What made your write The Queen of Jasmine Country? What was the inspiration behind it?I had loved Andal as a reader and a listener for a long time, and did not think she would become a character in my own writing, ever. She swept in, and filled me – filled my eyes with tears, my heart with love, and my pages with words – and here we are.I didn’t ask myself questions like, “Would a goddess weep as she fought with the mortal who raised her?” Instead I asked myself, for instance, “Take a teenager from a provincial town and put her in a big city like Madurai during a festival – how would she react?”Reading on and around Andal was very important for me, and I found that academic interlocutors were the most interesting sources of learning for me.Very little is known about the historical figure who wrote the two works credited to Andal, the Tiruppavai and the Nachiyar Tirumoli.

I made a note of this, wrote the prologue the following year without any sense of the plot to come, and did not imagine even as late as last year that this novel would manifest so quickly.Although we do not know what people’s quotidian lives were like, Tamil civilisation and literature were quite advanced by this time. However, all of that changed when the author had two dreams in 2014. When she realises the vow has failed,. Then in 2014, I had two dreams about her. So while I read widely on and around the goddess, historically speaking I was preoccupied only with the girl. I had loved Andal as a reader and a listener for a long time, and did not think she would become a character in my own writing, ever, says Sharanya Manivannan.In conversation with this correspondent, the author shares more about the riveting manuscript, the historical figure of Andal, and the mysteries and romance that surround her. What made situating her chronologically easier for me was that the hagiography of her father, Vishnuchittan or Periyalvar, involves the 9th century king Srimara Srivallabha, and there is astrological evidence of the positions of Jupiter and Venus as she describes them in her poems in the year 851 CE or so.An immersive read, Manivannan says that while she has always loved Andal as a listener and a reader, she never thought the historical figure would become a character in her won writing.

It was like a thunderstorm of a love affair that leaves no scar yet lingers forever in who you become because of it.In terms of hagiography, I relied on oral hagiography most of all, as well as academic papers on the same. Her given name, and the only name my protagonist knows herself by, was Kodhai.It’s so strange for me to ponder my inspiration for my book now that it is in the world and out of my hands, and the more that people ask me about this the stranger it becomes – my initial admiration as a reader, then my later surrender to her as muse. So on this foundation, I filled in the details.What was the kind of background research that you did for the character of Andal?Very little is known about the historical figure who wrote the two works credited to Andal, the Tiruppavai and the Nachiyar Tirumoli. Among the most vital ones was Dennis Hudson’s work called “Tantric Rites in Antal’s Poetry”, which solved an important mystery for me, as to why the voices in the Tiruppavai and the Nachiyar Tirumoli are so varied, even though they appear to be located close together in time.

Sharanya Manivannans debut novel The Queen of Jasmine Country is a classic, often mystic, occasionally brooding and introspective story of a 9th century girl, born under the boughs of Tulsi leaves who would go on to embody a sense of love few can ever imagine.I was very clear about the distinction between the two: girl and goddess. In the other dream, she said I should write a novel about her. It’s important to add that the name Andal is an epithet, meaning “she who rules”. In one of them, she discouraged me from praying to get married given that I had such unscintillating options around undercut anchors Suppliers me (praying to get married is a theme of the book, and the fact that my own such prayers spectacularly failed certainly gave me an insight into how my protagonist felt!).In my book, Kodhai undertakes the pavai nombu with her friends, praying to find a good husband

Meanwhile, a review meeting of BMC, with all heads of departments was held on Saturday with municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta. We will pay them a percentage of the fine amount. The existing staff has been found to be inadequate, as only there are only 11 advocates dealing with matters in all 24 wards in the city. He is currently hosting the television reality show The Voice India Kids. Rajan Naringrekar, the chief insecticide officer of the BMC, said, Our officials found Aedes aegypti (the mosquito screws factory that breeds in fresh water and is a known as carrier for dengue) larvae in a money plant pot in Bhanushalis living room, and in a tyre in an open space within the house.

