Maps of 'Ancient India'.

The list of the best hangouts in Khar.

Over the years Khar has been renowned for many things; it’s rich and diverse culture, its way of life, the spirit and zest of its people. It has also been famous as a perfect shop to eat and dine with its innumerable hotels which can satiate any taste buds.

Khar has always been a favourite destination for many of the cities work and pressure weary singles, couples or just a whole group looking to have a great time and infuse some zing back into their life. Out of the many places where you can visit, we decided to ask the youngsters to rate the five best hangouts which has turned Khar into a youngster’s paradise. And this is what we came up with:

The Banana Bar

Yes!! THE BANANA BAR at Linking Road…but hey…It’s got nothing to do with bananas, this recently launched pub does play some good retro music with a lovely tropical feel. The bar area has ample space for revelers to stand around, chat or dance.

Thursday is karaoke night Friday is salsa night and once a month they host a stand-up comedy and music show. Saturday nights the place gets a makeover and has a club feel playing regular commercial and Bollywood.

The lounge area has tables scattered around with sofas, cane chairs and a large flat-screen for cricket and football matches. The third section is out on the terrace and the comfortable cane sofas, makes it perfect for pleasant alfresco drinking blending with great music (mostly slow rock and retro), affordable prices, hookahs in the patio then The Banana Bar is definitely a great pick.

Squeeze

If you want to have a great Saturdays then ‘Squeeze’ at S.V. Road, is right up your alley, where, DJ Swapnil plays some wicked sets from Club to Hip Hop to Janta, but hey…don't forget to take lots of friends along...works well there!!

Though small; the settings are intimate. Decent drinks combing with a fresh urban hangout, four bars, a dance floor and an open air lounge with stone benches makes it an ideal locale. DJ Kumash also plays hip hop, trance, pop, and Bollywood tunes where you might bump into a Bollywood celeb.

. All in all, a great place to jazz the night away.

Olive & Kitchen

It’s a Restobar – Lounge at Pali Hill. The Olive Bar & Kitchen is a stylish, elegant and natural world of simplicity.

The Olive kitchen has a menu based on char grilled churasco’s, homemade pastas, fresh vegetables, and grilled fish, dressed with fresh Mediterranean herbs and Olive oil.

If you adore going to the restaurant which, has creative interiors, chic yet friendly atmosphere and unobtrusively stylish . It is a favourite watering hole for celebrities and prominent people like Oliver Stone, Tommy Hilfiger, Aamir Khan, Rahul Bose, Sharukh Khan, Malaika Arora, Karan Johar and members of the Royal family of Bhutan.

Club IX

Club IX, one of the most established names in Khar, Dr. Ambedkar Road at Pali Hill, is a nightspot favourite with the suburban crowd. Not very expensive, and pretty informal, Club IX caters to everyone from college students, to upcoming models to an older-working crowd on weekdays. They play mostly pop though regulars prefer retro. The drinks and starters are popular.

But be prepared to get squashed on the small dance floor, or go early and occupy a corner for your group to avoid getting your toes stepped on later in the evening.

Irish Pub

Irish Pub 757 S. V. Road has a green décor with drinks on the menu, good Bollywood music, smoke hookahs and Italian food. The Pub, with its hanging footballs and dartboards, and flat TV screens, looks more like a sports bar but it’s also a restaurant.

For those who’ve come for the food, there’s also a “Private Party” section with diner-style booths and tables – all green rexene, of course. Irish Pub has a warm, friendly vibe and offers some potent cocktails that make it good for a drunken night out.

The resurgence of Women’s cricket

Indian cricket is in the news, not like it ever needs an excuse but because of the high profile launch of IPL. Crores of rupees have been pumped into the game. Many have concluded that Indian cricket hasn’t had this good ever before. But what many experts forget is that Women’s cricket is also part of Team India. The general health of the game in India cannot be judged on the success of Men Cricket alone, which after all is still only one half of the game in India, albeit a very significant part nonetheless.

The general health of the women’s game in India, the present showing of the Indian team, the prospects for and young and promising cricketers, all these areas questions which the general public are not in lieu with owing to various factors.

