Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

This month Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, (MFWF) comes to your door with a brand-new Online Edition from Monday 25 to Saturday 30 May. The MFWF, is one of the one of the most popular culinary events in the world, is usually hosted in March every year. This time, due to the lockdown, the physical edition has been postponed. However, the virtual programme for the last two days will comprise of talks, trivia, trouble shooting, tours, Q&As, and a blockbuster showcase of international and Victorian talent, along with takeaway menus, prizes and special offers. On May 29, join zero-waste hero Matt Stone for hands-on demo of chook cooking at its finest. In this masterclass, Matt will show you how to break down a whole chicken like a pro, putting it to use in three separate dishes. Born and bred in Melbourne, Starward continues to push the boundaries of what modern whisky can be. Join brand ambassador Matty Follent for a delicious cocktail a chat to end your day and kick off the night sessions of The Online Edition. The Hungry Gentlemen – award-winning wine and food writers Max Allen and Richard Cornish – bring you Friday night drinks with a difference. Streaming live from Pope Joan, the pair will tell the fascinating story of the plunder of Victoria’s ancient native oyster reefs to feed goldrush Melbourne and how today those reefs are being brought back to life. Lastly, Shane Delia’s passion for the food of the Middle East is irresistible. Tonight, he opens his kitchen at home and walks you through some favourite dishes from his new Maha Go repertoire. On May 30, Get your taste of the new home of global flavours in regional Victoria with Tony Tan, National treasure and international cult culinary idol, who will give us preview of his swish new digs. Join the founder of The Everleigh, Michael Madrusan, talking all things drinks, righting the wrongs of the cocktail world and shining a light on all the good things happening in strong drink in conversation with MFWF creative director Pat Nourse. Michael invites you to join him for a drink in real time, with the offer of a cocktail special from The Everleigh delivered hot to your door: a generous pour of Hot Buttered Rum concocted with aged rum, honey and butter topped with freshly grated nutmeg. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

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 NCPA International Jazz Festival

NCPA International Jazz Festival

This Thursday, 28th May at 6 pm NCPA@home presents a unique show which will witness 15 international Jazz and Blues artists jamming with each other one stage! This magical performance by two Latin bands and three traditional and contemporary Jazz bands was a part of the NCPA International Jazz Festival ’18 finale. Members of Latin bands, Los Gatos and the Brazilian Samba Express shared the stage for the finale of NCPA International Jazz Festival’18 performing well known Latin Jazz numbers whilst improvising on them. The face-off between the percussionists from Cuba, Brazil and Panama will enthral the viewers who have never heard the likes of this confrontation! Further, members of the Clifford Brown band, MND FLO and Ari Roland’s Quartet combined to play this rousing finale. Three jazz classic tunes were on display, but with a blues touch. Expect to hear All Blues and Bag’s Groove at this set, amongst other popular Jazz standards. NCPA@home series includes exclusive videos and content across genres from NCPA’s extensive archival library. Block your calendar and stay tuned to NCPA’s YouTube page to enjoy an exclusive showcase of Musical Concerts!  YouTube link -  https://www.youtube.com/TheNCPAMumbai1 Performing Musicians: Chris Byars – Tenor Saxophone Clifford Brown III – Trumpet Zayed Nasser – Alto Saxophone Francesco Lento – Trumpet Jim Porto – Vocals & Piano Simon Moullier – Vibraphone Pradyumna Singh Manot – Piano Sharik Hasan – Piano Miguelo Valdes – Conga Roberthino Bastos – Percussion Alexander Toth – Bass Sonic Shori – Bass Ari Roland – Bass Rayford Griffin – Drums Kunal Netrapal – Drums Opening its doors to the world in 1969, the NCPA became the first multi-venue and multi-purpose cultural centre to be built in South Asia. Vibrant and diverse, the NCPA today is recognised by artistes, patrons and media alike as India’s premier performing arts institution. The Centre provides a fine showcase of India’s rich performing arts traditions, all thanks to the institution’s training and research initiatives. The NCPA presents over 600 events each year across all major art forms, most notably Indian Music, International Music, Theatre and Film, Dance, Visual Arts and Photography. There are Heads of Programming for each of these art forms who curate innovative events and festivals; representative of everything from classical to contemporary throughout the year. The NCPA produces its own programmes as well as collaborates with leading cultural promoters from around the world. The NCPA is the only member organisation of the International Music Council (IMC) from India. To know more visit http://www.ncpamumbai.com When: Thursday, 28th May at 6.00 pm Where to view: NCPA YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/TheNCPAMumbai1     NCPA International Jazz Festival

