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Nuclear Medicine Safe; Targeted Procedures Show Quick Results, Say PGI Docs

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Taking advantage of the occasion provided by the Golden Jubilee Annual Conference of Society of Nuclear Medicine, India (SNMICON 2018), being hosted by PGI Chandigarh from November 22 to 25, top doctors from the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the prestigious tertiary healthcare institute have sought to reassure the people that nuclear medicine procedures used for targeted early and effective medical diagnosis and treatment with the help of radioactive isotopes are strictly regulated and absolutely safe.

Recent advances in nuclear medicine therapies have significantly improved treatment outcomes, especially in prostate cancer and neuro-endocrine tumours. Investigations like gamma camera imaging and PET-CT imaging are being used daily almost in every branch of medicine and surgery, including cardiology, oncology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, orthopaedics and urology, on patients of all age groups, from new-borns to geriatric age group.

Significant research work is also being conducted in various fields, including study of brain function in diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Schizophrenia, sports injuries and Tuberculosis, along with advanced studies in various types of cancers, they informed.

Interacting with media persons on the eve of SNMICON 2018 on Wednesday, Prof BR Mittal, head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Prof Baljinder Singh and Prof Anish Bhattacharya said India in fact has been a pioneer in structured teaching of this branch of medicine since the 1960s. The expansion of the speciality in the country though has been tardy and lagged far behind some of the advanced countries, including USA.

“There are 6,000-odd centres practicing nuclear medicine in the USA which are benefiting some 18 million citizens each year from nuclear medicine procedures used to diagnose and treat a wide variety of diseases. As against this, there are currently less than 300 centres in India as per the recently released list (July 2018) of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board,” the doctors shared.

According to the doctors, though nuclear medicine procedures are increasingly finding acceptability in effective and early diagnosis and treatment of a host of diseases, the challenge lies in making continuous efforts to indigenously develop various imaging devices and machines, and more advanced isotopes and tracers to drastically cut down the high costs and further improve outcomes. These indigenous solutions can then be expanded across the country, including in peripheral areas, to benefit large sections of the people, they added.

At the four-day conference, nuclear medicine physicians from across the country and abroad will discuss current problems in management of cancer as well as thyroid and cardiac diseases.

Fortis Urology Transplant Surgeon Defies Medical Science To Save Life

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

The age old dictum – never give up despite all odds – especially when you can save a life has miraculously proven true for a noted urology transplant surgeon from the Chandigarh region. He has defied established medical science to repair a kidney after removing a malignant tumour and successfully transplant the residual organ onto a related patient of chronic renal failure who had lost all hope of survival. Presenting before media persons on Tuesday the husband-wife patient duo involved, Dr Priyadarshi Ranjan, Senior Consultant in Urology, Robotics and Kidney Transplant at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, claimed that this is perhaps the first such case in the world and has shattered previously held medical belief that kidneys with tumour are not to be considered for purpose of transplantation.

Sangrur resident Ravinder Sharma (42), General Manager with Punjab Markfed, who has been suffering from chronic renal failure and intermittently been on medication and dialysis for the last more than two years and shuttling between hospitals, was eventually advised kidney transplant for survival. His wife Rosy, who was found to be the only suitable donor in the family with their blood group O+ve matching, was, on medical investigation, diagnosed with a four-cm tumour in one of her kidneys. So far medical science had shunned even considering tumour bearing kidney for transplant. But after getting a CT scan conducted on the wife, weighing the risks and deriving courage from the confidence reposed in him by the family, Dr Ranjan decided to take the plunge into unchartered territory to save a man staring at near certain death.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

And, four months after Rosy’s ailing kidney was harvested, repaired and reconstructed after removing the malignant tumour, and transplanted onto Ravinder, both husband and wife are back to their normal life. Ravinder, who said he had not slept for months after being told that the only suitable donor kidney, that of his wife, could not be transplanted onto him, claimed that he was feeling ten times fitter than he ever felt before being diagnosed with chronic renal failure. “I am now a regular at the gym. I walk and run daily and travel miles every day to and from work. It is as if I am still living a dream, from a hopeless situation to a life full of fun and positive outcomes.”