To answer these questions, I met up with ‘Mrs. Surekha Bhandare’ who in her career spanning almost 4 decades is now considered a scholar in women’s cricket and is considered one of the best administrators of the women’s cricket.

Although past 50, Mrs. Surekha Bhandare’s enthusiasm and love of the game remains undiminished. For a change she had some positive things about the game. As she puts it, after years of struggle, women’s team has started to look up after the merger of the Women’s Cricket Association with the BCCI, which has brought along with lot of opportunities and infrastructure facilities apart from the strong financial backing.

When asked about the benefits of the merger she said, “It is the economic independence that has encouraged us and opened up new doors for the game. It has meant that it can support a lot more aspiring crickets, although it’s still not a full time career option for the girls, but if the players are good enough they can get a job with Indian Railway’s. And if the girls are playing for the university they also get a daily retainer ship amount between 300 and 500 rupees daily apart from other expenses. Also, the opportunities for the girls in being involved in other part of the game like umpiring, scoring or even coaching and administration are increasing every day. All one needs is an undying love for the game, but she is also quick to point out that studies is still are given priority.”

Her only regret over the years has been that apathy of the sponsors and the government in supporting women’s cricket and their step motherly treatment in favour of the male version. She has often debated defended passionately that there is nothing different between men and women’s cricket; be it the skill level, the motivation and hard work apart from weight of the ball.

“The BCCI’s women’s wing has been entrusted with the taking the women game to the next level and we have already taken steps in this direction. The first sign of a healthy sport is the numbers of children taking up the sport. Even today you can see more girls practising and honing their skills in their dream to represent India”, she says with proudly.

She is also very excite about the current flock of players in the Indian Team, with our Captain Mitali Raj, considered among the best in the world and Indian Faster Jhulan Goswani renowned as the women’s cricket’s Brett Lee.

When enquired about 20-20 cricket she replied, “20-20 is certainly the way forward and it is not long when we will see a 20-20 competition for the women, and may be a league to go along with it, but before there is a lot to be done and our immediate concern in to help India win the 2009 Cricket World Cup.”

Her dream for the Women cricket is to give the opportunity for the best players to play for India and ultimately make India proud at the international level. With women’s cricket in such god hands things are certainly going to get from good to great and is sure to grow strength to strength.

Men and Beauty

Today most men are just not content with the traditional segments of male fashion like apparels, footwear, accessories and at the max jewellery, but are instead exploring their feminine side as well.

Earlier men fashion was mainly restricted to four sections - apparels, footwear, accessories and jewellery, and while shopping they usually sought for things that are stylish, durable and comfortable.

Today most men are just not confined to these four sections. They are no longer coy to explore their feminine side as well. Most men these days are open to seek beauty tips and deep down some of them are just as conscious as women about their looks.

It is increasingly becoming a wrong notion that beauty is the domain of women only. Men have the right to look good and feel good, and they have started to come out openly with their needs and wishes. All across India, especially in the metros and cities have adorned and embellished themselves to enhance their looks. More and more men have started to appreciate that nice grooming and care can add a different dimension to their looks, and that smart beauty tips will help them to enhance their appearances and inner beauty, and thereby increasing the overall prospects in their personal and professional life.

Here are some of the popular beauty tips for men which, will very useful in keeping their hectic lifestyle:

* Cleansing is the first step of beauty regimen for men. Even rugged look cannot afford dirt and spots on your face. Use good quality cleansers to keep your skin in good condition. Apply toner and moisturizer after cleansing to keep your skin smooth and flawless.

* If the skin tone of a man is not even, then don’t stand out with all the imperfections. Apply a little make-up to conceal the imperfection. Apply a little foundation on your face to make the skin tone even and to cover blemishes. First use oil-free moisturizer on your face to make your make-up long lasting.

* If you are slogging day and night your face is bound to look tired and haggard. If you are not having proper sleep and dark patches have appeared under your eyes, then apply concealer with a brush under your eyes to hide your tiredness.

* Your well-defined face will enhance your appearance. To make your face well-defined you have to resort to a little make-up. Highlight the positive features of your face with pinky-brown shade and stand out in the crowd.

