Citygritty 8212; Pune

South Indian delightHaving idlis, dosas and uttapams was never such fun. Dakshini', the South Indian festival presently held at The Prid...

South Indian delight
Having idlis, dosas and uttapams was never such fun. Dakshini8217;, the South Indian festival presently held at The Pride Hotel on University Road takes you out of the run-of-the-mill masala dosa syndrome and promises you a delectable journey filled with a variegated fare of vegetarian and non-vegetarian stuffings.

Take for example the Dosa 658242; that is stuffed with delicious dry chicken masala, with yoghurt base or the Chettinad Dosa with a stuffing of minced chicken which were a welcome change from the usual fare. Or you can also choose from the uttapams with sea food and lamb toppings.

The vegetarians too have lots to look forward to, with the star attraction being the 32-inch Family Dosa. Others being the Jeera Cheese dosa, Spring Dosa and Triveni dosa amongst others. Vegetable uttapam, Kancheepuram idlis besides the Dakshini special comprising an interesting snack platter are other dishes you can choose from. Besides, there8217;s an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals comprising specialties like Avial rice which has vegetables cooked with coconut milk and yoghurt, fish moillee which is fish cooked in cashew, tomato and coconut based gravy, Bagala bhaat 8211; a lip-smacking steamed rice with fresh curds and grated cucumber and others. And a small glass of rasam is complimentary. The festival is on up to August 15.

Close encounter at TDS
You have seen him in commercials like Titan Watches, Mafatlal and Raymonds. Now you can see model Gautam Kapoor in person at the 10 Downing Street. What8217;s more this event slated for August 11 will only admit women. Why? Coz it8217;s Diet Coke Women8217;s Nite. Besides getting a chance to interact with Kapoor some lucky women stand to win prizes ranging from free portfolios, make-up sessions to chocolates and free holidays, says a press release sent by the organisers. Incidentally newspaper publicity8217; is mentioned as part of the prize. The participants also stand to win the TDS woman of the month title.

More honours
Cardiologist and social activist Dr. Kalyan Gangwal was recently felicitated by the Federation of Jain association in America at a world conference held in Philadelphia, USA. The honour was conferred for the work Gangwal has carried out in promoting vegetarianism, environmental activism and the campaign against the abuse of addictive substances. He delivered a talk on vegetarianism for a healthy, long life as well as on subjects of contemporary relevance like animal rights, environmental protection and the role of the Jain community. 8220;I think that many Americans have realised the merits of a vegetarian lifestyle,8221; says Gangwal. Tireless activist and founder-president of the Sarvajeev Mangal Pratishthan, Gangwal also visited other American cities during his month-long stay.

The big show
There was a time when a solar eclipse spelled an uneasy curiosity thanks to the aura of mystery and superstition that shrouded this celestial phenomenon. Today, exhibitions, talks and literature available on the subject have helped to de-mystify it. In the line-up to the solar eclipse, students at the Astro Club, physics department, Fergusson College put up an exhibition. It will be on till August 11. On display were posters, photographs and illustrations on the eclipse as well as instructions on how one could safely view the big show in the sky.

On the beat
They are called The Strangers but this rock band which has been around since 1984 is a familiar one to Puneites. Along with other bands like Agni, Brahma, Pentagram and Millennium, The Strangers too are all set to rock Mumbai come Independence Day. The event? The annual Independence Rock concert on August 15. This is their second such appearance at the I-Rock. The band comprises lead Manoj Pandya, Nico Francis on drums, singer Vijay Joshi and Anil Purohit on the bass.