oor

We may not be entertaining now, but it's the perfect time to get your outdoor space winter-ready for next year, writes landscape designer GOPIKA S oyou're lockeddownand are 1nissinghavingfriends and family over. Well,whatbetter timeto thinkaboutentertaining- or rather,howtogoaboutyourentertaining! Getoutintoyourbackyard, and seewhat you can donowtohaveyourplaceallready for party tin1e come nextwinter!

Herearesome tipsforoutdoorwinter entertaining.

Garden Lighting

Illuminateyourpersonal su1·roundings withcleverlighting.Throwsomelightover treeswith smoothbarks, foliageplants, walls,pathways, entertainingareas,garden sculptures ifyou have any. Lightscaping youroutdoorspacewill not onlyfulfillthe functionalneeds ofthe space butalso add aestheticqualityafterdark. Lightingyour outdoor space alsoprevents trip/fallhazards and provides safety.Thereare aplethora of choiceswhenit con1es to solar lightsinthe market: choosea qualityone thatwilllast longer. Awell-designedgardenwithlights encouragesustoventure out.

Garden Furniture

Whenitcon1estooutdoorfurniture,comfort anddurabilityplaya vital role.Thereare loadsofoptionsouttherethatadd style to these. Lookfordesignsbestsuitedfor positioning, suchasinthepatio, around thepool,oraroundthefirepit.Forguests,

Outdoor Heating

Thefirepitmaybeanintimatesettingfor itswarmth, butthe cleveruse ofoutdoor heatingcansetup asimilarambience. Chooseheatingforthepatio,underneath thepergolaand nearthepool. Withplenty ofoptions tosuityourtasteand budget,you can continue entertainingoutdoors through thewintermonths.

Outdoor Blinds

experin1entwithfurniture arrangements to create ambienceaswellastobuild small intimate spacestoenjoyyouroutdoorarea.

Outdoorblindsareworththemoneyifyou havealargepatioandalfrescoareafor entertaining. Youwillbeshelteredfromthe elements,anditwillcreateanidealspace for entertainingallyearround. Choose theblinds thatfulfillyourneedsandfitsyourbudget.

Firepit and Seating

Warm foodandheat - these are two essentialsforwinterentertaining.Add in the magicofa fire pit, andyou're bound tohave amemorable evening.Firepits create an invitingspacelike Little else, providingmorereason tolingeroutside thancrouchedinside. Haveyourseats either built-in orpositionloosefurniturearound. (Do notethough, firepitscomewithsafety considerations, suchasavoidingenclosed or unventilated areas andoverheadbranches. Soensureyouhave thatsortedoutbefore throwingin thatpinecone fire starter.

Outdoor Cooking

Now, this is agreatwayforrelaxed entertainment. Most modernhomeshave theinside ofthe houseconnectedwith the outsidebyn1eansofanalfrescoorpatio. Installinganoutdoorkitchenwitheither a built-inbarbequeorstove enhances the functionalityand ambienceofthe alfresco or patio. Whenplanning,ensureyouposition youroutdoorcookingincloseproximityto yourexistinginside the kitchen forease and accesswhile entertaining.

Acon1booflighting, furniture, warmth, andfoodwillmakeyouroutdoorspace more appealingnotonlyinwinterbut throughouttheyear.

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Indian restaurants jump on the bottled cocktail bandwagon

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

fyou'vebeendoingacelebratorytakeawaynight onsay Friday nightsthis lockdownperiod, you'veprobablyseen bottled cocktailsonthe n1enu Packaged in cutelittlebottles,youcan now enjoya martinior anegronibefore yotu·1neal - without havingto make one yourself.

Select lndian restaurantsarejumpingon thebandwagon.

UrbanTadka, based inSydney'sTerrey Hills, hashad onofferthree varieties for awhilenow-Old Fashioned, Espresso Martini and Margarita. Besidesbeingaway ofexpandingtheirservicesin COVID tin1es,co-ownerlnder Duasays, "Bottled cocktailsare afun newadditiontoour products. It'sgreattoseeourclients

Indian-inspiredcocktailsatForeignReturn lovingit,and we've reallyenjoyedbringing on this innovationtoo."

Gaw·angGahoiofnewIndian restaurant Foreign Return inSydney'sSurry Hills, says,"Asa trend adoptedbytheindustry, it's about creatinganin-houseexperience ofallouron-siteexperiences. Whenyou goout,yousavourtheexperience ofa goodbartender - we'retakingthistoyour home."

Foreign Return's takeawaycocktail range is slightlydifferent though. It is"proudly Indian," Gaurang(or 'gG'ashelikestobe called)describes.