Says Dr Ranjan, who is preparing to present the case at the next American Transplant Congress scheduled to be held in June next year at Boston, Massachusetts, and send it for publication in prestigious medical journals, said “One big take away from this case is that never out rightly reject a situation on which solely rests the survival of a patient. Do your best, and leave the rest to God. In this case, I believe, all of us, the medical team and the family, were working together for God.”

Dr Ranjan highlighted that “such procedure requires high level of skill and expertise. The most critical consideration was suppression of bleeding, which could have been profuse considering that millions of micro vessels are attached to the kidney. Then there was danger of urine leaking and recurrence of malignancy. Fortunately, we have been able to achieve a good outcome in this patient,” he added.

Global, Indian Brands Move In, Anticipating High Volume Air Travel

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

A shopping arcade with all top brands, a must for any major airport, is coming alive at the Chandigarh International Airport in preparation for the start of 24X7 air operations for all sizes of aircraft from the airport by March 31, 2019. Out of the 36 shops to be opened in a 14,000 sq feet area, 15 started operating on Thursday, officials of Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), which operates the airport, Three Vee Marketing, the master concessionaire, and JLL, the exclusive leasing partner for the retail space, announced at a news conference in Chandigarh.

Among the global and Indian retail brands which have already opened shop are Da Milano, Kama Ayurveda, Tresmode, Sun Glass Hut, Eske, Shaze, Shingora, W & Aurelia, Hamleys, Mother Care, Joias, Change, Pehnawa, Manyavar, Relay, Handmade India and Color Essense. Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mahapatra formally launched the retail space in the presence of representatives of the brands. These brands cover a wide range of products and services like apparel, wellness, convenience, travel, books, electronics, fashion accessories, opticals, watches, jewellery and cosmetics. Duty free and food & beverage outlets are already operating from the airport.

Vivek Nijhawan and Deepesh K Joshi (right)

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Vivek Nijhawan, Director, Three Vee Marketing, informed that while choosing brands for the shopping arcade care is being taken that most segments of products and services in demand specifically at Chandigarh International Airport are available to travellers. He claimed that travel retail is growing at a brisk pace and they are targeting to make all 36 stores operational before the coming Christmas, with 25 brands already finalised.

Three Vee Marketing won the bid for the retail space from among three applicants. Nijhawan said they will be working on a minimum guarantee or revenue sharing model, whichever is higher.

Deepesh K. Joshi, Manager (Engg-E) and PRO of CHIAL, shared that all facilities at the airport are being ramped up ever since the India Air Force authorities at Chandigarh, which are handling the expansion work at the airport, committed to handing over the expanded and upgraded runway by March 30, 2019.

100 Flights Being Targetted

One more conveyor belt, three aero bridges, an escalator and five bays for parking of aircraft are being added to cater to a much higher volume of traffic expected at the airport. “With an  extended 10,400 feet runway and Cat 2 ILS (instrument landing system) becoming operational by March end 2019, we are expecting the number of flights operating from the airport to gradually increase manifold to an expected 100 from 32 (2 of them international) operating as on today. The ILS will be further upgraded to Cat 3 by the winter of 2019. We are in the process of writing to domestic and international airlines informing them of our readiness with required facilities to take the extra load of wide bodied aircraft 24X7 and are expecting a good response,” Joshi added.

Currently, the airport is operational only from 7:20 am to 4:45 pm when the visibility without Cat 2 ILS is good.

Diwanshu Mittal, Director & Co Head – North India, Retail Services, represented JLL at the news conference.

Pancreas Transplant Showing Promise Of Viable Alternative To Insulin Intake: PGI Docs

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

Endocrinologists at the PGI Chandigarh have asserted that lifelong injection of insulin is an absolute necessity for Type 2 diabetics, and omission of insulin intake is most certainly suicidal for them. The biggest danger for people with Type 2 diabetes is to fall for “sure shot” alternative solutions touted by various ‘babas’ and other propounders of so called miracle medicines. “All these practices are humbug and we strictly advise patients not to be lured by such tall claims,” Dr Anil Bhansali, Prof & Head, Department of Endocrinology and other senior members of his team informed media persons at a World Diabetes Day commemoration briefing on Tuesday.

