Colours of spring at Vasant Mela From Kanjeevram sarees to Malwani pickles and from brooches to junk jewellery, carpets and handicrafts, Cidco's Urban Haat mela offers a variety of products which come from all corners of the country. This fair will continue till April 8

Colours of spring at Vasant Mela

From Kanjeevram sarees to Malwani pickles and from brooches to junk jewellery, carpets and handicrafts, Cidco's Urban Haat mela offers a variety of products which come from all corners of the country. This fair will continue till April 8

Making the spring season a lot more colourful and eventful for the people of satellite city, Vasant mela has been organised at Cidco’s Urban haat in Belapur. The mela, which began on March 16, would be going on till April 8.

The fair offers wide range of products of handicraft, handloom and varied kinds of food being sold by artisans, who have come from states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal and so on.

“The mela offers wide range of products coming from all corners of the country. The makers of the product themselves sell it, hence authenticity and originality of the product is ensured. Moreover they can also give a little bit of history about various art and handicraft of their state. Cidco Urban Haat is quite popular and is known for its handicrafts, handloom items and consumer durables products. Since these products are being brought by artisans directly from their states, they are having more variety as compared to what one would get at local stores in Navi Mumbai,” said KSV Nair, manager of Urban Haat.

He added that so far the fair has received a good response from buyers and are hoping that more people turn up on weekends. Besides artisans there are many stall owners at the haat, who have come from local stores as well. Apart from art, craft and food the mela is also offering things like easy chairs, picnic tables and more. One can also shop for their home, as bed-spreads of single beds are available for as less as Rs150. Rangoli stencils are also being sold in a set of 10.

While the artisans from Tamil Nadu have brought the famous Kanjeevram sarees and Madhurai cotton sarees, Bhopal artisans have brought a variety of carpets. Different kinds of door screens, starting from Rs550 onwards, are brought by artisans from Delhi. Given the weather, cotton clothing is getting many takers. White cotton jhablas for children are in demand, while people from all age groups are going for cotton clothes.

There is a wide range of junk jewellery available and teenagers are sure to find everything from earrings to fancy hair brooches and different kinds of neck pieces to go with one’s attire. One can complement their summer casuals with wooden-bead neck lace or funky earring available at this mela. Local stores too have put up their stall and selling dress materials, cotton sarees and kurtas as well.

The fair also offers Konkan and Malwani food products like pickles, papads, kokum, mango sherbets and more. A painting and photo exhibition is also scheduled to take place from April 1to 8 where paintings done by children, who had participated in the competition held by urban haat two months back, would be displayed.

So this weekend if you feel like indulging in some shopping you might as well head to the haat!

The upcoming Yayoi Festival of Japan (April 16 and 17) marks the arrival of spring.

Japan’s own fest

The upcoming Yayoi Festival of Japan (April 16 and 17) marks the arrival of spring. It takes place in the Sannai, Nikko City, which has temples and shrines registered as World Heritage sites. The main attraction is the parade of 12 adorned floats called ‘hana-yatai’ from each town.

This traditional festival dates back to the 8th Century and is also called Gota Matsuri, the word ‘gota’ meaning ‘trouble’ or ‘Festival of Disputes’. The ceremony starts on the 13th. On the 17th, when all the floats have gathered, the heads of each town pay a visit to other towns to exchange greetings in the name card exchange ritual. Amid performances of traditional festival music, the floats later make a tour of the shrine. Selected as a World Heritage Site, Futarasan is familiarly known as Nantaisan (or Mt. Nantai). High priest Shodo is famous for opening up the mountain of Nikko. It is believed that Chuzenjiko Lake and Kegon Falls — popular tourist spots today — were also discovered by Shodo.

Television actor Manasi Parekh Gohil shares with us her experience in New York City

New York diaries

Television actor Manasi Parekh Gohil shares with us her experience in New York City



Actor Manasi Parekh Gohil has had a special association with the city New York. “I had spent a few months in New York when I was doing an acting course at Lee Strasberg, and I absolutely loved the city,” she gushes. And hence her palpable excitement when she went there with husband Parthiv, recently, to attend a friend’s wedding, was totally justified.
“I went there with my husband to attend our friend’s wedding. It was the perfect combination of a Gujrati and Catholic wedding,” says Manasi. “They had combined the best of both religions and the wedding took place at the 16th chapel on 52nd street. It was one of the most special weddings I have attended and definitely extremely memorable for me.”

