New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill's record-breaking performance in a one-day international against South Africa is not enough to secure him a Test recall, Black Caps coach Mike Hesson said on Thursday.

Guptill smashed an unbeaten 180 off 138 balls as the Black Caps beat South Africa by seven wickets in Hamilton on Wednesday, the highest-ever score by a New Zealander against the Proteas.

It was also New Zealand's third-highest ODI score overall, bettered only by Guptill's own 189 against England in 2013 and his 237 against the West Indies in 2015.

Hesson acknowledged Guptill's knock was "exceptional" but said the 30-year-old had already been tried at Test level and found wanting.

He said Guptill would not feature in New Zealand's squad for the three-Test squad against South Africa beginning in Dunedin next Wednesday.

"He's not in the Test side, I think you've probably got to look at Martin's record at the moment and make that decision," Hesson told Radio New Zealand.

"There's plenty of examples around the world of players who have been extremely good at one format and not the other, hence there's three different formats."

Guptill averages 43.98 in one-dayers but only 29.38 in Tests.

The discrepancy has become even more stark recently, with the batsman averaging almost 60 in one-dayers over the past two years while his Test returns were stuck on 28.93.

He was dropped from the Test squad after last year's tour of India, where he managed only one half-century in six innings.

Hesson said Guptill may have a chance to revive his Test career as a middle-order batsman, rather than an opener, but he would have to prove himself in domestic cricket first.

"We've decided the middle order's the place for him to push his case," he said.

Guptill said he would do whatever was needed to play red-ball cricket again.

"I'll bat wherever, it doesn't matter if it's at 11," he told Radio Sport.

Guptill's 180 helped New Zealand level the ODI series at 2-2, setting up a winner-takes-all clash in the fifth and final match at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday.

Actor Kamal Haasan met the Queen of England, Elizabeth II at the launch of UK-India year of Culture 2017 and shared the experience on his Facebook page.

Haasan is among many the many celebrities to have met the Queen during the event that was held at Buckingham Palace.

Kamal wrote- “The Queen seemed in good health and remembered her visit to India fondly. The Duke of Edinburgh was in great shape and health as well. The exchange was brief as there were too many people.

You might remember during Her Majesty's visit to India, she visited my film set. Probably the only film shooting she had attended in her whole life. “

Extending previous gains amid positive global cues and better than expected third-quarter (Q3) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers, Indian equity markets started Thursday’s trading session with jumps. At 9.50 am, the Sensex at the BSE was trading 113 points up at 29,098 and the Nifty at the NSE was trading 35 points higher at 8,981.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices climbed around 0.5 per cent each.

GDP growth for the quarter ended December 31, 2016 contracted to 7 per cent, Central Statistics Office (CSO) said on Tuesday.

The third quarter number GDP numbers are an important indicator of how the economy reacted after demonetisation. In the quarter ended December 31, 2015 the GDP growth was 7.2 per cent.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, Metal index jumped the most, up 1.2 per cent, while Realty index became the top loser, down 0.6 per cent.

On Wednesday, the Sensex had closed 241 points higher at 28,984 and the Nifty had closed 66 points up at 8,946.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: Tata Motors (up 3.5 per cent), Bajaj Auto (up 1.2 per cent), Maruti Suzuki (up 1.1 per cent), Hero Motocorp (up 1.1 per cent) and ICICI Bank (up 1.1 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: Dr Reddy’s Labs (down 0.7 per cent), Sun Pharma (down 0.3 per cent), Power Grid (down 0.3 per cent), ITC (down 0.1 per cent) and NTPC (down 0.1 per cent)

Meanwhile, the Rupee was trading seven paise higher at 66.76 against the US Dollar.

Gareth Bale complained he had been harshly treated after the first red card of his Real Madrid career cost the European champions in a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Las Palmas on Wednesday.

Bale kicked out at Jonathan Viera twice before finally pushing the Las Palmas midfielder to the ground early in the second-half with the scores level at 1-1.

"I don't believe that it was deserving of a red card," the Welshman told Real Madrid TV. "I was shown the yellow for the foul, I was then pushed and I just pushed him back.

"I want to apologise to the team and the fans. I hope to learn from my mistake".

Madrid looked set for a first home league defeat in a year as Las Palmas took advantage of Bale's dismissal to lead 3-1 with just three minutes remaining through Viera and Kevin-Prince Boateng.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo's double salvaged a draw that keeps Real just a point adrift of league leaders Barcelona with a game in hand.

"We can't look for excuses," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. "What we can do is improve our performance. We are not happy with how we are playing.

"There are moments in the season like this. The past three or four games things haven't gone as we would want, but we are not going to look for excuses in the referees."

Madrid vice-captain Marcelo said Bale is aware his moment of madness had badly let his teammates down.

"I am not one to give him a clip round the ear, that is what I do to my children," said the Brazilian. "Bale is old enough to know if he has made a mistake or not.

"These things happen in football, but hopefully it doesn't happen again between now and the end of the season."

In a recurring theme of Madrid's season, a stunning late effort undid a lot of the damage caused by a below-par display.

The European champions trailed Villarreal 2-0 on Sunday before a rousing fightback in the final 25 minutes sealed a 3-2 win.

However, having also lost 2-1 at Valencia last week after conceding twice in the first 10 minutes, Zidane insisted Los Blancos can't always leave themselves with a mountain to climb.

"We can't go over the top. There are things we have done well this year, but we have to analyse it and we will change things," added the Frenchman.

"We have shown we have character and we can do more. We have to improve particularly in our first-half performances.

