Vol 1 Issue No.6 April 2012 30
www.uniquetimes.org
TIMES
Exclusive
Manappuram
Miss Queen of India
REPORT
PHOTO SHOOTS Health & Beauty Special Silver Shores: Exotic Homes Ayurveda way of life Follow us on
Cover Model: Vanisree Bhatt Photo: Aneesh
Editorial
TIMES Silence. Complete silence. Managing Editor
Ajit Ravi Editor
Jebitha Ajit Associate Editor
Bejoy George Legal Advisor
Adv. Sreelatha Parameswaran Correspondents
Dr. Thomas Nechupadom Solli Somanth Sarath Chandran Thomas Zachariah Tressa Varghese Sheela Abraham SMK Sujith Arunshah Creative Design
Ashique K, Pigment Creatives Gilsha Bindosh
This is the atmosphere in the Unique Times office now! Every one cooling their heels after a hectic and stressful month. Last month was too busy organizing different events. It is challenging to put up any event, especially a beauty pageant. Organizing Miss Queen of India 2012 was a greater challenge for us because it was held in Kochi for the first time. I must say the result was outstanding. Excellent and overwhelming feed backs that pour into the office is the true testimony of its success. Of the 16 contestants, the top three are from Bangalore, the city of flowers. Ms, Vanisree Bhatt claimed the crown while Akhila and Lakhsmi claimed the 1st and 2nd runner up positions respectively. Any event becomes a stupendous hit when the team behind it works with dedication, commitment and precision. That was the secret behind the success of Miss Queen of India 2012. I take this space to express my heartfelt gratitude to each one of those who have supported in their maximum capacity to make this event a grand one. Once again congratulations to Ms.Vanisree Bhatt, current Miss Queen of India, Akhila and Lakhsmi, the two runners up. Thank you and wish you the best.
Marketing
Pramod Photographers
Aneesh Seny Vipin
AJIT RAVI Managing Editor
Corporate Office
Pegasus L5-106 Changampuzha Nagar Kalamasserry, Kochi-33 Printed at
S T Reddiar Veekshanam Road, Cochin Contact
0484-3242220, editor@uniquetimes.org 02 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
Our Patron Mr. V.P. Nandakumar
Contents
TIMES
06 Silver Shores Exotic Homes 10
Books
12
Book Review
14
Technology
16
Personal Finance
18
Cover Story
20
The Queens are Back
24
Photo Shoot
32
Recipe
34
Auto Review
36
Travel
04 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
TIMES
Apps
10 40
News
42
Digital Toys
44
Tribute - Bombay Ravi
46
The Smile Expert
50
Beauty
51
Health Queries
52
Health Tips
53
Ayurveda
54
Sports
60
Unique Diary
62 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 05
Living Spaces
Silver
Exotic
06 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
Shores:
Homes
"Oh, my God,
It's really awesome." That was my first response when I saw the walkthrough of Silver Shores. Coming up in an exotic waterfront location, just a few kilometers off the Edappally-Aroor stretch of NH-47, AMV Group’s new project Silver Shores boast of outstanding design, well connected location and all the luxury you can ask for. The Location Nettor is bustling with new projects and it is the best place for new investments. The renovated model Highway is among the best roads in the country. Hospitals, schools and a number of malls and hotels are nearby. The far side of Nettor is laced by backwaters and it is in this beautiful spot the project is coming up. It is far from the noises of the city but well connected to all major points. Construction Construction of these top class villas are done in most modern ways. The Top class design is supported by top class engineering and construction. Earthquake resistant RCC framed structure/Shear wall is used with proper foundation as designed by expert structural consultant. Bedrooms are given wooden flooring and Italian marble for the rest of the home. Emulsion or equivalent paints are used to paint internal walls and ceiling and weather guard or equivalent for outside walls. All kitchen and bathroom fittings used are branded and of high quality like GROHE/TOTO/ROCA. Home automation is proposed to be done in a great extent; there will be biometric based access control, centralized mood lighting control in living rooms and motion sensing light in bathrooms. A place of joy A home is place of Joy. Each villa in the project is of a spacious 4723 sq ft and has four bedrooms. The villas also come with a private pool, personal lift, gym and a home theatre. All villas have a prominent lake view. With all the amenities you can ask for one should say that luxury is standard here. In short Silver shores will be the best gift you can give to your family and the privilege of living with the equals of intellect and standing.
