Happy Diwali to One & All

Dear Friends,


"I Wish You All a Happy & Prosperous Diwali & Lakshmi Puja. May this Year be Filled with Lot of Happiness & Prosperity. May God Bless You with Good Health, Sufficient Wealth, Prosperity & Success".

"Happy Diwali to You".

Regards & Best Wishes,
Raghav Subramanian.

IT’S TIME TO PARTY

A buffet is a great idea for a large party

It’s that time of the year once again when parties are a way of life
what with the festivities of the season and all.

How to throw a party
Throwing a party for many people doesn’t have to be hard. It may even be very fun! Whether you are preparing a casual birthday party, a sophisticated Diwali dinner or even a wedding! The most important thing is to plan it all beforehand! We present you several essential tips to throw any kind of party.

First, the plan the party
Decide what kind of party works best for you and for your guests; it cab be a cocktail, a buffet, a formal dinner, an informal dinner, etc.

Plan the menu.

Make your shopping list.

Make an inventory of everything you need to cook and serve: recipients, pans, bowls, plates, cutlery, napkins, glasses, etc.


Tips for the party
For an informal, quick and easy party, keep it all simple. Buy some snacks, cold meats, pickles, olives, cheese, bread, salty cookies, toasts, lettuce, tomato, carrot, fruit and sauces and prepare some salads and snacks.

For a cocktail party, the most important things are the drinks, so you must have a very varied bar, not only with alcoholic drinks, but also with non-alcoholic ones. Depending on the guests, you should have more than one bar, so that people won’t have to form lines. Make sure the hors d’ouevres don’t end before time. The tables and the chairs should be sufficient enough, making sure there are chairs for at least half the guests. It is important that you promote the sociability between guests and for that you will have to make them circulate, placing several drinks and food points.

Do you feel especially ambitious? Then add some more elaborate dishes to the menu, that can be prepared a day or two beforehand, that can be heated on that day, or even served cold. There are several dishes (like stews, soups and roasted meats) which are perfect to heat on the spot and that can be served with only a salad. To the main dish you may also add a previously-made dessert, like a pie or a cake, to which you may add a bit of ice-cream or some fruit.

Before going shopping or starting to prepare things, organise your refrigerator in order to save the previously-made foods and everything else you might need. Offer your guests dishes with a lot of vegetables, cereals and fruits…, it is important that you always think about a balanced diet. If you are thinking about serving a buffet, then you should plan the control of the crowd. It all goes best if you divide the food in small plates and if you have it all already sliced.

Organise your guests, setting the table. If you are organising a buffet or an informal dinner with a single table, organise yourselves from left to right, place the plates, the napkins, the cutleries and the bread; then place the salad, the main dish and the sauces. At the end, place the glasses and the drinks. The dessert can be placed on the table for decorative effect or at the end of the main meal.

If you are serving a buffet, make some small cards to identify the dishes. Also in the case of a buffet, you can wrap the cutleries in napkins and place them in a basket so that your guests can easily take them. Always prepare a selection of items than can be served at room temperature. If you do so, you don’t have to worry with the hot first courses that might get cold, or with the cold dessert that is melting down.


Also remember to:
Always have a lot of ice at hand!

Prepare the table beforehand, before the guests arrive.

For an easy access to a good presentation, place the spices in small recipients, all placed in the same area.

Have some plastic bags and bins to place the remains.

Make sure the places for garbage are perfectly evident.

Do not use your glasses, teapots or even silver trays to serve or only to drink, let your creativity go wild and use them to place flowers and decorate the place with a lot of joy.

Using candles for decoration is great to create a good ambience, but it also helps neutralising the food and, also, the smoke’s odours.

Knowing how to control the portions
Always have some non-alcoholic drinks. Count three drinks per guest. A meat portion corresponds to around 125 grams. A portion of vegetables, rice, pasta or salad can be measured as a teacup per person. Count four to six hors d’ouevres per person, if you are serving them after a meal. If you serve the hors d’ouevres with cocktails only, you should count around 12 per person. A 22 cm pie (after a good meal) will be enough for eight to 10 people. Assume that some of your guests will be vegetarians.

