445 1505 0905 1445 1505 1845 1750 1800 0905 0955 0955 1505 1845 1445 1445 1505

1540 2300 1010 2300 1910 2250 2040 2040 1305 1345 1105 1615 1955 1710 2030 2130

SG-1088 SG-2452 SG-1088 SG-2452 SG-2452

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

2110 1430 2110 1430 1430

2210 2035 2340 1815 1550

SG-871 SG-912 SG-916 SG-1031 SG-1073 SG-1027 SG-1108 SG-872 SG-902 SG-1063 SG-1053 SG-1262

Daily 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily 2,4,6 1,3,5,7 Daily

1105 0845 2135 0605 1040 1240 1700 1930 2255 1720 1720 0600

1435 1025 2330 0725 1200 1400 1820 2035 0010 1920 2030 0720

Destination

Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Coimbatore Coimbatore Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Goa Goa Guwahati(Via-DEL) Indore Indore (Via-BHO) Jaipur Jaipur (Via-AMD) Kochi Kochi Kolkata Kolkata Kozhikode (Via-BLR) Madurai Madurai Mangalore Mumbai Port Blair (Via-MAA) Port Blair (Via-MAA) Pune Pune (Via-AMD-JAI) Pune (Via-JAI) Rajahmundry Tirupathi Tirupati Varanasi (Via-DEL) Vijayawada Vizag Vizag Indore Bhopal Delhi Delhi Hyderabad Hyderabad (Via-BHO) JABALPUR Delhi Hubli (Via- BOM) Mumbai Jaipur Ahmedabad Bengaluru

November 2013 226 www.spiceroutemag.com

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-917 SG-1275 SG-1003 SG-1258 SG-913 SG-211 SG-1048 SG-116 SG-226 SG-234 SG-108 SG-236 SG-1103 SG-1071 SG-234 SG-1053 SG-1063 SG-912 SG-912 SG-231 SG-1051 SG-901 SG-871 SG-1073 SG-3313 SG-3313 SG-1023 SG-402 SG-917 SG-917 SG-1022 SG-912 SG-912 SG-1061 SG-1041 SG-233 SG-116 SG-1001 SG-401 SG-221

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,57 246 7 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 3 124567 Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 2,6 Daily 12,3,45 7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

0830 1305 1605 1910 2110 0825 1620 0605 1030 1210 1435 1925 0555 1225 1210 1720 1720 0845 0845 1020 1930 0810 1105 1040 0900 0950 0710 2130 0830 0830 2220 0845 0845 0935 0720 1625 0605 0705 0715 1800

0955 1425 1720 2030 2215 0950 1800 0820 1250 1430 1715 2140 0725 1355 1730 1920 2030 1045 1205 1220 2115 1020 1305 1330 1100 1150 0850 2315 1235 1350 2330 1420 1420 1040 0835 1725 1010 0800 0820 1915

SG-1053 SG-2227 SG-222,6 SG-1063 SG-1053

1,3,57 1,3,57 1,3,57 246 1,3,57

1940 0825 1955 2050 1940

2030 1015 2150 2230 2230

SG-2452 SG-2441 SG-2441

Daily Daily Daily

1835 1005 1005

2035 1410 1210

SG-913 SG-102

Daily 246

1710 2020

1825 2245

Spice schedule Destination

Chennai (Via-AMD- HYD) Delhi Delhi Guwahati (Via-CCU) Hyderabad (Via-AMD) Kolkata Mumbai Pune Jammu Delhi Delhi Mumbai (Via-DEL) Srinagar Kochi Bengaluru Chennai Chennai Chennai Delhi (Via-BOM) Delhi (Via-HYD) Delhi (Via-PNQ) Delhi (Via- BOM) Hyderabad Hyderabad Mumbai Mumbai Pune Vizag (Via-BLR) Khajuraho Delhi (Via-VNS) Varanasi Kolkata Agartala Agartala Ahmedabad Ahmedabad (Via-DEL) Ahmedabad (Via-BLR-BOM) Bagdogra Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru (Via-HYD) Bengaluru (Via-BOM) Bengaluru (Via-HYD) Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Coimbatore (Via-MAA) Coimbatore (Via-MAA) Delhi Delhi Delhi

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-913 SG-134 SG-218 SG-52,6 SG-913 SG-52,6 SG-133 SG-912

