BCCI vs. NIMBUS

Delay in the payment by NIMBUS which approximately is RS.130 crore to BCCI turned the latter upset. This amount was due for the recent India- Australia series. In all, $612 million or Rs 2,700 crore is how much Nimbus paid for the right to telecast Indian cricket till 2009. But with their sports channel NEO sports not managing its distribution well, there is constant speculation that Nimbus could be defaulting on its payments to the BCCI. A crisis was averted recently with Nimbus just about managing to pay their dues, failing which the board would have invoked the bank guarantee.

However, both parties insist that it was never a crisis and that Nimbus has now paid the dues. On their part, industry watchers insist that the BCCI-Nimbus relationship is likely to be strained in the days to come. This is simply because Nimbus is not managing to earn as much money as they are spending on cricket.

Nimbus currently only reaches 35 to 45 per cent of cable and satellite issues. Earlier this year their distribution deal with Star TV fell through leaving them to go it alone. The poor connectivity means that Doordarshan, who have rights to show all cricket in India because of government legislation, is the preferred channel for most people.

Advertisers obviously aren’t happy and are said to be unwilling to pay NEO’s rate of Rs 4 lakh per 20 seconds for the upcoming India-Pakistan series. Contrast that to the Rs 10 lakh per 10 seconds that ESPN managed for the T20 final between India and Pakistan.
However, Nimbus would counter that by saying that the T20 final was exclusively on ESPN since the tournament was only brought under the government’s must share clause after the world cup.

But Nimbus has also been given a rebate because this government ruling came after their contract was signed. The BCCI has given them a discount of about Rs 250 crore, which means a reduction of 10 per cent. Recovering Rs 2,700 crore from approx 23 Tests and 55 ODIs matches over four years was always going to be a tough task for anybody.

However, Nimbus seem to be struggling in particular - poor distribution, poor programming and the must share clause with Doordarshan makes this seem like a losing venture. No wonder then that everybody is looking out for the day when there is a default in payments.

The granting of telecast production rights for the high-voltage India-Pakistan series to Trans World International by the Board of Control for Cricket in India has led to an official protest by Nimbus Sport.

Claiming that their bid of USD 1.29 million was the lowest received by the BCCI and accusing an unnamed Board member of misleading its Working Committee, Nimbus Sport chairman Harish Thawani shot off a letter on Tuesday to BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra and N Srinivasan, BCCI’s Finance Committee chairman, seeking redressal.

In the letter, a copy of which is with Press Trust of India, Thawani wrote: "We refer to the offers contained in our letter of February 28, 2005, faxed to BCCI office-bearers and copies delivered by hand this morning to the Working Committee. "We understand that our offer of USD 1.29 million for television production is the lowest received by the BCCI.

"We learn that one member of the BCCI sought to create the impression that our offer is USD 1.50. We do not know how such an impression came about as our letter of 28 February 2005 is very clear that our offer is USD 1.29 million," Thawani wrote.

Stating that they contract all their international cricket production through their Singapore-based Group Company World Sport Nimbus Private Limited, Thawani wrote that given their lowest offer, the BCCI "will award the production contract to us". The BCCI Working Committee had decided unanimously to award the TV production rights to TWI for USD 1.50 million.

"We sincerely hope that BCCI will respect well established principles of awarding contracts as followed by bodies serving a public function and invite us to enter into a contract for television production," the letter said. Referring to their offer for various other rights including international media rights, the Nimbus chairman said their offers were either the highest in each category or the only ones in some others.

"Please also refer to our offers for various rights such as international media rights etc. all contained in our letter of 28 February 2005. We have good reason to believe our offers are either the highest in each category or the only offer in some categories. "You will doubtless appreciate that given the paucity of time, it is imperative that we meet at the earliest to finalise contracts," the letter concluded.

RAJ GHAT

A simple black marble platform, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, it marks the spot of his cremation. Located on the west banks of river Yamuna, this is the place where the father of nation was cremated on 31 January 1948. A stone footpath flanked by lawns leads to the walled enclosure that houses the memorial. Two museums dedicated to Gandhi are located near by. The memorial has the epitaph Hē Ram, (literally ‘O’ Ram’, but also translated to ‘O God’), believed to be the last words uttered by Gandhi.
The shrine itself is very simple: a raised square platform made of black marble and covered in flowers, with a perpetual flame burning at one end of it. When I was there, one day after Independence Day (15 August) the number of flowers formed a carpet over the shrine. Entrance to the memorial is free, but you must take off your shoes to go near the shrine. At the entrance there are guarded shelves where you can leave your shoes.

Gandhiji was in harmony with the elements of nature. The structure of the Samadhi reflects his ceramic simplicity. The brick platform on which his body had been burned, a black marble platform of the same size - some twelve feet by twelve feet square, and two feet deep, surrounded by a while marble fence - was erected and the shores were landscaped.

In keeping with the austere simplicity in life of Mahatma Gandhi, an unostentatious memorial marks the spot. No building covers the Samadhi except a low wall, which forms a compound around it. A commemorative ceremony takes place every Friday. Prayers are held in remembrance of Mahatma on the Birth (2nd October) and Death (30th January) Anniversaries. 30th January is remembered as Martyr’s Day.

Two museums dedicated to Gandhi are situated nearby. The Gandhi Memorial Museum is just across the road. It houses many belongings of Gandhi and photographs from his life. Gandhi Smriti Museum is housed in the Birla House at Tees January Marg, where Mahatma spent his last days and was shot down by Godse. The beautiful Zinat-ul Masjid or the Most Beautiful of Mosques towers over Raj Ghat. It is rarely visited by the tourists.

Nathu Ram Godse

Apart from ordinary people and tourists, it has become an essential point of call for all visiting dignitaries to pay their homage to the Father of the Nation. Thus the first item on the agenda of a foreign dignitary on a state visit to India is to visit Raj Ghat. They the memorial is set in a garden with fountains and a variety of exotic trees.

