Crossing republik

Magazine June 2012

Editor’s Letter

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CEO Note

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Crossing Republik magazine is printed and published by Vikas Johari on behalf of MaXposure Media Group India Pvt. Ltd. (MMGIPL) for Crossing Republik and published at MMGIPL, Le Meridien, 2nd floor Windsor Place, New Delhi - 110001, India. Crossing Republik magazine is published four times a year. All rights reserved. the writing, artwork and/ or photography contained herein may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of MMGIPL. MMGIPL does not assume responsibility for loss or damage of unsolicited products, manuscripts, photographs, artwork, transparencies or other materials. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or Crossing Republik. All efforts have been made while compiling the content of this magazine, but we assume no responsibility for the effects arising there from.

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Editor’s Letter

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News The latest from Crossings Republik Lead Story India’s first global township at a glance

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Well-being Kathak yoga for fitness

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Fashion Khadi is back in fashion

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Food Bollywood on the platter

Technology Gadgets to watch out for this year

Explore The beautiful backwaters of Kerala

Forecast & Calendar Plan your diary Town Map All the information you need crossings.in

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News

News News

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Lead Story

The global

township Crossings Republik is a consortium of top NCR builders and is value for money for end users Source: Internet

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rossings Republik is touted as India’s first global township. Some developers have already completed the 1st phase of their projects and the major attractions that draw you to Crossings Republik are its good location and connectivity on the NH 24, Indirapuram, and proximity to Greater Noida Extension.

The Crossings Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, which is looking after this project, is a joint venture between seven of the top builders of the Delhi NCR. These include Ajnara Farms and Services Ltd, Assotech Limited, Gaursons India Ltd, Mahagun Developers Ltd, Panchsheel Promoters Ltd, Paramount Residency (P) Ltd and Supertech Limited. crossings.in

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Lead Story

Sanjiv Srivastava, MD of Assotech Ltd, says: “Crossings Republik is being built over nearly 360 acres and the township will have all the basic facilities comprising residential units, malls, shopping centers, retail outlets, office space, hospitals, banks, schools, etc. The project is based on the principles of vastu shastra and comes with quake-proof technology. The entire project has green environs along with water bodies to bring nature closer home.”

Crossings Republik is touted as India’s first global township Well-planned walkways and cycle tracks have also been provided.

The project has special facilities like 24x7 security, highspeed elevators, 100% power backup, 24x7 water, lobby, CCTV, intercom, sports arenas, healthcare club membership, highcapacity bus transport system, among others. In addition, key facilities like malls, retail outlets, office complexes, hospitals, banks, schools, post office, police station and fire station will also be available near the township.

Crossings Republik offers around 16,000 to 20,000 residential units like apartments, villas, duplex flats and service quarters. The cost of housing units is estimated to be

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around Rs 20-22 lakh, at the base level. The 1st phase of Crossings Republik is slated to be completed in 24 months. A football stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000 spectators might also be included in the township.

R K Arora, CMD of Supertech Pvt Ltd, says: “Crossings Infrastructure Pvt Ltd also provides provision for home loans. The prices for the apartments, villas, retail outlets and shops in malls, have been given on the official website of the project.

Also, get an EMI calculator that will help you in calculating the exact amount you will be required to pay as your monthly instalment.”

Assotech Ltd, a leading real estate developer in the country, is coming up with an elite flexi home concept, Nest, in the Crossings Republik. Located in Sector 1, Crossings Republik, on the main road connecting to NH 24, in Ghaziabad, the project is spread over 8.25 acres adjoining a 150ftwide master green belt. In the Nest, every home is open from three sides to “give one a supreme sense of freedom”, according to the builders.

Besides offering the lifestyle of the truly rich and famous, the main attraction of the Nest is its location.

