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The Hindu : Waiting for Santa?Hyundai’s sophisticated Santa Fe to arrive by year-endThe Santa Fe looks dimensionally bigger than the Tucson, which was Hyundai’s soft-roader challenger. Just like the Tucson the Santa Fe will come with a potent common rail diesel motor that will develop 148bhp ensuring that power is never an issue.Styling is sharp as well and the Santa Fe boasts a sophisticated look that should appeal to the urban youth. The cabin is made from high quality materials and everything is neatly laid out.Hyundai have used a combination of black, beige and faux wood on the dashboard of the Santa Fe and it looks quite nice. In fact the design could do justice to a car on a higher end SUV. Expect goodies like 6-CD changer, steering mounted controls and climate control to be part of the standard package.Hyundai could offer a 4-wheel drive as optional along with a seven-seater version with the last seats folding into the floor. Overall, The Santa Fe boasts competitive power, space, interior quality, and interior and exterior design at a reasonable price, things SUV buyers go for.It will arrive before the end of this year and expected to retail between Rs. 22 and Rs. 24 lakh….More

The Hindu : To marketOlive Beach celebrates the second anniversary of Flea by Nite tonight by transforming itself into a quaint shopping street reminiscent of an Arabian market, The Souk. This time there will be artistes and designers from across the country, which will be blended in with fashion, art, music and style to create a once of its kind unforgettable flea market experience. There will be clothes, bags, footwear, trinkets, jewellery, home accessories. Besides this you can treat yourself to Mediterranean delicacies along with music by DJ Abdul. Olive Beach is on at No 16, Wood Street, Ashok Nagar, Bangalore from 6 p.m. onwards. For details call 41128400….More

The Hindu : Virumandi has an interesting genetic history. Thanks to research by Prof. Pitchappan and his team from the Department of Immunology, Madurai Kamarajar University, it was discovered that Virumandi’s DNA has Gene M130, a marker associated with the early settlers of India. But the credit for bringing this sensational scientific finding out of the rarefied world of genetic research goes to Discovery Channel.While discussing the roots of the Indian nation, the first of Discovery’s six-episode programme, “The Story of India” (on air at 8 p.m. every Wednesday starting from April 16 and retelecast every following Sunday at 11 a.m.), gives details about the experiment that has turned Virumandi into a celebrity.Historian Michaeal Wood, through whose eyes the viewer gets to witness the wonders of India, is treated to a varied fare as he walks around the Ganges Plain, “the lost cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro” and other archaeological sites which have not ceased to throw surprises.His attempt to unearth Indian origins takes him out of the country — to Pakistan and Turkmenistan.Another episode discusses why India has been a melting pot of ideas. With great drama, the events that changed the lives of Siddhartha and Asoka are related. Wood visits the country’s holy sites and meets up with the Dalai Lama.The third episode traces the beginnings of international trade in the Indian subcontinent.It tells how the “Spice Route and Silk Roads” changed the landscape of Indian trade in the centuries immediately following the death of Christ. Wood gets to sit on traditional boats and Indian trains, as he retraces India’s ancient trading trails.Subsequent episodes are about medieval India’s achievements in astronomy, the evolution of wrought-iron technology, the making of the world’s first sex manual, the Kama Sutra, the rituals specific to the Chola temple (1010 A.D.) in Tanjore, a visit to Multan, a trail through the deserts and the Mughal cities.The programme culminates in an exploration…More

The Hindu : The e-world packs a punch. After revolutionising the entertainment segment on virtual space, the limelight now is on the booming job market. Next generation job portals, which combine technology and innovation, have arrived. And, they create virtualinterview rooms to bring the potential employer and employee together for a life-like interaction.The way you look, walk and how aggressive you are can now be expressed on video interviews. And, you can walk out with a dream offer too.“Be it job portals or consultants, they cater only to ‘search’ and ‘find’.We are adding value in the form of video interviews,” says Aadith D. Vikram, managing director ofwww.whereismyboss.com, launched recently in Mumbai. Any employer can register on the website for free, buy prepaid cards and contact the candidates through video interviews.Blurring boundaries“It enhances preliminary screening of candidates in a big way,” says V. R. Sasidar, director, Lyric Labs online translation agency ( www.lyriclabs.com). “This way you defeat the distance and gain access to a bigger pool of talent,” he adds.The two-month-old whereismyboss.com, developed by Tirupur-based PGC Infotech has 623 employers registered across 100 different segments and about 70,000 job seekers. The website also has e-walk-ins, wherein a schedule is fixed for virtual interviews.The key phrase is convergence of technologies, says Uday Zokarkar, chief business officer ofwww.clickjobs.com, which features more than 30,000 jobs and 2.5 million registered resumes.“A decade back, when the print classifieds were converted to the Internet platform, a lot of categories such as jobs, property, matrimony and automobile, flourished on the online space.Now, print, Internet and mobile are integrated together to meet the growing job requirements,” he adds.On clickjobs.com, jobs posted on the portal are also printed in business dailies with job codes. “All the job seeker needs to do is send an SMS with the code and his resume will be immediately routed to the employer from the website,” he adds.Recruitment through job portals becomes tiresome,…More