"We define ourfood as modern Indian farebased on age-old Indian recipes. So our cocktailsaresimilar- traditional favourites, butedgy,with aspin that's Indian-inspired."

Howwouldyou lndianise a Negroni?

Addgul, orrose flavour, and viola, the Gui Negroniisborn.

Foreign Return's Gui Negroni isatribute to the 16thcentury Mughalemperor Babur, (cue factoid here) who loved the rose so much thatnotonlywashe known to order camel loads forpersonal use, he also named his fourdaughtersafterhisfavourite flower.

Gaurangcreated the Gui Negronihimself.

He admitscheekily, "I've always been fond ofbeverages buthavinga rum distilleryright nextdoor,helpstoo!"

Other favouritescurrentlyareSpice Rum Old Fashioned and Saffron FennelOld FashionedWhiskey.

Thewhiskeyis infusedwith spices and flavourson site,asare the flavoured syrupssuchascardamomsyrup, and the dehydrated fruitgarnishessuch as citrus and bloodorange.

"Ofcourse, we ensure there's no compromise onspirits,usingpremium quality supplies only. So it's painstaking effort: there's recipe development, execution, labellingofingredients, and then bottling."

The restaurant's regular cocktail menu has alwaysbeen awinner, its"pauwachakhna" experienceespeciallyrelished byIndian clients. (Hip Indian readers will know the "pauwa" as the quarterbottle, and the "chakhna" asthe nibbles that accompanyalcohol-usuallydeep-friedand served insidea newspaper roll.)

"Wearenowalsobatching500mlbottles foryourhomebar,whichyou can use over the week," Gaurangreveals. "Theycon1e in handcraftedbottles that I'm sureyou'll enjoy."

UrbanTadka ontheotherhand, has tiedupwithan outside manufacturerwho preparestheconcoctions to the recipes they provide.

"Ourbottled cocktails are labelled, sealed, chilled andreadytogo," lnder reveals. "Athome,youcoulddrink straight from the bottle,or pourintoaglass."

Ifyouare an UrbanTadka regularand love theirsignaturelycheetinis,youcan still orderthen, - aspartofthe Special Isolation Pack,a unique meal for two thatcon1esin a beautiful box.

Pre-batchedcocktailsare not newof course, havingbeen aroundfor111ore thana decade now. But theyseem to have 111oved beyond the corporate eventand the hotel mini bar,tobecome the newlockdown luxury.

Seeingacocktail beingmade is an experience thatcannotbe replacedof cotu·se,butthiscomes close. And with the convenienceofit aU whatare you waiting for? Go on, treatyourself!

Red Fort Delhi

"At the strokeofthe midnight hour,when the world sleeps, fndiawillawaketolife and freedom." This historic state1nentwas made by Nehru duringa broadcast prior to raising the IndianTricolour fron, the Red Fort in Delhi on the 111orningof 15 August 1947,markingIndia's independence from British rule. Since then, this t7th century bastion, which is one ofthe city's top tourist attractions, acts as the setting for IndependenceDaycelebrations everyyear

India's freedom struggle: Where the battles were fought, blood spilled, and lives lost

BY SANDIP HOR

s thedayofindependence fro,n British rule, thedate 15 August is ted-lettered in thecalendarof modern India.Thisyeartheday ismorespecial aswen1arkthe startofthe 75thyearofthis hard-earned freedom.

On24 August 1608, the Britishlanded in India ashu1nble traders,soonshifted theirinterestinto makingterritorialgains, and finally stayed backas rutbJessrulersof theland ltntilgrantingcompletefreedon1 in 1947.

The long-drawnstruggle forthis independence isassociated withmany sites inIndiawhere battleswere fought, blood spilled,liveslostand Mahatma Gandhi'snon-violencemovement thrived. The 1noderngenerationmaynotbeaware oftheseplaces.As anavid traveller, I list so1ne ofthemhere, so thattheyknow thesignificanceofeach in themakingof today'sIndia. Ifinterestedfurther,they can visittheselocationswhenopportunity strikes topayrespectand expresssome gratitudetowardsthefreedomfighters.

:Jhansir Uttar Pradesh

·ootted300kmsouth ofLucknow, thiscityfa1nouslyconnectswith the reignof legendary Rani Laxmi Bai, the queen whofought the British heroicallyduring the Sepoy Mutiny fromthe ran1parts of amajesticfort built250years earlierbyherpredecessors.

One of India'sn1ost illustrious citadels,thisfortsurvivedheavy bon1bard1nentbytheBritishforces andstandsgallantlytoday asan emble.1n of lndia's firstbattlefor Independence.