Low cost treatment in India

Super bug infections and long hospital waiting times are one of the main reasons why one- third of the patients go abroad, including India. Fear of contracting a fatal superbug and long hospital waiting times in United Kingdom are turning India into a popular destination for British health tourists who get comparatively cheaper and better treatment there.

Cost was another reason given for seeking treatment overseas, according to the survey, carried out by the information service Treatment Abroad. Indian hospitals charge 20 to 50 per cent less than private British clinics. In Chennai, a single knee replacement can cost 4,200 pounds, compared with 9,500 pounds in Britain, says a study.

A number of hospitals in India screen patients for MRSA, which they would treat before any surgery. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that Britain will adopt a similar policy within the year. Screening of emergency admissions could be in place within three years.

Indian Medical tourism industry is showing consistent growth. Due to more cases of infections in UK hospitals, around 33% percent patients are going abroad for treatment. Indian hospitals provide good treatments at much lower cost. After the outbreak of superbug in United Kingdom, the figures are expected to rise further. A survey revealed that the lower cost and better treatment with no waiting makes one third of Britons going abroad for treatment.

Medical tourism in India is increasing at 15 percent per year. Indian government is promoting health tourism and hospitals are directed to take special care of patients and to provide better services. Health tourism industry in India is expected to grow up-to 1.1 billion pounds by year 2011.

Another destination for British patients is Spain. Spain is on forefront for fertility treatments. Other nations providing medical services to increasing Britons include The Netherlands and Belgium.

DIWALI

“Row of Lighted lamps” or Diwali, the festival has existed from time immemorial, ever since man became aware of truth and untruth, darkness and light, death and immortality. It falls on the Amavasya of the month of Kartik every year in the Hindu calendar. By the English or Western Calendar this festival generally occurs over a period that covers the last week of October to the first half of the month of November. Diwali (or alternatively Deepawali, Deepavali or Diwali) is the Festival of Light. Hindus celebrate it all over the world. The true meaning of Diwali can be expressed as being to bring light where darkness prevails, truth where untruth prevails, to bring life where death prevails, to brighten our surroundings, to illumine our minds.

The Festival signifies the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, justice over injustice and intelligence over ignorance. The goddess worshipped at Diwali is Mother Lakshmi or Lakshmi Mata. Lakshmi Mata is the goddess of light, wealth and beauty and is also associated with prosperity, luck, riches, abundance, financial well being, and generosity.

At Divali it is not surprising to see elaborate preparations being made to welcome the goddess into the homes of devotees. Though it is titled as being a festival, it is one with a difference since at the heart of the festival is a very significant religious observance as Lakshmi Mata is honoured and worshipped in the form of pujas, singing bhajans and with the chanting of mantras.

Diwali comes exactly twenty days after Dussehra. Hindus and Sikhs alike regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships. It is one of the most important festivals, and beginning of the year in some Hindu calendars. There are several beliefs regarding the origin of the holiday. The most repeated version is that Hindus celebrate Diwali to mark the time when Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana. Some also view it as the day Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura or in honor of the day Bali went to rule the nether-world, obeying the order of Vishnu. It is also a significant festival for the Sikh faith. In India, Diwali is now considered to be more of a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.

The festival is celebrated for a differing number of days by different communities. In Maharashtra and Karnataka, the celebrations start from Vasubaras, 12th day of the second fortnight of Ashvin (going on for 6 days) while in Northern India the celebrations start from Laxmi Puja the no moon day of the same month (going on for 2-3 days). Though the core days are common and fall on exactly the same set of days across India, they fall in different months depending on the version of the Hindu calendar being used in the given region.

On the day of Diwali, many wear new clothes, share sweets and snacks. Some North Indian business communities start their financial year on Diwali and new account books are opened on this day. While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant esoteric meaning is "the awareness of the inner light".
Deepavali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing sweets, and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).

The Five days of Diwali

Diwali is celebrated over five days in most of North India. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. A lunar half-month is 15 days. Diwali as a new-moon day, marks the last day of a 15-day period.
Diwali being festival of lights, across India people celebrate it via symbolic diyas or kandils (colorful paper lanterns) as an integral part of Diwali decorations.

1)Dhan-trayodashi or Dhan teras: Dhan means "wealth" and Trayodashi means "13th day". Thus, as the name implies, this day falls on the 13th day of the second half of the lunar month. It is an auspicious day for shopping.

2)Naraka Chaturdasi: Chaturdasi is the fourteenth day on which demon Narakasura was killed. It signifies the victory of good over evil and light over darkness Vishnu, as he liberated the world from the demon Narakasura on this day. In the evening, lamps are again lit and Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped and offered special dishes. This being a no moon day, many will offer special tarpana (offerings of water and sesame seeds) to their ancestors.

3)Diwali: the actual day of Diwali, is celebrated on the third day of the festival, when the moon completely wanes and total darkness sets in the night sky.

4)Govardhan Puja or also called Annakut, is celebrated as the day Krishna defeated Indra. For Annakut a mountain of food is decorated symbolizing Govardhan mountain lifted by Lord Krishna. In Maharashtra it is celebrated as Padva or BaliPratipada. The day commemorates King Bali. Men present gifts to their wives on this day.

5)Bhayiduj (also Bhayyaduj, Bhaubeej or Bhayitika) — on this day, brothers and sisters meet to express their love and affection for each other (Gujarati: Bhai Bij, Bengali: Bhai Phota). Most Indian festivals bring together families; Bhaiduj brings together married sisters and brothers, and is a significant festive day for them. This festival is ancient, and pre-dates ‘Raksha Bandhan’ another brother-sister festival being celebrated today..

Melas

Mendhi is applied on women’s hands at a Diwali Mela.
To add to the festival of Diwali, fairs (or melas) are held throughout India. Melas are to be found in many towns and villages. A mela generally becomes a market day in the countryside when farmers buy and sell produce. Girls and women dress attractively during the festival. They wear colourful clothing, new jewelry and their hands are decorated with henna designs.

