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 ambienceaswellas tobuild 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.

•

Indian restaurants jump on the bottled cocktail bandwagon

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

fyou'vebeen doingacelebratorytakeawaynight onsay Friday nightsthis lockdownperiod, you'veprobablyseen bottled cocktailsonthe n1enu.

Packaged in cutelittle bottles,you can 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 stroke ofthe midnight hour,when the world sleeps, Indiawill awake to lifeandfreedom." This historic state1nentwas made by Nehru duringa broadcastpriortoraising the IndianTricolour fron1 the Red Fort in Delhi on the n1orningof 15 August 1947, marking India'sindependence from British rule. Since then, this t7th century bastion, which is one ofthe city's top tourist attractions, acts as the setting for Independence Daycelebrations 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 isted-lettered in thecalendarof modern India.This yeartheday ismore special aswe n1arkthe startofthe 75thyearofthis hard-earned freedom.

On 24August 1608, the Britishlanded in India ashu1nble traders, soon shifted theirinterestinto makingterritorialgains, and finally stayed backas ruthlessrulersof theland ltntilgrantingcompletefreedon1 in 1947.

The long-drawnstruggle forthis independence isassociated withmany sites in Indiawhere battleswere fought, blood spilled,liveslostand Mahatma Gandhi'snon-violence movement thrived. The 1noderngenerationmaynotbeaware oftheseplaces. As anavid traveller, I list so1neofthemhere,sothattheyknow thesignificanceofeachin the makingof today's India. Ifinterestedfurther,they canvisittheselocationswhenopportunity strikes topayrespectand expresssome gratitudetowards thefreedomfighters.

·ootted300kmsouth ofLucknow, thiscityfa1nouslyconnectswith the reignof legendary Rani Laxmi Bai,thequeen whofought the British heroicallyduringthe Sepoy Mutinyfromthe ran1parts of amajesticfortbuilt250years earlierbyherpredecessors.

One of India'sn1ost illustrious citadels,thisfortsurvivedheavy bon1bard1nent bytheBritishforces 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.

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, thisshabbydistricttowntodaydraws visitorsto narratestoriesoflust and 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'sasiteofbraveryandcourage. Unfortunately,themutinywas brutally endedwiththekillingofalmostallthe rebels.Theresultofthiswasabolitionof the EastIndiaCompanyinfavourofthedirect ruleofIndiabytheBritishgovernment.

7 Indian films and series to watch in August 2021

Re

Directed byAanandLRai (Raanjhanaa, Tanu Weds Manu), thisfilmstars Dhanush,AkshayKumar andSaraAli Khan in adouble role.Itmarksthe secondcollaboration between Rai, Dhanushand music producerAR Rahman after Raanjhanaa in 2013. Themusical dramawillalsofeature asong performed by Dhanush, whomanywill recogniseas I the singerof Why This KolaveriDiin 2011.

AtrangiRehits cinemas on 6 August.

NAVARASA (Netflix)

Inspired bytheconcept ofNavarasas(nineemotions evoked byartforms), thisTamil anthologyseries features nine stand-aloneepisodes on each emotion: fear, anger, laughter, compassion, valour,wonder, peace, disgustand romance. Navarasa isdirected by Mani Ratnamandfeatures an ensemblecastincluding Siddharth,Suriya, Poorna, Gautham VasudevMenon, and Revathi.

It's all setto release on 6 August.

I

BHUJ: THE PRIDE OF INDIA (Disney+Hotstar)

SetduringtheInda-PakistanWarof1971,this filmportraysthelife ofIAFSquadron Leader Vijay I Karnik.Itsharesthereal-lifestoryof300women fromthelocalvillageofMadhapur,whohelped KarnikreconstructtheIAFairbasefromscratch. It's believedtohave one ofthe pivotalmomentsthat helpedIndiawinthewar.AjayDevgn portrays Karnik,

I joinedbybignameslikeSanjayDutt,Sonakshi Sinha,Sharad Kelkarand Nora Fatehi.

