News

The Hindu : y>

Tata motors has officially announced that the Tata Nano has drawn over 2.03 lakh fully paid bookings that has amounted to a walloping approximate of Rs.2,500 crores.

The Tata Nano website formally recorded an unprecedented 3 crore (30 million) hits from the date of launch of the car (April 9), to the closure of the booking period (April, 25), which on calculation, comes down to nearly 1 million hits a day!

Tata Motors’ showrooms across the country saw their fair share of curious visitors too, with about 14 lakh people walking in to Croma and Westside stores to catch a glimpse of the car. A total of 6.10 lakh forms were purchased from the booking centres.

Tata tells us that 70 per cent of the 2.03 lakh bookings received were financed, while 30 per cent of the applicants booked in cash by paying fully.

A record 4,000 cash bookings were made online throughwww.tatanano.com, a first for the auto industry in India. Initial reports from dealers and finance companies taking bookings for the Tata Nano indicated that the higher variants of the small wonder-car, the CX and LX, were the more popular variants as compared to the Standard version.

And this ‘gestimation’ has turned fact now that Tata has given us the official Nano booking percentages of 20 per cent for the Nano Standard, 30 per cent for the Nano CX and the remaining 50 per cent for the top-end Nano LX.

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

Shobhana Jayashankar runs a pet grooming salon

TAKING CARE OF THE NITTY GRITTY Making the dog feel like family

Shobhana Jayashankar worked in a production house and subtitled films before she decided to leave the glitzy world of the media. She studied at Jyothi Nivas College and specialised in Film and Television at the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai.

But she grew up with dogs and always had one. “I wanted to study veterinary science but I did not have the aptitude for the subject.” Weary of competing in the media rat-race,she quit her job in 2007 and worked in a pet salon in Mumbai. “I always bathed my dogs at home.” Shobhana says she learnt everything she needed to at the salon right from handling a dog, to grooming.Love them

“The first premise is that you have to love dogs passionately and that it is not a glamorous profession as it seems!” says Shobhana who set up a cheerily-painted Muddy Pawz, a dog grooming salon in a garage here in 2008. She points that one cannot escape the occupational hazard of getting bitten. “It is a physically-demanding job. You have to talk to the dogs, calm them down, let them sniff around and not shout at them.”

She feels that most dogs love a bath. “So I clean their ears, brush their teeth, cut their nails, bathe them, blow dry and brush their coats, besides giving aroma therapy and tick and flea treatments.”

She says she has the right equipment and methods for the process. “One cannot use human blow dryers as they are too harsh on animal skin. And there are different hair cuts for different breeds — depending on the length and thickness of their coats.” She likes to see pet grooming as not a luxurious treatment. “You have to be a responsible dog owner and love to groom…More

The Hindu :

The four-door supercar Porsche Panamera combines space, speed and sports car performance

Porsche states that its four-door supercar, the Panamera, is anything but your average family saloon under the skin. To back their statement, they allowed us a sneak-peek into the engineering secrets that go under this car’s bodywork.

Looking at the Panamera from the outside, you’ll be surprised at just how low the car really is.A feature that’s really difficult to make out from photographs. This car is also really wide. You simply can’t help sing this car’spraises, that is, until you come to the rear. Whatever angle you look at it from, the rear section simply doesn’t gel with the rest of the car.

The interiors of the Panamera are surprisingly as plush as that of a Bentley. It features some of the best chrome seen on a car, fine leatherand plenty of shiny wood.Though huge, this car doesn’t giveyou a Limo feel. The full length of the central console gives it a cockpit-like feel. The dashboard, apart from the very attractive Carrera GT-like central console, could have come from any Porsche 911 variant. Rear passengers have adjustable bucket seats that are almost identical to those in the front.

We asked R&D vice-president Wolfgang Durheimer if Porsche had thought about coming up witha rear-engined, four-door car — with the 911 being the perfect donor. Andthe response was : “We needed to use the V8s from the Cayenne, so the rear engine was out.” Still, we think that this would have made for a much more fascinating car.

The Panamera’s current objectives are pretty clear: Raw speed, four doors and good fuel economy.The last part may surprisesome , but the fact is that Porsche has recently been hammering away at getting its cars to deliver good economy, even when driven hard. Their efforts did not go in vainas the outcome resulted in fantastic fuel…More

The Hindu : y>Cotton spells comfort and if style is added, indigenous weaverswon’t have a trying time, Maria Mazhuvanchery tells SHILPA NAIR ANAND

Photo:Thulasi KakkatDesi fashion Maria Mazhuvanchery and below, creations in khadi for kids

An exposure of around 10 years to Tirupur (besides a few other factors) and the workings of the knitwear industryopened Maria Mazhuvanchery’s eyes to the havoc that it wreaked on the environment. The lack of potable water, the diseases that afflict the workers in the mills…the side effects are far too many to count.

