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The Hindu :

A trip to the oasis called Osiyan, near Jodhpur, throws up myriad experiences

Photo: By authorPulsating with life Osiyan makes you believe a desert is no longer a lonely place

The SUV veers away from the Jodhpur-Bikaner Highway to a narrow tarmac strip. It comes to a halt at a closed railway gate. The driver honks loudly, drawing the attention of the gateman who wakes up from his siesta, ambles across and opens the gate.

The train is nowhere in sight. The road, except for a short dusty, muddy makeshift patch, runs good and straight. Isolated villages dot the landscape and we take in the serenity of a timeless lifestyle.The Bentinck connection

The landscape is dry and rugged, with a sprinkling of small, dry bushes and mushroom-shaped, stunted trees. In the middle of nowhere, and in the midst of dried-up land, you spot a school named after Sir William Bentinck, and a board that proclaims it is for sale.

The ancient oasis town of Osiyan (also spelt Osian), about 65 km from Jodhpur, stands virtually on the edge of the Thar. The driver has a lot of information on the town. Earlier called Upkeshpur, this oasis had a considerable population of Rajputs, who later became Jains. It was a flourishing desert town on an important trade route.

Caravans from Persia, Afghanistan and Central Asia were supposed to have arrived here to trade, the driver continues. Osiyan was an important pilgrimage centre between the 8th and 9th Centuries. This becomes obvious from the surviving Hindu temples.Rich architecture

There are a set of remarkably well-preserved Jain temples here. All of them have been built using Rajasthani sandstone, and are richly carved. Among them, the old Jain temple dedicated to Mahavira is the major attraction.

The statue of Mahavira here is said to be over 2,000 years old. The beautiful ‘thorans’ or arches, carved pillars and the sculptures are…More

The Hindu : y>

Run Join the marathon

Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM has launched many activities in the run up to the Sunfeast Marathon in the city.

Listeners can take part in the various on-air contests and win some exciting goodies from Nike, beauty and health packages from Manipal Cure and Care, air tickets to London and Dubai from Kingfisher airlines and many other prizes.

Marathon enthusiasts can register their names by answering some simple questions. The RJ’s have also formed individual fun clubs urging listeners to enrol and run for a charitable cause. The ‘clubs’ will be participating to spread awareness about cancer patients, senior citizens, disabled children etc.To catch all the 10K marathon action, listeners can tune into 98.3 FM Radio Mirchi.

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The Hindu :

Farnsworth House in Illinois, nestled in the lap of nature, is considered the zenith of the International style of architecture

Farnsworth House is an ethereal weekend retreat built on the banks of the river Fox near Plano in Illinois, a town approximately 60 miles south-west of Chicago, USA. In 1945, German architect Ludwig Mies van der Roe was appointed by Chicago-based Edith Farnsworth to design a country home where she could get away from the city and enjoy nature.

Mies conceived of Farnsworth House as an icon of 20th Century Modern architecture and it is universally considered to be the zenith of International Style in America.Transcendental existence

This steel and glass house was similar to other buildings and skyscrapers he was working on in downtown Chicago, only it was on a much smaller scale.

Photos: Mel TheobaldWith nature for company Farnsworth House

With nature surrounding the house providing the privacy, Mies was able to create a continuous glass wall that allowed residents to commune with nature. The physical elements of the building are barely seen.

As Historian Maritz Vandenburg describes it: “All of the paraphernalia of traditional living — rooms, walls, doors, interior trim, loose furniture, pictures on walls, even personal possessions — have been abolished in a puritanical vision of a simplified, transcendental existence.” Mies’s International Style movement had a great influence on the architects of the U.S. His famous dictum, “Less is more” became a motto for modern architects around the world.

The simple one-storey house is located on a secluded site along the river. At first, this modern house may seem out of place with the surrounding greenery, but a closer look reveals that it is actually celebrating nature in distinct ways.Natural environs

Mies specifically planned the location and orientation of the house to make use of the natural environs.

The house is situated far from the road at the…More

The Hindu : y>Pothos or money plant is a natural air purifier

Photo: C.V. SubrahmanyamGreen touch Money plant

With pollution becoming a part and parcel of our everyday life, here is something that you can do to make your immediate environment pollution-free. You can grow Pothos, a fairly common plant with yellow marbled heart-shaped leaves.

Though its botanical name is Epipremnum aureum, it is commonly known as money plant, or devil’s ivy or Pothos ivy or Solomon Island’s ivy. It is easy to maintain as it requires medium indirect light, lengthy spells of direct sun can scorch its leaves. The plant adjusts well to lower humidity and cooler temperature.The plant has mainly four varieties — Pothos Gold, Pothos Marble Queen, Jade Pothos and Green Neon Pothos.

Pothos is efficient at removing indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene and xylene. Though the plant is listed as toxic to cats and dogs due to presence of insoluble calcium oxalates, according to a NASA research, the plant can remove several toxic chemicals from the air in building interiors.

