Lifestyle

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Chair gazing – The Hindu

Chair gazing – The Hindu

Minimalist architect Mies van der Rohe went so far as to say, โ€œA chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier.โ€ We canโ€™t be so sure about that, but it does draw attention to how designing seating has always called for extraordinary rigour, whether painstakingly methodical or purposely frivolous, balancing material and form with ingenuity. Chairs and seats are objects of fascination. Itโ€™s a fact that a chair has to take a more complex form, unlike a bed which is simply flat. Designers have shaped their oeuvre with the chair as entree, often proving their mettle with…
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Hereโ€™s how neera is collected from coconut trees at the foothills of the Western Ghats

Hereโ€™s how neera is collected from coconut trees at the foothills of the Western Ghats

A tree climber taps into a coconut spadix to harvest neera | Photo Credit: Siva Saravanan S The nectar falls drop by drop into a plastic cover secured to coconut trees in a grove near the Western Ghats in Anaimalai. In a few hoursโ€™ time, it will start its journey to far off cities such as Chennai and Bengaluru, apart from nearby Coimbatore. Known as neera, this drink will be served chilled from dispensers at cafes, coffee shops and supermarkets. Dhanabal Muthusamy, one of the directors of Anaimalais Coconut Producer Company, with neera | Photo Credit: Siva Saravanan S It…
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Goaโ€™s The Timber Residence is Indiaโ€™s first home built using mass-timber technology

Goaโ€™s The Timber Residence is Indiaโ€™s first home built using mass-timber technology

When Sahil Barua, co-founder of e-commerce logistics company Delhivery, approached New Delhi-based firm Architecture Discipline to design his home, he wanted to bring in a timeless approach to designโ€. This was something he took a liking to during his time at the Louis Kahn-designed IIM Ahmedabad campus, and he also cultivated an appreciation for architecture. โ€œHis vision aligned perfectly with our philosophy, facilitating a deeply collaborative process,โ€ says Akshat Bhatt, principal architect at the firm, who has now created Indiaโ€™s first mass-timber home in Vagator, Goa, that uses glulam (glue laminated timber).ย  Akshat Bhatt | Photo Credit: Jeetin Sharma A…
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In which Cyrus Broacha warns you of the perils of a New Year

In which Cyrus Broacha warns you of the perils of a New Year

Illustration: Satheesh Vellinezhi | Photo Credit: Satheesh Vellinezhi Enough of the New Year. Itโ€™s done. Please donโ€™t mention it. We canโ€™t go on like this, discussing the New Year into February. January 10ย is the cut-off date. After this date, anyone referring to the New Year, who is not actually involved with central or local governance or has an Instagram following of over a million, will be prosecuted.While a host of people are preoccupied with positive resolutions this New Year, there are definitely a few things not to look out for. Hey, Iโ€™m not talking about the brand-new gym member, who…
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Sabyasachi Mukherjee: The wedding love affair is over

Sabyasachi Mukherjee: The wedding love affair is over

Sabyasachi Mukherjee says he is proof that middle class idealism can be a superpower. Twenty five years after he made his debut on the Indian fashion scene, the Kolkata resident has five stores, one of them in New Yorkโ€™s West Village, with jewellery and leather goods, both extremely successful, added to his portfolio. His company is expected to have a turnover of ย โ‚น500 crore this year. โ€œBut it look me close to 20 years to get over the imposter syndrome,โ€ confesses the designer, 51, who has often credited his grandmothers for his unique aesthetic. โ€œIt is difficult to tell yourself…
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Why After Dinner makes for a cosy, after-party haunt in Goa

Why After Dinner makes for a cosy, after-party haunt in Goa

Imagine walking into a bar and being handed a toothbrush by the server. Relax, it is not a comment on your dental hygiene. In fact, this is mixologist Harsh Pandyaโ€™s way of welcoming you to After Dinner, the newest hotspot in Goaโ€™s laid-back coastal village, Anjuna. Call it a quirky welcome drink or a palate cleanser, Mouthwash is made with mint-washed rum, lemongrass liqueur, a balanced mix of malic and citric acid, saline, and warm spices, like cardamom, star anise, cloves and cinnamon. โ€œIt sets the tone for the journey ahead, aligning perfectly with After Dinnerโ€™s goal of creating a…
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Viveek Sharmaโ€™s paintings of Naga Sadhus reflect silence and solitude

Viveek Sharmaโ€™s paintings of Naga Sadhus reflect silence and solitude

Silence Please exhibition at India Habitat Centre, Delhi | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Annual visits to his nanihaal (maternal home) in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) during his childhood gave Viveek Sharma an early peek into the lives of ascetics and helped him to fathom the quintessential spiritual lives. โ€œI would accompany my grandfather to the congregation of sadhus during Kumbh and he would tell me about these men who abandon worldly attachments and seek enlightenment,โ€ says Viveek. Silence Please exhibition by Viveek Sharma at IHC Delhi | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The view of the mammoth crowds bathing in the Ganges;…
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Viveek Sharmaโ€™s paintings of Naga Sadhus reflect silence and solitude

Viveek Sharmaโ€™s paintings of Naga Sadhus reflect silence and solitude

Silence Please exhibition at India Habitat Centre, Delhi | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Annual visits to his nanihaal (maternal home) in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) during his childhood gave Viveek Sharma an early peek into the lives of ascetics and helped him to fathom the quintessential spiritual lives. โ€œI would accompany my grandfather to the congregation of sadhus during Kumbh and he would tell me about these men who abandon worldly attachments and seek enlightenment,โ€ says Viveek. Silence Please exhibition by Viveek Sharma at IHC Delhi | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The view of the mammoth crowds bathing in the Ganges;…
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Araku Festival kicks off with tribal dances, hot air balloon rides and coffee tastings

Araku Festival kicks off with tribal dances, hot air balloon rides and coffee tastings

People taking a ride on the tethered hot air balloon in Araku | Photo Credit: KR Deepak The verdant valleys of Araku will come alive with the Araku Festival, a three-day extravaganza that kicks off on January 31. Organised by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department Corporation and the Alluri Sitharama Raju District Administration, the annual event will showcase the regionโ€™s rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and adventurous spirit.A line-up of eventsThe festival commences with the 5K Araku Marathon, leading participants from the lush Padmapuram Gardens to the main venue of the Government Degree College Grounds. Runners will traverse scenic routes,…
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Why do dosas now have tender jackfruit in them?

Why do dosas now have tender jackfruit in them?

Every time I see an idichakka (tender jackfruit), I am reminded of the taste of the idichakka thoran my aunt sent home once, packed in a slightly toasted banana leaf. Steam-cooked tender jackfruit pieces are mashed on the ammikkallu (stone mortar and pestle), stir-fried and cooked with turmeric, coconut, jeera, chillies etc to make the mildly spicy thoran. Idichakka masala fry became another favourite over the years.But when Thiruvananthapuram-based agripreneur Rajasree R tells me that she prepares around 40 different dishes using idichakka as an ingredient, it is hard to believe. One of the signature products of her brand, Fruit…
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