The Indian Panorama

Year: 2013

  • PUNJAB REFUSES 5-STAR FACILITY TO HC JUDGES IN AMRITSAR

    PUNJAB REFUSES 5-STAR FACILITY TO HC JUDGES IN AMRITSAR

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): The Punjab Government has refused to concede to the demand of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the construction of an “exclusive five-star guest house” for judges in Amritsar. The government has instead offered to reserve a separate floor in the proposed multi-storey guest house for judges. A committee of High Court judges had asked the state government to construct an exclusive guest house for them on a piece of land near Kachehri chowk in Amritsar, where the old sessions court stood. The old sessions court building is now being demolished as the new judicial complex has become functional.

    The guest house was required since the city was frequented by judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as well as other High Courts to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, the committee had said. An exclusive guest house would have ensured minimum inconvenience to the judges in case other government guest houses, such as the Circuit House, were fully occupied, it had contended. But the land on which the old building of the sessions court stood is now worth hundreds of crores of rupees. The state government proposes to set up a multi-storey guest house there in public-private partnership to be managed by a hotel chain.

    The government proposes to build this facility for all visiting dignitaries and not exclusively for any particular section of VIPs. “We have now informed the High Court that instead of constructing an exclusive guest house for judges, a set of 10-12 rooms in the proposed multi-storey complex will be reserved exclusively for judges,” said a senior official in the Punjab government. The government has also reiterated that some rooms in the Circuit House in Amritsar will always be reserved for the judges.

  • Country’s first bank by women, for women opens in Mumbai

    Country’s first bank by women, for women opens in Mumbai

    MUMBAI (TIP): Bharatiya Mahila Bank, India’s first women’s bank, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today. The bank’s chairperson Usha Ananthasubramanian said the institution would lend exclusively to women. “Our target customers are individual women, selfhelp groups and business establishment owned by women,” Ananthasubramanian said after the inauguration function. The bank has an all-women board of directors, including prominent bankers such as Nupur Mitra, former CMD, Dena Bank; Renuka Ramnath, formerly with the ICICI Bank; MBN Rao, ex-CMD Canara Bank; industrialist Tanya Dubash; Kalpana Saroj, CEO, Kamani Tubes; Chhavi Rajawat, a sarpanch from Rajasthan; and Priya Kumar, a government-nominee. Lauding the efforts of the finance ministry, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who inaugurated the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), hoped that the venture would help in improving the lot of the women.

    “It is an acknowledged fact that access to finance and banking not only helps to empower women, but also broadensthe social base of development,” Manmohan Singh said. The Prime Minister said the government was working hard to ensure safety and security of women. “We have strengthened the law to provide for harsher punishment for sexual offences against women, but much more needs to be done,” he said. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who promised to set up the women’s bank in his budget speech, said he had fulfilled his promise. “The BMB was not just a symbol of women empowerment but the substance of empowerment and will provide services to women and self-help groups,” Chidambaram said. He noted that only 26 per cent of women in India have bank accounts. Per capita credit for women is currently 8 per cent lower than that for men.

    Chidambaram said it would be a universal bank offering all services like other commercial banks. “Bhartiya Mahila Bank will be a universal bank which will establish branches across India and in due course branches abroad,” he said. The bank would accept deposits and give loans with immediate effect. It will emphasise on funding for skill development to help in economic activity, according to the minister. The bank will have 25 branches by the end of this financial year is expected to open 39 branches by the time it completes one year of operations, officials said.

  • I HAVE NO REGRETS: SACHIN TENDULKAR

    I HAVE NO REGRETS: SACHIN TENDULKAR

    MUMBAI (TIP): Fielding questions from the media with as much savvy as he did in delivering his farewell speech at the Test match, Sachin Tendulkar endeared himself to all women saying he shares his Bharat Ratna with all mothers who have made tremendous sacrifices for the sake of their children. “They have sacrificed everything and the beauty about it is till this date, I was never told we did this for you. When you grow up, you realise all those things. That’s the reason I feel this award is for my mother. And not just her -I would like to go a step further.

    It is not just my mother but like my mother, there are millions and millions of mothers in India who sacrifice thousands of things for their children. So I would like to share this award with all the mothers for all the sacrifices they have made,“ he said on Sunday in his first interaction with the media after calling stumps on his 24-year career. He declared that he had retired at the “perfect time“ as his body was finding it tough to cope with the rigours of international cricket. Saying 75 per cent of his life had revolved around cricket, Tendulkar said he had “no regrets“ about hanging his boots after 24 years.

    “It hasn’t struck me that I won’t play cricket again. It has been a dream journey, no regret that I am leaving cricket. This was the right time to stop playing cricket. It was an enjoyable journey.“ he said at a packed press conference. A day after retirement, Tendulkar says it hasn’t sunk in yet.

    What did you do this morning?
    I woke up at 6.50. I go according to my body clock. I suddenly realised that I didn’t need to quickly have a shower and get ready for a match. I made myself a cup of tea and enjoyed a nice breakfast with my wife. It was a relaxed morning. A lot of people had sent me their wishes, so I spent some time responding to those text messages and thanking them for their support and good wishes over the last 24 years.

    Q Did it all feel like a dream, the cricketing journey?
    That was a dream journey of 24 years but last night, when I sat back and thought about it, till now it has not sunk in that I won’t play cricket again. I will go somewhere and play some cricket. I have no regrets at leaving cricket. I felt it was the right time to stop playing cricket.

    Q Fans want you to keep playing, how will you be associated with cricket?
    It has been my life. I have said in an interview that cricket is my oxygen. Seventy five per cent of my life has been cricket. So at different levels, I will be associated with cricket, maybe not in the immediate future.

    Q You had said you will stop playing when you will stop enjoying. How did you reach this decision to stop playing?
    I was enjoying it, but honestly speaking, I have always maintained the day I get the feeling that I should stop playing cricket, I will definitely tell you. I remember there have been questions about my retirement for a few years and I have always said when I get the feeling, I will let you know. I got that feeling because I felt after playing 24 years, you have to appreciate that I had many injuries in the past and to overcome those injuries was not easy. I think somewhere down the line, a stage comes in life when your body gives you the message `enough’. Enough of this physical load. I think the body requires rest now.

    So I thought the body is not able to take that load consistently. Earlier when I trained, everything used to happen automatically. Sometimes I used to feel of late that let me sit back and watch some TV. Thus, I requested the BCCI to have the last match in Mumbai because before this match,my mother had never seen me play a ball in my life. She never told me that she wanted to come to a match. I wanted it to be a surprise for her that I was making this arrangement for her. To answer the question, when I got the feeling that it is time to stop, I took that decision.

    Q Do you still maintain you would play for India?
    Even though physically I will not be playing for India, in my heart I will always be playing for India and praying for India’s victory. Whether I am a part of the team really doesn’t matter.What I think as an Indian that whenever India participates in any field, not just cricket, India comes first and then the rest.

    Q On mentoring the next generation and starting a cricket Academy:
    It’s a nice thought. I need to be involved with cricket and I would definitely be. It is not just because I have retired. Even before retirement, I have spent time with youngsters from U-19 teams to Ranji Trophy teams. I like interacting with players. It’s just nice to share your knowledge and understand sometimes their problems also which in return teaches you more about the game. It may not be done publicly, it may be done quietly at a very low profile but I would like to help the youngsters.

    Q The lasting image, going back to the pitch and touching it…
    That is where my life started. And those 22 yards have given me everything in life. Whatever I have achieved today is because of the time I spent between those 22 yards. It’s like a temple for me. So I just wanted to say a big thank you to cricket. When I decided to retire, my family was more emotional than me. I became emotional when I got the kind of send off from the players and while coming back from the wicket. Whenever I see those images on TV, that particular moment, I will get emotional.

