Size zero may not be the universal measure of beauty. There are those — and a good many of them for that matter — who would clamour for a few extra pounds. Not so the case when it comes to electronic devices. Stuff such as PCs (particularly the monitors), smartphones, notebooks and netbooks are now as much lifestyle items as utility devices and, as such, need to look slim and trim. Laptops, for example, have come a long way from bulky machines weighing around 10 kg with average thickness of 1.5 inch, to lightweight gizmos with ultra-thin bezels that weigh in the region of 1 kg. In light of the consumer fetish for thin mobile personal computers, we check out the good, bad and ugly of five laptops that are both thin (less than 1-inch thick) and powerful.Samsung Series 9With a thickness of 0.64 inch and a weight of 1.3 kg, the 13.3-inch (screen-size, diagonally measured) Series 9 (NP900X3A) from Samsung is a worthy contender for the title of ‘Supermodel Laptop of the Year'. The duralumin casing makes it a brawny machine as do an Intel Core i5 processor and 4 GB DDR3 memory. Featuring 400-nit brightness, the high-definition LED display makes viewing possible even in direct sunlight — or that, at least, is what the Korean manufacturer claims. However, a price tag of $1,649.99 (Rs 74,870) makes it way too expensive, in fact, slightly more than even its more popular rival, the MacBook Air. Besides, its storage capacity (128GB solid-state drive) seems too little in today's age of terabyte-capacity personal storage.Dell Vostro V130The good thing about this 13.3-incher from Dell is that it is the first in its category to offer Hyperbaric Cooling, an Intel Advanced Cooling Technology, which helps it stay quiet and cool. The Vostro V130, with 0.65-inch thickness and weighing a mere 1.59 kg, looks sturdy: it is constructed from robust aluminium, and reinforced with zinc hinges and a magnesium alloy palm rest.Featuring the power of the new Intel Core ULV processor, it runs on 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM and is equipped with a reasonable 320-GB hard disk drive. However, poor battery backup of just three hours cancels out many of the pros, rendering the laptop pretty much useless when not powered. The Vostro V130 is priced at Rs 37,290 on the Dell India website.MacBook AirWeighing just 1.06 kg and proudly flaunting its precision monolithic build, the 11-inch MacBook Air is one of the slimmest (0.68 inch) and prettiest laptops out there. But although a powerful NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor makes for superior graphics experience, a previous generation Intel Core 2 Duo processor and paltry storage (64 GB/128 GB flash storage) do not quite help the MacBook Air rise among its equals. Not surprisingly, this svelte beauty from Apple doesn't sport an optical drive, but this is offset by the unique DVD/CD sharing feature, which facilitates ‘borrowing' the optical drive of a nearby Mac or PC. The 64-GB variant comes at a price of Rs 60,900, while the 128-GB model retails for Rs 72,900.LG Xnote P210LG may not be your favourite brand for computers — especially considering it is yet to start selling laptops in India — but its new Xnote P210 has won the thinnest bezel title. Unveiled at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the P210 fits a 12.5-inch screen into a unit measuring just 11.6 inches across! Coming with a clean, matte covering that makes it blend in with any setting, the laptop weighs only 1.3 kg and has a depth of 0.83 inch. On the configuration front, it boasts an Intel Core i3 or i5 ULV processor with up to 4 GB memory. There's a slight catch here, though. This Korean winner is available only in its home market, with a price tag of $1,135 (Rs 51,505).Sony Vaio S SeriesLike all things Sony Vaio, the 13.3-inch S Series (VPCSB19GG/B) is inordinately pricey and stunningly cute. Weighing 1.71 kg and measuring a bare thickness of 0.94 inch, the Vaio S Series is indeed a style gizmo. A second-generation Intel Core i7 processor raises the laptop on the awesomeness-meter while 4 GB memory and 256 GB SSD storage render operations fast and reliable for the travelling professional. But the improbable price of Rs 1,09,900, coupled with mediocre battery life, seriously dampens enthusiasm about it. Thankfully, unlike many of its slim rivals, the Vaio S Series sports a useful CD-DVD drive.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 06-06-2011)