Daily 2,4,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7

1710 1050 2210 1415 1710 1415 0835 1235

2215 1200 2305 1815 2035 1625 1015 1420

SG-852 SG-858 SG-852 SG-851

Daily Daily Daily Daily

1315 1600 1315 1040

1455 1720 1805 1120

SG-245 SG-32,64 SG-3242 SG-3244 SG-112 SG-108 SG-214 SG-118 SG-108 SG-1052 SG-112 SG-118 SG-214 SG-245

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily

0615 0745 1800 2115 1130 1250 1340 1835 1250 2135 1130 1835 1340 0615

0715 0905 1925 2240 1625 1715 1815 2310 1405 2325 1340 2040 1530 0915

SG-2395 SG-2395

Daily Daily

1455 1455

1750 1550

SG-873 SG-871 SG-332 SG-883 SG-529 SG-323 SG-523 SG-529 SG-872 SG-874 SG-902 SG-181 SG-463 SG-324 SG-322 SG-463 SG-324 SG-608 SG-605 SG-883

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily

1200 1335 1840 1555 1645 1235 0715 1645 1640 1740 2035 0525 1050 1605 2030 1050 1605 0730 1030 1555

1255 1435 2120 2020 2300 1335 0945 1910 2035 2300 0010 0730 1305 1835 2250 1500 2015 1005 1255 1810

Destination

Goa (Via-BOM) Guwahati Guwahati Guwahati Guwahati (Via-IXA) Hyderabad Hyderabad Jaipur Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai (Via-BLR) Port Blair Kozhikode Bengaluru Chennai Hyderabad (Via - BLR) Lucknow Delhi Delhi Delhi Madurai Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai Delhi (Via-MAA) Delhi (Via-MAA) Hyderabad Hyderabad Mumbai ( Via-MAA) Mangalore Bengaluru Bengaluru (Via-BOM) Hyderabad Hyderabad Mumbai Mumbai Agartala (Via-CCU) Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Amritsar Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Chandigarh Chennai Chennai Chennai Chennai

November 2013 228 www.spiceroutemag.com

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-803 SG-321 SG-528 SG-52,6 SG-873 SG-872 SG-902 SG-525 SG-803 SG-874 SG-529 SG-104

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

0830 0815 1325 1700 1200 1640 2035 11,3,5 0830 1740 1645 1100

1300 0925 1435 1815 1415 1855 2225 1345 1120 2030 2130 1250

SG-1074 SG-3252 SG-1074

1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7

1350 1525 1350

1455 1355 1650

SG-418 SG-518 SG-419

146 Daily Daily

0825 1225 2150

0930 1335 2300

SG-304 SG-307 SG-306 SG-307 SG-296 SG-304 SG-306 SG-3317 SG-3317 SG-296

Daily 1,3,4,5,7 1,3,4,5,7 2,6 Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 3 124567 Daily

1020 1130 1510 1700 1840 1020 1510 1600 1645 1840

1120 1225 1615 1810 1940 1440 1940 1800 1845 2155

SG-3232 SG-341 SG-1024 SG-1024 SG-341

Daily Daily 2 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily

0910 1435 1200 1515 1435

1005 1830 1335 1650 1610

SG-873 SG-106 SG-106 SG-529 SG-442 SG-528 SG-151 SG-341 SG-874 SG-531 SG-291 SG-274 SG-276 SG-206

Daily 7 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily 1,3,56 Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily 2,4,7 Daily Daily 1,3,4,5,7 Daily