We have to think about the positives. We will analyse the negatives, but to come back from 1-3 to 3-3 is a huge effort."

On the same night that Barcelona coach Luis Enrique announced he will not continue next season, the Catalans have the fate of the title in their own hands for the first time in months.

A 6-1 thrashing of Sporting Gijon earlier on Wednesday saw Barca leapfrog Madrid into top spot and the two sides are still to meet at Real's Santiago Bernabeu in April. 

US President Donald Trump wants to take advantage of the good reception his address to Congress received to advance his legislative agenda, White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Wednesday.

In a meeting with journalists off-camera, Spicer said that it was a "great night" for the president, whose first speech before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday evening was generally well-received, Efe news reported.

Spicer added that Trump is now trying to take advantage of the momentum generated by the speech to start working on achieving his legislative goals in meetings with advisers and a luncheon at the White House with Republican Senate and House leaders.

In his speech, the president offered few details about his policies, or how they will be paid for, but he did give Congress some guidelines for eliminating and replacing Obamacare, as former President Barack Obama's health care reform — long a target for Republican lawmakers — is known.

He also called for funding to help rebuild US infrastructure and urged both Democrats and Republicans to compromise to achieve immigration reform.

Despite the lack of details on how he intends to move forward on his agenda, Trump struck a much more presidential tone in his address than on other occasions, and observers and analysts said that it was considerably more conciliatory and optimistic than his dark and apocalyptic speech on Inauguration Day.

Republicans, who had been concerned by the image of chaos the new administration had been projecting during the first five weeks since Jan. 20, celebrated the mogul's speech effusively.

According to a survey conducted by CNN among its TV viewers, 78 percent of those who saw the speech felt it was positive — with 57 percent saying "very positive" and 21 percent saying "somewhat positive — while just 21 percent viewed it as negative.

Spicer also said that Trump would not sign on Wednesday the revised executive order replacing his controversial temporary ban on US entry for refugees and citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations, although several top government officials had earlier said that he would.

Spicer said he did not want to speculate on whether Trump would sign the revised order before the week is out. 

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insisted his side had no one to blame but themselves despite Gareth Bale's red card in a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Las Palmas on Wednesday.

Madrid looked set for a first home league defeat in a year as Las Palmas took advantage of Bale's dismissal early in the second-half to lead 3-1 with just three minutes remaining.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo's double salvaged a draw and keeps Real just a point adrift of league leaders Barcelona with a game in hand.

"We can't look for excuses," said Zidane.

"What we can do is improve our performance. We are not happy with how we are playing.

"There are moments in the season like this. The past three or four games things haven't gone as we would want, but we are not going to look for excuses in the referees."

Bale's first red card since joining Madrid for a then world record fee in 2013 came with the scores level at 1-1 as Tana cancelled out Isco's opener for Real inside the opening 10 minutes.

The Welshman kicked out at Jonathan Viera twice before finally pushing the Las Palmas midfielder to the ground.

"He has apologised. He is not happy with the sending-off," added Zidane.

Madrid vice-captain Marcelo said Bale is aware his moment of madness had badly let his teammates down.

"I am not one to give him a clip round the ear, that is what I do to my children," said the Brazilian.

"Bale is old enough to know if he has made a mistake or not. These things happen in football, but hopefully it doesn't happen again between now and the end of the season."

In a recurring theme of Madrid's season, a stunning late effort undid a lot of the damage caused by a below-par display.

The European champions trailed Villarreal 2-0 on Sunday before a rousing fightback in the final 25 minutes sealed a 3-2 win.

However, having also lost 2-1 at Valencia last week after conceding twice in the first 10 minutes, Zidane insisted Los Blancos can't always leave themselves with a mountain to climb.

"We can't go over the top. There are things we have done well this year, but we have to analyse it and we will change things," added the Frenchman.

"We have shown we have character and we can do more. We have to improve particularly in our first-half performances.

We have to think about the positives. We will analyse the negatives, but to come back from 1-3 to 3-3 is a huge effort."

On the same night that Barcelona coach Luis Enrique announced he will not continue next season, the Catalans have the fate of the title in their own hands for the first time in months.

A 6-1 thrashing of Sporting Gijon earlier on Wednesday saw Barca leapfrog Madrid into top spot and the two sides are still to meet at Real's Santiago Bernabeu in April.

However, Zidane rejected suggestions Madrid are in danger of throwing the title away.

"We are going to fight. When there were good moments and we were leaders, I always said we would have difficult moments. "We are not leaders, but the league is still open and we are not going to give up. "You win leagues at the end (of the season) not now." 

Barcelona demolished Sporting Gijon 6-1 in their La Liga clash to go top of the league after Real Madrid could only manage a 3-3 draw with Las Palmas. But the big story of the night was the that  Barca manager Luis Enrique announced his decision to not renew his contract which expires at the end of the current season in the post-match press conference.

While Madrid still have a game in hand, their grip on the La Liga title has been slipping in recent weeks and Barcelona put in a stunning all-round performance against a hapless Gijon with Lionel Messi once again the focal point in all their attacks.

He beat the offside trap and headed Javier Macherano’s lofted through-ball over oncoming Gijon keeper Ivan Cuellar to open the scoring for the hosts in the ninth minute. Luis Suarez then rounded Cuellar but his shot was going wide before it was inadvertently turned into his own net by Juan Rodriguez to double Barcelona’s lead two minutes later.

Carlos Castro pulled one back for the visitors, finishing from close range after a rare Gijon foray into the Barcelona half, but Suarez then sent in a thundering volley from inside the box to restore the host’s two-goal cushion three minutes before the half-hour mark.

