Twist to unwind

a1000yoga is a yoga studio that not only teaches the ancient art of yoga but also makes it interesting and upbeat.

It is all calm at a1000yoga studio. A stroll down the 1st cross, near Jyothi Nivas College, leads you to this oasis of bliss, worlds apart from the cacophony outside. The studio exudes a stillness, a sense of calm and an awareness that engulf you even as you step across its threshold.

Pradeep Govind G, the founder of a1000yoga, was all of seven years old when he first got a taste of yoga. Under his father’s tutelage he learnt the classical asanas and later devoted himself to studying yoga full time. A graduate from Bihar Yoga Bharathi in M.Sc. Applied Yogic Science with a university gold medal, Pradeep has been teaching yoga in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Colombo. Unassuming and nonchalant about his expertise, Pradeep is completely in sync with what he teaches. It is perhaps an indication of the humility and peacefulness which comes from years of practicing this art. 

a1000yoga studio

The need for yoga could not have been greater than it is now. Unlike the 60s generation that relied on good old home chores and leisurely walks, the last few generations need a much more centred and holistic approach where health is concerned.

Awareness is the key and most people today are high on fitness regimes, health food and fads. This growing want has given rise to gyms, alternate healing, spas and massage centers offering care for not just the body but the soul as well.

At a1000yoga studio, the instructors themselves are practicing ‘yogis’, adhering to certain tenets and norms. They take into consideration varying aspects like the doshas or the inherent physiological persona of an individual before recommending the best yogic course for them. 

a1000yoga studio

The highlight of this studio is ‘Hot Yoga’, a sinuous sequence of asanas that is practiced in a heated studio of 40 degrees Celsius. If that is too hot to handle, you could try ‘Power Vinyasa’, a flow based session with a well-choreographed sequence of asanas. Busy executives and go-getters can get the most they can out of ‘Corporate Yoga’. Or one can get their daily dose of this centuries-old discipline through the contemporary ‘Power Yoga’ or the rigorous ‘Iyengar Yoga’.

The studio has also brought in a qualified baby sitter to mind children while their parents work out, and one can breathe easy without worrying about having to rush back home.

Its unique name is drawn from the Sahasrara chakra which is represented by a 1000 petal lotus and is also an indication of the various styles of yoga and schools of yoga that are taught at the studio. Apart from the regular classes, Pradeep also holds workshops and will be hosting an International Yoga Teachers training in January 2012. You can reach Pradeep on pradeep@a1000yoga.com.

By Dolly D N/ Raintree Media Features/ www.raintreemedia.com

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BEST OF COLOMBO

	Sandhya Mendonca, CEO, GVP India, presents the BEST OF BANGALORE to Pravir Samarasinghe, CEO, WTC, Colombo, Sri Lanka

From Serendip to New Delhi

Some words have a meaning that is as good as they sound and vice versa. Serendipity is one such word, and it means, ‘the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident’. English author Horace Walpole coined this word based on the old name for Sri Lanka, Serendip in his work, The Three Princes of Serendip.

After a recent visit to Sri Lanka, I had to make a quick dash to Delhi. The people I met there led me to think most bonds that we forge are all the result of serendipitous encounters.

This is the premise of the movie starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale; the romantic comedy features the pair meeting while reaching out for the same pair of gloves as Christmas gifts.

Serendipitous Sri Lanka

Out there in our national capital, having taken the precaution to arrive a day ahead of important meetings, I had time enough to catch up albeit briefly with a few friends.

One of them was dancer Prathibha Prahlad, who has just organised the Delhi International Arts Festival to much acclaim. Sipping green tea at the India International Centre, she talked about several highlights of the show. As we stepped out in to the night that was just beginning to be enveloped up with cold, a voice piped out from a dark corner.

It turned out to belong to the bewhiskered catlike artist Jatin Das. He insisted that we join him and we ended up listening to him spellbound for close to an hour.