Get your silver to sparkle and shine.

THIS DIWALI, GIVE YOUR GOLD-PLATED, SILVER, BRASS AND COPPER OBJECTS OF DECOR SOME GLITTER

Come Diwali and diyas and silver, brass and copper vessels are cleaned till they glitter and shine bright. Here are some useful tips to clean your utensils and ornaments.

Silver
Silver ornaments and utensils can be made shiny white by washing in potato boiled water and then coating them with lime. Silverware can be cleaned by polishing with ordinary dry ash and alternatively by polishing with common salt. Boil silver ornaments in water mixed with common salt and baking soda in equal measure for a few minutes and rinse off with cold running water for that extra sparkle. For a quick cleaning of silverware make a solution of boiling water and washing soda. Put an aluminum piece in the solution and put the silver articles in it. A mixture of milk and water makes an excellent silver cleaner. For that extra sparkle of silver ornaments rub with henna powder and a few drops of lemon juice.

Brass
Clean brass items with metal polish and sprinkle a few drops of kerosene on a clean cloth to give a final polish. Wash brass vessels in hot soap suds and then rinse and dry thoroughly. For a shining look of brassware scrub it vigorously with dry ash and remove the ash with a piece of paper. To make brass objects retain brightness for a longer period wash it with a mixture of tamarind and fine brick powder. To polish brass, add some cooking vinegar to fine ash and use as polish.

Copper
Utmost care should be given while cleaning copper objects as the tinning may get worn out. Copper gets well-cleaned with lemon rind. Leftover sour idli batter or a tamarind and salt mixture is ideal for cleaning copper items. Lemon juice mixed with Spanish White will give a wonderful shine to copper fittings and vessels. Small and difficult to clean articles can be boiled in a mixture of salt and vinegar or tamarind. Come Diwali and the house is made spic and span, and cleaning of utensils, ornaments and jewellery gets underway so that the goddess deems it fit to be her abode.

Tips For a safe Diwali…

WAYS TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A SAFE CELEBRATION

Store your fireworks safely in a cool and dry ambience, out of reach of children and away from all sources of heat

Light crackers in a wellcleared area in an open space

Keeping fireworks in your pocket is dangerous

Don't light fireworks in a container or while holding them. Don't bend over the fireworks while lighting them

Don't immediately approach or tamper with misfired fireworks

Don't leave kids alone with crackers. Supervise them when they are with fireworks Avoid wearing synthetics and loose hanging clothes while lighting fireworks. Preferably wear thick cotton clothing

RANGOLI: A colour art

INTRICATELY-DESIGNED RANGOLIS AND FLORAL COLLAGES ADORNING ENTRANCES ARE GETTING INNOVATIVE THESE DAYS

Colourful rangolis and flowery renditions of festive glory are symbolic of Diwali. Diwali manages to kindle a sense of belonging in all those who are touched by the magic of festival. Petals of colourful flowers help in making the designs stand out.

Rangoli demands a lot of skill and even patience. Although there are ready rangoli stickers, which are permanent too, most womenprefer to go the whole route with the use of designer sieves which help create beautiful designs by simply pouring coloured powders into it.

Get creative
Experiment with food grains such as green gram, kidney beans, and different pulses. Use of chart papers, thermocol balls and acrylic colours makes this art all the more interesting. Water rangolis that have petals floating in water contained in clay and glassware is on the rise. To this use of coloured water and floating candles or wicks enhances appeal. Rangolis done on glass could be framed and showcased on walls. Conventionally done rangolis could be garnished with small mirrors, diyas, floating candles, sequins, tiklis, glitters and sea shells. Finely filtered sand as a medium for rangoli is another exciting option.

