SECRETS RETOLD: Lacey and the cover of his new book (below)

Indians are pleased that Prince Charles is keen on India but nobody had guessed he was once "emotionally involved" with an Indian girl. This has been revealed by Robert Lacey, in his new biography of the Queen published to mark the 50th anniversary of her reign. "The prince also became emotionally involved, for a time, with a persuasive Indian woman who introduced him to Buddhism and eastern philosophy," says

Lacey, in Royal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Lacey admits his source is the 1994 biography of Charles, The Prince of Wales, by the broadcaster and journalist, Jonathan Dimbleby.

Since Charles provoked a huge fuss by publicly confessing in his tv interview with Dimbleby that he had committed adultery with his long-time mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles, the line in his book about the Indian girlfriend was overlooked, explained Lacey. "It's a mystery who she is," he said. But the story must be true, Lacey says, "because every line in Dimbleby's book was read and personally vetted by Charles".

Dimbleby's biography says that Charles "was introduced in 1979, to a book called The Path of the Masters, a comprehensive guide to the spiritual wisdom of the Eastern gurus".

"The book had been given to him by a young Indian woman who telephoned Buckingham Palace relentlessly until he finally accepted her call." Intrigued, Charles arranged a meeting. "At once, the two began a relationship that ... swiftly became so intense as to send a frisson of alarm through the household." The relationship ceased soon enough, but not before the Prince had been persuaded in favour of vegetarianism.

New Avatars

TIMELESS TALES: Bhaktivedanta players

The Bhaktivedanta Manor, the spiritual home of Hare Krishna devotees, has been the venue for many productions of epic stories drawn from the Hindu religious texts and performed by the resident troupe of actors at the Manor. To mark India's Republic Day recently, the 50-strong team of performers took to the stage in Wembley for a public performance of Valmiki's Ramayana: The Epic. The Bhaktivedanta brought to life the adventures of Lord Rama. The spectacular production included stunts, a display of pyrotechnics and stunning traditional costumes specially flown in from the subcontinent. The actors themselves adhere to the strict principles of Hinduism. Famed for their annual Janamasthami performance before 15,000 people, the players have enjoyed great success both nationally and internationally, making the Vedic wisdom accessible to modern audiences and showing its relevance in a changing world.

Aparna's Arrows

ART LOVERS: Swarup and husband Vikas with her painting

Aparna Swarup could have maintained a discreet silence on whether most conceptual art is rubbish-it would have been befitting of the wife of a senior Indian diplomat. Instead, she chose to jump into the dispute currently raging in Britain. Herself an artist, Swarup picked up the phone and called Ivan Massow, chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, congratulating him for "saying what he said on behalf of artists like us".

Massow started the row by dismissing conceptualism as "self-indulgent craftless tat" in a highly provocative article in the New Statesman. He compounded his sin by targeting Tracey Emin, whose famous Turner Prize entry was an unmade bed decorated with a used condom, cigarette ends and soiled underwear. Massow also suggested that Emin, the darling of the British arts establishment, "couldn't think her way out of a paper bag".

Swarup shares Passow's unflattering opinion of Emin's art. "I am not impressed," snorts Swarup. "I don't consider it art. To me, art must have intellectual and visual appeal."

Emin, should she so desire, will have a chance of assessing Swarup's paintings, which are figurative with an Indian theme. An exhibition of 27 of them has just gone up at the Nehru Centre. Passow has promised to pop in.

Burning Bright

ROARING FLAMES: The award-winning picture

The photo- graph shows a tiger skin being devoured by flames. The pelt was burnt by environmentalists in Bombay to discourage poachers. The dramatic image is from this year's Commonwealth Photographic Awards. Taken by Sherwin Crasto, the picture was "high commended" among the winning entries for 2001 exhibited by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (cba). The theme was the "Environment"-next year's will be "Challenges". The top prize, funded as usual by the Commonwealth Foundation, is worth £2,000 and £100 is also given to 30 regional winners.

Though 54 countries participate in it, it is always India which particularly inspires photographers. Another evocative photograph this year, of a small tree sprouting from the crack in a wall,was taken by Akhter Husain of Mangalore and is called "Grip of Life". This year, India had 268 entries-and several winners-out of 745, (none from Pakistan, 12 from Bangladesh and 14 from Sri Lanka). "There are tons of talent out there in the Third World," confirms Elizabeth Smith, the cba director-general. "The equipment may sometimes be a bit basic but the pictures are marvellous."

-Compiled by Amit Roy, Poonam Joshi and Ishara Bhasi