Both Manasi and her husband indulged in food, shopping, site-seeing and of course the famous Broadway shows. “We took a yacht ride on the Hudson River, which was great, as we had the opportunity to tour the five boroughs of New York City while seeing landmarks such as the Statute of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge,” she says. “We even got to watch the Blueman Group which was a great show with a lot of miming and comedy. New York is a great place to shop and so we did a lot of shopping for books, clothes, etc.”
A big fan of the food in New York, the couple binged without guilt. “Two places I could not miss out on during my trip were Whole Foods and Max Brenner’s Chocolate Factory. Whole Foods has amazing organic and healthy salads and great soups and pastas. Max Brenner’s is surely a chocolate lover’s paradise. The place smells amazing as they make the chocolate right there and it’s great to stop by on a cold day to enjoy a nice, warm cup on hot chocolate.”
Manasi even took time out to meet a few of her old friends from Lee Strasberg. “It was great catching up with my friends and colleagues as we chatted for hours amidst warm and toasty sinful fries.” Though it was just a short four-day trip, the couple made the most of the time spent in “their favourite city”.

CRICKET IPL Five Schedule 2012

CRICKET IPL Five Schedule 2012

Date            Local       GMT              Match Details                                                  Venue
4-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 1st T20     Chennai
5-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     KKR vs Delhi Daredevils, 2nd T20     Kolkata
6-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors, 3rd T20     Mumbai
6-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab, 4th T20     Jaipur
7-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     RCB vs Delhi Daredevils, 5th T20     Bangalore
7-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings, 6th T20     Visakhapatnam
8-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Rajasthan Royals vs KKR, 7th T20     Jaipur
8-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Pune Warriors vs Kings XI Punjab, 8th T20     Pune
9-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians, 9th T20     Visakhapatnam
10-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     RCB vs KKR, 10th T20     Bangalore
10-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings, 11th T20     Delhi
11-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, 12th T20     Mumbai
12-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Chennai Super Kings vs RCB, 13th T20     Chennai
12-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors, 14th T20     Mohali
13-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     KKR vs Rajasthan Royals, 15th T20     Kolkata
14-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers, 16th T20     Delhi
14-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Pune Warriors vs Chennai Super Kings, 17th T20     Pune
15-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     KKR vs Kings XI Punjab, 18th T20     Kolkata
15-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     RCB vs Rajasthan Royals, 19th T20     Bangalore
16-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils, 20th T20     Mumbai
17-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers, 21st T20     Jaipur
17-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     RCB vs Pune Warriors, 22nd T20     Bangalore
18-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Kings XI Punjab vs KKR, 23rd T20     Mohali
19-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils, 24th T20     TBC
19-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Chennai Super Kings vs Pune Warriors, 25th T20     Chennai
20-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Kings XI Punjab vs RCB, 26th T20     Mohali
21-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 27th T20     Chennai
21-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Delhi Daredevils vs Pune Warriors, 28th T20     Delhi
22-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, 29th T20     Mumbai
22-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Deccan Chargers vs KKR, 30th T20     TBC
23-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Rajasthan Royals vs RCB, 31st T20     Jaipur
24-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Pune Warriors vs Delhi Daredevils, 32nd T20     Pune
24-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     KKR vs Deccan Chargers, 33rd T20     Kolkata
25-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, 34th T20     Mohali
25-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     RCB vs Chennai Super Kings, 35th T20     Bangalore
26-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Pune Warriors vs Deccan Chargers, 36th T20     Pune
27-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians, 37th T20     Delhi
28-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, 38th T20     Chennai
28-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     KKR vs RCB, 39th T20     Kolkata
29-Apr-12     16:00     10:30     Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals, 40th T20     Delhi
29-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers, 41st T20     Mumbai
30-Apr-12     20:00     14:30     Chennai Super Kings vs KKR, 42nd T20     Chennai
1-May-12     16:00     10:30     Deccan Chargers vs Pune Warriors, 43rd T20     Hyderabad
1-May-12     20:00     14:30     Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils, 44th T20     Jaipur
2-May-12     20:00     14:30     RCB vs Kings XI Punjab, 45th T20     Bangalore
3-May-12     20:00     14:30     Pune Warriors vs Mumbai Indians, 46th T20     Pune
4-May-12     20:00     14:30     Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers, 47th T20     Chennai
5-May-12     16:00     10:30     KKR vs Pune Warriors, 48th T20     Kolkata
5-May-12     20:00     14:30     Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals, 49th T20     Mohali
6-May-12     16:00     10:30     Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, 50th T20     Mumbai
6-May-12     20:00     14:30     RCB vs Deccan Chargers, 51st T20     Bangalore
7-May-12     20:00     14:30     Delhi Daredevils vs KKR, 52nd T20     Delhi
8-May-12     16:00     10:30     Pune Warriors vs Rajasthan Royals, 53rd T20     Pune
8-May-12     20:00     14:30     Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab, 54th T20     Hyderabad
9-May-12     20:00     14:30     Mumbai Indians vs RCB, 55th T20     Mumbai
10-May-12     20:00     14:30     Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, 56th T20     Jaipur
11-May-12     20:00     14:30     Pune Warriors vs RCB, 57th T20     Pune
12-May-12     16:00     10:30     KKR vs Mumbai Indians, 58th T20     Kolkata
12-May-12     20:00     14:30     Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils, 59th T20     Chennai
13-May-12     16:00     10:30     Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors, 60th T20     Jaipur
13-May-12     20:00     14:30     Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers, 61st T20     Mohali
14-May-12     16:00     10:30     RCB vs Mumbai Indians, 62nd T20     Bangalore
14-May-12     20:00     14:30     KKR vs Chennai Super Kings, 63rd T20     Kolkata
15-May-12     20:00     14:30     Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab, 64th T20     Delhi
16-May-12     20:00     14:30     Mumbai Indians vs KKR, 65th T20     Mumbai
17-May-12     16:00     10:30     Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, 66th T20     Dharmasala
17-May-12     20:00     14:30     Delhi Daredevils vs RCB, 67th T20     Delhi
18-May-12     20:00     14:30     Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals, 68th T20     Hyderabad
19-May-12     16:00     10:30     Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils, 69th T20     Dharmasala
19-May-12     20:00     14:30     Pune Warriors vs KKR, 70th T20     Pune
20-May-12     16:00     10:30     Deccan Chargers vs RCB, 71st T20     Hyderabad
20-May-12     20:00     14:30     Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, 72nd T20     Jaipur
22-May-12     20:00     14:30     TBC vs TBC , Qualifier 1 T20     Bangalore
23-May-12     20:00     14:30     TBC vs TBC , Eliminator T20     Bangalore
25-May-12     20:00     14:30     TBC vs TBC , Qualifier 2 T20     Chennai
27-May-12     20:00     14:30     TBC vs TBC , Final T20     Chennai