“If one were to see the living conditions there, one will never wear knitwear again,” says Maria, adesigner. That, among other things, strengthened her resolve to do something for and with indigenous craft forms, in a mutually beneficial manner.

The graduate of NIFT (Chennai) thought out of the box and came upon her Eureka moment, deciding to re-brand indigenous crafts to suit modern tastes. “Being from a textile background I targeted textiles first and approached the Khadi Board with the idea of re-branding khadi and doing a modern edgy khadi kidswear line. With the support of Khadi Board office, I was able to produce this line of clothing with fabric available in Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan outlets, which garnered a positive response among the end-users.”

Think khadi and all stereotypical images come rushing in, and the collection that Maria has designed quashes those impressions and misconceptions.

This is just one idea of the many she has to help indigenous craft.

She makes a strong case for the treasure trove of (underutilised) indigenous craft that India can be proud of. Maria feels our backyards have so much from coconut shell, shell, tatting lace and screw pine to the rich heritage of handloom fabrics, all of which is underutilised and taken for granted. And the immediate fallout of this underutilisation is the paucity of development of technology or modernisation of production methods and techniques…More

The Hindu :

Bella Vista at Coonoor offers all the goodies you need on a pampering vacation in the hills

PHOTOS: K. ANANTHANFOR FUN WITH FAMILY Get to Bella Vista

If you are used to waking up to the sound of neighbours clearing their throats, then rising to the sound of a cock crowing is definitely a refreshing change.

At Bella Vista in Coonoor, that is how guests begin their day. It is a sweet little bungalow, some 60 odd years old. It is located in a pleasant neighbourhood, amidst twisting, turning lanes, not too far from the Coonoor bus stand.

A big green gate opens to a spread of green lawns, a pear tree, a plum tree and the gorgeous jacaranda.

We believe Aslam, the owner, when he tells us that few people want to go anywhere once they are here. I know I wouldn’t, not when there is this huge gently-swaying hammock neighbouring a well. You wouldn’t either if you saw the other swing, hanging from a gnarled old tree.

Sitting there you can count the stars, the pears or the number of cups of tea you can possibly consume over an evening! Plenty, let me tell you.

Inside Bella Vista, there are seven rooms for guests. Cosy, clean and well appointed, they come with low doors with ‘mind your head’ written on each. Charming.

There is a fire place in each room with satellite TV, wooden flooring and of course a comfortable bathroom.

You know babies are welcome here. A baby chair stands in the dining room, and from what Aslam tells us, the whole holiday home seems to be a place that children would love.

Swings apart, there are carrom boards, badminton paraphernalia, but best of all, there is karaoke! Not just for the children. Everyone is welcome to join in. There are some 600-odd songs you could sing along with, in Hindi, Tamil and English….More

The Hindu : y>Entries are being invited for the first Ahmedabad International Film Festival

The first edition of the Ahmedabad International Film Festival has called for entries for Independent Feature Films, Fictional/Live Action Short Films and Documentary Films.

Submission forms, announcements and updates will be available online at the official festival websitewww.aifilmfest.com.

The fest, organised by FulMarxx Integrated Filmed Entertainment Company, in collaboration with Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) and Tampere Film Festival, Finland, will be held from June 26 to 28.

The categories for the competition are Independent Feature Films, Global Short Films and We care HIV+. The best film will get a prize of US$ 5,000, the best fictional/live action short film US$ 3,000 and the best documentary short film US$ 2,000. Technical awards for best screenwriting, best motion picture photography, best editing and best sound design will be given.

The last date for submission of entries is May 20.

The competition section provides an opportunity for upcoming filmmakers to showcase their work to a global audience.

Over 100 films will be showcased during the three days.

There’ll be a special focus on children’s films and the revival of the Gujarati film industry. Those present will also have time to soak in the culture of Ahmedabad with a specially designed Heritage Walk and the launch of a coffee table book on the city.

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>Robert Bosch is offering grants to Bangalore-based artists

Budding and talented artistes from various streams in Bangalore can now look forward to some grants. Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Ltd. (RBEI) is offering some grants for city-based artistes. It is willing to “support and nourish their creativity with a special Art Grant” under its CSR division.

The CSR division hopes to contribute to the rich artistic and cultural diversity in the city through this initiative, say the organisers.

RBEI has invited proposals from individuals for art projects spanning a broad spectrum of activities that include painting, craft, music, theatre, dance, etc.

The duration of the project may be one year or less; at the end of which, the project will be taken to the public, they add.

Muthamma Acharya, the CSR Officer of RBEI says: “There are many points of intersection between us and society. Our objective is to design and implement a responsible CSR policy that creates and strengthens shared values between our organisation and society.”

The prerequisites to receive this grant are — artistes should be less than 30 years of age and should be residents of Bangalore.

Details on the application procedure will be available online atwww.boschindia.com/rbei.

Applications can also be posted or e-mailed. May 15 is the last date to apply.

