India's bin laden
October 1 in Srinagar was not as dramatic as September 11 in the US. But the attack on the J&K Assembly emphasises the reality that India continues to be a permanent victim of jehad, that the author of the blast is the bin Laden of Kandahar vintage.

Reclaiming The Faith
Despite Pakistan's extremist image, the country is home to a wide cross-section of people holding moderate views on religion. After the terrorist attacks on the US, it is this non-confrontationist lobby that is waging a coup against the militant and vocal religious extremists.

Ready To Strike
The US strategy to strike the Taliban includes making use of the Northern Alliance, favoured by Russia and Iran and distrusted by Pakistan. In its military pact with the front, the US should keep in mind the future power equations in Afghanistan.

METROSCAPE: LOOKING GLASS

"We've got every dinosaur ever shown in the Jurassic Park series," says T.K. Ganguly, director of Kolkata's Science City. It's a yardstick Gen Y-ers-who learnt about raptors and 'rexes from Spielberg's films-would understand. In other words, "Evolution Park" has all the dinosaurs popularised by Hollywood, and more-some 72 prehistoric creatures. Right from the first invertebrates like the giant scorpion to dinosaurs, Ice Age mammals and Neanderthals. The latex-and-fibre glass models move with the help of pneumatic tubes using flashing lights and sound. The 40-ft Brachiosaurus (it's a scale model; the real thing was double the size), bends to look at visitors, then shyly turns away. And a sabre-tooth tiger readies to spring on an unsuspecting prey. The price to build the park? "Let's just say it cost maybe three or four crore rupees," says Ganguly. Three hundred crore years of history doesn't come cheap.

BANGALORE
Gallery

In a country where the smallest of spaces are converted into exhibition rooms, the recently opened Gallerie Zen provides the much-needed respite-it has 6,000 sq ft of display area, interrupted only by a few rectilinear columns. Currently the gallery stocks works by over a hundred well-known artists, including Surendran Nair, Sakti Burman, Navjot Altaf and Anju Dodiya. Call (080) 560042 or visit 121, Dickenson Road.

DELHI
Handicrafts

After a two-month monsoon sabbatical, the Crafts Museum at Pragati Maidan is back with its customary bouquet of handicrafts-the month's speciality being a range of textiles from across India. Weavers will be showing a choice of brocades, dyed fabrics, jamdani, Manipuri, Kota, Paithanis, Patola, Kanchipuram and many other styles. Accompanying this is a special exhibition on the arts and crafts of Kutch, a region attempting a mini revival after the destructive earthquake earlier this year. Call (011) 337-1641 for more information.

MetroScape

Looking Glass

Bangalore Gallery: Gallerie Zen

Delhi Handicrafts: Crafts Museum

With a dramatic fall in the viewership of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Star makes a last-ditch effort to prop up its ratings. INDIA TODAY's Himanshi Dhawan analyses the revival struggle of the pasha of programmes in
Survival Of The Fittest