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The Hindu : Customise your holidayTaj Holidays’ newly-redesigned website lets you enjoy a customised experience that suits the nuances of each destination. The website has easy-to-use features that help you choose from a range of offers and experiences that suit the specific requirements of individuals, families, groups of friends and couples.The Taj Holidays Summer Offers are a mix of exotic destinations, charming beaches, revitalising spas and delectable cuisines. Thedestinations includeGoa, Kerala, Cochin, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi, Gwalior, Ooty, Madurai and Chennai and international destinations such as Sydney, London, the Maldives, Mauritius, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Langkawi. There is also an exclusive CD to be won. So, log ontowww.tajhotels.com/TajHolidays and select your dream holiday from April 15 – September 30.Features of the website include searching an planning for holidays by theme, destination and offers; checking rates and availability and making online reservations; a section for planning a holiday; evocative photo essays that bring alive the destinations, hotels and experiences; virtual tours and regular updates of special promotions and offers….More

The Hindu : With malls beginning to rule the city, serving as an all-in-one entertainment destination, here is one more added to the list, promising to offer fun, shopping and entertainment under one roof, one banner. Shoppers, spoilt for choice, increasingly want more than just a comfortable shopping experience. And this extends to not only in-house entertainment for adults but for youngsters as well.Thus, a hassle-free shopping experience now includes a place where children can be safely left to be entertained, with a convenient eating joint that offers varieties to cater to different palates while at the same time packing in a wide range of products for sale that covers not just clothes but also home furnishing and accessories.The recently-opened shopping arcade, Oasis Centre, from the Landmark Group, promises to offer just that, with its fun centre, food court, clothing and home products. The multi-level shopping mall also boasts of a super market.Its main attraction, Funcity, houses, besides the usual video games and gizmos, a play area for children in the age group of two to six years and car rides for slightly older children. The large food court, Polynation, houses quite a variety, ranging from South Indian, Chinese, and Tandoori to exclusive coffee parlours. Some well-known restaurants such as Fire Wok, Tandoor, Madras Curry House, Yellow Chillies, have their outlets there. The cosy décor makes Polynation appear more like a restaurant than a food court.While the food court and Funcity cater to the entertainment, the main shopping area is taken up Home store and Life Style. The entire mall is seamless, with the home section blending in smoothly with the clothes, shoes and other related accessories.While the Life Style and Home Store section display in-house products, a wide range of brands also find place. Top brands like Espirit, Tommy Hilfiger, Fcuk are housed separately under the clothing section. An independent shoe section caters to the exclusive footwear…More

The Hindu : Treat yourself this monsoon by taking a break from the bustling routine and head to the Goa Marriott Resort for the “Magical Monsoon package”. This three-night and four-day deal, valid till October 20 offers an airport shuttle and a welcome drink. Also on offer are a Jacuzzi and sauna.To give you a complete glimpse of Goa, the resort will arrange a three-hour tour which is included in the package. The visit will start from historical old Goa, the famous Mangueshi temple and will end with cashew-nut shopping.The package is also inclusive of all meals at the multi-cuisine Waterfront Terrace and Bar and their designer Ozone.For more details on the packages and reservations, call Goa Marriott Resort on (0832) 6656033 or log on to www.goamarriott resort.com…More