    Q Achrekar never said well played in 28 years and on Saturday he said well done after the government announced Bharat Ratna. Do you think it took too long for the compliment?
    He had never said `well played’ and the reason was very clear. He didn’t want me to become complacent. He always reminded me that the game is bigger than any player and you have to respect it. He called me after the award announcement last night and said `well done’. He was happy, I was very delighted about it. The joy of receiving such awards enhances when you share it with some special people and that is what happened to me last night.

    Q You endured a lot of injuries in the 24-year career. Shed some light on the recovery process?
    When I had a surgery for tennis elbow, it took four and a half months to recover. I tried to come back earlier, but it was not possible. So I understood to respect nature and time. Sometimes, I felt that my career was over, that I might not be able to lift a bat again. After the tennis elbow sur gery, I could not even lift Arjun’s plastic bat. It was a difficult phase in my life and because of the support of a lot of people, I could come back so I would like to say thank all of them.

    Q Are you happy with your last innings of 74 and what was your mother’s reaction?
    My mother was extremely happy. Earlier I was not sure whether she would come or not because it’s a little difficult for her to travel. After the first day itself, I was worried that she might not be able to sit there for long. For safety I had also told MCA to keep a room for my mother at the Garware guesthouse. But my mother preferred to sit and watch each and every ball. It was special and when I went to meet her in the president’s box, I could see in her eyes what it meant. She spoke to me more through her eyes than her words.

    Q On his son Arjun’s cricket journey:
    As a father I will say leave alone Arjun. I will say let him enjoy the cricket and don’t burden him with expectations. If I had such pressure on me, then I would have pen in my hands because my father was a professor and he was in literature field. That time nobody has questioned my father as why your son has a cricket bat in his hand, and why not a pen? So, Arjun has opted for cricket bat in his hand, and he’s passionate about it. I will say that you need to be madly in love with cricket to bring the best, and he’s madly in love with it.

    Q The best and most disappointing moments:
    Winning the World Cup. It was my dream to win it, but I had to wait for 22 years, and that was such a long period. I will also say that Saturday was also a very special day . The way people responded to me. And the disappointing moments, I will say it came in the 2003 World Cup. It was big disappointment that we couldn’t cross the final hurdle despite playing well.

    Q Where do critics stand in your book?
    I observe it to a certain stage about who is writing and about what subject. Opinions will be available all around the world. A stage comes when you are convinced as to which person’s advice you should follow and who are the ones who offer constructive criticism and what is the motive behind it. I don’t think I have paid much attention to it because those who were guiding me were by my side and they didn’t hold a pen for a long time. They had either a bat in their hand or cricket thoughts in their mind to encourage me to perform better so that I could perform better. I was normally interacting with such people whose interests was in how I could make more runs. I didn’t think much about the critics.

  • AHOBILAM: THE ABODE OF NINE FOMS OF LORD NARASIMHA

    AHOBILAM: THE ABODE OF NINE FOMS OF LORD NARASIMHA

    Ugram Veeram Maha Vishnum Jwalantam Sarvathomukham | Narasimham Bheshanam Badram Mruthyor Mruthyum Namamyaham ||

    Bow to thee, Lord Narasimha, ferocious, chivalrous, Maha Vishnu, radiant faced, omnipresent, bestower of auspiciousness and remover of birth and death cycles

    Ahobilam is located in Karnool district of Andhra Pradesh in the hills of the eastern ghats, about 400 KM northwest of Chennai. It is one such holy place, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna appeared as Lord Narasimha, the half man-half lion descent. The Ahobilam temples are maintained by the Ahobilam mutt, an important Sri Vaishnava religious institution established about 600 years ago. It is the place where the Lord killed Hiranyakasipu and saved Prahalada. Mahalakshmi took avatar as Senjulakshmi among the Senju, tribal hunters of the hills, and married the Lord. Aho is an exclamation word. Bhilam (bhilam means cave). It is equivalent of ‘oh the mighty cave’ and thus aho-bhilam of lord Narasimha swamy.

    It is stated that the Devas (Gods), while witnessing the terrific aspect (Ugra Kala), the lord took on in order to tear to pieces Hiranyakasipu sung in His praise as ‘Ahobala’ (the strength). Hence this place has come to be known as Ahobilam or Ahobalam. It is also said that Garuda wished for a vision of Lord Nrisimha in the form of the Avatara. To fulfill his wish, the Lord settled in the hills around Ahobilam in the midst of dense forests in nine different forms. For this reason this hill came to be known as Garudadri, Garudachalam, and Garudasailam. The temple consists of nine shrines to Lord Nrisimha located around a 5 KM circle. In addition to the nine shrines, there is a temple for Prahaladavarada Varadhan in the foothills of the mountain. Due to security reasons and the difficulty in performing daily worship, many of the utsava vigrahas of the nine shrines are kept in this temple.

    Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple :
    This Temple is situatd in lower Ahobilam. It is also called Prahalada Varadan and Santa Narasimha . The temple is built in south Indian style with grand architectural design and the sculptures in the pillars and walls.

    The Nine Temples
    Although the Deity of Lord Narasimha is fierce-looking with His tooth and jaws open in a mood to kill the demon, a devotee knows the merciful & protective nature of the Lord and he approaches Him in a mood of humility. Ahobilam consists of nine forms of Lord Narasimha located around a 5 km circle.


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    1) Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha
    This is a temple cave in upper Ahobilam. In this temple the Lord takes the form of a boar and so He is called as Kroda or Varaha Narasimha Swami. Varaha, the boar incarnation of Lord Krishna, killed Hiranyakasipu’s younger brother, Hiranyaksha, thus incurring the wrath and hatred of Hiranyakasipu. The two forms of the Lord, Narasimha and Varaha, responsible for destroying the two demon-brothers, have been installed together in this temple.

    This shrine is situated at the foot of the Vedadri mountain with the river Bhavanasini flowing besides it. This river water flows from the Jwala Narasimha just beside the Ugra Sthambam and is believed to have medicinal properties as it flows over many herbs amidst the forest. It is said that to lessen or calm down the anger of Ugra Narasimha, Akashaganga (Goddess Ganga) descended and flowed like ‘Antarvahini’ of Bhavanashini River. Most of the devotees have a dip in the water as it is considered sacred.

    2) Bhargava-Narasimha:
    Bhargava is another name of Parasurama, the warrior incarnation of the Lord who had performed penance near Ahobila.

    3) Chatravada-Narasimha:
    The Deity is installed under a peepal tree surrounded by thorny bushes.

    4) Yogananda-Narasimha (Lord in Meditation)

    5) Karanja-Narasimha:
    Named after a fruit bearing tree, growing next to the temple.

    6) Ugra-Narasimha:
    Ferocious form of the Lord inside a cave between two mountains. The Lord here appears in his fierce aspect, called Ugra Narasimha, who is the presiding deity of the temple and is known as Ahobila Nrisimha Swamy. It is firmly believed the Lord Narasimha was ‘Svayambhu’ (self-manifest) here.

    7) Jvala-Narasimha:
    The exact place where the Lord killed the demon King Hiranyakasipu. Next to this temple is a large stream – and at the spot where the Lord washed His hands after killing the demon the water flows blood-red even now and so it is called Raktakund/ bloody lake.

    8) Malola-Narasimha (Beloved of Goddess Lakshmi)

    9) Paavan-Narasimha (The Lord on the bank of river Paavan or Bhavanashini)

    The Historic Pillar (Ugra Stamba):
    This large stone pillar is said to be the actual pillar from which Lord Narasimha appeared. The demoniac king Hiranyakasipu was very much disturbed seeing his son Prahlad always Krishna conscious. Failing in his numerous attempts to stop his son from his Krishna conscious activities and even to kill him, the atheistic king once angrily challenged his son whether His God existed within the pillars of his palace. Prahlada confidently replied that since the Lord is everywhere, He’s also present in the pillars.