Asserting that only transplant of the pancreas was showing promise of being a viable alternative to insulin intake for Type 2 diabetics in the future, he said right now there was a big question mark on the availability of suitable donors. PGI is the only public hospital in the country to be doing such transplants apart from an odd private hospital.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Dr Ashish Sharma, transplant surgeon in the department, added: “We have successfully done 15 cases of simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant on Type 2 diabetes patients who suffered renal failure and in all 15 cases the patients were discharged from the hospital within a month. They were taken off insulin immediately after the pancreas transplant. Four years after we first undertook transplant of the pancreas in 2014, the long term survival rate of such patients has been 73 %.”

He expressed confidence that the long term survival rate was sure to improve further with more pancreas donors coming forward and doctors being able to handle more such transplant cases. “We are following the same procedures as in some of the advanced countries, but various post discharge factors, which are primarily in the hands of the patients or their attendants, need to be improved. Concerns still remain over these patients contacting infections post discharge or not regularly taking their immunosuppressant medicines, which they are required to take for life. In India we have done less than 100 such transplants, as against more than a 1,000 in the USA,” he informed.

Chandigarh Diabetes Capital

Sharing details of latest surveys on prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes, Dr Bhansali said Chandigarh continued to remain the diabetes capital of the country, while China was now the diabetes capital of the world. Data recently published by ICMR-INDIAB study showed a diabetes prevalence of 13.6 % in Chandigarh as against a national average of 7.3 % in 15 states covered so far. This figure is in concordance with a previous study on diabetes undertaken by PGI in Chandigarh and published in 2009, which showed diabetes prevalence of 12 %. The situation demands further strengthening of the awareness drives in Chandigarh to persuade the people to maintain a healthy lifestyle with ample measure of daily exercising and avoiding junk foods, Dr Bhansali opined.

He said another cause for serious concern was the high probability of prevalence of prediabetes on a very large scale among the population in Chandigarh, but data which indicated to such a probability needed to be further reinforced, he said. If detected at a prediabetes stage, patients can hope to reverse the condition with suitable changes in their lifestyle, he said, adding that people above 30 years of age must get themselves tested for diabetes to rule out a prediabetes stage having set in.

Spread Out The Pricks

Dr Bhansali also advised diabetics who are taking their daily doses of insulin to insure that each time they inject themselves at different points in a larger area around the navel and not just at one place. The distance between two consecutive pricks should be one cm. This, he explained, was necessary to prevent formation of fat lump over the abdominal wall which prevents optimum insulin absorption. The same needle can be used for up to six times, he said.

Take Care Of Feet

The senior doctors also cautioned diabetic patients against ignoring the health of their feet. The incidence of ulcers, gangrene and charcot foot (weakening of bones) is common among diabetics. “If there are 100 diabetic patients coming with foot complications, there will be approximately 15 % those who are suffering from charcot foot, 60 % will have ulcers and the rest gangrene. Charcot Foot, especially, goes unnoticed with just subtle symptoms like warmth to the touch (affected foot feels warmer than the other), insensitivity, redness, swelling, etc. All these complications if left unattended over a period of time can even lead to amputation, they warned.

These Authentic & Exclusive Rustic Biryanis Are Sure To Blow Your Mind

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

A year and a half of travel and painstaking research by Corporate Chef Sandeep Bansal has gone into developing 18 authentic rustic biryanis, which have been prepared using healthy and digestive ingredients. The outcome is ‘Petu Pankaj’, touted as the country’s first authentic and exclusive biryani quick service restaurant (QSR), a venture launched in Chandigarh with his chartered accountant brother Pankaj Gupta. The first of a planned chain of QSRs has been opened at Booth No. 40 in the middle of the famous fast food district in Sector 8-C, Chandigarh. An elaborate base kitchen (equipped to prepare biryani for 50,000 people daily) to feed the restaurant chain was formally inaugurated in Industrial & Business Park Phase I on Monday with some of the top notch names from the culinary world present to bless the venture.