The Hindu : For all who thought that women would scream helplessly at a mouse (yeah even the electronic one), there is some interesting news. A recent study showed that women have begun using the internet more than men. Women love to catch up with friends right?Thanks to the huge success of social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook the ladies use this as a forum to keep in touch with old friends and establish new contacts. Shanthi M.R., a business woman says: “Thanks to Orkut, Facebook and e-Bay, even housewives are lured by the internet.”Ashalatha, a management student observes, “Female students use the internet more for research than for entertainment or networking. Nowadays, school and college projects are expected to be comprehensive, thus usingthe internet to achieve this end is nothing less than a necessity.”Journalism student Evelyn Rajeshekar says, “Although I don’t use the internet on a daily basis, whenever I do use it, I surf the net for a good four hours at a stretch.” She uses the internet for “research and to e-mail people.”Then there is IM or instant messenger. “Gtalk and Messenger have facilitated chatting. Chatting is quicker than an e-mail, it cuts across geographical boundaries and most importantly it is cheap,” Sumi Nagraj, a software engineer points out.Online gaming is yet another activity that has attracted many a young woman. All-girl online gaming programs and stations just prove that women are no longer technologically backward.More importantly, many women are of the opinion that the internet is a gender-neutral space where they can create their own identity. According to Shanthi, “A person can be who she chooses to be and can portray herself the ways she wants to be perceived by the people she is networking with. By far, only the internet has proven to be the best means of doing so.”Psychologist Kshama Srikanth says: “Women are making the most of the opportunities around…More

The Hindu : For actor-director Neeraj Kabi, acting is choreography of layers. The Mumbai-based theatre practitioner, who was in Bangalore at the Ranga Shankara summer workshop “Summer Express” for children, says: “Art is a creative response to certain memories.”Conducting workshops since ’96, he finds that his speech and voice sessions with children helps them open up their centre of memories, that inhibit their freedom, free their stubbornness and make them realise that they are their own cause of their inhibitions. “The process is a struggle and not result-oriented,” he maintains.“The emphasis on acting is physical as the body is a machine. One should not try and act, one should listen and respond.” He feels that theatre is all about aligning the body, mind, voice and breathing as the body should be kept out of the machine. It is all about balance of the system. He feels: “The actor should have no ego, fear or complex.” Then, on many levels, the importance of movement and physical expressions becomes Ayurveda, according to Neeraj.“Acting is not about announcing speech, not simply talking.” He continues: “Theatre is not about assigning roles and saying, ‘Okay, you be the old man and you the drunkard.’”For him, Shakespeare is universal. “You can do what you want with the script, play around, custom design for any city but it is difficult to do the same with Samuel Beckett.” Neeraj was intrigued by “Hamlet” and “Macbeth”. “There is so much said in a few lines.”And Neeraj has “Indianised” the works of Shakespeare using a collection of martial artists, dancers and actors with story-telling and paintings.“I don’t believe in training actors to become dancers, but rather fuse the art forms together.” But, he says that training in all art forms is a must to understand the difference. “It is important for children to respond to different mediums.” Neeraj has used Kalaripattayu, Bharatnatya, classical paintings, Yakshagana in his rendition…More

The Hindu : To CannesTV Catch the best of Cannes on World MoviesCannes Calling, brings you the best moments from Cannes in the last 10 years with red carpet events, gala parties and interviews with the stars and will air on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 10.30 p.m. till May 18 on World Movies.“The Late Show” will bring you a selection of the best movies showcased at the Cannes over the years. On May 9, “Rendezvous”, in French directed by Eric Gustavson; Italian “Identification of a woman” directed by Michelangelo Antonioni on May 10; English “Secrets and Lies” directed by Mike Leigh on May 11; Italian “A Special Day” directed by Ettore Scola on May 16; “Taxi Blues” in Russian, directed by Pavel Lungin on May 17; “400 Blows” in French directed by François Truffaut; “Identification of a woman” again directed by Michelangelo Antonioni on May 18; “Taste of Cherry” in Persian, directed by Abbas Kiarostami on May 24 and on May 25, “Ploy” in Thai, directed by Pen-ek Ratanaruang at 11 p.m.“Festival de Cannes” at 10.30 p.m. from May 19 to 30 will bring you a daily feed from the festival – comprising interviews with major stars and directors, extensive coverage of the red carpet events, access to the gala parties and more….More