Rangoli, in a way, is a precursor to the fun that pervades the entire society. And for those who have made rangoli a part of their lives, the designs begin with simple dots. These marvellous intricacies powdered in bright colours lend not only an aesthetic aura to the house but also have a spiritual connect. Along with lit deepas rangolis are believed to draw in the spiritual energies that usher in wealth and prosperity.

Decor for Diwali

PERK UP YOUR LIVING ROOM FOR THE FESTIVAL.

Begin with the entrance and threshold. String torans, lanterns or marigold flowers across the entrance of your home is the way to begin. These days you get very attractive cloth and paper torans which last a long time. In addition, you can pretty up your doorstep with rangoli patterns, diyas, terracotta statues, urns and pots. Place pretty foliage and flowering plants in brass and terracotta planters.

This is the festival of lights, so placing as many diyas as possible is a must do. Arrange diyas, rangoli and flower petals in pretty patterns inside the house. Either stick to one motif or experiment with them, but set them up in places where people aren't likely to spoil your hard work.
Drape rows of hurricane lanterns over the ceiling and the dining table to continue the theme. Accentuate your paintings and home accessories by switching on the spotlights. Nothing like a candle-lit evening for family and friends. Burn mild incense or fragrant candles to add to the ambience and mood. A few brass lamps, either pedestal or hanging ones look great at this time of the year. Just make sure that they are well-polished and shining.

Keep bowls of water with floating candles and flower petals in them. Not only do they look pretty, they're considered to be auspicious too. Keep your children out of the way while you plan all this by getting them involved. Give them art paper, paints and tinsel and ask them to make paper diyas. You can even string them up around the house.

Spruce up the sofa and seating areas by putting new cushion covers or throws. A couple of area rugs or dhurries will add life to your floor. Fresh cut flowers in a vase, a new set of curtains are just some of the other simple things you could do to pep up your home this season.

Colour of Diwali in your home…

MAKE THIS A COLOURFUL DIWALI. CHANGE THE DECOR OF YOUR HOME.

It is that time of the year when the night sky turns spectacular as fireworks light up in multi-colour hues. Make the oncoming Diwali a reason to do up the house once again to bring in the festive cheer.

Colour
Certain colours usher in festivity better than the rest. Gold, red and green are popular festive colours but how about making them trendy by going for metallic shades? If you are opting to repaint the walls then introduce these glistening colours in a restrained manner. The best would be to have an accent wall in a metallic tint of these colours. Other ways to introduce shimmer into the decor will be with gilt edged artifacts and gold threaded furnishings.

This is also the best time to polish up the silver and brass lamps. Display these lamps with flourish maybe in the midst of a circle of fresh flowers to underline the festive time. Urlis of brass also add a metallic punch to the ambience. Fill an urli with water and float bright marigolds and jasmines in it. The air is at once fragrant and cheerful. In fact, flowers can be used for a traditional display over doorways or to fill up a rangoli design. Otherwise, arrangements of fresh flowers in colourful vases will also do the trick.
Light
Festival of lights is right at home when you take the efforts to light up the place. From oil lamps to candles to cheerful light fixtures, finding a place for all these is not a hassle at all. Traditional oil diyas have always ushered in the festival but along with them you can try something different like coloured candles. Line up diyas, tea lights or candles along rangolis, doorways and in balconies or patios. Or float them in water for a scintillating display. Have candelabras with brightly coloured candles and set them on any free countertop.

Light fixtures like portable table lamps can be used liberally to brighten up corners and other areas where light from the standard fixtures do not reach. For a magical touch try decking up potted plants with strings of colour lights.

Sweets
For most, Diwali is the season when there is a stream of guests and relatives visiting the house. This means that you need to be ready to serve sweets and savouries. Make this a part of Diwali decor by presenting food in style. Arrange the sweets and other snacks that you plan to serve in stylish platters of silver, brass, glass or ceramic. Tiered candy plates are perfect. It looks even better when you line the plates with fresh banana leaves.