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 The Secret of 20 minutes Power Nap

The Secret of 20 minutes Power Nap

Sleep is an important aspect of human life and for the functioning of mind and wellbeing of the body. An average adult should get a minimum of seven hours of sleep daily. But given the busy lives that we experience, be it college going adults or office goers, it gets difficult to consume enough sleep because our lifestyles demand otherwise. Sleep is essential but it is also important to inculcate certain techniques which quickly remove stress and worries. Mudit Dandwate, Co-founder, Dozee shares the secrets of 20-minutes power nap. So how do we cope up with the lost sleep to nurture our health? Don’t worry, we have you covered with some easy to practice meditation techniques. One such is Yoga nidra, which is also known as yogic sleep and has been proved to be useful in more ways than one. It is the state of consciousness between waking up and falling asleep. It is the “going to sleep” stage and it is ordinarily coaxed by guided meditation. A 20 minutes session of yoga nidra is equivalent to 1 hour of sound sleep. How does it help? It helps the person practising it to be completely relaxed, become systematically and increasingly aware of their inner self and concentrate on the positive thoughts by following a certain set of verbal instructions. It helps you shift your brain into an alpha state (from gamma and beta waves seen during working hours), starts its process of “powering down,” or coming into a rest state with slower, restorative brain-wave activity. Yoga nidra counteracts stress, long standing anxiety and also depression. It refreshes the mind, making it more open to absorbing and learning new things. It also releases the tension in the body. Practising yoga nidra right before going to bed every night trains your mind and body for this relaxation process so you can reach a deeper state of sleep. It also helps combat insomnia. It induces complete mental, physical and emotional relaxation. Certain AI and other IoT devices make it easier to take up relevant information from the signals/vibrations that your body produces while you are asleep and give you a health report that can help you make amends. They also provide you with personalised set of guided meditation on their application to make your life easier. A regular practice of yoga nidra has all the potential to help you develop, change, or alter your routines and lifestyle for the better. So, we sure are onto plugging into an application to practice some yoga nidra and reap some benefits. The Secret of 20 minutes Power Nap

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 How Tibetan/ Yog Nidra can help your sleep pattern? 

How Tibetan/ Yog Nidra can help your sleep pattern? 

Sleep interruptions like falling asleep or staying asleep are pretty evident among adults and affects them. Mindful meditation can not only help you sleep better but also reduce risks of other health problems like fatigue, less tension, insomnia, obesity, heart strokes, etc in the long run. Certain meditation techniques help you concentrate your mind on your breathing and shift your focus, slowly inducing sleep. But it is also important that the mind does not gallivant around thoughts while sleeping. Mudit Dandwate, Co-founder, Dozee shares his thoughts on how yog nidra can help in improving your sleep pattern. Sound Healing is one such extremely powerful and non-intrusive method to release stress, anxiety and reduce some physical pain. The Tibetan sound healing technique is an ancient healing modality that utilises the deep vibrations and soothing sounds of Tibetan Singing Bowls to bring relief. It works on a scientific concept of Binaural Beats or Brain Entrainment, which states that listening to certain frequencies can change our brainwave states. The rich blend of harmonic overtones produced from the singing bowls helps us to first sink into the alpha state, then the mind lingers between alpha, theta and delta brain waves enabling deep relaxation and heightened perception. These vibrations work by lowering blood pressure levels, improve blood circulation and breathing rate. Sound meditation is comparatively simpler than other techniques because the sound keeps their mind occupied, making it easier to enter into deep states of calm. Sound meditation allows you to reach deep meditative state of Theta-brainwaves, where you can achieve high levels of creative visualization. Increases learning capacity and performance. Regular sessions with sound meditation have shown significant increase in overall productivity. It also enhances physical recovery. Sound bath research results showed that it has a significant impact on lactic acid reduction in athletes post-workout, accelerating recovery speed and enhancing mobility. Tibetan sound healing is not only low technology but also feasible, low cost yet very effective method of feeling at peace before and after falling asleep. It also contributes to clinical resolution of conditions like depression, trauma stress, emotional stress, hormonal imbalance, insomnia to name a few. sound healing, sound therapy, tibetan singing bowl, tibetan bowl, music therapy, ascetic training, resonate, pain management, sound bath Tibetan singing bowl The modern rat race is pretty tiring and stressful, this technique can surely help you ease some of it and can be done by practising it from any part of your room, workplace, etc. You can simply listen to these Tibetan sounds available online or register yourself with an IoT application that provides sound meditation. How Tibetan/ Yog Nidra can help your sleep pattern?