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The art ‘season' this year has been a vibrant one, with significant events taking place across India. The season started with Anish Kapoor's celebrated avant-garde art displays stretching from Mumbai to Delhi. The shows brought together the artist's provocative sculptures made from steel/mirror and mixed-media.While the India Art Summit in Delhi was perhaps the most visited among recently held exhibitions and fairs, individual efforts, too, abounded. The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), inaugurated on 19 January, deserves special mention. The fact that the KNMA is situated inside a mall — the DLF South Court Mall in Saket, south Delhi — means it is likely to be visited by a lot of people. The museum on the whole reinforces the emerging trend this art season: the return of the modern masters. The Bombay Progressive Artists' Group comprising F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and M.F. Husain takes centre stage, with Raza's Saurashtra, Husain's That Obscure Object Of Desire, and Souza's bold nudes occupying pride of place."There is an increasing desire to buy rare works by the masters," says Dinesh Vazirani of Saffron Art Gallery. Across the country, works by modern masters saw strong demand as independent art houses paid tributes to their great works.At Kolkata-based art curator Rakhi Sarkar's exhibition titled ‘Yeh Image Mahaan: India Meets Bharat', popular culture was documented through works such as Amar Sonar Bangla of Sumitro Basak. Sarkar put together an eclectic display of works ranging from Mahabharata drawings of Ganesh Pyne to Shakila's paper collages. "It is about showing the transition of Bharat to India, through works of young artists and women voices," she says.A smaller exhibition was by Haren Thakur and Anup Karar at the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi. While Thakur captures the wedding rituals of the Mundas, and festive motifs of the Hos and the Oraon houses of Jharkhand, Karar portrays the sufferings of humans, especially women, through his works. "Tribal art and their lifestyle, cottages, and their festivals inspire me in every sense," says Thakur. Karar's images of a rickshaw puller, a housewife before a broken mirror, and a pensioner in the bazaar are inspired by feelings of rejection.Sculptor Neeraj Gupta's exhibition ‘Horizontals and verticals' showcased some brilliant carvings out of wood and marble. Gupta, who prefers wood, cement and marble for his sculptures, says he is immensely inspired by his roots. "I don't understand why we have to draw inspiration from western artworks, when we have such a rich heritage," says Gupta, who is particularly fond of his Transformation, a swirled sculpture carved out of marble depicting how life transforms at various stages.Elsewhere, Gautam Bhatia's exhibit titled "Through the eyes of Gandhi" at Bangalore's Aparao gallery, portrayed Gandhi in various avatars — from a cowboy to a lawyer to an American marathon runner. And Ranbir Kaleka displayed his paintings with video projections over them at the Volte gallery in Mumbai.The India Art Summit provided a good platform for young artists. Singapore-based Ketna Patel's art work titled Stop-Indian ahead (a pop-art rendition on Tata Nano) was highly appreciated. "It was intimidating to recreate an iconic object like the Nano, but we got a great response," says gallerist Suman Aggarwal. About 80 per cent of the works were sold by the end of the second day, with prices ranging from Rs 1.5-5 lakh. On the contemporary art front, Subodh Gupta, Farhad Hussain and Bharti Kher's exhibits drew attention. "Demand for contemporary Indian artists, which found interest in a lot of global buyers in 2007, saw a dip, but we expect to be back at the strong price points by the end of this year," says Vazirani. Diaspora came back in a big way. "The best part of the art summit was the inclusion of artists of Indian origin from around the world — from artists such as Anish Kapoor and Raqib Shaw to lesser known but interesting artists such as Gyan Panchal and the Singh twins," says art expert Amrita Jhaveri.The dominant theme of socio-political issues captured through bold colours and metaphorical symbols was seen at all art events. Be it Arpita Kaur's Guantanamo Bay or Vishal K. Dar's A great deal more than a pinch of salt (2010) — a mixed-media installation that made waves across the art circuit.Click here to view slide show on Strokes Of WonderWith inputs from Malabika Sarkar and Pallavi Chakravorty(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 07-02-2011)
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It's difficult to say whether the iPad will save the publishing industry, but the news apps certainly look better than any newspaperCall me crazy but the fact is I have 12 news apps on my iPad and Android smartphone. And I don't even like the news!There's the obligatory Pulse, there's Flipboard, News360, Zite, BBC News, The Telegraph, Buzzbox, TweetPad, AG Newspapers, Early Edition, CNN, and NDTV. I like the NDTV app best for the sheer pleasure of switching it off, with the result that I tend to close it more often than I open it. Just kidding, NDTV.If you're wondering whether I even use all of these apps, let me tell you, I most certainly do. Do I use them all every day? No. Why do I need to? Unlike with a paper newspaper, I don't have to riffle through it before it goes into the junk cupboard. Unlike a newspaper, it