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The Hindu : y>Unwind in Indonesia this summer

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s time to start planning a vacation at an exotic location. Here’s one.

Travelocity India presents ‘Exotic Bali’ for a total package cost of Rs. 95,385 for two.

It includes five-day, six-night stay, five-star accommodation, deluxe garden view room, bed and breakfast, transfers and taxes, and return air fare.

Does not include sight seeing.

Bali, located in Indonesia, is one of the major islands in the Indonesian archipelago, and boasts of beautiful temples, pristine beaches and picturesque mountains.

For details, visit www.travelocity.co.in

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The Hindu :

Calantha Wardrobe invites you to dig deep into its closets for beautiful saris and clothes. You also need to dig deep into your pockets

WELCOMING Wardrobes and sofas welcome you to languorously examine the six yards

It’s a brand new boutique andits name is Calantha Wardrobe.Designer Roopa Pemmarajuhas taken up anexpansive house in RMV 2ndstage and has done up the interiorsas a heritage home.The place has furniture designedlike antique pieces andmakes you feel you have goneback in time. Even her large collectionof saris – silks, cottons,chiffons and georgettes andblends with jute – are displayedin antique-looking wardrobes.Full marks to Roopa for the designof her boutique.”Calantha” means a lovelyflower. “The word wardrobe wasadded because I want every customerto feel special. She canlook through the many wardrobesand pick up the one thatshe wants. It also makes her feelspecial when she picks clothesfrom a wardrobe,” explains Roopa.There are saris galore in mutedshades – with geometricprints, pale, floral prints, in doubleshades and in double prints.She also has saris in bright hueswith some hand embroidery.The saris start at Rs. 2,100.Roopa, who has graduatedfrom Chitrakala Parishath, andthen went to NID to study textiles,says that she gets her weavingdone in two tones to get aspecial effect. She also adds thatshe treats the fabric as a largecanvas on which she lets her creativityflow. The saris section isquite a treat if you are an avidlover of the six-yard traditionalwear. She also offers a range ofblouses that start at Rs. 3,000.The next section offers resortwear, salwar suit sets, skirts,blouses and cholis. Step into thissection only of you are heavilyloaded.They sell really high-endproducts that sell under thebrand name Roopa Pemmaraju.There are salwar kurtas thatstart only at Rs. 15,000!The moment you are told theprice, your eyes become narroweras you scrutinise the designcritically to see if it really isworth that much. “These arehigh-end products and gettingprints done on silks is really expensive.If you observe closelyyou…More

The Hindu :

Steely grey, yet simply gorgeous, best describes Edinburgh, a city that has been stereotyped many times over

PHOTOS: by authorPhoto op! The sun lights up the buildings on Princes Street (above); street performances at the Edinburgh Christmas Market

Edinburgh is associated with a great many stereotypes — dull, gloomy skies, steep cobbled streets, swarming with big, beefy men wearing kilts, playing the bagpipes. Is this really an accurate portrait of this elegant city?

The sky was depressingly grey, a light rain pitter-pattered on the pavements, and a brisk, cold wind threatened to whip umbrellas and freeze fingers.

Thankfully, none of this affected us. Not because we were impervious to the elements, but because we were wisely seated in warm, cosy Starbucks on Princes Street (the city’s fashionable high-street) sipping a chai-tea-latte, and admiring the view.

Vantage viewpoint

And, what a view it is! Just across the road is an ancient castle, in surprisingly fine fettle, and built — strangely enough — on top of an extinct volcano. Behind the castle stands a row of tall, exceptionally attractive buildings with a church spire popping in here and there, lending a certain elegance to the celebrated Edinburgh skyline.

Beneath all those medieval high-rises are the manicured green spaces, the Princes Street Gardens, and the seasonal ‘Winter Wonderland’ — the Christmas market complete with miniature chalets selling Christmas kitsch and mulled wine.

And, if you squashed your nose on the glass, and squinted a wee bit (the café is on the first floor) you could see the shoppers below scurrying past, even as brightly painted double-decker buses and the quintessentially British black-cabs sped by.

Oh yes, it all does sound impossibly sugary, awfully picture-postcard-ish.

Yet just a week earlier, the town-centre had a very different feel, what with the (infamous) tram-works shutting-down long stretches of arterial roads, resulting in confusing diversions and traffic snarls — it took forever to get around. But, as…More

The Hindu : y>As International Women’s Day swings around, JAYASHREE ARUNACHALAM looks at some girls who choose to do things differently

Photo: P.V. SivakumarMore than a woman Many girls are moving into different fields and disciplines

International Women’s Day is one of those occasions that has the potential to be a global movement but is instead often reduced to clichés. Celebrations include bumper sales, advertisements encouraging men to buy special somethings for their women, even parties with male models at pubs and clubs. The celebration of the social, political and economic achievements of women through the ages seems to take a backseat.