Artist Jatin Das

Jatin Das has been painting for 50 years. Born in Orissa, India, he has achieved international acclaim for his painting, murals and sculptures. While his works feature in several public and private collections in India and abroad, Jatin has a large personal collection of traditional arts and crafts and has set up the JD Centre of Arts on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar. Designed by the eminent architect B.V. Doshi, JDCA is a repository of tribal, folk, classical and contemporary art. It also features his unique ‘pankha’ collection – of hand fans in the Indian subcontinent.

Much before the Centre came up, Jatin had started a 'Meet the Artist' programme which has run uninterruptedly since September 2001. On the second Saturday of every month, a scholar, artist or craftsperson is invited to present their work to an audience. The programme has embraced a broad definition of the term ‘artist’, encompassing sessions on the preservation of temple murals, town planning in Orissa, the origin, evolution and use of script. 

Jatin Das' collection at JDCA

Jatin’s passion for arts and crafts started when his grandmother bought him a terracotta toy at a street fair in Mayurbanj. He says, “Traditional folk and tribal objects still hold high energy for me. I want them to share the same space as a Chola bronze or a Brancusi: to dissolve the boundaries that keep the so-called fine art separate from the work of India's master artisans.”

Later this month, he is starting shooting at JDCA for a series of programmes for Doordarshan. With his deep voice and wealth of experience, the series will be eminently watchable. He has lectured at Harvard amongst several other universities and museums, and anchoring the programme will be as effortless for him and enjoyable for us as it was listening to him over hot kebabs on a cold winter night. 

By Sandhya Mendonca (Sandhya Mendonca writes a weekly column for the Herald Goa)

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Non-Stop Tully

BBC’s Chief of Bureau New Delhi for 22 years and an author, the Indian-born Sir Mark Tully has developed the “gaze of an insider”, evident in his new book, Non-Stop India, published by Penguin India. The book, which covers a range of topics from Naxalites to tigers and the growing use of English, is a warning against complacency. Following are excerpts from an exclusive interview with Raintree Media and his remarks at the book launch.

Non-Stop India begins with the concept of ‘jugaar’ that Tully finds deeply ingrained in Indians, the attitude that everything will work itself out at the end. While he believes complacency is dangerous, Tully says, “I have come to have a strong conviction that life is 90% fate or luck or what have you and 10% freewill or our own doing. I often say to myself leave it to fate. Usually it turns out all right.”

He talks about the criticism of his book that he is not angry enough and is too soft on India. “Everything you do need not be critical, pugnacious and attacking. Journalism is not about me, it is the story of the person I am writing about. It is much better to let the people you meet speak.” 

Non-Stop India book launch at Landmark, Bangalore

Looking back over the years, Tully says, “The major turning point which held India back was Indira Gandhi’s version of bureaucratic socialism which she adopted as a way of differentiating herself from the Congress politicians who split from her, and appealing to the poor. The ending of the licence-permit raj was the beginning of the era of rapid growth. But that was not just a sudden turning point in 1991. Under Rajiv Gandhi, measures to relax the grip of the licence-permit raj were taken.”

“Today India’s ambition should be to become a country where everyone has enough. There is no need to have too much. The biggest misconception the world had of India was that it is irredeemably mired in poverty. It is now that India has joined the club of wealthy nations. It is extraordinary how images always swing from one extreme to the other, which is so un-Indian. India stands for the middle road,” he says. 

Sir Mark Tully

“Non-Stop India is for Indians who want to see things in a slightly unusual light, to be shaken out of some of their certainties to question their views, and foreigners who may have so far seen a stereotyped India. There is a real possibility that Indians will pick up the baton of governance. I have tried to make the point that corruption is a symptom of bad governance and hope that my book will do something to convince Indians that corruption cannot be cured without an improvement in governance. I hope it will convince foreigners that the facile picture of India’s prospects, the picture which portrays India as motoring on a straight road to becoming the world’s largest economy, does not portray the whole truth. Yes there are grounds for optimism but there is a lot that needs to be done if India is to fulfil its potential.”

He explains, “The phenomenal role of NGOs, the rise of entrepreneurs after the end of the licence-permit raj, and the change in the attitude in the Dalit community are reasons to feel optimistic.” 