    When Hiranyakasipu heard this philosophy from his young son, he derided him and out of great anger forcefully struck the pillarwith his fist. Immediately, with great tumultuous sound, the Lord appeared in His wonderful avatar as Narasimha, half lion and half man. So, this pillar is very significant. The pillar is named Ugra Stambha indicating the Lord’s mood of anger towards the enemy of His devotee.It consists of imprints of Narasimhar’s patham (foot) on a stone.

    Prahlad’s school:
    This is the place where 5-year old Prahlad educated his friends about the messages of Krishna Consciousness (Prahlad’s instructions). Although Prahlad was born in a demoniac family, he was a devotee of Lord Krishna. He was most compassionate and didn’t waste a moment. He taught all his friends the importance of God-realization. This place has Sanskrit writings on the walls dating from the days of Prahlad’s studies here. There is a small cave, where a deity of Prahlad is installed.

  • CHECK OUT, YOUR WARDROBE IS MAKING YOU ILL

    CHECK OUT, YOUR WARDROBE IS MAKING YOU ILL

    Flip flops can leave you with an inflamed sole and sexy thongs with cystitis. But it’s not just too-tight undies to watch out for — the swimwear, sandals and sexy dresses we squeeze ourselves into can also play havoc with our health. Here’s our top-to-toe guide to make sure your style isn’t sabotaging your health.

    Sunglasses
    The damage: Figures from the British Osteopathic Association show one fifth of Brits endured pain from sunglasses causing pressure around their heads. Overly tight sunglasses could cause headaches and neck pain. Solution: Buy from — or take your favourite sunnies to — a registered optician, who can fit them properly around your ears and nose, so they don’t cause any discomfort.

    Pendants and bangles
    The damage: With attractive and affordable metallic jewellery strewn roadside stalls, it’s tempting to update your wardrobe with new trinkets each season. But cut-price jewellery is often made from metals containing nickel, a common allergen, and wearing it daily can cause a nickel allergy, leading to rashes, itching and redness. Solution: The best way to avoid allergic reactions is to choose hypoallergenic jewellery made from metals such as stainless. German silver (cheaper than real silver) is good too. Or go for budget — and skin-friendly — summery alternatives to metal such as leather or plastic beads.

    Body-con dresses
    The damage: They may give you a sexy, hourglass figure, but wearing a restrictive body-con or bandage-style dress around your middle interferes with breathing, which is why corsetwearing Victorian women were always fainting! Plus, a constant pushing on the stomach — known as intragastric pressure — can force stomach acid back up through the oesophagus, causing a nasty bout of heartburn. Solution: Limit your body-con time to a few hours on a night out. Stick to looser shapes that don’t restrict the body.

    Thongs
    The damage: They’re the best pants for avoiding a VPL under clothes, but thongs also help to spread bacteria from your bottom to the urethra and vaginal area, which can trigger thrush or cystitis.Solution: Buy good quality cotton undies and ensure they’re the correct size. If you’re prone to infections, avoid thongs altogether.

    Flip-flops
    The damage: They’re a staple for many of us, especially during the rains, but research has linked daily use of flip-flops to painful plantar fascitis — an inflammation of the foot sole that causes severe heel pain — because they don’t support the arch of the foot. Solution: Choose more supportive trainers for walking around in during the day — especially on hard surfaces. And when the sun’s out, don’t forget to rub some SPF on your tootsies too.

    Skinny jeans and capri pants
    The damage: A few years back, Canada’s Dr Malvinder Parmar was one of the first experts to note that tight trousers can squeeze a sensory nerve under the hip bone, causing a tingling, burning sensation to shoot down the leg, something called meralgia paresthetica. Solution: Opt for baggier, boyfriend-style jeans, or highwaisted trousers that don’t squeeze the hips. Wear skinnies only occasionally.

  • POPPING ASPIRIN DAILY POSES HEALTH RISK

    POPPING ASPIRIN DAILY POSES HEALTH RISK

    Health experts have warned that healthy people who take a daily aspirin in a bid to reduce their risk of disease should stop doing so because of potential health dangers. Many people take a dose once a day to ward off the threat of cancer or heart attacks. But a major new NHS review concluded that it is a “fine balance” due to the dangers of bleeding in the brain and stomach, the Mirror reported. Overall, it warned against taking the drug until there was more evidence.

    Aspirin makes the blood less sticky so it reduces the odds of clots which could cause a heart attack or stroke. Some studies suggest it can cut the risk of cancer. But the most comprehensive review ever undertaken – by Warwick Medical School for the NHS National Institute for Health Research – concluded that healthy people should avoid aspirin. Prof Aileen Clarke, who led the research, said that the risks are finely balanced and for now there is not the evidence to advise people to take it.

  • HOME REMEDIES TO TREAT ACIDITY

    HOME REMEDIES TO TREAT ACIDITY

    We have all suffered from acidity at some point in our lives. With our busy work schedules, we sometimes fail to eat anything throughout the day. Sometimes we only eat two meals a day, and at other times we simply skip these meals. But, our bad eating habits can cause acidity. Your stomach normally secretes acid that is essential for the digestive process. This acid helps in breaking down the food during digestion. Your stomach keeps secreting juices to digest food and when it does not get any food to act on it acts on the stomach lining, which causes acidity. Shreya Brahme, Dietician and Nutritionist and blogger at Dietician Shreya, helps us understand more about this common problem and ways to treat it.

    Some common causes of acidity are:
    Eating fast food regularly
    Addiction to caffeine
    Smoking
    Too much alcohol consumption
    Leaving too much of a gap in-between meals

    Some easy remedies:
    Have a glass of lukewarm water every day. Jaggery (gur), lemon, banana, almonds and yogurt (curd) are all known to give you instant relief from acidity. Nariyal paani is known to soothe the system if you suffer from acidity. Boil some mint or basil (tulsi) leaves in water and have a glass of this after meals. Include bananas, watermelons and cucumbers in your daily diet. Sucking on a piece of clove is another effective remedy. Besides, trying to correct the cause, avoid excessive intake of caffeine and alcohol.

  • HEALTH DANGERS THAT EACH SHOE CARRIES

    HEALTH DANGERS THAT EACH SHOE CARRIES

    If stilettos harm feet, flat shoes can also be dangerous. Find out how these pretty shoes can be hazardous to health. Jacqueline Sutera, a doctor of podiatric medicine and surgery, and Neal Blitz, Chief of Foot Surgery and Associate Chairman of Orthopedics at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, share the dangers of our favourite shoes, reports a website.

    Running sneakers
    Too much cushion is not the best thing. When you have a lot of cushion, you’re not getting the foot-brain feedback that allows you to sense the ground. These shoes are ideal for forward motion like running, walking, jogging (not hiking, dancing, cycling, etc). Wearing these shoes can cause chronic stress injuries, particularly to the heel.

    Flip-flops
    Most flip-flops are too flat, too thin and too open. This exposes the foot to the environment and doesn’t provide arch support or cushioning. The thong between your toes is also dangerous as it forces your toe muscles to over-grip. Wearing these shoes can cause inflammation, heel pain, strains and fractures.

    Stilettos
    Wearing heels for long hours shifts your weight to the balls of your feet, which puts pressure on your foot. The sky-high heels can cause ankle sprains, midfoot fractures, neuromas (benign nerve tumours).

