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The Hindu : y>Indian Hermitage for old-world charm

Heritage break Experience it at the Hermitage resorts

Looking to spend your vacation at a quiet getaway? And, you do not want to do the regular circuits such as hill stations? Then, this may just be the thing for you. Check out Indian Hermitage, a resort hotel, 14 km from Kanyakumari and 12 km from Nagercoil. Located in a small village called Marungoor (between Suchindram and Rajavoor), it is built on 12 acres with individual cottages.

The cottages are nestled among hillocks. The windows, doors and stone pillars in the resort hotel are said to have been taken from old houses in Karaikudi. It has a 6,000-sq.ft swimming pool, and offers vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisine. The cottages are air-conditioned.

For details, call 0-4652-254405 / 406 orvisitwww.indienhermitage.com.

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The Hindu : y>Festivals are back again. NEETI SARKAR builds a wardrobe for those who love to dress up

Photo: H. SatishDRESSY Look well and enjoy every bit of the merriment

Festivity is in the air. As the rhythmic beats of the dhol rise and as you pick up the colourful bamboo dandiyas for the Raas, you might want to look your best in the season’s hottest picks. So before you put your best foot forward to dance the night away at the garbha, here’s a look at what’s hot and what’s not, this year around for Navratri celebrations.

For the past few years, Navratri attire has been indo-western with ankle length ganji skirts teamed with halter tops and bandhini duppattas doing the rounds.Traditional route

This year, fashionistas believe traditional is the way to go. The ghagra choli and the chaniya choli are bound to steal the limelight. Knee-length ghagras are the new rage. Make sure your ghagra has a lot of kalis. Mirror work and embroidered cholis are all time favourites. A fish-tail number is a must-have. It’s chic and is a class apart. The lehenga is a timeless classic.

According to Bangalore-based fashion designer, Divya Tater: “It’s all about the flares. They’re on chaniyas for women and on angarakhas for men. It makes sense to wear comfort clothing as these have to be worn for a long duration.”

Designers also predict pleat-less saris will be a hit this year. You could find new ways of draping your sari. Anarkali sets and Empire Line salwar suits will also make their presence felt, at least in neighbourhood garbhas.

Bandhini, kutchi work, lehriya prints, patchwork, traditional embroidery, sequins, baadla and mirror work are excellent options for the Navratri get-up.

Although the spaghetti and tank tops aren’t exactly passé, it is best to go in for ethnic blouses, designers say. You could be innovative here. Plunging necklines and tie-up blouses are in. Brocade…More

The Hindu :

A treacherous terrain, incessant rain and the breathtaking ghats greet climbers to Vellingiri Hills

Photo: By AuthorTesting trekIn the Vellingiri Range

Our hearts go out to those who built the rock steps to Vellingiri. The trek, penitent as it is, would have been almost impossible without them.

Thirteen of us set out from Coimbatore to conquer the Vellingiri hills (on a trek organised by the Chennai Trekking Club). This range of seven hills, the seventh being 1,600 metres above sea level, is also called Dakshin Kailash. The 15-km trek leads to a Shiva temple. The trek began at 8.45 a.m. from Poondi temple at the foot of the first hill. We began climbing up the unending flight of stone steps. A mild drizzle accompanied us along, as the foliage grew thicker. The gradient is steep and not for the faint hearted — one of the trekkers had to stay back at a temple, the first base.

We trudged along passing uprooted trees felled by the monsoon. The lovely woods began to get misty.Trees gave way to bamboo, flowers and tall grass. The rain grew feistier and the bamboo began to creak. We gulped more glucose solution as mild fatigue set in. There was no point wearing rain parkas any more. Rain and sweat had drenched everything. But then, we stumbled into paradise.The Secret Garden

After about half an hour’s trek , the ragged rock steps led to a beautiful patch of lantana shadowed by a tree with maroon leaves. The path ahead was blocked by the huge trunk of a felled tree, covered with bright green lichen. Even the carelessly-strewn tourist litter could not mar the beauty of the place.

