Swar Utsav, india today's annual musical spectacular, will now be held in the symmetrical lawns flanking Rajpath with India Gate forming the arched backdrop. The inaugural session (on Friday, November 23) has Bismillah Khan in a rare duet with sitarist Rais Khan followed by folk songs by Reshma and ghazals by Hariharan.

The next evening brings Hindustani classical vocalist Ajoy Chakraborty, a vocal sarod duet by Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Biswajit Chowdhury and quasi-classical by Iqbal Bano. The concluding session on Sunday has ragas by Carnatic singer Aruna Sairam and a nightime line-up of Sufi Barkat Sidhu, fusionists Ganesh, Kumeresh and Taufiq and the Sri Lankan band, The Gypsies. Call (011) 508-8769 or 508-3851.

Mumbai
Home Store

United Nations of style? Bandhini, a new home furnishings store in Bandra, takes quotes from the interiors of Moulin Rouge, the Palace of Versailles, ancient Egypt and traditional Lhasa.
Supplementing the period vignettes is a line based on style diva Greta Garbo and a "spiritual sanctum" range in new age colours silver like soft blue and dull gold. At 107 St. Teresa's Road, 24th Road. Call (022) 600-5344.

Daring to Bare

For Indian designers, London seems the place to be in. The
latest was Rina Dhaka, who was here to display her autumn ensemble, the Spice Collection, which were donned by bare-
breasted beauties. "If garments needs to be sheer, I like to keep it sheer. But in India, the media gets more excited about the breasts, not the garments," says Dhaka, who admitted felt more at ease in London where "women are more sexy and gutsy". To create the "Helen-like", gypsy collection, 150 people worked 20 hours a day
for three months. A person who loathed Rajasthani old homes and antique stuff as a child, now she scrounges for those "antique" materials and travels far even if it is just for a headgear. And why not, when all things exotic are "in".

-Ishara Bhasi