  • NEWLYWEDS’ GUIDE TO DOING UP THEIR NEST

    NEWLYWEDS’ GUIDE TO DOING UP THEIR NEST

    His was a clumsy bachelor pad and hers a girly den before the two got married and moved into their romantic nest. Looking simply at the bare walls and empty spaces of a house can be quite intimidating for a newlywed who has before them the trying task of creating a home, and then sharing it with each other. Even if nothing like a sprawling Beverly Hills condo, you would still want yours to be homey and aesthetic with a reflection of your personality. But most couples undermine the beauty of the experience of doing up the house together, and in the process discovering a lesser-known side of one another. Contrary to popular perception, home decor doesn’t necessarily have to cost an arm and a leg, even for a honeymoon-return couple who wish to create for themselves a haven of romance.

    By giving flight to your imagination and a dint of creativity, you can do wonders with your small space despite the budget. But remember patience with each other is paramount in this phase as you are bound to have one too many disagreements, and might end up discarding potential home decor pieces from the old attic.We try to make your time setting up the house less harrowing by getting interior design duo Sumessh Menon and Vivek Popli of Trikaya Interiors along with Shivika Bhasin of German kitchen and home furnishing brands Hacker, Hulsta and Rolf Benz, to share their impressions.

    Living room
    It wouldn’t be inappropriate to say that the living area is the heart and soul of the house. You host your guests in that space, you often sit down to breakfast there or simply lie around reading on a weekend. And so, the choice of furniture among other items of decor such as paintings, lamps, and vases, becomes vital in deciding the personality of the house. Go for contemporary straight line furniture as it makes the room look serene post wedding celebrations.Wicker furniture is another great idea and is quite popular in the West too for their chic designs and affordability. You can get them designed and colored to your liking and toss bright cushions on them. Espresso brown, wine red and white are the classic shades in wicker.

    Shivika insists on sprucing it up with contrasting color cushions in heart shape and keeping the contours of the couches soft to give a sensuous, romantic feel to the living area. For a sense of dimension, introduce a conversation piece chair, suggests Sumessh Menon, in a colour that stands out from the rest of the furniture.

    Dining area
    The world is going minimalist in a big way over home decor. In keeping with the trend, and not to mention the occupancy of the house, a couple should go for a dining table comprising two chairs and a bench. “This is a very creative way to break the monotony, and make optimal utilization of space,” feels Sumessh. To give your space a rustic look, you can even do up the wall facing the dining table with brick tiles, and hang a few lanterns or a beautiful colored glass lamp.

    A creative wall notwithstanding, lighting gone wrong can mar the effect of a tastefully done up interior. Aside from pedestrian lamps, the dining area should also have the option of dimmers, mood lighting or indirect cove lighting. Spread a pretty cutwork tablecloth and table runner for an elegant look. To enhance it, you can place a glass bowl of rose petals and candles in the center of the dining table. “Keeping fresh fruits in a crystal bowl is another way out,” Shivika adds.

    Lobby
    You can lay out your coffee table in the lobby area which is otherwise used only as an access path to adjoining rooms. For a chic look, pick a low coffee table with low stools. It makes sense to stack some books, a scrabble, some stationary and a coffee mug on the table to make this part of the house look in-use. The coffee table, however, need not match with the other furniture bits in the house. More creative ones can get logs of wood converted into coffee table and stools with help from a carpenter.

    If you have more room, why not spread out a rug and throw in some blingy, over-the-top cushions. Pottery lovers can scatter terracotta vases that come in interesting shapes, or as Sumessh would prefer, different sizes of aquamarine pottery clustered together in a corner to lend your home a soothing Mediterranean feel.

    Bedroom
    Our experts advice, “Let the woman have her choice of colors splashed on the wall.” Post wedding women in particular are very possessive about their bedrooms and would rather do it up their way. So, she can have her pinks and fuchsias on the walls, and maybe you can convince her to leave a wall vacant for a nice wallpaper. Create a collage of wedding and honeymoon photographs and hang it on an empty wall in the bedroom or the anti-lobby leading to the bedroom. Television is a must in this room, and never the living room like many do. Make sure the bed is placed against the dead wall, and no where close to a window.

    But ensure you have a multi-purpose bed with pull-out breakfast consoles, mobile ancillary tables for morning tea. The dressing table can be lightweight with spacious drawers to stock cosmetics. Use wooden blinds, bamboo chicks for an aesthetic look; or go all out with sheer curtains along with the main one. The latest doing the rounds in home interiors is a walk-in wardrobe, and every newly married girl dreams of owning one. Shares Sumessh, “Walk-in wardrobes are not a far-fetched idea even in a small setup. You can always convert the lobby connecting the kitchen with the living room into a walk-in closet.”

    Kitchen
    Modular kitchens, says Shivika, come with an option to change the fronts anytime. Place the crockery in tall cabinets lit up with LED and illuminated shelves. Use wall hung cabinets for the light crockery pieces, add a corkboard to hang pots and pans, and make use of inbuilt appliances to organize your kitchen better.

  • ETIHAD CHECKS INTO JET WITH $900M

    ETIHAD CHECKS INTO JET WITH $900M

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Concluding the first instance of FDI by a foreign carrier into an Indian airline, Jet Airways on Wednesday announced that it has given equity shares worth Rs 2,060 crore to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad-representing a 24% stake in Naresh Goyal’s airline. Also, Etihad president James Hogan and CFO James Rigney have been named as additional directors on board of Jet, giving the Gulf carrier a firm say in how Jet will be steered now.

    With this announcement, the $900-million deal was finally concluded seven months after it was announced. The final approval had come with the last week giving it the nod. Jet chairman Naresh Goyal said: “I am confident that this investment will greatly benefit all our stakeholders while significantly benefitting our customers, who will now have access to a more expanded global network” apart from expanding network. Etihad president James Hogan said: “India is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world and a key part of the Etihad growth strategy.

    Through this association, Etihad and Jet will both be strengthened, as will the economies of India and the UAE. By linking our two networks and adding new flights, new routes and more code-share options, travel to, from and within India will become much easier.” The two airline chiefs said their collaboration will begin immediately. In fact, Etihad been enforcing changes at Jet much earlier. This saw Jet CEO Nikos Kardasis, investor relation chief K G Vishwanath and longstanding director Victoriano P Dungca resigning. This change came as Jet saw its finances crumble: combined loss of over Rs 2,000 crore since 2006; long term debt of Rs 9,134 crore on September 30 and most recent record loss of Rs 998.5 crore for the group this Q2.

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  • Renault keen on MUV, sub-Rs 4 lakh car segment in India

    Renault keen on MUV, sub-Rs 4 lakh car segment in India

    TOKYO (TIP): French auto major Renault is keen to tap the potential of the fast growing multi-utility vehicles (MUV) segment in India apart from having a presence in the sub-Rs 4 lakh car market in the country. The company that sells five models in the Indian market is looking for nearly 90 per cent growth in sales this year, riding on its popular SUV Duster and also bring variants of the model by next year. “…

    The objective now is to make sure that in the next introduction of cars, we want to enter the significant segments or growing segments where we are not present today,” Renault chairman of Asia Pacific Region Gilles Normand told here at the sidelines of the Tokyo Motor Show. Elaborating, he further said: “If I give you some concrete example, one of the segments which is growing in India is MUV segment, which is fast growing. So it is one of the possibilities.”

    Another possibility, he said, is the below Rs 4 lakh segment, which accounts for 40 per cent of the the Indian passenger car market, as the company’s current line up is starting above Rs 4 lakh. “These two segments are quite important for us…We are definitely working on the next wave of products, out of which one will be connected to a fast growing segment in India and the other one will be from the global line up for India market,” Normand said without elaborating. On the sales expectation in India, he said: “Last year, we sold 35,000 units, this year we think we will be over 65,000-66,000 units.