The sun cut through the cloudy skies to magically light up the scene. The cobwebs, studded with raindrops, shimmered, as trekkers stopped to take photos before climbing over the trunk and moving on.

The rain increased…More

The Hindu :

As we step into the Global Climate Week, it’s time we stepped up our efforts to save the planet. There isn’t much time

Photo: Murali Kumar k.ALARM! Climate is changing more rapidly than expected

We have an exciting week ahead, if we are serious about trying to help our planet survive for the future generations. Between September 21 and 25,the week has been named by the UN as The Global Climate Week. During this week, synchronised activities have been planned in more than 100 cities, in order to nudge world leaders to seal a fair and effective climate agreement at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, in less than 80 days.

Global Climate Week aims at uniting efforts, whether individual or collective, calling for urgent action to combat climate change – the greatest challenge of our time. So, the UN has urged cities, organisations, groups, schools, colleges and individuals to mobilise their networks and join this worldwide effort.

The latest science shows our climate is changing more rapidly than expected. But it is not too late to change our habits and implement solutions, so that humans stop harming the earth. Here are a couple of pointers to help as your special contribution.

Wear something green to show support and solidarity for sealing the deal in Copenhagen. Or better still when you are feeling at your laziest, don’t throw clean clothes in the hamper to avoid hanging them up! Then, when you wash, use only eco-friendly products in your home as a small step towards being eco- friendly.

Plant a tree with your family, even the pavement will do. Help achieve UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign target of planting seven billion trees – one for every person on the planet – by the end of this year!

When packing your lunch, opt for reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping the food with aluminium foil or…More

The Hindu :

Chick Corea: Now He Sings, Now He Sobs

Blue Note/ Virgin Records; CD; Rs. 295

Born in 1941, Chick Corea worked with various well-known jazz musicians before replacing Herbie Hancock as pianist in Miles Davis’s quintet in August 1968. This album, one of his first as a leader, was recorded in March of that year and firmlyestablished him as a great new talent.

Corea was joined for the session by the great Roy Haynes, 16 years his senior, on drums and Miroslav Vitous, Czech-born and like him a rising talent, on bass.

After growing up in hard bop, Corea was already moving into free improvisation at this time. Most of the pieces here are made up of alternating solo improvisations by Corea and Vitous, the former usually longer, with an occasional drum solo thrown in to accentuate Haynes’s role, already very strong in his accompaniment.

Corea, who usually throws in the bare bones of a theme as punctuation in his improvisations, takes composer credit for all but the last two tracks, Thelonious Monk’s “Pannonica” and Mellin and Wood’s “My One and Only Love”.

These two and three others, including “Matrix”, which later became a great hit, were the only ones to have the recognised structure of a theme and several improvised solos, but even on these two the theme is strongly reworked.

Corea’s prodigious talent in free improvisation comes through well in the opening piece, also the longest, “Steps – What Was.” Two longish piano improvisations are bridged by a spectacular drum solo. The second piano improvisation contains hints of a theme that later became Corea’s celebrated composition “Spain”.

Equally interesting is “Now He Beats the Drums, Now He Stops”, nearly half of which is an unaccompanied piano improvisation. Then, with Vitous and Haynes joining in, we have piano and bass improvisations with hints of another famous tune, Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is the Ocean”. The fast-paced “Matrix”…More

The Hindu :

Many women sang paeans to Tupperware, which has given them a sense of empowerment

Transformed Many now support a family

As one stepped into the lobby of the Grand Ballroom of the Chancery Pavillion on Thursday morning, one was bound to be overpowered by a strong sense of empowerment that the hundred-odd women exuded. They had gathered there for the Quest for Super Chef Contest Season 2 organised by Tupperware.

The contest saw six regional teams battle for a berth at the All-India finals which will be held later this year.

There were five teams from Bangalore and one from Hyderabad each representing a Tupperware distributor group. They brought out the best in their culinary arsenal to cook a meal of a minimum of four dishes which had to include a starter, drink, main course and dessert.