Sir Mark Tully at Landmark

On his books on religion, Tully says, “To me a life without belief in God seems to miss a whole element.”

As for his future he says, “At 76, I leave that in the hands of God. I am often asked whether I will continue to live in India. All I can say is I have no plans to go. If you say something will never happen in life it very soon does happen. As for professional prospects I can say that I would like to continue with my BBC Radio 4 programme, Something Understood.”

By Anuradha Prasad/ Raintree Media Features/ www.raintreemedia.com

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Are you ready to run?

Sharath Raju, founder of High Line Retail and certified Barefoot Lifestyle coach, is all geared up to get folks hooked on the barefoot way of living and running.

It is quite a feeling, isn’t it? Feet on the ground yet that feeling of flying in the air? What is on your feet is what counts and no one knows this better than 28-year-old Sharath Raju, the founder of High Line Retail, the only distributor in India for minimalist gear, barefoot being one. He is also the only Indian certified coach to train people on the Barefoot Lifestyle.

The philosophy behind Barefoot Lifestyle is that we can tap into the natural benefits in our feet, with anything that provides sensory stimulation. Raju trained under Lee Saxby, the only representative who coaches the Barefoot technique, in London. He has a three year license, signed by Lee and Harvard Biomechanics. 

Sharath Raju, Founder of High Line Retail

Armed with an MBA, Raju worked with HP and IBM, and later Decathlon Sports India where he was the brand manager for Btwin cycles. A penchant for fitness kept Raju running and cycling for three years and the passion is still on. He switched tracks earlier this year in June 2011, after reading Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, which inspired him to experience the concept first hand in an effort to improve his running techniques. This is when he decided to start High Line Retail.

With this venture, Raju hopes to acquaint Indians with sports gear that is enhanced with advanced technologies that not only help improve skills and performance but also make the sports they play enjoyable activities. Their customers are those who are not averse to trying their hand at diverse sports like minimalist running, triathlon and cycling. High Line has tied up with Vivobarefoot and it also has an ecommerce website allowing people to buy directly from there. 

He believes that a marathon is an endurance sport and injuries due to wrong techniques of running and wrong shoes are inevitable. He hopes to reach out to runners by helping them learn the new technique, to be part of his running clinic, and maybe even try out the new shoes and go the barefoot way!

So, if you are a runner and you are looking for new shoes apart from the regular padded shoes, look no further. Those running marathons can consider an EVO 2 high performance shoe, highly breathable, designed for people in endurance sports. One of the runners who will be at the Goa River Marathon 2011, Neel Sengupta, swears by the Vibram FiveFingers with a 4 mm sole which he uses for short runs but for the bigger main runs he is still very comfortable with the regular well padded shoes.

Raju’s advice for runners is, “Wherever, whenever possible a runner should get their shoes off and be barefoot, basically for a person’s feet to re-activate to natural surroundings.”

By Aditya Mendonca/ Raintree Media Features/ www.raintreemedia.com

Read the story on the Goa Herald on the link below:

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The Eiffel on your wall

The subject of what holds an artist’s interest is itself worthy of note. Shibu Arakkal, the son of renowned painter Yusuf Arakkal who has chosen photography as his métier, is fascinated with design.

“Anything related to design fascinates me – it could be any kind of design - my mind works like a graphic designer’s,” he says. From photographing the reflection of light on the headlights of his car to a water tap, Shibu interprets reality as he sees it.

Shibu Arakkal's Eiffel O'Seven

Exploring the language of design, he once worked on a series titled ‘Abstract notions’. The question that he sought the answer to was ‘why do people choose the curve as opposed to the line?’ The answer - which seems innately simple to me (why the need for research, I quip) - was that the curve is attractive as it mimics the form of the female hip. Referring to a photograph of a bulb in this series, Shibu insists that the shape of a light bulb is not a functional need; one of his photographs may well be taken for the picture of a feminine hip.