.Mr Mehta said, After hiring new advocates the legal department of BMC will be able to focus on pending issues.Following this, the civic legal department also lodged a case against them in the metropolitan magistrate???s court and the hearing is still pending. As part of the drive to locate the possible breeding grounds of aedes aegypti, the civic body has been checking various high rises in the city. Bhanushali contracted dengue last week and was admitted to a city-based hospital for five days. The new lawyers will be hired to handle mosquito breeding cases, which are time consuming. Following this notice, the BMCs legal department will file a case in the Metropolitan magistrates court, which can impose a fine of up to Rs 10,000. We have served him a notice under section 381b of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act for failing to maintain cleanliness.

He was discharged on Wednesday and has been suggested bed rest. The penalty imposed on offenders ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 for failure to prevent mosquito breeding on private premises. So far, the BMC has slapped 15,000 notices on offenders. Both actors were served with notices under section 381b of the MMC Act.The BMCs health department inspected Mr Bhanushalis house on Wednesday, as part of a routine inspection of his building, Imperial Towers, in Goregaon.As per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888, the BMC serves a notice and file the case in the metropolitan magistrate court.After serving a notice to actors Shahid Kapoor and Sushmita Sen, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent a notice to television actor and anchor Jay Bhanushali after it found two mosquit Jay Bhanushali After serving a notice to actors Shahid Kapoor and Sushmita Sen, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent a notice to television actor and anchor Jay Bhanushali after it found two mosquito-breeding spots in his Goregaon apartment.

He will be fined up to Rs 10,000, after the hearing of his case by the metropolitan magistrate. This section provides for the BMC to prosecute an individual for negligence and failing to maintain cleanliness in his surroundings. The BMC had also found mosquito-breeding spots in Shahid Kapoor and Sushmita Sens houses last month. Mr Mehta stated that more lawyers should be hired to handle the cases of notices that are being served when breeding spots are found within housing societies

She didn’t know me from anywhere and that’s where our friendship began. When we think of gypsies and bohemians, we think of colourful people, people who are into arts and crafts and are a little different. Giving a sneak peek into her designing process, Payal says, “Just to arrive at something like this (pointing at Shibani’s outfit), we would do 10 different floral designs, then in that floral pattern, we will do 10 different embroideries, then in those embroideries, we will have 10 different colours and then we will arrive at this, and that’s how a pattern is made. Staying true to the brand’s DNA, Payal incorporated unique cuts and patterns with colourful prints, adding delicate embroidery.

Why do you get up and go to work? It’s because you love what you do and I love creating.”Creating a collection from an inspiration that is transformed into a sketch, sample and finally to an entire outfit is a tedious process but according to Payal, preparing for a fashion show is even tougher. saw anchor I’m more confident in terms of embroidery, technique, silhouettes but I’m consumptive because I know what sells and what doesn’t, so it’s kind of a balance between these two. “There’ve been very low moments when you’ll have a bad collection, someone could criticise the collection, or you don’t want to hear customer’s tantrum or you lose money, so many things happen. I wanted to do what makes me happy— playing with colours, textures and experiment a little bit. “Usually, designers think about buyers, clientele, and obviously we have a certain formula, but this time we didn’t want to follow that. You saw the set which took days and days of planning — from the colours, backdrop design music, showstoppers, front row seating, dressing everybody, passes, coordination of the passes, video, photo, back-front-side.

The collection ‘Gypsies and Bohemia’ is packed with contemporary silhouettes such as calf-length skirts, blazers, and jumpsuits.”One look at the showstopper outfits or any outfit from the collection for that matter, you would notice the minute detailing and play of colours, how everything complements each other.. The time it becomes from sketch to sample, when I see the sample for the first time it’s the most exciting thing and would love to see my runway show but have never managed to see one,” she concludes.Although fashion is a serious business and there is a lot of responsibility to cater to, the artist in Payal would rather sit on her drawing board and design dresses. I can design a collection in my sleep,” says the designer with a laugh. This year also marks the label’s 20 years and Payal could not be more excited for the same.

