The humble dosa – a pancake made from rice batter and lentils – may be very popular in southern India, but the country’s newly prosperous middle classes can now relish a gold-plated version of this dish.

Dosa come in many varieties, for example plain or with a potato masala filling. And they are not very expensive, costing between 50 and 100 Rupees (94-$1.90, 60p-£1.20).

But the Raj Bhog Restaurant, in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru (Bangalore), now offers dosa covered in a coating of pure gold.

The luxury comes at a price. Each gold dosa costs the princely sum of 1011 Indian Rupees (£12.25; $19).

Diners are promised that they can tuck into one milligram of gold, spread out over 12 cm by 12 cm of pure gold foil. The gold is added to each dosa in the final wrap – very much like adding a thin sheet of cheese or butter while applying the finishing touches to the dish.

For the restaurant it is probably just an innovative way of marketing itself, an attempt to stand out in Malleswaram, an upmarket area of India’s IT capital Bengaluru.

But as Indian society becomes more affluent, the restaurant squarely aims at those who have the ability to spend on such fancies.

“The drive behind this innovative venture was to capture the market with a different idea and the trials showed it could be a big hit,” says Vasant Kumar, one of the partners of the restaurant.

He dismisses accusations that the “golden dosa” is a cheap publicity stunt to promote the business. There may be scepticism about the use precious metals in the food industry, says Vasant Kumar, but the restaurant received a food safety certificate from the Bengaluru Corporation, and the gold foils are procured from an ISO certified company in the north Indian state of Rajasthan.

And there is some precedent. Some luxury sweet shops in India have long used thin silver foils to wrap their sweets.

The country also has a tradition of using gold and silver in various indigenous medicines, though medics differ on how effective they are. The Ayurveda system of Indian medicine has certainly been using gold in traditional medicines for many centuries.

While the volume of gold production in India is negligible, the country is the biggest market for gold in the world.

According to the World Gold Council, India bought around 1000 metric tons of gold in 2011.

This is one of the few pictures I’ve had with my dad in his last years. His soul left earth on 11th October 2011 but he is still living somewhere within us inspiring us to keep our spirits high with all the values he has taught us. There have been a lot of things unsaid – a lot of things left to share.

I couldn’t tell him how much I loved him and respected him, but I am sure he is somewhere up there looking all our steps and feeling proud of his kids.

We love him immensely and we remember him in all that we do, all our life.

Love You Dad.

Me and Dad

Recently I was walking towards Southall Rail Station, and found banners at Glassy Junction which for years have been one of the popular pubs and have been used in so many movies. I have heard that Glassy Junction has been closed but it looks like Saravana Bhavan is going to take over the place.

If it does, it is going to be one of the best move for the South Indian Hotel Chain.

Saravana Bhavan is going to opening in Southall later this year in December 2011.

Looking Forward to it already

161 Euro Million Lottery Winners – July 2011

Colin and Chris Weir, a married couple from Largs in Ayrshire, have been named as the winners of the £161m jackpot in Europe‘s biggest lottery draw.

The couple banked the entire EuroMillions jackpot – £161,653,000 – after several rollovers.

They were unveiled as the winners on Friday at the Macdonald Inchyra hotel in Polmont, near Falkirk.

he couple have been married for 30 years and have two children. Colin Weir, 64, who has worked as a TV cameraman and studio manager for 23 years, said: “When we first realised we had won, it felt like a dream. Everything went into slow motion. But it feels like a good thing, something we should not be afraid of but for us to enjoy with the children.

“All our lives we have lived within our means and been comfortable. We appreciate that this money brings about a whole new life for us and our family.

“We now have so many new opportunities to explore but we won’t rush it. For us, it will be a gradual change with choices to be made.”

Chris Weir, 55, a former psychiatric nurse, said the couple were having a normal night in front of the TV on Tuesday evening until she checked the EuroMillions result at around midnight.

“We had bought five Lucky Dips, as the jackpot was now so big,” she said. “I started circling the numbers I had matched but wasn’t doing very well. Then on the fifth line, all the circles seemed to join up.

“I had all of them but couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I checked them three or four times before going back downstairs to find Colin. He knew immediately by my face and tone that something was up.