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Amenities &Facilities When it comes to amenities, there is nothing short, see the expansive list of common facilities like tennis court, sauna and Jacuzzi, swimming pool with baby pool, Barbeque counter, billiards, table tennis and card room, internet broadband connectivity/Wi-Fi, In-house convenience store, Vasthu friendly layouts, landscaped garden, sewage treatment plant, rainwater harvesting and much more. There are few projects which has all the luxury, natural beauty and accessibility coming together. One negative thing I have noticed is that there are only 10 for taking, for the very fortunate. If you would really love to settle down in one of these, be quick on your feet to start the buying process. “Let water bind your family closer“ says the brochure and it contains all the details of the project. Order yourself a copy by contacting the customer care.
PROFILE OF AMV GROUP OF COMPANIES Commercial, Hospitality and Residential Projects
AMV Inns ? Ltd: AMV inns ? Ltd, is a company specially floated to undertake its maiden foray into the building of hospitality infrastructure. We have signed the Management Agreements with Hyatt group of hotels to manage our five star hotel property at Cochin near Maradu.
Contact: info@amvgroups.com
AMV Resorts ? Ltd: AMV Resorts ? Ltd focus on developing world class hospitality infrastructure. It has aim at acquiring valuable real estate in the picturesque and splendid hill stations of Kerala. We are developing a five star resort in Munnar, this resort will be managed Hyatt Group of Hotels.
Abhishek Developers: Starting out as a fledgling real estate company, in a short span it has grown manifold and holds valuable investments at major points in Cochin and other parts of Kerala. The company proposes to develop land holdings, commercial space and office space. A commercial project named AMV Towers is being developed by the company in Cochin.
AMV Infrastructure: The company is engaged in the construction of residential apartments and villas, in the niche segment and is underway to launch its first project amidst the serene locales of Nettor, Cochin. The primary focus of this company is to quickly be a force to reckon within the residential supply space and is committed to make rapid strides in this area. Silver Shores luxury villas are one of the prestigious projects of the company. 08 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
Interview ANIL SHARMA, MD AMV Group Why did you name the project Silver Shores? What is the philosophy behind It.? How will Silver Shores be different from other similar projects? We named our project Silver Shores after much thinking; it is a waterfront project, so ‘shores’ part came in quite natural. We chose to name it silver shores because silver stands for luxury and aristocracy and also silver refer to a cool and calm feeling. It all comes together at Silver shores. Silver Shores is different in many ways; it is first time in Kerala, that in a villa project, all the villas have an unobstructed lake view. Security is given huge importance, surveillance cameras will be installed around all villas and common areas, biometric controlled access will be provided to ensure that you live in a safe and secure place. We have provided unmatched luxury. There are five slots of car parking, which is yet another first. Driver and maid rooms are incorporated in the design. There is a private pool for family and also a personal lift in every villa. Modular kitchen and all the interiors except furniture are accommodated in the cost of the villa. What are your other main projects? We are one of the major real estate developers in Cochin for the past 15 years. Moving a step further we are entering the construction domain with few fine projects in Hospitality, Commercial and Residential sectors. We have signed two 5 star hotels for Cochin and Munnar to be managed by Hyatt Group in the Brand name of Hyatt Place. Both the hotels are under construction. Our hotels will become land mark and will boost the tourism in Kerala to the next level. We are also coming up with a 5 star hotel at Colombo in the brand name Crown Plaza. Our commercial complex AMV Towers is getting ready at Kundanoor Junction, Cochin. It is the right choice for a first class
highway facing Commercial space. Apart from these and the premium water front Villas Silver Shores more residential and commercial projects are in the pipeline in and around Cochin, Bangalore and Bombay. How do you see Cochin as an investment location? Kochi is really emerging as big investment point. Smartcity and Vallarpadom projects will completely change the face of the city. Once the Kochi metro starts running Kochi will become a truly bustling city. There will be a lot of floating population coming in. Cochin will become favorite place for investors What is your vision for your business? My vision is to make this company to international standards in quality. My mission is to ensure quality in all projects. Only through quality one can ensure customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction means that I retain my customers. I always make sure that I deliver what I have promised if not better than that. Customer should get the good feeling from our company. My aspiration is that when people think of quality, they should think AMV. When you’re not tied up in meetings, how will spend time? I am an avid traveler; I love to see new places and their architecture. I also love to visit places known for their natural beauty. I am a family man and I love to spend time with them. We have together visited places like Munnar, Idukki, Alazppuzha etc. UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 09
