Lifestyle

04

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Tribute | Rohit Bal: the flamboyant designer rooted in heritage yet globally resonant  

“There will never be another Gudda.” A sentiment expressed by all those who knew the legendary couturier Rohit Bal (fondly known as Gudda), echoed through the air, as I sat beneath a canopy of light and memory. The Blenders Pride Fashion Tour unfolded in Gurugram, not just as a showcase, but as an immersive celebration of Bal’s extraordinary life and timeless legacy.  Known for his maximalist ethos balanced with an undercurrent of sophisticated restraint, Bal was a storyteller, weaving narratives of heritage, opulence, and romance into each of his creations. The showcase was a visual memoir of his journey, featuring his…

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04

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Column | Phuphee serves some lemonade

One balmy July afternoon, a few weeks before I got married, two families from the village arrived at Phuphee’s house. We were sitting on the verandah, tumbling in and out of a light sleep after a heavy lunch of riste te paalak (meatballs with spinach) when we saw them walking towards us. The families were in laws. ‘Aaaze paizihaa aesyii zamdoad batte khyoan [we should have had yoghurt and rice for lunch today],’ Phuphee whispered, as both clans got closer to us. The boy’s father was striding in front. He greeted Phuphee and launched into a barrage of accusations about…

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04

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Unwind with chai at Vagamon

One of the tea estates that will be part of Chai@Vagamon | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT With her new project Chai@Vagamon, social entrepreneur Lakshmi Menon hopes to give tourists to the hill station a new set of experiences that extend beyond the typical offroading, tea garden and pine forest visits. She wants travellers to get an immersive experience of the hill station nestled in the Western Ghats on the Kottayam-Idukki border. “This is for the traveller who is looking for experiences, who is not in a hurry to do touristy things but rather savour the journey and soak the essence of…

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03

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Meet the Kerala farmer brewing India’s first tender coconut wine

Farmer Sebastian P Augustine at his farm in Bheemanady, Kasaragod | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Sebastian P Augustine, a former government employee, settled in his ancestral property, spread across 15 acres, at Bheemanady, Kasaragod, over six decades ago. Having spent a significant part of his life at Vempally in Kottayam, he decided to start farming post retirement, planting crops such as rubber, pepper, cocoa, coconut and even exotic fruits such as dragon fruit and avocado. In the early 2000s, the coconut trees on his field were infested by eriophyid coconut mite, an insect-like organism that affects coconut production. Officials from…

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03

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Architecture’s big screen moment | ADFF debuts in Mumbai

At the debut Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF) in Mumbai — brought to India from across the Atlantic by STIR, a media house and curatorial agency, earlier this month — one question took over all the rest: how has this not been done before? In a country where industry-led trade shows and design fairs are a dime-a-dozen, silo-ing a profession that impacts us all, this was a breath of fresh air.The city’s iconic National Centre for the Performing Arts played host to this South Asian premiere, where these interconnected worlds collided and cross-pollinated using a medium we can all relate…

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03

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Try handmade pizzas by Kochi couple Sanoop and Jithu George

From the outside, Adam’s Pizza does not look like a takeaway restaurant. One might easily pass it by without knowing it is a pizzeria. But the regulars know it, students and IT professionals, too, know of it. Adam’s Pizza is a slice of passion and love for Sanoop AK and Jithu George. Opened on March 16, 2019, this quaint pizzeria is more than just a place to grab a quick bite — it’s a testament to the power of reinvention, hard work, and what family means. As a new business during COVID-19, they continued receiving orders but the second wave…

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03

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Khushi Kapoor Interview : On ‘Loveyapa‘, her style journey and more

A still from Loveyapa and Khushi Kapoor | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement As the quietly charming and melancholic Betty Cooper, Khushi made her debut in the coming-of-age film The Archies (2023), alongside a bevy of newcomers, and star kids much like her. In her second film Loveyapa, she is on different terrain, as the lead in a romantic-comedy in a vastly different setting. While Indian cinema has been obsessed with all things big, bad, violent and action-packed, Khushi’s first two films have been anything but. “I have always loved rom-coms and I feel like I am subconsciously gravitating towards films that…

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03

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

How Chinese potatoes can be a delicious and nutritious winter dish

“The task of cleaning sambrani gadde by vigorously rubbing them in a jute bag was always mine at home,” reminisces Vijayalakshmi Rao, a mental health professional from Basavanagudi. “Even though the task was laborious, it was worth it as my mother would make a delectable curry which was a household favourite. We haven’t made it ever since my mother passed.” A popular winter vegetable, sambrani gadde as it is called in Kannada is known as koorka in Kerala, kooka in the Konkan region and sirukizhangu in Tamil Nadu.A perennial herbaceous plant, native to tropical Africa, Chinese potatoes are also grown…

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03

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Explore Patan, the living museum of Nepalese art and design

As the plane touches down at Tribhuvan International Airport, the majestic sight of the Himalayas greets passengers with their snow-capped peaks glowing in the late afternoon sun. Upon landing, warm smiles welcome visitors, in an airport buzzing with a mix of trekkers, tourists and locals. It is 15 degrees Celsius outside, and the crisp air carries the faint scent of incense. A short drive through the vibrant streets of Kathmandu leads to the serene embrace of the Kathmandu Marriott Hotel, an oasis nestled amidst the capital’s bustling energy. Cluster General Manager Vishal Mehra greets me with a warm smile, setting…

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03

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Things to do to explore real Bangkok beyond tourist spots

There are two things that make visiting a new destination truly authentic. The first is researching the place to immerse yourself in its environment, and the second is having a local friend to guide you off the beaten path. While it is not always possible to have a friend in every corner of the world, the Internet is the next best thing.A seasoned traveller, however, will tell you that your best ally in a new city is your hotel’s front desk. This can be a gamble — you might find yourself in crowded tourist traps or discover a true hidden…

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