Closing in on Mr Q
The Bofors gun scam gets another twist with the arrest of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi. For the CBI, struggling with investigations, the arrest is a feather in its cap.

God's Advocate
With delay built into the court battles being fought over the ownership of Ayodhya's famous site, the VHP turns on the heat.

Fifth Column
by Tavleen Singh
Abuse of Power

Politically Correct
by P. Chidambaram
Releasing the Genies

Right Angle
by Swapan Dasgupta
Weariness of Ayodhya

Fast Food Chain

Call of the Party

More...

India Today Anniversary

LOOKING GLASS

Delhi
Art Show
Wondering how you can do so much with just a few blotches smeared on acid free paper? Like some kind of pictorial stream of consciousness. Ask veteran painter Jeram Patel, a master at forming images from rich, random inky blobs. At an exhibition of 35 of his roughly 40 x 30 cm works at Delhi's Art Heritage Gallery, the other thing that struck viewers was the overwhelming use of ivory black ... with only hints of dusty colour peeping from the fluid shapes. Sometimes one can discern a human form, sometimes flowers and animals emerge, while other drawings are just whirlpools of spawning black. The show is on till January 5. For more details call (011) 3719470.

Bangalore
Retreat
The spiritually inclined among us can start the New Year by going on a philosophical tangent-through a three-day course on "The Divine Plan and Laws of the Universe", to be held at The School of Ancient Wisdom in Bangalore on December 30, 31 and January 1, 2001. Says Ram Menon, one of the founders of the school: "We don't know how old our planet is. Still we end up celebrating the new cycle at 12 a.m. on January 1." (Makes you wonder.) The cost for the three-day course is Rs 1,500 for non-resident students; Rs 3,000 for those staying on the premises. Situated 32 km from Bangalore, the nine-acre school has beautifully landscaped gardens, a meditation hall, a research centre for alternate medicine and a cafeteria. For details call (080) 558-6837.

Bangalore
Restaurant
The latest restaurant causing ripples in Bangalore is The Gardenia at the Taj West End, serving Italian food pretty much the way a Mediterranean restaurant would. The colourful interiors, fresh flowers, and trendy cutlery add to the casual and relaxed atmosphere. The chef's recommendations include the sea-food paella (arborio rice cooked in wine with assorted seafoods flavoured with saffron) and Blackened Fish (fresh fillets of fish crumbed with herbs, cajun spices and baked). A meal for two costs approximately Rs 800 (without taxes). Call (080) 225-5055.

Contributed by Anshul Avijit and Stephen David

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MetroScape
Where Words Were King
Katha celebrated its 10th year with "Worlds into Words, Words into Worlds", an international interdisciplinary conference on the short story.
more...

Looking Glass

Delhi: Art Show

Bangalore: Retreat

Bangalore: Restaurant

Forget endology, writes INDIA TODAY Senior Editor S. Prasannarajan. Celebrate 2001, celebrate the future in
Locomotif.

The 80th birthday do of a social reformer shows how the lives of entire communites in coastal Gujarat have changed for the better. INDIA TODAY Principal Correspondent Uday Mahurkar reports in Despatches.