The Writer’s Flight

What was seen as a Dussehra spectacle of victory of good over evil or the coming down of 'towers of corruption' is not so simplistic. It was like  putting Band-Aid on a bullet wound - an attempt  to deal with a serious problem in an inadequate way  addressing only the symptom and not the root cause.  Namrata Kohli delves deeper and finds that the malaise is systemic  Today the Twin Towers were demolished in Noida and many called them the “symbols of corruption”. But why did they come up, in the first place. Builder bashing seems to be the mood of the nation. But as someone who has tracked real estate as a journalist, I can tell you that the builders are most often the most visible and easy scapegoat. The malaise is much deeper.  It is a no brainer that the builder in question violated National building code, did not comply with the minimum distance norms between the towers and worst of all, did not seek the  consent from its buyers on additional constr...

Timepieces costing lakhs of rupees must highlight the owner's taste and personality Namrata Kohli   Your luxury watch must match your personal lifestyle. (Stock photo) "A gentleman’s choice of timepiece says as much about him as does his Saville Row suit," said Ian Fleming, the British writer of the James Bond novels. A Rolex, Omega or Patek Philippe watch on a wrist marks luxury, success and taste. Pop singer Ed Sheeran wears a Hublot Big Bang; actor-singer Selena Gomez has a Rolex Day-Date; and actor Brad Pitt is an ambassador for TAG Heuer Monaco. “It’s the story behind the watch, the movement and complication in the watch and the history behind the model and the manufacturer which drives me towards my watch purchase,” said Vishesh Sahni, founder and CEO of WHITE, a Delhi-based events and brand experience company. Sahni’s favourite watch to wear is Patek Philippe 5060/1A-001 Annual Calendar in steel. “It’s a perfect everyday watch whic...

From curtains to sofas, furnishings come in a wide range: here is advice on how and what to pick Namrata Kohli   When you design your home, ensure the furnishing you pick is easily maintainable. (Stock photo) Your home should be the story of who you are and its collection of what you love. Furnishings are to a home what clothes are to an individual. Soft furnishings, like curtains, cushions, carpets, and upholstery, bind all the elements of an interior together to create a cohesive look. “Selection of the furnishings should be done keeping various things in mind such as the area of the house, functionality of the area, lighting, the design story of the house and finally reservations, if any, towards a particular colour,” said Adetee Sawhney, director and principal designer of ALTUS Luxury Living in Delhi. What should go up first: the curtain or the sofa upholstery? The chicken-and-egg problem at home has a solution. “Sofa fabrics are chosen b...

Some of Delhi’s upscale areas were born soon after Independence as neighbourhoods sprung up to rehabilitate refugees. Namrata Kohli interviews entrepreneurs who started up soon after independence. NAMRATA KOHLI Khan Market Delhi “My family originally comes from a place called Kaderabad (in Pakistan). When we came to India after the partition, my father, a teacher of mathematics, peddled railway berths to earn money. Later, he opened a store called Bahrisons at Khan market," says Anuj Bahri, who runs one of India’s best-known book stores. When they reached Delhi, his parents, grandparents and three siblings were put up at the Kingsway camp barracks, where they stayed for a little over a year. He talks about the desperate struggle to merely survive in those times. “My dad and his brother would go to the shed where trains would get washed. They would go and lie down on a berth, and when the train would come to the platform, sell that berth to a passenger. There was no reservation in ...

These 'refugee' colonies, U-shaped with a park in the middle, became the template for subsequent neighbourhoods, partly because they were built by the same urban planners who shaped Delhi through the 50s and 60s NAMRATA KOHLI Representative image (Flickr) When the two nations, India and Pakistan, were born on the midnight of 14th/15th August, 1947 their independence celebrations were overshadowed by one of the most dramatic and largest mass migrations in the history of the world — the India Pakistan Partition. What happens when you are rendered penniless and homeless overnight? People were already traumatised due to the war atrocities that they had witnessed or been subject to. Moreover, they had to rebuild their lives from scratch and fight their way to establish themselves in an unfamiliar land. The Government of India (GoI), as a first step, put up tents, provided food and created 'refugee' colonies to ensure shelter to all which was the need of the hour. Haveliram l...

Travel to Singapore, the Caribbean, Dubai, or Goa and indulge yourself on the ship with food and entertainment Namrata Kohli   A cruise holiday is affordable and value for money. (Stock photo) If you want the journey to matter more than the destination, sail on a cruise ship. Cruises are about luxury, leisure and getting off the ship to see new places. Popular Indian cruise destinations include Goa, Mumbai, Kochi, Lakshadweep Islands, Chennai, and Diu. Akshita Lakhani, a 44-year-old corporate executive, and her family recently took the Cordelia Cruise from Goa to Mumbai via Lakshadweep. “It was my first time on a cruise. Getting away from a bustling city to listless hallowed spots and dwelling in the bedlam of sights of nature and endless water views was relaxing. The ocean views are simply majestic, and calming,” she said. Lakhani’s cruise ship had a casino and the travel package covered food served at two restaurants on board. She was disappointed with the embarkation process at ...