I am going to purchase a new hatch and my budget is around Rs 4 to 5 lakh. I have short-listed the Chevrolet Beat and the Maruti Suzuki Ritz petrol. My monthly mileage is low, limited mostly to city driving and the occasional highway cruising. I personally like the look of the Beat, but am not sure about its engine performance, while the looks of the Ritz are a concern, although its performance is really good. All of this has made me confused especially since it will be my first car.

Two much

Business Standard

News from the 16th Asian Games, ending in Guangzhou today, should make us view India&rsquo;s performance in a new light. Not against the noisy euphoria of the CWG or in the looming shadow of China, the athletics powerhouse.

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This game's for real

Never mind if Guzaarish has turned out to be such a sinker, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is still being toasted as the cinematic genius of our times. Quite like Guru Dutt whose biggest flop Kaagaz Ke Phool is remembered as a cult classic.

Two of their kind

Within a couple of days you would be convinced that Earth was infested by these rabid, lethal creatures known as &lsquo;keetanu&rsquo;. You would note with trepidation that these lurk everywhere on the human person &mdash; in their teeth, on their skin, clothes and everything they touch. By and by you would realise that these are impossible to destroy, but you would understand also that this was one entity Earthlings must combat at all costs, or die. If you were a suggestible sort of Martian, you would soon find yourself avoiding contact with anything &mdash; doorknobs, newspapers, currency notes &mdash; for fear that you too could die from such deadly infection.

So many bugs

Exquisite design and perfect craftsmanship pervaded every aspect of Mughal court life. Beyond the superb palaces and the intricate paintings for which the Mughal emperors are today best remembered, they commissioned also the most gorgeous clothes and expensive jewellery, besides ornamented weapons and refined utensils for eating, drinking and studying. Rich carpets and wall hangings added comfort to both permanent apartments and transitory camps. Much of this work &mdash; especially the textiles &mdash; has succumbed over time to India&rsquo;s climate and insects, and what survives is scattered in museum collections across the globe, but there is enough to give us a sense of the wonders of the Mughals&rsquo; material world.

Court craft

So nice of President Obama to have talked to us about Mahatma Gandhi. Unfortunately he&rsquo;s not in a position to do as Gandhi. Someone who is, ironically, is the future king of England. Prince Charles has a new book out, called Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World (HarperCollins, &pound;15.99), and in it he lays out his version of a Gandhian approach to saving our planet and civilisation.

'First, they laugh at you'

An obscure country mansion in Buckinghamshire housed a top secret mission during World War II. It has been redesigned as a museum.

Secrets and lives

Here is the central paradox of running a restaurant: the most successful restaurants have to be run by experts who understand that this is, first and foremost, a business, and the best restaurants have to be run by businesspersons who are, first and foremost, passionate about their food.

Chef paradox

Bajaj Auto, India&rsquo;s second biggest bike manufacturer, has revamped its product line-up and will launch a series of next generation version of its current best-sellers &mdash; Pulsar and Discover.

Face-lift for Pulsar, Discover

Rajiv Bajaj is an aggressive mood and thinks Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), the country&rsquo;s fourth biggest two-wheeler maker, faces the risk of being labelled just a scooter maker in India.

Honda can make scooters only, says Rajiv Bajaj

Have you ever thought of interacting with advertisements with the help of your TV remote? This could well become possible, thanks to an initiative taken by Bangalore-based Lukeup Media.

i-ads now on tv sets

Those who find the entire Land/Range Rover range confusing, raise your hands. Now all of you can pick up your newspapers again.

Disco Fever

The first ever Discovery was introduced in the British market in 1989. Based on the Range Rover chassis, the Discovery was aimed at a larger audience and was hence cheaper. Land Rover's target was the growing Japanese SUV stable, which it duly unsettled. The Discovery was available as a 3/5-door, five seater and Land Rover's intention was to market it as a lifestyle vehicle, with a lot of smart storage options. Where that stepped up roofline came from, no one knows.

Discovery channel

I currently own a Maruti 800, and now I intend to purchase a new car. My budget is around Rs 4 lakh. My average running of the car is 100 km a week. Which model suits me, taking into consideration my budget? Should I purchase a petrol car, diesel car, CNG car or electric car? I am very particular about efficiency. I have heard that in Maruti models, maintenance is very low compared to other brands.

Small matter

Ever heard of mutanzan, a slightly sweet, rice-and-dried fruit mutton pulao? Or of sufiana pulao, made using fowl with khoya? Of shami kebabs dipped in sugar syrup or dubkis (breads boiled with lentils) and aash, wholesome soups with dumplings? These are but some of the lost recipes of India, records of which exist only in a handful of old texts or in the memories of grande dames, carrying on the legacies of their communities and families.

The dead recipes society

Only 16 journalists out of 400 trying their luck in the media lottery get to play the Augusta National on the Monday after the championship. I was lucky enough to win the lottery last year in my fourth attempt, while some have not won it in 20 years. The pin placements remain the same as on the final day of the Masters tournament.

Teeing off at Augusta

When my son was in kindergarten at the neighbourhood elementary school in California, he could rattle off all the major organs and glands in the human body &mdash; and correctly point out where his own liver, kidneys and pancreas were, something I still can&rsquo;t do with accuracy. It&rsquo;s not that he was particularly bright &mdash; just that his teacher devised a project on the human body that was so much fun, that he couldn&rsquo;t help but learn.

Baby Einstein vs Baby Van Gogh

Levon Aronyan took the 20th and last Amber title with a score of 15.5 points from 22 games. Carlsen was second with 14.5, and Anand, third with 13. Grischuk and Ivanchuk tied for 4-5 with 11 each. Everybody else had minus scores. Aronyan took the blindfold with 8.5 (from 11) while Carlsen scored a record 9.5 in the normal rapids. It's a pity this unique event is ending.

Chess (#673)

After 34 years of Left Front rule, West Bengal could be on the verge of regime change. Ishita Ayan Dutt charts the course of the Left&rsquo;s long stint in power and the rise of Mamata Banerjee.

Thin red line

Aabhas Sharma learns the nuances of marketing all things luxurious from Ashish Chordia, the man who brought Ferrari, Ducati and Fendi to India.

Merchant of uber luxury

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