Books Revolution 2020 (Paperback) Chetan Bhagat Publisher: Rupa & Co (2011) Price: 140
I'll Do It My Way: The Incredible Journey of Aamir Khan (Hardcover) Christina Daniels Publisher: Om Books International (2012) Price: 495
Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography (Hardcover) Walter Isaacson Publisher: Little Brown (2011) Price: 799
River Of Smoke (Hardcover) Amitav Ghosh Publisher: Penguin India (2011) Price: 699
The Immortals of Meluha (Paperback) Amish Tripathi Publisher: Westland (2011) Price: 195
10 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
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For subscriptions and advertisements Contact: uniquetimes@pegasusindia.org +91 94470 50283
TIMES
Personal Finance
Gold Loans:
For Emergencies Monetise your gold to tide over your financial needs
Gold loans mainly existed in the unorganized sector. Now banks and big corporate have entered this market providing the customer with easy loan options. The social stigma of taking a gold loan has gone, and now working executives especially women take gold loans for emergencies. Another reason to the emergence of gold loan is the substantial increase in gold price and good amount can be taken by placing your gold. This makes gold loans very attractive.
Gold has remained the favorite investment mode for Indians for a long time. Gold is but a dead investment until you decide to monetize it for a higher price. Gold loans emerged as a favorite loan option considering the fact that you don’t have to sell the gold to monetize it. Once you tide over your financial need, you can take back your gold.
The process of taking a gold loan is simple and can be done in a matter of minutes. Once you approach the lender with your gold, the purity of the gold is checked, and then you will told the amount of loan you will get based on the gold and the interest rates. Then fill up the application form, submit your identification and address proof. When the application formalities are over you will be given the loan amount. Once you repay your amount you will handed your gold back.
16 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
FEATURES OF A GOLD LOAN No restrictions The gold loan can be used for any purpose so long as the money is not being used for speculative purposes. It is like a personal loan with end use restrictions. Loan amount You will always get as high as 80% of the value of the loan. Interest Rate The interest rate charged by banks can be in the range of 11.5% onwards Banks usually charge a processing fee while NBFCs may not charge the same. Repayment The loan can be foreclosed at any time without any penalty. The loan can also be paid back in EMI’s Tenure Gold loans are typically for duration of 3 to 12 months. They are thus best used to fund shor t term monetar y requirements
Dining Out
Friday
evening was luring me to go out.
Usually I spend my Friday evening watching a movie, as I am a movie devotee. But the foodie in me decided to go out and have some good food rather than a movie. Having decided to have food I started thinking of a good restaurant where I can sit and relax and have food at my pace. I have heard of Mezzo (pronounced Metzo), Avenue Regent Kochi from my friend, Estella. So I decided to give Mezzo a try.
The Mezzo Avenue Regent Kochi
Timing 11am to 11 pm Meal for Two: 1000-1500
I wanted to know what all they serve because the name Mezzo sounded a little Italian; to my surprise they served a variety of cuisines including Mediterranean, Arabic, Oriental, Spanish, Steaks, seafood and Italian. The time was too early for dinner, and the restaurant was rather empty, I have asked the restaurant manager to suggest me some dishes. He said to me that the most popular among their menu was Sliced Beef with burnt garlic, which is served with pan fried noodles. Also popular are Hammus, a Lebanese dish, BBQ Spare Ribs, slow roasted with barbeque sauce. There was
also this Shrimp Cocktail salad, which was popular among who insist of seafood. It was difficult for me select one from these varieties, I had to resort to some nursery school strategy to select Hammus as I have inclination for Arabic food. There is also an exhaustive list of Desserts and Mocktails. Among the popular here are Mexican Chocolate cake, Carrot and Walnut pudding and Peanut butter brownies with Ice cream. I selected Mexican Chocolate cake and also ordered a Fresh iced lemon tea. The restaurant is open from 11am to 11 pm, and the last order they take is at 10.30 pm. I would suggest Mezzo for the warm ambience, good food and cuisine variety. There is also a good selection of Cocktails to select from if you like to taste one. The service was excellent. I left the restaurant with both my stomach and mind contemplated (and after paying my bill) and I have already decided to take my family to Mezzo. Oh, I have to tell Estella that indeed her recommendation was excellent.
