The Sunderbans, a mystical labyrinth where land and water merge in a breathtaking dance, captivates the senses with its ethereal beauty. Verdant mangrove forests stand tall, their roots intertwining like a web of life, offering sanctuary to a rich tapestry of flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth. Amidst this serene landscape, elusive Royal Bengal Tigers roam freely, while graceful estuarine crocodiles glide through the water with silent elegance. Manjira Majumdar paints an attractive picture of the Sunderbans, a testament to the sublime beauty of the natural world. You may not spot the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger in the…
Author: shubhangi
Welcome to the new, swanky Goa, where the essence of its vibrant culture meets modern luxury. Beachfront villas boast sleek designs and panoramic views, while upscale restaurants serve innovative takes on traditional Goan cuisine. The nightlife pulsates with energy, with trendy bars and clubs offering a mix of local beats and international rhythms. Whether you seek adventure or tranquility, the new Goa promises an unforgettable experience where opulence meets coastal allure. Manjira Majumdar says the new Goa is the newest hotspot on the Indian tourism map after Covid, drawing more domestic tourists and hopes it does not become another chaotic…
“Beatles Ashram buildings are lying in neglect, they should be revived in a phased manner.” Raju Gusain is the Indian Ambassador of The Beatles Story, the biggest museum of the band located in Liverpool. A freelance journalist, Gusain has seen the Beatles Ashram (also known as Chaurasi Kutiya) in Rishikesh up and close. In a free-wheeling chat with Tuhina Banerjee, he shares his thoughts about the place and the Fab Four. How did your association with Chaurasi Kutiya (Beatles Ashram) in Rishikesh begin? I came to Chaurasi Kutiya for the first time in 2003. The intention was to write a…
“We try to celebrate the traditional art mediums as much as the new technological breakthroughs.” Ekta Bhattacharya is so pretty that you might mistake her for an actress. And this, without a touch of make-up on her pretty face. She has evolved from an artist-as-hobby to a sole woman who has founded her own company of design called Ekta Creative Tales based in Kolkata. She is a designer par excellence who designs imaginative and contextually relevant film posts, book jackets, and so on for films in West Bengal and now, much beyond Kolkata. She opens out on a one-to-one with…
Bharat Dogra finds out that the focus behind providing an impetus to natural farming remains on establishing a direct link between ecologically protective farmers and health-conscious consumers. Once farming communities move in this direction, its consolidation will enable better quality seeds and saplings as well as know-how and other help in a more organised way. The Tikamgarh Model, harnessed in Madhya Pradesh’s district has emerged as a potential boost in encouraging small farmers to adopt natural farming practices, with special emphasis on encouraging women farmers, as well as diversifying crops with multi-layer vegetable gardens and small fruit orchards. Thanks to…
The recent unusual flooding in Dubai, the unprecedented heat wave in India and many other parts of the world, has triggered a debate on “Climate Change.” Raju Korti argues that all disasters resulting from the phenomenon are basically manmade and regrets governments across the globe being insensitive in addressing the issue. I am fundamentally opposed to the term “vagaries of nature”. It is an expedient way to blame the Nature for all the ills humans suffer. The phrase often implies a randomness or unpredictability in natural occurrences, suggesting that Nature operates without discernible pattern or purpose. As a compulsive student…
Rashmi Oberoi strongly believes that every person is unique in his/her own way and if left to themselves, without the added baggage of peer pressure, social norms, various discriminations, will bloom in natural manner and stand out as individuals. The strange norm of ‘changing’ for other’s perception is leading to full-fledged narcissists. I find that people are getting more covetous with time… Their perceptions about day-to-day things are leaning towards the bizarre slowly but steadily. Apparently, loud make-up, flashy clothes, being brand-conscious and all that glittery razzmatazz with these fake, put on accents is what is ‘in’ and the rest…
A fight master in real life too! Virender Harjidas Devgan, nee Veeru (1934 –2019) was a celebrated Bollywood stuntman, action choreographer, film director, actor, producer, and screenplay writer. From a self-effacing stand-in stuntman, he rose to be one of the most prominent action directors, bringing in innovative action sequences, executing them to perfection. Always ahead of his time, despite a technologically-challenged environment, he left his mark at a time when pure action, without VFX, was the order of the day. As mentor, he created job opportunities for innumerable stuntmen. In 1957, aged 14, he left Amritsar and moved to Bombay along…
The Operation Thunderbolt hero Captain Haneef Uddin hailed from Delhi and was born on 23 August 1974. He lost his father when he was barely eight and had two brothers Nafees and Sameer. His mother Hema Aziz was a classical singer. Haneef graduated in science from Shivaji College, Delhi. He was a talented singer and was crowned ‘Mr. Shivaji’ in his college. Haneef was extremely disciplined, responsible and ambitious and was keen to join the army. He was trained in computer science but shunned lucrative offers for an army career. He was commissioned into the Army Service Corps (ASC) on…
Publicity-shy media visionary Cherukuri Ramoji Rao was born on 16 November 1936 in Pattaparupudu of Krishna District, Madras Presidency in an agricultural family of poor means and his early life was a bitter struggle as the family had to go to great lengths to keep the wolf from the door. Ramoji had his formal education and then shifted to Delhi where he worked as an artist in an advertising firm. However, his entrepreneurial instincts soon surfaced and the first venture that he set up on his own was the Margaradarasi Chit Fund in 1974 which even today stands tall as…