Payal Singhal, who completes two decades in the industry, chats about her latest collection. The showstoppers Shibani Dandekar and Farhan Akhtar were dressed in coordinating outfits and the anchor was seen wearing a georgette lehenga with wool embroidery in neon colours and a cropped jacket with tassels dangling down. That’s why I thought it was a great theme to commemorate our 20 years. “I just can’t get along with a dupatta,” laughs Payal, “So I was thinking how to make it cool, without it looking like you forgot your dupatta.”After being in the industry for 20 successful years, the designer feels that she has become riskier with her designs. “I take more risks and have become a little more consumptive, so it is kind of like a double-sided sword. Reminiscing her first meeting with the designer, Shibani says, “I have a very close relationship with Payal because when I first started hosting at NY, I knocked on her door and said ‘you’re dressing another host for the same TV show as me, will you please give me clothes as well?’ and she invited me to her house and I left with a bag of clothes. The reason for choosing this theme, Payal says, was her desire to experiment.

Also, our brand resonates with this theme. “More hard work goes into doing this 15-minute show than making a 60-piece collection. (Image: Shripad Naik) Inspired by bohemian prints and cuts, Payal Singhal’s latest collection showcased at Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive is starkly different from her last collection. That’s when we came up with this crop jacket and she’s wearing boots with it,” she reveals.Payal’s association with Shibani goes back a long way.The reason for choosing this theme, Payal says, was her desire to experiment.”At the show, the ramp was decked with bohemian decor — from tall accent feathers, weaved baskets to carpets hanging overhead, everything was tied together with peppy feel-good music

The JD(S) remains the elephant in the room, clinging to its relevance thanks to backing from the numerically significant Vokkaliga community. When Rahul Gandhi campaigns and introduces “national” elements criticising the Centre’s policies, he is yet to lose sight of the need to allow local issue to retain primacy. The stakes for the two parties are indeed very high. Karnataka has been the BJP’s gateway to the South since 1991 and it cannot afford the door being shut on it. Deve Gowda — and a similar response — must be read against this backdrop. Since 2014, state after state provided landslide mandates except Gujarat, where the BJP’s margin of victory was too close for comfort, and previously in Maharashtra, where the BJP contested polls on its own for the first time. In almost every election since 2014, issues which dominated the political discourse till he entered the arena paled into insignificance after Mr Modi’s blitzkrieg.

The chief minister, after providing a reasonably efficient government over the past five years which gave Karnataka a much-needed sense of political stability, has so far shown himself smarter than most incumbents facing the BJP onslaught.Karnataka’s six regions have so far not reverberated in unison on a single issue so far. The Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka has potential to play kingmaker and Mr Modi’s kind words for H.. The BJP’s campaign has been two-pronged — in the pre-Modi phase the emphasis was on local issues and the performance of the Siddaramaiah government, accusations of corruption, failure to generate jobs, control rising prices and the Lingayat conundrum. Mr Modi’s decision to stick to the proven formula of delegitimising the Congress and its leaders is indication of anti-incumbency against the Siddaramaiah government not being high.The verdict in Karnataka will demonstrate if Indian voters are still handing out decisive mandates or if the outcome in Gujarat was not an aberration, instead marking the return of closer contests even in bipolar states. A defeat here will not just stop the “drift” that envelops the BJP post-Gujarat, but push the Congress deeper into the crevice it fell into in 2014. A virtual decimation of the JD(S) — which will fashion a decisive mandate in favour of either of the two national parties — will indicate continuance of a single-issue poll.

The likelihood of the trend continuing is possibly the first challenge for the Congress as it has to prevent the emergence of Mr Modi as “the issue”. Consequently, Mr Modi is still groping for an issue that can decisively sway voters. The five southern states and the Union territory of Puducherry account for 131 Lok Sabha seats. The Prime Minister attacked Rahul Gandhi for his Italian heritage, indicating a lack of confidence in ousting the Congress on the basis of poll issues and thereby an old line of attack has been revived. Additionally, despite the Modi wave, the BJP won two seats less in 2014 than its tally in 2009.D. The likelihood of the trend continuing is possibly the first challenge for the Congress as it has to prevent the emergence of Mr Modi as “the issue”. Voters will decide if the polls are transitional or decisive. The moot question is whether voters continue viewing elections as a “referendum” of sorts on Mr Modi and his claims/promises or if they are willing to return to the era of “non-national” polls.The Congress is not hamstrung by this duality as its campaign remains state-specific. The state was not kind to Mr Modi in 2013 for when the state polls were held last, he had already been endorsed as the BJP’s de facto supremo and campaigned extensively.