“After checking many times together, the news gradually hit us. The Camelot line was closed for the night but we couldn’t sleep. We sat up all night and saw dawn come round the next morning.

“We were tickled pink. I even had a glass of white wine, which is something I normally only do at Christmas. It really is unbelievable.”

The couple, who have both had serious health conditions in recent years and been unable to work, are already thinking about new homes, cars and travel to China and Australia. They plan to buy homes for their son and daughter, who are considering their first driving lessons.

The win will catapult the Weirs into 430th place in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, not far below David and Victoria Beckham.

The jackpot was capped at €185m after a series of rollovers made it the largest ever in Europe. The winning numbers were 17, 19, 38, 42 and 45, and the Lucky Stars were 9 and 10.

Angela Kelly, from East Kilbride, who won a £35,425,411.80 EuroMillions jackpot in 2007, had previously been Scotland‘s biggest lottery winner.

In the new country’s capital, Juba, streets pulsed with excitement. Residents danced, banged on jerry cans and chanted the name of the world’s newest president, Salva Kiir. One man kneeled and kissed the ground as a group ran through the streets singing “We will never, never, never surrender.”

“Ah, I’m free,” said Daniel Deng, a 27-year-old police officer and former soldier who broke out in a wide grin.

The Republic of South Sudan earned independence at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, breaking Africa’s largest country in two. It marked the culmination of a January independence vote, which was guaranteed in a 2005 peace deal that ended the most recent north-south war.

After the celebrations die down, residents of South Sudan face an uphill climb. While the new country is oil-rich, it is one of the poorest and least-developed places on Earth. Unresolved problems between the south and its former foe to the north could mean new conflict along the new international border, advocates and diplomats warn.

Saturday’s early morning celebrations were joyous for the freedom gained but tinged with the memories of family lost. At least 2 million people were killed in Sudan’s last civil war, fought from 1983-2005.

More at Forbes

Mumbai’s largest Broadband service provider Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) today announced that it has Rationalized its Unlimited Broadband Plan portfolio and increased the Downloading Speed during night hours in four tariff plans in Mumbai circle.

Now MTNL’s Unlimited Broadband plan users under Plan-599, Plan-749, Plan-999 and Plan-1599 will get additional speed during night hours (10 pm to 8 am).

With the Free Speed Up-gradation, MTNL Broadband users under “Unlimited Combo Plan 599” will be eligible for the 752 Kbps, Plan-749, Plan-999 and Plan-1599 customers will get 1 Mbps, 1.344 Mbps and 1.792 Mbps the faster speed during the night hours (10 PM to 8 AM) at the existing rates respectively.

Modem / CPE Charges :

With the Rationalization of Unlimited Broadband Plan portfolio, MTNL also imposes monthly Modem/ CPE / Rent of Rs. 50/month for customers who have taken modem from MTNL. Earlier it was waiwed off for all Unlimited and Combo Plan subscribers. However No monthly CPE Rental for customers using their own modem.

Additional Free Calls :

MTNL is also offering additional 25 Monthly FREE Calls to Broadband combo-249, Combo-500 and Combo-B plans. New Broadband customer in Unlimited and Combo plan who have not completed 6 months will not be charged monthly modem Rental however they will be charged modem rental after completion of 6 months of service.

Martin Crowe

Martin Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, has said that he is contemplating a return to first-class cricket 15 years after retiring from it. Crowe, 48, said he sees it as a means of self-motivation and a tool to get fit – and also an opportunity to score the 392 runs he needs to tally 20,000 first-class runs.

He will first turn out for the Cornwall cricket club before deciding on plans to play for Auckland Central Districts.

“Every now and then you find yourself drifting along. I needed to do something to stay at the top of things,” Crowe told ESPNcricinfo.” It’s a little bit of fun but it’s based on the need to get off my butt. When you get to my age, you need to do something. Physically, I am a person who needs more than going to gym. I need to fire myself up. I don’t like swimming, cycling, or lifting weights. I can’t climb, I can’t run; why not bat? It’s a serious goal to get fit but it’s a fun and light-hearted attempt to see if a 48-year old can play and at what level. Unless you try you will never know.”

