chandigarh | 2 FEBRUary | 2014

Fad diets promote only short-term weight loss. These diets can only cause side-effects and health problems in the long run FITNESS page 3

Unmindful of the dipping temperatures, the lake resort of Nainital brims with merrymakers and tourists even in winters
TRAVEL page 7

There has been an upscaling of the horror-softporn flick in Bollywood with big production houses and stars entering this genre
ENTERTAINMENT page 8

Manhattan: City in Sky

PHOTOS BY THE WRITER

Sunset over the Manhattan skyline

Shrinking urban spaces call for futuristic architecture. A look at the Manhattan model and the Indian urban cityscape
Rajnish Wattas

F you are visiting Manhattan coming from a low, horizontal city like Chandigarh looking out from your 35th floor window, there is only one word awesome! Le Corbusier, too, arriving by a ship in 1935 for the first time, saw New York as a mystic city rising up in the mist. It suggested the strength and power of modern times. Perhaps, the best way to take in the soaring skyline of Manhattan is to view it from the famous Empire State building or take a boat cruise around the island. Its an enigmatic vertical habitation, which combines bizarre, laissez faire skyline with warm, intimate vibrant life on the streets. The 1930s was an era of competing highrise buildings sprouting up all over Manhattan island ( one of the five boroughs of New York City ), each trying to outdo the other in going higher, seeking attention by its unique signature-top design and eclectic classical, neo-classical style. In this race for the being the tallest, the Empire State Building, an 102-storey Art Deco design, 1250-feet high was finished in 1931. It was the worlds tallest building for a record 42 years. The 1,048-feet-high Chrysler Building with its distinctive cathedral-like spire, built in 1930 was the close second. The impetus for the clustering of skyscrapers in Manhattan was the solid bedrock geology of the island, that allowed building foundations to be sunk more securely. Manhattan is the financial and cultural centre of the United States and one of top financial capitals of the world, with an estimated GDP of over $1.2 trillion. It is home to the famous Wall Street that inspired many Hollywood films like the Wall Street and the current Oscar nominee Wolf of Wall Street. As you walk down the fabled, narrow street, skyscrapers reaching for the sky on both sides like, Grand Canyons of stone and steel there is an adrenalinecharged energy. Bankers, stockbrokers, investment experts strut about briskly in their dark suits. Amidst the human carnival of racing, hurried people eating, texting, chatting on their iPhones one can still hear gentle peals of church bells from an old stone cathedral, sandwiched between the towering blocks, perhaps reminding New Yorkers to tarry a while! As dusk falls and the sky turns goldenpinkish hue, some early lights especially of the pinnacles of the skyscrapers, are the first ones to go ablaze. Soon, the entire skyline is a grand sweep of a razzmatazz, phantasmagoria of seductively lit billboards. The Times Square, called The Crossroads of the World, is the brightly illuminated pedestrian hub of the Broadway theatre district, visited by 50 million annual visitors. The magic of Manhattan is as much below at the street level as it's up in the sky. The streets are lively with museums, cultural hubs, shops, stores most of them

predominantly restaurants and eating places, that give you the choice of global cuisines including the ubiquitous food carts, that offer hot, sizzling food at low prices under hygienic conditions. As if to make up for lack of greenery, the threemile-long Central Park runs through the heart of Manhattan, and every other shop is a florist place with fragrant blooms spilling over to the sidewalks.

Manhattan grid & the vertical city

As the port of New York in the early 19th century became a global trade hub, to make its development more regulated, a grid plan that defined its skyline, was approved in 1811. The grid has 12 primary north-south avenues roughly parallel to the shore of the Hudson River and 155 orthogonal cross streets in a regular right-angled grid. Manhattan is one of the most pedestrian-friendly, compact cities. The sidewalks are very wide, almost 20 to 30 feet, and the meticulous signage, detailing and road engineering enables comfortable crossings over busy streets, supported by strict traffic enforcement. The other reasons are efficient public transportation system comprising the underground Subway (built in 1904), non-polluting buses at frequent intervals and heli-taxis. Manhattan has even introduced dedicated cycle tracks and bus lanes on its streets. A big network of bridges the iconic Brooklyn Bridge built in 1883 and underground tunnels across the East River and the Hudson Bay ensures excellent connectivity with the adjoining boroughs. Mixed landuse and commercial highrise developments are regulated by myriad urban bye-laws such as: setbacks, sky exposure plane to provide light and air at street level, and incentives like increase in FSI ( Floor Space Index ) for skyscrapers that create public plazas on the ground level. An innovative regulation called air rights that enables low-rise buildings (specially heritage structures) that do not wish to go vertical, to transfer them to an adjoining property. Manhattan has always

evoked strong views, both admiring and critical. Lewis Mumford, 20th century's eminent critic, historian, city planner, said, New York is the perfect model of city, not the model of a perfect city. Le Corbusier's views about New York changed after rejections from American tycoons for his projects, in spite of hard-sell by his ardent admirer Marguerite Tjader Harris. He later called it a city of incredible brutality and savagery. The iconic architect Rem Koolhaas, counters that the grids twodimensional form created undreamed-of freedom for three-dimensional anarchy.

cality purely as an evil enterprise. The lesson to be learned is that reinventing closely spaced, denser, pedestrianised lively vertical or midrise cities, ensuring sustainability may be the emerging skyline for future Indian cities. The nation must fulfil the aspirational migrant's right to a home in the city.

Rising Indian cities

Combating rising urbanisation, the Indian cities are mostly growing as sprawling, horizontal suburbs of big cities, with clusters of haphazard, chaotic midrise colonies created by builders, without requisite supporting infrastructures. These is visible even in the rings of satellite towns of Mohali, Mullanpur, Zirakpur and Panchkula encircling Chandigarh, in violation of its periphery controls. Although the FSIs & maximum permissible heights are being raised, albeit, without supporting civic services. Greater Mohali Development Authority ( GMADA) bye-laws allow FSI of 1.75 in case of residential plots, and for Commercial Chunk Sites FSI of 3.0. Panchkula too permits maximum FSI of 2.5 with maximum height of 30mts. However, for IT Park, you can go higher, subject to special permissions. Gurgaon and Noida in the NCR region of Delhi too have now enhanced FSI's mostly 2.5 & for IT Parks more liberally with some riders. In Chennai, for multi-storeyed buildings the FSI permissible ranges from 2 to 2.75, and in the IT sector can be as high as 4.125. The Bangalore Development Authority's Master Plan 2015, permissible FSI ranges from 1.5 to 3.25 for residential and commercial land use zones. Mumbai in bits and parts is going the skyscraper way very conspicuously. Pockets of highrise buildings going upto 50 stories in a privately integrated township Hiranandini Gardens ( backdrop for Slumdog Millionaire ) and 833-feet high Imperial Towers in Tardeo are the new vertical icons.
The writer is former Principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture & co-author of Trees of Chandigarh & Sukhna Sublime Lake of Chandigarh

India's urban crisis

Interestingly, about two-thirds of American population lives on 3 per cent of its land mass, that is cities, as compared to India's 30 per cent urban population. Edward Glaser, in Triumph of the City states that, Job creation clusters as cities become hubs of innovation, energy and entrepreneurship... Cities draw their strength from confluence of ideas. According to a McKinsey report on India's urbanisation, 590 million people generating 70 per cent of India's employment will live in cities by 2030, requiring 700 to 900 million sq.mts. of additional space or a new Chicago every year! We need to review urban forms in metros and tier-II cities expeditiously. Paradoxically, India's financial capital Mumbai has a very low FSI (Floor Space Index) of 2, barring limited areas with 4 to 5. In comparison, Manhattan has an FSI of 10, but no limits to height. No wonder, the 59.46 sq.km, compactly spaced island, with a residential population of 1.6 million, 26,908 persons per sq.km., serves approximately 4 million visitors on a typical weekday! In comparison, Chandigarh merely accommodates a density of 9,252 persons per sq km. But as Chandigarh is a unique case of international Modern Architectural Heritage value, upholding the cherished ideal of an utopian Garden City, its low density and horizontal spread ( maximum FSI 2 ) need to be viewed separately. We must stop looking at verti-

A tourist posing with the statue of the Wall Street Bull.

New York Stock Exchange at Wall Street.

