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10 Powerful SUVs to be shown in Auto Expo 2016

The Indian Auto Expo takes place every year in the country from the past 12 years and it is the Asia’s largest and second largest in the world motor show. According the recent reports, the 2016 edition of Auto Expo will be held from February 5^th to 9^th. This time the Auto Expo will be bigger than its last exhibitions and here are the cool SUV’s that are scheduled to be unveiled at the show, reports Cartoq.

Jeep Wrangler

Fiat is all geared up to introduce their American SUV range from Jeep; the company will unveil the Wrangler and Cherokee at the Auto Expo 2016. The iconic Jeep will be a Completely Built Unit; therefore the price tag of this monster goes up close to 30 lakhs. Wrangler will be powered by a 2.8 liter-4 cylinder turbo diesel engine coupled by a 5 speed automatic transmission and the SUV features a standard 4x4 high low ratio switch.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Cherokee is a kind of vehicle that can handle both off-road trails and daily commutes. This midsize SUV has a luxurious interior and in-cabin technology. It has a case sort style with a forcing front profile. The curves around the wheel are rectangular and fit as a fiddle. Force would be gotten from the 3.0 liter V6 motor creating 240bhp and max torque appraised at 570Nm.

Audi Q7 2015

Audi Q7 has in it all what it needs to be called a great luxury SUV- the looks, the design, the make, spaciousness, power, design, and quality interiors. Its dominant features list is an abyss to its single-framed large radiator grille, xenon lights and enhanced by contrasting bumpers. That’s just a bite of its features; it looks stunning and will reveal and let you revel in its luxurious interiors.

The Q7 comes with three engine options one, diesel and two, petrol- 3.0 liter TDI V6 motor that generates 272hp/600Nm and the latest MMI infotainment system and the information screen which is fully digitized, will be added to it.

Ford Endeavour

Ford Endeavour or Everest, as it is known in most of the countries, will get a major change for the 2015 model. In fact, the SUV will be an all new model and not a facelift. Ford Endeavour has always been known as the original masculine SUV, which created its own market place for itself in India. The highly awaited new model will go on sale around April next year. Inside, the Endeavour will borrow the designs from its pickup truck sold separately in the U.S. which is Ford F-150.

Mahindra S101

After crossover segment wave, it is the compact SUV segment for Indian market this year. Mahindra’s S101 seats 3 plus 3 adult in the car resembling the iconic Hindustan Ambassador and it is set to launch this year. The S101 comes with two variants of petrol and diesel and may have a price tag of less than 5 lakhs.

This is Mahindra’s new way of luring hatchback lovers towards SUV territory with S101. However, S101 is the codename of this compact SUV and it is not just a namesake SUV but it acts one too.

Nissan X-Trail

The existing 2014 X-Trail gets a major revamp in its third generation guise and one of the key issues of not having a third row of seats has now been taken care of. It gets an option of a 1.6-litre diesel and a 2.0-litre diesel motor internationally.

It gets Active Ride Control which scans the road that lies ahead and adjusts the suspension of the car accordingly and this will surely help the off road trips. It will be available in 2-wheel drive as well as 4-wheel drive variants. The new X-Trail is expected to be shipped as a completely built unit (CBU) much like the earlier versions and by that the expected price of this luxury SUV will be above 30 lakhs.

Renault Duster Facelift

From the time of its release the Renault Duster gained huge amount of popularity with its stance and striking looks. To stay in with the trend and competition, the car will be out with updated features on board.

The refreshed compact SUV brings in all new headlamps, day time running lights with revamped new bumpers, front and alloy wheels. On the bright side, now Duster gets a twin clutch automatic gearbox on the diesel models too adding to the driving convenience.

Tata Nexon

Tata is also in the Derby with its 2014 concept made crossover ‘Nexon’, after a year it has been put to produce. It is said that Nexon’s style was inspired by the popular Range Rover Evoque. The Nexon will be powered by two different motors in two of its variants with a turbocharged 1.2 liter petrol and 1.3 liter diesel motors.

Mahindra Quanto Facelift

Mahindra’s Quanto, the Sub 4-metre compact SUV is also on the list of anticipated facelifts this year. Based on the rumors around, the vehicle is said to feature sparkling new looks with some excellent equipment list on the inside.

The major update on the Quanto is the automated manual transmission which is said to be its spotlight on the face lifted version.

Tata Hexa

Tata Hexa replaces the Aria which failed to gain acceptability in Indian market. The new design gives it a sharper and bolder look in its character. However, the Hexa will enter the Indian market in the mid 2016. The whole body gets a complete makeover which comes with a six seater adding to the comfort. A 2.2 liter turbo diesel engine, pushing itself to 156 Bhp and 400 Nm torque does the job of acceleration. A 6-speed manual and automatic transmission completes the Tata Hexa.

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How to hack your brain? Read here.

Famous Ancient Hindu Temples

मां दुर्गा के 108 नाम: पांच मिनट की साधना दिखाएगी कमाल

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Contact details to purchase CDs, DVD