After showing a series that dealt with the curve as a form, in his next series, he presented straight lines and architectural forms with mirrored montages and graphic renditions.

Continuing with his interest in interpreting design, he has photographed great architecture from around the world like the Colosseum in Rome, the Notre Dame in Paris, the Emirates Towers in Dubai, among several other buildings. He spent over two years in creating a visual study of the famed Eiffel Tower, inspired by traditional Japanese print making and influenced by early twentieth century art deco.

Shibu Arakkal's Eiffel O'Seven

The style he employs is extremely simplistic; relying on pure black and white line drawings to create an avante garde series that has met with critical success.

Shibu is a regular in the Indian contemporary art shows circuit. He has had several solo and group shows nationally and internationally and his works are collected by seasoned art collectors.

He has now launched the calendar for 2012 - Eiffel O'Seven which is based on this series. There are only 250 copies priced at Rs.500 each, so if you would like a stunning visual of the Eiffel on your wall, write to him at: email@shibuarakkal.com

By Sandhya Mendonca (Sandhya Mendonca writes a weekly column for the Herald Goa)


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A nutty thanksgiving

My favourite place to visit in Singapore is the Long Bar at the Raffles; it’s a remarkable experience to sip on the famed Singapore Sling, munch on peanuts and gleefully toss the shells on the floor. Not quite proper behaviour in upmarket establishments but this is a time-honoured tradition at the gorgeous colonial-style hotel.

This is the time of the year that Bangalore goes nuts too. Literally so, with mounds of the brown pods piling up for a few days. This is the season of the annual Kadalekai parashe – the groundnut or peanut fair.

The fair is centred around the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi. Legend has it that the statue was built in homage to a bull that used to rampage through these areas when they were farmlands. When the bull defied all attempts to stop it, the farmers resorted to prayers. They promised to offer the first groundnut harvest to the bull each year if it would leave the crop unharmed. The bull acquiesced and the tradition continues with the mammoth stone bull being bedecked with a garland of groundnuts after the harvest.

Another version says that the bull turned into stone when an angry farmer flung his club at it. It kept growing in size even as the penitent farmers built a temple to enshrine it. The people prayed to Lord Shiva who stopped its growth by piercing a trident through its head.

Bull Temple

Whichever version suits your fancy, the tradition of local thanksgiving continues with grateful farmers from far and beyond making a special trip to the Dodda Basava (big bull) temple with their crop during the Kartika masa (in November – December).

The accompanying fair becomes a playground for parents and kids alike. Suffused with a carnival spirit, kids have plenty of games to play and adults browse through several stalls to purchase knick-knacks.

The Bull temple and adjacent well-maintained park has been a favourite picnic spot through the years at other times of the year as well. An adventure sequence in a Kannada film in which I acted as a kid was shot here. Armed with badminton racquets, a group of kids thrashed villains and freed our kidnapped friend. Hurray! Another bit of personal nostalgic trivia hinges around the fact that my mother visited the fair on the evening before I was born. Perhaps that explains why I am so fond of peanuts.

Kadalekai Parashe

Along with the games and shopping, it’s a treat to eat a variety of peanuts – plain, salted, boiled, roasted not just from different parts of Karnataka but also from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Over the years, the fair has been growing in scale and there are vendors of chaat and dosas; yet it’s a festival that takes this growing urban sprawl to its rural roots. The kadalekai parashe is a quaint custom relived complete with the old system of measuring the quantity by the cylindrical ‘paav’ and ‘litre’ instead of grams and kilos.

By Sandhya Mendonca (Sandhya Mendonca writes a weekly column for the Herald Goa)

Read the story on Goa Herald on the link below:

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A Southern Storm

‘Kolaveri Di’ by Dhanush is a viral hit

Wondering what people have been posting as their status updates? They are saying “Why this kolaveri di?”

This is the song that has got India rocking in a tizzy and is making not only Tamil Nadu but the world trip on it, thanks to the YouTube clip. 