The Hindu : It is easy and at the same time difficult to paint the most recognisable face of Karnataka, Raj Kumar. A few artists have, however, attempted to capture him on canvas.Raj Kumar refuses to go away from the memory of Kannadigas. In fact, with every passing year, the love for their Annavaru is only increasing. A group of painters are the latest to have been inspired by the stalwart. At Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat about 30 painters have tried to translate Raj Kumar from celluloid onto their canvases. These paintings are an outcome of painting camp organised immediately after Raj Kumar’s death on April 12, 2006 by the Ministry of Culture.If he is likened to be Lord Brahma in one canvas then in another he is sitting in a pushpak vimana going to heaven. If one painter has used collage to depict him, then another has used a digital print or oils. The artists may have employed varied media and different languages of abstraction but all the paintings try to depict him on the basis of how his fans view him.Ravi Kumar Kashi uses the silk screen method to paint six similar images of Rajkumar in different colours wearing a mysore peta. In the last image, one of his yoga mudras is painted over his image, emphasising the importance of yoga in the legendary actor’s life. Veteran artist V.T. Kale has painted Raj Kumar’s face with his most famous and beloved roles arranged around in the pattern of dasa avatars. J.S. Mani has shown him like Lord Brahma with three faces perched atop a mountain-shaped figure. Mani has consciously used images of Raj Kumar’s final journey for a sense of atmosphere. Mani says: “Lord Brahma is the creator of the universe and Raj Kumar is the creator of cinema in Karnataka. That is why I have drawn parallels between him and Lord Brahma.Around this mound containing pictures…More

The Hindu : Sound off!Do you have anything to say? About the state of the world, the city, your angst? Pen it stylishly and you might get it published.And dash off your piece with your photograph of 300 dpi resolution. (Please don’t send pictures taken with your mobile camera.)Email it tobangaloremetro@thehindu.co.in or post it to MetroPlus, The Hindu, 19 & 21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road (Infantry Road), Bangalore 1….More

The Hindu : A wild rhino chaseTrailing Kaziranga’s rhinos at the crack of dawn can be quite exhilaratingNow, this is what I call an experience. It is 4 a.m. and I am out in the wild, 2,000 km away from the safe confines of my home in Chennai.The darkness blinds, and it is damp and misty. The silence is mesmerising. There’s a slight rustle in the grass, and then, everything is still. In the mist, shadowy forms appear.I stifle a yawn and squint through the darkness, wondering if the shadows are of man or beast. The trees look hazy and the blurred outlines of the forms appear closer. It is comforting to know that I am not alone.We are a motley crowd of wildlife enthusiasts gathered from across the country, making polite conversation in the wee hours of the morning. We are in Kaziranga National Park waiting for the elephants to lug us through the tall grass.The silence is broken by a loud trumpet. A herd, including a couple of calves who totter beside their mothers, soon gathers. The stars look down on us as we wait for our turns to mount the elephant. The mahouts cajole the animals a bit and we are all set to encounter the one-horned rhinoceros.It is still dark as we merge with the mist. The expedition is almost surreal as we cut through the tall dry grass which dwarfs us. And then, there is a hush.A rhinoceros stares at the elephant and poses for the camera. I alternate between the video and the digital camera, when there is chaos.The rhino charges at the elephant, which, in turn, strikes back, almost throwing all of us down. Thankfully, the mahout holds on to the elephant. Another rustle later, the rhinoceros retreats into the grass.The expedition continues. There are more rhinoceros, some sleeping, some shying away from us. Our mahouts say these burly fellows are…More

The Hindu : In an attempt to recapture Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, a short 20-minute trailer was staged at Ranga Shankara, put up by participants ofNeeraj Kabi’s summer theatre workshop. Shakespeare’s “shortest tragedy” with a heavy historical background, takes the ground floor in complete darkness with dark sounds and sights in a midnight performance.In a torrent of deafening, catchy drum beats and shadows dancing in the dark, the colours red, black and white begin to loom large.Stark-white masks and young adolescents in black tights and tops and as puppets present a series of extended body movements and grimaces.It was visually and aurally stimulating, but failed to convey any link to the original play. It was an interesting experiment and production of the one-week workshop in using costumes, props and sounds. But to explore it as a full-fledged play, then it will be a difficult performance to comprehend. Neeraj did not help the curious audience either, when he threw their questions back at them only saying that this was meant to be a late-night performance.A.M….More