► Calcuttar West Bengal

As thecapitalof BritishIndiauntil 1911,Calcuttawas thestageformanyliberationmovements togetthe Britishousted.Thefourbuildingswhich stillstand assilent witness tothisspiritof freedomare the Lalbazar PoliceHeadquarters where policeatrocitywascultivated, the High Courtwherethefreedomfighterswere trialled,Alipore Jail wheremanywere imprisonedand someexecuted, andtheWriters Buildingfrom where orderswere issued.

Cellular:Jailr Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Builtafterthe SepoyMutinyasapenalcolony, particularlyforthefreedomfighters, the remotely located Cellular Jailstandstodayas awitnessof British barbarism. Thousands imprisoned there were inhumanly tortured andexecuted. Today it'sa national monument wherea soundand light show honoursthefreedomfightersand narrates theirheroic tales while behindthe barsthere.

�a lianwala Baghr Punjab

Themassexterminationofthousands offreedomfighterswhogatheredfor aprotestmeetinginside Jallianwala Bagh,awalledgardenarenainthe GoldenTemplecityAmritsaron 13 April 1919,markedaturningpointinIndia's modernhistoryandleftapermanent scaronlndo-Britishrelations. British armyofficer Oyeron that fatefulday blockedall the exitsfromthevenue and opened fireon innocent people. Thegarden is a national monument now wherethe bulletmarkscan stillbe seen on the wallsof thegarden.

► Dandir Gujarat

The 1882SaltActgavetheBritishamonopolyin themanufactureandsaleofsalt. Eventhoughsalt wasfreelyavailableonIndiancoasts, Indianswere forcedtobuyitfromthecolonisers. Dandi,a village nearSurat,wasasaltmine. WhiledrivinghisnonviolentmovementagainsttheBritish,Gandhiji decidedtomarchonfootwith hisfollowersfrom hisashram inSabarmatinearAhmedabadtoDandi tobreaktheSaltLaw.The386kmmarchwith thousandsofpeopletook24days. ReachingDandi on 5April 1930,Gandhimarchedintothesea andpickeduplumpsofnaturalsalt.Theactwas syn1bolicbutbecameaturningpointin theIndian independencen1ovement.

Murshidabadr West Bengal

TheBritishpresence was ineffectcemented in India at thisriverfrontsettlement on23 June 1757. Thisdatemarksthe endofthe infamousBattleofPlassey foughtata nearby mango grove, between the Britishwho were based 150km awayin Calcutta (nowcalled Kolkata) and NawabSfraj-ud-Doula, then the powerfulrulerof Bengal. Murshidabadwashis bustling capital.The battle ended withoutmanygunshotsfiredasthe Britishbribedthe Nawab'sarmyto throw theirweapons and surrenderprematurely. independentIndia'sffrst Prime Minister JawaharlalNehrudescribedthismockeryofacombat as"anunsavory beginning"ofBritish rule in India. Fullofdilapidatedpalacesand1nonuments, thisshabbydistricttowntodaydrawsvisitorsto narratestoriesoflustand passion,greed andpowerthatchangedthefate ofanationforcenturies ahead.

Barrackporer West Bengal

ThefirststrikeofIndia'sindependencewasthe'SepoyMutiny'whichbeganin1857atthis arn1ybarracklocated24 kinnorthofKolkata,whenaHindusoldierMangalPandeyrefused tofollowtheordersofhisBritishcommanderstobitetheriflecartridgerumouredtobe greasedwithbeeffat.Soonothernativesoldiersfollowedsuit. MangalPandeywascourtmartialledandhangedonApril 8,1857,butbythentherebellionhadspreadintoother cantonmentsinthecountry. FilmmakerAmirKhan's2005 blockbusterhitMangatPandey: TheRisingisworthwatchingtolearnmoreaboutthispatriotandtheuprisinghebegan.

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Standingonthebanksof RiverGomti, thisNorth Indiancitywasfoundedin 1775 as thecapitalofAwadh, anindependent sovereignty. However,thestatewas annexedtotheexpandingBritishE1npire in 1856withalargearmy base. When the 'SepoyMutiny' movedin,the rebelsoldiers killed2000Britishpeoplewhotookrefuge insidetheBritishGeneral'sresidence. The walledcompound,calledResidencynow, stillstandsasitwasin 1857withruinsof many buildingsmarkedwith bulletwounds. LikeGallipoli,it'saplaceofpilgrimagefor thevisitorsfromthe UKwhileformany Indiansit'sasite ofbraveryandcourage. Unfortunately,themutinywas brutally endedwiththekillingofalmostallthe rebels.Theresultofthiswasabolitionof the EastIndiaCompanyinfavourofthedirect ruleofIndiabytheBritishgovernment.