 

With 18 ‘shakahari’ (veg) and ‘masahari’ (non-veg) biryanis on the menu, and more to come, biryani lovers will be spoilt for choice. Hyderabadi Sabz Chilmann Dum Biryani, Saat Nizam Biryani, Kathal Ki Biryani and Vilayati Sabziyon Ki Biryani among veg biryanis, and Hyderabadi Dum Murg Biryani, Awadhi Chicken Biryani and Malabaar Biryani among non-veg biryanis are just a few to excite your taste buds.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Apart from the biryanis, the restaurant, which also entertains home delivery requests with no minimum order, has on offer lip smacking curries, dals, kebabs and burra, Indian breads, accompaniments, desserts and non-alcoholic and without fruit juice beverages from the ‘bunta bar’.

Pankaj Gupta, the chartered accountant director of Pangu Hospitality Services Pvt Ltd, which owns the QSR venture, informs that utmost care has been taken to ensure that all the preparations being offered are healthy. “So, the use of common salt has been substituted with other healthy and natural salts, and some ayurveda certified ingredients have been added for digestive effect. There are no added colours. The biryanis we prepare are a complete meal with proteins, carbohydrates and mineral in ample measure, with an enchanting taste and flavour to boot.”

Four signature biryanis, including Sone Ki Biryani, Chandi Ki Biryani and Kadaknath Ki Biryani, and several other signature products, solely developed with self-generated ‘secret recipes’ by Corporate Chef Sandeep Bansal, will be introduced shortly, he adds.

Gupta shares with us an interesting story behind naming the venture ‘Petu Pankaj’: “In school, I was notorious for eating from friends’ tiffins and won the dubious title of ‘petu’, hence the brand Petu Pankaj.”

The venture claims to use eco-friendly and bio degradable materials for packaging, nearly eliminating the use of plastics. The signature products will be served in signature takeaway pots, a souvenir for the customers.

The newest brand, which is expected to uplift the restaurant scenario and concept of traditional foods, is hoping to open four more outlets in the tricity and around by the end of the current financial year before branching out to other parts of the country.

Among those who had especially come down to the city to bless the venture were Chef Vivek Saggar, General Secretary, Indian Culinary Forum, Ashish Chopra, noted culinary historian, Chef Sireesh Saxena, former vice president, ITDC, Chef Arvind Rai, Corporate Chef, ITDC,  and celebrity chef Dr. Izzat Hussain.     

Call 6230505050 to place an order with no minimum limit, or visit website petupankaj.com. It will also be on all major food delivery apps.

Be Spoilt For Choice, Shop Till You Drop!

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

People in the tricity and around eagerly await this time of the year, when the winter starts setting in, to feast their eyes on and buy handicrafts from around the country in an amazing festive ambience at the National Crafts Mela. Organised jointly by the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) and the Chandigarh Administration, this year, the 10th edition of the 10-day mela got off to a sedate start at Kalagram on Friday. Even with a few craftsmen having managed to unpack and display their wares on a leisurely opening day, people began trickling in from noon onwards expecting to secure good deals, and the artisans in their ‘bonii’ mood readily obliged. By evening, till when the formal inauguration, which was initially scheduled for 11 a.m., was postponed, most stalls had come into business, and the trickle of visitors had turned into a crowd. Amid cultural troupes from different states performing at different locations, shopping was great fun. Visitors exiting through the gates were seen in an exalted mood carrying bundles of their prize possessions.

With the organisers taking extra care to ensure comfort and entertainment of visitors this year with regular water sprinkling of the ground to prevent kicking up of dust, swanky new mobile toilets complete with wash basins, a food court serving speciality cuisines from other states, apart from North Indian food, the day long cultural performances and top artists and bands lined up for regaling the audiences at the cultural evenings, the atmosphere is bound to be more than just enjoyable.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The variety of handicrafts on display, especially from the six member states of the South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), the theme of this year’s fair, spread over 170 odd stalls was so vast that many of the visitors, especially ladies, were heard expressing their desire to return another day to fully soak in the fun of shopping. The six theme states are Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

From textiles to home decor items in various mediums, ranging from ceramic to bamboo, to metals to wood and many more, the choice is endless. To take a break from shopping one can take a bite at the food courts and enjoy a camel ride or one of the various performances happening on the trot at multiple locations.