* For skin care, try using a light moisturizer on the skin with sunscreen. It is just as good for men to get into a daily regimen for skin care. Do a cleansing then use an exfoliate scrub or mask and then follow with a light moisturizer. Once your skin begins to get smoother and softer, shaving won’t be such a chore.

The increasing number of men who see nothing wrong on being considered beautiful and not just handsome, and who are not averse to making the best of their look, be it while attending marriages, formal meetings or informal parties or just a get together comes under the category of a Metrosexual male.

In India Upen Patel is a prime example amongst the many who routinely and openly admit to having manicure, pedicure done and prefers a clean look and make no qualms about it. And this is not restricted to the world of art and entertainment, but men from all walks of life and career are associating themselves with metrosexualism. And this trend is going to attain more popular following in time.

"FASHION FOR EXISTENCE"

Making a fashion statement is not limited to only clothing, accessories and gadgets but has carried on to larger things. Interior spaces and lifestyles having become an integral part of creating one's own identity and status. Having a beautiful home has become a fashion necessity just like having the latest line of clothing trends.

Trends in the interior design world are nowadays in synthesis with the fashion world. People are much more aware about creating aesthetic and pleasing surroundings. Some of the popular trends in home interiors are as follows.

ECLECTIC DESIGN

Modern and minimal is out this season. Harsh lines, monotonic colours and clinical environments are out and use of variety of styles co-existing in one space is the mantra. Eclectic designs are based on blending and fusing different styles to create a beautiful and diverse environment. Mixing ornate handiwork with modern furniture peices... colourful and natural fibres with bold colours is basically what eclectic is all about.

STUDIO APARTMENTS

Based on the change in lifestyles of the new generation of home owners these kind of apartments are highly encouraged nowadays. Flexibility of space and function is gained best from this approach to the design. Studio apartments have a integrated space with the bedroom, living room and kitchen all opened up into the same space. These spaces are self contained and are becoming a hugely successful because of their efficiency and feasibility to the younger crowd of home owners. Creating studio apartments is becoming a fast catching trend in the interior design section.

FINE FINISHING

Like they say god is in details, detailed work is in trend this season. Wall finishes and textures are a massively growing trend in home interiors. Use of a wide variety of textures and fabrics for regular upholstery is also becoming commonplace. Paint finishes, stenciling, the distressed look, faux treatments. Faux treatments can be used on anything from walls to wood, ceramics to metal/glass. Ornate finishes and mouldings are also completely in trend for the upcoming year. Fittings and hardware are also paid attention to.

BOLD COLOURS

Gone are the days when a home had basic storage and off white walls. The mindset of people has changed and so people are experimenting with coloured environments. Experimenting with bold colours is common and can give spaces a brilliant character. Monotones are out and Green is the dominant colour this year. Followed by pumpkin orange, bright red---in tones from terracotta to cayenne. Orange, Yellow, Gold—dominating the palette. Deep cinnamon, luxurious violets, turquoise and of course the other colour that is hot---Pink—bright and daring.

Road Rage

Though Simi Sharma is passionate about riding, her mantra has always been to ride hard with safety and fairness

When we talk about women hobbies, conventionally what comes to our mind is stereotype things like: stitching, weaving, dancing, singing, mehendi and so on. But then, there are some women who are about to change this perception forever with their unique pastimes. Simi Sharma is definitely one such beacon.

At the early age of seven, she had started riding her dad's scooter. But then, she had to wait until 18, to get her first bike and an official license to drive. Watching her interests in bike riding, her dad gifted her ‘Kinetic’. Two years later she realised that bike riding, a pastime, had gradually developed into a passion. Though she started with the conventional bikes, but today if you ask her the favourites, she immediately points at the powerful 200cc and 300cc bikes.

Realising that there were many others like her who had developed a passion for ridding bikes, she decided to bring together all people with similar interest under a common banner. She launched the Bombay Bikers, a group of flourishing bikers, which today has more than 500 registered members and continues to grow every day. She has successfully conducted a number of events for charities and her club, with as much passion and fervour. Though most of the young bikers in her group are working professionals, they manage to take out time from their busy schedule to meet once a week at Carter Road, Bandra. According to them, the place is the inspiration for them, as they had begun their journey for here.