Located close to the Commonwealth Games Village, the major industries in Greater Noida and the big-ticket IT and BPO firms in Noida are also within a shouting distance. The Nest promises beautifully designed and spacious 2BHK and study

apartments, 3BHK, 3BHK and study apartments amidst a pleasant landscaped setting with apartment areas ranging from 1,050 sq ft to 1,845 sq ft. The builder promises “best-quality construction materials with great workmanship”, which would “justify the affordable basic selling price of ranging from Rs 22 lakh to Rs 44 lakh. Phase I of the Nest is totally sold and most of the dwelling units have been handed over to the buyers; Phase II will be handed over by July this year.”

Sanjiv Srivastava of Assotech says: “The Nest will offer residents, state-ofthe-art clubhouse with facilities like a swimming pool, a fully equipped gymnasium, a Jacuzzi, steam sauna, a yoga room, kitty party hall, conference rooms, and table tennis and badminton courts. It also offers large lofts in each bedroom to accommodate the

quick bites Crossings Republik offers around 16,000 to 20,000 residential units like apartments, villas, duplex flats and service quarters. It is being built over nearly 360 acres and the township will have all the basic facilities comprising residential units, malls, shopping centres, retail outlets, office space, hospitals, banks, schools, etc.

most vexing of items. The bathroom will have built in storage spaces while the kitchen comes with extra storage space. There will be an exclusive lounge in each tower. It consists of only seven towers to provide more open space to the privileged customers.” crossings.in

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Well-being

Dance

& spirituality Kathak yoga, a new technique that integrates mind, body and spirit, is the latest fixation among fitness enthusiasts Words: Meghna Sharma

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re you tired of spending hours at one of the highend gyms or getting cramps trying to perfect the footwork of one of the Western dance classes? Well then, Indian classical dance seems to have come as a friendly means to fitness.

Kathak yoga might not sound as fancy as rumba or pilates but it is certainly working like magic among fitness freaks. A majority of them being foreigners, ironically.

But what exactly is Kathak yoga?

We shall take you through this “oldnew” fitness trend. Kathak yoga is a perfect example of mind-body co-ordination. It is a cardiovascular exercise, which engages every cell in

the body. US-based Kathak maestro Pandit Chitresh Das, who invented this technique has been working towards popularising this concept of Kathak yoga, which he describes as a ‘union between the mind, body and soul’.

Kathak made interesting The sixty-seven-year-old Das is based in California and has been performing since the age of 11.

He shuttles between California, Mumbai and Kolkata to change the perception of people who consider Kathak very ‘boring’.

“People have this misconception that Indian classical art forms are very boring. This is completely crossings.in

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Well-being

wrong. A lot depends on how you perform and the way you perform without diluting art,� Das remarks.

He feels that there is a dire need to create an educated audience for such classical art forms and that this process needs to be done from the very beginning that is the children need to be introduced to it. With people getting influenced more

Kathak yoga is a form of exercise with self-expression

by Western dance forms like jazz, salsa and ballet, a lot of damage has been done to Indian classical forms. We need to invest our time and resources into safeguarding the years of learning and dedication that goes into the making of traditional dance forms.

What can Kathak yoga do for you Based on the concept of innovation within tradition, Das has explored the boundaries of Kathak technique and performance, and has come up with Kathak yoga exercise with self-expression. It is a new concept and Das has been experimenting and practising it for the last 12 years. Normally, a dancer dances with accompanists who play

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Kathak yoga’s global appeal

Das has been running The Chitresh Das Dance Company (CDDC) in San Francisco since 1980 and it’s there that he has been working towards developing this unique fitnesscum-dance technique. He has now opened branches of his dance company in Kolkata and Mumbai as well. Dedicated to the preservation, promotion and education of Kathak and Indian culture, CDDC has branches in Boston, Japan and Canada too. To know more, visit kathak.org.

the instruments. In Kathak yoga, the dancer is empowered, as he/ she recites the tala, plays the tabla and executes with precision the complicated footwork – all at the same time. It’s a union of the mind, body and soul and hence, the name Kathak yoga. Just dancing to the percussions of a tabla is different.

