Day: September 9, 2016

Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place Celebrates The Twenty Second New Urdu Writings Series

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place in collaboration with Hindustani Awaaz,hosts The Twenty Second New Urdu Writings Series,two recent books by Kishwar Naheed, Mutthi Bhar Yaadein (memoir) and Iss Aabaad Kharabe Mein (poetry collection). The session is being moderated by Dr Rakhshanda Jalil, founder Hindustani Awaaz with Kishwar Naheed, Prof Shamim Hanafi, eminent Urdu critic, and Kunwar Ranjeet Chauhan, Jashn-e Adab.The event comprised of book recital by Kishwar Naheed & discussion on modern urdu writings in comparison with earlier urdu poetry & writings. Richa Agarwal, an eminent classical singer gave a performance on one of the poetry’s by Kishwar Naheed, which was much appreciated by audience & the writer herself

Through its series of events for Urdu readers and book lovers, Oxford Bookstore aims to spread awareness about the literary and cultural relevance of the Urdu language, its literature and culture in India.

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About Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil

Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil a writer, literary critic, translator, independent researcher, and much-admired blogger, is an eminent commentator on Hindi-Urdu culture, society, and literature. She has over 15 books to her credit, including the recent anthology, New Urdu Writings from India and Pakistan (2013). At present, she is engaged in a study of Indian secularism. She also runs an organization called Hindustani Awaaz, devoted to the popularization of Hindi-Urdu literature and culture, and blogs at www.hindustaniawaaz-rakhshanda.blogspot.com and another at IBN Live.

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About Kishwar Naheed

Kishwar Naheed is a feminist Urdu poet from Pakistan. She has written several poetry books. She has also received awards including Sitara-e-Imtiaz for her literary contribution towards Urdu literature.

Naheed has served major positions in various national institutions, as director general of Pakistan National Council of the Arts. She also worked and edited a literary magazineMahe naw. She established Hawwaorganisation (Eve). The purpose of the organisation is to support those women who have not independent income, providing financially opportunities through cottage industries and selling handicrafts..

Kishwar has written six collections of poems between 1969 and 1990. Her first poetry collection Lab-i goya was published in 1968, that won the Adamjee Prize of Literature. She also writes for children and for the Daily Jang. Her several poems have been translated into English and Spanish.

kishwar-naheed
kishwar-naheed

About Oxford Book Store:

Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place offers a carefully curated list of titles for booklovers to browse through and buy and perhaps the world’s largest assortment of teas in the hip Cha Bar, to create a holistic experience for book lovers. The entrance leading to the bookstore houses a big Neon Wall, a cloud of words in English-Hindi-Latin that envelopes book lovers in a universe of emotions linked to reading. Inside, in the tranquil space, hands-on staff, knowledgeable and highly trained book specialists, offer suggestions of handpicked titles from major, independent and indie publishers: a great selection of books, some exclusive to Oxford Bookstore. The selection features both emerging and established authors from India and the world. Shelves stocked with the best in Indian Writing, International Fiction and Translations take one into a spacious, elongated Reading Room which opens onto a dedicated Events Space. Well-researched sections on Languages and New Age books address issues of addiction, relationships, unexplained phenomena, and showcase the best of thinkers and Indian gurus. A wide range of titles in Travel Writing, books that showcase the very essence of New Delhi and a specially curated section of books on tea are other highlights. Children have an exclusive space for browsing, activities and reading and parents can look forward to the Top 10 Gift Books in each age group for a quick and easy pick. Amongst the best in books for different age groups are ones that help the young ones deal with experiences relevant to their age.

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panel-discussion

Radhika J Showcased Her Premier Shoe Collection For The First Time In The Capital Recently

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Radhika Jain recently unveiled her premier luxurious collection of women’s footwear under her label name Radika J. in the capital. The eponymous designer, who has experimented with different styles,cuts,textures,embellishments and colour themes, also retails through her online retail store Radikaj.com.

Priya Grover and Radhika Jain
Priya Grover and Radhika Jain

Her range of designs included a blend of various styles such as brogue, sandal and mojari styles, smoking slipper with mule or even d’orsay pump, brogue and peeptoe style together.The most overwhelming styles, be that as it may, incorporated pointy-toe pumps, strappy-shoes, mules and clogs, mary janes, wedges and detailed flats.

There were numerous more appealing assortments like Folklore collection impacted from the customary footwear of different nations, for example, Netherlands, Japan , Mexico, her signature style double-platform high heels, and tango shoes style as she has devoted a whole line of her brand to the Latin dance community such as Tango, Salsa, Kizomba, and Bachata.

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The corridor at The Kila was loaded with the visitors evaluating this new line of collection. Propelling the footwear under her own brand had evidently been on Radhika’s mind from the day she began shoning her knowledge on the peculiarities of footwear designing, and remained in India to complete her masters in Footwear Technology in 2014.