Earthenware adds an ethnic touch to the table. Arrange the food appetisingly according to the colours and use cling wrap to seal them. Place these either on the dining table or sideboard. Again, brighten the display by scattering flower petals on the table or with fancy diyas that flood the market during this time.

Tokens of love

WHILE LIGHTS BRIGHTEN UP DIWALI, GIFTS ADD TO THE SPIRIT.

Take Some Time and Find Those Perfect Gifts For Your Loved Ones

Gifts are not only a mode of greetings according to customs, but also a great way of expressing one's affection for family and friends. They leave an everlasting impression on family and friends. Take the time to find a gift that's perfectly in tune with recipients' interests, personality, age and style. Remember, there is nothing like a meaningful gift, for the sentiment behind the gift matters the most.

To strengthen family bonds
Prepare a 'gift basket' that has something for every member. This apart, clothes too make a great gift. Packages of assortment of sweets adorned with different kinds of festive images could be gifted to elderly, youth and kids alike.

Something out of the ordinary
Divinity gifts would be apt for the elderly and conveys the message that you value them. To make your parents, uncles, aunts, parent in-laws and grandparents feel special; do something out of the ordinary. Cook or bake them festive delicacies and to see you put in that much effort could affirm your love for them.
Sibling bonhomie
Bhai dhuj, the last day of Diwali is the day when brothers and sisters meet to express their love and affection for each other. Gift them something that suits their style and taste. Research your siblings' taste. Let the gifts take them down memory lane.
For children
Children enjoy the most during Diwali and also anticipate gifts. One needs to keep in mind their age and hobbies. Further, the gifts ought to be useful, meaningful and educational.

Friends forever
In the hustle bustle of our lives, we cannot give quality time to our friends. So, spending as much time as you can with your closest friends may be an ideal gift.

Choosing that perfect gift…

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS TO MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY WITH A GIFT

Diwali is a festival for family bonding, fun times and much bonhomie. It's also a tradition to send gifts to dear ones. Diwali is a time of giving and receiving, and wouldn't be complete without a little bit of both. If you don't know what to gift your family, take them shopping. There is no better way to keep everyone happy.

Some exquisite gifts for this festive season:

If you're looking at buying a gift for someone in the corporate world, think of a stylish watch, solitaire ring, or earrings.

For kids, pick up fancy stationary stuff, trinkets or books.

For the elderly, go for personalised gifts that will brighten up their lives. You could make a collage with pictures of the family celebrating Diwali during the last few years.

Floating candles, designer diyas, and savouries, are common options, but do give them away with a stamp of your creativity - attaching a handmade card, or putting in a personalised note.

Diwali gifts build business relationships

CORPORATE HOUSES BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH BUSINESS ASSOCIATES THROUGH GIFTS.

Many a corporate deal can be sealed with a neatly packaged and customised gift. As part of a well-considered corporate promotion drive, it can help establish or enhance significant relationships. Corporate gifting in some business houses is an essential part of the marketing strategy.

It is more a science as much as it is an art, and done correctly gift giving is a cost-effective way to building a feeling of partnership with valued associates.

Gifting can also make the giver experience a sense of happiness. Sanjay M, a marketing pro whose company gifts beautifully packaged sweets to clients during the festive season, says it is a gesture of fostering goodwill and a way of saying 'thank you.'

Some major organisations gift their promising employees exotic holidays while others present them with sweets and stationery. Ravi Sudarshan, a banker, informs that on festivals, his bank gifts its employees diaries, key chains, calendars, wristwatches and boxes of assorted sweets and dried fruits. These gestures of gratitude can keep the staff motivated.

Customising is the key
Customising gifts is the contemporary corporate credo. For many businesses, customised gifts keep the company name in the minds of recipients. When the item is a practical one likely to be used daily, it adds up to free advertising too.

Presentation too, matters. Personally hand-delivered gifts can express the respect for the person representing the organization. A neatly packed gift with company business card delivered through your own staff can make the winning move.