Dealers	Address	Contact No.
MUMBAI
Rhythm House	40, K Dubash marg, ( Rampart Row) Mumbai - 400 023	022 - 43222727 / 43222701
Maharashtra Appliances	Maharashtra Watch & Gramophone Co. 2, Nakshatra Mall, Ranade Road, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 28.	022 - 66625661 24370661 telefax
Landmark	619 B5 & 652C, INFINITI MALL, OSHIWARA LINK ROAD, LOKHANDWALA COMPLEX, ANDHERI WEST, MUMBAI - 400053	022-26396010
Landmark	LANDMARK LTD Unit no. B-1 to B-5, Lower Ground Floor, Palladium Mall, Block 34 / 14 B, Phoenix Mills Compound, No. 462, S B Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400001	022-64575323
Planet - M
BANGLORE
Landmark	Prestige Forum, No. 21, Hosur Road,Koramangala, Banglore-29	080 - 22067641/ 22067777
Planet - M	Planet M Retail Ltd, No. 9, 1st Flr. Curson Complex, Brigade Road, Banglore - 1	080-25588122 / 25586338
DELHI
Planet - M	Next to Odeon Cinema, D-3, Connaught Place, Mezzanine & Ground Floor, New Delhi-110001	011 - 41517765
RGH	K-27, Connaught Circus, Opp. Plaza Cinema, New Delhi -110001	011-23416454
NOIDA
Planet M	Planet M, Shop No. MZ, Second Floor, Centerstage Mall, L-1 Sector 18, Noida -201301	0120-2517773/ 4314278
GURGAON
Landmark	Landmark Limited DLF SERVICES LTD, LG 17/18,DLF GRAND MALL, MEHRAULI-GURGAON ROAD, GURGAON - 122002 HARYANA	0124 - 4201000 / FAX 0124-4375310
HYDERABAD
Planet - M	Planet M Retail Ltd. Hyderabad Central Building, Opp.Panjagutta Police Station, Panjagutta Signals, Hyderabad-500082	040 - 66842284
Sangeet Sagar	1-7-293 / 1, Paradise circle, M.G Rd. , Secunderabad, 500003.	040 - 2781 6186
Sangeet Sagar	Liberty Crossroad, Basheerbagh, Hyderabad.	040-23225346 fax-27816186
JAIPUR
Planet M	Shop No. 6, 2nd floor, M G S Mall, Opp. Nehru Shankar Bhavan, 22 Godown, Jaipur.	0141-4030542
PUNE
Planet - M	Planet M Dorabjee & Co. Pvt. Ltd, 1/B, Moledina Road, Pune -411001	020 - 2614 1707/ 8
Vibration Music	505, Tapkir Lane, Budhvar Peth, Pune- 41002	020 - 2449 4485
Landmark	Landmark Ltd., 1-B, MOLEDINA ROAD, PUNE-411001	020-40068888 Fax No. 40068878
DEHRADUN
Saran & Co.	1, Dhamawala Mohalla, Nivesh Market, Dehradun -248001, Uttaranchal	0135 - 2711711
CHENNAI
Planet - M	Planet M Retail Ltd, Abirami Mega Mall, 1st Floor, 152 Purasawalkam High Road, Kellys, Chennai - 600 010.	044 - 43516868
Planet M	1st Floor, Shop no. A-80, 3rd Avenue , Anna Nagar , Chennai 600 102	044-26289955
Landmark	Spencer Plaza, Phase II, # 769, Annasalai Chennai - 600002	044 - 32976597 / 28259067
Landmark	City Center, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road, Mailapur, Chennai- 6000004	044 - 28477777/ 2847775
Landmark	Apex Plaza # 3, Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai - 600034	044- 28221000 Fax : 28259047
KOLKATTA
Landmark	Starmark Ltd, Emami Stores Pvt.Ltd. 3, Lord Sinha Road, Emami Shoppers City, Calcutta- 71	033 - 2282 2617 / 18 fax 22825195
Music World	Music World 18G Park Srteet, Caluctta- 700016	033-22164228/22171219
Planet M	22, Camac Street, Block D, Behind Pantaloons, Kolkata - 17.	033-22814721
AROHI	8, Madan Street, 1st Floor, Chandni Chowk, Kolkata- 700072	033-22127794 fax 033- 22127482
M. Biswas & Symphony	4 A, Jawarharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata - 700013	033-22283149
CHANDIGARH
Planet M	1st Floor, Fund Republic, Dhillion Complex, Mani Majra, Chandigarh - 160101	0172-5012016
PUNJAB
Planet M	Planet M Retail Ltd., SCO 63, phase 3b2, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali Punjab.	0172-5013537 / 5013538
BARODA
Landmark	Monalisa Complex, Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course Circle, Vadodara - 390007	0265- 6647777 / 6452141
LUCKNOW
Landmark	The East End Mall, TC- 54, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow- 226010	0522-4049098 / 99
AHMEDABAD
Landmark	Landmark Limited ISCON Mega Mall, Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway, Near Rajpath Club, Ahmedabad.	079-40027501
Crossword	Simurg Appliances Pvt Ltd. B - 6, Shri Krishna Centre, Near Mithakali Six Roads, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad - 380009	079-26468031

What is Li-Fi and how is it 100 times faster than Wi-Fi?

Just as you thought 4G or 5G LTE would finish off Wi-Fi once and for all, Li-Fi appears on the scene to rock its status.
Wi-Fi has been great but it's already being outdone in 5G tests and now on a more local scale Li-Fi is 100 times faster, and more secure.
Li-Fi uses light to transmit data rather than Wi-Fi's radiowaves. Although this was still in the testing phases not long ago it's already set to reach the public.
So how can Li-Fi be so fast and is it really the death of Wi-Fi?
PureLiFi

Li-Fi uses light for faster transmission

By using visible light to transmit data Li-Fi is able to increase bandwidth by 100 times. This equates to downloading 18 movies at 1.5GB each, in a single second.
Lab tests revealed that the Li-Fi connection could transmit up to 224 gigbits per second. Now in real world use scientists have reportedly managed to hit a whopping 1GB per second of data transmission.
This was first discovered in 2011 at the University of Edinburgh by Harold Haas. He showed that flickering the light from an LED could transmit more data than a cellular tower.
The current iteration uses Visible Light Communication (VLC) which is light between 400 and 800 terahertz. It's a bit like switching a light on and off for Morse code, or more accurately, to send the ones and zeros of binary bits.
- Boston University

Li-Fi should appear alongside Wi-Fi

It looks like Wi-Fi may not be endangered after all. Li-Fi's creators admit that with Wi-Fi so deeply built into society, replacing it would be unrealistic. Instead they're working on ways to retrofit it to current systems.
So it's likely that in the future we could jump between mobile network data connection, Wi-Fi and Li-Fi seamlessly from our smartphones, for example.
Haas and his team have launched a brand called PureLiFi which offers plug and play access currently limited to 11.5MB per second.
The point of Li-Fi right now is that light is unable to pass through walls. Rather than this being a range disadvantage it's being touted as a positive for security. For this reason companies are looking into implementing Li-Fi in offices. Another reason is that Li-Fi should also suffer far less from interference of multiple devices on the same network.
French company Oledcomm is installing its own Li-Fi technology in local hospitals.
The future is bright for Li-Fi
The world of tomorrow may be one where light and internet access are provided from the same point.
Haas said: "In the future we will not only have 14 billion light bulbs, we may have 14 billion Li-Fis deployed worldwide for a cleaner, greener, and even brighter future."