0835 0810 0810 2200 1000 0735 0950 1645 2120 1000 0605 1110 1545 2110

1255 0925 0935 2300 1230 0935 1125 1830 2300 1235 0755 1250 1745 2315

Spice schedule Destination

Coimbatore Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi (Via-AMD) Delhi (Via-AMD) Delhi (Via-JLR) Delhi (Via-STV) Delhi (Via-LKO) Delhi (Via-JAI) Goa Goa Guwahati (Via-BLR-CCU) Guwahati (Via-CCU-IXA) Hubli Hyderabad Jabalpur Jaipur Jammu (Via-DEL) Kochi Kochi Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata (Via-BLR) Lucknow Madurai (Via-MAA) Mangalore Srinagar (Via-DEL-IXJ) Srinagar (Via-ATQ) Srinagar (Via-IXC) Surat Thiruvananthapuram Varanasi (Via-DEL) Vizag (Via-HYD) Mysore Chennai Pondicherry Bengaluru Chennai (Via-BLR) Port Blair Chennai Chennai Delhi (Via-CCU) Kolkata Pune Ahmedabad Ahmedabad (Via-JAI) Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-109 SG-851 SG-114 SG-112 SG-136 SG-118 SG-110 SG-106 SG-106 SG-2452 SG-152 SG-419 SG-218 SG-803 SG-248 SG-528 SG-873 SG-2441 SG-401 SG-2452 SG-218 SG-851 SG-131 SG-103 SG-873 SG-804 SG-528 SG-419 SG-291 SG-344 SG-851 SG-442 SG-531 SG-152 SG-109 SG-114 SG-401

2,3,4 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 7 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,3,5 2,4,7 Daily 1,5,6,7 Daily Daily

1250 0555 1045 1415 2010 2110 1745 0810 0810 1620 1740 1925 1955 1205 1520 0735 0835 1240 0520 1620 1955 0555 0850 1350 0835 1850 0735 1925 0605 1235 0550 1000 1000 1740 1250 1045 0520

1430 0810 1245 1625 2220 2310 1955 1125 1210 2035 2115 2300 2305 1300 1620 1435 1415 1410 0640 1815 2140 1010 1100 1600 1125 2130 1245 2120 0950 1405 1120 1410 1410 1840 1425 1435 0820

SG-32,62

Daily

1040

1135

SG-3416 SG-3416

1,3,4,5,6,7 1,3,4,5,6,7

1530 1530

1625 1900

SG-272 SG-272 SG-883 SG-883

1,3,4,5,7 2,6 Daily Daily

1305 1420 1320 1320

1525 1640 1810 1515

SG-342 SG-913 SG-227 SG-227 SG-345

Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 1,2,3,4,5,7 6 Daily

0755 1450 0645 0645 2320

0915 1825 0820 0815 0040

Destination

Chennai Chennai Chennai (Via-JAI-AMD-HYD) Kochi Delhi Delhi Hyderabad Hyderabad (Via-JAI-AMD) Jaipur Rajahmundry Hyderabad Srinagar Amritsar Bengaluru (Via-DEL) Bengaluru (Via-DEL) Chandigarh Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi (Via-IXJ) Jammu Mumbai (Via-IXJ-DEL) Mumbai (Via-ATQ) Mumbai (Via-IXC) Surat Bengaluru (Via-BOM) Delhi Mumbai Tirupathi Hyderabad Delhi (Via-HYD) Hyderabad Tiruchirapalli Chennai Thiruvananthapuram Chennai Delhi (Via-BOM) Mumbai Tuticorin Bengaluru (Via-MAA) Chennai Chennai Hubli (Via-MAA-BLR) Udaipur Delhi Delhi Delhi Varanasi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi

November 2013 230 www.spiceroutemag.com

flight no.

freq

dep

arrival

SG-359 SG-359 SG-913 SG-217 SG-208 SG-214 SG-1025 SG-913 SG-913

257 1346 1,2,3,4,5,7 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 1,2,3,4,5,7

2230 2300 1450 1115 0720 1600 2350 1450 1450

SG-1062

Daily

1100

1155

SG-443 SG-209 SG-209 SG-532 SG-854 SG-869 SG-209 SG-209 SG-852 SG-852 SG-852 SG-443 SG-532

1,3,5 6 1,2,3,4,5,7 2,4,7 Daily Daily 6 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily 1,3,5 2,4,7

1445 1400 1420 1445 0920 1235 1400 1420 1155 1155 1155 1445 1445

1545 1855 1855 1545 1050 1405 1525 1535 1455 1245 1805 1850 1850

SG-151 SG-152 SG-151

1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily Daily

0825 1920 0825

1125 2115 0920

SG-1042 SG-236 SG-236

Daily Daily Daily

0855 1755 1755

1010 2140 1855

SG-3166

Daily

1200

1255

SG-3308 SG-110 SG-110

Daily 1,5,6,7 1,5,6,7

2020 1455 1455

2150 1955 1655

SG-1084 SG-3598 SG-1084 SG-1084

Daily Daily Daily Daily

1525 0855 1525 1525

1905 1020 1645 2050

SG-2436 SG-2436 SG-2447

7 1,2,3,4,5,6 Daily

0950 1235 2000

1125 1405 2130

SG-128 SG-233 SG-119 SG-2395

2357 Daily Daily Daily

0815 1055 1505 1610

0950 1230 1640 1750

0010(+1) 0040(+1)