Razzmatazz of the advertising billboards at Times Square

Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883, connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River.

Arts

CHANDIGARH | 2 FEBRUARY 2014

There is much to learn from institutes like Jnana-Pravaha in Benaras, which are dedicated to the study of Indian cultural traditions. Here the emphasis is entirely on nurturing talent and promoting excellence
T Benares, on a quiet day, and if you see her from a slight distance, the Ganga seems hardly to be moving. So enormous is her expanse and so steady its flow that you are almost beguiled into thinking that the waters are still. Close to the bank, of course, there is agitation, and when an occasional boat pushes its way forward, ripples form and rings keep spreading on the surface. But see her in the wee hours of the morning, or when dusk sets in, and you sense little else than serene calm. I saw the Ganga like this when, in a recent visit to the city, I was staying at the Jnana-Pravaha premises, right on the bank of the river, across from the old fort of Ramnagar. The brilliantly located residence, away from the din of the city you can make an immediate descent to the waters from the steps at the end of the sprawling garden allows you to gain this

A river in flow
Clockwise from top: A view of the garden attached to Jnana-Pravaha, Benaras; A plate with repousse work produced in the crafts atelier; and A view of the Museum of Art at JnanaPravaha; and A group of young priests at the gurukul run by Jnana-Pravaha in the heart of the city of Benares Kanauj and Thanesar: stunning not necessarily because of its contents but because of its pristine condition, its faultlessly engraved language and script. The impressive royal seal, nearly 7 inches in length and 5 in width, meant to be affixed but now detached, has also survived, and is now kept just next to the copper plate, making the document recording the gift of a village to a Brahmin priest in perpetuity, till the moon, the sun and the earth last complete in significant ways. Not many copper plates of this quality have come down. Then, greatly strengthened in the last few years was the Benares Gallery, making the viewer witness to the hoary antiquity of the city as also to its ability to survive. It seems to me, however, that JnanaPravaha is committed not only to preservation but to constant growth, to expanding its horizons. I was impressed by the range of themes that one of the most recent issues of the research journal of the institute with an eponymous name, JnanaPravaha, carried. A new Rock Edict of Ashoka discovered by a school teacher of Mughalsarai was reported and discussed in it; Winged peris in a Pastoral Retreat was the theme of another article which had a delightful Banarasikajri song addressed to a master-dyer; a 17th century rust-free window, reminding one of the technology used in the famous rust-free Iron Pillar at Mehrauli, was noticed from Kathmandu; and so on. I was also struck by the manner in which just within a few years a whole atelier has been established on the premises. At the lowest level, next to the gardens, sits now, constantly working, a whole range of artisans, drawn from old Benares families, which, for generations, had been practicing crafts whose future was under threat: metal casters, moulders, lac-workers. I sat and watched in fascination deft fingers at work, sharp eyes looking for possible flaws, agile minds working ideas out. But what fascinated me most was the story I heard there: how a plumber from Benares came in to carry out some minor repair job in the building; how, as he was working, casual conversation ensued with Suresh Neotia, a driving force behind the entire institution, and it was discovered that the man in fact came from a family of metal-casters but had abandoned the family profession because of lack of patronage; and how he was invited to leave everything and take up on a regular paid basis his familys work in the atelier in loco, something that he did. Clearly, there was no red tape, no bureaucratic wrangles: talent was identified and, quite simply, engaged. Quietly, almost noiselessly it seems, at least from the outside, work keeps on being done. Supported by a dedicated staff, Dr N.P . Joshi, Sanskrit scholar of eminence, is busy writing volume after volume on the subject of unusual or aberrant iconography; Prof Vidula Jayaswal, distinguished archaeologist, is occupied with identifying lost sites in and around Benares and digging at Rajghat; Dr Kamal Giri keeps editing the research journal of the institution; Mrs Bimla Poddar keeps an eye on everything, just about everything, that goes on. Scholarships are awarded; residency programmes are in place; seminars are held with regularity; a gurukul for training young priests and acolytes in rituals and rites is run in the heart of the city. The emphasis almost all the time appears to be on nurturing talent and promoting excellence. Like I saw when, as it happens, I was there on a very engaging day on which young musicians who were holding grants/fellowships from the institutions outpost in Kolkata were being asked to perform a test, as it were, of whether they were living up to their promise by the celebrated musicologist, Pandit Vijay Kichlu, for an invited audience. A friendly, but stern eye, was being kept. It is possible that I am missing something. Is it all a bit narrow? Too focused on the past? Too private? I do not know. But what I am certain of is the fact that there is reason for hope when institution like this exist, and perform. Their scale compared to the mega institutions with little outputs that we found on the national scale might be relatively limited, but there is much to learn from them.

A RT & SOUL
b.n.goswamy
view from a certain height. And then, standing there and ruminating, I thought how appropriately was this institution named, dedicated as it is to the study of Indian cultural traditions. Jnana-Pravaha the Flow of Knowledge is both an island of calm and a springboard for ideas. I had gone back to the place after a gap of several years: close to a decade, I think. And I was struck once again not only by the elegance of the surroundings and the impeccable maintenance but also by its commitment. Much was familiar but also much that was not. (How does that nice French saying go? The more it changes, the more it remains the same.) The museum housing, for the most part, the Neotia collection made once again an immediate impression. There were some old friends there sculptures, paintings, terracottas, coins, textiles but also some new ones that one wanted to be close to. Like the stunning seventh century tamra-patra, copper plate issued by that great emperor, Harshavardhana of

BROAD BRUSH

a spectrum selection

SAND VILLAGE: Men are seen working on a sand sculpture at Kuwaits sand village at Mishref Fairground in Kuwait City. Sculptors from Kuwait and around the world took part in building the sculptures with the theme One Thousand and One Nights at the village, which is set to be inaugurated by Kuwaits Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah soon, and is one of the largest sand villages in the world. BEAUTIFUL DANCE: Members of the National Dance Company of South Korea perform for Park Geun-Hye, President of South Korea, who was on an official visit to Switzerland on invitation by the Federal Council. PHOTO: AP/PTI

SOUND OF MUSIC: Eric Claptons Martin Guitar 000-42 on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C. F. Martin. Christian Frederick Martin, founder of the great American guitar firm C. F. Martin & Co, was the son of a cabinetmaker in Markneukirchen, Saxony. PHOTOS: AFP

CHANDIGARH | 2 FEBRUARY 2014

Fitness

GOOD HEALTH
MickeyMehta
EIGHT loss today has become a mandate for most of us. But reasons for losing weight and working towards it vary to huge extents. Nearly 75 per cent of population wishes to lose weight for social acceptance. A very small and negligible percentage of people, seriously attempt weight loss as a compulsion for a disease-free future. Losing weight, because you need to look your best at the wedding next month, may be a reason to achieve temporary weight loss. Otherwise when there is no such compulsion, you binge on your most favorite food items. This continuous abusing of the body with heavy fat and sugar laden meals alternating with complete deprivation of food can be extremely disastrous to the body. Food faddism is referred to as idiosyncratic diets and eating patterns that promote short-term weight loss, usually with no concern for long-term weight maintenance, and enjoy temporary popularity. People fall prey to a number of fad diets. These diets can only cause side-effects and health problems in the long run. Most popular fad diets have numerous disadvantages. The popular fad diets often focus on a single ingredient such as cabbage soup diet or cottage cheese diet! Following is a list of diets that have been adopted by many people, including celebrities. Cabbage soup diet: This comes in the category of crash diets and includes substituting major meals of the day with cabbage soup. Consumption of this soup with no limit on the quantity till your stomach is full is an overview of this dietary pattern. Lemonade diet: Again a crash diet where no solid food is allowed during the diet period. The lemonade's recipe includes lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper unlike the authentic lemonade. Laxatives, lemon juice and herbal teas are permitted as well. Liquid diets like these must never be followed as health consequences include diarrhea, dizziness and nausea. Chicken soup diet: A healthy breakfast is permitted along with continuous stuffing of chicken soup as and when you feel hungry. So a bulk amount of chicken soup needs to be prepared and only that is to be consumed after breakfast in place of lunch, dinner, etc. Atkins diet: Though widely practiced, this low or no-carbohydrate and highprotein diet should not be sustained for long as it leads to the formation of ketone bodies that may be harmful to the body and hence pressurise the kid-

