"Hard to get band-baja-baraat in order"
On Akshya Tritya, around 15,000 couples got married in a complete chaos. But to get the Band-Baja-Baraat in good order was a nightmare. Bumper-to-bumper traffic jams and still people were hopping from one place to another. This day was the last auspicious day of the season and then one will have to wait till November to tie the knot.
On the Hindu calendar, this is one of the most auspicious days to get married. As soon as the engagement is done, halls are booked and so are the caterers. Flowers are flown in. As the temperature rises to 40 degrees, the flowers start wilting, the prices of the flowers go double and even after that you don't get the best quality. So the jaymalas are ordered from Thailand and transported in ice-boxes. The 'Ghodi' carries the groom and the price of the white one goes up ten times. The mehendi walas have a field day and are booked much in advance. The cops are extremely busy on this day trying to keep traffic in order. You can hear the grumpy guests complaining like hell about the problems they have driving to the venue. The bride may have got the groom she wanted but the beautician she wanted was already booked and her family sure would not be very happy with the service of the caterer.
Most bandwalas made the baraats wait. The priests were running from one wedding to the other trying to make it on time. The gold prices may have gone up, but the prices of the marigold flower which is the auspicious Hindu flower also doubled at this time of shortage.
So this was the day for not only the couples who tied the knot, but also for the ones who supplied the flowers, food, Ghodi and everything that makes an Indian wedding perfect.
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"‘Starless’ Tihar diet"
The public heaved a sigh of relief when they saw Suresh Kalmadi leave his Audi car and get into the blue police van to drive to Tihar Jail to live for some time. Kalmadi and his colleagues of the Commonwealth Games like Lalit Bahnot and B.K.Verma are again together in Tihar.
It is quite a change when these friends used to travel in the first class and stayed in the best hotels of the world. As Kalmadi is a diabetic, he has been allowed to take his insulin injections. He has an indoor bathroom attached to his cell and a television set with a fan in his room. No air conditioner or refrigerator. He is sure to lose weight by the time he comes out as the Tihar diet will only allow him eight chapattis a day along with a bit of vegetable and curry, two biscuits and two slices of bread with tea. It will be a big change from their normal five-star lifestyle.
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"Soft spot for Nizamuddin"
The Aga Khan Trust obviously has a soft corner for Nizamuddin as it is the one that spends crores on the upkeep of the Humayun's Tomb. Now it is thinking of investing in a gym in the Nizamuddin Basti. As this Basti does not have enough playgrounds and open spaces, lack of exercise and obesity lead to illnesses in the women.
The Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) are busy furnishing a gym full of cross-trainers and treadmills for these housewives to exercise daily. This will also be open to the youth. Hopefully this will bring the housewives to the gym in the afternoons after they finish their household chores.
The Humayun's Tomb in which the Aga Khan foundation invested a lot of money for its renovation has today become a favourite for morning and evening walks. There are yoga and laughing clubs too. Peacocks, birds, squirrels and of course pigeons have the soothing effects of nature at its best.
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