CORPORATE PACKAGE…
Your gifts should be generic in gender Enquire about a company's gifting protocol Double check spellings of names when they are customised Send different gifts each year Use your company's logo sparingly Remember international gifting etiquette while sending gifts overseas

It’s shopping time for Diwali at Bangalore!

This is the season to go shop-happy and the whole of Bangalore is out there on a spree. The brightly festooned streets are packed with shoppers laden with bags of booty and sporting smiles of satisfaction in bagging a good bargain. The credo seems to be, 'work hard, shop harder.'
While it's a bounty of electronic gadgets for the youth, the upwardly mobile are zeroing in on the latest models of cars and bikes. While those who have saved up for a new home are sealing dream deals over the festival of lights, there are others who are gifting their families a new makeover for their home with unique colour schemes and textures.

For women, jewellery, home appliances, clothes and fashion accessories seem to tug their purse-strings.

Young entrepreneurs Swati and Rajesh Bakshi are shopping for a mixed bag of mutual funds, furniture and jewellery. "I believe in buying something with the future in mind, too," says Swati, a mother of two toddlers.

High on theatre person Pathy Aiyar's list is glamorous lighting fixtures and a plasma television for his home. "Though I'm not gifting my wife any jewellery, she will be doing her bling thing on her own," he says.

Techie Ashish Majumdar, a gizmo buff, had been saving up his urge to splurge for Diwali. "I'm gifting myself a nifty i-book on Dhanteras. It comes with a built-in web camera and other sinfully tempting features that had me drooling over it since I saw it," he says with a grin. His room-mate Ashutosh Naik an amateur photographer is settling for a sleek camera costing a whopping Rs 3 lakhs after his company awarded him a handsome raise.

While shoppers have their own reasons for buying the things they want, it is definitely the season to splurge and be merry in the spirit of shopping.

Streets brightly lit up, roads filled with shoppers, and offers flooding the market - all these mark the arrival of another Diwali in Bangalore. With traders gearing up from the first of November itself, the shopping frenzy reached an all-time high last week itself. Many retailers have come out with special offers and discounts on clothes, consumer durables, automobiles, and jewellery, for the festival.

Clothing stores are having offers of discounts, lucky draws with gift vouchers, and some even giving out movie tickets.

Stores selling consumer durables are giving discounts, have exchange offers, and even some combo offers. These interesting combo offers are pulling in a lot of customers. You can buy a television set with a satellite connection for a price that is lower than the combined price, for example.

Automobile companies are offering holiday packages and other goodies with the purchase of every vehicle. There are finance packages too. Some are offering gifts with every purchase. Gift cheques with every purchase and exchange bonuses are also on for the season.

Diwali is an auspicious time to buy jewellery and this year like the last, has seen jewellery stores around town coming out with interesting offers. Discounts, gifts, and special offers on jewelry make it even more attractive to buy gold during the festive season.
Sohail Yusuf, Secretary, B r i g a d e Road Shop and Establ i s h m e n t Association (BSEA) says, "People usually pick up clothes, toys, electronics, and shoes. Since they come with their families, they shop for a range of things. This year the shopping has been good. Three days before Diwali it picks up, peaks, and then is back to normal."

Other shopping destinations like Commercial Street are also gearing up for the shopping frenzy with some ideas the same as last year's and some a little different. Nauman Razak, President of the Commercial Street Shop and Establishment Association says, "On sale is a product mix which is versatile. You have a huge range from sarees, jewellery, software, to hardware for homes. You can get all-season clothes, whether it is for a wedding, diwali or any other festival."
So, go shopping this Diwali with offers that are tailor-made for you.

Light up your home for that festive spirit

DIYAS, CANDLES OR TRADITIONAL BRASS LAMPS, LIGHTS BRING IN THE CHEER AND SPIRIT OF DIWALI.