With the scoreline reading 3-1 at the interval, Enrique decided to send in Paco Alcacer for Suarez. And the move paid dividends within minutes as La Blaugrana stretched their lead after Messi set up the substitute, who finished emphatically past Cuellar to stretch the host’s lead.

Messi then went close with a free kick which grazed the top of the bar but Neymar went one better in the 66th minute, curling in a beauty from the right side of the box and despite Cuellar managing to get a hand to the ball, Barcelona were 5-1 up.

Ivan Rakitic completed the rout three minutes from time, finishing well from a tight angle and with thirteen matches remaining, Barcelona have a very strong chance of completing a triple double by the end of the current season.

The Catalans have 57 points from 25 games played while their arch-rivals Real Madrid are one point behind, but have a game in hand.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has met US National Security Advisor Lt Gen H R McMaster and discussed counter-terrorism, bilateral relations and ways to take Indo-US ties forward.

The meeting between Jaishankar and McMaster gains significance as the top military leader was appointed as the National Security Advisor by US President Donald Trump ten days ago.

During the meeting held at the White House, the two officials are believed to have discussed issues related to security relationship, counter-terrorism, and defence partnership.

Jaishankar also met Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan and discussed various issues, including ways to enhance economic and defence cooperation between both countries.

"The relationship between the US and India is rooted in shared values of democracy and freedom," Ryan said in a statement after meeting Jaishankar.

"We had a great opportunity today to build on this critical partnership by discussing ways to enhance our economic and defence cooperation," Ryan said.

During his meeting with Jaishankar, Ryan expressed condolences of US House of Representatives on the death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, and Alok Madasani, another Indian of the same age, injured in the shooting by navy veteran Adam Purinton, who yelled "terrorist" and "get out of my country" before opening fire on them.

"Our peoples must continue to stand together, and I look forward to working with Foreign Secretary Jaishankar in the years ahead," Ryan said.

Jaishankar arrived here in the US on Tuesday on a four-day visit to hold talks with top officials of the Trump Administration, lawmakers and members of the think-tank community.

This is his third-trip to the US after Trump was elected as the President.

Trump had earlier pledged to strengthen Indo-US ties during his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.

About three weeks before his electoral victory, Trump had told Indian-Americans that in him India would have the best friend at the White House.

"Majestic work of art that celebrates the beauty of India," Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is said to have remarked when Chef Vikas Khanna presented to her a copy of his limited-edition 16-kg Utsav tome that celebrates the story of Indian cuisine.

"Utsav was kept on a pedestal and the Queen spent almost 15 minutes going through the book. She was most interested in the multi-cultural diversity of India and how Utsav represents the rich heritage and beauty of India through the lens of the common man. She instantly instructed her team to have Utsav placed in her private library at Windsor," a statement said.

Only 12 copies of Utsav have been made and this was the 11th copy. It was specially handcrafted, gold gilded and presented in a raw pink Ahimsa Silk, the statement said.

The presentation took place as part of the "Indo UK 70 Years of Culture" celebrations.

Chef Khanna had a private audience with the Queen and Prince Philip and later with Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton as well.

Luis Enrique on Wednesday announced that he will leave his position as manager of FC Barcelona, he announced during his press conference shortly after the team’s 6-1 win over Sporting Gijón on Wednesday.

The Asturian explained his decision: “During the pre-season, I had a meeting Albert Soler and Robert Fernández and I informed them that there was a chance of not renewing. They, on behalf of the Club, reassured me that there was no pressure. That moment has now arrived and I announce it to you”.

Minutes before making it public, the 46-year-old announced his decision to the squad in the first team changing rooms of the Camp Nou.

Enrique thanked the Club for his three years the club with the following statement: "I would like to thank the club for placing its trust in me throughout my career, not just as a player but also as a coach. They were the first ones who thought I had the chance to coach the reserves, which I did for three years. Later they decided I would be the coach for these three years, which for me will be unforgettable.”

Thus, the Asturian will have completed three seasons with the Catalan giants when the campaign ends, in which time he has won eight out of a possible ten titles, with three more still at stake.

"We have three exciting months left,” he said. “Three months in all competitions. In one of them, of course, we are in a difficult situation, but, with everyone's help, I am sure we will have an opportunity to turn it around.”

The difficult situation of course, is the 4-0 mauling at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 first leg, leaving the Catalans on the brink of their earliest exit from the competition in recent years. That embarrassing result is said to have confirmed his exit at the summer with rumours swirling of Jorge Sampaoli (The Chilean in charge at Sevilla) being approached to replace the 46-year-old Enrique.

Enrique signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2014 and won an unprecedented treble in his first season in charge, scooping the La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League titles to put the Catalans back at the top after a disastrous season under Tito Vilanova. He earned a two-year extension on the back of his monumental debut season as Barcelona looked to have found the perfect replacement to Pep Guardiola.

The following two seasons have not been as fruitful as his maiden season and perhaps the impossibly-high standards at Barcelona have forced him to come to the decision.

For the 2015-16 season saw Barcelona manage a domestic double of the La Liga and the Copa del Rey but failed to defend their UEFA Champions League title. Minor trophies like the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup were added to their kitty as well, but the big one remained elusive. And with Barcelona facing certain elimination from the continental competition in the 2016-17 season as well, the pressure has been intense from both media and the fans in recent weeks.

They are in the finals of the Copa del Rey and lead the La Liga rankings after their impressive win over Sporting Gijon, so there is still time to salvage his final season and there is no denying that Enrique has silenced even the staunchest of his critics in his three years at the club.