But picking up a dumbbell weighing two to three kilograms and lifting it above the head in place of a damaru

hastak [hand gesture] while playing the tabla is something no other dance form involves. It is not just a cardiovascular exercise but also a breathing exercise as it requires the dancer to concentrate and control the breathing because he/she is singing. When you perform, you start perspiring, thus eliminating toxins out of your system. You start feeling light and that is where the healing process begins. Then you

slowly begin to go into a soulful meditative state.

The inspiration Das says that the concept had been with him since his childhood.

“Observing sadhus and sanyasis inspired me to look deep within and express myself through classical art form. I practise Kathak yoga with a tabla on a table, weights on my ankles and dumbbells in my hand.” crossings.in

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Technology

Amazing gadgets Take our crash course in the latest toys of the techie genre. The must-have creations of 2012 that will make your wallets lighter, lives comfortable and passions intense.

Words: Madhuri Sharma

Nintendo announces Wii U controller for new console Price: Anticipated to be retailed for $400 (Approx `18,400) All you gaming addicts, brace yourself for the second generation Nintento Wii U, sequel to the superhit Japanese game Nintendo Wii, that’ll hit the market this year. To call this new device a controller doesn’t quite capture all the interactive possibilities it offers. Think of it as a hybrid controller and a tablet with a 6.2 inch touch screen. And with some superb features like a microphone, camera and speakers the Wii U controller.

Logitech K750 Solar Keyboard for Mac Price: $60 (Approx `2,760) If you happen to be an eco-Mac-geek and fancy cutting down your contribution to the ozone layer further, Logitech has got a keyboard you might like to check out – Mac version of the solar powered K750. It has the standard layout with concaved keys for greater comfort and is available in five yummylicious colours. It’ll be compatible with all Macs, OS X 10.4 or above. Logitech claims that it can be charged via indoor lighting, and once charged it will work for up to three months.

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Sony Digital Binoculars, a world’s first!

Price: $1,400-2,000 (Approx `64,400-92,000) Who could have imagined that a simple optical device like binoculars could be given such an interesting twist? If conventional binoculars could talk, they’d definitely turn green with envy when they lay eyes (or should I say, lenses) on Sony’s soon to-be-launched digital binoculars. Yes, we’re talking about the DEV3 and DEV-5 models that’ll be able to record all that you see in the AVCHD 2.0 format, making them the perfect tools.

Razer unveils Tiamat 7.1 surround sound headphones Price: $80 (Approx `8,100) Behold Razer Tiamat 7.1, the world’s first circumaural gaming headset with 10 individual drivers built-in to deliver the ultimate 7.1 Surround Sound experience. Prevent backstabs and dominate death matches as you’ll be able to hear incoming enemy footsteps and pinpoint enemy locations through gunfire with absolute precision. A world’s first, the ten individual drivers in the Razer Tiamat 7.1 provide immersive, crystal clear sound.

Sonicare DiamondClean – world’s first USB rechargeable electric toothbrush from Philips Price: $250 (Approx `11,500) Electric toothbrushes aren’t anything new, but now we have an electric toothbrush that can be recharged via USB. Philips’ recently launched electric toothbrush – Sonicare DiamondClean – vibrates 31,000 times per minute at the bristle tips and gives you up to three weeks of toothbrushing from one full charge! Philips has made use of a technology called ‘Induction’.

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Fashion

Khadi is the new chic Khadi might be seen as the quintessential garb of an Indian politician but this handspun cloth, popularised by Mahatma Gandhi, is again becoming the flavour of the season Words: Meghna Sharma

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ne would be surprised to see how the very naïve Khadi has caught the fancy of the fashion aficionado. Fashion designers are increasingly choosing this fabric as their canvas for imaginative creations. We speak to the designers who are leading the Khadi revolution and analyse the chic-quotient of this cloth.