The Hindu : Neeru Kumar/Tulsi launches its Spring/Summer Collection, which is a celebration of colour and light in playful patterns and design in a classic, elegant, uncluttered style, with a modern twist. The collection uses different surface treatments – appliqué, layering, hand and machine embroidery – in innovative ways. The clean and clear silhouettes accentuate the beauty of the textures.A hint of shine and shimmer is evoked through embellishments with water beads or metallic embroidery.The collection welcomes the coming season in a multitude of colours, from the ever classic white and natural to the more muted beige, cool green, blue and yellow. The fabrics too are varied, all natural materials appropriate for the warmer weather – smooth linen, soft khadi, light voile, fine chanderi and crisp cambric. The line is available at No. 3 Mezz Floor, Embassy Classic Building., 14 Vittal Mallya Road….More

The Hindu : Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu were extra cautious of what they ate and went on rigorous workouts to look bikini friendly in “Dhoom 2.” Priyanka Chopra shed a few kilos with power yoga for “Don”. Now, it’s Kareena Kapoorwho’s taking the fitness and diet mantra to new levels for her bikini sequence in Yash Raj’s next film, Tashan. She’s worked against the ‘healthy’ genes of the Kapoor kaandhan and is flaunting her ‘size zero’ figure with a waistline of just 23 inches.Size zero, a phenomenon associated with ramp models in Europe, is suddenly creating a buzz in India thanks to Kareena. Size zero or not, there has always been pressure on models to look ultra slim for the ramp. Miss India contestants and models go on no-oil, low-fat diets a few weeks ahead of a fashion week or the pageant. From spending more time in the gym to increasing the intake of salads and juices, different models reach their fitness targets differently. There are also a few who turn to steroids and smoking to kill appetite and live on a total salad diet before featuring in a swimsuit round.“Indian women look best when they are curvy. Size zero doesn’t suit the Indian body type,” says model Kavya Bali who modelled for the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week last season. She adheres to regular workouts and a balanced diet. “I don’t skip meals. I also enjoy dancing, which keeps me fit. Models don’t need to do crash diets before the fashion week. A no-oil diet will do,” she says.Model-turned-actor Rahul Dev, who walked the ramp for the opening show of the Lakme Fashion Week for JJ Vallaya last week, concedes that models have to work harder to stay fit.“Each year designers decide the look they want to showcase and models have to work accordingly. Designers feel their clothes are showcased better on models who are tall and…More

The Hindu : Fiat selling the Bravo in India has more to do with image than sales. The Bravo’s mission (along with the Cinquecento) is to inform the Indian public that Fiat means more than just Palio and Padmini. It is to drive home the point that this Italian carmaker also makes some stunning cars. And stunning the Bravo certainly is.The wedge-like waistline which rises sharply toward the rear gives the five-door Bravo a seriously sporty and svelte look. The gorgeous-looking front and rear lights only add to its appeal. The Bravo’s design is clearly inspired by the Grande Punto and it looks like a scaled-up version of Fiat’s popular hatchback and that’s a good thing.When the Grande Punto goes on sale in India next January, any association with the premium Bravo will only help.But what’s it like to drive? I was quite skeptical about how well a direct import would work on Indian roads. The Bravo has no made-for-India suspension, no beefed-up air-con and the ground clearance hasn’t been increased either. What you get in Italy is what you get here; except, of course, for the right-hand-drive layout. The drive from Fiat’s plant in Ranjangaon back to Mumbai was enough to find out if the Bravo could hack it on Indian roads, and it did so with ease.The first big surprise is that despite its low-profile tyres on big wheels, the ride quality is amazingly supple and well-cushioned. The quiet suspension, which doesn’t crash through every pothole, adds to the pliant feel. At high speeds on the undulating and patchy Chakan Road, the suspension felt a touch soft and perhaps a stiffer set-up would have worked better. Sharp-edged potholes too can be felt but there’s just a muted thud from the wheel wells. The electric steering is fairly accurate but it lacks feel and doesn’t communicate too well. As a result you don’t feel completely in touch…More