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 Sip on the strongest coffee of India

Sip on the strongest coffee of India

SLAY Coffee is out with SLAY X, the strongest coffee in India. A steaming cup of black coffee in the morning is a perfect way to kickstart their day for many in the country. A true coffee connoisseur will scour shops, both mainstream and boutique, to find a blend that has a decent kick to it. With SLAY X, the search is now over. The coffee which is currently considered as the strongest in India contains around 500 mg of Caffeine per 100 grams of coffee. Internationally, brands that claim to be the “Strongest coffee in the world” like the Death Wish Coffee contain around 1750 mg per 100 Grams of coffee. SLAY-X on the other hand has 2250 mg of caffeine per 100 grams of coffee making it the strongest coffee in the market and yet the most palatable. SLAY-X is the unique and proprietary blend of Robusta Cherry and Robusta Parchment from the high-altitude estates of Chikamagalur, dark roasted to boost caffeine content. The roasting technique that SLAY has developed and perfected; is a simple selection of beans from our farms, which are grown to our specifications. SLAY tested dozens of beans from various plantations before it settled on the farm from which the beans for SLAY-X comes. Co-founder Lakshmi Dasaka says, “Despite it having twice the caffeine content as found in the reigning strongest coffee in India, the coffee is anything but horrifically bitter – it’s in fact very palatable. Surprisingly, we have seen people add extra shots of SLAY-X to their coffees, and this is a very common occurrence”. One can now order SLAY X at the click of a button. Two variants: The Wrong Turn & The Graveyard are available in the range currently. SLAY X will further add two iced variants: The Sinister & The Redemption by end of June to its menu. SLAY Coffee promises India’s Best Coffee delivery experience right at your doorstep. Packaged in a spill-proof and temperature-controlled case, your SLAY Coffee is ground and brewed upon order. Every cup is made with fresh, premium beans and handcrafted by a SLAY-Certified barista. From India’s Strongest Coffee to skinny options to a non-caffeine portfolio and more, Slay’s got something for everyone. Available on Swiggy & Zomato, your favourite coffee is just a click away. Sip on the strongest coffee of India

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 Chitraa, a critically acclaimed play, goes digital for the first time.

Chitraa, a critically acclaimed play, goes digital for the first time.

