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The Hindu : y>

Grand View Make Papa feel like royalty at theDevi Garh resort

This Father’s Day, Devi Garh Resort in Rajasthan offers you an opportunity to present a memorable experience for your father.

The resort offers a package that includes accommodation in a suite on double occupancy, two-way airport transfer, traditional welcome with welcome drink on arrival, early check-in and late check-out as per availability, complimentary daily breakfast for two, a guided village walk and a visit to the Jain temples of Delwara and a host of other fun filled activities. The accommodation tariff per night in the Garden Suite is Rs.13,000 and the Palace Suite is Rs.16,500.

An extra person above 15 years of age can be accommodated for an additional cost of Rs.1,000 per night. For bookings contact : Devi Garh. Delwara, NH8, Near Eklingji Udaipur.Call 99289 72211 for more details.

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The Hindu :

Times Music,Rs. 150

“Paying Guests” seems to be a movie where the narrative and characterisation rather than the music, is expected to add colour to the proceedings. However, you do expect the musical duo of Sajid-Wajid to deliver the goods, as far as music goes.

The movie has six songs and two remixes. The song “Jack & Jill”, which starts promisingly with an animated English jingle, is racy, but peters out towards the middle. The song has some rap elements. An attempt is made to infuse western musical arrangements with an old Indian musical style, but it falls apart as the lyrics do not impress and the music jars.

The title track “Paying Guests” starts off promisingly, but tapers off in the middle onlyto fall apart completely. The tunes and instruments fail to strike a chord and lack the trademark freshness and foot tapping music that most Sajid-Wajid tracks manage to bring out beautifully. Wajid, who showed much promise and delivered hits such as “Welcome” fails to match up.

The “Nazar Se Nazaria” track is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, in her trademark tone. Sunidhi does a good job, but the music needs to be toned down a bit. The song bears a distinct resemblance to the “Krazy Kiya Re” track from “Dhoom 2”, but is nowhere as impressive as the “Dhoom” number. The remix version also leaves a lot to be desired and seems rather pointless.

The one track that stands out is the “Ya Rabula Rabbi” by Sonu Nigam, with a hint of rap by Earl De Souza. The music is catchy and the instruments are put to rather good use, but the lyrics again do not impress. The song provides a good start, but fails to maintain the consistency in the entire track. It loses its initial charm. Though the music is not very amateurish and does have some spunk, the lack of consistency…More

The Hindu : y>The Kudat Riviera in Sabah marries luxury and exclusivity

Sabah in Malaysia is a well-knowndestination where people test themselves against Nature.

It’s the ideal venue to challenge yourself with a gruelling climb to the peak of Mount Kinabalu or a wild white-water rafting adventure down the Padas River. Now, you can also learn to chill in the Kudat Riviera, a new eco-luxury resort that offers privacy and exclusivity.

The surroundings are picture perfect and the landscape comprises white sandy beaches, clear azure waters, secluded coves and miles of undulating hills and valleys. The retreat has luxurious accommodation in villa estates. Each individual property is built upon expansive private gardens, with a private infinity swimming pool offering a level of space, privacy and seclusion.

All villas at The Kudat Riviera are provided with their own dedicated private butler and guests may also call upon a private chef. Other facilities here include Rustique, an informal yet chic beach club restaurant; and the Caviar Sky Lounge, some 900 feet above sea level, overlooking the ocean and providing spectacular 360-degree views out to the peak of Mount Kinabalu, the northern-most tip of Borneo known as Simpang Mengayau, and the glittering night sky above.

There are also a wide range of activities and services, including watersports, in-villa spa treatments, a kids’ club, luxury yacht charter, scuba diving, helicopter tours, and excursions to explore the diversity of Borneo.

There are daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

From there, take a 40-minute helicopter ride or a two-and-a-half-hour drive through rice paddy fields and quaint villages to the resort.For details, visit http://www.kudatriviera. com/

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The Hindu : y>Serenity showcases chikan work

SKILLED Home enterprise

Serenity, an eco-friendly lifestyle store in Jayamahal Extension will showcase chikan embroidery work of Sewa, Lucknow. Sewa brings the collection to Serenity as part of its 25th anniversary celebration. A pioneer in popularising chikan work, it provides a platform for Lucknowi women, who work from their homes to augment the family income.