Economics of Diwali

Diwali is an annual stimulus for the Indian economy. Indians purchase gold, gifts, decorations, crackers (fireworks) and household appliances during this festival and many Indian films (Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood, etc.) are released during this period. Companies offer huge discounts during the Diwali season to attract customers, which helps the economy and also helps the poor. Food distributed as acts of charity during community festivities also helps the underprivileged. Diwali also brings tourists to the country. Schools in India are closed during this festival, and many young people have the free time and the money to spend on luxury items. Also, people buy new clothes to wear during Diwali.

Firecrackers

To enhance the joy of Diwali both the young and the old light firecrackers and fireworks at night. Nowadays there is a significant growth in campaigns on creating awareness over the adverse impacts of noise and air pollution. Some Governments drive to keep the festival less noisy and pollution-free. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has banned production of crackers with over 125 decibel levels.[3] In survey of UP Pollution Control Board, it was revealed that the emission of smoke was found more in the light

Tradition of Playing Cards

Reflecting tradition wrapped in modernity, playing cards is extremely popular on Diwali day. It is said that on playing cards, the goddess of wealth smile upon the player and ensures her goodwill. The memories of Diwali night can be joyful to the winners and the losers can’t wait for the next Diwali to come around.

The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year. This tradition of playing cards- flush and rummy with stakes on this particular day continues even to-day.

This day, with its emphasis on money, is also considered lucky for gambling by playing cards. Giving social sanction to a vice, a popular saying states that one who does not gamble on this day will reborn as a donkey in his next birth. Casinos and local gambling houses do brisk business during the Diwali week.

Dandia:

India, a country known for its unity in diversity, where people from different caste, color, creed, religion not only live together, also shares the sorrows and joys together. In the western India, during Navratras, Dandia, a Gujrati group dance form where men and women participate in pairs. The dancers hold decorated bamboo sticks called dandias in their hands. At the end of these “dandias”, tiny bells or ghungroos are tied, which create a jingling sound when the sticks are struck with each other.
Dandia is a millennia-old celebration of the victory of good over evil. A nine-day celebration of music and dance, it is an occasion for the community to get together, bond, and celebrate. For some it is an important occasion to raise awareness and funds for underprivileged children in India.
People dressed in the traditional ghagra, choli, churidars, bandhani dupattas together with dazzling jewelry and gear into the traditional dance mode. From religious affair to social gathering to fun outing the festival has varied facets to it.

Coming to the song and dance scene, the music is not just restricted to a Gujarati folk tune of a dholida or a pankhida these days. The music has gone much more contemporary from the traditional tunes, to suit the taste of the present generation. So today, the first thing that gets to your eardrums after the ceremonial Aarti is done with is a Kaanta Lagaa, a Chadti Jawani, a Chail-Chabila Babu or Ek Pardesi.

Talking about the festival’s portrayal in Hindi cinema, Bollywood has consistently shared a give and take relationship with Navratras. The more songs Bollywood has given to play in the festival, the more inspiration the festival has given Bollywood to churn out new songs and sequences.

The oldest memory of the festival in Bollywood goes down to actress Nutan, set in the Garbha mode to the tune of Mein to bhool chali babul ka desh from Saraswati Chandra (1968). This one still remains to be one of the most popular tracks among the old crowd in the festival circuit. On the very similar tune came out the devotional song “Mein to aarti utaru re” from the 1975 film Jai Santoshi Maa.

Next to follow were Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha swaying their dandia sticks to the tune of “Sabse Bada Tera Naam” in Manmohan Desai’s Suhaag (1979). This Laxmikant Pyarelal number proved out to be an instant hit.

Singer Narendra Chanchal famous for his devotional renditions, who covered the range of every possible goddess bhajan from Durga, Ambe, Gauri to Laxmi maa has two superhit songs to his credit that still make the rounds of the festival. Tune Mujhe Pukara from Asha (1980) and Chalo Bulawa Aaya Hai from Avtaar (1983) are more devotional than dance numbers.

Cut to mid 80’s, Babla entered the festival scene, blending disco with dandia starting the trend of Disco Dandia. This formula worked wonders at that time and the most hit song in this genre was the remixed version song from Nagin (1954) Man dole which still forms the grand finale of most dandia dance rounds.

Till the early 90’s, only traditional Gujarati folk songs made rounds at dandia nights. It was at this time that Hindi film music made an entry into the festival scene and there was no looking back. Popular tracks from Hindi films were reformatted into the dandia version by just adding a four beat rhythm in the background of the original songs. The trend still remains the most popular one till today, while setting the dancing crowd in full swing.

Also the time saw the entry of famous film personalities into the festive mood through star-studded nights. Organisers of dandia shows worked on a simple mantra: Get the film stars and the crowds will follow. It added a touch of glamour to the nights. The fact that stars add value to the festival of Navratri is unmistakable. While a film star graced the occasion for not more than half an hour, the passes priced over 1000 bucks would sell like hot cakes. There was this case in 2000 when a local dandia organised at Juhu had a Fiza evening, a Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai evening and a Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai evening with stars from these movies making an appearance on each night.

Also, Navratri became that time of the year when playback singers were in most demand. As per trade sources, singers earned in lakhs for their performance.

Then the fact that the festival gave Bollywood new singers is undeniable. Falguni Pathak, for instance, who was quite popular in the dandia circuit shifted to pop and film music, soon. Others to follow were the sibling singers Preeti and Pinky (of Piya Piya fame) who grabbed Bollywood offers after getting noticed at dandia nights.

Favorite tracks in recent times constitute Dhol baaje from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) that has turned out to be the garbha anthem. Other Bhansali film song Dola Re Dola from Devdas (2002) is more hit in the Kolkata circuit as the song was set at a Durga pooja, which is celebrated with much fanfare in the eastern belt.