This showed Mr Modi’s relatively poorer popularity in the South. The BJP treats every election uniformly, merely adding regional variants to its nationalistic spiel. Siddaramaiah’s ploy of announcing minority status for Lingayats has also added an element of mystery for there is no knowing at this stage how this will go down China wholesale machine screw anchors with the community and with others.Whether his adversaries like it or not, till campaigning ends next week, the Prime Minister’s every utterance carries the possibility of triggering multiple strands of political narrative. In Karnataka, this was attempted over two years on the legacy of Tipu Sultan, but sensing the state icon’s religious identity not having the capacity to whip up prejudice towards Muslims, the issue has been underplayed during elections. In the present situation it may indicate if the people want to give Mr Modi another term or not. Already, its wooing of Mr Deve Gowda stands in sharp contrast to the BJP’s deteriorating ties with its allies. But the second phase, now unfolding, will see state issues being relegated to the background and there is no knowing if this will play out for the BJP’s benefit or not.

As in every relay race, where the anchor leg is reserved for the fastest or the most experienced team member, the BJP has once again handed the baton to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A decent performance, which may keep the Congress out of power, will paradoxically point towards the rising limitations of Mr Modi’s charisma.
So far, the Congress in Karnataka has disallowed any “nationalisation” of the election, contesting it on local issues. Being nice to other parties is not among Mr Modi’s core strengths and he would rather continue to be in the Ekla Chalo Re mould. He referred to “Karnataka’s voice” as a metaphor for state-specific programmes on which the BJP is a shade short.Karnataka’s voters are presented with two clear choices.

“The global events are putting pressure on the rupee.95 levels against the dollar.90/66. While the Sensex dropped 81.Erodes gains made during Modi regime wholesale sleeve anchors Erodes gains made during Modi regime
The rupee plunged to its lowest level in the last 28 months as persistent outflow of funds from local equities and increased demand for dollars from importers amidst broader weakness in emerging market currencies impacted sentiments.97 crore. This fall erodes all gains that the rupee made during the Narendra Modi government, though India is on a firm footing now compared to the period when Mr Modi became the Prime Minister.29, lowest level since September 4, 2013.60 points.According to forex dealers, the sudden fall in the rupee below the psychological 67 level against the dollar triggered some amount of panic buying from importers.While forex experts foresee a near-term weakness in the rupee in the wake of volatile global markets,
they expect the local currency to gain strength in the medium term tracking domestic fundamentals. According to the provisional data, FPIs sold equities worth Rs1,221.. We now think that the RBI will anchor rupee expectations at Rs 65/dollar although it will have to allow breaches — such as now — in view of extreme global volatility,” said analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in a note to its clients. However, we believe that RBI would intervene at those levels and provide some kind of support to the local currency,” said M.50 per dollar in the coming days.The rupee breached its psychological 67 level mark against the US dollar on Thursday and closed the session at 67. “During the last few weeks, the Reserve Bank was seen intervening in the market when the rupee traded at 66. According to Bloomberg, its Dollar Spot Index climbed about 24 per cent since July 2014 as investors started betting on the growth revival in the US.P. “We continue to expect the RBI to anchor Rs 65 a dollar expectations given that Dr Raghuram Rajan has indicated the rupee’s fair value at Rs 62-64/dollar. The Indian currency could drift further down to 67.According to the news agency Reuters, RBI might have intervened on Thursday by selling over $500 million to limit the rupee's losses. This led to an increase in dollar buying from importers in anticipation of further weakness in the rupee,” said Hemal Doshi,
chief currency strategist at Geofin Comtrade. On Friday, the equity markets also remained under pressure as foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turned heavy sellers following subdued sentiments in the global markets. Hariprasad, head of treasury, Centrum Broking. However, the sudden fall in the rupee below its psychological 67 level mark caused panic in the market.14 points, the Nifty lost 25.Apart from uncertainty in the emerging markets, the strengthening dollar is also inflicting pain on other currencies. However, the rupee fares much better compared to the currencies of other emerging markets, except China