    ” Bullish on the Indian market despite the ongoing slowdown, he said: “Penetration is low, so there is great potential for growth.” He, however, added that the growth of Indian market is “not going to be very very regular over the years”. “We know very well that in a country like India, you have some pauses in growth. It doesn’t change our long term perspective about India at all.” He said the company’s current focus in India will be to scale up dealership network and consolidate with the existing products. On the declining sales of Duster, he said: “Typically in India when you introduce a new model there is lot of enthusiasm.

    In our case, we had a higher level of sales and now stabilization is happening at a very significant level. The segment is busy and the market is not very good, after the initial enthusiasm and we are stabilizing.” When asked about plans to overcome the sales dip of Duster, he said: “We are going to manage the life-cycle of this product, you can expect that in the coming months, there will be variations of the Duster.”

  • BHARTI TO SPEND RS 800 CRORE ANNUALLY ON RETAIL

    BHARTI TO SPEND RS 800 CRORE ANNUALLY ON RETAIL

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Despite offers for fresh tie-ups, Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Group appears set to go solo in the retail business and expand the footprint of its EasyDay stores through fresh investments, estimated at Rs 700-800 crore annually. Bharti Enterprises and Walmart, which called off their six-year-old relationship last month, are in the final stages of ending their joint venture for wholesale cash-and-carry operations. The partners had set up 20 wholesale stores under the Best Price brand while Bharti handled the front-end operations through the Easy Day chain.

    Although Bharti and Walmart were expected to be among the first movers to tap into the vast retail business in India, the US giant’s eagerness to get a policy regime to its liking is said to be a reason behind the split. At the same time, a joint venture for the multi-brand retail business would have come at a cost as the partners would not have been able to tap into prosperous markets such as Punjab as the state does not permit foreign retailers to set up shop. Punjab has emerged as a hub of sorts for Bharti’s retail foray. Even as regulatory clearances are being sought, sources said, bankers have approached Bharti for fresh tie-ups. But, instead of opting for a new alliance, Bharti is going to expand its presence and look at roping in a partner later.

    “The plan is to grow this format further and expand. New investments will continue to come and Bharti Enterprises remains committed to the venture… There appears to be no immediate need for a foreign partner,” said a senior executive, who did not wish to be identified. The executive said that over the years, Bharti’s executives had worked out the details of the retail business and some of Walmart employees are also joining EasyDay.

    The list includes Raj Jain, the former Walmart India head, who has now joined Bharti as an adviser. While Walmart and Bharti have ended their JV, the US retail major continues to support Bharti in the business. “They are still supporting the Bharti venture in areas such as logistics and IT. There are a lot of things from Walmart which are embedded with the system. We still enjoy a great relationship,” the source said. Despite the split, EasyDay will source goods from Walmart’s wholesale stores.

  • Govt imposes $792 million additional penalty on RIL

    Govt imposes $792 million additional penalty on RIL

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The government has slapped an additional penalty of $792 million on Reliance Industries for producing less than targeted natural gas from its eastern offshore KG-D6 block. A notice disallowing $792 million out of the cost already incurred on the Bay of Bengal fields was sent to RIL on November 14, an oil ministry official said here. With this, a total of $1.797 billion penalty in form of cost being disallowed, has been levied on RIL for producing less than targeted output during the past three years.

    The company has till date spent $10.76 billion on the block, which it can contractually recover from sale of oil and gas. It is obliged to share the profits with the government only after recouping those expenses. The official said the cost has been disallowed as RIL and its partners BP plc of UK and Canada’s Niko Resources did not drill the committed number of wells, which led to output dropping by over 80 per cent from the main Dhirubhai-1 and 3 (D1&D3) gas fields in the KG-D6 block. D1&D3 fields have in the first fours years of production (2009-10 to 2012-13) produced a total of 1.853 trillion cubic feet of gas, 1.196 Tcf short of 3.049 Tcf that RIL had committed to produce in the 2006 development plan. But for the first year, the output has lagged the targets in all subsequent years, which has led to a huge chunk of facilities built lying unutilized, the official said.

    RIL had built facilities to handle 80 million standard cubic metres per day of gas from D1&D3 but the present output is just 8.78 mmscmd. As per the production sharing contract, RIL and its partners BP Plc and Niko Resources are allowed to deduct all of the capital and operating expenses from sale of gas before sharing profits with the government. Creation of excess or unutilized infrastructure impacts government’s profit share and this is being sought to be corrected by disallowing part of the cost. According to the approved field development plan, the output should have reached 80 mmscmd last fiscal. The government had previously issued a notice to RIL disallowing $1.005 billion in cost for shortfall in production during 2010-11 and 2011- 12. ($457 million for 2010-11 and the rest $548 million for 2011-12).

  • CHINESE COMPUTER RETAINS ‘WORLD’S FASTEST’ TITLE

    CHINESE COMPUTER RETAINS ‘WORLD’S FASTEST’ TITLE

    LONDON (TIP): A computer in the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune) has been declared the 44th fastest machine in the world, capable of 719 trillion calculations per second. In all, 12 Indian computers have made it to the list of the world’s 500 fastest super computers. The world’s fastest computer is capable of 33,863 trillion calculations per second and it was made in China. Tianhe-2 (meaning milky way), developed by China’s National University of Defence Technology, has a performance of 33.86 petaflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second).

    In comparison, India’s fastest computer performs at 7.19 petaflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second). Tianhe-2 ‘s power is almost double the score achieved by the second most powerful machine: the American Titan supercomputer, which clocked 17.59 petaflop/s. The list of the world’s fastest supercomputer is compiled every two years by the University of Mannheim in Germany, using a test known as the Linpack benchmark. It measures how fast the computers can solve a special type of linear equation, but does not take account of other factors – such as how fast data can be transferred from one part of the system to another – which can also influence real-time performance. The US still dominates the overall list of fastest supercomputers accounting for 265 of the top 500. It’s followed by Asia (115 systems, down from 118) and Europe (102 machines, down from 112).

  • NASA FINDS GRANITE ON MARS

    NASA FINDS GRANITE ON MARS

    LONDON (TIP): Researchers from the US space agency NASA have said that granite – an igneous rock common on Earth— could be found in abundance on Mars. For years Mars was considered geologically simplistic consisting mostly of one kind of rock in contrast to the diverse geology of Earth. Most of the surface of Mars is covered by dark-coloured volcanic rocks called basalt. Large amounts of a mineral found in granite called feldspar were found in an ancient Martian volcano.

    Minerals that are common in basalts rich in iron and magnesium are nearly completely absent here. The location of the feldspar also provides an explanation for how granite could have formed on Mars. While the magma slowly cools in the subsurface, low density melt separates from dense crystals in a process called fractionation. The cycle is repeated over and over for millennia until granite is formed. Granite or its eruptive equivalent rhyolite is often found on Earth in tectonically active regions. This is unlikely on Mars but the research team concluded that prolonged magmatic activity on Mars can also produce it on a large scale.

    “We’re providing the most compelling evidence to date that Mars has granitic rocks,” said James Wray from the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The research supported by the NASA Mars Data Analysis Program bolsters the evidence for granite on Mars by using remote sensing techniques with infrared spectroscopy to survey a large volcano on Mars that was active for billions of years. The volcano is dust-free making it ideal for the study. Most volcanoes on Mars are blanketed with dust but this volcano is being sand-blasted by some of the fastest-moving sand dunes on Mars, sweeping away any dust that might fall on the volcano.