Khadi has suddenly become a rage on the fashion runways across the country When one thinks of ‘fashionable’ Khadi, the one name that instantly pops up in one’s head is Sabyasachi Mukherjee. This Kolkata-based designer has been on the frontlines of bringing Khadi in vogue. More than a decade after he arrived on the fashion scene as the brilliant, bearded, Bengali designer with a crossings.in

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Fashion

penchant for Indian textiles, it’s the revival of Khadi that has emerged as the strongest undercurrent of his work. He has used it in each of his collections in some form or the other. “My engagement with Khadi doesn’t have a patriotic agenda. I am

Even young fashion designers are using this handspun cloth extensively in their creations

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not an activist. I am smart enough to know that it’s a profitable business strategy. But I find it strange that many Indian designers have nothing to do with local, hand-woven fabrics. To me, it’s the only way to distinguish ourselves and handle the invasion of global brands. Besides, I genuinely love Khadi. Its refinement lies in its humility, which is why I have used it in all my collections,” says Sabyasachi.

New fashion statement Designer Anju Modi seconds that. “In my opinion, Khadi is the most fashionable swadeshi fabric. Not only is this hand-woven cloth is hugely respected, it’s also classic and evokes positive vibrations conveying a calm personality,” says Anju adding, “I’ve always been associated with the rural and handloom sector and Khadi has been an inseparable part of my collection. Conventionally, Khadi was used for casual wear in summers but now designers have started experimenting with different types of Khadi, making it rich and exclusive. Over the years, fashion and Khadi have grown together in my collection. The fact that it’s eco-friendly has only made Khadi more popular.”

Khadi has suddenly become a rage on the fashion runways across the country. The fact that this fabric is oh-so-comfortable only adds to its chic quotient. Designer Anjalee Kapoor of the Anjalee-Arjun duo remarks, “Being a breathable and comfortable fabric, Khadi has several distinct characteristics. It has a very rustic feel infused with a modern sensibility and one can play with it in different concepts. Khadi is a no fuss and a wearable fabric.”

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Explore

Wandering in the waters

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A step closer to the quiet of nature & mind; when in the Kerala backwaters, live life the slow, romantic and beautiful way Words: Purva Grover, Images Rajesh Gupta

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hat, I’d love to be directionless was an emotion I was unfamiliar with. At times they say just as in life on holidays too you should explore a destination in a way that you can’t find your way back home. Around me were waters of a different kind telling me to do just that.

Turquoise and calm, the backwaters of Kumarakom don’t talk to you; they engage you in conversations with the self. It was 1100 hours and I was on a houseboat; having left behind my home for three days, The Zuri Kumarakom Kerala Resort & Spa, with a promise to return real soon.

I was to break the promise; I smiled to myself, as Charles, an artiste on our boat, crooned Country Roads.

We didn’t want to be taken home instead we were discovering new homes. The sun that engulfed the blue skies exuded warmth. The coconut trees that walked alongside didn’t intimidate us with their height.

The breeze that knotted up the hair smoothened our thought process.

Home was the last thing on our mind. We were tempted to utter the clichéd phrase, this really is God’s own country, and realised that in this country no matter how slowly time moved one wished it were slower.

The day turned into noon rather quickly. Guitar notes from Elton, John Denver and Abba transferred us to the times when music used to define our lives. When Charles crossings.in

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Explore

took a break, Sree, our Man Friday from Zuri, filled us with interesting facts, “Kerala backwaters are a chain of lakes, which are parallel to the Arabian Sea. Freshwaters from the rivers meet the seawater from the Arabian Sea but here on the Vembanad Lake, a barrage has

Kerala backwaters are a chain of lakes, which are parallel to the Arabian Sea been built so that keeps the fresh water intact.” He asked us to notice the thatched roof covers over the wooden hulls in our houseboat, Kettuvallam, “The houseboats were used to ship rice and spices.” It was time for our first stopover, the

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R block, a manmade island. “It’s the spot where six rivers meet,” said Sree. We took a short walk through the plantation, after which we sat down by the lakeside to absorb in the dexterity with which the fishermen spread the net. Later glasses of Toddy arrived. Toddy’s an alcoholic beverage made out of the sap of coconut trees, in short, what Fenny is to Goa, Toddy is to Kerala.