Applications can be posted to Robert Bosch Art Grant, C/o M.A. Acharya, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Ltd., 123 Industrial Estate, Hosur Road, Bangalore 95.

<FONT …More

The Hindu : C K MEENA

True love comes in various forms. You can love a restaurant that’s tied up with so many memories, even if the coffee was just about OK

The truth can now be told. India Coffee House used to serve awful masala dosa. The coffee was okay, the cutlet passable, the scrambled eggs unusual and the lime juice way too sweet. And you know what? I don’t care. I miss it. I miss it all.

Most people, barring gluttons and gastronomes, develop a fondness for a restaurant, not for what it serves but for what it evokes. Where it is situated, how often you go, who you go with, who you meet there, the events that take place in and around it, these are what give it meaning. The food is just value addition.

Meaning also comes from atmosphere, or if you want to sound posh, ambience. The look and feel of the place makes a difference to your experience of it. And meaning evolves from a collection of experiences – experiences that, over time, are transformed into memories. When your favourite joint shuts down you really do feel out of joint – and that’s more than a pun. There is a sense of dislocation. Something doesn’t feel right, something is not where it should be.

The joint need not be classy. It could be a little tea shop that opened in your neighbourhood, a Ganesh Hotel. You try it once. You go there again the next day. You go with your neighbours after you’ve had your evening walk. Pretty soon it becomes a habit. You know the waiters by name. Years roll by. Events take place in your lives, and many of them are spoken about over a tea at Ganesh Hotel. One day you find it closed. The next week it is demolished to make way for a road. Why do you feel…More

The Hindu : y>The second-generation Honda Jazz is a functional hatchback tuned for an urban environment. HORMAZD SORABJEE drives it down British streets

India wasn’t lucky enough to get the first-generation Jazz, a car that stunned the world with its ultra-efficient engine and splendid interior space, achieved by shoving the fuel tank under the front seats. It’s been quite a wait, but the second-generation of the car is finally on its way, and is set to hit Indian shores in June 2009.

A glance at the Jazz makes you realise that it’s not cut from the same cloth as other hatches. Its ‘cab-forward’ stance gives it mini-MPV appeal, giving it an edge over the Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia. However, in spite of the ‘form follows function’ approach, the tall Jazz is still quite sleek thanks to its tapering roof and rising window line.

The huge lights, the short, stubby bonnet with its raised V-shape central section and the honeycomb grille sets the Jazz apart from the rest. Even the flanks of the car have convex and concave shapes that define the rear wheel arches. The rear hatch section also has its set of tricks with black gloss trim above the numberplate, which gives the impression that the window line has been extended down. Adding to the Jazz’s unmatched functionality is the tailgate that opens right down to bumper level.

The true functional brilliance of the Jazz lies in its interiors. They set a new standard for space, efficiency and usability that other hatchbacks can’t hope to match. The generous dimensions and glass area make available an incredible amount of space. In the previous-generation City and the current Civic, the windscreen is so far forward that the A-pillar becomes an obstruction, however, on a more positive note, the Jazz features slimmer A-pillars and usefully wide quarter-windows.

Honda has also paid special attention to interior space. There are more…More

The Hindu :

Two ardent fans capture batting sensation Sachin Tendulkar’s story

DIEHARD SACHIN FANSVijay Santhanam with Sridharan Sriram (left)

Three years ago, a debate was raging over Sachin Tendulkar’s usefulness to the Indian cricket team. Every former cricketer and critic contributed his penny’s worth to this hot discussion — most of them thought the batsman was a spent force. Two of Sachin’s fans thought the experts were overreacting. Following a form of research, Vijay Santhanam and Shyam Balasubramanian found out that it was impossible for Sachin not to have failed, and that he would come out of this phase, blazing. They called their theory ‘The Thirty-three Effect’, and made it a pivotal chapter in their book — “If Cricket Is a Religion, Sachin Is God”.Poor run

Sachin’s poor run started in 2005. During the 2006-07 season, he was clearly a shadow of his former self. It was not so much the poor scores as the way he got them that caused consternation. He was letting the bowlers dominate him — that’s not the Sachin most people knew. Studying the career statistics of other great batsmen (and also great sportspeople), Vijay and Shyam found out that around 32, a “biological process” kicks in, and makes it difficult for a sportsman to perform the way he used to. The problem becomes acute when the batsman turns 33. Most turn the corner after their 34th birthday; some don’t.

They back their ‘Thirty-three Effect’ theory with batting statistics of Gordon Greenidge, Garfield Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Vivian Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Geoff Boycott, Javed Miandad, Greg Chappel, Rahul Dravid and, of course, Sachin Tendulkar.

The book is replete with statistics from Sachin’s 20-year career. As Sachin fans, the two have been filing away statistics and reports about the batman for twenty years. But, they began to collect data with the intention of using it in a book only three years…More