But maybe the grandiose ‘recognition of women’ doesn’t need to be as dramatic. Groups of women are already making their mark, simply by thinking differently and striking out on their own. “The biggest mistake is to assume that women fit roles like teachers, nurses and ‘homemakers’,” says Bangalore-based student counsellor Aruna Jaipal. “It’s very stimulating to talk to women who are trying to do different things.”

Many young women are choosing to steer off the beaten path. Take Chandrika Dharmavaparu, for example. After doing her master’s in astrophysics, she’s a Goldman Sachs Global Leader, she did an honours course with ISRO, and she co-founded an NGO called The Science Education Initiative that encourages rural children to be on par with their urban counterparts through scholarship programmes. Incidentally, she also has plans of applying for the air force. And she’s just 22 years old. “I always had varied interests,” Chandrika said. “It’s tough to balance but I learnt to cut down on things like going to Coffee Day with friends because I had a purpose.

Especially with our NGO, where I knew I was answerable to no one but myself. That pushes you to work.”

On her Air Force aspirations, Chandrika agrees that it’s a male-dominated field and “parents don’t really encourage girls to go out and become pilots….More

The Hindu : y>A series of women-centric shows on the telly

To celebrate International Women’s Day, AXN will screen a collection of shows specially for women.

“Charmed” (Season 1) will be telecast between Monday and Friday at 5 p.m. The Halliwell sisters wage war against evil as they seek to strengthen their sisterly bond and get closer to fulfilling their destiny while living their own lives as normal women in the real world.

“The Rachel Zoe Project” (Season 2) will be aired from Monday to Thursday at 6 p.m.

Watch the “The Real Housewives of New York City” from Monday to Friday at 7 p.m.

This addictive reality series follows an elite and powerful set of New York socialites as they balance motherhood, demanding careers and a fast-paced social calendar, showing what life is like in the most exclusive areas of the Big Apple.

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The Hindu :

Why is that only the bride or the young mother gains weight, and never the man?

PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAKTHE BEST EXERCISE Kids keep mothers on their toes all day

Does a person transform intellectually post marriage? May be, may be not. But what certainly changes is how the woman looks — weight gain!

Actually, there are two phases to this size change — the ‘happiness’ phase that lasts a few months after marriage and the ‘post-child bearing’ phase.

So, is there a rational explanation why so many Indian women gain weight post wedding? “Change in lifestyle,” says Sangeetha. “The endless rounds of dining out, besides feasting on the spread at relatives’ place,” says Lakshmi.

“It must be the effect of cooking — most girls don’t know how to cook when they get married. And, when they begin to cook, they bathe it in ghee and cashewnut. And they end up eating what they make!” jokes Shankar, a newly wed.

“It’s because of love and the feeling of getting settled in life,” says Anitha. “Post marriage, women no longer feel the need to look their best (think slim!), and start gobbling up all the fattening food they’d steadfastly resisted earlier,” says Gautham.

As for the second phase, the hormone apart, it could be the ‘left-over’ factor. Over-enthusiastic mothers churn out generous portions of baby cereal or and end up polishing off the leftovers. “But, I wouldn’t blame it on lack of exercise, because babies keep mothers on their toes round-the-clock,” says Anitha.

Scientific study

So, why don’t men put on weight? Don’t they feel happy and settled? There’s scientific evidence to back this.

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine says women living with a partner put on more weight than the singles. The study found that married women were two kg heavier than their unmarried counterparts, and these women become four kg heavier, after having a baby….More

The Hindu : y>

If the sensuous Katrina Kaif swept you off your feet in the earlier aamsutra advertisements, the third in this series is going to have you asking for more. The commercial that recently went on air bears the signature style of naughtiness and indulgence as the previous ones, and has been shot by Prakash R. Varma, director, Nirvana Films.

The ad film has been shot with the surreal backdrop of a rich forest, and features a romantic boat journey. Katrina and her on-screen beau get engaged in a who-blinks-first battle. But, a bottle of Slice distracts Katrina. Varma says: “It was a refreshing experience. It was my first shoot with Katrina, and I completely enjoyed working with her. She was very involved, and has a keen eye for detail.”

Katrina, who was dressed in a red silk gown created by designers Falguni and Shane Peacock, loves the look of the commercial. “The striking red ensemble contrasts extremely well against the monochrome look that the ad film has,” she says, adding “the set was one of the most beautiful I have ever worked on, for an ad campaign. It had a dreamy and fantasy look and feel about it.”