Following the path taken by theatre houses from all over the world during this lockdown period, Red Polka Productions’ critically acclaimed play, Chitraa, is going digital for the first time with the original cast line on Thursday, 28th May. This digital piece has been directed remotely and virtually in accordance with the social distancing rules. Chitraa, is a modernised English rendition of Rabindranath Tagore’s famous work, Chitrangada. There have been multiple renditions of the play but this one is unique with its hybridised fusion structure: contemporary comedy interlaced with the untouched original romantic scenes by Tagore. Chitraa opened with a phenomenal success at Alliance Francaise in 2018 followed by house packed shows in Rangashankara and other places before travelling to Hyderabad. Directed by the duo, independent filmmaker Prataya Saha and veteran theatre personality Shatarupa Bhattacharyya, Chitraa stars experienced theatre artists from Bangalore like Anshulika Kapoor, Subhabrata Kundu and Archana Kariappa. With over 1000 audiences and rave reviews, Chitraa in its own small way reintroduced Tagore to the contemporary theatre goers in Bangalore, in 2018. The story of Chitrangada is a simple one, taken from the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata; Arjuna, then in celibacy roams through the jungles reaches Manipur which is ruled by princess Chitra; a woman who has been born and brought up like a man, a fierce warrior and archer. She meets Arjuna one day and falls in love but Arjuna refuses to marry her. So Chitra, dejected by the rejection seeks the help of God Madana to change her into a more conventionally feminine, fair and beautiful woman. After the boon she transforms and comes to Arjuna again as a completely different woman. Will Arjuna accept her? Fall in love with her? The play delves into pressure and expectations of a patriarchal society on women and raises some important questions for the audience to ponder upon. Prataya Saha is an independent multiple award winning filmmaker, Tedx performer, theatre director & photographer based out of Bangalore. He is now seven films old with his films selected in 30 film festivals around the world including the prestigious Oaxaca Film Fest, Bengaluru International Film Festival, Woodpecker International Film Festival, the Best of India Film Festival, CSIFF, Delhi International Film Festival, Cardiff International Film Festival, etc. Shortly before the lock-down, he has been touring with his latest film, which has won over 10 awards, across the world. His films are streaming on international & national platforms like Starzplay, MxPlayer, Viddsee, etc. Shatarupa Bhattacharyya is a PhD from National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. She has nine years of theatre experience primarily as an actor where she has acted in plays like Evam Indrajeet, Mother Courage and her Children, Waiting for Godot, Yahi Kahi Bohot During etc. She was last seen as an actor in Bangalore little Theatre’s The Year of the Rooster and in Quiver Production’s The Vagina Monologues. Photo-story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zh7–e4EhU Audience Reviews at Alliance Francaise:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGplpOT2qnI Audience Reviews at Lahe Lahe:  https://youtu.be/ouM6-oPNHeo Behind the scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2UUqW2v7tc Chitraa, a critically acclaimed play, goes digital for the first time.

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 Quarantine Skin Care

Quarantine Skin Care

With majority of us currently confined to our homes, our skincare regimes have significantly changed. While most of us are off makeup and giving our skin a break, we should also use this opportunity for self-care and not forget some basics; after all, it is not so bad to pamper ourselves even in the smallest way possible. The Flipkart team gives a few essential tips that you should be careful to keep up through this period. Protect yourself from the UV rays It is a myth that one needs to apply sunscreen only while stepping out. Whether you are staying at home or going outdoors once a day for exercise, it is important to use a full spectrum sunscreen as glass windows and fine curtains can let UV rays in. Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte Lotion| Rs.230 Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock Cream| Rs.191 Lotus Herbals Safe Sun UV Screen Matte Gel| Rs.267 A regular skin cleanse can do wonders When it comes to skincare, amidst the lockdown, many of us may find our skin to be a lot drier and are witnessing unexpected breakouts along with a dull, tired skin. This is mainly because of the change in environment, constant stress and anxiety, and new habits that are impacting the skin. To combat this, be sure to use a cleanser adapted to your skin type — cream, oil, micellar water — and complete your cleansing ritual every evening. Make this a part of your routine as it is vital to remove dirt accumulated on your skin during the day and to ensure that your skin can regenerate itself optimally at night. Along with it, keep yourself hydrated inside out and it will work wonders and bring back the glow to your skin. Olay Total Effects 7 in 1| Rs.269 L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser X3 Power Water| Rs.925 Stay home, Stay Moisturised While it is important to regularly wash our hands to keep the virus away, all that washing, and hand sanitizing dries out the skin. Many people are experiencing cracked and chapped hands. Therefore, moisturizing your hands regularly is very important. Ponds Triple Vitamin Moisturizing Lotion| Rs.250 Vaseline Intensive Care Deep Restore Body Lotion| Rs.265 Parachute Deep Nourish Body Lotion| Rs.165 Nivea Cocoa Nourish oil in lotion| Rs.300 Don’t ignore Lip care Lastly, that one thing that should not be ignored is lip care. A lip balm is not only an essential beauty item, but also a healthy skin need. Lips happen to be one of the most sensitive parts of the body and need the most extreme consideration and care. So, the next time you take care of your skin, do not forget to keep your lips hydrated too.   BIOTIQUE Bio Fruit Whitening Lip Balm Fruity| Rs.157 Himalaya Shine Lip Care Strawberry| Rs.138 NIVEA Shine Caring Lip Balm Cherry|  Rs.131  Stay hydrated with the Face Mist If you are looking for the perfect skincare treat to deal with the hot weather, try out a cooling face mist? It will keep your skin feeling hydrated even in the worst heat. Simply spray the mist on your face for a refreshing look Plum Grape Seed and Sea Buckthorn Nutri-plenish Face Mist| Rs.360 Kaya Youth Hydro Replenish| Rs.319 Quarantine Skin Care