Sung by Dhanush, son-in-law of superstar Rajnikanth, the music is composed by newcomer Anirudh Ravichandar from the upcoming Tamil movie ‘3’ directed by Dhanush’s wife Aishwarya. It stars Dhanush and Shruti Hassan. 

Dhanush recording 'Kolaveri di'

“The soup song”, as the singer calls it, was a spontaneous burst of funny lyrics. Anirudh had composed the tune which Dhanush picked up in the recording studio and simply started singing what came to his head. 

The result is a happy song set and catchy lyrics in Tam-English; the team had so much fun with it that they recorded it straight away and uploaded the video on YouTube. Within a few days, it has become the new addictive taste and there are different versions coming up each day as a tribute to it including a Carnatic version where the whacky lyrics are sung in perfect tempo to a raga. 

‘Why this kolaveri di?’ can be loosely translated as, ‘why are you killing me, woman?’ This is one song that isn’t killing softly; it has grossed one million hits and more on its YouTube page, a record for any Indian song and especially the Tamil music industry. Tamil songs have ruled the roost in the South with both soulful and peppy original compositions; Ilayaraja and AR Rehman are of course legends in their own time with international repute. 

The team behind 'Kolaveri di'

Kolaveri’s composer Anirudh Ravichandar is 21. This Chennai lad is one of the youngest music directors to enter the film Industry. ‘3’ is his debut and a brilliant kick-start to his career. 

What are you doing still reading this? Go catch the song on YouTube. 

Lyrics of Kalaveri Di:

Hello Boys.. I am Singing Song…Soup Song.. Flop Song..

Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di? Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di? Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Dee? Why This Kolaveri? Di..

Distance’la Moon’nu Moon’nu Moon’nu Color’ru White’tu White’tu Background Night’tu Nigth’tu Night’tu Color’ru Black’ku

Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Dee? Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di?

White’tu Skin’nu Girl’lu Girl’lu Girl’lu Heart’tu Black’ku Eyes’su Eyes’su Meet’tu Meet’tu My Future Dark’ku..

Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di? Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di?

Mama, Notes Eduthuko..Apdiye Kaila Snacks Eduthuko..Papapa Papapapa Papapa Pa Pa..Šeriya Vaasi..Šuper Mama Ready.. Ready 1 2 3 4..What A Change Over Mama Agaim Mama.. Nøw Tune Change’ju..

Kaila Glass’su.. Only Ènglish’sa..Hand’la Glass’su Glass’la Šcøtch’chu Èyes’su Full’la Tear’ru Èmpty Life’fu, Girl Cøme’mu Life’fu Reverse’su Gear’ru Løve’vu Løve’vu Oh My Løve’vu Yøu Šhøw Tø Me Pøw’vu Cøw’vu Cøw’vu Køzhi Cøw’vu I Want Yøu Here Nøw’vu Gød I am Dying Nøw Šhe Is Happy Høw’vu? This Šøng’gu Pass Tø Bøys’su We Døn’t Have Chøice’su

Why This Kølaveri Kølaveri Kølaveri Di Why This Kølaveri Kølaveri Kølaveri Di Why This Kølaveri Kølaveri Kølaveri Dee Why This Kølaveri Kølaveri Kølaveri Di

Fløp Šøng..
- Aditya Mendonca/Raintree Media Features/ www.raintreemedia.com
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Reaching for the skies

Sublime Galleria, a sky gallery designed to ‘inspire awe’ is the versatile Uzma Irfan’s latest offering to art lovers in Bangalore.

On a late winter afternoon, the narrow bridge connecting the towers of UB City cuts a striking picture. Newly converted to host the Sublime Galleria, the breathtaking location is the latest art space in Bangalore. Its founder, Uzma Irfan, hopes to make it a platform for young, upcoming artists.

It is light and airy with generous sunlight streaming through the glass windows, the unframed art work suspended along its length. Outside, the muted hustle and bustle of city life flows on. As dusk nears, the LED lights, that cast no shadow on the artwork, come on. 