Dhairya Dand: In search of truth

 Dhairya Dand: In search of truth

A shape-shifting screen, interacting with auras, tickling shoes, Dhairya Dand's creations are changing our interaction with the world. As he slips his feet into many shoes — that of teacher, researcher, inventor —  Wonders if his soles rest easy on being a philosopher

I'm working to make technology that can be empathetic to human age, grow old with us and die,” says Dhairya Dand, of one of his latest projects – a bacteria-based computer that will die some day.

Coming from someone who has been described as the ‘Gizmo Man of MIT’, those words appear to be on the cusp of technology and into the realm of science fiction. Linger for a bit though and ponder over the 27-year-old's statement and see if it's possible not to be transported into a philosophical field – one where mortal life isn't a footnote in an eternal and ever-growing expanse of ones and zeroes. The idea of technology that is finite, in the same manner as a human life is – and not just in its hardware, but in its building blocks – reflects a humanist approach rather than a purely technical one.

The computer he is working on is “not utilitarian”. “This won’t be a faster or a better computer, but an alternative one... made of what we are made up of. It will be 'alive' and it will die or it will multiply,” explains Dhairya. “Just as a paper photo acquires folds or discolours with time, so too with this computer... the images will acquire age, a voice, a personality as time goes by.”

Playful creations

Even as he talks about a computer with unique traits, other creations of his that are fast finding various applications, not only exude personality but even chutzpah. For instance, 'Obake', which he created with fellow MIT researcher Rob Hemsley, is a shape-shifting screen that can be poked, pulled, warped and stretched. Or his 'SuperShoes' (insoles, really) which, when connected to a mobile phone via Bluetooth, tickle your left or right foot to guide you to a destination. The insoles promise to delight by reminding you about things you tend to forget or by guiding you home when you are lost in any city. There's also 'Cheers' and 'Musik', among dozens of other playful inventions. Cheers is an ice-cube that seeks to prevent an alcohol-induced black out by measuring the quantity and pace at which you drink, turning from green to red – following which the ice-cube alerts your friends to intervene. Musik is a sensor-based contraption that allows you to play a musical instrument even if you've never played it before.

But not all of his creations have made it to the marketplace yet. While Japanese auto giant Toyota and American fitness company New Balance bought three of his inventions last year, some of his creations have been limited edition ones and others have been exhibited at museums across the world.

On Eureka moments

Driven by the need to gratify his curiosity, Dhairya's creations are derived from his “experiences or things I needed to change about myself”. During his student years, for instance, he was put off by the litter that cigarette butts ended up creating. So he put seeds in cigarette stubs and ended up planting hundreds of seedlings at Powai’s Industrial Design Centre (IDC) campus.

Dhairya is also zealous about learning, observing and experiencing. “I absorb everything I can. I long for new experiences. I do this without the hope that any of it would lead to a project,” he says. “No Eureka moment is an overnight job. It's a product of years of work and care.”

Born to a father who taught him plumbing, and a mother whose knack for storytelling he fully embraced, Dhairya's years of work came when, as a teenager in his first year of studying computer science at Veermata Jeejabai Technological Institute (VJTI), he assembled and sold computers at Lamington Road. “Mostly because this was one more way to learn more about this magical tool. That is how I funded the first year,” he says. Internships at Google and Harvard paid for his middle years at VJTI. In his fourth year, Dhairya and classmates Ravi and Mini had sold their SMS platform for rural grievance redress called Lokshahi to a political party, funding his further years.

Life as a nomad

Since graduating from VJTI in 2009, Dhairya has lived and worked in nine cities in the last seven years. “It's my way of putting myself in uncomfortable, new situations where my mind’s idea of the world is thrown into the dirt upon seeing a new reality,” he offers. “You then have to recreate your idea of the world based on this new experience. It's the same feeling as being reborn.”

But whether he is teaching at the Carnegie Mellon University's design school in Pittsburgh or at the Seattle base of his futuristic design studio oDD, Dhairya maintains his routine: run, meditate, work, dance, meetings, write his diary, reflect, read and sketch. He also collects textures and enjoys poetry; the latter has, in fact, given him food for thought for a project he hopes to next work on — using the three-pronged structure of a haiku. “It starts from what is known, moves onto the unknown or the bizarre and finally ends at the aha, or how a quirky, weird idea can truly change things.”

More than just ‘suiting up’

 More than just ‘suiting up’

While men have it easy when it comes to cocktail or black tie dressing, women do not have it that easy, with the two staples being the little black dress (LBD), of course, and the ever elegant sari. But the trend is fast changing, with women increasingly being more open to experimenting with silhouettes and styles. Gets experts to offer tips on making cocktail dressing innovative and exciting


Arpita Mehta

Experiment a bit rather than going for a safe gown. An interesting ensemble that would surely look edgy is a draped tulip skirt, teamed with a tiny crop and a mirror-embellished jacket.

Sonali Gupta

A pair of palazzo pants or sequinned tight pants worn with a dressy satin shirt makes a statement. Those who are comfortable in Indian clothes should choose pre-stitched saris or draped gowns that are perfect for the occasion.

Payal Singhal

In India, the two best options to wear to a cocktail are an understated, elegant sari, which could be in black or a soft pastel with simple embroidery, or a sari gown that has become very popular as a silhouette now. More than a silhouette, to me, great alternate options are more about colour and understated elegance.

Neha Taneja

From tea-length dresses in colours ranging from ink blues to deep reds to intricately-ornamented ladylike pouf dresses to a classic pussy bow-tie blouse with a midi skirt, the options are numerous. High-low dresses in solid colors provide an edge over conformist silhouettes.

Sonakshi Raaj

One can opt for short length floral printed dresses, plain coloured jumpsuits with chic and trendy accessories. You can also play around with colours and hues, although avoiding too much contrast in outfits is essential. An evening gown without too much bling but subtle detailing can also be worn to a cocktail party.

Monisha Jaising

A well-fitted or flowy gown that suits your body type can also be an option. It would be best to jazz your outfit up with a colour that suits you and sets you apart.

Shradha Murarka – Vizyon

Long maxi gowns in solid colours spell comfort, free spiritedness and sophistication all at once. And when accessorised well, they look perfect for the evening. Pantsuits and jumpsuits are other great options – whether you’re at a business lunch or unwinding with friends at a sundowner.

Urvashi Joneja

Jumpsuits in the form of fitted tops with bottom cuts and pockets are making their presence felt. These are practical and comfortable, with a tailored look – and also fun. Another interesting silhouette is the basic LBD with a slight print for a different and stylish look.