The other numbers include Radha kaise na jale from Lagaan (2001) that had a typical rustic feel with A.R.Rehman’s music not getting too heavy on the ears like the other songs in this genre. Rehman’s other dandia composition Aaj garbhe ki raat hai from the film Dil Hi Dil Mein (2000) couldn’t get the same measure of success. Aamir and Juhi, when still a hit pair, matched their stick movements in the Disco Dandia track from the 1989 film Love Love Love. Aishwarya tried to woo Akshaye Khanna in Aa Ab Laut Chale dancing to the tune of Yehi Hai Pyaar on the festival night. More recently Ash attempted to enlighten Hollywood hunk Martin Henderson with the desi dandia dance steps in the Dola Dola number from the crossover culture cinema Bride and Prejudice.

There was even a film, which had its first half completely dedicated to the Navratri festival. Remember the Hrithik-Amisha starrer Aap Mujhe Aache Lagne Lage where the nine nights of Navratri had a footage of more than nine stretched scenes? Unfortunately the idea wasn’t much appreciated or accepted.

Also Navratri is the time when music companies churn out special albums for the festival constituting hit songs of the year, remixed with a techno dandia beat that plays about 45 minutes of non-stop music. These albums act as an affordable alternative to orchestral arrangements at small budgeted local dandia nights.

Some of the tracks that would be heard in the cassette format or crooned by orchestra singers this year basically constitute popular item numbers of the year like Sajna Ve Sajna (Chameli), Aisa Jadoo (Khakee), Dhoom Machale (Dhoom), Ishq Khudai (Rudraksh), Chinamma Chilakamma (Meenaxi), Bindaas (Krishna Cottage), Janaabe Ali (Bardaasht), Aaja Soniye (Mujhse Shaadi Karogi), Oh! What A Babe (Rakht) and Saaki (Musafir) . Not to forget the remix tracks Kaanta Laga, Saiyan dil mein aana re, Chadti jawani, Ek Pardesi, Pyaar Ka Nasha and Pardesiya are proving out to be the maximum crowd pullers.

Whatever be the case, the fact that - Bollywood and Navratras go hand in hand is inescapable.

DIWALI ON DALAL STREET

It took 15 years for Sensex to sail from 1000 pts to 10,000. The next jump, to 20,024 pts, took just 20 months. This makes the India growth story so unique. The hope of another foreign exchange surge into India - forex reserves across emerging markets are expected to hit a record $1 trillion in 2007 - powered the Sensex to a historic figure of 20,024.

Domestic and foreign investors scooped up Indian equities as the Sensex made its third-largest intra-day gain ever, 781 points, in advance of an anticipated US Federal Reserve interest cut on October 31. The Sensex has gained 27.5 per cent since the last Fed rate cut on September 18 and the climb from 19,000 to 20,000 took only 11 trading sessions over 14 days.

Why are you looking at that particular number? It was a foregone conclusion that flows waiting would come. Emerging markets like India have become hot investment destinations because of a weakening US dollar and economy, said observers. Countries that traditionally invest forex reserves in US bonds now divert some money into the world’s growing economies.

That growth story is the bedrock of the stock surge. India’s economy is likely to grow at close to 9 per cent, said Finance Minister P. Chidambaram at the Indo-US CEO forum in Mumbai. This is lower than last year’s growth rate of 9.4 per cent. But with the world’s largest economy, the US, expected to post a GDP growth of below 2 per cent this year, analysts said there is a 30 per cent chance of an American recession in 2008.

China is the world’s fastest growing economy with an 11% growth rate, India is second, but since its growth is largely driven by domestic demand, it is may be more insulated from a recession than China and Asia’s other ‘Tiger’ economies riding on exports to’ the US, experts said.

It took 15 years for the Sensex to sail from 1,000 points to 10,000, as India opened up its economy from 1990 to 2006. With Indian companies outperforming the overall economy, the Sensex made its next 10,000-pointjump to 20,000 in just 20 months.

Experts advise caution: Global crude prices are rising, export-led industries are struggling with a strong rupee and curbs on forex inflows measures are possible. On pricing, whether valuations are stretched and gone beyond the fundamentals is an issue we must look at.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged global investors to remain engaged and committed in India, adding that the stock markets were sending positive signals.
“Be it FDI, investments in our stock markets or investments in knowledge economy, the signals are all positive. We will work to keep these positive,” Singh said, inaugurating the Fortune Global Forum in New Delhi, attended by leading bankers and CEOs.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “I know very well that investment is an act of faith. It is shaped by perceptions, by expectations and by all uncertainties of life. I invite you to have faith in India. I assure you that your faith will not be misplaced,” he said. .
“All those who invest in India, who invest in its future, who invest in India’s prosperity and who invest in the capability of the Indian people will be investing in the future of democracy,” the PM said, asserting that no policy reform has ever been reversed in India.

Lara Dutta

The first Miss Universe of the new millennium, Lara Dutta was born on April 16 1978 in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. She is a daughter of Wing Commander L.K.Dutta (retired). Before Miss Universe she was a successful print and ramp model. She was first discovered by Gladrags’ annual modeling competition. At the age of 16 she left her home from Bangalore to come to Mumbai and realize her dreams.

The Dutta family moved from Ghaziabad to Bangalore in 1981 where she completed high school from Frank Anthony Public School. Lara graduated in economics with a minor in communications from Bombay University at Bangalore.
She was appointed as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in 2001 as she was crowned Miss Universe in 2000.

After winning Miss Intercontinental in Germany, she started to build up a very successful modeling career on a national scale. She appeared in advertisements for Synergie, Ceat, Coke and Sprite which made her popular. She participated in the Miss Femina India contest and won the title which paved her way to the Miss Universe Crown. A mix between Punjabi and Scottish parents this stunning beauty always emerged a winner.