world’s spiritual getaways - Seeking solace

Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina

In 1981, six children saw an apparition
of the Virgin Mary, in Medjugorje.
Today, the community of 400 residents
caters to millions of visitors
every year. The site, Apparition Hill
and the local church offer mass in
more than 10 languages, including
Croatian, Italian, Spanish and English.

Ulpotha, Sri Lanka

Two hours away from Kandy, Sri
Lanka, lies Ulpotha, an eco-village hidden
in a valley at the foot of the Galgiriyawa
mountains. It has been a pilgrimage
site for thousands of years and
is now a yoga, spa and Ayurveda retreat
open to guests for part of the year.
world’s spiritual getaways

Kairouan, Tunisia

Kairouan is a 1000-year-old city and
is considered to be the fourth holiest
city in Islam after Mecca, Medina and
Jerusalem. As the oldest Muslim place
of worship in Africa, the Great Mosque
of Kairouan (built in 670 AD) has been
an important place of pilgrimage for
Muslims who can’t make the long Haj.

Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island became a part of Chile
in the late 1800s and is a World Heritage
Site famous for the hundreds of
moai, the towering volcanic stone statues
dotted around the island and positioned
on ahu, the massive stone platforms.
Till date, no one knows which
civilisation built the moai and why
they built them.

Tiwanaku, Bolivia

Tiwanku was home to a pre-Incan
society (1600BC-1200AD). The Incas,
who later colonised Tiwanaku believed
that the place was built by god
Viracocha, who created the first humans.
This UNESCO World Heritage
site is referred to as the Stonehenge of
the Americas.

On a pagoda and a prayer Removed from Myanmar’s unhappy times, the small pilgrimage town of Bago in Yangon thrives on wishes and worship. Mita Ghosh goes in search of a spiritual balm

On a pagoda and a prayer

Removed from Myanmar’s unhappy times, the small pilgrimage town of Bago in Yangon thrives on wishes and worship. Mita Ghosh goes in search of a spiritual balm



Sure?” I ask.
“Dead shoo-er!” says U Tin Maung Swe—or Daw Thin Thin Swe.
I can’t tell one from the other. Bespectacled and beaming, the two middle-aged Burmese women look disconcertingly similar. One is a palmist with no English. The other is her interpreter. And we’re discussing my love life.