So, don’t miss out on the fun! Take time out to soak in the festivity! And, shop till you drop!    

On at Kalagram from Nov 9 to 18.    

 

Lifeinchandigarh.com view

For convenience of visitors, all stalls should carry branding of the respective states to which the craftsmen belong

There should be adequate pointers at the venue to various facilities, including public conveniences

Mans Eye Blown Off, 7 Others Face Vision Loss

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

A man in his 30s bent down to ignite a high decibel cracker a second time, apparently thinking that he had failed in his first attempt, but it blew up in his face, completely destroying his left eye – a colossal loss! He is among eight critical cases of eye injuries reporting to the Advanced Eye Centre at the PGI Chandigarh on Diwali night. Chances of others regaining their normal vision are slim.

The severe restrictions imposed by the courts for this year’s Diwali celebrations do not appear to have led to any reduction in the cases of eye injuries as revellers apparently rushed though in trying to finish off their quota of crackers within the mandated two hours.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Briefing media persons about the Diwali related eye injury cases this year, Dr. MR Dogra, professor and head, Department of Ophthalmology, PGI, informed that in all 26 cases of eye injuries were presented to the emergency services at the Advanced Eye Centre of PGI on Diwali day, while one case reported a day before Diwali. Out of the 27 cases, 11 were actually lighting crackers, while the rest 16 were either bystanders or passersby.

Most of these patients (17) were from the tricity and its adjoining areas, while the remaining 10 were from the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. As many as 20 victims were males and seven females. Eleven of them were below the age of 16. The youngest was a two-year-old boy, who was enjoying the bursting of crackers from the sidelines.

Prof Dogra said out of the 12 patients who underwent surgery on Wednesday night itself, eight had critical injuries, threatening permanent loss of sight from the injured eye. The man in his 30s whose left eye was blown off was from the peripheral area of the tricity of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula and did not want to be identified, he added.

Informing that apart from the 27 cases, four more cases from neighbouring states had reported to the Advanced Eye Centre on Thursday, a day after Diwali, he said it is usual for Diwali related eye injury cases to keep reporting to the PGI from other states till a few days after the festival of lights. “Medical college hospitals and district hospitals in these states do attend to serious cases, providing them preliminary treatment, but in case of complications which are beyond their expertise, they do refer such cases to the PGI, he explained.

Comparing this year’s injuries reporting to the PGI this year with last year, he observed there was no real difference. Last year 28 cases were reported, out of which 21 were males and 14 of them were below the age of 16 years. The only difference was that compared to only one case reporting before Diwali this year, last year there were more cases. Measures to enforce pre-Diwali restrictions regarding bursting of crackers appears to have worked this year, he added.

Salman Throws His Weight Behind Chandigarh As His First Choice

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

An exclusive jewellery store for the millennials, with pieces which are sleek, stylish and trendy, yet simple and affordable, that too with blessing from their heartthrob, Salman Khan. What more could they have asked for! And, the super star has chosen Chandigarh to be the first city in India and the world to open an exclusive store of his jewellery brand Being Human Jewellery. The store, the lucky franchise of which is young Achal Gupta, has been opened right next to Tanishq and Saraf in NAC Manimajra.

Delhi businessman and actor Aayush Sharma, who made his recent Bollywood debut in the Salman Khan Films Production, Loveyatri, cut the ribbon on Saturday to open the doors of the plush and exclusive Being Human Jewellery store to the public. Aayush is also Salman’s brother-in-law, married to his sister Arpita Khan.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

A surprise awaits the buyer of every piece of jewellery from Being Human. On opening the box, the superstar’s voice automatically comes on thanking the customer for reposing faith in the brand. “Hi! I am Salman Khan. Thank you so much for buying Being Human jewellery, and supporting a good cause,” says the recorded message. A contribution from each piece of jewellery sold goes towards charity for healthcare and education of the unprivileged children, at no extra cost to the customer.