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Cover Story
18 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
The Queens are
Back
UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 19
THE
QUEENS
RE
HE
UEENS
BACK
ARE
20 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
BACK
Where there’s beauty with brains, people are sure to gather there. The most awaited beauty pageant, 2nd Manappuram Miss Queen of India 2012 saw sixteen participants from India competing with each other, in terms of beauty, talents, attitude and poise, and for sure, each one proved their worthiness to the best. Pegasus Event Makers, run by Ajit Ravi Pegasus, organized this national-level beauty pageant with the prime motto of encouraging and promoting young aspiring talents in India, be it in fashion, entertainment or other media platforms. The beauty pageant, which happened at Le Meridian, Kochi on 9 March, 2012, had the city’s fashionistas and business tycoons walk in to be a part of the event. This was a pan India contest with contestants from various parts of the country.
After the auditions held at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore, twelve contestants made it to the grand finale. The four finalists from Miss South India 2011 also joined these contestants. These contestants, hailing from diverse professional backgrounds like modelling, engineering, fashion designing, students and airlines, were Akila Kishore, Aparna Dubey, Athira Ajit, Bhawna Mahalwal, Janhavee Vichare, Kirti Gupta, Laxmi Anand, Leena Vishwakarma, Nancy Gupta, Pragyan Pradhan, Priya Naidu, Priyanka Saha, Sakshi Khorana, Saru Walia, Thinkal Bhai and Vanisree Bhatt. The five-day grooming session by some of the experts in the industry proved its effectiveness on the stage that evening. The grooming session, which was held at the PJ Princess Regency Hotel, Vypin, comprised of yoga,
RE
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UEENS
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meditation, personality development, catwalk, beauty tips, photoshoot, interaction and talent search. Each session was designed to enhance the contestants’ strengths and eventually overcome their weaknesses. These sessions were organised under the guidance of Mr Ajit Ravi (Pegasus), Mr Sameer Khan (Elite Model Flatt), Mr Arun Ratna (Fashion Runway), Ms Valentina Ravi (Valen’s Model Management), Mrs Sheela Abraham (MD, Sneham), Dr Thomas Nechupadam, (Metanoeo) and Mrs Jebitha Ajit. The four-hour event took the audience on the edge of entertainment with a series of cultural extravaganzas. Kerala’s favourite MC Ranjini Haridas, as always, gave in the best to do her job at hand - entertaining the crowd and hosting the show in outright elegance and wit.
Adding glitz and glamour to the event was the panel of judges. Megha Bharman of Dam 999 fame, model and actor Rajeev Pillai, model and actress Richa Panai, model and actress Niyati Joshi, producer and director Sohan Roy, fashion designer Sajimon Parayil and media personality Thoshma Biju constituted the panel of judges for the pageant. The first round – self introduction round, saw the contestants walking the ramp in richly designed traditional sari, accessorised with jewelleries designed by Preethi Prakashan of Parakkat Jewels. The second round had the contestants walking in linen designer wear designed by NRI fashion designer Sajimon Parayil. Also, based on the self-introduction round, the judges eliminated six contestants, while the remaining ten contestants made their way into the semi-final round. UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 21
The third round was indeed an unnerving situation for the contestants as the judges shot their bizarre questions at them. While some managed to come up with witty answers, a few failed to impress the judges. At the end of the round, the judges gave their green signal to the six best contestants to make it to the final round, which was the toughest of all. In the fourth and final round, the six contestants were given a common question, Do you think India is ready to accept things like homosexuality, Lesbianism, unwed/single parenthood & live-in relationships outside marriage? All six contestants came up with six different brilliant answers, which in turn put the judges in a great dilemma in naming the winner. Finally, after a tough hour of decision making, the judges managed to zero in the winner. Vanisree Bhatt from Bangalore was crowned the Manapuram Miss Queen of India 2012. The first runner up title was bagged by Akhila Kishore and the second runner up title by Lakshmi Annand, who is also the reigning Miss South India. The subtitle winners of the pageant are Nancy Gupta (Miss Talent and Miss Catwalk), Thinkal Bal 22 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
