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The Hindu : y>Once the seat of power and renowned for its riches, Warangal is a pale shadow of its former self

Photos: by authorCelebrating glory The Kirti Thoranas are the gateways of glory

The road curves and arches into a fortified stone wall, embellished with sculptures and yaalis carved in stone. An entire settlement lies behind these walls. We are in the old Warangal Fort, the capital of the Kakatiya Dynasty.

I walk towards the map, and read a bit of history. Earlier known as Orugallu or Orukal, referring to the single boulder or hillock on which the fort is located, it is also called Ekasilanagaram.

Queen’s reign

The information on the map says that the fort, built in the 12th Century by Kakatiya king Prola Raja and his son Rudra Deva, was ruled by Ganapathideva. The most important ruler of the Kakatiyas is not a king, but queen Rudramma Devi who held fort here in the next century.

Sculptures lie around and enclosing them are four massive stone pillars, one in each direction. The stone pillars, called Kirti Thoranas, are more than 30 feet high and are the “gateways of glory”. A couple of elephants, another nandi, yaalis, a few pillars, broken sculptures, a gaja kesari and even an old throne are enclosed by the kirti thoranas and open to the sky.

Famous Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra worshipped at a “Swayambhu” (self-incarnated) Shiva temple here. We sit near the throne and look around. A couple of dogs chase each other. The fort has three concentric fortifications, two walls and there is a trace of the third. Of the four gates, only those in the east and west are still in use.

With 45 towers and pillars spread over a radius of 19 km, there was also a moat surrounding the fort. Today, the fort is today in ruins. It was largely destroyed by Malik Kafur, as the dynasty…More

The Hindu : y>If you expect love life to be as colourful and instant as it’s in the films, you will be in for a disappointment, writes APARNA NARRAIN

IT’s a no easy route Romantic films could be promoting unrealistic expectations of love

Remember the first time you responded to a boy’s affections. You expected him to jump up with a huge grin on his face, whoop with excitement and lift you off your feet. Instead, all you got was a quiet smile and a “Shall we go for coffee?”

You tried convincing yourself that he was bursting with joy inside, though you did feeldisappointed. After all this was not how the hero reacted in a movie. When Tom Cruise was in love he made it obvious. So did Shah Rukh Khan.

So could the problem have been that you were expecting too much? According to a recent study, the answer is yes.

The study claims that watching romantic films could be ruining your relationships as it maybe promoting unrealistic expectations of love. Researchers at Heriot Watt University’s Family and Personal Relationships Laboratory in Edinburgh studied 40 romantic comedies released between1995 and 2005, including films such as “Maid in Manhattan” and “You’ve Got Mail”. They found that fans of such films often failed to communicate with their partners. Instead, they believed that if someone was meant to be with you they should know what you wanted without being told.

Dimple J., 27, says she agrees with the findings. “Whenever these movie-like expectations come up they do so unconsciously. I’ve expected guys to do things for me based on that but later I feel silly.”

She counts “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Shall We Dance” among her favourite films. “I really like Shah Rukh Khan’s character in the film as he’s very good with children. After watching the film I too wanted a partner who was with children.” However, Chandrika Hemant, 25,…More

The Hindu :

It’s a trip back to childhood,taking in the sights and sounds of this beachside treat

Photos: Sudha RajagopalSeaside bliss Ice-cream by the beach (left) and the Cramond Tower

“Why don’t you visit Cramond?” asks our sweet, snowy-haired landlady, a spry 70 who reminds us of Miss Marple.

A couple of days later, we are on a double-decker bus on our way to this quiet little village, located at the mouth of the River Almond where it flows into the sea. Cramond — now a suburb of Edinburgh — is said to be the “earliest known human settlement in Scotland.” It was an industrial centre in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Picturesque cottages and gardens with neat flower beds and riotous blooms line the route.

The bus sets us down a little away from an ancient church and we walk to it on a lovely autumn morning under trees aglow with the brilliant colours of the fall. Cramond Kirk, with its weathered granite walls, stands majestic and mellow. It dates back to the mid-17th Century though the chapel here was built centuries earlier.Rich history

The Kirk is located on the site of a Roman fort which was constructed in 142 AD. The fort “provided supplies to the Roman army”. Abandoned for some time, it saw use again during the time of Emperus Septimus Severus around 210 AD. A plaque commemorates the fact.

The elderly lady tending the garden carries on her work unfazed by the presence of strangers. There are elaborate tombstones and the grounds are quite extensive.

We wander off to come upon the renovation being undertaken of an old Roman wall and foundations. As we round a curve, we chance upon a solitary, bearded sculptor gazing in frowning concentration on a block. From a distance, the figures look like Snow White and the seven dwarfs. The sculptor obviously does not like this interruption and his…More

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For the soul

Nandini Sen, a model and therapist is offering an introduction to Soul Coaching. Its primary aim is to clear away mental and emotional debris, and align your inner spiritual life with your outer life.