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The Hindu :

We always have healthy options — of ingredients, method of preparation — which we tend to overlook

DON’T FORGET THE FIRST MEAL Our traditional breakfasts are good choices

Never skip breakfast: ‘Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper’. Breakfast should be substantial with the right mixture of proteins, carbohydrates and fibre combined with servings of fruit. A good start prevents binging.

Our traditional breakfast items are healthy, being steamed, and non-oily. These include idlis, semiya, kadubus, sannas, idiappams (string hoppers), kozhikattas (dumplings), puttu and the like.

Veggies added to idlis enhances the nutritive value. A balanced breakfast should provide you with 25 per cent of your daily calorie intake.Look for alternatives

Bake potatoes in place of deep-frying them. For instance, bake potato chips with minimal oil and salt instead of French fries.

Steam and sauté food instead of boiling and frying. Pressure-cooking ensures the right colour, taste and nutrients if used for the right time. Go for sprouts. Opt for organic produce.

Read the food labels closely. Remember, anything in the range of 450 to 500 calories is high-cal. A serving with over five grams of fat is best avoided.

Choose freshly squeezed fruit juice or cut fruit over readymade ones. Aerated drinks contain empty calories and loads of sugar. Stir together a glass each of orange, pineapple and lime juice. Add ice cubes for a cool citrus drink.

Prefer fruit preserves with no artificial additives to sugar-laden jam.

Go for fresh fruit desserts rather than high-cal bakery stuff. Slice a ripe mango or chikoo in half. Scoop out and enjoy each spoonful.

Choose whole wheat atta over refined flour. Avoid saturated fats – butter, ghee, vanaspati, dalda. Also keep cream and cheese intake to a bare minimum. In its place, substitute with small doses of spices or herbs. Opt for low-fat spread. Go for oil-less dressings for salads.

Also, watch your portion size. If…More

The Hindu : y>

A recent State government directive that changed cinema timings has also allowed eateries to operate till midnight. It’s a move that has been welcomed by many quarters. While it may not be a good enough balm for those unhappy over pub timings in the city, many are optimistic that at least they can eat out late now. MetroPlus asked city residents about these relaxed deadlines.

Most felt that the timings have not been altered dramatically. Many hoped that this will eventually result in the government relaxing deadlines for eateries and restaurants further into the night, which will help people who work well past midnight too. They felt that a young city like Bangalore needed to have a decent nightlife.

Most felt that the government must impose some checks on bars and pubs after a specified time period, but no such restrictions must be imposed on restaurants, eateries and shopping malls.

We sample some responses.***

It is a welcome move. It will help people working at night to grab a bite, before heading home. I hope the government relaxes the closing-time deadline further. The police need to focus on law and order rather than keep tabs on timing.

Zachariah

Buisnessman***

It is a positive development though I do not feel it will change the existing situation dramatically. The government must allow all places not serving liquor to stay open till 1 a.m. so that the citizens working at night do not face problems.

Ramesh

Sales Manager***

It was a much needed change.

It is important that citizens are allowed to relax and enjoy, after a hard day’s work.

The law and order situation in Bangalore is better than in most Indian cities.

Vikalp

Manager***

It is a positive move, but does not offer much respite. The authorities must relax deadlines on eating places further, by a couple of hours past midnight, to ensure that a large chunk of the populace working at…More

The Hindu :

Take in the sights and sounds of a country where life changes with seasons

Photos: Scandinavian Tourist BoardWhite carpet Sunset in Lapland

On the straight road from Helsinki airport to Helsinki city,Nordic modernist buildings dot the cloudy sky. Surrounding the great cathedral, they all look confidently towards the sea, as if readying to sail the world.

Looking around the clean streets of the Finnish capital, I understand why the design industry has flourished here.From handbags to mugs, everyday accessories are designer creations.

You may not have come across a Marimekko dress or a Moomin cup in India, but you surely must be a proud owner of a Nokia phone, probably not knowing it was designed in this Scandinavian country.

Nature has made this land quite inhospitable. During the summer, the long days allow for all kinds of summer festivals to take place under the night’s sun, but during the dark, winter days the country witnesses one of the highest suicide rates in the world.Sauna bliss

These harsh conditions have forced the Finnish to adopt means of escaping the cold and sometimes gloomy weather. In the ground floor of my host’s house,a door opens into an isolated bathroom.

In the corner is a relaxing wooden room. A sauna may sound luxurious, but here, even the tiniest apartments in town have one. However, a ski resort in Lapland is the best place to make the most of the dry heat. Secluded and surrounded by trees and hills, these are spots for redemption.

Forget all urban stress and just focus on your wellbeing. If you are there in winter and brave enough, check out a frozen lake. Step into it and feel the soles of your feet burn. Dive into the chilled water. All the muscles of your body will contract and every pore of your skin shuts down.