The intricately embroidered ensembles handcrafted by skilled artisans will be available at the store from June 16 to 18. You can choose from a range of fabric, saris, kurtas, and skirts. It is open from 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. on weekdays. Call 41279127

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The Hindu :

The Muir Woods National Park is a great place to see red woods

Photo: by authorStanding tall The red woods at Muir Woods

The Pacific Ocean is on our right, and the mountainous valley on the left. It’s 11 in the morning, and we take in the scenic sight of the Pacific on our way to Muir Woods National Park, and the Stinson Beach.

A Californian farmer has spread out his harvest of almond, cherry, raisins, pear, apple, grapes and apricot in attractive polythene packets on the side door of his truck. A few Americans are riding towards the Muir Woods. And, then it was time for us to head to our destination too, driving through a dense forest of red wood, douglas fir, maples, tank-bank oak and bay laurel. The topography was undulating and provided vistas of hazymountain ranges. And, then, we caught out first glimpse of Muir. It was a down-climb thereafter.

Muir Woods National Park rests at the foot of Mount Tam and comprises 550 acres with a grove of old growth red woods (Sequoia sempervirens). It is named after the naturalist, John Muir, who was instrumental in evolving the National Park System in 1901. Now, the Muir Woods present themselves in their pristine glory, with a paved pathway to go round and take a look at redwood trees, some of which are a thousand years old. The sun-light oozes through the dense crowns of the trees, and the jungle stream gurgles through the vegetation carrying fishes such as rainbow trout, silver salmon, cray-fish and steel-head. The pathway winds through the grove, offering a sight of the magnificent red woods. There are six miles of walking trails, and no cars are allowed in the red wood grove.

The Cathedral and Bohemian groves contain the largest red woods, up to 252 feet tall and 14 feet in circumference. Near the reception centre, in…More

The Hindu : y>While the ubiquitous ‘sale’ works for the regular market segment, NANDHINI SUNDARchecks out the innovative promotions offered by high-end, luxury stores

Photo: AFPBitten by the buy bug Sales are always an attractive proposition

Walk through any shopping centre now and the sign that grabs your attention, written in large bold letters is SALE. It seems to be the new mantra to lure the unwilling customer to part with his currency. With pink slips and an uncertain job scenario, it is not surprising to see shoppers restricting their splurges to essentials.

Purchases of designer items and luxury fittings have certainly slipped to the ‘need to rethink’ category with compulsive and spontaneous shopping taking the back seat. With the luxury market no longer rosy, it would be interesting to find out what unique promotions this segment is looking at to boost its flagging sales.Different strokes

While discounts and gimmicks like “buy one, get one free” may work for the standard market which does not deal in customised products or a boutique collection, the ultra luxury segment would definitely have to come up with a sales promotion that is as extraordinary as its product.

Thus, innovative promotions that do not harp on price but offer an attraction that is irresistible would be the key factor to be addressed here.

Says Sharjeel Jaleel, Director, Zimson Group, which houses a wide range of high-end watches: “Our customers look for the latest range of the top brands launched in the international market. Most of them are collectors with price not being a deterrent for purchase.”

To ensure there is no dip in sales because of the recession, Jaleel not only ensures that his showroom stocks the latest range of the top brands but has also come up with a novel idea of inviting the customer to check out the new launches with an offer of a free service thrown in for their earlier…More

The Hindu : y>

The recent incident involving the death of a little boy, who fell into an open drain has sent shockwaves across the city.

Even four days after the incident, officials fumble for an explanation and the body of the child is yet to be found.

Metroplus asked city residents on the steps that should be taken to avoid such disasters in the future. People felt that the callous attitude of the officials was responsible for the tragedy and said all those responsible must be punished immediately.

They felt that accountability must be the new buzzword and the State government must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents are never repeated

Most people felt that officials seldom take preventive steps to ensure that the drains are enclosed, resulting in such incidents.

Some said that during the rains, drains are opened up, to ensure that they do not overflow, which leads to many accidents.

Many also blamed the lackadaisical attitude of the police officials for this incident.

We sample some responses

It is very important to ensure that the people responsible for this slip are punished.

Strict action must be taken by the city authorities and the State government to prevent such incidents. All drains must be closed and precautions taken.