When on a bike she is a dare devil, but off the bike this lassie is a shrewd and talented manager and an event coordinator. This rough and tough biker, otherwise is not only calm and kind in demeanour, but her energetic and positive personality is at times infectious. Though passionate about riding and addicted to the adrenalin rush of speed, her mantra has always been to ride hard but with complete safety and fairness. She also ensures that the message of road safety is spread to all those ridding on the city roads. For she realises the importance of adhering to law and order, and though she started riding a bike under-aged she is aware of he threat under-aged and drunken drivers pose to the pedestrian. Even today, her hobby and a passion make many men cringe with envy. She is the perfect example of the modern day ‘rebel’.

Death Disguised

Never realized when it is going to come

When is it living to die?

And let me off my life

At what moment will it be goodbye?

In which face, will greet me shy

And tell me to hold hands and let by

All my pretensions, my assumptions and my lies

Making me free, freer than air or light

Free in the true sense of time

Not the cheap freedom that touches

But refrains to stay along

Where is the truth that behold in me

But alludes to a self, denied

And a way that never took path

And a life that wasted its breath?

May be, death has the answers to these,

May be, it too must have got wiser

And scurry towards the darker edge

And laugh the cacophony in sight!

Words

Some one must have got, a word

Some one must have heard, a word

Some one must have left in me, a word

Some one must died without, a word

Some got to say to some one, a word

News is all around, but it is a word

No one tells the truth, but lies are words

Life just starts aloud, a sound, a word

World just spins around, alone, and warm

All it needs are simply words

Words of life, of death, of truth and else

That will let it move and prove, its worth

History is known and shown, in words

Movies or a play or a skit, are sketched in words

Some do get it right, some falter behind

Time is turned in moment and buried with words

Words are played on air and breathed with life

Words don't stay for long, alone like words

They may get the guise of dream!

Some one must have got, a word

Some one must have heard, a word

Some one must have left in me, a word

Some one must died without, a word

Some got to say to some one, a word

Sehwags hits fastest test tripe ton ; equals the 'DON'.

Virender Sehwag his second triple century as India piled on the runs on Day 3 of the first Test against South Africa at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Friday.

The Delhi opener was unbeaten on a career-best equaling score of 309, off 292 deliveries, including 42 boundaries and five sixes, as India ended the day on a handsome 468 for 1 off 106 overs. In the process, he also became only the third batsman in the history of Test cricket, after the legendary Don Bradman and Brian Lara, to score two triple hundreds.

It is also the fastest triple century in Test cricket, bettering Matthew Hayden's off 362 deliveries against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003-04. In fact, Sehwag is the first Indian batsman to break the 300-run barrier; he went past it when he hit 309 against Pakistan at Multan in 2004.

Rahul Dravid unbeaten on 65 off 181 deliveries and involved in an unbroken stand of 255 runs in 53 overs for the second wicket.

Wasim Jaffer (73) was the lone Indian wicket to fall on the third day. He was out after a 213-run opening wicket with Sehwag.

India trail South Africa's first innings score of 540 by 72 runs.

Morning session: (94 runs, 25 overs)

Resuming on 82 for no loss, India showed their intent as early as the first over when Wasim Jaffer pulled Makhaya Ntini through the square leg region for a boundary. A couple of deliveries later he was fortunate though, as his edge flew past the slip and gully region when he tried to play a shot through the covers.

Sehwag then thumped Ntini through the off-side in his next over, the 24th of the innings, to signal his presence and the sign of things to come. A double on the leg side off the final ball of the over brought up the 100-run stand in 24 overs.

It was a good start for the day, as the first 45 minutes brought up 52 runs in the first 10 overs as India progressed to 134 for no loss in 34 overs.

Jaffer brought up his 11th Test fifty with a single on the leg side off Paul Harris in the 34th over. He had problems getting the middle of the bat as quite a few edges flew past the slip region.

Harris resorted to a defensive line against Sehwag, bowling on his pads in a bid to restrict his cover drives. However, the dashing batsman, in the 90s, was quite content to play out the singles as he approached his century.