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 JCB 2.0 Is Paving the Path For The Beauty Industry Post Lockdown

JCB 2.0 Is Paving the Path For The Beauty Industry Post Lockdown

In light of the ease of restrictions for salons and spas in certain states, Jean-Claude Biguine Salons have officially begun operations in Bengaluru. The salons have received an overwhelming response from clients that is encouraging and in praise of the superior safety and hygiene standards that the French Experts have adopted. “I have to compliment the care and safety measures that the Indiranagar branch at Bangalore, took to cater our much needed grooming requirements after our lockdown. The pedicure was a few minutes of my day but made up for the entire few months. As we adapt to the new normal, I must applaud all of you. Here’s to going back to things the way they were very soon. Best wishes to the team.” said Raksha Hegde who visited JCB salons post lockdown. “I acknowledge that you all have done great homework and are implementing it. This shows your dedication towards customer satisfaction. I am truly satisfied and my heartfelt thanks to the team for delivering such a safe yet stylish service,” added Vignesh who was one of the first clients to visit JCB Salons at Lavelle Road. During the lockdown, their 400 strong workforce individually put in 40 hours of extensive training to build and put into action a new safety manual and upgrade their skill-sets to ensure a seamless salon experience on re-opening. They have strictly ensured that all the salons are well equipped with the best sanitization methods, industry-approved PPE Gear including capes, masks, gloves and shoe covers, stringent safety manuals and strict code of conduct for employees and clients. The global salon chain has also sourced efficacious single-use service kits for most of the services and are inculcating contactless payment and greetings. Samir Srivastav, CEO, Jean-Claude Biguine Salons further sheds light: “Safety and hygiene were always a priority at JCB even before the pandemic hit us, but this time we’re going the extra mile to take additional precautionary methods. We have joined forces with our global brand partners L’Oréal, Wella as well as Beauty & Wellness Sector Skills Council, India to conduct extensive safety and hygiene trainings and educational exercises in multiple languages for all our employees. We want to leave no stone unturned when it comes to safety and health.” A specially appointed JCB Task Force has created a JCB 2.0 safety manual to ensure they observe optimum hygiene and safety standards and take statutory precautions to safeguard customers. Deep disinfection of high-touch points, tools & equipment, mandatory temperature/health checks, use of Aarogya Setu App, reduced appointments to avoid over-crowding are some of the other key mandates they are adhering too. JCB 2.0 Is Paving the Path For The Beauty Industry Post Lockdown

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 Zoya, India’s Answer to Timeless Luxury