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amit-dua-and-mann-dua
ratan-kaul-and-aditi-mukherjee
ratan-kaul-and-aditi-mukherjee
sanya-sachdeva-dharna-varma-and-shirley-demorias
sanya-sachdeva-dharna-varma-and-shirley-demorias
sonia-jetley-and-parul-puri
sonia-jetley-and-parul-puri

On the lavish launch of her collection Radhika said, “I am glad that my hard work is appreciated by the people. I get inspiration from wherever I go – from street styles, fashion shows, to different cultures, places, books, objects, fabrics, floors, walls etc. I feel motivated to start my brand and I hope it will meet the needs of women worldwide.”

radhika-jain

About Radhika Jain

Radhika Jain fulfilled her yearning to gain an international perspective on footwear design through a course in Fashion Design from London College of Fashion(Cordwainers),UK in 2012. She continued to hone her knowledge on the peculiarities of footwear designing, and remained in India to complete her masters in Footwear Technology in 2014. This time was a building ground for her own future brand, based on the sensibilities of Indian women. She additionally learnt Online Retail for Fashion Business from LCF, UK. All of this education coupled with a rich practical work experience in India and Italy lent her the spirit to start on her own. Her objective to become an internationally renowned luxury designer gave way to the inception of Radhika J, a label that brings together the expertise of designers from all over the country, all under one roof. She additionally also keeps herself associated with Parsons School of Design. Radhika’s thoughts on her trade are modernistic and simple. According to her, ‘The most admirable designs are made with a free mind. Design can be an idea, a thought, a minute detail, a feeling, a concept or a form, independent or integrated in an aesthetically appealing manner.’

Stay Fit Fridays-7 Dieting Mistakes You Should Avoid, By Dr. Anjali Hooda

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Ever wondered why you don’t seem to meet up your weekly weight loss goals…. after having followed a not so tasty diet plan and almost draining yourself in those cardio/strength sessions. Every Monday morning you still fall short of few hundred grams of the expected weight loss…!!

Here’s how you could identify common glitches… correct them and find yourself more inspired and encouraged towards losing the remaining extra kilos…!!

The symbols of a healthy lifestyle - gymnastics, weight control, and fruits

Keep Eating a “Singular Activity”

Eating in peace with all the focus on your plate helps you sense the feeling of fullness…. or what we call satiety. Watching television, talking over phone and working on laptop while eating…, can lead to improper chewing and eating more than required. Mindful consumption of meals favours sensitization of ‘satiety clues’ and you know exactly where to stop eating.

Don’t Purchase your diet… Prepare it…!!

Often in morning rush hours…, we choose processed/ready to eat foods like corn flakes, oats, whole grain bread, and sometimes even tea and crackers as breakfast options. Although these constitute a handy option and the nutrient content seems to be similar to home cooked foods but eventually they have a higher glycemic index and lower fibre and protein content. Try limiting these to 2-3 times per week and opting for simple home-made recipies that suffice your nutrient requirement.

Distribute your food evenly

The key to weight loss without loss of health lies in creating a balance of nutrients or types of food. The more balanced a meal, the better and steady is release of nutrients into the blood stream. One must include at least one combination of cereal and legume, cereal and pulse or cereal and milk for your main meals while keeping the raw fruit/vegetable portions for in between snacking.

Avoid eating and drinking at the same time

Glugging water and other beverages while eating or immediately after meals reduces the efficacy of digestion and absorption process due to dilution of the digestive juices released in stomach. Digestion becomes prolonged and the absorption is also not that great. Take plenty of fluids all the day round but remember to exempt from them during meals.

Drinking calories v/s eating them

Substituting your meals with a glass of milk or taking fruit juices in place of fruits don’t add much of a benefit to your health. Doing so, you might end up adding almost equal or even extra calories to your diet while going deficient in terms of other nutrients. A glass of 200ml 3% milk gives you almost equal calories as a well balanced meal and no where matches the satiety level of a meal. A glass of orange juice surely gives you higher amount of vitamins and minerals than a whole orange… but it also has sugars (fructose) from 3-4 oranges and absolutely no fibre…!!

Go individual

A universal diet or a diet that works for all is yet to be discovered. The fact that every individual is different and so is its response to any particular practice holds a lot of evidence. Identify your body’s responses and analyse them to understand what suits you the best. Diet and exercise regimes should be tailor-made…, not copied and followed simply because it did benefit your friend or relative.

Set realistic, “health-happy” goals

After having made one or all of the aforementioned corrections…, most importantly remember that there is a certain amount of weight that one should aim at losing over a period of time. Achieving jaw-dropping weight loss in a short span of time (10-12 weeks) might create a story line for you but the health risks it poses are too many…, plus the ‘yo-yo effect’ that makes you gain weight as quickly and more than you actually lost.

-Do it the right way.., as being slim has become a little outdated. Staying healthy is the new cool…!!

 

31st October Trailer Grips Social Media

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
The newly launched “31st October” Trailer has generated quite a buzz on Social Media. Already anticipating a lot of polarizing opinions, the trailer has generated mostly praise and tweeples have identified its theme as surprisingly different and refreshing. Though based on the backdrop of PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the horrific Anti Sikh pogrom that followed , the trailer gives out a unique insight into the Film’s human story.
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Based on the fateful day of 31 st October 1984, The trailer zips through events of the day & leaves on a cliff hanger on the question of whether the family will survive the ordeal what will happen to them eventually. Already the trailer has received 2 Million hits on Youtube and Facebook with a high percentage of Likes and shares. Both Sikh and Non Sikh community has seemed to give its thumbs up to the Trailer direction & the dialogues which are being constantly termed as Powerful and Gritty. The cinematography has been praised and also the Musical score. All in all it looks like 31st October will give stiff competition at the Box Office on 7th October.
The film Stars Soha Ali Khan and Vir Das in pivotal roles & is being directed by National Award Winning Director Shivaji Lotan Patil. Distributed by Panorama Studios and Written & Produced by Harry Sachdeva, 31st october hits screens worldwide on 7th October 2016. I am so looking forward to it..!!