doesn't smell of wet dog. Instead, all of these apps either look beautiful and make news readable in new and interesting ways, or offer a convenience I've never known before. Or both.If you rewind to January 27, 2010 and the launch of the original iPad, you'll remember the big talk about how this new tablet thing was going to save the publishing world. There was the New York Times' front page, looking good enough to eat on its screen, but even so, it was difficult to see what could turn around the fortunes of a media industry going through very difficult times - as it still is, in most countries. Was a change of format all that was in the way of young people consuming news from the major news publishing houses and would the iPad fix that? Would readers pay for content online, and would advertisers fit into the equation anywhere?These questions are still largely unanswered. But meanwhile, developers and news organizations have gone ahead and created innovative apps for phones and tablets, particularly the iPad, that are really compelling. My news consumption and reading has gone up several hundred times over, thanks to these. On the mobile, I find I can polish off a big number of stories (not all in full) on the way to work in the car. If I'm tired of reading, I can just turn to news on say, a BBC app. This has seriously eaten into my audiobook and music time. On the iPad, I find that each of the news apps I've collected give me a nuanced access to the news and content I'm interested in and I tend to use whichever suits my need at the time. If I'm looking for nothing in particular, I may flip through Flipboard and there's always lots to read and save. If I want something on a specific subject, I turn to Zite.Which brings me to my current favourite news or content apps. News360 is a recent creation of a small privately-held Russian company that specialises in semantic analysis, which it does for various B2B products. The company's product development head, Roman Karachinsk told me that they just had the idea, in the normal course of work, of creating a personalized news application that drew on the team's expertise with linguistics and semantics. If that makes News360 sound complicated, let me tell you it isn't and the package on the iPad is really easy to use, and very interesting. When you launch this free app, you first see a list of the top stories with thumbnail pictures on one side. You also see several news sources. Tap on a selection and the app goes to a nicely formatted page where you have photos to flip through on top and a long row of news sources to choose from. The text from one of these already shows on the main page and you can slide up the source web page with a touch. The fact that you can see a news story from hundreds of sources easily is nice for writers and companies, but I'm not sure other users want multiple sources raher than just more stories. But if it's sources you want, you can read by source in a Pulse-like screen that you can switch to with a touch.On a sidebar, you can select to see news and articles on different areas of interest and even add them to a My Stories feature to personalize your news topics. You can also share, save, email, and favourite news items from here. Not just that, you can switch to your location by selecting Tripit.But the coolest party trick here is that when you tilt the iPad to landscape, all the stories disappear and you see a screen with photos floating past. This is to allow for serendipitous discovery of news. Tap on a pic, obviously, and you go to the news story from which it comes.The other news app I've become addicted to is Zite. Though it's glitch and slow at times, I love the concept. Zite lets you make a 'magazine' on various areas of interest. I have mini magazines for at least 15 topics - whichever catches my fancy.The author is editorial director at Mindworks Global Media Servicesmala(at)pobox (dot)com, @malabhargava on Twitter
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Beacons of opulence, hallmarks of comfort, and icons of luxury. Sophistication and style define them. We check out some of the world's finest luxe suites, each with its distinct design, décor and character, custom-created for those who live and endorse high-end lifestyle.Galleria & Harisch Suites, Kitzbuehel, AustriaIn an impressive, traditionally built Alpine wooden chalet over several floors, spatial smartness is not what strikes you instantly. But this address in the world's most exotic ski paradise in Tyrol, Austria, celebrates design and comfort quite incomparably. The Harisch Suites are stylishly boutique, very, very exclusive and expensive, and patronised by royalty such as the King of Thailand. Alpine chalets exude quaint charm in the raw timbered and raftered living areas that define them. But at the Harisch Suites, the spatially modern and futuristic goes way beyond the imagination. With unobtrusive Alpine wood elements, buff matte European shades