    Earlier this year, the Mars Curiosity rover surprised scientists by discovering soil with a composition similar to granite. No one knew what to make of the discovery because it was limited to one site on Mars.A separate team from the European Southern Observatory and the University of Paris found a similar signature elsewhere on Mars but likened the rocks to anorthosite which is common on the moon. “We talk about water on Mars all the time but the history of volcanism on Mars is another thing that we’d like to try to understand,” Wray said. “What kinds of rocks have been forming over the planet’s history? We thought that it was a pretty easy answer, but we’re now joining the emerging chorus saying things may be a little bit more diverse on Mars, as they are on Earth.”

  • Car mechanic invents device to ease childbirth

    Car mechanic invents device to ease childbirth

    NEW YORK (TIP): The idea came to Jorge Odon as he slept. Somehow, he said, his unconscious made the leap from a YouTube video he had just seen on extracting a lost cork from a wine bottle to the realization that the same parlor trick could save a baby stuck in the birth canal. Odon, 59, an Argentine car mechanic, built his first prototype in his kitchen, using a glass jar for a womb, his daughter’s doll for the trapped baby, and a fabric bag and sleeve sewn by his wife as his lifesaving device.

    Unlikely as it seems, the idea that took shape on his counter has won the enthusiastic endorsement of the World Health Organization and major donors, and an American medical technology company has just licensed it for production. With the Odon Device, an attendant slips a plastic bag inside a lubricated plastic sleeve around the head, inflates it to grip the head and pulls the bag until the baby emerges. Doctors say it has enormous potential to save babies in poor countries, and perhaps to reduce cesarean section births in rich ones. “This is very exciting,” said Dr Mario Merialdi, the WHO’s chief coordinator for improving maternal and perinatal health and an early champion of the Odon Device.

    “This critical moment of life is one in which there’s been very little advancement for years.” About 10% of the 137 million births worldwide each year have potentially serious complications, Dr Merialdi said. About 5.6 million babies are stillborn or die quickly, and about 260,000 women die in childbirth. Obstructed labor, which can occur when a baby’s head is too large or an exhausted mother’s contractions stop, is a major factor. In wealthy countries, fetal distress results in a rush to the operating room.

    In poor, rural clinics, Dr Merialdi said, “if the baby doesn’t come out, the woman is on her own.” The current options in those cases are forceps — large, rounded pliers — or suction cups attached to the baby’s scalp. In untrained hands, either can cause hemorrhages, crush the baby’s head or twist its spine. Although more testing is planned on the Odon Device, doctors said it appeared to be safe for midwives with minimal training to use. Along the way, it has won research grants from the United States Agency for International Development and from Grand Challenges Canada. “We’ve given out $32 million for 61 different innovations, and this one is the farthest along,” said Dr Peter A. Singer, the chief executive of Grand Challenges Canada.

    The device will be manufactured by Becton, Dickinson and Company, or BD, of Franklin Lakes, N.J., which is better known for making syringes. “My first reaction, as soon as I saw it, was positive,” said Gary M. Cohen, the company’s executive vice president for global health. It was at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that Dr Merialdi asked him to consider taking it on. “Many inventions get to the prototype stage, but that’s maybe 15% of what needs to be done,” Cohen said. “There’s finalizing the design for manufacture, quality control, the regulatory work and clinical studies.

    Absent that, they don’t see the light of day.” So far, the device has been safety-tested only on 30 Argentine women, all of whom were in hospitals, had given birth before and were in normal labor. “I was glad they asked me, because it was for a good cause,” said Luciana Valle, a kindergarten teacher who was 31 two years ago when her son, Matteo, was one of the first babies extracted with the device. Because Matteo weighed almost nine pounds, “it really helped,” she said in a telephone interview. “His head came out on my second push.” The WHO will now oversee tests on 100 more women in normal labor in China, India and South Africa, and then on 170 women in obstructed labor. In a telephone interview from Argentina, Odon described the origins of his idea.

    He tinkers at his garage, but his previous inventions were car parts. Seven years ago, he said, employees were imitating a video showing that a cork pushed into an empty bottle can be retrieved by inserting a plastic grocery bag, blowing until it surrounds the cork, and drawing it out. That night, he won a dinner bet on it. At 4am, he woke his wife and told her the idea that had just come to him. (His own children were born without problems, he said, but he has an aunt who suffered nerve damage from birth.) His wife, he recalled, “said I was crazy and went back to sleep.” The next morning, a somewhat skeptical friend introduced him to an obstetrician. “You can imagine these two guys in suits in a waiting room full of pregnant ladies,” he said.

    The doctor was encouraging, so he kept working. Polyethylene replaced the bag his wife had sewn, and the jar was replaced by a plastic uterus. With the help of a cousin, Odon met the chief of obstetrics at a major hospital in Buenos Aires. The chief had a friend at the WHO, who knew Dr Merialdi, who, at a 2008 medical conference in Argentina, granted Odon 10 minutes during a coffee break.

  • EVA LONGORIA DATING MEXICAN BUSINESSMAN

    EVA LONGORIA DATING MEXICAN BUSINESSMAN

    Eva Longoria is dating Mexican businessman, Jose Antonio Baston, after splitting from her on-off boyfriend Eduardo Cruz, it has been revealed. The couple recently walked the red carpet together at the Museo Jumex Opening dinner at Case De La Bola in Mexico. A source told People Magazine that Baston, 45, has been sweeping the former ‘Desperate Housewives’ star off her feet and courting her like a proper gentleman.

    Another source had previously told the publication that the 38-yearold actress is very happy with her new beau and he’s absolutely crazy about her. Baston’s the president of Latin America’s largest media company Televisa.

  • WOULD LOVE TO BE IN A HINDI MOVIE: SHARON STONE

    WOULD LOVE TO BE IN A HINDI MOVIE: SHARON STONE

    American actressproducer Sharon Stone, currently in Mumbai for a fund-raising event, says she would love to be in a Hindi movie. “I’d love to be in one of the Hindi movies and, of course, I have seen many films. The language is different, but I like it,” Stone told reporters during the gala event organised by international organisation amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, in Mumbai.

    Asked if she had learnt any Hindi, Stone said: “I have learnt to say ‘Namaste’.” “I love Indian food, I love spicy food. It’s fantastic. I got up today morning at 4 and went for a walk, it’s a moment that you feel. Its a whole different feeling — I went to a temple, it was great,” the actress said.

  • Insidious Chapter 2

    Insidious Chapter 2

    STORY: The Lambert family continues to get haunted by evil spirits as they rediscover the past and regret their unsolicited paranormal connect with the dead. REVIEW: The ‘king of horror’ James Wan is back with Insidious Chapter 2 and if you don’t expect every horror film to be The Conjuring, you’ll find this one quite entertaining. However, since the sequel is clearly made with an intention to cash in on the success of its much more superior prequel, be prepared to find the scares a tad unimaginative, especially if you love the genre. The film picks up right where the previous one (Insidious 2010) ended.

    After battling evil spirits from the dark side or ‘The Further’, where father Josh Lambert ( Patrick Wilson) himself travels, to get the soul of his son back, he returns with him safe but something changes. The Lambert family is haunted once again and there’s a massive backstory to explain ‘how it all started’. While the execution and some scare sequences are super-creepy, the whole unraveling the puzzle that comprises the backstory, gets too convoluted for a horror film. The family is looking for answers throughout and while they are at it, you wonder where this whole investigative drama is headed, as opposed to the prequel, where the spook quotient was higher. No wonder Wan declared that he would move on to making other genres post this one for he must have clearly sensed the dangers of overindulgence. The cast has been repeated and it’s perfect.

    All actors manage to send shivers down your spine with their performance. The setting of Josh’s old house in particular gives you the chills; dark rooms, lonely nights, whispers in the corridors and sudden screams…Wan knows what it takes to unsettle you. Insidious Chapter 2 is tense and intriguing. If you haven’t seen the previous film, this might work better for you. Also, for the fainthearted, if you analyze your dreams way too much or face sleep disorders, stay away.