Detective Mili Ray

 Welcome, Detective Mili Ray

Detective Ray is here to stay, says content specialist Moitrayee Bhaduri, who makes her debut as an author with The Sinister Silence. She talks about her protagonist Mili Ray, her fondness for Jane Marple and other inspirations



What led you to choose this genre of writing? Who/what are some of your favourite crime-fiction authors/works?

I always enjoyed reading crime thrillers, especially murder mysteries. I love epic characters like Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Feluda and Byomkesh Bakshi. Since I wanted to read more Indian detective stories with women protagonists, I decided to write one. My favourite crime fiction authors are Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. Favourite works: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino and The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling).

A badass lady-cop-turned-sleuth makes for an interesting protagonist. What inspired you to imagine your protagonist as a woman? Can we expect literary throwbacks to Ms Marple, or is she, Mili Ray, more hands-on, actively on-site?

All through my professional career, I have met and admired strong and decisive women who excel in their chosen profession: Software engineer, actor, domestic help, photographer, pilot, doctor, author, musician, homemaker, etc. I created my protagonist – private detective Mili Ray – keeping in mind the qualities that women identify with or admire. Mili Ray is not a superwoman, but she makes a difference with her intelligence and courage. She has an uncanny ability to solve twisted cases.

Mili Ray is young, physically strong and professionally trained, unlike the legendary Miss Marple – who was a natural. I wish Christie had written more Marple mysteries. Jane Marple is my all-time favourite detective character.

Your novel is set in your real-life professional terrain, the IT industry. How fun was it blending fact with fiction? How did the title come about?

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book. This is a work of fiction though IT professionals will be able to relate to Zarine Software and its employees. When I started this book, it was meant to be a short love story titled 'Silenced'. Then all of a sudden, I killed one character. The way my other characters reacted to this murder made me want to revisit the story. That's how the plot turned sinister and the book became a murder mystery. Thus the title, The Sinister Silence.

From studying the arts to venturing into IT… was it a conscious decision to preserve the writing bug as hobby on the side?

Absolutely! In fact, I have always been a writer. I started as a content writer, then explored technical writing, proposal writing etc. When I left my job at IBM to complete this book, I was managing a team of writers and designers. So writing has always been close to my heart.

Any upcoming projects? Can we expect Mili Ray to stick around to solve some more contemporary urban mysteries?

Oh yes, certainly! I have already started writing Mili Ray’s second case, tentatively titled The Musical Murders. There are more in the pipeline. Detective Ray is here to stay.

Trousseau tips for the beach

As beaches become the go-to destinations this wedding season, Asking designers for tips on clothes, jewellery, makeup and footwear



The big, fat desi wedding continues to steadily move closer to the sea. They provide an idea of intimacy, carrying with them the wanton feeling of frolic, with couples looking forward to the moment when they exchange their vows as the sun dips on the horizon.

Unlike a traditional desi wedding, beach weddings have a different sense of style. “Many women insist on heavily-embellished red lehengas for beach weddings – a complete miss. If one has gone out of the way to plan a beach wedding, even the trousseau must be bold,” says Kamaali Mehta of Kamaali Couture, who will showcase her designs at the upcoming second season of Gionee India Beach Fashion Week 2015.

Light fabrics in soft colours, less makeup and light jewellery does the trick. “For clients who wish to stick to Indian fabrics, even for beach weddings, I recommend flowy and airy fabrics like chanderi, Banarasi and south Indian silks,” says fashion designer Rina Dhaka, whose collection at the Gionee India Beach Fashion Week is embellished with floral motifs. She remembers the wedding of the daughter of a designer friend last year. “Her lehenga was in creams and lemon and paired with a skimpy, shimmery blouse.”

Waterproof fabrics like net, lycra and can-can net are great for pre-wedding outfits. “I always insist on any shade of pink for an engagement function,” says Mehta. “It’s fresh, delicate and usually sets off festivities. Mehendi is ideal to bring out the Indo-Westerns – ruched-up pants, skirts, embellished tops and Western silhouettes. One can try multi-coloured combinations like lime green-yellow, orange-pink in mehendi dresses. Reserve the royal and gold fabrics for the reception,” she says.

For the wedding day, opt for a flowing net lehenga in pastel shades with floral motifs and light make-up. “Keep the jewellery minimum and embellish more with flowers,” says Dhaka.

Beaches are humid, so use minimal make-up. “Glam up the eyes. The look can uplift your outfit. When paired with nude or matte lips, the other parts of the face stay subtle,” Mehta adds.

Lastly, opt for sandals instead of stilettoes, as sand can hinder your walk down the aisle or around the pheras.

Draping history

 The Amrapali has been the template of women’s costumes in showbiz. Tracking the history of this bustier-dhoti drape in mythological and period films, serials, and cabaret songs too


Period as a genre is here to stay, whether on the small screen, with mythological serials breaking the stranglehold of saas-bahu soaps, or fantasy films like Baahubali: The Beginning and Puli on the big screen. While these dramas, like most things Indian, have male protagonists, the women, or rather, what they wear, is drawing huge attention – much of it about the Amrapali outfit, the dhoti drape with a bustier and a dupatta thrown over the head, which has travelled through decades of showbiz.

The origins

Bhanu Athaiya, the doyenne of costume design, started it all when she gave actress Vyjayanthimala her look for the title role in Amrapali (1966). “There was no reference for Amrapali,” remembers the Sir JJ School of Art gold medallist, who has designed costumes for over 100 films and got India its first Oscar for Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.

Athaiya took director Lekh Tandon’s concept for the film as a challenge. She visited the Ajanta caves to study Buddhist frescoes of the era. In fact, so authentic was her design that it became a template for women’s costumes in all period films. In trademark modesty, Athaiya credits Vyjayanthimala: “She was a beautiful, trained dancer and an accomplished actress. She gave the costume its legendary status.”

Ask her about the current Amrapalis, and she admits to being more than underwhelmed. “Do these people, who say their outfits are the ‘Amrapali’, even know who Amrapali was?”

Bikini-Amrapali fusion

Film historian Mukul Joshi says this classic look, with a skin-toned full-sleeved blouse, was worn even by the late Jayshri Gadkar, who mostly played a mother. “Rather than accentuate, it was thought wise to tone down the actresses’ more-than-ample hips. So, the dhoti was replaced by a lungi-like garment with a pleated centre,” he underlines, as he recalls Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana, the first mytho-fantasy series to take Indian TV by storm. “People may find the look and styling for Kaushalya (Gadkar) and also Sita (Deepika Chikhalia) quite dowdy, but that was 28 years ago!”