“It tastes like sour curd,” I was not impressed.

When it was time to head back it was almost given that we would ignore the directions of the compass and just follow the heart. “We are officially in love with the blues,” we told Sree when we returned to the resort. But then, this was not our first date with the blues. Our romance began within hours of landing at the airport in Cochin from

getting there Kumarakom, Kerala is just 16 km from the nearest city, Kottayam. You can fly to Mumbai or Chennai. There are daily flights to Kerala where, as entry points, you have a choice of three international airports – Kochi (Cochin), Kozhikode (Calicut) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). We took the New Delhi to Cochin route; and decided to reach the resort through the backwaters.

Kerala is a beautiful state full of colour and culture

New Delhi. We took a yacht from the Puthangady Zuri Jetty to the resort.

A 20-minute ride amidst the blues with white wine for company, need we ask more? But more awaited us, a head and shoulder massage on the way by the therapists from Zuri’s Maya Spa. During my stay I of course did meet Cathy, my therapist, more than once. You can’t be in a spa resort and not let the aromatic oils cast a spell on you. But then, it’s not just the aroma of the oils that spoil you here; you discover

many more aromas. To begin with we were welcomed at the resort with a spice garland (made of flowers, cardamom and turmeric).

What made the welcome lovelier in addition to the bedecked elephant, vermilion tikka and performance by the local artistes was the drizzle.

And then each time we sat down to eat our aromatic experience just got richer. On the houseboat, we gorged on fish curry and red prawns with appams. On a sunny day, we enjoyed Sadya, the typical

Onam feast, at the resort’s 24-hour restaurant, Lime Tree. On the banana leaf in front of me was banana chips, sharkara puratty, papaya thoran, pineapple kalam, avail, sambar, erisseri, et al. Forget civilization and indulge in this concoction of aromas and flavours using your hands.

And it would be a sin to choose cheesecakes over payasam here.

Not surprisingly, next morning we went spices and pickles shopping to Kottayam, Being lost had never been so beautiful. crossings.in

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Food

Coming up this

friday Presenting Bollywood celebs as potboilers in eateries. After perfumes, streets and temples, now dishes are being named after Bollywood celebs. Flip through the item numbers, twists in the scripts, juicy ends and more from the box office menu. words: Ananya Chaudhuri

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Forecast

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hey say a Bollywood film that casts its magic at the box office is the one which comes loaded with masala.

No wonder, the clichéd call too is sometimes edited and you can hear the clap boy utter the words, ‘Light, camera, masala!’ I am not complaining. For after all, it is this masala film that I myself label as paisa-vasool each Friday. Now, even though I don’t screech at the sight of a Shah Rukh Khan at the airport or have a picture of a John Abraham hidden under my pillow; but yet, yes, I have no qualms in confessing my hunger for Bollywood. After all, I stay in a country where a Katrina Kaif smiles at me from a poster in an auto rickshaw, a Sridevi (still) dances her way on a patakha (crackers)

The size zero pizza inspired by actress Kareena Kapoor is a thin crust pizza box, a Salman Khan tells my male friends, which vest to buy, a Shilpa Shetty yoga DVD sits proud on my cabinet, a Ranbir Kapoor snatches the spotlight from the models at a fashion week, et al. And despite all this, strangely enough my greed just keeps growing; blame it on the geographical genes, I am an Indian born in Bombay (Yes, I am from that generation, which is obsessed with the word Bombay). So when recently, a friend suggested (a male, no points for guessing) that we go and grab a bite of Kareena Kapoor, I didn’t raise a brow; (I love masala, I just told you) in fact I was tempted

to find out if there was a combo offer and we could check out Saif too! Little did I know that he was serious and was inviting me out to taste the ‘size zero’ pizza.