Lambi Dehar in Mussoorie is believed to be the "most haunted place in India" and a news channel and the Paranormal Society are trying to verify how far the belief is true by installing CCTV cameras. The site is an abandoned mine, where thousands worked up to 20 years ago but now lies abandoned out of fear of uncanny happenings, including weird accidents. In Delhi, however, it is Sanjay Van in Vasant Kunj on the south-western Ridge that is supposed to be the most haunted place. The "second most haunted" locality is Khooni Jheel on the northern Ridge, which acquired that reputation after the 1857 revolt. Uniworld Studios of the "Most Haunted India" society of Sanjay Pandit is researching the ghostly trail and making a film on it too.

The Van area has ruins of the Laal Kot of Prithviraj Chauhan, dating back to the 12th century. Surprisingly enough, only Muslim spectres are believed to be haunting the place and nobody seems to have seen a Hindu ghost, despite the fact that Lal Kot was not bereft of violent deaths in the wake of the second Battle of Tarain, in which thousands of Rajputs, fighting against the invaders led by Mohammad Ghori, died and their wives committed jauhar in the Chauhan fort on hearing the shocking news. The reason cited for the anomaly is that Sanjay Van has lot of tombs of Sayyids and Pirs, right from the time of the Slave dynasty, which means over 8oo years from now. Logically speaking, these mazars should act as a bulwark against hauntings since Sayyids and Pirs are pious men, who don't allow any devilish activity. Then why a ghostly trail there? Some say this is because piety manifests itself sometimes to convice devotees who throng mazars, mostly on Thursday, that holy men can assert their powers even from their graves as they are not supposed to be dead but just hidden from view. There are many stories about Sanjay Van: the mazar, which emits sparks at midnight, the Pir who comes to offer prayers in the wee hours; the spot where jinns congregate to offer namaz and then drink milk from "kulhars" found in the morning without any possible explanation as to how they came there; and the lady in a white sari, swinging from a tree.

Then there is Khanum, who walks about with hair open, after having escaped from rapists, wailing for her lost daughter. The spirits of the children buried in the graveyard are said to get up and play midnight games. There's also the phantom of a king holding his crown in one hand and waving a sword with the other. Peple say he was the one of the sons of Sultan Altutmish, who ruled briefly and was then murdered. At one grave seven Pirs (sic) sit down to recite the tasbih (rosary of the 99 names of Allah) and then partake of tabarukh, or offering of batashas and nuktidanas (sweet balls), amid the aroma of joss-sticks. There's also a fakir, who emerges from a grave before cock-crow with his begging bowl, chanting "Bheek, bheek (alms, alms)".

From time to time people have claimed to have witnessed such apparitions, the most common being of Hazarat Ashiqallah and his father Abdal Baba (proclaiming his Abdali Pathan ancestry) , but the common sense view is that they could be hallucinations of a mind influenced by the ambience of the place ~ dark, dreary and deserted, in which every shadow or noise creates an eerie feeling conducive to belief in the uncanny. Well, whatever it may be, Sanjay Van continues to lay bare its secrets in the 21st century through paranormal activity. How much of it is true and how much gossip is hard to tell, along with the appearance of strange birds and flowers that suddenly keep blooming and fading away. There is also a mazar of a Sayyid, who resents planes flying above it. Many years ago, when some plane crashes took place nearabouts it was rumoured that the Sayyid Baba had manifested his anger by pulling them down. Quite a few pilots visited the Sayyid's grave in Vasant Kunj and another one near Palam airport to make offerings on Jumairat (Thursday) and seek protection from flying accidents. This is how beliefs and superstitions influence every strata of society ~ rich or poor, educated or uneducated. But all said and done, it is not wise to venture into Sanjay Van at night because even if the spirits that (sic) roam there don't harm you, the anti-socials, who lurk about, may very well attack, rob, rape and murder with impunity any foolhardy man or woman, who tries to play the role of a rationalist or braveheart.

Even the police are inclined to think so. Some warn of the fate of the qawwal, whose throat was cut 30 years ago when he tried to find out whether it was true that strange music, complete with tabla and harmonium taans, emanated from a grave under a juliflora (Kabuli kikar) tree, many of which abound in Sanjay Van and suck up a lot of water, causing a perennial biodiversity problem for flora and fauna in the forest. The qawwal was carrying a lot of money and it was thieves, who had done him to death. Another story cited is of a seth, who tried to win a big bet by accepting the challenge to circle a particular grave, which is equally frightening. When he did not return till early morning a search party found him lying dead. His kurta had actually got stuck in a nail jutting out of the grave and thinking that a ghost had caught him, he died of heart failure. Some time back the road to Dayalbagh was deserted because of "ghosts". The Hariparbat police, Agra, conducted an inquiry and arrested students of a nearby institute who, draped in white sheets, used to confront passersby and deprive them of wallets, ornaments and watches.

Make what you like of this yarn but an old Mianji, who lights candles at Hazrat Ashiqallah tomb every week, is convinced that the best way to ward off paranormal incidents is not to defy them but to use the head more than the heart when venturing into man- and God-forsaken places at odd hours. In this connection, one remembers a story told by an aunt about her father-in-law in the 1920s Lahore. When returning from work late at night he was troubled by an apparition emerging from a roadside peepul tree. Rather than lose his nerve he used to throw barfi pieces in front of it and save some for a churail, who haunted a roadside grave.