  • Ram-Leela

    Ram-Leela

    STORY: Boy and girl from warring factions love one another. Do they live happily ever after? REVIEW: What new can a filmmaker do with William Shakespeare’s classic love story Romeo and Juliet? The answer is, if you are Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is technically sound and artistically astute as far as art and craft go, you just become impudent, set the story in Gujarat, sign Bollywood’s currently best actress Deepika Padukone (Leela), team her up with `I’ve-got-fire-in-myloins’ actor Ranveer Singh (Ram) and then let them loose on one another.

    So there’s the Sanada clan girl Leela who falls in love, or for the most part lust, with her enemy Ram, a Rajadi. Their clans have been at war for 500 years and the exaggeratedly trigger-happy lot that these turbanwearing folk have been portrayed as clearly underlines that no matter what one Ram or Leela feel, the rest of the clan only believe in mutiny. So bullets fly, blood flows and bahus become victims of evil design. In between this warfare, Deepika and Ranveer touch, feel, kiss and cuddle and ensure you can feel their stirring. Quite unabashedly, the filmmaker uses his lead pair’s real and reel chemistry, fuses it with sexual tension and makes it compelling for you to partake in their love-hate relationship.

    For the most part, Ram-Leela, SLB’s most commercial work till date, has nice doses of raunch and ras (juice). Since the plot is Shakespearan, the maker has the arduous task of telling you this story on an opulent scale. Vintage palaces and daunting deserts are fitted in with precision, giving you truly awe moments. The music and picturisation of ‘Tattad tattad’, ‘Lahu munh lag gaya’ and ‘Nagada sang dhol’ enrich your cinematic experience. Deepika is breathtaking and in top form. Ranveer displays his six packs and histrionics with fair ease. This could be the start of his journey into superstardom. You have to also applaud Richa Chadda and Supriya Pathak Kapur for being the talent they are.

  • IS ALIA BHATT THE NEXT KAREENA KAPOOR?

    IS ALIA BHATT THE NEXT KAREENA KAPOOR?

    Those who are close to Kareena Kapoor Khan know that the actress is blunt and very choosey when it comes to praising others. She also considers herself as the best in her field and feels that no one can be compared to her. However, if sources are to be believed the actress has taken a liking towards Alia Bhatt. A Mid-Day report says that Kareena is very fond of Alia and has been openly praising her. She feels that not only is Alia very talented but she has the same spunk and attitude that Kareena had when she joined the industry. The report quotes a source close to the senior actress and says that she feels Alia is her younger version and she will be the next Kareena. Apparently Alia is also very fond of Kareena and considers her a role model.

  • KATRINA SAYS PICS WITH RANBIR WAS OF A PRIVATE MOMENT

    KATRINA SAYS PICS WITH RANBIR WAS OF A PRIVATE MOMENT

    Actress Katrina Kaif, who was angry after her holiday pictures with “rumored” beau Ranbir Kapoor went viral in media, calls them “a private moment”. She had written a letter to the media afterwards and said she was upset, distressed and felt media invaded her privacy. “I saw the photos and reacted from heart at that moment. I was upset, hurt, angry. I feel it was a private moment (with Ranbir)…so privacy was expected,” Katrina said.

    “The pictures were taken while I was on holiday by someone who, in an act of cowardice, has shot without permission and then used the pictures for commercial gain,” Katrina had written in the letter. In the pictures, she is seen in a bikini along with Ranbir at a beach in Spain. “Next time when you all plan to take pictures give me a notice. Red doesn’t look good with white (regarding the colour of her bikini)… I will wear matching next,” she added, on a lighter note. “Nothing like this happened in nine years. I felt it was done with a mean moment. What they (media) did was right and the way I reacted was also right as that time I was hurt,” Katrina said.

  • SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    He is, and shall always be. He shall not depart, even when this Universe which He has created departs. He created the world, with its various colors, species of beings, and the variety of Maya. Having created the creation, He watches over it Himself, by His Greatness. He does whatever He pleases. No order can be issued to Him. He is the King, the King of kings, the Supreme Lord and Master of kings.

    Nanak remains subject to His Will. || 27 || Make contentment your earrings, humility your begging bowl, and meditation the ashes you apply to your body. Let the remembrance of death be the patched coat you wear, let the purity of virginity be your way in the world, and let faith in the Lord be your walking stick. See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own mind, and conquer the world. I bow to Him, I humbly bow. The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end.

    Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same. || 28 || Let spiritual wisdom be your food, and compassion your attendant. The Soundcurrent of the Naad vibrates in each and every heart. He Himself is the Supreme Master of all; wealth and miraculous spiritual powers, and all other external tastes and pleasures, are all like beads on a string. Union with Him, and separation from Him, come by His Will. We come to receive what is written in our destiny. I bow to Him, I humbly bow. The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same. || 29 || The One Divine Mother conceived and gave birth to the three deities. One, the Creator of the World; One, the Sustainer; and One, the Destroyer.

    He makes things happen according to the Pleasure of His Will. Such is His Celestial Order. He watches over all, but none see Him. How wonderful this is! I bow to Him, I humbly bow. The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same. || 30 || On world after world are His Seats of Authority and His Storehouses. Whatever was put into them, was put there once and for all. Having created the creation, the Creator Lord watches over it. O Nanak, True is the Creation of the True Lord. I bow to Him, I humbly bow. The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end.

    Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same. || 31 || If I had 100,000 tongues, and these were then multiplied twenty times more, with each tongue, I would repeat, hundreds of thousands of times, the Name of the One, the Lord of the Universe. Along this path to our Husband Lord, we climb the steps of the ladder, and come to merge with Him. Hearing of the etheric realms, even worms long to come back home. O Nanak, by His Grace He is obtained. False are the boastings of the false. || 32 || No power to speak, no power to keep silent. No power to beg, no power to give. No power to live, no power to die. No power to rule, with wealth and occult mental powers. No power to gain intuitive understanding, spiritual wisdom and meditation.

    No power to find the way to escape from the world. He alone has the Power in His Hands. He watches over all. O Nanak, no one is high or low. || 33 || Nights, days, weeks and seasons; wind, water, fire and the nether regions-in the midst of these, He established the earth as a home for Dharma. Upon it, He placed the various species of beings. Their names are uncounted and endless. By their deeds and their actions, they shall be judged. God Himself is True, and True is His Court. There, in perfect grace and ease, sit the selfelect, the self-realized Saints. They receive the Mark of Grace from the Merciful Lord. The ripe and the unripe, the good and the bad, shall there be judged. O Nanak, when you go home, you will see this.

    || 34 || This is righteous living in the realm of Dharma. And now we speak of the realm of spiritual wisdom. So many winds, waters and fires; so many Krishnas and Shivas. So many Brahmas, fashioning forms of great beauty, adorned and dressed in many colors. So many worlds and lands for working out karma. So very many lessons to be learned! So many Indras, so many moons and suns, so many worlds and lands. So many Siddhas and Buddhas, so many Yogic masters. So many goddesses of various kinds. So many demigods and demons, so many silent sages. So many oceans of jewels. So many ways of life, so many languages. So many dynasties of rulers.