(Miss Perfect Ten and Miss Congeniality), Priyanka Saha (Miss Beautiful Eyes), Leena Vishwakarma (Miss Beautiful Hair), Athira Ajith (Miss Beautiful Smile), Pragyan Pradhan (Miss Beautiful Skin), Priya Naidu (Miss Beautiful Photogenic), Sakshi Khurana (Miss Viewer’s Choice) and Vanisree Bhatt (Miss Beautiful Face). In addition to the gold plated crown designed by Prakashan Parakkat and Preethi Prakashan from Parakkat Jewellers, the winners also took back home various other prizes. The Miss Queen of India 2012 Vanisree was rewarded a cash prize of two lakh rupees, sponsored by the title sponsors, Manappuram. While the first runner up winner Akhila won a diamond set worth rupees one lakh from Riti Jewellery, the second runner up Lakshmi Annand was awarded a diamond set worth rupees 50, 000 from MAcare. The subtitle winners were given a gold plated memento and gift from Parakkat Jewellers and Gopu Nandilath. Nothing happens or goes by without a cause for Pegasus Event Makers. This year, the organisers associated with Rotary Club RL District 3201 for expanding the charity, where a minimum of Rs 2,00,000/- was set apart for charitable ventures. Out of this amount, Rs 50, 000/- was given for relief fund and Rs 50, 000/- was given to Girish, a kidney patient who is
a writer. V P Nandakumar, Chairman of Manappuram group handed over the cheque to Suresh, Assistant Governor of Rotar y International. But it was not just the beauty and nail-biting moments that was at display for the audience; an array of entertaining programmes was rolled out that evening. Miss Queen of India 1st runner up Aishwarya Muraleedharan, actress Mallavika Wales, contemporary dancers Aathma and Sumi gave in graceful dance performances during the event. Taking in the audience for a surprise, Pegasus roped in professional dancers from Russia, who exhibited some foot-stomping performances at the event. The audience also swayed to the live musical performance by Kollywood’s new sensational playback singer Aalaap Raju and Dency. Pegasus paved way for that one lucky contestant to enter the film industry with Mr Sohan Roy’s upcoming English movie. Vanisree is that lucky girl who gets to make her screening appearance on the silver screen. Yet another highlight of the event was the first ever system in the history of beauty pageants introduced by Pegasus - a media personality was incorporated on mark tallying table to avoid the basic rumour of ‘fixing up’ in pageants and showcase the authenticity of the pageants organized by Pegasus. The title sponsor of the event was Manappuram group of companies - a group with nearly 3000 branches across 25 states of India and whose flagship company, Manappuram Finance Ltd, is the largest listed and highest credit rated gold loan company in India. The co-sponsors were Unique Times, Riti Jewellery, MAcare, Bits Indiana, Kanyaka, Mataneoeo and National Paints. While the crowns were sponsored by Parakkat Jewellers, the gifts were sponsored by Gopu Nandilath. Hair and makeup Partner was Phoebe International Hair Studio and Academy, Radio partner was Red FM, outdoor media partner was Rajan Outdoor and hospitality partner was PJ Princess Regency Hotel, Vypin. As the curtain drew to a close, Pegasus Event Makers added one more feather to its cap, and given these contestants reasons to aim and dream high and gifted the country more talents to look out for. SMK UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 23
Photo Shoot
24 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
Miss Queen of India
Photo Shoot
UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 25
The Queen in Black Vanisree Bhatt
26 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
Photo: Seny, Vipin
The Lovely Beauty Nancy Gupta
Photo: Seny, Vipin
UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 27
The Girl Next Door Laxmi Anand
28 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
Photo: Seny, Vipin
Black Looks Good on Her Pragyan Pradhan
Photo: Seny, Vipin
UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 29
Gorgeous Girl Athira S. Ajith
Photo: Seny, Vipin 30 UNIQUE TIMES April 2012
The Stylish Diva Akila Kishore
Photo: Seny, Vipin UNIQUE TIMES April 2012 31