Your whole body reacts. Your eyelashes ice over, but the worst is…More

The Hindu :

Ad filmmaker Prakash Varma talks about the making of Vodafone’s Zoozoos

’CITY MAN Prakash: ‘Only after the concept was developed did we even show it to our clients

While the IPL matches break and make fortunes and careers, Zoozoos have bowled over viewers with their simple but catchy storylines. For those who tuned in late, Zoozoos are characters created by Bangalore-based adman Prakash Varma’s production house Nirvana Films.

A master stroke by Prakash and his team, Zoozoos, alien-like characters withbulbous heads and stick-like hands and legs, were created to highlight the multiple features of Vodafone’s value-added services.

Says Prakash, who directed the commercials: “It was a challenge; we had to come up with 30 films in a month’s time to utilise the platform of the IPL matches to advertise our client’s product. Time was a crucial factor. So, we decided to come up with something totally new.”

It was then that Rajiv Rao, creative director, came up with the concept of Zoozoos. Giving it the green signal, Prakash began sketching the characters, while Rajiv got working on the remaining scripts. “We developed two kinds of characters. One comprised the rounded ones that were eventually used, while the others were more elongated. Rajiv came up with the name Zoozoos, and that was it,” explains Prakash, who went to great lengths to keep the project under wraps. “Only after the concept was developed did we even show it to our clients,” he adds.

Quite an achievement for a filmmaker, who was born and brought up in Alappuzha. After his graduation, he worked as assistant tofilm directors Lohitadas and Viji Thampy. Eventually, he joined the ad world as an assistant of Bangalore-based V.K. Prakash, an ad filmmaker who has made a mark as a director (think “Moonamathroral” and “Freaky Chakra”).

Prakash proved himself with the popular music video of Adnan Sami’s“Bheegi bheegi raaton mein….” In 2001, Prakash and…More

The Hindu :

Handling adolescents is not easy for parents. Here are suggestions for a child-friendly approach

PHOTO: N. SRIDHARANCHILDREN DISLIKE LECTURES It’s best to talk things over with them amicably

This is when they need your advice, but also resent it. Both confused and confident, dependent and independent, those teenage years are a difficult time for both parents and kids.

As toddlers, they tell others with pride, “My mother/father says so”. Now, suddenly we seem like ignoramuses, our advice and suggestions seem passé to them. Kids today need adult wisdom on the future, smoking, sex, relationships… But how do you get your teenage kids to listen to you?Being friends

When a child becomes a teenager, the parent needs to shift to the friendship mode. As with same-age friends, it is common pursuits and non-bossy openness that would boost friendship with parents. “Have casual conversations. Let it not always be advice or complaints,” says psychologist Dr. M. Bhanumathi. Because, to be able to talk to your kids about crucial things, you need to have a good rapport with him. Just love and concern will not work. One way is to get interested in what your teenager is interested in.

“My son is crazy about football, while the only sport I knew was cricket. I decided to learn to enjoy the game that my son is fascinated with,” says Mahesh Raj, father of 14-year-old Sanjay. Now, Mahesh watches hours of football matches on TV along with his son, even though they stretch past midnight, just so that it gives them time together and fun things to talk about.

“And as you would with friends, present a charming self towards your kid too, not the ‘scowling/cribbing parent’ look,” advises counsellor Sivaranjani Rajagopal.

We want our kid to be perfect, but if we are going to forever mind his ‘p’s and ‘q’s, then we would lose the child’s attention, and our credibility…More

The Hindu : y>Prahlad Kakkar can speak about anything under the sun. NIKHIL VARMAlistens awe struck as the adman takes him through politics, recession, and a lot else

Photo: Bhagya Prakash k.PURSUIT To be successful in life, you need to be passionate about what you do, says Prahlad Kakkar

Not many would know that Prahlad Kakkar, a man with tastes varying from making ad films to whipping up a melange of culinary delights to scuba diving is also keen on strategic affairs. He says: “This new government has been given a clear mandate by the people to set things right. Our neighbourhood is in disarray and the government must take concrete steps to ensure that the anarchy does not cross the borders. Effective steps are also needed to curb the Naxalite threat that is spreading across the country. They have quite a lot on their plate.”

He is willing to discuss politics at length and quips: “I was one of the few people who had predicted these numbers for the UPA. I feel that the voters have spelt out that family names are not going to matter anymore; it is the work and capability of a person that shall determine the fate of candidates. I hope this advice is followed seriously by all parties.”

Kakkar feels that the recession has hit the advertising industry badly, but is confident that the industry will be able to bounce back soon. “I believe that the advertising is the thermometer that helps gauge the health of the economy. When the economy is on a high, the ad industry also achieves high growth rates. When a downturn occurs, the ad industry is hit first.” He adds: “The good news is that none of the agencies have affected major job cuts, though they have started to undergo a process of streamlining the day to day functioning.”

Prahlad feels that the recession provides the Indian economy…More