This look changed in the ‘60s and ‘70s with the arrival of cabaret costumes, a collision of the two-piece bikini with the Amrapali. The best example is Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram, where again, Athaiya was designer. “Zeenat Aman’s character wears skimpy cholis and ghaghras that remind one of the bikini,” says Joshi.

There are many references of the Amrapali for designers today, but over three decades ago, the biggest production challenge while filming Utsav, based on the fifth century Sanskrit play Mrichakatika, was designing costumes. “Once the costume garnered rave reviews, many — including Rekha, who played lead character Vasantsena — tried to hog credit,” laughs playwright, actor, and director of this classic, Girish Karnad. “My designers Jayoo and Nachiket Patwardhan worked hard on the look.”

Jayoo too laughs as he recalls Karnad’s brief: “A true depiction of the period, or get fired.” A big challenge was creating the evolutionary stage of the modern sari. “It was like finding the missing link between the Amrapali outfit and sari. I read many descriptions, studied sculptures and attempted the drapes on myself.”

Others like Anu Vardhan, who styled the characters in Asoka, says Utsav was a reference point. “Though Kareena insisted on Manish Malhotra, Santosh Sivan (director) told me to give Manish a basic outline for the Amrapali costumes.”

Vardhan finds Kareena’s look in the song San Sanana bewitching. “The maroon minimalist outfit was a beautiful contrast to the greenery around.” She also explains why she strayed clear of the colourful palette for the Amrapalis for Asoka's wife Devi (Hrishitaa Bhatt). "She’s Buddhist. So, we kept it a subdued ochre, not very different from Hinduism.”

The Indian film industry is still recovering from the bikini-Amrapali collision as seen in Baahubali and Puli. Tamannaah Bhatia, the seductive warrior in Baahubali, was floored by her outfits. “It conveyed grandeur without being dressy and unreal,” adds the actress, all praise for designer Prashanthi Tipirneni, who referred to Raja Ravi Verma paintings.“I wanted them to flow and accentuate beauty without being loud and distracting. So, there was no embroidery or heavy stone work.”

TV follows big screen

Though TV followed in the footsteps of film from the ‘80s, it hasn’t been easy. “Small budgets and tight schedules means designers have to scrounge to make things work,” says Nikhat Mariyam Neerushaa, who has been designing for TV for over a decade.

Currently working on Suryaputra Karn, she admits to trying every variation on the Patiala dhoti, including lehengas. “A good scarf/dupatta around the waist helps play with the look. Also, since not many are comfortable with exposing the back and shoulder like traditional bustiers, blouses are tailored to replicate the look in the front.”

This fan of Athaiya says she also liked the look in Shyam Benegal’s TV series Bharat Ek Khoj (She particularly remembers the smouldering Draupadi reprised by Sujata Mehta). “Those will be reference points for anyone working on a period look.”

The slim-yet-curvy look that the Amrapali outfit underlines led to churidaar-pyjamas being stitched with folds to appear draped; a look pulled off with elan by Vidya Balan in The Dirty Picture. “Her outfit was in rich pink, with a slight slimming effect that highlighted the body contours,” says Neerushaa.

During the shoot, Balan had told this writer, “I’ve grown up watching actresses wear Amrapali outfits and rollick in the hills. That I got to wear a classic costume coming down from the silent movie era, was really special.”

Maharashtra Nature Park

 Wasteland to wonderland

Maharashtra Nature Park, one of Mumbai’s few green lungs, should be the go-to place for Mumbaikars to spend time and breathe in clean air. Pooja Patel talks to park director Avinash Kubal and finds out how MNP went from being a dumping ground to an oasis offering respite from big city life


When it comes to spending time in the wilderness, most Mumbaikars would head to Sanjay National Gandhi Park (SGNP). But the park is not the only green jewel in the city. Mumbai is among the few global cities that has another green lung – the Maharashtra Nature Park (MNP). This is the place to be in if you wish to lose yourself in quietness and solitude, but don’t want to travel outside the city.

This 37-acre park in the suburb of Sion has plenty to offer, including nature walks and bird watching, and stands tall and proud on land that was once the civic body’s dumping ground.

MNP director Avinash Kubal has been sweating it out for 15 years to make this park in Sion what it is today. His team has changed the face of this wasteland and turned it into a manmade forest with diverse species of birds, plants and insects. “I joined MNP in October 2000 and the idea of setting up this park was to explain to citizens the necessity of conserving natural resources that are being consumed by 12 million people in the city,” says Kubal.

He has spearheaded several eco-friendly projects over the years. The first major project was in 2004, when MNP started rainwater harvesting with the help of 40,000 college students. “After a few years of the set-up, our water bills were up to Rs15 lakh per annum. The water was being used mostly for irrigation purposes. So we started the work of setting it (rainwater harvesting) up with the help of volunteer college students,” he states.

MNP now stores a whopping two crore litres of water, which is used to maintain this mini forest.

In another important initiative, Kubal and his team decided to tackle the problem of waste management. They started a programme with 8,500 rag-pickers who segregate waste. Recyclable waste is forwarded to people who buy this trash for recycling. This not only reduces pressure on the city’s dumping grounds, but also encourages people to reuse and recycle waste when possible.

Concerned about exhaustible or non-renewable energy, MNP has also worked in the area of solar energy and established a solar park on its premises. “It is used for experiments on how solar energy can be used to cook food, supply hot water to houses, and so on. This is shown to the students who visit the park,” Kubal explains.

Talking about what people can look forward to at the park, Kubal lists bird watching, nature trails, workshops and the butterfly garden. Many people have a misconception, he says, that a butterfly park is just a small garden with a few colourful, fluttering insects: “In 2007, we started our butterfly garden project. Having butterflies in your vicinity is beyond aesthetics. Butterflies are direct indicators of clean air, which is really required in this city. As soon as the air quality deteriorates, butterflies vanish.”

No wonder then that MNP is one of the few – and treasured – oases of quiet left in Mumbai.

Girgaum added to its new name Swaraj Bhoomi

 For Shiv Sena, all’s in the name

Fearing old name will be lost forever, party wants Girgaum added to its new name Swaraj Bhoomi


We want Girgaum back in Girgaum Chowpatty. That’s what Shiv Sena is telling chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Expressing their fear that the name Girgaum would be forgotten for ever, the Shiv Sena has demanded that the name be added to the iconic sea front’s new name ‘Swaraj Bhoomi’.