2215 1310 0930

1815 0110(+1)

2035 1640

Spice schedule Destination

Hyderabad (Via-DEL) Khajuraho Mumbai (Via-DEL) Tirupati (Via-DEL-HYD) Vijayawada Bengaluru Hyderabad Vizag Bengaluru Chennai Kochi (Via-BLR) Delhi (Via-HYD) Hyderabad Hyderabad Mumbai (Via-HYD)

flight no.

freq

dep

SG-233 SG-2394 SG-119 SG-233

Daily Daily Daily Daily

1055 1340 1505 1055

1555 1435 1935 1725

SG-3304 SG-1002

1,3,4,5,6,7 Daily

1210 0820

1330 0910

SG-246 SG-3278 SG-246 SG-226 SG-226 SG-402 SG-402

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

0945 1915 0945 0900 0900 1945 1945

1110 2100 1245 1250 1000 2100 2315

INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE Destination

Ahmedabad Dubai Muscat Bengaluru Bangkok Bangkok Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Pune Pune Chennai Colombo Colombo Chennai Madurai Madurai Delhi Dubai Guangzhou Kabul Kathmandu Kathmandu Kathmandu Riyadh

flight no.

freq

dep

INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE

arrival

arrival

SG-015 SG-061

Daily 1,4,5

1635 2130

1825 2300

SG-091 SG-091

1,3 5,7

0335 0335

0905 0915

SG-092 SG-092 SG-094 SG-094

1,3 5,7 1,3 5,7

2010 2030 1005 1015

2235 2235 1245 1245

SG-001

Daily

0100

0220

SG-002 SG-3316 SG-3316

Daily 3 1,2,4,5,6,7

0320 1350 1435

0450 1450 1535

SG-011 SG-081 SG-021 SG-041 SG-045 SG-041 SG-031

Daily 1,35,7 2,4,6 1,35,7 Daily 2,4,6 Daily

0855 1720 0900 0840 1550 1745 0220

1140 0035 (+1) 1020 1040 1750 1945 0515

Destination

DUBAI Ahmedabad Kochi Delhi Madurai Mumbai Guangzhou Delhi KABUL Delhi Kochi Dubai Male Kathmandu Delhi Delhi Delhi Lucknow Sharjah Madurai Colombo Colombo Dubai Male Kochi Mumbai Dubai Muscat Ahmedabad PUNE Bangkok Bangkok Sharjah Riyadh Delhi Sharjah Lucknow Pune Varanasi Varanasi Sharjah

flight no.

freq

arrival

SG-016 SG-018 SG-012 SG-024 SG-014

Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily

1925 2045 2330 0350 1250

2330 0225 (+1) 0420 (+1) 0945 1725

SG-082

12,4,6

0155

0545

SG-022

2,4,6

1120

1420

SG-017 SG-3901

Daily Daily

1710 1255

1950 1410

SG-042 SG-046 SG-042

1,35,7 Daily 2,4,6

1140 1850 2045

1315 2025 2225

SG-055

35,7

2200

0100 (+1)

SG-3314 SG-3314 SG-023

3 1,2,4,5,6,7 Daily

1200 1245 2335

1300 1345 0220

SG-3902

Daily

1445

1715

SG-01,3

Daily

2015

2225

SG-062

256

0030

0420

SG-093 SG-093 SG-051

1,3 5,7 1,346

1340 1340 2230

1910 1930 0025 (+1)

SG-032

Daily

0615

1250

SG-056 SG-052 SG-054

146 245,7 235,7

0145 0125 0145

0635 0600 0705

SG-053

12,4,6

2155

0100 (+1)

* All Time In Local. (+1) - Next Day.

• SpiceJet flies to 46 domestic destinations covering the north, south, east and west of India. Whether you are flying for business, visiting friends or planning a holiday, SpiceJet is the smart way to travel. • SpiceJet now flies to 10 international destinations.

November 2013 232 www.spiceroutemag.com

dep