The old man died before Partition and his experience (sic) made a hair-raising story on late winter evenings in the days when there were no electric lights and only lanterns and diyas lit to dispel darkness.

This is in keeping with the saying that children fear the dark as women fear mice (probably molestors now) and belated travellers fear ghosts. What, however, is worth remembering is that more than appartitions it's fear that haunts. If we can control it, paranormal activity will lose most of the dread it instills.

Is it that time of the year yet when one wants to skip that monotonous life routine and embrace the winds again? Are those plans of capering across the town crossing the CPU again? If yes, one has landed the doubt-ship at the correct runway! A beautiful tent city, guarded by lush green forest, is the destination. Just a three hour head-out from the clamouring city of Ahmedabad, takes one to the town of Polo, articulated with a roll in the tongue.

Polo Festival

The old Polo city came up around the Harnav stream, an old water body mentioned in the Puranas. It was established in the 10th century AD by the Parihar lords of Idar and was then vanquished in the 15th century by the Rathod Rajputs of Marwar. The name Polo has its origin from a Marwari word "Pol", which implies entrance. The name derives its significance from its location on the fringe of Rajasthan and Gujarat, interfacing the two states. It was placed between Kalaliyo in the east, the most astounding stop in the zone, and Mamrehchi in the west, thought to be sacrosanct by the local adivasis.

The Polo Celebration 2017 was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister on 5 January and showcased social projects at the Polo makeshift camp in Abhapur (Vijaynagar). Polo Festival is celebrated each year by Gujarat Tourism to advance the legacy of Polo backwoods. Polo Festival 2017 was a festival of the rich legacy of Polo backwoods. Green mountains watch this woods and the Harnav River quenches its thirst. The presence of the old remains of Jain and Hindu sanctuaries in this unblemished environment is relieved by interfacing nature with a deep sense of being.

A cultural night showcasing the traditions of the Rajasthani community was the centrepiece of the event. Matching the rhythms of the folk music were the villagers dancing to their hearts' content. Plays were put up that spoke of the customs and traditions of their community. Local people, wearing ethnic dresses, serving traditional food and talking in their native language, is what the Polo Festival is all about. One of the most endearing intrusions during the celebrations came from the surrounding Polo Forest, which is home to more than 200 types of winged creatures, including the jungle fowl. Migratory birds too visit Polo during the celebration time. Their calls resonate each morning in Polo.

The indigenous people living here are descendants of the Bhil warriors, who helped Maharana Pratap. Presence of more than 450 varieties of therapeutic herbs and a bountiful vegetation makes Polo celebration an incredible chance to experience nature at its best.

Polo forest

Not so long ago, this region was not much known and attracted not many visitors. The delightful backwoods zone, close to Abhapur town, is known as Polo forest, situated in Sabarkantha area just 180 km from Ahmedabad. This is the most popular among the week-end getaways near Ahmedabad. With development and improved facilities, the number of tourists has grown significantly in the past couple of years.

The forest sanctuaries date back to 1,500 years. The fig trees are great spots to look for the endangered Gray Hornbill and Brown-headed Barbet that will come to snack on the fruits. Dim Hornbills can likewise be found on a Banyan tree close to the camp ground. On the opposite side of the camp are Woodpeckers and at a specific half-hour in the evening (the time changes with sunset) flocks of birds settle down for the night.

The forest is crossed by a lovely stream, which is so picturesque that it can bring out the best even in a photography-challenged person. A beautiful stepwell, one of the ancient water harvesting structures dotting Gujarat, reflects the artistry of Mother Earth.

Ancient temples

The ancient temples of Polo in Khedbrahma and Vijaynagar taluka stand out for their elegance amid the long tract of forest in the lap of Aravali Hills. These include the imposing Shiva and Jain temples surrounded by untouched beauty of nature. The temples are believed to be from the 14th and 15th century. Their architectural style suggests they are the remains of the Solanki era. However, it seems the temples also contain the heritage of the successors of Idar state of that period. The chief characteristic of these temples is that the Hindu and Jain temples are adjacent to each other.

In a nutshell, this place is a paradise for individuals, who simply meander into nature. Murmuring springs, assortment of trees, simple town dwellers and their little cottages, all these exude a freshness and revive a tired visitor.

Is it that time of the year yet when one wants to skip that monotonous life routine and embrace the winds again? Are those plans of capering across the town crossing the CPU again? If yes, one has landed the doubt-ship at the correct runway! A beautiful tent city, guarded by lush green forest, is the destination. Just a three hour head-out from the clamouring city of Ahmedabad, takes one to the town of Polo, articulated with a roll in the tongue.

Polo Festival

The old Polo city came up around the Harnav stream, an old water body mentioned in the Puranas. It was established in the 10th century AD by the Parihar lords of Idar and was then vanquished in the 15th century by the Rathod Rajputs of Marwar. The name Polo has its origin from a Marwari word "Pol", which implies entrance. The name derives its significance from its location on the fringe of Rajasthan and Gujarat, interfacing the two states. It was placed between Kalaliyo in the east, the most astounding stop in the zone, and Mamrehchi in the west, thought to be sacrosanct by the local adivasis.

The Polo Celebration 2017 was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister on 5 January and showcased social projects at the Polo makeshift camp in Abhapur (Vijaynagar). Polo Festival is celebrated each year by Gujarat Tourism to advance the legacy of Polo backwoods. Polo Festival 2017 was a festival of the rich legacy of Polo backwoods. Green mountains watch this woods and the Harnav River quenches its thirst. The presence of the old remains of Jain and Hindu sanctuaries in this unblemished environment is relieved by interfacing nature with a deep sense of being.

