Out amp; about

Next on Rediff8217;s agenda are home pages for schools, online counselling services aswell as solved CBSE, SAT, and GRE papers. And hopefully, if the good work continues, who knows, you could actually do without schools and still get an education.

For further details log on to: Rediff.com

Musical nite

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Ustad Zakir Hussain will perform in a concert in collaboration with the Gharda Foundation, an NGO dedicated to rural development with operating sites in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Based on their philosophy of holistic rural development8217;, the foundation works to provide villagers drinking water, improved agricultural techniques, sanitation and access to quality education and health-care. They also have mobile libraries that reach nearly 30,000 children in Maharashtra.One of Gharda8217;s successful and innovative programmes is providing zero-interest loans to villagers exclusively for the purpose of income generation. The programme already has a high repayment rate and has provided employment opportunities to villagers who otherwise have no other sourceof credit. Dr Sonya Mehta, the Managing Trustee, expects this fund-raiser to collect over Rs 15 lakh which will all be reinvested in village infrastructure. The Gharda Foundation can be contacted on 6422346/2230. The concert will be at the Tata Theatre, NCPA, on Friday, February 5, 1999. Tickets: are priced at Rs 300, 160 and 100 for the public and Rs 225, 120 and 75 for members.

Makeup mayhem

Now, there is even a special range of lip care colours called Exotic Jewels. Chambor from Geneva, has introduced glamourous shades like the mysterious deep purple of Amethyst, the seductive rich burgundy of Garnet and the shimmering beige of Tektite with a hint of metallic sheen, for the first time in India. The range includes lipsticks, nail lacquers and eye shadows with a finish that stays smooth and luxurious. The lipstick is specially designed to reinforce your skin8217;s protective barrier and keep your lips moisturised. The lipstick also has an anti-aging formula and sunscreen properties to preventyour lips from getting darkened or damaged.

Chambor has exclusive retail counters at Shoppers8217; Stop, Akbarallys, Eternia, KBN, Asiatic, Sheetal and Benzer.

Leisure lunch

Here8217;s some hot news for kebab freaks. The Oberoi hotel has introduced the Pitt n8217; Pint8217; Leisure Lunches at Kandahar every weekend. The restaurant offers an unlimited supply of creative kebab preparations by Jiggs Kalra and the Kandahar team along with an unlimited supply of London Pilsner Pint beer. The menu includes a variety of interesting kebab combinations for vegetarians and non-vegetarians including Kandahar8217;s signature kebabs. There8217;s Khaas paneer tikka, Tandoori phool and Chatpate aloo for the vegetarians, while the non-veg menu includes Murgh ki chaap, Shammi Shikampuri and Salmon ka tikka among others.

Also, the constantly changing menu will include some popular dishes like Dal Kandahari, assorted Indian breads or Nizam tarkari biryani and delicious Indian sweets as accompaniments. But all these fascinating goodiesobviously come dear 8212; the vegetarian kebab meal costs Rs 495 plus taxes, while the non-veg meal is priced at Rs 695 plus taxes. So the next time you feel like spoiling yourself with a pleasure weekend in town, you might want to head straight for Kandahar.

At the Oberoi hotel, Saturdays and Sundays, Time: 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm.

Food fiesta

Rangath Pangath, a Malwani-Marathi food festival begins at Shoreline restaurant, Juhu Centaur today. Executive Chef Milind Sovani has put together some exquisite Malwani, Khandeshi and Kolhapuri delicacies for this 10-day bonanza. Coastal delights like the Kurkurit Bombil, sizzling Crab Masala and Tisrayache Kalwan, preparations from the ghats such as Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa and Pandhra Rassa, Purna Poli, Bhakri with Mirchi-cha-thecha will be laid out for food fiends. If this exciting list has your taste buds in a tizzy, Juhu Centaur is just the right place for you.

At Shoreline, The Juhu Centaur, till February 15, 1999.

Short take

Mukti, a shortfilm by Sudipta Bose, based on a Rabindranath Tagore poem by the same name is making waves internationally and is all set for satellite telecast in India. While the film has received invitations for the Tokyo film festival in July 1999, the US film festival,Illinois and the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain,talks are also on for a telecast on the BBC and SBS television Sydney.

Mukti is the story of a middle-class housewife called Basanti who longs for deliverance from her mundane existence. The film, which is being marketed by NFDC is slated for a television release in India next month. Director Bose has already completed his next project, a short film called Pyaas based on Munshi Premchand8217;s story, Thakur ka Kuan which examines casteism in a remote Bihar village.

Holistic living

On the occasion of Mahashivratri, Shakti Yogashrama 8212; an organisation working towards popularising holistic and natural living and learning , will hold a camp at Shaktiyogashram, Telbaila 30 km from Lonavala. Theprogramme will include daily sessions on yoga and meditation, an audio-visual presentation on Understanding Shiva, a session on space-time healing therapy by Dr Veena Londhe and performance by Bahauddin Dagar. The camp will end with a classical dance and music festival.

Cupid8217;s day

Shoppers8217; Stop has its own package for the Valentine fortnight. The celebrations will culminate with 25 couples winning an exclusive barge party with pop star Anaida and Bashir warbling romantic ditties. To win this prize, you need to purchase Jealous or Lee Cooper products worth over Rs 1,000 and then crack a slogan contest. Also, customers who purchase any Gili product at the store will get a silver heart free. And purchases in excess of Rs 750 in the denim section will fetch a complimentary clip soft toy. BMG Crescendo has jumped into the fray with its own offer a compilation of Valentine songs for those who buy Lee Cooper or Jealous goods worth Rs 1,000 or more, and a CD or cassette free with purchases worth Rs 750from the denim section. So, if you have your heart and wallet in the right place, go for it.

At: Shoppers8217; Stop, till February 14.

Love is gold

Then, there8217;s trendy jewellery from Inter Gold Gems 8212; appropriately titled Feelings8217; 8212; specially crafted for the occasion. Among the various designs and innovative items on offer is Valentune8217; 8212; a collection of heart-shaped musical pendants. Each pendant has a swivel charm that can be moved to play the Love Story signature tune. Cool Climbers8217; is another variety of pendants 8212; which cling to the silicon cords they are coupled with.

Apparently, these Climbers are the current rage in Europe 8212; so that8217;s an added incentive. The Keep Sake8217; lockets have a secret compartment inside, while the Moving Mates8217; necklaces, also called Y neckpieces have a zip-like mechanism which enables you to give the necklace a different look as and when you please. Then there are Message Rings8217; with a hidden message that is visible only to the wearer at the push ofa finger. And the Heart and Soul8217; ring has diamonds on the top with intricate carvings on its sides.

This ring is made in three colours of gold.Besides all these items, Inter Gold has a few other special designs including Fortune Rings, Love Sphere, Sun, Moon and Stars among others.

The jewellery is priced at Rs 800 upwards and is made in 18K gold, studded with VVS quality diamonds.

At Inter Gold, Hughes Road. Ph nos: 368 1610 / 368 1611.