Cloistered in their den — the Swethahar Nirvana Shop, one of the many astrologers’ cubicles flanking the stairway of the complex that houses Yangon’s Chaukhtat Gyi Pagoda and its famous reclining Buddha—I decide to throw them off-balance.
“My father’s health?” I enquire.
“He’s fine,” they reply cheerily.
“Sure?”
“Dead shoo-er!”

I wince at the choice of words. Baba, I’ve just learnt, has terminal cancer. So much for predictions.
And yet, this business is thriving. Not just here, but all along the pavement skirting Mahabandoola Park on the way to the Yangon River jetty, where male astrologers sit under large, shady trees, their credentials nailed to the beleaguered trunks.
Back at my hotel, though, life rides on smug certainties. I watch the floor manager bowing and scraping to a woman bursting out of a silver lamé evening dress. Her imperiousness is just short of regal. An army bigwig’s wife, I learn. Beside her stand two obese mini-skirted clones—her adolescent daughters. The first skin show I’ve seen in Myanmar.

It’s not the only change I’ve noticed since my last visit, apart from the proliferation of astrologers. Along with mini-skirts, there are many more beggars. Even nuns seeking alms stare steadily at your plate while you eat, shaming you into donating a few kyats. One thing, however, is unreassuringly constant: the grumble of generators on the streets every evening. Phantom silhouettes flit by in the darkness brought on by the inevitable power cuts. The Nay Pyi Daw cinema hall opposite my hotel is, of course, ablaze with lights, making me forget for an instant that these are not happy times in Myanmar.

You wouldn’t think so, looking at Aye Aye, who turns up the following morning to accompany me on a trip, her lipsticked smile eclipsing the rest of her face. She is a ripe twenty-five, a civil engineer to boot—unemployed at present. We have just one thing in common: heartbreak.
I’m grieving for my father. Aye Aye confides that her fiancé, recently home from the Shan states in the north, is suffering from amnesia. He recognises no one. What remains unmentioned are the rumours—of the junta making random examples of innocent citizens in those insurgent-infested areas through “disappearances” or severe torture that often leaves victims physically and psychologically maimed. Given our respective predicaments, Aye Aye and I feel lost.
It’s providential that we’re headed for Bago, a sleepy little pilgrimage town where the power of prayer is celebrated with great fervour. For me, the place, 80 km northeast of Yangon, is just one defining moment from the past; I see them still, those Buddhist monks, young and old, streaming out of monasteries in the half-light of dawn to beg for alms, an act of humility that is truly inspirational.
This time, neither Aye Aye nor I are seeking favours from Lord Buddha alone. We’re also angling to cultivate some of Myanmar’s thirty-seven nats, those powerful guardian spirits from its animist past known to address specific issues so dear to the heart of mean-spirited mortals like us. If, for example, you’re itching to bump off a rival in business or love without dirtying your hands, they’re game. Just ensure the price is right. In fact, we’ve already propitiated one such spirit at the Shwenyaungpin Nat Shrine for a safe journey. It would be foolhardy not to, given the condition of Myanmar’s highways. But we crave much, much more.
Bago’s mandatory tourist hotspots turn out to be a confusing blur of images—the tenth-century Shwethalyaung reclining Buddha, the earthquake-ravaged Shwemawdaw Pagoda, the Kha Khat Waing Monastery, off-limits for years to overseas visitors for its role in the Saffron Revolution of 2007, and the impressive Kyaik Pun Pagoda with its quartet of thirty-foot-tall Buddhas sitting back to back. I’m beginning to understand what “templed out” means.
At the Hinthagone Pagoda, famous for the legend of the mating hansa birds that Burmese men ostensibly hold responsible for Bago’s characteristically domineering women, Aye Aye urges me to pray. The place is believed to be spiritually potent. The deities are evidently responsive, for a nat dance performance is on, during which the spirit is said to descend to earth. Before a rapt audience, an exquisitely made-up hermaphrodite in pink and emerald brocade sways to a cacophony of drums, cymbals and outright caterwauling. I notice the bottle of imported whiskey under her arm. Though she’s supposed to be in a trance when the nat spirit takes possession of her, this beautiful dancer’s gaze is fixed on me. I am apparently as exotic in her eyes as she is in mine. Then, with a sweeping bow, she acknowledges my presence. Her audience sighs with envy. I smile, accepting her gesture as a blessing. Aye Aye is ecstatic. Back in Kolkata, I remain in touch with my guide. She’s praying for my ailing father. Baba passes away soon after. Aye Aye writes again: she’s willing to spend her entire life waiting for her f fiancé to recover. I urge her to move on. She hasn’t replied. If I know her, she’s waiting, still waiting.