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Sunday,
September 28, 2003
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Rise and fall of Mandi
Gobindgarh
P. P. S. Gill
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a prosperous town to one hit by recession and lack of opportunities,
Mandi Gobindgarh—the Steel Town of Punjab— has become a victim of
circumstances, both natural and man-made. Its locational disadvantage is
as much responsible for its rise and fall, as are the in-built
fluctuations in the iron and steel trade that determine the swings in
the fortune of its inhabitants.
Legend has it that Guru
Har gobind, the sixth Guru of the Sikhs, had camped in this area during
one of his sojourns. He needed a ''horse-shoe'' but could not get one.
Thereupon, he ''blessed'' this place, saying there would be abundant
loha here. There is a gurdwara in the memory of the Guru, after whom
the town is named.
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Model
Sikhs: Tashan turban da
Avinash Kalla
THE
spotlight on the dark stage focuses on a young, well-built male model
sashaying down the catwalk. His muscular frame draws collective applause
from potential buyers, socialites and fashion groupies present on the
occasion. The ecstatic clapping is not for any familiar face on the
ramp. Neither is this is a run-of-the mill fashion show at Delhi’s Le
Meridien.
More
pageantry than puja
Bibhuti Mishra
COME
autumn and it is time to sing hallelujah to Goddess Durga, the mother
protector, the warrior goddess in the Hindu pantheon born out of the
collective powers of the gods yet superior to all of them in battling
and killing demons. Therefore, the most glorious paean to the cult of
the mighty mother is Durga Puja in the bright fortnight of Aswina
(September-October).
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