But with Kallis bowling from the other end, Sehwag finally found some room to unleash his strokes. A short of length delivery was dispatched ruthlessly through mid-wicket as he moved to 99. It also brought up the highest opening partnership between Sehwag and Jaffer, surpassing the 159 they put up against the West Indies at Gros Islet in 2006.

Sehwag brought up his hundred in his own flamboyant style, slamming Jacques Kallis over the mid-off field. It was his second century in as many matches, coming on the heels of the brilliant 159 he scored in Adelaide in January.
It was also his second century at Chepauk and 14th overall. It took him 160 deliveries to reach the landmark and included 15 boundaries and a six.

South Africa had no answer and the only way they tried to stop him was by bowling on the pads. Sehwag, meanwhile, was quite content just to pad away the deliveries with lunch break approaching.

At lunch on day three, India were comfortably placed on 176 without loss in 46 overs, having dominated the morning session.

Sehwag was unbeaten on 110, having smashed 16 boundaries and a six in 133 deliveries. Jaffer, on the other hand, scraped his way to 60 from 143 deliveries, inclusive of five boundaries and a six.

The Chennai heat combined with India's brilliant batting proved too hot to handle for the South African bowlers. Both Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini had nothing much to offer as Sehwag launched into them with a few cracking shots. Paul Harris did not make an impression either and one is sure that till a wicket falls, he will restrict himself to bowling a negative line.

Post-lunch session: (133 runs, 24 overs, 1 wicket)

Sehwag started the second session with a boundary through fine leg off Kallis. The visitors, it seemed, had given up all hopes of getting him out as they removed all slips and were hoping he would commit a mistake.

In the 51st over, he gave himself room and once again smashed Harris through the cover region. In the next over, he creamed Steyn with ease through the off-side to bring up India's 200. It was the eighth instance of Indian openers putting on 200 runs or more for the first wicket and, amazingly, Sehwag was involved in four of those partnerships.

Not surprisingly, with news of Sehwag taking on the bowlers spreading, the empty seats at the Chepauk rapidly got occupied.

It was Harris who gave South Africa its first success. He got the wicket of Jaffer for 73. The India opener tried to play a drive through the off-side but got an edge which was taken by Kallis at first slip.

Jaffer, who hit six boundaries and a six in his 166-ball knock, added 213 runs for the opening wicket in 53 overs to register the best opening partnership at this venue.

The first wicket slowed down India's progress, as new batsman Rahul Dravid struggled struggling to get a start. He and Sehwag scored a painstaking 14 runs in six overs before the latter broke the shackles with two consecutive boundaries off Morne Morkel.

The first of those boundaries, a cracking drive through the off-side, also brought up his 150 in 171 deliveries. It included 23 fours and a six.

In the same over, Sehwag creamed his third boundary through the covers to move to 159 and register his highest score at the venue. His previous best score was the 155 he made against Australia in 2004-05.

Sehwag crashed Ntini straight down the ground to move to 173 and add another record to his name. He became the highest individual scorer against South Africa, going past Sachin Tendulkar's 169 at Cape Town in 1996-97.

Such was Sehwag's dominance in the middle that Dravid could score just seven in the 50-run partnership between the two batsmen. Slowly, but steadily, Dravid though got to grips with the pitch, thereby adding to South Africa's task woes.

With tea time fast approaching, Sehwag stepped up the pace to get to a double century before the break. The hapless Harris was a mere spectator as Sehwag unleashed his wide array of strokes to hit three consecutive boundaries and race into the 190s.

He lofted Ntini high into the stands at square leg in the 168th over to race to 199. The crowd rose in unison to salute the dashing opener as he brought up his fourth Test double with a flick to midwicket that fetched him three runs.

It took him just 194 deliveries to race to the mark and included 32 boundaries and two sixes. It is also the third fastest double century in Test history after Nathan Astle's (153 deliveries against England at Christchurch in 2001-02) and his 182 against Pakistan at Lahore in 2005-06.

He now joins Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar four double centuries, while Dravid heads the list for Indian batsmen with five double tons.