Lara has embarked on another path the road to stardom in Bollywood. Her debut film was Andaaz. She got the film fare award for Andaaz as a new comer. The film and its music were hit. After that her one more film came Mumbai Se Aya Mera Dost. In both films her work was appreciated. In ‘Masti’ she played a small role. Her film Aan is opposite Akshay Kumar. She looks ahead to many more and her steely determination lead her to win. Apart from these she participated in various AIDS related events and worked along with the UNFPA. As the reigning Miss Universe, she traveled across the world on behalf of the Miss Universe organisation to promote their official cause of building AIDS/HIV awareness. After finishing her reign, Lara returned to school to complete her MBA in marketing and communications.

Lara Dutta currently resides in Mumbai. She dated Derek Jeter briefly before having an eight-year relationship with actor Kelly Dorjee. She is rumored to have broken up with Dorjee in July 2007.

KARWA CHAUTH

A traditional Hindu festival, celebrated in some parts of India especially in the north. Married women observe a fast that ensures the well-being, prosperity and longevity of their husbands. It is celebrated on the chaturthi tithi (date) after the full Moon in the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar.

 According to the religious scriptures like Dharma sindhu, Nirnay sindhu and other shastra that governs rules of when to observe festival says, “Karwa Chauth to be observed at moonrise (chandrodaya vyapini) and poorva viddha, best if its tritiya viddha. If visible during both days take the first one, if not visible on both days then take the second one”.

Possessing a tremendous social and cultural significance, this festival is celebrated by keeping fast, applying henna and exchange of gifts. Along with traditional items such as henna, beauty products and fashionable clothes, the demand of special eateries are also gearing up. Nowadays, Karwa Chauth is more of fun than a serious festival.

The festivities surrounding Karwa Chauth encourage people to gather and socialize with friends and family, exchange gifts and share home-cooked meals. The gifts exchanged on this occasion reflect joy, splendor, brightness and happiness of a married life. Henna symbolizes luck and prosperity. Thus, decorating hand and feet by creating beautiful designs out of henna paste is one of the most common traditions on all occasion. As Karwa Chauth is meant for married woman, the significance of henna increases manifold

The festival of Karwa Chauth provides an opportunity for all married women to get close to their in-laws. Karwa means clay pot and Chauth means fourth night after the full moon. It has great social and cultural significance and is mostly practiced in northern India. Wives start their fast at night just after the appearance of the moon, within sight of their husbands. They then wait until the next night’s moonrise to begin the fast breaking ceremonies, without consuming any food or drink. In the evening women dress in their best clothing, and adorn themselves with jewellery and henna.

On sighting the moon, they look and offer prayers and worship to it, and then receive their first bite of food and water from their husbands. Thereafter, women consume their special meal prepared for the occasion. Worshipping the moon involves filling up the karwa with specially prepared food and jewellery and offering it to the god. Karwas are also exchanged with other women after that. Further practices involve telling and listening to stories regarding origin of Karwa Chauth.

There are variations within regions, groups, and communities in India about rituals of starting and breaking the fast, and worshipping the moon. In Punjab, for example, women start their fast by consuming food called sergi sent or given by her mother-in-law before the dawn. The fast breaking ceremony involves looking at the moon through a sieve, and then looking at her husband’s face. They often close their eyes in the process and do not see anyone but their husbands just after seeing the moon. In other parts of India, there is no provision of sergi.
 
A long long time ago, there lived a beautiful girl by the name of Veeravati. She was the only sister of her seven loving brothers, who was married to a king. On the occasion of the first Karva Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents’ house. After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, the queen couldn’t stand the rigors of fasting and was desperately waiting for the moon to rise. The seven brothers, who loved her dearly, were very disturbed watching the distress of their sister and decided to end her fast by deceiving her. Then the brothers reflected a mirror through Pipal tree leaves. The sister, taken it as moonrise, broke the fast and took food. However, the moment the queen ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband, the king, was seriously ill.
The queen rushed to her husband’s palace and on the way, she met Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati. Parvati informed her that the king had died because the queen had broken her fast by watching a false moon. However, when the queen asked her for forgiveness, the goddess granted her the boon that the king would be revived. But to achieve this, she would have to undertake the Karva Chauth fast under strict rituals, then only her husband would come top life. Thus, by strictly following all the rituals of Karva chauth, queen Veeravati relieved her husband.

The belief in this fast and its associated rituals goes back to the pre-Mahabharata times. Draupadi, too, is said to have observed this fast. Once Arjun went to the Niligiris for penance and the rest of the Pandavas faced many problems in his absence. Draupadi, out of desperation, remembered Lord Krishna and asked for help. Lord Krishna reminded her that on an earlier occasion, when Goddess Parvati had sought Lord Shiva’s guidance under similar circumstances, she had been advised to observe the fast of Karva Chauth. Draupadi followed the instructions and observed the fast with all its rituals. Consequently, the Pandavas were able to overcome their problems. On this day, fasting women listen to Karva Chauth legends with rapt attention.

There is the story of the Satyavan and Savitri. When Lord Yama, came to procure Satyavan’s soul, Savitri begged him to grant him life. When he refused, she stopped eating and drinking and Yamraj finally relented. He granted her, her husband’s life. To this day, Karva Chauth is celebrated with great faith and belief.

In modern day, with all the trappings of commercialization attached, Karva Chauth, the big fasting day has turned into a full-fledged event. The event is growing bigger with each passing day. Karva Chauth celebrations promise to grow bigger with each passing year. The Halwais, the Mehendi and Churiwallis have traditionally been busy on this auspicious day. But joining the bandwagon in recent times are the beauty parlour owners, the event managers and the restaurant owners.

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

ON September 13, BCCI announced the birth of IPL, a multi- million dollar Twenty 20 league. With total prize money of three million dollars the BCCI, vice president Lalit Modi, the man responsible for this venture said that it is to revitalize and raise the profile of domestic cricket. Although it a show of strength that could browbeat any rival initiative like ICL

IPL, a baby of world’s richest cricket controlling body BCCI, attracted many former and playing legends of the game. Adding a touch of glamour and celebrity value to the event was the presence of India stars Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble and Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath and former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming. Retired Australian spin wizard Shane Warne confirmed his joining of the IPL in a video conference from London, saying he was excited and looking forward to coming to India for the League.