Zoya, India’s Answer to Timeless Luxury

The creator of exquisite jewellery from the House of Tata, Zoya makes its foray into South India with a flagship boutique in Bangalore’s most iconic luxury hub. Over the last decade, this luxury Maison, with artistry and craftsmanship at its core, has been redefining the way fine jewellery is experienced in India. Located on Vittal Mallya Road in the heart of the city, all 3300 square feet of this boutique speak with a quiet eloquence of a love for fine jewellery, a deep appreciation of the handcrafted and bespoke, and above all a reverence for the sheer artistry that goes into the creation of each resplendent finished piece; a perfect union of design originality with age-old techniques of jewellery creation. With its walls corniced in delicate shades of white and blush, the facade of this homegrown brand is stately yet inviting. The visual language is contemporary and modern while doffing its hat ever so subtly to the power of the artisanal. Walking up the marble steps leading to the entrance, there is a sense of awe that mingles with anticipation about what awaits inside. A spreading chandelier of blown glass in honeyed hues of amber and blush hangs over the entrance area, the falling drop-like shapes luminous and plentiful. A quaint and poetic expression of life’s ability to create and diversify, it sets the tone for the rest of the boutique experience, as one discovers details large and small that have been created exclusively for Zoya. The high foyer area under the chandelier’s warm glow allows for absolute silence; a space in which to soak in the ambience of the lush, feminine interiors. The juxtaposition of this softness and restraint with its layered complexity, one realizes, hints at the inner layers of the Zoya world; minimal yet intricate, effortless yet crafted. Smoothly painted in shades of white, the softly coved walls are refreshingly bare but for the leggy plinths where the first pieces of wearable, highly contemporary jewellery are displayed. One takes a deep breath before being greeted warmly by the jewellery advisor, and subsequently whisked away on a wondrous walk through the boutique and its bejewelled secrets. The diamond section is a circle of pure white light over a round display in cool grey, enhancing the sparkle of these exquisitely selected pieces in the finest of settings. There is a sense of discovery in seeing the two niches on the right flank of the space, as one moves from the wearable through the more expressive collections all the way to the most prized high value pieces where the finest of diamonds and coloured stones are formed into jewellery of exquisite beauty. One after the other, these niches reveal themselves, the faceted mirrors in the corners rimmed in the brand’s signature rose gold. Plush, roomy chairs specially designed for Zoya invite the visitor to spend time with the friendly advisors, admiring and enquiring about the jewellery, setting a leisurely pace. Offering an island of creative immersion and self-expression in the centre of the boutique’s linear floor plan is the Bespoke Area, where clients interact with the brand’s jewellery designers to co-create custom pieces of art flowing into fine jewellery. It is here that one senses the pulsating heart of the brand, where inspiration, ideas and conversations are all thrown into the melting furnace from where the finest designs emerge. With curved separators on either side, this space forms a semi-private niche cleverly cordoned off from the rest of the boutique, striking just the right balance of exclusivity and openness. Everything one sees and experiences on this heady journey leads to the ultimate piece de resistance, the Private Lounge. Set in hues of blush at the far end of the boutique, its sheer curtains revealing as much as they conceal, is the exclusive space that clients are invited to for the ultimate in customer experience; conversations about jewellery over a cup of hand brewed filter coffee and fresh hors d’oeuvres. The plush wall paneling and soft carpet are stunningly contrasted by the Art Deco-inspired centre seating in shades of creamy white, with the signature faceted mirrors returning once again to remind the Zoya woman that she is indeed at the heart of this dramatic story. The brand’s expression is global as its soul is Indian. Finding inspiration in history, art, architecture and cuisine, the narrative weaves textured stories that find their way into our souls, transporting the visitor to the falling Chinar leaves of the Kashmir Valley, bringing alive the mesmerizing architecture of Italy or the nostalgia and glamour of Hollywood’s golden eras. Patrons of the age-old methods of Indian karigari, Zoya prides itself on designs that give contemporary form to traditional craft. From the most stringent selection and sourcing of precious stones such as Emerald, Ruby, Tanzanite to unusual stones such as Rutilated Quartz, Peridot, Yellow Citrine; Zoya’s pieces are brought to life by the steadiest of hands and sharpest of eyes. Just as each piece of jewellery is created to a vision, so each detail of the boutique is a labour of love by designers and local artisans. The display windows are adorned with finely crafted paper art telling the stories of the inspiration behind each piece. Elements from Zoya’s numerous inspirations are subtly embroidered onto rhythmic screens that help create private niches within the larger space. At Zoya, no detail is too small, no story too insignificant. “Zoya is a brand with its heart in India and an eye on the world”, says Business Head, Amanpreet Ahluwalia. “Zoya’s collections are inspired by myriad journeys, from the ones that take you across the world to the ones that help you discover your own feminine self. The creative process of each jewellery piece can take up to a year from the idea to bringing it alive, resulting in artistic masterpieces, each with its own story to tell. Having received a wonderful response from the North and West of India, we couldn’t have found a location for our Bangalore boutique