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The Hindu : y>

The recent incident where a godman was caught in a comprising position with an actor resulted in massive demonstrations against the swami, attacks on his ashram by ‘followers’ hurt by his behaviour, and a slew of police cases filed against the ashram. MetroPlus asked city residents for their take on the entire episode.

Most people felt that people must not follow any godman seriously and must exercise discretion. They felt that though legally, the swami was in the clear, his actions were objectionable to many of his followers.

Some felt that as a man who has given up all worldly pleasures, the swami should have not been involved in such activities. Some people felt that since the swami was not breaking any law, his actions cannot be challenged legally.

They felt that people must not attack and destroy property as it will not serve any purpose other than creating a law-and-order situation. Some felt that blind faith in the godman resulted in people venting their anger in such a manner.

Others suspected a political hand and felt that some of the involved people may have political goals to achieve in the entire operation. We sample some responses.

The swami was not involved in anything illegal. His followers must realise that he is just another human being and must not place him on a very high pedestal. I feel that action should be taken against those who carried out this sting operation.

RaviSoftware engineer

The swami must be punished as he has let down many of his followers. Such an act does not befit a person of his standing. I feel that the swami must apologise to his followers and ensure that such acts are not repeated. People must also exercise restraint.

Sundar Businessman

This behaviour is rather hypocritical. The people must realise that no one is perfect and must not poke their nose into a personal matter of the…More

The Hindu : LAKSHMI SHARATH

Poaching and sand mining are robbing Doddamakkali of her charm

Photo: by Authorin need of conservation Doddamakkali

I have travelled to valleys named after rivers and mountains, but this is probably the first time I have been to one that owes its name to a plant.

And, the plant famous for the pickles made out of its roots, has not just one, but two hamlets by the riverside named after it — Doddamakkali and Chikkamakali.

I am in Doddamakkali, tasting the makkali root pickle with fervour, when the resort manager tells me that these plants used to grow aplenty here, but now, one has to travel to the smaller village to see it. But, our story has nothing to do with either the pickle or the plant!

Doddamakkali is the abode of the river Cauvery as it descends from the Shivasamudra falls.

Standing on the white sands and listening to the calls of the lesser fishing eagles, I take in the green hills that surround the valley — the river divides the forests into two ranges, Mallavalli and Kollegala.

The locals show me a pair of hillocks they believe are brothers. “We call them Annathamma gudda,” they say, as we spot an otter on the other bank.

Protecting the Mahseer

The conversation, however, veers around poaching, as we talk about the Mahsheer, the sport fish sought by both anglers and poachers.

A boom interrupts us, and there is a lot of animated conversation. I learn that the poachers are using dynamite on the river to catch fish, especially the Mahsheer.

“It happened yesterday too, and we ran behind the poachers and almost caught them, but they threw dynamite at us. Fishermen who live near Shimsha kill fish using dynamite and sell all of them, including the Mahsheer, in the local market,” they rue.

We ride in the coracle towards the Kollegala bank, and the locals show me a site where sand…More

The Hindu :

The CSI calendar is different! It showcases celebs sporting the A to Z of emotions

FRAME OF MIND Konkona Sen Sharma and Chitrangada Singh

Put together a few creative heads, a zealous photographer, a bunch of willing celebs and a noble cause, and what do you have?

A calendar with a difference. Child Survival India (CSI), an organisation that strives to improve the quality of life of people in villages and slum clusters through HIV/AIDS prevention and care, maternal and child health, women empowerment and children’s education, has launched a calendar unlike any other.

Conceptualised by Rajesh Ramakrishnan, EVP (Marketing) with Frito Lay, the calendar features well-known artistes caught in different emotions.

Deepa Bajaj, the chief executive of CSI, was enthusiastic about the idea as the calendar would help raise funds for a shelter for children with AIDS, being built in North Delhi.

Says Rajesh: “My idea was to shoot the A to Z of moods and emotions. Initially, we thought of featuring children, but then felt that getting them to emote each mood might get difficult. Hence, we decided to go with celebs, and whose faces had a certain character that would bring out the mood the best.”

He roped in Juhi Chawla, Kay Kay Menon, Konkona Sen Sharma, Shreyas Talpade, Chitrangada Singh, Sivamani, Pradeep Sarkar, Usha Uthup, Divya Dutta, Simone Singh, Nandana Sen, Sona Mohapatra, Balki, Prahlad Kakkar and Ashwin Mushran.

Rajesh says that while convincing them was not very difficult (“all the 15 celebs did this for free since it was for a good cause”), logistics posed a problem.

“I was based in Delhi, and almost all of them are based in Mumbai. We used to shoot on weekends, keep two shoots a day and pack in as much as possible.”

On-set stories

Also the shots, all of them close-ups, have been kept very simple.

All 15 have been shot in natural light with minimal props and regular clothes.

The…More