    So many intuitive people, so many selfless servants. O Nanak, His limit has no limit! || 35 || In the realm of wisdom, spiritual wisdom reigns supreme. The Soundcurrent of the Naad vibrates there, amidst the sounds and the sights of bliss. In the realm of humility, the Word is Beauty. Forms of incomparable beauty are fashioned there. These things cannot be described. One who tries to speak of these shall regret the attempt. The intuitive consciousness, intellect and understanding of the mind are shaped there. The consciousness of the spiritual warriors and the Siddhas, the beings of spiritual perfection, are shaped there.

    || 36 || In the realm of karma, the Word is Power. No one else dwells there, except the warriors of great power, the spiritual heroes. They are totally fulfilled, imbued with the Lord’s Essence. Myriads of Sitas are there, cool and calm in their majestic glory. Their beauty cannot be described. Neither death nor deception comes to those, within whose minds the Lord abides. The devotees of many worlds dwell there. They celebrate; their minds are imbued with the True Lord. In the realm of Truth, the Formless Lord abides. Having created the creation, He watches over it. By His Glance of Grace, He bestows happiness.

    There are planets, solar systems and galaxies. If one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end. There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches over all, and contemplating the creation, He rejoices. O Nanak, to describe this is as hard as steel! || 37 || Let self-control be the furnace, and patience the goldsmith. Let understanding be the anvil, and spiritual wisdom the tools. With the Fear of God as the bellows, fan the flames of tapa, the body’s inner heat. In the crucible of love, melt the Nectar of the Name, and mint the True Coin of the Shabad, the Word of God. Such is the karma of those upon whom He has cast His Glance of Grace. O Nanak, the Merciful Lord, by His Grace, uplifts and exalts them.

    || 38 || SHALOK: Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and Earth is the Great Mother of all. Day and night are the two nurses, in whose lap all the world is at play. Good deeds and bad deeds-the record is read out in the Presence of the Lord of Dharma. According to their own actions, some are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away. Those who have meditated on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and departed after having worked by the sweat of their brows-O Nanak, their faces are radiant in the Court of the Lord, and many are saved along with them! || 1 || SO DAR ~ THAT DOOR. RAAG AASAA, FIRST MEHL: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD.

    BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: Where is That Door of Yours, and where is That Home, in which You sit and take care of all? The Sound-current of the Naad vibrates there for You, and countless musicians play all sorts of instruments there for You. There are so many Ragas and musical harmonies to You; so many minstrels sing hymns of You. Wind, water and fire sing of You. The Righteous Judge of Dharma sings at Your Door. Chitr and Gupt, the angels of the conscious and the subconscious who keep the record of actions, and the Righteous Judge of Dharma who reads this record, sing of You. Shiva, Brahma and the Goddess of Beauty, ever adorned by You, sing of You.

    Indra, seated on His Throne, sings of You, with the deities at Your Door. The Siddhas in Samaadhi sing of You; the Saadhus sing of You in contemplation. The celibates, the fanatics, and the peacefully accepting sing of You; the fearless warriors sing of You. The Pandits, the religious scholars who recite the Vedas, with the supreme sages of all the ages, sing of You. The Mohinis, the enchanting heavenly beauties who entice hearts in paradise, in this world, and in the underworld of the subconscious, sing of You.

    The celestial jewels created by You, and the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage, sing of You. The brave and mighty warriors sing of You. The spiritual heroes and the four sources of creation sing of You. The worlds, solar systems and galaxies, created and arranged by Your Hand, sing of You. They alone sing of You, who are pleasing to Your Will. Your devotees are imbued with Your Sublime Essence. So many others sing of You, they do not come to mind. O Nanak, how can I think of them all? That True Lord is True, forever True, and True is His Name. He is, and shall always be.

  • Sikh Temple, Garland Celebrates Guru Nanak’s 544th Birth Anniversary

    Sikh Temple, Garland Celebrates Guru Nanak’s 544th Birth Anniversary

    Foundation stone for extension of building laid

    GARLAND, TX (TIP): Gurdwara (the Sikh shrine) Sikh Temple, Garland celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm the 544th birth anniversary of their First Master, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Sunday, November 17. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji is believed to have come in to this world on April 15, 1469. A great saint, philosopher and a social reformer, Guru Nanak Dev Ji revolutionized the way of life of a whole people. He came to have a large following and his followers came to be known as Sikhs whom the Tenth Master, Shri Guru Gobind Singh, gave a definite form and prescribed a way of life.

    There are nearly 25 million Sikhs across the world, of whom about half a million are in the USA. The 48 hour non stop recitation of the Sikh Holy Scripture Shri Guru Granth Sahib is mandatory for all special occasions. Thus, after the recitation of Shri Guru Granth sahib over a period of two full days, a kirtan darbar (hymn singing session) was held at which a large number of the sangat (congregation) was present. The Raagis (bards or singers of hymns) gave a recital of Gurbani.

    They included Bhai Malkit Singh, Bhai Fateh Singh and Bhai Bhuchar Singh. It was a humbling experience to watch the Sikhs following their Living Master, Shri Guru Granth Sahib in to the sanctum sanctorum where He was seated on a raised seat called Palaki Sahib. The usual practice of changing Nishan Sahib (the Sikh Flag) was conducted amidst prayers and slogans of glory to God and to the Sect (panth). The management of the Gurdwara has been planning to add to the existing building, more rooms for the existing school for children and the langar hall (community kitchen).

    On this auspicious day, the ceremony of breaking the ground for extension of the building was performed by the Panj Piaras (Five Beloved Sikhs of Guru Gobind Singh, the Creator of the Khalsa panth). Speaking n the occasion, the Secretary of the Gurdwara Bhai Manmohan Singh said the need for the bigger school building for children and a more spacious langar hall was felt for quite some time. He expressed his gratitude to God for having initiated construction work of the extension of the building on the auspicious day of the birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

    He added that besides God’s grace, it is the charity of the Sikh congregation who have donated generously for the project. He thanked and blessed each one of the donors, whatever the amount of donation. The Mukh Sevadar (President) of the Gurdwara Bhai Manjit Singh Sahota, in an interview with The Indian Panorama, underscored the importance of a school for children. He said our younger generation needs to be informed and educated about Sikh history and philosophy. They need to be told about the rich cultural heritage of the Sikhs.

    It is important to have a school to educate our children if we wish to preserve our culture and heritage. He said he would take the opportunity to thank, on behalf of the managing committee of the Gurdwara, the Sikh congregation of the Gurdwara for all their cooperation and conveyed his greetings to the Sikhs all across the world on the auspicious occasion of the 544th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

  • Pakistani court imposes restriction on screening of Indian movies

    Pakistani court imposes restriction on screening of Indian movies

    LAHORE (TIP): A Pakistani court on Tuesday imposed restrictions on the screening of Indian films across the country and laid down certain conditions for their release. Justice Khalid Mahmood of the Lahore high court issued the interim order in response to a petition filed by controversial TV talk show host Mubshir Lucman, a former film producer known for his anti-India stance.

    Lucman claimed that under Pakistani rules, Indian movies that are shot completely in India and are sponsored by an Indian cannot be screened in the country. He alleged “fake papers” were being used to change the identity of sponsors to screen Indian films in Pakistan. He also produced a court order to back up his arguments. The court directed authorities not to allow the screening of films that are imported using “fake” documents and are not sponsored by a Pakistani or foreign national. The judge also directed the Film Censor Board and Board of Revenue to respond to the petition at the next hearing on November 25.

    The court’s order came days after Pakistan’s electronic media regulator slapped fines worth Rs 10 million on 10 entertainment channels for airing excessive Indian and foreign content, including films and serials. Indian movies have largely fuelled a boom in the Pakistani box office after former military ruler Pervez Musharraf eased restrictions on their import in 2006. The screening of Indian movies was banned by Pakistan after the 1965 war but pirated copies of the films were widely available across the country. Bollywood movies, which are released almost simultaneously in Pakistan, have brought people back to cinemas and led to the construction of new cineplexes in cities like Islamabad and Lahore.