Fad diets are idiosyncratic and promote only short-term weight loss. These diets can only cause side-effects and health problems in the long run

The lemonade diet is a crash diet where no solid food is allowed while dieting

Fad is not fit

neys. Hormone imbalances and metabolic disturbances may also be seen with prolong continuation. Juice / detox diet: A very low calorie diet in which nutrition is obtained solely from the juices of various fruits and vegetables. This cannot be followed for a long period of time as it can result in severe complications due to energy deficiency. The side-effects of following these fads diets are many! It goes without saying that weight loss will be pronounced. But the question remains as to what are we wanting to lose. Our body is made up of two things: Muscle mass or fat-free mass and adipose tissue mass or fat mass. These diets are devoid of proper and healthy nutrition and when followed too often can cause breakdown of the muscle mass resulting in stunted growth due to protein and energy deficit. Constipation and alternatively diarrhoea, gastric pain, acidity, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, increased hunger, no satiety, loss of gastric and intestinal motility, headaches, body ache, skin problems such as darkening and acne, hair loss and thinning of hair, dryness of skin, lack of concentration, low mental energy levels, loss of focus, etc. are all common symptoms, which happen due to loss of vital nutrients. Continuing these diets for longer periods can result in serious complications causing massive disturbances in metabolic activities and organ functions. The detox diet is very low-calorie diet in which nutrition is obtained solely from various juices Sound health is a feeling of complete wellbeing and a state of optimal physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual well being. Good nutrition, exercises, rest and meditation are the answers. One of the biggest problems of modern world is obesity. The need of the hour is a holistic approach in tackling this malaise. Resorting to unhealthy and quick methods like fad diets, starvation diets and over exercising in search of unrealistic goals of weight loss can cause great harm to one's physical and mental health. Regular exercises, good nutritious and balanced diet, yoga, meditation, rest and prayers are the key tools to stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually due to their tremendous therapeutic benefits like controlling cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes etc. Fitness and good health must be a long-term commitment and never a fad. Hence follow a dietary pattern that will first suffice the nutrient requirements of your body and then look out for your daily calorie needs. Therefore, don't run after hyped-up tag lines that highlight eight-kg weight loss in one or two months but indulge in a nutrient-dense diet concentrating on the quantity, proportion and quality of foods and daily exercise like jogging, swimming, yoga, Pilates, aerobics etc that will keep you fit not just from the outside but also from the inside. Incorporate natural, wholesome foods like whole grains, vegetables, sprouts, fruits, beans, nuts, herbs etc. Avoid processed foods, deepfried foods, desserts, alcohol, soft drinks etc and avoid long gaps between meals. Have small helpings of fruits, nuts, salads etc in between meals to prevent binge eating. The writer is one of the leading holistic health gurus and has a health portal www.mickeymehtahbf.com

THINKSTOCK

In chicken soup diet, this soup can be consumed after breakfast in place of lunch, dinner, etc

The Atkins is a high-protein diet that should not be sustained for long as it may be harmful to the kidneys

Cabbage soup diet includes substituting major meals of the day with this soup

Cold temperatures can lead to an almost 53 per cent rise in the risk of heart attacks. So keep yourself insulated against winter chills
Dr Pradeep Nambiar

HE heart is the most vital organ of our body and must be taken care of all year round. However, winter is a season that calls for special attention. Cold temperatures can lead to an almost 53 per cent rise in the risk of heart attacks. A dip in mercury levels not only increases blood pressure but also causes the level of certain proteins to shoot up which can lead to blood clots. As the weather gets colder, your heart needs to start working harder to maintain optimal levels of body heat. Further, the cold weather tightens the arteries which restricts blood flow and reduces the oxygen supply to heart, putting more strain on it and upping the danger of heart attacks. Another factor which leads to heart attacks in the winter is insufficient exposure to sunlight. This leads to a lack of vitamin D in the body which poses a huge risk to the heart. Cold weather also causes changes in the hormonal balance of the body and the hormones involved, such as cortisol, can lower the threshold for cardiovascular strain. The good news, however, is that heart disease is easy to prevent if one is careful and proactive. Checking your sus-

Warm up for a healthy heart

SIGNS OF HEART ATTACK
Traditionally, the first sign of a heart attack is pain in the chest that may radiate down the left arm, but sometimes it may feel more like a muscle-pull pain. One must never ignore any discomfort in the chest, severe sweating, shortness of breath and pain in the neck, arms, jaws and shoulders. These may seem like muscle-pull pains but could be the result of radiating pain from a blocked artery. All these symptoms are indicators of a heart attack, and you must visit a doctor immediately. If you have any chronic health condition, especially heart disease, regular checkups are advisable, especially in the winter.
ceptibility is the first step in this direction. There are several ways to detect an impending heart disorder, including blood tests and do-it-yourself home checks. One must also keep a tab on one's lifestyle to ensure good heart health. Maintaining good cholesterol level is most essential. Taking a highquality omega-3 supplement, exercising

regularly by incorporating strength and core training, optimising insulin levels by keeping consumption of grains and sugars to a minimal level are some of the steps that can be taken in this direction. However, it is important not to stress your heart out too much with an intensive exercise regimen. Keeping vitamin D levels high is important for preventing heart disease. The right amount of vitamin D in the body can normalise blood pressure and lower the risk of heart problems. The best way to absorb this important vitamin in the body is by exposing the skin to the sun for 30 to 40 minutes daily. But if this isn't possible, taking a high-quality oral supplement is the alternative. Also, one must not eat large meals in the winter as this puts a load on the heart. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Many of us also tend to consume more alcohol in winter as we feel it keeps us warmer. But too much alcohol can lead to irregular heartbeats. Drink in moderation. Another good way to be safe in the winter is by keeping warm to avoid hypothermia. Consult a doctor and buy certain emergency pills that cure breathlessness and chest pain. Keep these pills handy all the time in the winter.
The writer is Senior Consultant (Cardiothoracic Surgery), Max Hospital, New Delhi

Regular exercise is good for heart

THINKSTOCK

Books

CHANDIGARH | 2 FEBRUARY 2014

Amazing tales of unfulfilled ambitions W

Harbans Singh
The Incredible Ascent to Everest by Sumati Nagrath and Foreword by Tom Whittaker; Roli Books. Pages 223 HETHER the British would have pursued the tallest mountain of the world with the same doggedness with which they did if they had not lost their imperial grandeur post-World War I is hard to speculate. But the fact is that their collective ego needed some spectacular achievement to hold the centre stage. In this pursuit, they were beaten to the North and the South poles by the Americans and the Norwegians and this had made the conquest of Mount Everest all the more an obsession with them. Sumati Nagrath brings out not only the minor nuggets during mankind's relentless assault on a peak that tests and stretches the limits of human endurance but also the statement of the human spirit and the mysteries that abound about the story of its conquest. Thus we have in all 223 pages stories where the next is better than the earlier one and the earlier never seizes to amaze and inspire the reader. The tales of unfulfilled ambitions and disastrous failures are as fascinating as the successes and Mount Everest challenges mans spirit of endurance and the ability to prevail over extreme circumstances and emerge triumphant nearly 90 years after the event the reader is as intrigued by the mystery of disappearance of Mallory and Irvine as he must have been then. Among the knowledgeable the debate continues if they were the first to set their foot on the Mount Everest or not. There are other stories, each as fascinating as the other, of all kinds of mountaineers making it to the top. Indomitable will has been displayed by some who have conquered it without any external support, with physical disability of the limb and the eyesight and the oldest and the most frequent to reach the top etc. And, what does one say of a person who satisfies his longing to ski all the way down from the peak of Everest? After reading the various stories about the conquests, the reader cannot help but agree with Tom Whittaker, the first disabled person to climb the Everest, that

even though the summit is the objective of any mountaineering expedition but it is not complete till the mountaineer has returned to the safety of the base camp. The challenging peaks the world over abound with stories that are tragic and poignant but in equal measure there are stories that are inspiring and a testimony the ability of mankind to prevail over extreme and adverse conditions. The author has done well to devote a separate chapter to the Sherpas. Without them no man could have boasted to have climbed the highest dream. In contrast to the western world, the Sherpas continue to hold the mountains in general and Everest in particular as an object of veneration. Nature for them is not just another force to be conquered by mankind for they respect it too much not to appreciate the capricious force that it wields. The photographs chosen tell a story of their own and looking at some of them, especially of Mallory, one might be tempted to think mountaineering is fun and frolic. But we all know only too well that it is not. It is a book for those enamoured of nature and snow-peaked mountains.