I couldn’t help but smile. What was once available only on 70 mm in multiplexes, as wallpapers on websites, in DVDs costing less than a coffee ( a cappuccino costs ` 55, a DVD just ` 34), as wishful whiffs in perfume boutiques, et al was now on my plate, literally.

Greed meets gastronomy, eh? Not surprisingly, I soon found myself crossings.in

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Food flipping through the box office (BO) menu. What is the ‘size zero’ pizza, was my first query, partly on behalf of all the women, who spend half their lives on weighing scales.

Here are the statistics; thin crust, healthy vegetable toppings and low fat cheese. A pizza chain probably had some ardent fan of Kareena’s Tashan look in their team to come up with this one and keep the male fans of the actress happy. I thought, it couldn’t get hotter than this till I heard about the Mallika shake.

Yes, at the Millions of Milkshakes in West Hollywood you can actually gulp down a glassful of Mallika Sherawat. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream make up this yummy composition. Now digest this, they even serve a Koena Mitra power shake, full of mixed berries, pineapple juice, bananas and vanilla ice cream. I don’t know Totally filmi!

Bollywood inspired restaurants: If food and films is your thing then you should be at Chalchitra, New Delhi. Their Bollywood oriented décor with humorous filmi anecdotes and filmi menu make it worth a stop.

Eatmor 70MM, Hyderabad, is a tryst with Bollywood. It is divided into five zones viz., Romantic Zone, Action Zone, Comedy Zone, Villain Zone and Vamp Zone.

Filmi Masala, Gurgaon, a restauarnt-cum-bar is adorned with posters and paintings of old Hindi films and has a menu with melodramatic filmi.

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how the ladies feel about being available chilled with ice cubes in a glass, but I surely know of men, who wouldn’t mind queuing up for their share. By the way, the eatery also serves shakes christened after Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Victoria Beckham and Paris Hilton, to name a few. But all these are a lot of calories for me and I am not getting anywhere close to size zero with them. I think a healthy bite of Aishwarya would work for me, once it hits the market. Horticulturist Haji Kalimullah Khan has spent eight years to develop a variety of guava, which resembles an apple in texture and is sweeter than the traditional fruit. Does that mean Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is now growing on trees?

Pardon me, but I can quite visualise Spiderman climbing up trees instead of buildings to reach this one. After all, have you ever bothered if a Katrina Kaif knows how to act?

Forecast

Know your stars TAURUS (April 22 – May 21) dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy

VIRGO (Aug 22 – Sept 21) dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 21) dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text

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LIBRA (Sep 22 – Oct 21) dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text dummy text

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• News Paper provider – Umesh Kumar – 9911198223 • For electricity – G.M.Electricals – 8860637696 • Crossings Vice President – BB Bansal – 30005 • DGM – Ajay Shankar Pandey – 30009 • AGM – Services Mukesh Tomer – 30010 • GM Site Development – RS Sharma – 30006 • AGM – VK Tyagi – 30018

• APM Electrical – Bhim Singh – 30008 • Senior GM GH-7 – RK Gupta – 30021 • Reception – Pocession office Receptionist 30023 • Pocession office NA 30022 • SAM India 30011 • Person in Charge Shyam 30016 • Gate No.1 Security 30004 • Gate No.2 Security 30003 • VIBGYOR maintenance

DGM – Ajay Shankar Pandey 9582218532 30009 • AC servicing – Wasim – 9899474062 • Ambulance – Kamlesh – 9582218571 • Dhanesh – 9582218550 • Airlines – Kingfisher – 18001800101 • Travel Agent – 9571073842 • Rail Enquiry –139 • Rail Enquiry – Ghaziabad – 0120-2861474

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