The IPL will be an eight-team league based on metropolitan cities though the exact cities and the venues of the competition were yet to be finalised. It will be structured on ”franchise model” like the English Premier League. Franchisees will own clubs/teams by paying a fee to the franchisor, which is the BCCI. The franchisees will bid for players but Modi later said a player may not join a highest bidder but join a team of his choice.

Niranjan Shah

”There will be 16 players in each team which may have two to three foreign players, at least four under 21 players and a minimum four cricketers from the catchment area,” Modi said in his presentation. The eight teams will be divided into two divisions and they will play on a home and away basis with the other seven teams making the total number of matches to 59 to be played in 44 days.

The International League which is slated to be held in October next year, initially among eight teams — winners and runners-up team from India, Australia, South Africa and England — will have two divisions of four each.

Fifteen matches –12 group league matches, two semi-finals and a final — will be played in nine days. The winners of the international league will get a whopping two million dollar while the runners-up will pocket one million. The two losing semi-finalists will be richer by five lakh dollars each while the remaining four particpating teams will get 250,000 dollars each.

Its final leg will be called ‘Champions Twenty20 League’ and all the finalists from across the World will play in this Champions League. The champion team in the Champions Twenty20 league will get $5 million, highest ever for a cricket event.  The league will be run by separate Governing body which will independently manage the affairs of the IPL, which comprises I.S. Bindra, Chirayu Ameen, Arun Jaitly, Rajeev Shukla, MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Lalit Modi as their members. The integration of accounts of IPL will be done on annual basis. There will be separate office for the IPL at the MCA’s newly constructed Cricket House.

All these things will be run under the rules and regulations of BCCI. There are certain mandatory guidelines for the franchisees to follow:

Intra division matches would be played on weekends while inter division matches will be played on weekdays. The clubs will be formed by the BCCI and the franchisees have to pay the Board to form a club. There will be two divisions for the franchisees namely South and North. All the franchisees will be given territorial exclusivity so that nobody can interfere in their own area regarding player’s registration etc. The last but not the least as all the matches will be played under the rules and regulations of ICC.

This apparent change of heart, formation of IPL, had nothing to do with Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s young Team India winning the inaugural Twenty20 world championships in South Africa in September, an event Indian officials once strongly opposed.

It had everything to do with the unveiling in May of the unofficial multi-million-dollar so-called rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), bankrolled by the country’s largest media group, Zee Telefilms. A rattled BCCI banned cricketers signing up to the ICL from representing the country, forcing the rebel body to file an ongoing case challenging the BCCI’s monopoly over the sport.

Indian Cricket League

Everything started with a bid for the telecast rights of the biggest international cricket event- The world cup 2003. Zee Telefilms, was denied the telecast rights, though their big was highest. Once again Subhash Chandra of Zee Telefilms bid for telecast rights in 2004 and was denied. His response: the ICL. “They denied us the cricket content,” says Himanshu Mody, business head of ICL and Zee’s sports channels. “So, we had to create our own content”.

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) is a proposed private cricket league that will run parallel to the existing cricket league managed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The format of ICL will be Twenty20. On Zee Telefilms announced that it would be partner with infrastructure major IL&FS to create a new ambitious cricket league, Indian Cricket League (ICL).

This league will have a prize money of $ 1 million for the winner. ICL was set up with a Rs. 100 crore (Rs. 1 billion) corpus, and would initially comprise six teams to be expanded to 16 in three years. This will make ICL the richest professional league in the country with an annual prize of $1 million (Rs. 4.4 crore). ICL has already signed a number of major players but is yet to reveal their names. On July 24th, some great international names cropped up such as Brian Lara. The ICL has confirmed that Brian Lara and Inzaman-Ul-Haq has signed up and will be joining the league.

The Pakistan Cricket Board warned its players to stay away from the league. Imran Farhat though chose to opt out of his Pakistan Central contract to sign with the Indian Cricket League. Former captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team Javed Miandad said he is not able to understand why PCB is not allowing its players to play in the league and even threatened players with a lifetime ban.

Each team will be coached by a former India player and will comprise four international, two Indian and eight budding domestic players. Essel Group is also planning to set up cricket academies all over the country. BCCI has been assured that it is free to draw from ICL’s talent pool. The league will be functional by July-August 2007 and will start with Twenty20 format matches in the run-up to the Twenty20 World Cup in September 2007.

Only professional, paid and accountable people have been hired to run the ICL. There will be no "honorary-positions" such as unpaid selectors. Former international cricketers including Kapil Dev, Tony Greig, Dean Jones and Kiran More have been hired as board members of the Indian Cricket League.  The board positions will be paid positions.

The BCCI refused to recognize ICL as a cricket league, and criticized Kiran More and Kapil Dev for joining ICL. Kapil Dev’s association with ICL was seen as conflict of interest as he is the current chairman of National Cricket Academy, a BCCI owned cricket facility.  As of August 21, 2007 Kapil Dev has been sacked from his NCA post. Subhash Chandra had earlier stated that the ICL will go ahead regardless of the BCCI stance. The International Cricket Council gave a statement through its chief executive, Malcom Speed, that ICC won’t recognize ICL unless BCCI recognizes it. ICC looks at ICL as an issue to be sorted out by BCCI.
Faced with the threat of young players joining the ICL, the BCCI jacked up prize money for winners, runner-up and losing semi-finalists across all tournaments. An average domestic cricketer can hope to make around Rs 35,000 per match day from the season of 2007-08: more than double the Rs 16,000 they got in 2005-06. The BCCI has also planned to do away with honorary selectors, who will be paid from September 2008 onwards.