A cultural night showcasing the traditions of the Rajasthani community was the centrepiece of the event. Matching the rhythms of the folk music were the villagers dancing to their hearts' content. Plays were put up that spoke of the customs and traditions of their community. Local people, wearing ethnic dresses, serving traditional food and talking in their native language, is what the Polo Festival is all about. One of the most endearing intrusions during the celebrations came from the surrounding Polo Forest, which is home to more than 200 types of winged creatures, including the jungle fowl. Migratory birds too visit Polo during the celebration time. Their calls resonate each morning in Polo.

The indigenous people living here are descendants of the Bhil warriors, who helped Maharana Pratap. Presence of more than 450 varieties of therapeutic herbs and a bountiful vegetation makes Polo celebration an incredible chance to experience nature at its best.

Polo forest

Not so long ago, this region was not much known and attracted not many visitors. The delightful backwoods zone, close to Abhapur town, is known as Polo forest, situated in Sabarkantha area just 180 km from Ahmedabad. This is the most popular among the week-end getaways near Ahmedabad. With development and improved facilities, the number of tourists has grown significantly in the past couple of years.

The forest sanctuaries date back to 1,500 years. The fig trees are great spots to look for the endangered Gray Hornbill and Brown-headed Barbet that will come to snack on the fruits. Dim Hornbills can likewise be found on a Banyan tree close to the camp ground. On the opposite side of the camp are Woodpeckers and at a specific half-hour in the evening (the time changes with sunset) flocks of birds settle down for the night.

The forest is crossed by a lovely stream, which is so picturesque that it can bring out the best even in a photography-challenged person. A beautiful stepwell, one of the ancient water harvesting structures dotting Gujarat, reflects the artistry of Mother Earth.

Ancient temples

The ancient temples of Polo in Khedbrahma and Vijaynagar taluka stand out for their elegance amid the long tract of forest in the lap of Aravali Hills. These include the imposing Shiva and Jain temples surrounded by untouched beauty of nature. The temples are believed to be from the 14th and 15th century. Their architectural style suggests they are the remains of the Solanki era. However, it seems the temples also contain the heritage of the successors of Idar state of that period. The chief characteristic of these temples is that the Hindu and Jain temples are adjacent to each other.

In a nutshell, this place is a paradise for individuals, who simply meander into nature. Murmuring springs, assortment of trees, simple town dwellers and their little cottages, all these exude a freshness and revive a tired visitor.

The streets of Jodhpur are captivating. As one treads them, the victory songs of Rao Jodha of Mehrangarh reverberates in heart and mind. But, with the passage of time, the streets and the markets near the Old Clock Tower narrate many novel tales. One such story is of Kavita Gehani, a young entrepreneur who runs a shop of specially prepared herbs and spices along with her mother and six sisters.

The shop, established by her father, Mohanlal Gehani in the year 1994, is also the preferred choice of the Royal palace when it comes to feasts and festivals. With a uniqueness and blend of various spices collected and bought from South Indian states, the shop stands different from all. Young Kavita stands at the gate of her shop and politely requests the visitors to come and have tea in her shop and then the tea (specially blended with rose, mint, ginger and other secret ingredients, which she refuses to disclose) does all the magic.

Showcasing her collection of spices and herbs, Kavita says, "My father was a very kind man. He started his business with a cart. One day, he invited a tourist for lunch. My mother prepared a special curry with a blend of 25 various spices, which left the guest mesmerised. He suggested my father to open his own shop and rest is all evident."

Spice list

The spices are collected from all over the India. Kavit, her mother and her sisters prepare the blend with bare hands to maintain the purity and the natural essence. The Maharaja masala (made with over 25 different spices), the wine masala (prepared with clove, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and other herbs) and a varied range of tea leaves are the major attractions of the shop.

Asked about the wine masala, Kavita narrates, "Whenever we caught fever and cold, my grandmother used to give us a sip of brandy spiced up with medicinal herbs. Later, my mother used all the ingredients to prepare a special masala for liquor (wine preferred), which helps to cure diseases but also enhances the taste of the wine."

Having a successful business in the busy streets of Jodhpur was never a easy task for the seven sisters. Where maintaining the originality, purity and essence of the spices is a greater challenge, the hardships faced by female entrepreneurs in our country worsen the situation. "Most of the vendors copy our business," elaborated Kavita. "They scold and harass us when their customers enter our shop. Sometimes we get stalked by strangers on the streets, they abuse us and make round on bikes. This has been tough for us. Our father died 12 years ago, since then we took up our business and reached new heights. Yes, there are challenges but the love and respect that we get from our customers are the only reason that we stand tall and different."

Sipping the masala chai prepared by Kavita, Pauli from the US said, "I am in love with the spices and the flavours. These are the actual flavours that we look for in India. I love all the spices, especially the tea. The originality is the only quality why we are here in this shop."

Kavita and her sisters, who run a chain of MV spices in Jodhpur, are a source of inspiration for young entrepreneurs. With their courage, dedication and impeccable marketing skills, the sisters have come a long way. Their story is exactly like their spices: unique, original, colourful and a little secretive too.

Rekha Mehra, a trained classical dancer, exponent of Kathak, choreographer, teacher and social activist, has blended Indian mythology with traditional dance, along Jaipur and Lucknow Gharanas. President, Urvashi Dance Centre, Safdurjung Enclave, she has also been teaching dance and music to underprivileged children for the last five years.