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 PPE fundraiser receives huge support from celebrities

PPE fundraiser receives huge support from celebrities

Journalist & Photographer Rubina A Khan’s PPE fundraiser in Mumbai has been supported by industrialist Ness Wadia, businesswoman Natasha Poonawalla (Executive Director – Serum Institute of India, Pune), filmmaker Karan Johar (Dharma Productions), actor Amrita Arora, film costumer Ana Singh, art advisor Wendy A Coutinho, businesswoman Eesha Sukhi and jeweller Siddharth Kasliwal (Director – The Gem Palace, Jaipur) with generous financial contributions. The fundraiser has received contributions from Queenie Singh, art patron Shalini Passi and filmmaker Gaurav Chawla and 200 safety eyewear have been purchased from the money contributed by them. Ever since 53 press personnel tested positive for the Coronavirus in Mumbai three weeks ago, journalist and photographer, Rubina A Khan couldn’t stop thinking about the health risks the Mumbai media were being exposed to, reporting on the virus, whilst she stayed safely at home, in quarantine, on government orders. Everyone was lauding the first responders and medical teams, the police, the hygienists and the cleaners, and rightly so, but nobody seemed to be talking about the photographers, videographers and journalists that were bringing in the news and visuals of the virus and the heart wrenching devastation and strife across the world, every single day, by going out and reporting from containment zones, risking their own lives, and livelihoods. “A conversation with a photographer on Coronavirus news duty every single day since March 2020, impelled me into thinking about the health risks our media community faced, being exposed to the virus on the job, whilst I stayed safely at home, in quarantine and the lockdown, on government orders. On hearing about people I have known, and worked with, going out to work in red zones and containment areas for the coverage, I just had to do something that would protect them from the virus. I feel that the risks the media personnel are taking carrying out their duties on the job, which is their livelihood in this uncertain, broken economy, are not being recognised for the extremely important and essential role they are playing in this pandemic. Everything we know about the virus is through the eyes and lenses of the media as we are all in lockdown and quarantined at home – their photographs and stories are telling us how the new world looks and the steps that are being taken to contain the virus and flatten the curve. I spearheaded a fundraiser to purchase Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) as a preventive measure for Mumbai’s news photographers and media personnel covering the Corona crisis on the front lines, by reaching out to my network on April 23, 2020 for contributions as a collective, humane responsibility to shield them. I am ever so thankful to the people – from all walks of life in India – that responded empathetically towards the fundraiser with their fiscal largesse like industrialist Ness Wadia, businesswoman Natasha Poonawalla (Executive Director, Serum Institute of India, Pune), filmmaker Karan Johar (Dharma Productions), actor Amrita Arora, film costumer Ana Singh, art advisor Wendy A Coutinho, businesswoman Eesha Sukhi and jeweller Siddharth Kasliwal (Director, The Gem Palace, Jaipur). The PPE’s reached Mumbai and were distributed to the media personnel. These PPE’s are certified by SITRA – South India Textile Research Association, Coimbatore for fabric and garment – and are for one-wear only. Since then, the fundraiser has received contributions from Queenie Singh, art patron Shalini Passi and filmmaker Gaurav Chawla. The kindness of all the contributors should be highlighted and not go unnoticed as anonymous benefactors, because talking about them will go on to inspire many others to come forward in this crisis to help each other in our country. Every contributor has stepped up as a humanitarian to help our media community, and that is reason enough to laud any helping hand. All of them have made this little fundraiser of mine a bigger success that I ever envisaged it to be and we, the media community, are ever so grateful for their kindness. The PPE’s and safety eyewear bought with the funds raised so far have been distributed to the Mumbai media personnel and I am ordering the second round of PPE’s now. I intend to keep raising funds to provide the PPE’s for as long as they are needed during the pandemic.” [envira-gallery id=”9464″] PPE fundraiser receives huge support from celebrities

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