BCCI has started its own international Twenty20 league, with the help of Australian, England & South Africa boards. The league, which will start in October 2008, is called the Champions Twenty20 cricket. The league model is said to be a revolutionary one, on the model of NFL, MLB in USA.
ICL has received support from unexpected quarters. There was a fear that lack of infrastructure, like the cricket stadiums, might limit the success of the operation of the league. But, support from various government bodies has boosted the league. It was reported that camps will be held at Mayajaal in Chennai, which is a private resort with good cricket facilities. Indian Railways chief Lalu Prasad has shown his backing by opening all the cricket stadiums controlled by the Indian Railways to the league. Terming ICL as a “good initiative”, Mr. Lalu Prasad has given a statement saying that the BCCI and ICL should, each, come up with a cricket team and play against each other to show who the best is. The state government of West Bengal has also agreed to rent its cricket grounds, notably the Eden Gardens, to the league and anybody else..

It has often been said that the ICL is a challenge and/or a rival to the BCCI. Furthermore, due to the corruption-free and professional nature of ICL, it is much more efficient with its money and resources than the BCCI. It is said that the ICL could overtake the BCCI in terms of revenue or influence within 5-10 years. Just as the ATP took over the ITF in tennis 35 years ago.

In a poll conducted by a leading online cricket website 68.9% of those voted said ICL will do better than BCCI in the coming years, 14.9% said they will work together with ICL having a supportive role, while 16.2% expressed concern that ICL will be a failure.

Cheap Laptops Arrive for Tryout in India

This is not a cost-reduced version of today’s laptop. It’s an entirely new approach to the idea of a laptop. The so-called $100 laptops for children may make it to India after all. Last year, India rebuffed One Laptop per Child, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology spin-off that created rugged little computers for kids in the developing world.

A Non profit association, OLPC, is dedicated to researching and developing a low-cost laptop to serve as an educational tool for children in the developing world. The cheapest laptops on the market today typically sell for about $499, a price completely out of reach for most of the world’s children and their parents. The $100 laptop has the potential to transform education in the world’s poorest countries.

AMD’s chief strategy officer describes, “Our design of the $100 laptop as the first fundamental revisit of personal computer architecture since IBM launched the PC in 1981. Twenty-five years, and now, for the first time, we’re redesigning the whole architecture - hardware, software, display - and we’re coming up with some remarkable inventions and innovations."  The $100 laptop, which will have online capability, will also have features that most typical laptops do not. These include instant on, three to four times the range of WiFi antennae, a hand crank to recharge the battery, one-tenth the power consumption, and a higher-resolution display.

India’s education minister was quoted calling the project "pedagogically suspect," apparently because it demands children be allowed to take the laptops home to maximize exploration.

Being shut out of the world’s second-most populous country seemed a defeat for One Laptop per Child, which has had a tougher sell than it expected. Mass production of its roughly $190 laptops is expected to begin soon, but with fewer than the several million computers originally envisioned.

Even after hearing the minister’s comments, One Laptop Per Child kept talking to Indian officials, companies and non-governmental agencies. And a pilot test began recently in which 22 children in first through fourth grades in a rural, one-room school in the Indian state of Maharashtra are using the computers.

Carla Gomez-Monroy, the education consultant who launched the test, said One Laptop per Child has learned that working with local partners will be crucial in India, where dozens of languages are spoken. It also helps that One Laptop per Child has dropped its initial goal of getting each participating government to buy at least 1 million computers. Now, far smaller orders and donations are being encouraged.

Ten years back when Noida was still a poor cousin of New Delhi, the brother-sister duo both still in college at the time-set up a restaurant there, called Punjabi by Nature. Neither had any experience in the hospitality business but say they were foodies looking to fill the void of good Punjabi eating places in the NCR and, at the same time, start a venture of their own. Initially, they were helped by their father who runs a real estate business, but today, the two are on their own, clocking an annual turnover of Rs 25 crore and a growth rate of about 30 per cent. Yes, we are talking about Arjun and Pia Puri

Having tasted success in the capital-where they have four restaurants-the Puris now plan to expand nationally over the next two years.

When they started, Noida was a sleepy suburb. But with IT companies setting up shop in the area and the DND toll bridge allowing easy access, Noida’s Sector 18 market, the location of their first restaurant, became one of the most bustling areas of the township. The 180-cover restaurant became a success almost overnight. Chef Jeet Singh Thapa, who had worked previously at lTC’s famous Bukhara restaurant, was roped in to cook up innovative recipes. And innovative they were, starting with the vodka shots in golgappas, followed by beer as a chaser. The dishes that especially got tongues watering, and wagging were the raan-e-Punjab (leg of tandoori lamb), jhangi chaap (lamb chops with Indian spices), tandoori prawns, dahi ke kebab (made of hung curd), and the Lahori masala paneer-all of them served in traditional utensils.

They set out to do something different with traditional Indian cuisine, which is how the idea of serving golgappas spiked with flavoured vodka came up. The vodka mix, a closely guarded secret, is prepared in-house over a month and is available in five flavours-two pepper versions, aam panna, jal jeera and tamarind. Buoyed by the good response to this unusual offering, Punjabi by Nature has now added tequila golgappas to the menu as well.

In 2002, as business improved, the Puris decided to expand and set up a second outlet up in Delhi’s upmarket Vasant Vihar with 240 covers. In August 2006, they followed it up with a 180-cover eatery in Gurgaon. The latest outlet at Raja-Garden opened in December 2006, with 200 covers and an alfresco dining area. Interestingly, different designers were hired for each outlet so that no two would look similar. The Gurgaon outlet has clean-lined furniture, low lighting and modern art, while the Vas ant Vihar outlet displays portraits of Punjab’s old royals. The Noida restaurant attracts both families and corporates, while the Gurgaon branch is a favourite for corporate lunches. The Vasant Vihar and Raja Garden outlets are mostly frequented by families.

This is among the best options for entertaining friends outside a five star. The interiors are warm and inviting and the food, especially the meats and kebabs, are to die for. Their portions are generous. One portion can easily feed four persons. With the brand planning to expand to Bangalore and Hyderabad initially, and then to Chandigarh and Ludhiana in the next two years, more people will get to savour the flavours of the pind.