Diwali is all about lights. Colourful lamps, lanterns and diyas make your Diwali celebrations that much more special. Beautifully-made diyas in bright colours and elegant designs lend an ethnic touch to the festive ambience. The flicker of lamps and diyas inside the house create magic at home, exuding a sense of warmth and glow to the festivities. Let there be more light this Diwali with decor items you can personally make to suit your needs. Let these beautifully decorated diyas dazzle you and your loved ones.

DIYAS
This is the age of designer diyas. The sky's the limit as far as diyas are concerned. For a beginning, simply select traditional tarracotta diyas that come in various shapes. Go for unusual shapes that can be embellished with decorative touches. Embellish them with zari and mirror work. You could paint them too, with colours of your choice. You could even fill up these diyas with fragrant dried flowers or aromatic wax.

After decorating diyas with an artistic touch, you need to be careful where you place them. Place them in strategic locations that could highlight the bright spots at home. Arrange them around a glass container filled with colourful petals and watch the dazzling effect. Place them close to some bright and nice-looking plants and see the magic.

CANDLES
Candles are an easy way out too. Aromatic, designer candles lend a calm and soothing feel to the festivities at home. Pick some special looking containers or moulds, and simply pour plain wax into them and allow them to set.


You could place dried flowers inside for a special effect. You can even make perfumed candles by adding your favourite perfumes.

FLOATING LIGHTS
Floating diyas could add another dimension to the whole ambience as floating lamps make for an auspicious start to festivities. Simply set them in small, shallow containers with wicks and allow them to float in a glass container. Add some petals around for that special effect.

TRADITIONAL BRASS LAMPS
If you are looking for a traditional touch to the ambience, go for brass lamps everywhere. Place them around a bright rangoli or around a bowl of colourful petals. You could even let them hang from above at different points.


The flicker of lights against the bright and shiny brass lamps can brighten any place with magical ease.

TORANS AND RANGOLI
Apart from diyas and candles, you can even make your own 'torans' and door hangings using bells, beads, mirrors and shells. Welcome guests home with bright rangolis. Place your homemade decorative lamps around the rangolis. You could even make rangoli designs on plates and fill them up with colourful petals instead of rangoli powder. Using colourful pulses and other edibile stuff is another innovative idea. Use bright colours and decorate the area with flowers and lamps. This should make your diwali a special one, lighting up your home, your hearts and the spirit of your loved one.

THE FIVE DAYS OF DIWALI ARE SIGNIFICANT WITH DIFFERENT LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS.

Dhanteras
The first day of Diwali, called Dhanvantari Triodasi or Dhan Theras, is the 13th lunar day of Krishna Paksha, of the month of Kartik. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurveda for mankind. Houses and business premises are renovated and decorated.

Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali
On the second day, Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasura and made the world free from fear. People practice customs such as an oil bath to relieve themselves of fatigue. The God of Death, Lord Yama is also worshipped on this day and devotees place a single deepa (the 'Jam Deepa') at the entrance to the home to prevent untimely death. The single deepa is a reminder of the lamp lit by Bharata to welcome home his brother Lord Rama after 14 years of exile. This day is also called Choti Diwali.


Lakshmi Puja
This is the day (third day) when Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped to get the blessings of wealth and prosperity. It is a time of forgiveness and healing of broken relationships. Many businessmen close accounts now.

Bali Padyami, Varshapratipada and Govardhan Puja
On the fourth day, Govardhan Puja is performed by the people of Vraj to honour the first miracle performed by Lord Krishna. Also, another story goes that Lord Vishnu gave the lamp of knowledge to King Bali and allowed him to return to earth once a year to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and radiate love and wisdom among his people.



Bhai Dooj
The fifth and final day of Diwali is a day dedicated to sisters. It is celebrated by some as Bhratri Dooj. Women serve their brothers khichdi as Lord Krishna's sister is said to have served him some when he visited her after slaying Naraksura. In North India, women who don't have brothers perform a puja to the Moon God.

Another legend has it that Yamraj visited his sister Yammi on this day. He gave his sister a boon that whosoever visits her on this day will be liberated from all sins.