A write-up of the brand shared with media persons says, “The store houses an enthralling range of fine jewellery catering to varied tastes. Elegantly designed, Being Human Jewellery offers light-weight collections in plain gold, diamonds and coloured stone pieces. The designs are classic, stylish and affordable, catering to every woman’s taste in fine jewellery.”    

 A video recording of Salman’s message for the occasion, was also played out on screen in which the star said though he could not be present, despite wanting to, “It feels great that we are taking our next step of expansion with Being Human Jewellery’s first franchise store in Chandigarh! The people of Chandigarh have always given me a lot of love, and I hope we continue to receive it.”

Speaking to lifeinchandigarh.com, Prasad Kapre, CEO and Director, Style Quotient Jewellery Pvt Ltd, the world licensee of the Being Human Jewellery brand, shared that the launch of the brand was sparked by the tremendous popularity of the pendant worn by Salman in the super hit movie ‘Bajrangi Bhai Jaan’. “I had designed the pendant, and when we received a tremendous response for it after the movie, we discussed how to capitalise on it. Thus the seed was sown for launching a jewellery brand in the name of Salman’s foundation, Being Human.”

Kapre said before the launch of the first exclusive franchise store in Chandigarh, Being Human Jewellery was being marketed across 40-odd locations using the shop-in-shop model. The obvious question then was, Why Chandigarh? “This is among the most brand conscious cities in the country, and we are confident that the city millennials will appreciate our brand.”

“We are positioning ourselves as a jewellery brand with a heart. People will buy our jewellery pieces conscious of the fact that by doing so they will be bringing hope in the lives of the underprivileged. On merit, the brand is focussing on everyday wear, which millennials can wear even to work. Being sleek and stylish, and yet minimal, simple and affordable, our jewellery pieces are bound to appeal to the young and the millennials in the age group 18-35 years,” Kapre added.

After Chandigarh, the brand plans to launch more exclusive stores – six to seven – by the end of the current financial year in other tier 1 cities like Lucknow, Bhubaneshwar, Jabalpur, etc. It has already tied up with Damac Group to open 100 strores in the Middle East countries. The next push overseas will be in the USA and South Africa, he informed.

South Central Zone States Theme Of Kalagram Mela This Year

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

The theme of the 9th edition of the popular Chandigarh National Crafts Mela last year was Dadra & Nagar Haveli and the 10th edition, to be held at Kalagram from November 9 to 18 this year, will be themed on the South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC) states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

Formally announcing the programme at a news conference here on Friday, North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) Director Prof. Saubhagya Vardhan and Cultural Affairs Director Chandigarh Administration Jitender Yadav said every effort is being made to increase the footfall of visitors from 2-3 lakh in the previous years and make foolproof arrangements for their safety, security, comfort and memorable experience.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

For this the Chandigarh Police will be using drones for aerial surveillance, water will be sprinkled on the grounds regularly to reduce dust pollution, parking area is being cleaned up and lighted up and more mobile toilets are being added for the convenience of visitors. As in previous years, special care has been taken to ensure that the cultural evenings have the best artists performing on stage and the special performers keep the visitors entertained throughout the day. A painters’ camp will be a permanent feature on all 10 days. There will be camel rides, ‘jhulas’ and joy rides. The food court, besides serving North Indian food, will also have cuisine from SCZCC states. The venue will be cleaned up every evening, they added.

There will be 170 odd stalls with artisans from nearly all states exhibiting their products. A dozen stalls have been earmarked for the Chandigarh Administration. A special stall will be dedicated to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary. The stall will showcase some rare pictures from the Mahatma’s life, the freedom struggle and other aspects of his journey.

Among the bands and individual artists performing at the cultural evenings will be the famous Bhopal based Sanskrit band ‘Dhruvaa’, which performs to laser lights, the all woman folk band Lasya wow womania, Gurdas Mann’s protégé Lal Chand Lala, Hans Raj Hans, Satinder Sartaj, Jazzy B, Lakhwinder Wadali, B Paraak, Sonu Virk, Kulwinder Billa, Ranjit Bawa, Anadi Misra and Manjeet Nikki.