Venue: Mother Tree

Date: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fee: Rs. 600

Contact:Contact@mothertree india.com /99018 51084

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The Hindu : y>

Sport on One of the American soccer matches beamed by ESPN, catch more action this time round

ESPN STAR Sports, a sports broadcaster will broadcast ‘FIFA world player gala 2008’, live from Zurich on January 13. A special repeat of the telecast will be broadcast at 9 p.m. The Razzmatazz will be attended by the glitterati from the football world.

The awards shall see the participation of five men and five women footballers. Taking pride of place on the red carpet will be the nominees. In the men’s category are: Kaká (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Fernando Torres (Spain), and Xavi (Spain). In the women’s category: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Cristiane (Brazil), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany) and Kelly Smith (England) will contest for the awards.

The nominees were confirmed after a poll in which the coaches and captains of teams across the world cast their votes. The customary FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will be presented. Catch the gala only on ESPN at 12.30 a.m.

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Sale

The Collective is offering its Autumn Winter 08 collection with a 50 per cent discount on designer labels like Adidas originals, Adriano, Hugo Boss and Van Heusen to name a few.

Venue: 40, Vittal Mallya Road

Date: On from January 10, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Contact: 67678888

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The Hindu :

Swarathma, the Mysore-based band has musicians from diverse musical backgrounds

Photo: Sampath Kumar G. PRAPPORT Jishnu: ‘Being great friends off stage helps a great deal’

Swarathma, a Mysore-based band had gained instant national fame, when it won the Radio City contest for the best Hindi band in Delhi, early 2008.

Jishnu Dasgupta, bassist of the group says: “The contest managed to change our outlook a great deal. It helped us create and launch our first album. We hope this is the beginning of a great journey. We are also working on a compilation album, a British council song pad with artist John Lekhy.”

About the origins of the band, Jishnu says: “Swarathma was started in 2002 by our vocalist Vasu, along with his friends. Over a period of time, many original band members have left the group and others have joined. The current team comes from different musical backgrounds.”

“Our music does not subscribe to any particular genre of music. We are from diverse musical backgrounds and our initial grounding in music is also very different, ranging from Carnatic music to Hindustani and western classical. Our music is a curious mix of fusion music, tempered with elements of rock and pop. We hope that we are able to establish a new genre of music altogether.”

Jishnu feels that music should always be accompanied by a message. “A message helps in underscoring the effectiveness of music. This album has songs like “Pyaasi”, which is a song about the river Cauvery. It deals with the anguish that a mother faces, to see her sons fighting over her. Though based on the Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it can mean even a family dispute, where brothers start fighting each other for ancestral property. We also have songs that spread the message of oneness of god and condemn violence in the name of religion.”

Jishnu feels that it is…More

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Art

Rightlines Art Gallery has an exhibition of paintings by Bikash Poddar.

Date: On till January 23

Time: 10 a.m. t0 7 p.m.

Contact: 25272827

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The Hindu :

You won’t forget a trip to this city in a hurry

Photo: By AuthorBRILLIANT The roads in Rio are lined with restless beaches

It was in the aircraft that I made my first impression of Rio de Janeiro. When I flight attendant liltingly addressed me as “Senorita…”, I was transported to a world where cowboy-hat sporting young men strum soulfully on their guitar to woo their ladies. I was brought back to reality though, when I faced the immigration officer. I had to convince him that despite my brown skin, I could not speak Spanish. This is a common inconvenience to Indian travellers, but the advantage is that cabbies won’t take you for a ride.Golden beaches

Reaching Rio at night, I drove downon roads lined with restless beaches waiting for the sunlight to show off their colours. And show off they did— in a brilliant golden glow.

The beaches at Ipanema and Copacabana are as exuberant as they can get. The most famous tourist attraction of Rio — the Christ statue atop the Corvacado Mountain — is fairly impressive. It is one of the seven modern wonders of the world. This place gives one a bird’s eye view of the city.

From here, you can also see why the city has given rise to quite a few communal riots. There is this land of luxury and paradise marked by the Copacabana beach and stately buildings, but in the mountains surrounding it live the favelas (who call themselves modern-day Robin Hoods) in their slums.

For another breathtaking take of the city and the Guanabara Bay, I go up the Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf Mountain) by cable car. The adventurous can trek the 396 meters to the top, and if that isn’t enough, you can also skydive from there. In the cable car, you can’t help but wonder at the natural beauty of the white…More

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Cooking

Anjali Cooking School is organising pure vegetarian cooking classes in Punjabi, Tamil, Andhra and Goan cuisine to name a few to mark Republic Day and for national unity.

Venue: 10, 13th D Cross, Rajajinagar

Contact: 23405032

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