In an amazing display of attacking batting, Sehwag smashed 23 runs in just eight deliveries to race from 174 to the 200-run mark. Such was his domination that South Africa could just hope and pray as every trick they tried had backfired.

There was no stopping Sehwag even after the double century. He showed scant respect to Ntini as he carted the pacer over the mid-on fence for his third six. He followed it up with a delightful boundary through the point region to bring up India's 300 in the 70th over. He then ended the session just as he had started it -- with a boundary -- as a few South African sprinted back to the comfort of the dressing room unable to bear his brutal attack in the unforgiving Chennai heat.

At tea on the third day, India reached 309 for 1 in 70 overs. Sehwag was unbeaten on a blazing 218 from just deliveries, inclusive of 34 boundaries and three sixes, while Dravid seemed in the opposite mode as he crawled to 10 from 56 balls.

Sehwag scored 108 runs of the 133 that India scored between lunch and tea in 24 overs. Interestingly, Dravid contributed just 10 in the 96-run second wicket stand.

It remains to be seen whether he can now bring up his triple century before the close of play. Right now, there is nothing in South Africa's bowling attack that can stop Sehwag from another blazing session.

Post-tea session: (159 runs, 36 overs)

There was some relief for Dravid after the break as he hit his first boundary after facing 64 balls.

Sehwag's first boundary after the break took some though. He glided Kallis through the point region for his 35th boundary and moved to 228. The 29-year-old slammed a short delivery from Harris through mid-wicket to progress to 239 and post the highest score at the M A Chidambaram stadium. He surpassed former India opener Sunil Gavaskar, who had made 236 not out against the West Indies in 1983-84.

In the same over, India also went past 341 and successfully avoided the follow-on. While India crossed the 350-run mark in 78.4 overs, South Africa had taken 96.3 overs to do so.

Meanwhile, Sehwag's entertainment continued to thrill fans. As if to add salt to South Africa's wounds he hit a powerful reverse sweep off Harris, taking the ball from outside the leg-stump. Four balls later he took a single through mid-wicket to bring up his 250 off 225 balls. It included 38 boundaries and three sixes. Still he looked unaffected by Chennai's extreme temperature.

India's 400 came up in the 90th over when Dravid played a single to long-on off Ashwell Prince.

Sehwag then charged down the wicket and hit part-timer Prince straight, for his fourth six. In the next over, Dravid smashed Steyn through the off-side for a boundary and brought up the 200-run partnership for the second wicket with Sehwag.

It was the first instance in Indian Test history that two double-hundred partnerships were scored in the same innings. Not surprisingly, Dravid's contribution (43) continued to be way less than Sehwag's 147 in the partnership.

Dravid was almost invisible at the other end. He brought up his 52nd Test half-century from 151 deliveries, inclusive of five boundaries, in the 98th over, but all attention was focused on Sehwag as he approached his triple century.

No prizes for guessing that Sehwag didn't waste time in the 290s as he slammed Harris for a straight six to get to 297. He flicked Ntini to fine leg to bring up his second triple century in Tests and celebrated by raising his bat to a standing ovation from the crowd.

It took the Delhi opener only 278 deliveries to bring up his three hundred, having smashed 41 boundaries and five sixes in nearly eight hours at the wicket. It is now the fastest triple century in Tests, beating Hayden's record, which came off 362 deliveries, against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003-04.

Quite interestingly, despite India boasting of several batting superstars it is Sehwag who has breached the 300-run mark twice. Only V V S Laxman close with his magical knock of 281 against Australia at Kolkata in 2001.

At close on day three, Sehwag was unbeaten on 309, equalling his Test-best score, which he posted against Pakistan at Multan.

At the other end, Dravid was unbeaten on a steady 65 as India closed the day on 468 for one from 106 overs.

The two batsmen have so far added 255 runs in 53 overs for the second wicket including 159 runs in the final session off just 36 overs.

All the South African bowlers suffered and their only brief moment of joy was the wicket of Jaffer. They must now be worried that despite scoring 540 they could end up losing the match if Sehwag stays for a session or two on day four.

Source: Rediff.com