interplay between warm light browns, mauves, lavenders, mahogany and pale white. Natural lighting washes the living lounge with gaiety, while charcoal grey and raw wood make a strong presence. Signature design elements, fixtures, digitally controlled lights and bath features, dedicated temperature controls, sleek kitchenette with mezzanine in-balcony highlights add up to custom living that spells sophistication and class. Tariff: On request.Graf Pilati Suite, Bayerischer Hof, MunichThis regal hospitality landmark in the heart of the Bavarian capital has played host to a stunning line-up of world luminaries, including royalty from Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Denmark, Michael Jackson, Henry Kissinger, the Clintons, the Dalai Lama, Willy Brandt and many more. Endowed with princely, avant-garde and contemporary chic décor, the hotel's Graf Pilati suite, with its soothing ochres, ambers, teakwood and pastel tones, is sensuous and awe-inspiring. Lush jacquard brocade furnishings and upholstery add verve to matte-toned bedspreads, and soft mood lighting lends a romantic and evocative lure. Stylised sink-in seating ensembles create ease in movement and rhythm in layout as side tables, king beds and discreet state-of-the-art features ensure a mellow caress in high living and relaxed lifestyle. Art deco marries classic chic in portions while the hint of minimalism adds linear grace and poise to pronouncedly understated interiors as synergetic colour combos enliven the experience. Tariff: Rs 2.42 lakh per night, including breakfast.Ocean Suite, Le Touessrok, MauritiusOverlooking the tranquil Treau de Douce Bay, this grand suite with a wooden balcony and spacious living areas is a getaway with romantic overtones. While pastels dominate the décor, earthy Mauritian shades of turquoise, peachy orange, lemon yellow and sparkling white are complemented with teakwood furniture reminiscent of Creole homes and French lattice details. Extra-large beds, an oval designer bathtub, him-and-her vanities, split-level living lounge and dining area with a separate writing desk and serving niche add to the warmth of the ambience. Spot mood lighting and cheerful local art on walls with floral arrangements create an exciting tropical environment. Tariff: Rs 70,000 per night including breakfast and dinner.Theme Suite, Stapleford Park, Leics., EnglandThis grand heritage country estate sprawled over an undulating 500 acres of woodland and golfing estate, rose garden and fountains is an intimate escape. Complementing the soothing green environs is classical décor with charming olive greens, bold chequered reds, paisleys and matte tones. Victorian regality is modernised into a suite identity that's uniquely elegant. The combination of buff, half-scaled olive-green moulded wood panelling with stately table lamps juxtaposed with an extra-large king bed with Scottish-esque red checked bedspreads and head rest serves as a magical contrast. The navy blue checked sofa chaise with contrasting red checked cushions are avant garde as the carefully appointed tones create an aura of grandeur. Tariff: Rs 54,500-66,000 per night including breakfast.break-page-breakVilla Suite, Azur Lodge, Queenstown, New ZealandPerched on a grassy hillock overlooking the mystical Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, the suite offers super-luxury decadence with a country touch. Extra-long king beds, sumptuous leather sofas, a roaring fireplace, a wet sink area and minibar behind the bedroom, and a spacious bath with an on-the-edge bathtub mark the specialty of the suite. The simple yet inviting décor allows access to the magnificent scenery. As the sunset mellows moods and nerves, a sun deck with chairs and glass partition is ideal for great New Zealand wines and cigars. Tariff: Rs 48,000 per night including breakfast, airport transfers and pre-dinner drinks. CREATURE COMFORTS: A view of Lake Wakatipu from Villa Suite at Azur Lodge Queenstown, New Zealand Deluxe Suite, The Westin, HyderabadThe Westin deluxe, executive and luxury suites find preference among those looking for calming spaces. The interiors in matte sienna, buff grey, soft beige and fawn drapes create an aura of peace that welcome after a busy day. The award-winning ‘Heavenly Bed', a multi-layered creation of luscious soft comfort with dedicated pillows and mattresses, found patronage from the likes of Laura and George Bush. Expansive, liberally planned, straight-line décor and grace dictate the environs with lush amenities and features; muted seating and diffused spot mood lights complement the furnishings and upholstery. Workstations, 37-inch flat screen TVs, writing desks, well-lit baths, walk-in wardrobes and grand views of the Hi-Tech City are more than deluxe offerings. Tariff: Rs 30,500 per night including Executive Lounge access. CREATURE COMFORTS: The ‘Heavenly Bed' at Deluxe Suites at The Westin, Hyderabad Pool Hut, Orange County, Kabini, KarnatakaAn integral