The Fadnvais-led government had in March earlier this year, issued a resolution to rename Girgaum Chowpatty — Mumbai’s most famous beach as Swaraj Bhoomi. The decision was taken following a demand made by the Lokmanya Tilak Gaurav Samiti.

The Gaurav Samiti had demanded that the spot at the beach where Lokmanya Tilak was cremated, and where a garden stands now, be called Swaraj Bhoomi. However, the government took a giant step forward and renamed the entire Chowpatty as Swaraj Bhoomi.

“Girgaum Chowpatty is a historic venue since the pre-independence era. Tall leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have addressed rallies here. Shiv Sena supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray, too, has given speeches from here. Late Shiv Sena leader Pramod Navalkar also took efforts to beautify the beach. The name of such a historic location should be immortalized,” local Shiv Sena corporator Surendra Bagalkar has said in a letter to Fadnavis.

Bagalkar claimed that several local residents had approached him demanding that Girgaum’s name be retained. BMC officials said that following the state government’s decision, they were setting up plaques at the site to inform people about the sea front’s new name ‘Swaraj Bhoomi’.

“The Gaurav Samiti had asked for renaming just the site where Lokmanya Tilak was cremated. However, the government decided to rename the entire precinct. We all respect Tilak but Girgaum should not be forgotten and can’t be wiped out. The name should be changed to Girgaum Chowpatty Swaraj Bhoomi,” he suggested.

While the term Chowpatty has become generic in Mumbai over the years, given that the Dadar and Juhu beaches are also addressed by the same name, it is actually a proper name for the sea front at Girgaum.

Devdutt Pattanaik on mythology, his new book My Gita and making Indian scholarship matter

Devdutt Pattanaik on mythology, his new book My Gita and making Indian scholarship matter

Stars are natural. Constellations are made by joining the dots. I bring analysis to the table

D EVDUTT PATTANAIK is nearly always dependable. What helps is the fact that mythology is the flavour of the season – and has been for many years now. Jaya was a good introduction to the story of the Mahab

harat. Sita – A Retelling brought more nuances to the Daughter of the Earth Goddess than you may have previously encountered. And most recently, his book on Shikhandi was an insight into how ancient India viewed queer behaviour – without judgement.

The Pattanaik books I don’t like are of the self-help-meets-mythology variety like the Business

Sutra, for which he uses mythology to draw out lessons for successful entrepreneurs. For this reason, I approached My Gita with trepidation; it’s Pattanaik’s analysis of the Gita – it is, as the title suggests,

his Gita. In a review, Bibek Debroy, said of the book that, “There is a dividing line between telling the tales and interpreting and dissecting Hinduism, or any of its texts… And that’s precisely the reason why I am extremely uncomfortable with My Gita.”

But that is coming from someone who translates mythology and texts from Sanskrit. For those of us who haven’t read the Gita, who don’t have a clue what it contains, this is an interesting read. Excerpts from an interview:

This isn’t like your usual books. What makes it different?

I read translations, analogies, commentaries – and because I read in English, the big challenge was how to define a word. But reading is the raw material. It’s like stars and constellations. Stars are natural, they exist. Constellations are made by man by joining the dots. What I bring to the table is analysis.

It is important because suddenly, saffron-robed men have appeared out of nowhere, and you wonder who gave them power?

What do you mean?

Look at the Jagannath temple in Puri. It was a place where there were brahmins, the maharis (the dancing women) and outside the akhada, celibate men, the mahants. They have removed all the maharis, calling them prostitutes. It is controlled by brahmin men who are as corrupt as they come, and the mahants want power over the temple rituals. Look at how the temple is designed: Bhog Mandap, jahaan pe bhog milta hai; Natya mandap, where you dance. Wahaan pe yeh sanyaasi log kya kar rahein hain?

The rise of the RSS and the celebration of celibacy is so peculiar!

Was the Gita always the central Hindu text?

We became familiar with the Gita in the current format because of the British. It was printed and published and therefore easily accessible. It was not a pan-Indian document. The Gita is not a story, it’s highly intellectual. The average person would know Bhakti poetry. They knew Krishna gave the Gita to Arjun. The Bhagwad

Gita would be read if someone was dying. Hinduism has never been based on a book, but rituals.

The British liked the document because they were monotheist. When Warren Hastings was asking for funds for the translation, he thought it would make the British closer to the Indians.

What do you think about misogyny in our epics?

The Ramayan and the Mahabharat were written in the post-Buddhist period when everybody was becoming a monk. Imagine, Buddha leaves his wife and child, and nobody finds it problematic. Ram banishing his wife is the same thing. Women are being treated badly in both scenarios, you can’t argue which one is slightly better misogyny!

It is a tradition which is endorsed by an order that thinks flesh doesn’t matter. If flesh doesn’t matter, how does gender matter? Gender does matter. And that’s what I want to point out.

Two days ago, I heard that in many parts of India, the uterus is called sansaar. So the whole approach is “main sansaar ko tyaag raha hoon”.

But although feminists don’t agree – Valmiki’s Ramayan is about choice. Sita is always taking decisions! Ram tells her, don’t come to the forest. She says no, I will come to the forest; Lakshman tells her, don’t cross the line, she crosses the line; Ram tells her, don’t come back to Ayodhya with me, she says no I will come back with you; and later when she is banished and he wants her to come back, she says no I will not come back. Ram knows that Sita will always rationally argue out her case. For me these are interesting narratives about men and women.

It is upsetting though, the ignorance floating around.

We’re not contextualising our history. And you have people making fun of historians. I’m like how can you do it? Engineer ban gaya, tu paisa kamaata hai – what is going on? This is not healthy at all. When you start mocking scholarship, it’s a serious problem – especially in a land that is famous for its brahmanical culture. Its faults notwithstanding, we have always valued scholarship. And my endeavour is to make people aware of Indian scholarship.

You write several books a year, you give lectures, you’re on TV. How do you do so many things?

I don’t. I don’t write several books at the same time – I used to. But I write a chapter a day, string them together and they become a book. I give lectures in the afternoon. Have you seen my size? I don’t go to the gym!

So that’s the key? Not exercising?