Widely performed, Mehra has choreographed some thematic dance compositions for social awareness and promotion of physical, social and mental well-being of women and children, such as HIV-AIDS, Global Warming, Women Empowerment, War and Peace, Dhani Chunaria, Road Safety, Athithi Devo Bhav, Save The Girl Child: Ladli and Bhagidari Mela for National and international audiences and been much appreciated.

At the SCOPE Complex Auditorium recently, with Jathagat-Tathagat, her students performed in glittering costumes on a well-set stage. The lone male performer was brisk and undoubtedly a seasoned performer. Light footedness and supleness are the backbones of Kathak dance, where from movement to music everything is soft, intricate and nuanced. In spite of impeccable costuming, this lightness remained lacking in many performances, with fluidity replaced by heavy footfalls and rigid arm swings, the audio accompaniment a tad too loud to please the ears.

Till of course our gold and white clad underprivileged children stepped on stage. They indeed performed as dedicated Kathak exponents. Visually they could be weighed in feather, footwork brisk and ephemeral, with electrified feet, they performed as if were born to dance. Movements fleeting and fluid, perfect to timing, the girls were a credit to Mehra, in her efforts at teaching, so richly and tastefully costuming, inspiring the young girls to dance so with their hearts in it. A huge investment, bearing the sweetest of fruits.

A wonderful gesture was to invite friends and family of these girls from Krishna Nagar and Humayunpur to delight in the performance of their wards to a full house in such august premises. Kudos to Mehra and may these young pictures of grace never stop dancing.

Hues of Neelanchal ~ a group show by eight artists from Odisha, concluded recently at the Lalit Kala Akademi's Galleries 1 and 2, with participating artists Banoj Mohanty, Amarendra Mahrana, Chiranjib Pand, Deenbandhu Marndi, Nirakar Chowdhury, Anil Roy, Rajesh Pattnaik and Sushant Kumar Panda. Prices ranged from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh each, in oil, acrylic and watercolors, as also waste material.

People from the interiors, villages and small towns, contrary to popular belief, can be immensely observant sensitive and intelligent, with great potency of articulation, more so when they have been initiated into and taught the craft.

Untaught yet about the politics of art, these artists speak from their heart, marking their work with a raw intensity, charged with a robust energy only the simple can command.

Deenabandhu Marndi's rootedness to his tribal background eggs him on with his method and material of painting on tea-washed fabric, taking in its fray all tones and textures created in the process. The ethos breathes out from the air he creates, painting tribals in their very essence.

There is Nirakar Chowdhury, with his geometic translations of rivers and boats. Banoj Mohanty, a la Modrian, views the world from above, effecting clean human images wrapped up in their own affairs. With his gentle receding colour palette and soft touch, the artist is the only one in the show with small format works.

The brute force of the horse is emblematic for Rajesh Pattanaik, charged and electrified with his use of pure intense colours, the animal pinned into a cloud that appears almost from nowhere. Anik Kumar Roy uses yoga as his leitmotif and paints some precise, inspiring images quite suitable to corporate surroundings.

Rekha Mehra, a trained classical dancer, exponent of Kathak, choreographer, teacher and social activist, has blended Indian mythology with traditional dance, along Jaipur and Lucknow Gharanas. President, Urvashi Dance Centre, Safdurjung Enclave, she has also been teaching dance and music to underprivileged children for the last five years.

Widely performed, Mehra has choreographed some thematic dance compositions for social awareness and promotion of physical, social and mental well-being of women and children, such as HIV-AIDS, Global Warming, Women Empowerment, War and Peace, Dhani Chunaria, Road Safety, Athithi Devo Bhav, Save The Girl Child: Ladli and Bhagidari Mela for National and international audiences and been much appreciated.

At the SCOPE Complex Auditorium recently, with Jathagat-Tathagat, her students performed in glittering costumes on a well-set stage. The lone male performer was brisk and undoubtedly a seasoned performer. Light footedness and supleness are the backbones of Kathak dance, where from movement to music everything is soft, intricate and nuanced. In spite of impeccable costuming, this lightness remained lacking in many performances, with fluidity replaced by heavy footfalls and rigid arm swings, the audio accompaniment a tad too loud to please the ears.

Till of course our gold and white clad underprivileged children stepped on stage. They indeed performed as dedicated Kathak exponents. Visually they could be weighed in feather, footwork brisk and ephemeral, with electrified feet, they performed as if were born to dance. Movements fleeting and fluid, perfect to timing, the girls were a credit to Mehra, in her efforts at teaching, so richly and tastefully costuming, inspiring the young girls to dance so with their hearts in it. A huge investment, bearing the sweetest of fruits.

A wonderful gesture was to invite friends and family of these girls from Krishna Nagar and Humayunpur to delight in the performance of their wards to a full house in such august premises. Kudos to Mehra and may these young pictures of grace never stop dancing.

Hues of Neelanchal ~ a group show by eight artists from Odisha, concluded recently at the Lalit Kala Akademi's Galleries 1 and 2, with participating artists Banoj Mohanty, Amarendra Mahrana, Chiranjib Pand, Deenbandhu Marndi, Nirakar Chowdhury, Anil Roy, Rajesh Pattnaik and Sushant Kumar Panda. Prices ranged from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh each, in oil, acrylic and watercolors, as also waste material.

People from the interiors, villages and small towns, contrary to popular belief, can be immensely observant sensitive and intelligent, with great potency of articulation, more so when they have been initiated into and taught the craft.

Untaught yet about the politics of art, these artists speak from their heart, marking their work with a raw intensity, charged with a robust energy only the simple can command.