Resurgence of Mein Kampf digitally

DOLF HITLER'S fascist manifesto Mein Kampf has shot to the top of ebook bestsellers charts reportedly following a similar trend to that of 50 Shades of Grey and other romance novels. According to the political author and journalist Chris Faraone, while the controversial book's print sales have remained minimal for many years, its various eBook versions consistently appear in politics, history and philosophy "Top 20" lists for retailers like Amazon or iTunes. Just one of these digital editions on Amazon's UK site ranks at number four in the History - Reference section, number six in the German history section and number 20 for World War II biographies and memoirs. Faraone, who writes for The Phoenix in Boston and has published a number of books about the Occupy movement, said in an essay on the subject that Mein Kampf could be following a similar trend to that of smut and romance novels. People might not have wanted to buy Mein Kampf at borders or have it delivered to their home or displayed on their living room bookshelf, let alone get spotted reading it on a subway, he explained. "But judging by hundreds of customer comments online, readers like that digital copies can be quietly perused then dropped into a folder or deleted." The same characteristics, and comments from readers, can be seen with 50 Shades and other romance fiction, Faraone said. According to research from the Romance Writers of America association, Romance buyers are buying ebooks to a greater extent when compared with other major fiction subgenres. Faraone wrote that Mein Kampf's recent resurgence came from the release of a 99 cent digital version last year. He quoted the President of publisher Elite Minds Inc., Michael Ford, as saying: "Sales are great." One buyer of a different edition on Amazon said: "People need to understand that if we do not learn from people like this, then we will fall into their traps again." Yet, Ford said he faced a moral dilemma in promotion over fears the book could be misused. He added: I have not heavily promoted the book and decided, for the most part, to let it spread among those who have a true historical and academic interest. The Independent

A gripping account of the life of an extraordinary man

D S Cheema
OOD books are a unique gift by the author to readers, children and descendants. People write autobiographies for different reasons; some write them for the sheer joy of seeing their name in print, others write to become famous and make money, but some great men of stature write them because they want to share their experiences of struggle, hope, achievements and despair which can transform many lives for the better. Kalam's My Journey is one such book. By revisiting his past, the author has explored his journey of 82 years, perhaps in an attempt to know his true self. Such honest reflections by some one of author's stature who millions look up to, can in fact, become a tool of social change. If I may, allow me to interject a personal note. I had the privilege of escorting him for 30 kilometres to Secunderabad and introducing him as a speaker at a lecture session in 1984, when he was working for DRDO at Hyderabad. His clarity of thought, simplicity and humility has left an indelible mark on me Kalam's journey has been extraordinary in more than one ways. His enthusiasm and grit took him to the heights he achieved. In the Introduction, he sums up his life in these phrases and words, Love poured to the childstruggle.more strugglebitter tearsthen sweet tears and finally a life as beautiful and fulfilling as seeing the birth of the full moon. Perhaps the best compliment a grateful nation paid to Kalam was he being fondly referred to as the People's President, during his Rashtrapati days from 2002-2007 as India's 11th President. His achievements in the field of science and technology are well documented but his concern for the marginalised and the poor, love for the children and hope for a better India are not that well known by the common man.

BOOKS ON

PHOTOGRAPHY
The Everything Photography Book by Mellisa Martin Ellis, Adam`s Media. Pages 306, ~799 Abdul Kalam explores his journey of 82 years in an effort to know his true self My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions by APJ Abdul Kalam Rupa. nology (MIT) are permanently etched in his memory. Ahmed Jalulluddin, his cousin and brother-in-law had the maximum impact on his life, he was his friend and guide. His mentor suddenly left for the heavenly world, leaving Kalam who was then working on the SLV-3 project for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) totally shattered. He was fortunate that Dr Vikram Sarabhai, one of modern India's greatest visionaries, spotted his talent and took him under his wings. He had his highs and lows during a very eventful career; his dream of becoming a pilot in the Air Force could not be fulfilled and as leader of the SLV-3 team while carrying out certain experiment an AN-32 crashed with eight men on board. The frustrations of meeting almost impossible deadlines and leading the team through difficult times made him what he is today, a mature and humble man who rose every time he fell to ultimately succeed in his mission. As a man of science, who was also nicknamed Missile Man, his achievements have been unparalleled. His contribution even after retirement, through his love for teaching, is touching the lives of millions in India and abroad. The Beginners Photography Guide Dorling Kindersley, Pages 192, ~899

It is known that parents are the first teachers of a child; but a parent's role becomes all the more important when the teacher in the classroom is abdicating his responsibility as the as the torch-bearer of values and morals. Born 82 years back in the small temple town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Kalam was fortunate to get first lessons of distinguishing between right and wrong from his deeply spiritual father, even though he did not have much formal education. When his father's ferry business failed, he was forced work as a newspaper boy at the tender age of eight. He remembers the peace and harmony which was never disturbed because of the three friends Imam (his father), priest of the temple and the priest of the church, who resolved all the problems of the people. How his mother fed the children sometimes going hungry herself and how his sister pawned her jewellery to send him to Madras Institute of Tech-

Nature Photography by Ralph Lee Hopkins, Lark Books. Pages 240, ~1,999

Contemporary Wedding Photography D&C. Pages 142, ~1,095

Digital Photography Master Class by Tom Ang, DK. Pages 360, ~999

The Complete Guide to Night and Low Light Photography by Tom Worobiec, FW Media. Pages 144, ~1,099

The Digital Photographers Guide to Exposure by Peter Cope, David and Charles. Pages 144, ~ 1,099

The Complete Guide to Photographic Composition by Tom Worobiec, D&C. Pages 158, ~1,350

COMPILED BY THE CAPITAL BOOK DEPOT, CHANDIGARH

Drama in real life of survival at sea

Kanwalpreet

HIS is a story of Commander Bath who with his helpers, Himanshu, Rama Rao Sr and Rama Rao Jr, takes tourists, regularly, out to sea near the Andaman islands so that the latter can spot marine life. What was supposed to be a one-day trip turns out to be an ordeal for a couple of days. With limited water and emergency rations that were supposed to last for a day or two, the six are adrift on the sea. They are at the mercy of the weather and the sea. They start the trip as strangers but end up fighting the odds together. The tourists, Bruno and Camille, are foreigners who had come for sightseeing but are marooned on a small boat, along with the crew. They learn to adjust too for when it comes to matters

of life and death, one has no it too and what an experience! option. V. Sudarshan, the They invent new methods to author of this book, came store water and then plan in across this story through his such a way that it lasts. Comfriends who narrated it to him mander Bath proves that his within half an hour. Intrigued, business is his passion for such Sudarshan, then flew down perils are a part of a business from Chennai to Port Blair to that involves diving, Adrift, a meet Commander Bath and snorkelling etc. but he ensured True Story of listened to the adventure firstthat his clients (who were his Survival at Sea hand before he penned it responsibility) reached the by V. Sudarshan down. The author has rightshore safe and sound. Hachette, India. fully captured this drama in It is in matters like these that Pages 153. ~399 real life because he grew up the endurance of human beings on the Andaman and Nicobar is tested. Situations like these islands. Thus, it was not diffibring out the best and the worst cult for him to figure out how the sea in the people caught in adversity. It which seems to be calm and innocent, a goes to the credit of the entire team that liquid mirror, as he calls it can turn to they managed to keep their sanity and be very hostile and menacing. Com- come out of the situation. mander Bath with his crew experienced Whether it was the love of the families

back home or the determination to survive, the group that comprised people with diverse interests did overcome the odds, even though they had their weak moments. The author has captured such moments in a manner that the reader is gripped by the fear of the uncertain. One, then, is tempted to read the end of this ordeal but has to restrain oneself for a mature reader has to wait for the author to unravel the story. Sudarshan has written a gripping story which was somebody's experience but while reading it one forgets the difference between the narrator and the actual hero. Experiences like these are rare but are lessons of a lifetime and the author has done well to bring this experience to people so that they can appreciate life's blessings, however small they might be.