“UB City has been a destination for art lovers for many years now, with dedicated events such as Art Bengaluru, which has helped put the city on the global art scene. Hence, this was a natural choice to introduce India’s first ‘Sky Galleria’, overlooking the spectacular panorama of the Garden City. It aims to be a refreshing concept, providing visitors with a unique experience of being suspended in mid-air while browsing through Fine Art,” says Irfan, who is also the Executive Director of Corporate Communications for the Prestige Group. 

Her previous associations with art have included organising the Art Bengaluru festival. She has also handled solo art shows and aspired to do something more to promote the artists and keep them motivated. Her father, Irfan Razack, Chairman and Managing Director of Prestige Group, suggested a gallery would be just the thing. 

She says, “Sublime Galleria was created with a vision to support young and upcoming artists and I believe that this has been achieved to a large extent over the last year. The new-look Sublime will cater to a wider selection of artists with their artworks being on display around the year.” 

Irfan hopes that the Galleria will evolve into a space where artists and art lovers can gather to discuss art or to muse or to simply seek inspiration. 

Right now, the Galleria has on board eighteen artists and photographers on a contract for three months. During this time, they will be mentored to help bring out their best. 

It is an eclectic collection that greets you at the gallery, ranging over diverse art media. Farah Ahmed’s ‘Negative Aesthetics’ was a happy accident on Photoshop. Srividya GS’s choice is watercolours while Amina Shazi finds her expression in digital art. Photographer Ashish Parmar captures a pair of ants in the Chorla Ghats in ‘Macro Love’ and Manoj Masand works his magic with ‘Seed Chemistry’ and ‘Rhythmic Texture’. Another artist, Pragya Jain describes her work, “The core of my art is energy. Each of my works contains a colour story, and the story at all times is a cheerful one.” 

Uzma Irfan

Experimental and individualistic, every artist stands out and holds his own at the gallery. As Irfan rightly says, “At the Sublime Galleria, the artist is the hero.” 

- Anuradha Prasad/ Raintree Media Features/ www.raintreemedia.com 

Read the story in Goa Herald on link below:

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A musical conclave: India Music Week

Over 40 Indian and European artists are ‘celebrating the spirit of pure music’ across three cities.

As an exciting festive winter chill blows across the country, India Music Week (IMW) has set the ball rolling for a brilliant season of live music. 

Featuring over 40 acts, the line-up combines a mix of some of the biggest names in the Indian indie scene and an eclectic collection of European jazz/electronica artists. 

In addition to the performances, the festival’s inaugural edition features a two-day music conference at Delhi’s Eros Hotel. 

The Raghu Dixit Project, Soulmate, Thermal And A Quarter, Motherjane, Ska Vengers, Menwhopause, KK and Parikrama are among the Indian artists, while French Reunion Island chanteuse Stephanie Thazar, German electronica trio Jahcoozi, Norwegian electro-soul producer Mathias Stubø, German swing band BuJazzO and Norwegian eclectic pop duo Mari & Stein make up the European leg of the event. 

The festival also features some interesting Indian-tinged electronica from acts like Sattyananda Electro-Classical, Hamza & Lateef, Hari & Sukhmani, Shantam as well as some of Indian electronica’s most famous beat junkies like Teddy Boy Kill, Ma Faiza, Arjun Vagale & Ashvin (Jalebee Cartel) and B.L.O.T. 

Amit Saigal

As Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi rock to some amazing tunes, we bring you an exclusive interview with Amit Saigal of Rock Street Journal [RSJ], the owner and promoter of IMW:

Q. How does it feel organizing such an amazing festival across the country?
It is exciting! And at the same time, it is quite a task in terms of managing the logistics of several gigs happening simultaneously across Delhi , Mumbai and Bangalore each day between the 16 and 20 of November. But right now, there is this great anticipatory buzz!

My first gig was on November16 with Jaff Lang & Bobby Singh and Soulmate playing at Lodi in Delhi. 

Q. Three cities – Bangalore, Mumbai & Delhi – amazing venues and amazing artists. What goes into the R&D of getting the right bands on your gig list?
I have personally curated this festival with the best artists that I thought should be on it! So I actually think they are all fantastic in their respective styles and genres.. Jeff Lang for sure...he is amazing. Mimetic, Raghu Dixit, Soulmate, Stephanie Thazar...actually, why am I even trying to pick bands...!