part of the fragile Nilgiri biosphere, fringed by lush forest acres and the famous Nagarhole Game Sanctuary is this eco-sensitive resort designed on the lines of the unique Kadu Kuruba tribal huts. Replete with the creativity of local craftsmen, each pool villa features hand-finished and recycled elements, bamboo screen ceilings, natural and uneven woodwork. The private pool suite is heightened with unique bottle gourd lamps, hand-plastered facades, ethnic furniture, tribal motif furnishings and handmade soft light lamp spots that lend a country game lodge character. The soft-veiled linen and four-poster, frill-decked king bed sprinkles the ambience with a romantic twist. Tariff: Rs 28,000 plus taxes per night including breakfast, lunch, dinner and nature activities. CREATURE COMFORTS: and the ethnic decor at the Pool Hut at Orange County, Kabini, Karnataka Luxury Suite, Fairy Hill, Swansea, WalesBoutique and petite, snuggled in the Gower peninsula near the Mumbles Headland is this superlative getaway. It has only eight ‘Living Havens' or bedrooms that have real Egyptian cotton linen and modern amenities.The elegance is instantly heart-warming. Delightful hand-crafted table lamps, cheery drapes, hand-textured walls, unobtrusive cabinets and settees along with plasma TV and svelte creature comforts add to the country home feel. The essentially boutique touch comes from the Continental furnishings, Welsh tapestry on walls, and crocheted and hand-embroidered Ceredigian crafts unique to the suites. Tariff: Rs 27,500 per night including breakfast and dinner.The authors are high-end luxury travel, lifestyle and hospitality writers, and wine-awareness consultants(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 09-05-2011)
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What do President Pratibha Patil, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Shabana Azmi have in common? They all practise Vipassana meditation, a technique that leads seekers towards tranquillity. (Incidentally, Vipassana meditation is also used for social rehabilitation of prisoners in Delhi's Tihar Jail.) The desire to break free from the shackles of life lead people to throng meditation centres. Many such centres operate like companies, with branches and ambitious annual targets. Spiritual gurus have created architecturally compelling meditation cocoons set in a green paradise. If the Santhigiri Ashram in Kerala beckons with its aesthetic Lotus hermitage, the Pyramid Valley in Bangalore is compelling with its monumental Pyramid meditation hall. The Vipassana Centre, perched atop a hillock in Nashik, is inviting with its leafy surroundings.Pyramid Valley, BangaloreGlobal spiritual masters will participate in the annual Buddha Purnima celebrations to be held from 15-17 May at the Pyramid Valley International. "The Maitreya Buddha Pyramid at the Pyramid Valley is the world's largest meditation pyramid with a base area of 160 ft by 160 ft, and is 102 ft tall," says P.S.R.K. Prasad, trustee and director of programmes at Pyramid Valley International.Built in 2005, it follows the principles of the Pyramids of Giza. It is oriented towards the North-South direction, at an angle of 51 degrees and 51 minutes. Though the Pyramids of Giza were conceptualised as the last resting place of Pharaohs, the Maitreya Buddha Pyramid is used to energise people — through meditation — as radiated cosmic energy blends with earth's gravitational force.Set to mathematical precision, the nodal points contain 640 fist-sized crystals sourced from the Himalayas to activate energy levels. The Pyramid illustrates Lord Buddha's facets. "Buddha propagated Anapanasati meditation 2,500 years ago. Anapanasati in Pali means to be aware of breathing process. One feels the sensations caused by the movements of the breath in the body, and is practised to relax the mind," explains Prasad.The crowd puller is the reclining Buddha, a cement wall mural with an antique bronze finish. The end of the mural showcases Buddha in meditation. Motifs of Ajanta cave paintings and the wheels of the Konark temple on the remaining walls complete the picture. The craftsmanship is different on each side — images represent air, water, fire and earth.For many, spirituality is an old-age pursuit, but Prasad says otherwise: "Meditation is nothing but silencing the mind and should begin after the age of 6." Catch them young is the mantra, as the National Spiritual Youth Convention will be held on 13-14 May. The event brought 600 students to its threshold last year and hopes to attract 1,000 this time.Pyra means fire or light in Latin and mid is centre core. Here it translates as energy in the centre, and is represented by creating a structure within the Pyramid, known as King's Chamber. It is one-third the height of the Pyramid and is accessible through a spiral stairway — most suitable for meditation.Vipassana International Academy, NashikThe soul-stirring silence highlights Vipassana