CHANDIGARH | 2 FEBRUARY 2014

Society

Around the world on their dream machine

For them 2>4. They firmly believe that two wheels move the soul. On their bikes, they blaze a trail wherever they go
GLOBE TROTTER SANDERS
Mona

TRIP TIPS
Dont come with excess baggage Go first to a place you feel comfortable in Eat hot street food. Its delicious and germs are killed Be good to all, you are the lucky one who travels

OU have to inspire yourself first before you inspire others. This is what fuels Nick Sanders, the man, who has taken his mean machines for a spin around the world like no other. Touted as the most experienced solo rider, the biker boy has astonishingly circumnavigated the globe seven times. A true adventurer and a gear junkie, Nick is in the drivers seat wherever he goes. Thirty-three years on the move. At times, I begin to ask myself whats there left to do or who really cares. But when I take the saddle, I realise that it is up to us to create new meanings in life, says the man who hogged the limelight at the recent Harley Owners Group Rally in Goa, from where the India Bike Week kick-started. An avid traveller and a real globe-trotter, Nicks has documented his adventures in the form of books and DVDs, including The great bike ride: Around the World in 80 days, Fastest Man Around the World, Loneliness of the Long Distance Biker and, most recently, The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, his autobiography. While many travel, my USP is that I make money out of it, he chuckles. India has figured prominently in Nicks itinerary. Each time around, I see so much change. Still some aspects are stuck...like tribal issues and religion. I really wonder how you dally with a billion gods, he says. Its most difficult to travel in Mexico, he shares. One of my clients I was riding with was kidnapped. We lost everything. At last, we could get him back alive but he

R80GS and rode through 47 countries, registering a whopping 95,000 km on his tripmetre. This time Dreaming of Jupiter was born. A writer or a rider, we ask. A writer, always. In fact, I never learnt to ride a bike properly, he laughs, sitting comfortably with Harley riders at the Goa rally. The need for speed is visibly alive in the man who is well into his seventies. He took a road trip from Mumbai to reach Goa. His last long trip was from Germany to Greece. I thought it to be an easy ride as I had done it twice earlier. But then the lifes journeys have the ability to trip you anytime. I forgot all my documents at a place and made a real fool of myself more than once, he shares. You can practically cruise through Argentina, Chile, and South Africa. But Ethiopia is the hardest to cover, says Simon. Like Nick, Simon is in love with India too, and has stayed here for close to nine months at a stretch. Ted Simon was sponsored by The Sunday Times for his first journey. Been to

BIKERS SPECIAL

Nick Sanders was in a pretty bad shape, recalls Nick. The easiest one has to be the US, he says. Roads, navigation aids, motels by the road, all in place. They say if one has a family, a mortgage to pay and a car to keep, then travelling around the world is not possible. Well, I have all these, and three children, still I do it. If I can, so can you, he vrooms off. Nick Sanders books and films earn him the money to carry on his passion for travelling. There are people who pay him to ride with him.

Do it, dont bother if you dont have the latest machine Get started, on road you will find way Dangers are nowhere as imposing as they look Go slowly, get involved, everyone will help you!

RIDING WRITE: SIMON

Curiosity killed the cat. But in the case of Ted Simon, it made him go miles. A late bloomer, Simon took to riding at the age of 42. But soon this journo-turned-biker caught up with his passion fast. His first trip in 1973 made him traverse 45 countries and his four-year labour resulted in the birth of Jupiters Travels a book that beckoned many a traveller on their dream journey. A few years later, Simon hopped on to on a modified BMW

India a few times, Simon knows the country as on one of his trips he stayed here close to nine months. Well, this also is the country that gave him food trouble. By no way thats a reflection on the country. It was I who decided to treat myself by choosing to go to this expensive restaurant. Heres his limerick he wrote while travelling in India, The food in Bihar is really bizarre/ One should not strive after lunch in Bihar/ Not even as far as the nearest bazaar/ For none cannot outrun the food in Bihar.

Ensure safety of gas geysers

CONSUMERS

Facts every motorist should know

GOOD MOTORING
h. kishie singh
ANTA (not Claus) who is a Delhi resident was going to Kasauli where he has a house. He was in a Toyota Innova, just one occupant, the driver and a boot full of household items. No roof rack. The police stopped him, the charges were overloading and the fine to pay on the spot was Rs 5,000. An excellent example of police high-handedness and extortion. The Toyota Innova is a seven-seater SUV and designed to carry people and loads. If any one should know this, it is the police. The Toyota Innova is one of the most-preferred taxis on the road and they all have roof racks. They don't pay an overloading tax. This was a brazen attempt to extort money and line their own pockets. There is no provision in the Motor Vehicles Act to fine a driver for overloading a car. A roof rack may be objectionable. Certainly not a Toyota Innova with one occupant with his personal belongings.

BEWARE!
pushpa girimaji
N the last ten years, thousands of consumers have become victims of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gasbased geysers. Many have died, some have gone into a coma and yet others have lost their memory. Those lucky enough to be treated early have survived the ordeal. In all cases, the victim goes into the bathroom where the geyser is fitted, to take a shower and does not come out. When the door is broken open, the person is found unconscious. The latest victim is a 17-year old pre-university student from Bangalore, who has gone into a coma. Despite lack of statistical data on the number of people affected by gas geysers, one can guage the enormity of the situation from newspaper reports. Amritsar, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bharatpur, Delhi, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Ludhiana, NOIDA, Pune, Surat, have all reported cases of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by these geysers. Deaths and injuries caused by gas geysers have contributed to a number of articles and research papers in a variety of scientific journals, including the Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging, Journal of Forensic and legal Medicine, the Journal of Indian Society of Toxicology, Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine and the Annals of India Academy of Neurology. Given the dangers, one would expect manufacturers and sellers to ensure installation in a well-ventilated area, besides consumer education on safe usage. Obviously, they are not ensuring either. In Chemisol Adhesive Pvt Ltd vs Shri Dhanaji Shankar Dalvi (RP N 3050 of 2009, decided on March 29, 2010) the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission came down heavily on the manufacturer and the dealer for failing to issue adequate warning about the highly inflammable nature of the water-proofing material and held them both liable for the consequences. We should hold the manufacturers/importers and dealers of gas geysers similarly accountable for the injuries and deaths caused on account of negligence. One must also hold the government responsible for its failure to ensure consumer safety. Its highly deplorable that the government has taken no action to ensure the safety of gas geysers. The government should ensure that (a) only those gas geysers that conform to

international standards are sold in the country, (b) that they are installed by qualified persons in well-ventilated areas and (c) they carry adequate warnings in English and in the local language about CO poisoning. Installation of a CO alarm should also become mandatory, so also consumer education about the safe use of these water heaters. Considering that one of the first rights enumerated in the Consumer Protection Act is the right to be pro-

The traffic police can stop a driver only for a traffic violation and not to check the documents They can stop you only if you have violated any traffic laws or if you are driving drunk. Remember that when caught for a traffic violation, the fine you pay must be limited to the violation. In other words, the police cannot bloat the bill saying that you have no insurance cover, pollution certificate or driving license or any other excuse. Many motorists do not know this. According to the law, no policeman can slap a penalty on you just because you have no insurance or pollution certificate. If you have not purchased insurance cover for your vehicle, then the police officer must issue a notice, not impose a penalty. You must be given 15 days time to purchase insurance cover and one week for obtaining the pollution certificate. When documents are complete, you should meet the sub-inspector at his station with the insurance cover or pollution certificate, so that he will annul the charge at once. Police can fine you only if you fail to produce these documents within the stipulated period. If your vehicle is brand new, then you need not bother about obtaining the pollution certificate for six months. Form 22 from the manufacturer is the equivalent to a pollution certificate. Policemen fine people instantly without giving them time to obtain insurance cover or pollution certificate. This is wrong. People must insist that policemen issue notice and not a challan immediately. The best way to object is by filling a written complaint with the higher police officials and, a week later, using the Right to Information Act (RTI) to know the action taken. Remember, any question or application filed under the RTI cannot be ignored and no official is bold enough to ignore the RTI Act. Happy motoring !