Replying to a question, Jitender Yadav informed that a detailed project report has been sent to the Union Ministry of Culture to spruce up the Kalagram grounds by laying more tracks and increasing the greenery for a more enjoyable experience for visitors in the future. To this Saubhagya Sharma added that more mega events are being planned to be included in the existing calendar of events at Kalagram with a motive to keep it in a high state of upkeep and maintenance throughout the year and generate more revenues. There is also a plan to revamp the sculpture park at Kalagram to attract more visitors.   

Lifeinchandigarh.com view

The entry fee continues to be Rs. 30 per person, which is on the higher side, considering that the mela is being funded by the government. Going by the organisers’ own admission of an estimated footfall of 2-3 lakh in the previous years, which is sought to be increased, they will be collecting Rs 60-90 lakhs or more from the entry fee proceeds alone. Lifeinchandigarh.com feels that there’s definitely a case for reconsideration of the entry fee. The parking fee though can be hiked to encourage more people to use public transport. 

Here Comes A Wellness, Adventure & Music Festival You Won’t Like To Miss

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

This one is for all those who want more out of life – the mother of all festivals over a looo…ng weekend which promises to leave you on a lifetime high. Marrying top class adventure with wellness and music in an expansive and pristine forested environment on the foothills of the Shivalik Ranges in Punjab, bordering Himachal Pradesh, is the ‘The Forest Escape Festival’. The first of its kind festival in the country, to be organised over 1800 acres of the exclusive hideaway, Kikar Lodge Nature Retreat & Spa, from November 22 to 25, will have top indigenous bands with international DJs playing live and electronic music, all types of modern adventure activities and ayurvedic spa and therapies, besides yoga sessions by a reputed international teacher, reiki healing and mixed martial arts classes.

Says Sukhindar Singh of The Kikar Lodge Nature Retreat & Spa, who conceptualised the festival in collaboration with Gaurav Mohan of Eventwala Pvt Ltd (founder of the popular Rang Festival), “the idea behind the festival, unique to India, is to create a new tribe of festival goers in the country with an idyllic setting and holistic activities.”

He adds, “We would like to be a testimony of transformation in terms of festivals in the country. We have a variety of festivals, but there is none in the wellness space which holistically combines wellness with adventure and music. The Forest Escape Festival will fill that void. It’ll be one grand festival in the lap of Mother Nature.”

The organisers are ensuring that the first edition of the festival is as exclusive and intimate for the guests as can be, by limiting it to a niche gathering of about 350 on each day of the 3 nights / 4 days festival. There are daily and season packages separately for men and women and couples.  

The festival offers to guests an impressive mix of top live and electronic artists like Kohra, Calm Chor, Jitter, Pindrop, Tapan Raj, Vinaya^a, Ankytrixx to name a few, besides international artists of the likes of Luis M and David Granha. Dovetailed with the bands, are adventure activities like quad biking (all terrain vehicles – ATVs), zip lining by Flying Fox, night jeep safaris, paint balling, horse-riding, mountain bike riding trails for a rush of adrenaline. Adding a wellness quotient to the festival are ayurvedic spa and therapies, yoga sessions by a reputed international teacher, reiki healing and mixed martial arts classes.

For the first time in the country, a festival is putting together an organic flea market that will offer authentic organic food products, recycled merchandises and clothes to its attendees.

About The Kikar Lodge Nature Retreat & Spa

Nestled in the foothills of the Shivalik Ranges in Rupnagar District of Punjab, bordering Himachal Pradesh, The Kikar Lodge Nature Retreat & Spa is India’s first private forest reserve. A well kept hideaway spread across 1800 acres of forested area, less than 70 kms from the Chandigarh International Airport, it’s a luxury eco-resort with a range of high-end bungalows and tents, three swimming polls and a world class spa. The property is well known in the hospitality industry as a place to unwind. It offers all amenities needed for a comforting and relaxing stay.

For more information and registration, visit http://www.theforestescape.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Festival/The-Forest-Escape-242116113237977/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/theforestescape?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=yjqste46vldr

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Blue Tokai Origins Café Opens In HLP Gallerria Mall Mohali; Largest Speciality Coffee Chain Gets Ever Bigger

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Massive expansion planned – from the current 200-plus company...

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