Q. Being the pioneers of creating and pushing Independent rock music in India, how does it feel now in 2011 at RSJ?
Things are coming of age in India. The scene is maturing, and many credible, interesting artists are emerging. The time is just right for a project like India Music Week to present this melting pot of diverse independent artists in one mega festival

Q. This year's line-up has a wide range of genres. Can we have your take?
I personally listen to and like many different styles of music, and I think that is what is also happening in the scene in India as well.


For a detailed schedule with dates, venue details and acts, go to India Music Week’s Facebook page or log onto www.indiamusicweek.com

-Aditya Mendonca/ Raintree Media Features / www.raintreemedia.com 


Read the story published in the Goa Herald on link below:
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A sensory journey

With the first thrill of winter’s chill gently upon us, there’s a tangible buzz of Christmas cheer already.

A fun activity that has caught the fancy of most top hotels is the mixing of the Christmas cakes and puddings. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the ITC Windsor as, donning caps, aprons and gloves (looking like Masterchef aspirants), we poured mountains of sultanas, walnuts and other assorted dry fruits and casks of liquor on to tables with generous chunks of butter.

I felt a tad guilty for not going to the ITC Gardenia’s cake mix and auction but one can’t be whizzing around to all the parties in town. Writing and editing is hard work, though it might not appear so!

Not wanting to play favourites between the two hotels, I decided to take my custom to the Gardenia’s spa. Six hours later, I came out feeling a new woman and two young men said to me that I must visit spas more often. Was I damned with faint praise or did the marvelous Mia and her assistants work a miracle? Read on.

Mia Munshi, the Spa Manager, is from Singapore and has worked extensively with global luxury resorts and hotels. She gave up a high profile career in advertising, when on a holiday in India she came across aromatherapy. “I found my calling,” she told me and went on to explain how she learnt all about picking jasmine buds to extract the right scent and the healing power of massage. She lectures in spa academies and is on TV and radio sharing her experience, techniques and demonstration.

The spa Ayurveda room

The expertise and attunement to the senses of touch and smell is what made my session at Kaya Kalp one of the best in my life. Like with all guests, Mia consulted me for my preferences. Then she guided me to treatments and the products that would suit my skin before leaving me in the safe hands of her staff who were trained at the spa academy in Agra.

My mind boggled at the choice of traditional Indian and international therapies, and I finally opted for a pomegranate body scrub – made all the more exotic with the rich red fruit picked from Himachal Pradesh.

The ITC Gardenia caters to high-end business travellers and offers 30 different treatments and therapies. One of the highest selling treatments is a half hour tension reliever massage that concentrates on the back, neck and shoulders, excellent for a pre or post business meeting. I wanted more, and asked for a ninety minute de-stressing aromatherapy massage and a combination skin facial using products from the luxury brand Pevonia.

Kaya Kalp

I was assured that the products were botanical extracts that do not contain perfume or artificial ingredients. The finale was a pedicure that was a complete sensory delight pedicure, again with products and nail polishes free of harmful ingredients. As if the going so far was not great already, my chair had a built-in massager to boot.

The name Kaya Kalp is coined from the Sanskrit words kaya which means ‘the physical self, body or skin’, and kalp which means ‘to rejuvenate, invent or change’. The aim is to give ‘rejuvenation of mind, body and soul’.

If you want a similar spa journey of relaxation and rejuvenation, you could check into the ITC Gardenia. One of the finest ‘green’ hotels in the world, its vertical gardens and naturally cooled spaces make it a remarkable experience in responsible luxury.

By Sandhya Mendonca (Sandhya Mendonca writes a weekly column for the Herald Goa)

Read the story on the Goa Herald on the link below:

http://74.127.61.178/herald//Details.aspx?edorsup=Main&queryed=9&querypage=10&boxid=43849781&id=1985&eddate=11/19/2011