All drivers should law savvy

tected against unsafe and hazardous goods, it is highly condemnable that the government has allowed the sale and installation of unsafe gas geysers at great risk to consumers. A colourless, odourless gas, carbon monoxide is known for the swiftness with which it kills. Symptoms of mild poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion and more exposure can lead to loss of consciousness and death. This gas is produced whenever a fuel (gas in this case) is burnt, but the quantity depends on the quality of the fuel-burning appliance. While a good-quality appliance that ensures efficient combustion produces very little CO, a malfunctioning or a poor quality product can produce life-threatening amounts of CO. In order to prevent CO poisoning, three factors have to be kept in mind: (a) the quality of the geyser (b) its installation and (c) its regular annual maintenance. It is best to install the geyser outside the bathroom in a well-ventilated area by a qualified person and have it inspected regularly. If it is installed inside a bathroom, it is essential to ensure that the bathroom is well-ventilated, the geyser is switched off before entering the bathroom and there is sufficient gap between two users. It is equally important to instal a CO alarm. But frankly, I would rather not buy a gas-based geyser. The Traffic Police cannot stop a motorist just to examine the vehicle documents e.g. driving license, insurance papers, pollution certificate, registration certificate (R.C.) or number plate.

Parantha or pizza?
FOOD TALK
pushpesh pant
ELL, to tell you the truth this is a pizza in parantha skin. But fear not, its no dangerous wolf. It is one of the healthiest meals you can treat yourself to. Our friend Kuntal Kumar, one of the most gifted chefs we have come across created this for his guests at Vana a forest retreat cum spa in the lap of Shivalik mountains in Dehradun. He used locally available coarse grains and gardenfresh vegetables colourful, refreshing and wonderfully nutritious at the same time. He uses a wood-fired oven to bring out this burnished beauty and reassures us that this is the way the Italians enjoy

their pizza most not oozing with cheese or blanketed with tomato sauce. At Vana they discourage use of salt, there is no salt cellar at the table, just the pepper mill, and we rediscovered the taste of this mlange relishing each bite that explosively registered its distinct identity on our palate be it broccoli, sweet bell peppers or baby corn or juicy tomatoes. One didnt miss the sachets of chilly flakes, seasoning or mustard either. The challenge was Kuntal told us in rolling out a thin crust with a heavy pin. We enjoyed it so much that couldnt wait to try it out at home. As luck would have it electricity failed us and we ended up pan-grilling the base more a parantha than a pizza. But then as they say, what is in a name. A rose remains a rose called by any other name! We dont claim that we could replicate Kuntals perfection but are more than content with Parantha Sartaj.

PARANTHA SARTAJ Ingredients Multigrain pizza base or 1 thin crust parantha disc rolled out at home using ragi/madua Button mushrooms 50g (sliced thin after wiping clean with moist cloth) Sweet bell pepper (yellow/red cut into bite sized pieces) Broccoli florets (blanched in 50g boiling water than refreshed in ice cold water) Tomato (desi quartered, 1 small then halved) Baby corns (sliced in rounds 2 not too thick) Spinach (washed and shredded) 2 to 3 leaves Olive oil 1 tsp Method: Line a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and lightly saut the vegetables. Avoid using salt if you can! Keep aside when done to taste. Pan-grill the parantha and crown it with the veggies. Enjoy seconds- or increase the size of the serving without guilt.

6
STAR POWER
ARIES MARCH 21 TO APRIL 20
Time is ripe for you to take off on a luxury tour. If youre worried about your relationship, wait for things to unfold. Soon you will know your course of action. Lucky colour: Scarlet
APARSHAKTI

Leisure
TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARVESH CHAUHAN

CHANDIGARH | 2 FEBRUARY 2014

TAURUS APRIL 21 TO MAY 21

You and your partner might disagree on a few issues. Instead of fighting, talk it out. Everything good will revolve around your love life. Beware of strangers on Wednesday. Lucky colour: Silver grey
Selected entries for Caption contest 945, January 19 issue (see photo)

GEMINI MAY 22 TO JUNE 21

You are a perfectionist and set high standards at work. But dont expect faultlessness from others. Your dreams will be fulfilled this week; a reason to party. Lucky colour: Ebony.

Yet another feather in my cap R. K. TANEJA, CHANDIGARH Tribal fervour in letter and spirit Dr M. R. VIRDI, SHAHPURKANDI Thats joy of learning NIKHIL GUPTA, AMBALA CANTT Appointment letter for Bharatiya mahila bank ANUBHA GUPTA, PANCHKULA White paper on womens rights H. K. CHAUDHRY, MOHALI

CANCER JUNE 22 TO JULY 22

An excellent time to consider new work or take up a lucrative business. A friend might mess up your relationship. Dont feel cornered, fight it out with a firm voice. Lucky colour: Peacock blue.

LEO JULY 23 TO AUGUST 23

A romantic goal will be within your reach. Expect delay in finances. This is temporary. Upper back might bother you. So its important for you to take a break. Lucky colour: Sky blue.

VIRGO AUGUST 24 TO SEPTEMBER 22

A new business proposal will come to you soon. But you wont leap at the idea immediately. Financial gains will come through timely investment and an intelligent planning. Lucky colour: Green.

CAPTION CONTEST 947

Suggest a caption and win a prize. The caption should only be in English, telling, witty and not exceeding 10 words, and reach Spectrum, The Tribune, Chandigarh, 160030, within one week. We will award prizes of ~300, ~250, ~200, ~150 and ~100 to the best five captions published. Each caption must be accompanied by a cutting of the caption contest and number. Photocopies of the caption photo will not be accepted. Please mention the pin code in your address.

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23 TO OCTOBER 23

The week may be unbearable and frustrate you. But dont worry an exciting project will revive hope in your ailing professional career. Watch out for a stomach problem. Lucky colour: Yellow

SCORPIO OCTOBER 24 TO NOVEMBER 22

New personal and professional avenues will come to the fore. Expect substantial financial gains. Personal life will be blissful with family harmony, pleasant picnics and fun. Lucky colour: Peach

LOVE IS

WEBSIDE HUMOUR
Bypassing the rules
On the first day of college, the Dean addresses the students, pointing out some of the rules. "The female dormitory will be out-of-bounds for all male students. Similarly, the male dormitory will be out of bounds to the female students. Anybody caught breaking this rule will be fined $50 the first time. Anybody caught breaking this rule the second time will be fined $150. Being caught a third time will incur a hefty fine of $500. "Are there any questions?" At this, a male student in the crowd inquires, " Sir, how much for a season pass?"

Sunil Sharma

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23 TO DECEMBER 23

An unpleasant experience ends and new events will rejuvenate you. You may have to confront somebody about a delayed payment. An ideal time to sort out personal issue and start afresh. Lucky colour: Burgundy

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 24 TO JANUARY 20

Your financial situation will improve dramatically by Wednesday. Be wary of crafty colleagues lest they land you in trouble. Your health may cause concern. Lucky colour: Deep red.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 21 TO FEBRUARY 18

Professionally, an important project will keep you on your toes. There could also be a change of residence. Investing in realty is a good idea. A sudden travel overseas ahead. Lucky colour: White.

Surgery pays
A surgeon examined a new patient most carefully. After studying the x-rays, he turned to the man and said, "Could you pay for an operation if I told you it was necessary?" The patient thought for a moment, then said to the doctor, "Would you find one necessary if I told you I couldn't pay for it?"

PISCES FEBRUARY 19 TO MARCH 20

A sudden business surge will ball you out of your present financial crisis. You may have to bear an unforeseen expenditure. But do not worry. A relationship might end. But its all for the good. Lucky colour: Golden brown.

ILLUSTRATION SANDEEP JOSHI

BIRTHDAYS
February 2
Those starting their own business will get support. You may plan to go abroad in MarchApril. Love life is controversial. Higher income but lapses in management may cause loss. seek voluntary retirement. Eligible may get married in mid year. Job seekers will get good offers in September-October.

Good news, bad news

A large two-engine passenger train was crossing the country. After they had gone some distance, one of the engines broke down. "No problem," the engineer thought and carried on at half power. Farther on down the line, the other engine broke down and the train came to a standstill. The engineer decided he should inform the passengers about why the train had stopped, and made the following announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we

will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train instead of an airplane."

