Saree for just 40 Lakhs

I am not sure if it would be wearable - with all the diamonds, rubies.. Chennai Silks has come out with this - most expensive saree in the world. The toughest battle in chennai right now is being fought in T.Nagar. All the big names in the field - RMKv, Kumaran Silks, Pothys, Chennai Silks have to come out with something innovative to make the right noise. RMKv introduced the story - in - pallu concept, longest saree, embossed silk etc. All of them are out to capture the mind share of the very finicky saree customer. Here, people spend more than 20K for a saree that could be worn only once - for their wedding alone. I wonder how you could spend soooo much for a stuff that has no repeat value!!

Tracing the Chola's Sea Route

Cheers! Finally some attempt to revive the glorious past ;-))

INS Tarangini, India's only Sail Training Ship, will embark on a three-month journey in January next to re-create the voyage of seventh century Chola kings to South East Asia. More

Mehendi - torch bearer for secularism!

Jyotsna Kamat brings us an insight into the custom of Mehendi - Henna

Indian Muslims have the same sacred feeling towards Mehendi as Hindus have towards Kumkum and turmeric. During exchange of gifts between bride and bride groom's families, Henna box has special place. Even the bridegroom gets affectionate application of Mehendi from his close relatives. Mehendi indicates love, sanctity and auspiciousness.

But the fact that it has entered the conservative south India is a new experience. Popularity of Hindi Cinema and Hindi Serials has contributed a good deal for wide spread use of Mehendi. It appears in all wedding scenes with exquisite designs.

Chennai's moral policing

The Clandestine Lovers’ Guide to Chennai - rocking blog

The real irony is that the puritanical maamas and maamis of yore are slowly getting used to the fact that there exists this sane middle ground between the extremes of Satyabhama University boy-girl rules on the one hand and teenage pregnancies on the other. But with almost every engineering college doing practically everything short of neutering male students before admission, Chennai is entering this new weird era where young boys have no clue how to talk to a girl, let alone ask her out.

Science meets Faith

Ayudha Pooja celebrations!

Supreme Court & Holidays

Came across this news: As per the Supreme Court's calendar for 2007, out of the 365 days a year, the Supreme Court has only 176 working days. The remaining 189 days - more than half the year - are holidays. They include roughly 104 Saturdays and Sundays, nearly two-and-a-half months of summer vacation, a fortnight of winter vacation besides several other offs, ranging from a day to a week.

ChakeDe India!

Saawariya - Iyarkai

Saawariya is finally out..What a hype..! but poor Bhansali seems to have lost it this time..But something that struck me was the story line. Our very own Tamil Movie Iyarkai, (what an irony! - Saawariya is pounded for being super-artificial - whereas Iyarkai means Natural) released 4 years ago also had a similar plot line. Bhansali says Saawariya is adapted from White Nights, a short story. The heroine is the girl in waiting, a certain good-looking Mr.Helpful lands on her doors, promises to help her reach her lover- falls in love in the process but just when the heroine decides to be prudent & thinks that 'the bird' in hand is worth 'two' (OK..one.. lost bird) in the bush, the original lover returns & Mr.Helpful is left behind to play martyr.
But whatever, I liked Sonam & Ranbir ;-)

J. Krishnamurti

Nice Quote!
"A school is a place where one learns both the importance of knowledge and its irrelevance"

Bizarre Insurance Claims

Times Online lists 25 bizarre insurance claims.. have a dekho!

A holidaymaker who arrived in a ski resort only to find that there was not enough snow, claimed for the cost of the brand new skis she had bought before leaving the UK. Unsurprisingly, the insurer rejected her claim.

A traveller who lost his bag on holiday claimed only for its contents: a bottle of water, a newspaper and a packet of mints. With an excess on his insurance policy of £50, his claim was rejected.

Meanwhile Direct Line received a claim for two lost coconuts from a couple who returned home from a holiday in Mauritius. As a coconut costs just 69p (from your local Tesco), the claim was rejected. The couple’s excess on their policy meant they would have paid for the first £50 of the cost of any claim.

Finally, according to one long-serving insurance underwriter, there have been more Rolex Oyster watches, worth upwards of £1,000, recorded as lost in the Costa Del Sol in the Spain than have ever been manufactured.