Deenabandhu Marndi's rootedness to his tribal background eggs him on with his method and material of painting on tea-washed fabric, taking in its fray all tones and textures created in the process. The ethos breathes out from the air he creates, painting tribals in their very essence.

There is Nirakar Chowdhury, with his geometic translations of rivers and boats. Banoj Mohanty, a la Modrian, views the world from above, effecting clean human images wrapped up in their own affairs. With his gentle receding colour palette and soft touch, the artist is the only one in the show with small format works.

The brute force of the horse is emblematic for Rajesh Pattanaik, charged and electrified with his use of pure intense colours, the animal pinned into a cloud that appears almost from nowhere. Anik Kumar Roy uses yoga as his leitmotif and paints some precise, inspiring images quite suitable to corporate surroundings.

Padmabhushan awardees Raja and Radha Reddy, and their cultural institution Natya Tarangini celebrated a night-long festival of classical music and dance on Mahashivaratri as "Shiva-Aradhana", at the open-air stage of the magnificient complex. Natya Tarangini, the performing arts centre, was founded by Raja-Radha Reddy 40 years ago. It has been organising annually "Parampara Series", the National Festival of Music and Dance, for the last 20 years but this was perhaps their first programme in their own Natya Tarangini complex.

This was also a celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Raja-Radha Reddy's performing career. Natya Tarangini's founder duo completed five decades of their glorious journey of teaching and performing the Kuchipudi dance all over the world. Lasya-Tandavam, performed by them this evening was a duet as their own offering to begin the Shiva-Aradhana. As the name suggests, in Lasya Tandavam, Radha depicted the lyrical grace of Parvati and Raja enthralled the audience with the majestic Tandava of Lord Shiva. This dynamic duet in Kuchipudi dance style gave a flying start to the evening that offered a sumptuous musical feast.

The night-long music and dance performances continued with the offerings of renowned artistes like the Gundecha Brothers (Dhrupad), Ashwini Bhide Deshpande (Khayal), Sanjay Subrahmanyan and K Vageesh (Carnatic music) and Pt Rajendra Gangani (Kathak). It was heartening to see that along with the well-established senior artistes there were also the representative dancers and vocalists of younger generation like Yamini Reddy and Bhavana Reddy (Kuchipudi) and Aditi Sharma (Dhrupad), who certainly deserved to be showcased on this prestigious stage.

Ashta-Nayika

A mesmerising Bharatanatyam dance production, Ashta-Nayika by Sandhya Purecha and her disciples was featured by the Sahitya Academy on the Sahitya Academy Awards evening at the Kamani auditorium recently. Imaginatively conceived, immaculately choreographed and efficiently directed by Sandhya Purecha, Ashta-Nayika was based on Jayadeva's Geet-Govinda Kavyam, an opulent poetry of Sanskrit literature, an unparalleled paradigm of Indian art and culture.

The Ashta-Nayikas, eight types of heroines from the Natyashastra of Bharatamuni, were depicted through Radha and her Sakhi the characters of the Gita Govinda. The Sakhi served as the link of reconciliation and unity between Radha and Krishna's separation, sometimes pacifying Radha and at times entreating Krishna.

Prelude to Ashta-Nayika was created in the melodious raga Hansadhwani, before the first Shloka of Geet Govind "Meghairmedur ambare…" commenced, where it switched over to raga Amritavarshini, echoing the atmosphere of the rainy season and raga Suruti. Music was composed thoughtfully like this throughout, proceeding to Dashavatara in raga Puriya-Dhanashree or the "Lalita lavanga lata…" Ashtapadi, depicting the spring season or Vasanta in raga Vasanta-Bahar and Jaijaivanti.

The "Tirasheel", or curtain, was used very thoughtfully as a prop when the Sakhis would bring the Nayika on stage hiding behind the curtain and the same would be stretched overhead to make a "Mandapam" for the particular Nayika that was to be depicted through the Ashtapadis chosen for this particular Nayika. Appropriate Ashtapadis were chosen for each one of the Ashta-Nayikas, namely Virahotkanthita, Abhisarika, Vasakasajja, Vipralabdha et al like "Yahi Madhava Yahi Keshava…" for the Khandita, or "Ma kuru Manini…" for the Kalahantarita and "Priye charusheele…" and "Kuru Yadunandana…" for the Swadhina-Patika. Each Ashtapadi was composed in appropriate raga and captivating choreography, showcasing all the eight Ashta-Nayikas.

The culmination of the beautifully woven story was the natural union of Radha and Krishna. The "Swadheen-Patika" Radha joyfully looks at her beloved Govind, whom she had brought fully under her control and entreats him to decorate herself in a manner that she is consummate in Krishna. This ultimate union was both physical or mortal and spiritual or divine. On a mortal ground their consummation was marked by Viyog, or love in separation, and Sambhog, or love in union, whereas, on the spiritual plinth, it marks the elevation and surrender of the mortal Jeevatma to the divine and immortal Paramatma.

Sandhya V Purecha as Radha and her disciples Shanti Mohanty Dave as Krishna, Mandira Joshi and Suhani Dhanki as the Sakhis, even Chitra Dalvi and Pushkara Deochake as others, were remarkable in their immaculate Bharatanatyam technique and the emotive Abhinaya. It was a wonderful idea to communicate the storyline in a commentary, being depicted on the side screen through beautiful miniature paintings based on the text. In fact, the entire Bharatanatyam dance production looked like those miniature paintings coming alive on stage. The only suggestion one would like to provide is that Ashta-Nayika needs to be edited a little bit so that the mesmerised audiences do not look at their watches to check the time!