Wagging tales
A man tried to sell his neighbour a new dog. "This is a talking dog," he said, "and you can have him for five dollars." The neighbour said, "Who do you think you're kidding with this talking dog stuff? There's no such animal." Suddenly the dog looked up with tears in his eyes. "Please buy me, Sir," he pleaded. "This man is cruel. He never buys me a meal, never bathes me, never takes me for a walk. And I used to be the richest trick dog

in America. I performed before kings. I was in the army and was decorated ten times." "Hey!" said the neighbour. "He can talk. Why do you want to sell him for just five dollars?" "Because," said the seller, "I'm getting tired of all his lies."

February 6
Cash flows in from hard work. Educational matters are favourable till November end. Domestic peace will elude in June-July.

Test flight
Taxiing down the tarmac, the jetliner abruptly stopped and returned to the gate. After waiting about an hour, it finally took off. A concerned passenger asked the flight attendant what had happened. "The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine," said the attendant. "It took us an hour to find another pilot!"

February 3
Partition in joint family is indicated before September 27. Businessmen would sign new profitable contracts in June.

February 7
Foreign travel foreseen in AugustSeptember. Property investments seem bright. New projects come in hand in year-end. Unexpected developments likely during August.

February 4
A comfortable year with more time for leisure and household activities. Mercury sextile Venus brings progress in JanuaryFebruary. Unforeseen problem with a relative likely in July.

CROSSWORD Karuna Goswamy

Across DOWN
1. Optical device that provides depth 2. General who ordered Jallianwala Bagh firing 3. Gets you a run in cricket 4. India 's top tennis body (inits.) 5. Old apparatus that sent messages 9.Commercial township in Navi Mumbai 10. Without this or reason, as they say 15. Cain 's brother in the Bible 17. At one time 19. Free of moisture 6. There are schools of this league in the United States 7. Brett ___, deadly bowler 8. Former women 's tennis great 11. Favourite summer vegetable 12. You can 't see very well in this 13. A bean from which sauce is made 14. The state associated with Mormons 16. Tract of open, peaty, wasteland 18. Currently, Vice President of U.S. 20. Top card 21. The one from Kulu is much loved

February 8
Students will get chance to travel abroad. Health of spouse may be worrisome in March. Those in the fields of import export should be careful.

February 5
Good period for senior civil servants to go on long leave or

ASTRO-GUIDE
SACRED DAYS
Feb 2: Gauri tritya fast, Ganesh til chaturthi, Vardchauth, Kundchaturthi, Rabiulsani month starts Feb 5: Gandmoola, shahsthi fast Feb 6: Arogya saptami, Putr saptami fast Feb 7: Bhishmashtmi

LUCKY DAYS
Investment: Tuesday & Friday Entertainment: Friday Meditation/ Donation: Tuesday Love & Romance: Monday

CHANDIGARH | 2 FEBRUARY 2014

Travel

A view of the Raj Bhavan at Nainital

Winter wows in Indias Lake District

Unmindful of the dipping temperature, the lake resort of Nainital brims with merrymakers and tourists even in winters
Tanushree Podder
TRIP to Nainital during January and the reactions pour in, "Are you crazy? You'll freeze. People go to hill stations in summers not in winters." But the lovely hills of Kumaon beckoned for a wintry holiday. Nainital, the popular lake resort, is nestled in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand. The adjoining hills are verdant with pine forests with fantastic views of the valley beneath. In winter, usually dozens of honeymooning couples can be spotted walking around the Mall, clad in layers of woollens. The lake side is brimming with merry makers. Unmindful of the dipping temperature, the lake was overflowing with boats crowded with tourists this year, especially after the snowfall. "This is the land of the Yaksha midway between the land of men (in the plains) and the land of gods (in the Himalayas)," said our boatman as we took a serene sail around the beautiful Naini Lake, right in the centre of the town. For locals, the Nainital Lake is considered to be almost as holy as the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. Surrounded by lofty peaks and green hills, the beautiful lake is divided into two parts: Malli Tal and Talli Tal (upper and lower lake). The elegant Yacht Club lies at the end of the lake. It is said that the Nainital Yacht Club is the highest yacht club in
PHOTO: RUPESH RAJPUT

FACTFILE

In the heart of the town is the playground called the Flatts; and (right) snowfall in winters attracts many tourists the world with many specially designed yachts to cope with the mountain winds. The road on the side of the lake is called thandi sadak, which means "cool road". After the boat trip, one can stroll into the adjoining Tibetan market, which overflows with enthusiastic crowds. Rows and rows of shops selling woollen caps, jackets, socks and mufflers draw shoppers like bees to a honeycomb. We heard several tourists ask the locals if it would snow. "No one can tell," replied one shopkeeper. "Nainital weather is like a moody woman. It can change in a minute." The temple of Naina Devi at the northern end of the lake draws devout tourists. According to legend, the temple is the spot where the eye of Sati, Shiva's wife, had fallen when the Lord scattered the parts of her body around the country. To cater to stomachs growling with hunger, there are dozens of tiny restaurants near the Tibetan Market. All kinds of food, right from momos to dosas and kulchas are available. Stretching from one end of the lake to the other, connected by the beautiful mall, overhung with the drooping willows, are the shopping centres. In the heart of the town is the playground called the Flatts. Life in the town centres around the Flatts. Whether it is the shopping, club, cinema hall or the lake, everything is ringed around this area. Discovered in the early 1800s by the British, it was only in the mid-1800s that it became a popular hill resort and a place for education. Several famous schools and colleges found their place in the town. The famous Sherwood College is one of them. P . Barron, a British sugar trader who, upon chancing on this place, was so awestruck by the beauty that he gave up his business, and built a European colony around the lake. Later, the British authorities began constructing their holiday homes, offices and public schools. The famous Raj Bhawan, which the British constructed in 1897, is modelled on the design of the Buckingham Palace. Situated in a vast area and at a high altitude, the building is awesome. This is the place where several important dignitaries - both British and Indian - have stayed when they visited Nainital. An 18-hole golf course attracts avid golf players from across the world. The 50-acre golf course surrounded by pine and oak trees is one of the most enchanting ones in the country. Time spent in Nainital without going to the view points is like going to Switzerland and not seeing the Alps so a visit to the famous Snow View is must. To do so, one can take the aerial ropeway

Reaching there: The nearest railhead is at Kathgodam, about 35 km. It takes about one hour from there to Nainital. A drive from Delhi to Nainital will take around six and a half hours. Staying there: Like most hill stations, there are umpteen options to suit your budget. There are lots of these hotels located on the other side of the Mall road. Best budget options are the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Rest Houses. They are clean, comfortable and inexpensive; their website is www.kmvn.org Shopping: Browse for shawls, woollens and readymade clothes both at the Mall and the Tibetan Market; local handicrafts, fruit juices and pickles. Don't miss the delicious litchi juice and the rhododendron juice. Local honey is worth buying. Eating: The Kumaoni raita and its tangy mustard flavour; rus with its umpteen pulses, Kappa, a spinach dish with the special Kumaoni touch, are a must try.

The Naina devi temple that connects Malli Tal side of the lake to the Snow View point. One will be rewarded with the breath-taking vista of the snow-clad mountains glittering in the sunlight. The spectacle of the Himalayan Range in the distance is simply stunning. The views are spectacular from China Point, Dorothy's Seat or Tiffin Top as it is also called and Suicide Point; each one has a different perspective, one better than the other. Despite the unenthusiastic reactions, winter time in Nainital is an unforgettable experience.