I

SHERSHAAH (Amazon Prime)

ReleasingjustintimeforIndianIndependence Day, thisfilmisaboutthe lifeofParam VirChakra awardee and armycaptain Vikram Batra,a war herofromthe 1999KargilWar.Siddharth Malhotra essays a double role in this one, portrayingboth Batra and histwin brother Vishal.The biopic isdirected byTamilcinema's Vishnuvardhan in hisHindifilmdebut andco-produced byKaran Johar. Thefilmgainsits nameShershaah (lion king)fromthecode name believedto have been used bythe Pakistani armyforBatra

Shershaah releases on 12 August.

COMEDY PREMIUM LEAGUE (Netflix)

I Shu}: The Pride ofIndiareleases on 13 August.

1.00 (ZeeS)

Inthisfast-pacedthrillerfilm, Officer Nikhil (Manoj Bajpayee) receivesathreateningcall one nightthat beginsthe longest, life-changingnightofhis life.Will he be able tostopthe mysteriouscaller beforeit'stoo late? Directed byRensilD'Silva,who previouslydirected Kurbaan in2009, Dial 100 alsostarsNeena Gupta andSakshiTanwarinsupporting roles.

I The film premieres on 6 August.

SPIN (Disney+Hotstar)

Inthisfilmtargeted atayoungerdemographic,Abhay Deoltakes on hisfirst'dad' role, playingthefather ofa 15-year-old daughter. HisdaughterRhea Kumar (Avantika Vandanapu) aspiresto bea DJ, while exploringheridentityasayoungIndian-American.Will she be abletoconvince herfatherofherdream?Spin isalso directed byManjariMakijany, who recently directed Netflix'sSkaterGirl. Spin drops on Disney+Hotstar on 15 August.

Spotted anyofyourfavourite Indiancomedians yet?Inthisweeklyseries,some ofthecountry's mostpopularfaces unite forsomestand-up andsketchcomedy.They'redivided intofourteams:theLovableLangoors (AmitTandon, Rytasha Rathore,AadarMalik,Samay Raina), Naazuk Nevle (Mallika Dua,UroojAshfaq, Rahul Dua,and Rahul Subramanian), IDGAFIguanas (Sumukhi Suresh, RohanJoshi,SumairaShaikh,andTanmay Bhat)andGhareluGilaharis(Kenny Sebastian, KaneezSurka,Aakash Gupta, PrashastiSingh)and hosted bynone otherthan Prajakta Kohli(whowaslast seen in Netflix's romcomseriesMismatched). Couldwe askforanymore? Comedy Premium League begins on 20 August.

Matrimonials

SEEKING BRIDES

Seekingasuitable matchfor45-year-old Sikh Khatrimale,divorced, nochild, self-employed, on bridgingVisa. PreferredAustralian PR/citizen match. Contact0422812939or emailjas_ghai01@hotmail.com

Seekingaprofessionallyqualifiedsettled matchforSydneybased, nevermarried Auscitizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri47,6', athletic builtman. Heisaprojectmanager withan engineeringbackground and is workingin areputed organisation. Pleasecontactausind26@gmail.com

SEEKING GROOMS

Seekinganaffableandhandsome professionalgroomfora5'7"attractive academiclawyer, HinduJat,29. Brought upinanArmyfamily,settled in Delhi-NCR, GreaterNoida.Beingkind andcaring, sheispassionateaboutsocialcauses andlovesanimals.Shetakespride in beingactiveandfit.Pleasecontactvia email:saven05@hotmail.com

Seekinga professionallyqualified settled matchforSydneybased, nevermarried Auscitizen, Hindu,Punjabi Khatri48, 5'3"slim,fair,attractivegirl.Sheisa postgraduateandworkingatagood position inagovernmentorganisation. Pleasecontactatausind26@gmail.com

Lookingforatall,handsome, educated, wellsettledAustralian citizen match (preferablyfromSydney)forabeautiful nevermarried Hindu Khatrigirl,36years old,welleducated,Australian citizen, raised inAustralia, livingin Sydney. Pleasecontact Preeti Kothari +61404316288or Heena Kajaria +61416787526.

Seekinga professionallyqualified, teetotallerwithagoodfamily background boypreferablyAustralian Citizen orPRholderforhighlyqualified career-oriented Brahmingirl35, 5'2", Vegetarian withgoodfamilybackground, workingandwellsettled in Sydney. Pleasecontactaussyd08@gmail.com

August