Xiaomi Ninebot Mini and G2 BIKE

Some really cool ideas on how personal transportation will change soon

WHENEVER YOU see a sci-fi movie or read an future fantasy article or column, it usually depicts personal transportation as all about flying cars, levitating hover-boards and amazing cubes that drive themselves. But that’s way in the future. Five years from now, we are to expect driverless cars, flying bikes and one-person helicopters. But even that’s pretty long to wait. What about right now? The world of personal transportation has been largely unchanged for decades, with cars and two wheelers only. Now, there finally is some cool out-of-the-box thinking happening. It’s so out of the box that you can’t even see how far back the box has been left behind! Here are two examples.
SMOOTH RIDE The Gocycle G2 is an eBike minus the ugliness and weight that comes with it

THE SEGWAY KILLER THAT OWNS SEGWAY

Remember Segway? You’ve seen them in use at airports and malls and even at some Diwali mela at 500 a pop. Segway personal transporters were supposed to have rewritten the rules of getting around, but unfortunately, their absolutely ridiculous prices turned them into the toys of the rich or utilities of the corporate honchos. Then, another roadblock: Segway sued a Chinese company for copying their product and coming up with a ‘me too’. In an even more bizarre twist, Ninebot (the Chinese company) bought out Segway (the company suing them). And to add an M-Night-Shyamalanian shocker to the story, Xiaomi (the Chinese company flush with more money than they know what to do with) funded a large part of that buyout. The result of all of that? A brand new personal transport vehicle called the Xiaomi Ninebot Mini that does everything a Segway can do, but destroys the price problem by a factor of 20. Yes, a Segway costs about US$ 6500 but the Ninebot Mini comes in at US$ 300! So for about ` 18,000 here’s what you will be able to do with the NBM. You’ll stand on it and realise it’s really stable and intuitive to subtle body movements (lean forward slightly and it’ll take off straight and fast, lean a bit to the right or left to manoeuvre and stand straight to come to a stop). And you’ll be on your way in minutes. It has a battery life of about 30km, speed of about 20kmph, a LED path lighting system and a mobile app to control all the

features. You can use it like a remote-controlled robot (frighten the dog, send something to someone in another room) and even make it go uphill and handle speed bumps. It learns too. As you ride it for a few hours, an intelligent self-learning algorithm analyses and adjusts control parameters with the help of multiple sensors embedded within. So for 18K, you get a non-polluting battery-operated personal transportation vehicle that is also fun and also has artificial intelligence. Try getting a million-dollar car to do that.

FROM A F1 CAR TO A G2 BIKE

Take a man that has actually designed Formula 1 race cars all his life (Richard Thorpe, a former design engineer at McLaren Cars), put inside him an obsession to create a Formula 1-style electric bicycle. What you get is the Gocycle G2. Thorpe set up the company Karbon Kinetics a few years back with one single goal: to design the most technologically advanced and effective eBike without any of the ugliness and weight that usually comes with it. The G2 weighs almost nothing, folds down, its wheels come off and it can go anywhere you want. With a motor and batteries, plus multiple ways to get assisted power (you can get the motor to kick in as you pedal or you can use the throttle to zoom and cruise) the Gocycle is a great ride.

With speeds upto 25 kmph, a battery that lasts for about 60 kilometres and a recharge time of about five hours, this can be the best way to get around town (as soon as we can solve the small problem of no cycling tracks and the fact that you will die of pollution-induced lung cancer before the battery on this runs out). The extremely lightweight injection-moulded magnesium body is beautifully constructed, the rear suspension takes bumps like a champion, the chain is completely enclosed and doesn’t need greasing and can never attract dust or water, the pedals fold away, the handlebar has easy to read LED readout for battery and speed, it connects to a phone app to set up and even control. It’s quite a list of tech gone wild! And while all that is very future forward, the price tag isn’t. This one will set you back by about $ 5,000.

That’s just two examples of what the personal transportation category has to offer. It’s just the start and a lot more will happen in the next few months. This is a great stop-gap arrangement till we are all flying in our cars and personal helicopters. Godspeed!

The Neil Nitin Mukesh Primer

He is an actor who fell off the radar some years ago. Until he took matters into his own hands…

Why are we talking about Neil Nitin Mukesh now?

Because he became the first Bollywood actor to bag a role in the massively popular HBO

TV series Game of Thrones! Only, he did NOT. Two weeks ago, Neil, who stars in the just released Sooraj Barjatya family drama

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo ( PRDP), became the talk of town. It all started with a press interview, in which he claimed that Greg

Powell, the stunt director of Game

of Thrones ( GOT), who also choreographed some sword-fighting

scenes in PRDP, had “offered Neil a role in the hit show”.

Every news outlet made headlines out of it and social media went into a frenzy. Even the inter

national press – The In

dependent, The Week and Mirror – fell for the bait and ran reports with juicier details: “... he wouldn’t mind going nude for the HBO series”. Not everyone took too kindly to this ‘exciting’ news, and memes such as these started doing the rounds.

The actor was quick to issue a caveat that it wasn’t “official” yet. The hoopla went on for a couple of days, during which the public started to get suspicious: the IMDB page of Greg Powell, stunt director for films like Skyfall and Avengers: Age of

Ultron, did not even list GOT in his credits. Soon enough, the reliable

GOT fan community Watchers On The Wall got a confirmation from HBO that the actor “will not be a part of season 6 of Game of

Thrones.” So before the news dies and he begins to fade from our collective memory yet again, here’s all you need to know about Neil Nitin Mukesh.

The Background

D.O.B: January 15, 1982

Family: Grandfather – the legendary singer Mukesh (Chand Mathur). Remember the full name, it’ll come handy in just a bit. Father – playback singer Nitin Mukesh. Notice how son takes on the (famous) first name of father.

Born As: Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur! (Neil + father’s famous name + grandfather’s more famous name = easy access to Bollywood).

Fun Fact: It was Lata Mangeshkar who named him Neil, after astronaut Neil Armstrong. Lata was very close to Mukesh, The First of His Name, and used to regard him as her bhaiyya. She was invited by Mukesh II for Mukesh III’s naming ceremony, and on seeing the sparkly white kid, she exclaimed, “Yeh toh angrezi bachcha hai...” So, “Lataji wanted to give me an English name,” said Neil in an interview this October. A Note About His Complexion: Did you know that Neil is so fair he was once detained at New York airport as the officials refused to believe he was Indian? Once, he even had to tan himself to make him look less gora chitta than his female co-star.