The Hindu : Named for the stealthy manner in which you could sneak up on someone when you wore them, sneakers were initially manufactured to facilitate athletic performance. Gone are the days when one would spot only joggers sporting sneakers. Now the ultra coolGen X has adopted jeans and sneaker as practically uniform. With celebrities like Justin Timberlake sporting and increasing the style of quotient of the functional sports shoe, youngsters are happily following suit. Baldev Prathap, a collegian says, “They’re simple and stylish simultaneously, which is what I like best about sneakers.” Purvi Kapoor, a yoga instructor concurs saying: “It’s all about looking cool effortlessly!Sneakers are a part of the ultimate urban gear.”Sneakers find favour with both sexes. Shopkeepers around the city say that although men are more fascinated by the sneaker and form the bigger group of buyers, women are not lagging behind as most branded stores have given special attention to manufacturing sneakers according to their tastes.However, women like Monishaa Haldar, a call centre employee feel that “Women have too little to choose from. Even branded sneaker collections don’t provide enough variety. Consequently, you would find other women sporting sneakers that are similar to yours. This is one thing all women hate!” Ladies, you have nothing to fear as fashion guru Manish Arora and his Fish Fry brand of funky sneakers are her to rescue you from duplication nightmares.This brings us to According to Arun David, a customer care executive, “It is pointless to buy sneakers that are not branded. A good pair is expensive, but are worth every rupee spent.”While a good pair of sneakers could cost a minimum of around Rs. 2,000, money doesn’t seem to be a problem for many young shoppers. Baldev is of the opinion that “boys don’t mind splurging on shoes because buying a pair of sneakers is not an everyday affair. Also, nothing comes easy especially if one…More

The Hindu : When the busiest junction has no traffic signal, when you take the day off because your brother is visiting, when you pluck a betel leaf from the garden to have a paan, when your medicine shelf contains nothing more potent than Iodex and Vicks Vaporub, you know you’re living in a small town.Once in a way you need to travel out of the city and visit a town to put your life in perspective. It can give you a glimpse of the past and of the future at the same time. We were there once, we are here now, and they are trying to get to where we are now. Got it?It’s like India’s reluctance to reduce carbon emissions. We want a chance to “develop” like the rich nations, to produce more, buy more and waste more, and then we can start thinking of the planet (if it is still fit to live on). Similarly the B town struggles to grow into an A city, while C aims for B status, D yearns to be C, and the village hopes to be some kind of town some day. The marketing guys call this aspiration. They say it keeps the economy going, turns the wheels of progress, and all that jazz. Those wheels look like a juggernaut’s to me. Can’t stop them rolling. I could be wrong, but I think it won’t be long before we’re road-kill.Talking of roads, the highway that leads to the small town has to pass through sundry villages, and that’s when your A-city status is first brought home to you. Farmers stretch out tender coconuts in appetising bunches each adorned with a strip of coloured cloth. The price is what you, as a wealthy city dweller, are expected to willingly, happily, recompense. And so you do. While you drink coconut water through a straw (a city habit exported to rural areas)…More

The Hindu : Devdutt Pattanaik always chooses strange, incomplete stories in Hindu myths that are relevant today. The Bombay-based medical doctor says: “I’ve dealt with these myths matter-of-factly where most people would start giggling when they hear of ‘The Pregnant King’, Yuvanashva, a childless king.”Published by Penguin Books, ‘The Pregnant King’ is another book on the parallel road Pattanaik took ten years ago. “I was a medical student specialising in health care and I have always been interested in myths,” says Pattanaik who feels that these ‘alternative’ stories have always been simmering in the traditional underbelly of patriarchal, orthodox society.Tales retoldPattanaik who tells the story of Shilavati, a queen who cannot become a king because she is a woman, Somvat who surrenders his genitals to become a wife, Shikhandi who is brought up as a boy and Adinatha who is worshipped as a hermit by some people and enchantress by others says he “wanted to expose what this tradition is when people say that it is not in our tradition. I want to celebrate a viewpoint in my book and everyone is entitled to a viewpoint, whether or not you like it.”He finds that T. Vasudevan and Pratibara have all explored myths from different perspectives and in regional languages, while there has not been much on offer in English.But does that mean that people are more open to sexuality in regional languages rather than English? “I find that both sections are equally divorced.” Pattanaik finds it also depends on the packaging. “You need to be equipped and understand myths to be able to interpret or re-tell them seamlessly and effortlessly.”Pattanaik, who calls himself a fairly religious person, feels in these tumultuous times of religious intolerance, we have forgotten to listen to wisdom. “There is deep unhappiness in people and this stems from a lack of faith.”He declares that if one believes in God who signifies infinite compassion, then…More