SPICY SAUCE IN CHANDIGARH

Every city has its favourite eat streets-those by-lanes that buzz in the evenings with hungry shoppers jostling around stalls dishing out sizzling hot samosas, burgers and tikkis or ice-creams, soups and chaats drowned in spicy sauce. Chandigarh is no exception; it too has its share of pitstops that dole out no-frills but delicious fare.

Meet Azeez, who is one of the biggest stars on Chandigarh’s eat street. The most famous golgappa seller in the city, Azeez says his day typically begins at six in the morning, when the day kisses the night. The whole day, he toils on the preparations for the spices and fillings that make his chaats the chat of the town and come evening, he’s ready at his stall in Sector 23. When the light starts going out, people start coming,” he laughs.

Azeez, who quaintly is also known as Michael, is a rather poetic being. Gesturing towards his abundant spread of golgappas, aloo and chana, he pronounces: “All these things come from the sunlight, the colours of the rainbow and the glory of nature.” Interrupt him to ask him about hygiene and he bristles. “Hygiene is of paramount importance to us. People will never visit us again if they fall ill after having our golgappas. Which is why we keep the ingredients covered and wash our hands before serving customers.”

Regular customer Natasha Sethi wouldn’t dream of having golgappas off a platter served by a waiter in a restaurant anyway. “No fancy restaurant can match the charm of a roadside vend. The real flavour of street food lies in the way it is served-on paper or leaf platters. Making and eating golgappas is an art. In any case, the water used to fill the golgappas is good for digestion,” she says.

Despite the incursion of spiffy retail chains, burgeoning fast food outlets and stringent court diktats, the popularity of street food remains unchallenged. People enjoy getting their hands dirty and watching the vendor prepare the snack-an experience that can’t be matched by the best air-conditioned restaurants where kitchens are strictly out of bounds.

That’s perhaps one of the reasons Mahendra Chopra, a New York-based watch designer, and his wife Yogita, are drawn to Punjab’s street food. Every time they are here, they stop by Ali’s roadside stall in Sector 21. “I don’t think anybody makes better burgers than him,” asserts Mahendra. Ali glows at the warm praise. “My burgers, served with cheese, potatoes and mint chatni are priced at just Rs 5,” he says. New customers invariably come in looking for a menu. Instead, they find a placard which reads “From Ali with Love.” Clearly, this is service with more than a smile.

A favourite with Mohali residents is Rohan’s chicken soup.
Every evening, Rohan can be seen stacking bowls for his loyalists at the corner of Phase 3-B2 and soon, people start pouring in. Though he hardly gets time to chat with his customers, Rohan says he knows each of them personally. Homemaker Harpreet Kaur is one client whose family comes here regularly.” You can’t get better soup at a five star restaurant,” she smiles.

Globe-trotting businessman Parminder Singh says street food represents well-established local culinary traditions and a tour of the local hawkers’ stalls is the quickest way of getting a feel of the local cuisine. Adds professor and historian Gurdev Singh: “Street food is influenced by local climate. A warm climate, like ours, makes culinary operations easier and produces more passers-by.” Whether that’s true or not, the fact is its earthy appeal, delicious taste and aroma, and the personal touch, put roadside eats streets ahead of other fare. People enjoy getting their hands dirty and watching the vendor prepare their snack-it’s an experience that can’t be matched by the spiffiest restaurant.

Gourd gets going

The torai is often a-victim of overpowering spices and is seldom appreciated for its original flavour. Doodhiya, nenua, ghee torai call it by any name, the poor gourd remains Cinderella untransformed by any fairy godmother’s magic touch. Immensely beneficial, it has a sweet taste if you don’t (unwisely, according to us) adulterate it with tomatoes, onions, Garam masala and what not.

The pilaf - presumably the root for pulav - is commonly acknowledged as a Central Asian contribution to global cuisine. Though references in Bhavprakashnighantu, an ancient ayurvedic text nail the lie. Palav was known to our ancestors as ‘rice cooked with meat and condiments’. The point is that even in times gone by the shakahari version was not found worth mentioning.

Times have changed and nowadays there are myriad avatar in this genre-peas; navaratan, jeera, gucchi and what not. All much to our regret mimic their meaty cousin. What the torai pulav attempts is to assert the ’superior’ simplicity of the dish. It is sufiana in temper, impressive in subtle play on the palate. Perhaps, a purist would frown upon the vegetarian pilaf but that does not detract from the sheer simplicity and pleasure of serving and having a well-made pilaf.

This torai pilaf is not only quick to make but ensures that the subtle flavour of the torai and delicate aroma of rice are preserved. Often accused of being bland, the torai is often a victim of overpowering spices and is seldom appreciated for its original flavour. This recipe however does justice to the gentle flavour of torai. We acknowledge our debt for introducing us to this beauty to friend from Allahabad.

            How to make TORAI PILAF
 

METHOD:

Peel the torai, wash and cut in small pieces. Pick and wash rice then soak for about half an hour. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. When it reaches smoking points put in first the bay leaf, then the royal cumin seeds and when these begin to pop up, add the other spices. After about thirty seconds put in the sliced onions and stir-fry briskly for a minute, then add garlic ginger paste.

Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Now put in the torai and stir well. Drain the rice and add the torai in the pan. Stir with a gentle touch ensuring that the grains of the rice don’t break. Add salt, cover and cook on medium flame till done. Add no water. The rice should absorb all the water yielded by the torai. If the moisture is still there place the pan on a hot tawa to ‘dry’ the dish on the dum. If you like it hot, then sprinkle ½ tsp of Garam masala on top and garnish with a couple of green chillies.

Makes a superbly simple yet deeply satisfying dish meal when you don’t feel like exerting. Resist the temptation to spice the green pulav with pickle or chutney. Let the gourd revel in stellar splendour.