The dishes had to be cooked using only a microwave with the time limit set to one hour.“My use of microwaves at home was limited to only reheating the food, but it is amazing to see so many varieties of dishes made in microwaves. That’s definitely something I need to explore!” said one of the judges, A.N. Biswal, Executive Chef at The Chancery Hotel.

Lavanya Madan and Usha Rudresh cooked a spicy Hyderabadi Murg which bowled the judges over. “The Hyderabadi Murg was probably the best dish that I have tasted in this event,” said Biswal. “Some of the dishes presented here are very tasty and we are looking to adopt some of them for our use,” said Sitapathi, another judge and Executive Chef at the Chancery Pavillion.

The first-time contestants were ecstatic about their win. “We were extremely nervous since it’s our first time, but we managed to pull it off. It is a proud moment for us indeed!” they chimed with excitement.

Tupperware has been credited with empowering whole generations of women. The event witnessed women sharing their…More

The Hindu : y>

Zap the bad guys Jankenman saves the day again

As the festive season approaches, Nick introduces the youngsters to the adventures of the new superhero ‘Jankenman’.

Watch the adorable superhero in action starting this Monday on weekdays at 7.30 p.m. on Nick.

The show revolves around Jankenman, who protects the people of Janken village from many tricky situations, using his super powers. He uses his special powers to fight for peace, justice and harmony. The entire village is afraid of Tricky, the villain who wants to destroy Jankenman and steal his powers. Get set for the newest superhero on the cartoon block!

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The Hindu : y>

Sale

Pehchan, from Delhi is in the city with clothes designed by Anju Khanna. There are salwars, stretch capris, tops, reezy dupattas in cotton and semi chiffon with lace and crochet etc. and eco friendly carry bags.

Venue: Safina Plaza, Infantry Road

Date: On till September 23

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The Hindu : LAKSHMI SHARATH

Heritage Sindhudurg provides a fascinating saga of the heydays of the Marathas

Photo: By Authorsurrounded by sea Sindhudurg was built in the 17th Century

“Can you see the fort there?” We were at the Malvan beach, when we saw a two-mile-long wall of a fort standing tall against the horizon. “There are close to 15 families staying there even now. My aunt lives there…”

We had befriended a self-styled guide who decided to give us an armchair history of Sindhudurg, the fort that lent its name to the district. “Sindhu means sea and Durg is, of course, fort; hencethe name,” he explained. Built by Maratha emperor Shivaji in the 17th Century across 44 acres of land, this ocean fort located in Kurute island is home to several shrines, including one dedicated to the warrior king built by his son Rajaram. A footprint and a palm relic of the Maharaja are among thetourist attractions here.

The monsoon had just set in and none of the boatmen were willing to take us ashore to the fort, but they vied with each other to tell us stories. When Shivaji was ruling over Konkan, he was looking for a sea fort that would defend him from the onslaught of the Siddhis of Murud Janjeera.

The Janjeera fort had been unconquerable and Shivaji selected the rocky island of Kurute, and along with his commander, Hiroji Indulkar, built the fort at Sindhudurg. Built using molten lead mixed with mortar, it had 32 towers andwas meant to be their naval headquarters.

The fort remained with the Marathas before it was taken over by the East India Company.

I was more curious about the families living in the abandoned fort today. “My aunt stocks a lot of food until the monsoon gets over. It’s very difficult to keep sailing in the choppy waters,” The guide told us thatmost of the families were those of…More

The Hindu : y>

Food

There is a Street Food Festival. The food comes at Rs. 650 per person.

Venue: Limelight, Hotel Royal Orchid and 9th Mile Dhaba, Royal Orchid Resort

Date: On till September 27

Enjoy a Bengali food festival as part of the Dasara celebrations withseafood like hilsa, rahu, and katla.

Venue: The Zuri Hotels and Resorts, Whitefield

Time: 7.30 p.m.

Date: On till September 30

Contact: 42647272

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