The Naini Lake, right in the centre of the town, is considered to be almost as holy as the Mansarovar Lake by the locals

PHOTOS BY THE WRITER

GLOBETROTTING

A veiled chameleon, also known as Yemen chameleon, sits on the finger of a keeper during an animal inventory at the Biosphere Potsdam tropical plants and animal park in Potsdam, eastern Germany. PHOTO: AFP / DPA / RALF HIRSCHBERGER Right: A lizard sits on a rock during a sunny morning at Wildlife Sydney Zoo. The Wildlife Sydney Zoo is a big attraction specially for tourists at the Darling Harbour.
PHOTO: AFP /SAEED KHAN

Reptilian

beauties

A volunteer holds a sand Lizard prior to its release into the wild in sand dunes near Talacre, north Wales. The lizard, one of Britain's rarest species of reptile, has been released, along with 400 others, at seven sites across England and Wales as part of a long-term conservation programme. PHOTO: REUTERS/PHIL NOBLE

Entertainment

CHANDIGARH | 2 FEBRUARY 2014

horror story
An upscaling of the soft-porn horror flicks in Bollywood with big banners has seen established filmmakers and stars entering this genre
Shoma A. Chatterji
SHIM AHLUWALIAS Miss Lovely opens a can of worms revealing the underbelly of an underground factory in filmmaking that began in the late 1970s and is still going on under a new guise. This was a world distanced from mainstream Bollywood boasting big banners, significant songs and music, an impressive starcast and a good release. But there were two groups of producers operating in this business. One group was led by the Ramsay Brothers that was legit in the making, distribution and exhibition of their films. The underground filmmakers formed a much larger group who took a fast piggyback ride on the popularity of Ramsay Brothers films, shot a film in four days, with hardly any music, crude cinematography, terrible sets and no stars. But they became so popular that others joined the bandwagon but could not reach anywhere remotely close to the Ramsays. The focus was soft-porn and horror. How did these two apparently unfriendly elements come together? The films would use monster figures making love to buxom leading ladies, who would either panic or surrender or do both. Ramsay Brothers films did not fit into what the common man expects from the word horror and soft porn. They just added an additional track of horror loud sound effects such as creaking doors, thunder and lightning, scary visuals like blood flowing from showers and taps instead of water, shadowy figures, translucent curtains whizzing in the breeze, bleeding mouths, etc. The story had an element of the supernatural intercut with songs, melodramatic plotlines, dance numbers, garish costumes and some crude bed scenes. Sangita Gopal in Marriage and Form in New Bollywood Cinema (2012) says that there were no horror films during the classic period of Hindi cinema between 1945 and 1970. Films like Mahal (1958), Bees Saal Baad (1963) and Bhoot Bangla (1965) were more concerned with the bhatki hui aatma than with the horrific though sometimes, despite Gopals assertion, the films often suggested the opposite. Horror was more or less unknown in Indian cinema before the 1970s, she sums up. On the budgetary constraints of horror and soft-porn in Bollywood, Aditi Sen says,

The new

Bollywood has recently seen a spurt in the number of horror films. Stills from (clockwise from top) Miss Lovely, Ek Thi Daayan, Horror Story and Aatma which was not a big hit but one scene featuring a monster became very popular with the audience. This led them on to make a series of sensationally successful horror films like Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neechey (1972), Darwaza (1978), Hotel (1981), Purana Mandir (1984), Tehkhana (1986), Daak Bangla (1987), Veerana (1988), Purani Haveli (1989), and Shaitani Ilaka and Bandh Darwaza (1990). Their later films featured stars like Navin Nischol, Rakesh Roshan, Dilip Dhawan, Aruna Irani, Javed Khan and Sriprada. An amazing discovery is that a large section of Purani Haweli was shot at the Palace of the Nawab of Janjira near Murud village. It was a colonial mansion atop a hill overlooking an island transformed into a Moorish coastal fortress. Gopal offers an interesting comment on the up scaling of the horror-soft-porn flick in the 2000s made by big banner production houses, established filmmakers and audience-drawing stars. Examples are many Vikram Bhatts Raaz (2002), Ram Gopal Varmas Bhoot (2003) lifted from What Lies Beneath, a much better Hollywood product, Haunted (2011) and so on.

Ramsay Brothers made many successful horror films like Purana Mandir (top) and Hotel (above) Besides the Ramsay Brothers, horror filmmakers in India have not been able to make truly professional films due to severe budgetary constraints. The Ramsays, too, made low-budget films but they struggled relatively less than directors who had jumped on their bandwagon. The soft-porn in these films is kindergarten stuff placed against intimate scenes and item numbers in mainstream films today. The factory is still functioning, using similar horror-soft porn models but making the films on a much lower scale. Ramsay Brothers had a constant pool of actors. Among familiar faces are Deepak Parashar, Huma Khan, Aarti Gupta, Raza Murad, Mohan Joshi, comedians Jagdeep and Rajendranath, who took home somewhere between Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000 per day for two days of shooting for a film made on a total budget of around Rs 10 to 15 lakh. Today, for the big budget horror-cum-soft porn is made on high budgets with known stars and the smaller producers have had to practically bow out. Into the 1990s, many filmmakers like Mohan Bhakri and Joginder Shelly made steamy flicks screened in isolated, small and decrepit single-screen theatres in the outskirts of towns and cities or some shady screening place in rural areas. The audience, entirely male, streamed in from the world of rickshawallahs, porters, truck drivers, etc. The industry was thriving. But there were other filmmakers who did not bother about a censor certificate, shot their films with strange faces within ramshackle workshops and empty factory sheds, had their own very bad editing infrastructure and screened them clandestinely in curtained-off spaces anywhere. Nothing was legit about these films but gave a livelihood to many. The Ramsay Brothers realised they had stumbled on to a goldmine after they made Ek Nanhi Munni Ladki Thi (1972),

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, whose latest film Highway deals with relationships, claims to be anything but a diehard romantic

Nonika Singh

The reluctant romantic

Philosophically, he observes, One needs to take success and failure in equal measure. On his uncanny knack of getting the pulse of youth right too, he is equally circumspect. He doesnt really know how he is able to get iconic dialogues such as mein apni favourite hoon bang on except that, I am people too and live among people. Yet none of his characters are autobiographical, only, have traces of me. And guess what, this master of romance who has given us liltingly beautiful romantic films like Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal is not a romantic at all. Instead he says, I have no idea what love means or how to define it. All I have begun to understand is the journey of the heart with its infirmities, warts and all and, of course, its beauty. Of course, tomorrow even if he were to attempt a horror or action thriller, relationships would be the defining thread. Human bonding certainly is at the heart of Highway too which might have traces of Stockholm syndrome as well. But the film that travels through picturesque locales of several states is no more no less special to him even though it could have been his first film. Actually, the idea of it has stayed with him for 12 long years when he made a television serial Rishtey on the same subject. While he began his career with small screen today, he feels he wasnt cut out for it. Cinema and television, he perceives, as incredibly disparate mediums, especially in the manner in which these are consumed. Television soaps, he feels, are akin to assembly line production. While the same ill can plague cinema too, he asserts, People respond to both mediums differently. On the response to his films that find a resonance among both critics and audiences, he doesnt think there is anything unusual about films being critically appreciated and commercially successful. He questions, Isnt Raju Hirani doing the same? Not that he would like to follow anyone, or even repeat himself. Rather the most liberating aspect of being a director for him is to be able to make movies the way he wants to sans masala and cast actors who are suitable for the part. So after working with stars like Ranbir Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, he chose Randeep Hooda for he fit the part of a small town guy to a T. Similarly, he might be having celebrated names such as A.R. Rahman and sound designer Resul Pookutty

TTIRED in ripped jeans and a military green jacket with Highway emblazoned on it, he might as well be epitomising the spirit of his forthcoming film. But filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, whose latest directorial venture Highway, is all set to release in February is anything but an attention-seeker. Actually with his rockstar-like looks, he could have easily made his debut in tinseltown as an actor. But acting was never an option even though he did play lead part during his theatre days. Today as he lives in times when directors are getting their fair share of limelight, he rues, I do miss my anonymity. The directors job, he believes, is behind the scenes. And to tell stories as differently as possible, else audiences would be bored. So about the kidnapping drama that forms the crux of Highway, he proclaims, Its not the kind of film people expect from me. Strangely, viewers might take this maker rather seriously he certainly doesnt and has no expectations from himself. Hence, there is no question of his past successes, his reputation of delivering three hits in a row weighing heavy on his shoulders.

on board, he qualifies, They are not just big names but very talented people who do exceptionally good work. The music of Highway, which has irrepressible songs like Patakha Guddi, he asserts, cant be categorised but has to be tuned into while attaching yourself to the soul of the film. Incidentally, the music by Rahman has not only the maverick composer singing Maahi Ve and Patakha Guddi but also the pretty and petite heroine Alia Bhatt crooning Sooha Saha. But of course, its not the music alone that is hitting the right notes. The film has been selected for its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival. Imtiaz, however, makes light of it and says, I dont know much about festivals. Clearly, he is not only a reluctant romantic but equally reticent about taking credit. But then, the maker who has unfailingly touched a chord with audiences would rather let his films speak for themselves than go gung ho himself.

Imtiaz Ali