meditation. "It means ‘to see things as they really are', and is a logical process of mental purification through self-observation. People observe silence — that is, silence of body, speech and mind," says Sudhir Pai of Vipassana International Academy.Participants learn the technique through an intensive, residential 10-day meditation course. During the first three days, you concentrate on breathing. They focus on the natural and ever-changing flow of their own breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. This increases concentration and turns the mind into a tool of self-analysis. On the fourth day, you learn the practice of Vipassana meditation. Here the attention systematically shifts from head to toe and vice-versa, observing whatever sensations occur in the body — heat, pressure, lightness, pain or even itching. ETERNAL PEACE: The Santhigiri Ashram in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (left); and the Vipassana International Academy in Igatpuri, Nashik break-page-breakRepeated efforts bring forth deeply suppressed complexes, which cause agitation. Whether they manifest as emotions, memories or dreams, they are accompanied by physical sensations. Through trial and error, you observe unpleasant and agreeable experiences with equanimity. While doing so, agitation gives way to inner peace. By the 10th day, you resume your normal life.Participants describe silence as a pleasant interlude. "There is no technique, at present, other than Vipassana to take one to the path of enlightenment," says Dr Ramesh S. Shah, a cardiologist from Ahmedabad. "Though I am a medical practitioner, Vipassana has helped me realise the truth pertaining to mind and matter."Buddhism propagates two types of respiration meditation — Samatha (or Anapanasati) and Vipassana. Though Vipassana was eventually lost in India, it spread to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar where it was preserved. A former industrialist in Myanmar, Satya Narayan Goenka, took his first 10-day Vipassana course in 1956 under the guidance of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. He realised his spiritual calling, and came to India to spread the power of silence. Goenka established the Vipasana International Academy in 1976 at Dhamma Giri in Igatpuri at Nashik district of Maharashtra.Vipassana meditation does not involve a ‘guru', only guides provide assistance. A Zen-like upliftment can be achieved if one refrains from other forms of prayer and counting beads. Conversations are discouraged, couples stay separate and communication, if necessary, is restricted to the guide.Santhigiri Ashram, ThiruvananthapuramSpirituality blooms at Santhigiri Ashram at Pothencode near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala — almost literally, considering it houses a lotus-shaped Parnasala or hermitage. The hermitage is the memorial for Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru, the founder Acharya who made Pothencode his abode from 1968 following a divine revelation. It is considered the largest of its kind in the world. This 91-ft white makrana marble hermitage is designed with 21 petals, each 41 ft high. The 12 petals on the top represent 12 rasis (astrological signs) and the remaining ones towards the base symbolise nine grihams (planets that govern this universal body). The heart of the structure contains the Sarakoodam, a 27-ft teak wood lotus bud enclosure with a marble cask. This connects to a pedestal, on which a life-size golden sculpture of the founder is installed.The Lotus Parnasala is the central structure of the spiritual zone. On the right is the Prayer Hall where devotees pray and observe silence in front of the Omkara image. Discourses are conducted at the Sahakarana Mandiram located on the left. The spiritual zone echoes with Akhanda Naamam or prayer chants, punctuated with the tolling bell during prayers.It is not a meditation centre but a spiritual ‘parampara' (order) based on a guru-disciple relationship. "It promotes a holistic way of living under the guidance of the omniscient Guru, with prayers and righteous karma (action) to achieve the all-round evolution of an individual, family and the society," says Swami Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi, organising secretary of Santhigiri Ashram.Contemplative moments at the ashram are gently interrupted by the chirping of birds. "Dhyaanam (meditative silence) is observed while praying and the intent is not only to concentrate on the divine form of the guru, but also to communicate with the guru in a subtle manner through ‘sankalpam' or a meditative resolve," says Swami Thapaswi.Today, schools of thought fall back on ancient principles to propagate silence as a soother. Each school provides a unique environment to experience nirvana.The author is a freelance feature writer based out of Banglore(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 16-05-2011)
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