Johnny, The Traitor

In 2007, thriller king Sriram Raghavan decided to make a neo-noir Tarantinoesque thriller about five men who get involved in a drug deal where a lot of money goes missing. Cast in the most crucial role was apna hero Neil.

Johnny Gaddar first bombed, then became the sleeper hit of the year, and a new, hot face came into the spotlight. But then the spotlight started flickering.

Undulating Career Graph

In the sci-fi Aa Dekhe Zara (2009), he has a camera whose photos predict the future. In Kabir Khan’s

New York (2009), he is a young Muslim in New York in the backdrop of 9/11. (This was quite a nice film and it even earned him a Best Supporting Actor award.)

In Madhur Bhandarkar’s Jail (2009), he goes full monty on reel and has his first brush with controversy for real. In Pradeep Sarkar’s Lafangey

Parindey (2010), he is a street-fighter romancing a skater on the gritty lanes of Mumbai. In Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon

Maaf, he walks with a limp and has doubts of his sexual potency.

In Abbas-Mustan’s Players (2012), he is, well, one of the players (no, they don’t play cricket; they rob a moving train).

In Bejoy Nambiar’s David (2013), he is a gangster.

In Shortcut Romeo (2013), he is a good-for-nothing young man who throws his weight around the house.

Until...

If you think it is Prem who payo’d some ratan and dhan this Diwali, you’re wrong. It was Neil Nitin Mukesh who hit the proverbial jackpot even before the Salman Khan-starrer released last Thursday. And it had nothing to do with playing Bhai’s younger bhai in the film, but everything to do with the

Travel Lessons From 007

Is there more to James Bond than girls, guns and gadgets? Look beyond the high-octane action and you realise the secret agent is a seductive jet-setter who doesn’t break into a sweat as he checks into the most luxurious suites and dines out in style. As Spectre releases in a cinema near you, here’s your guide to travelling like Bond.


Never stand out: Stride into the security check without being conspicuous. According to the CIA’s secret travel guide for spies, travellers with “shaking or trembling hands, rapid breathing for no apparent reason, cold sweats... a flushed face, and avoidance of eye contact...” can arouse the suspicion of immigration officers and spy spotters. Keep your poise, the way James does.

Learn the lingo: Even if you have to keep a Berlitz phrasebook handy, you cannot falter on the small talk when you’ve got a licence to kill. Bond may not exactly be a polyglot but we hear him effortlessly mouth foreign phrases in You Only Live Twice (Japanese), The Spy Who Loved Me (Arabic) and Moonraker (Italian). When even Denise Richards can’t detect a American accent in his Russian, you know The World is Not Enough.

Suit yourself: Most of us can’t afford Savile Row and even if your budget allows only for Mohan Singh Place, don’t be caught dead in a dowdy dinner jacket. Turn out in an impeccably tailored suit.

Drink local: Forget all that talk about shaking and stirring vodka martinis. A well-travelled spy knows when to indulge in a little local spirit on the side. So when in Havana, he drinks a mojito with Halle Berry in Die Another Day, raises a cup of Japanese Sake in

You Only Live Twice and even has mint juleps on a trip to Kentucky in

Goldfinger. Never, ever settle for a cheap suite: In Quantum of Solace, 007 walks away from a shoestring hotel room a fellow MI6 agent has booked for him in Bolivia. “I’d rather stay in a morgue!” he remarks. He goes on to spend those hard-earned Euros on a comfy, tasteful five-star suite. Here’s one spy with taste!

3 useful downloads on mobile

Band

Band lets you set up online groups to stay in touch with friends, create private study cliques, and it even lets you interact with users from around the world.Once you register with this service, you can join a `band', or create a few yourself.For instance, you could join special interest groups that are into Clash of Clans, Harry Potter, fitness, football, and more. And when you create your own create your own band, you can set it to be public, secret (not discoverable, requires an invite) or closed (search able, only members can view posts). A new entry could take the form of a calendar event, an opinion poll, photo and video posts, and even files from your Dropbox or Google Drive account. Each group or band includes a chat room so that members can interact in real time. The service is also accessible via a PC web browser. Simply enter the group's custom web link, log in and start interacting with members.Android, iOS | Free

Walking War Robots

Also known as WWR, this 3D game is a multiplayer shooter where you pilot a bi-ped robot in 6x6 team battles. You will have to work along with teammates to destroy enemy robots, while capturing all the beacons on the map. For each task you complete, you are awarded points to advance in levels, along with silver and gold to upgrade weapons and robots.As you progress, you can own more than u can own more than one robot. WWR gives you access to 15 battle bots with different features including flight.
There are more than 20 weapon types to choose from, choose from, including missiles, energy and plasma guns. The 3D graphics are spot on, battles are immersive, and the sound effects put you right in the middle of the war zone.Given the game's sophistication, and controls, WWR is best enjoyed on larger devices with advanced processors. And yes, you'll require an internet connection to play, so Wi-Fi is recommended.Android, iOS | Free

Round Me

The RoundMe app is a great way to visit tourist destinations without packing your bags or spending on airfare. Here, you will find panoramic photos of tourist spots, restaurants, parks, hotels, malls and more. When you select a panorama, you can move your phone around for a 360-degree view. The image could also have information tags on significant landmarks. Registering with the service ing with the service lets you “favorite“ panoramas, leave comments and even upload your own photos via a PC browser. And if you have Google Cardboard, you can view posts in virtual 3D. At present, India is not very well documented on RoundMe, so while you browse other places, you might also want to contribute panoramas of noteworthy places in your city and locality. To create your own cityscapes, however, you will need a device ­ set to panorama mode ­ or a software that lets you build spherical views.Android, iOS | Free

Instant Chess

Instant Chess

It's no secret that chess is all about strategic thinking, and if you're keen on improving your game, or are simply looking to keep those grey cells sharp, head over to Instant Chess. Create a free account and the website automatically pairs you with a player for a match. Each move is timed, and Instant Chess will also provide you a forecast analysis, based on the situation of your board. At any point of time, you can also choose to watch the most interesting contests that are taking place on the site.You can also use its search feature for competitor profiles, and their game statistics. You can also play tournaments in Olympic and round-robin systems, and you can invite friends to watch and discuss your games. Plus, you can improve your skills with its in-built chess engine, and an openings encyclopaedia.

http://www.instantchess.com