Avinash

Stock broker

It is sad that only after the death of a child did the concerned authorities react and make an attempt to correct the situation. This accident was easily avoidable if the open drains would have been closed. In the monsoons, more such accidents could happen.Abhishek

Stock broker

The keywords to ensure that such incidents do not happen are accountability and safety. Accountability from the city authorities and government officialsresponsible for these departments. The public should also protect itself against such accidents.

Mohit

Manager

Accountability of the highest order must be maintained. All steps must be taken to ensure that such incidents are never repeated. The authorities and officials responsible…More

The Hindu : y>His-story deals with life, love and relationships

The play “His-story” deals with life, love and relationships.

An older man’s reminiscences give us snapshots of his “history” with various women.

The protagonist’s experiences with these various girls/women portray the ever-changing depths, emotions, intentions, and circumstances in any romantic relationship.

The play written and directed by Vaishali Bisht, will be staged on June 9 at Ranga Shankara at 7.30 p.m.

Tickets are available on www. bookmy show.com.

The cast includes Sandeep Shenoy, Sunita Modi, Smriti Thapa, Vaishali, Yolekha Mallier and Kirtana Kumar.

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The Hindu :

Innsbruck offers snow-clad mountains, cottages right out of a fairytale and great places to shop in

PHOTO: by authorVibrant vistas The Austrian countryside

As a child, I had a huge framed poster in my room, with snow-capped mountains, pretty flowers, green meadows and fairytale-like cottages.

Nineteen years later, I discovered the place in the poster does exist, and it is the beautiful country I am travelling to —Austria.

All the greenery with generous dollops of white snow is a treat to my Nature-deprived eyes. Whiffs of fresh air literally open up my pollution-clogged lungs and arteries. Austria doesn’t look real. It’s like a painting that you can walk into, like in the Harry Potter series.

Emerald-green valleys, grey mountains and winding roads lead us to Innsbruck, a city nestled in the Inn Valley. We visit Alstadt, the old town, and it’s like being transported to another world.

Cobblestone paths with quaint buildings open up to lanes and bylanes with open air cafes that have happy-looking people bantering and sipping from pretty cups.

No wonder Austria is rated as one of the happiest countries in the world. The happiness is contagious as I am suddenly left smiling to myself.

My grin grows wider on seeing the Swarovski showroom in front of me. With a hop, skip and jump, I barge into the store, eyes gleaming as much as the sparkling jewellery on display in one of the largest Swarovski showrooms in the world.

The minimal and contemporary, yet stunning design allows the crystal artefacts to grab all the attention. Even the doors of the restroom here are generously embedded with Swarovski studs. Other thanNature’s bounty, Innsbruck is also a great place to shop — you have both local and big brands.

So, dive into the snow, gaze at the flora and fauna, or shop till you are broke. Apart from the beauty and the shopping, Austria has another plus…More

The Hindu :

Pollution, development, traffic…come what may, the surviving trees continue to bloom vibrantly in the city

Photo: Murali Kumar K.BRIGHT RED Bangalore would not be Bangalore without the blazing Gulmohar

Bangalore still celebrates the seasons with its flowering trees keeping its sobriquet of being the garden city of India intact. In spite of the burgeoning population and the city being speedily reduced to a concrete jungle,we are lucky that at various times in the year different perennials flower to deck the roads in various parts of the city.

These flowering trees give Bangalore its unique beauty and ambience and can be attributed to the foresight of German born botanist –horticulturalist Krumbeigel, who was employed by the erstwhile Raja of Mysore. According to T.P. Issar, the author of several books on Bangalore, Krumbeigel laid the foundation of the ‘garden city,’ with his poet-painter vision. There is something special about these sequentially blossoming trees. What makes it particularly heart warming is the planned mix of big, canopy shade trees and flowering trees for different roads. Even the newer layouts have trees planted by the horticultural department over the years which light up at different times of the year.Mauve marvels

From January to March, the blue/mauve Jacaranda, an import from Brazil, blooms. During this season, the skyline is dominated by these tall trees with their dark barks and their delicate, short-lived trumpet-shaped flowers. Though this elegant deciduous tree grows well in the north especially in Lucknow and Delhi, the flowering is sustained for five months only in Bangalore. The bare and leafless tree which is usually rather tall, breaks out into a mass of delicately fragrant purple-blue flowers. Humming birds flit in and out of the flowers sipping the nectar with the sun glinting off the metallic sheen of their feathers. Most of us old Bangaloreans have grown up tip toeing across purple carpets of the flowers…More