He then added, with a laugh, “Hey! If Ganguly can do it, anyone can do it!” Shane Warne has been amazing and as a spin bowler he can probably bowl like that for a long time to come. Gilchrist has kept himself fit. It’s human nature to feel that you are top of things.”

It’s also human nature that makes some fans wary of sportspersons making comebacks at such an age. The thought of watching their once-favourite player struggling doesn’t sit too well with some fans. Some even consider such comeback attempts to be a bit sad on the part of the player but Crowe said he didn’t subscribe to that view. “No. if I had done that at the age of 37-38, then may be your concerns would be valid. If I had done it then, it would have been sad. At that stage you are trying to make a comeback to international cricket. Now, I don’t have any aspiration to play international cricket. I gave up then because of my knee. I am interested to see if a 48-year old can bat. It’s probably unlikely. It’s probably only heard of at average club level. But that’s what we are going to check out.”

Crowe said he drew inspiration from Adam Parore and Mark Richardson. “Parore is about to climb Mount Everest and Mark Richardson is about to do four marathons this year. I realised I needed to something that wasn’t just about getting fit but oriented towards something I would have fun doing. My friend texted me: ‘Why don’t you try knocking off 20,000 first-class runs? You have 392 to go.’ And I thought that’s the perfect answer. Why don’t I take a bat in my hand and see what happens when summer comes around. At the same time it could be fun because here in New Zealand the batting is in a little bit of decline and it will be a good way to see where the techniques are at.”

Crowe was forced to quit international cricket due to his bad knee, with few career goals still unfinished. “I’m happy with my career except for the fact that I finished on a downer, with an injury. I suppose I wanted 20 hundreds, 6000 runs, but in the end I was not physically capable of hanging on. And a lot of politics came in to it. Howarth as coach was a joke, and I played under Lee Germon, which was ridiculous,” he had once said in a 2008 interview.

After retirement, Crowe underwent an operation to his knee. “By the time I was 40, I couldn’t even walk. I had a major operation called an osteotomy; it gives you 15 years of interim relief until you are old enough to have an artificial knee. I have felt good with this operation in the last 4-5 years. I have been playing regular golf and walking with no discomfort. I just feel I need to do a little bit more as I am lacking focus on something. So I have come up with this.”

I’ll name it as Ghar Ki Yaadien, a conversation between me and City of London

Kyun ajnabi se lagte ho tum… Jab saath hoon mein har dum tumhaare…
Kyun pal pal chup rehte ho tum… Jab karta hoon mein tumse baatien…

Kyun lagte ho tum begaane se… Aur udaasi chayi hai chehre pe…
Kya mujhse koi gila hui hai ? Kya khafa ho tum mujhse ?

Tum kehte ho ke ghar jaana hai… Par yeh bhi to tumhara ghar hai…
Hai yahaan sabkuch tumhare liye… Phir tumhe kiska darr hai?

Hai duniya ke har log yahaan… Hai hindu muslim sikh isaai…
Phir kyu ghar jaana hai…. Jab mil kar rehte hai sab bhai bhai…

Aisi koi jagah nahi yahaan… Jo dekh kar muskaan na aaye…
Har ek cheez – har ek manzil… Bus tumhare hosh le jaaye…

Phir kyun tum kehte ho… Ke humein ghar jaana hai ?
Yeh tumhara bhi ghar hai… Yaha tumhe sabkuch paana hai…

Bus ek sawaal ne mujhe chup kar diya… Ke kaha hai mere sab apne ?
Paise to kamalu khub saare… Par kisse baatunga mere sapne ?

Duniya ki shohrat to kamalu mein… Phir bhi ek kami se hamesha rehti hai…
Zinda to mein kahi bhi reh lu… Waapis aa jao – maa kehti hai…

Mein jitna bhi khud ko rok lu yaha… Mera dil hamesha wahi rahega…
Jitna bhi samjhaau pagal dil ko… ghar jaana hai bus yahi kahega…

Phir kyu na jaau mein yaha se… Jab koi mujhe yaha apna nahi lagta…
Kyu rahun mein apno se door… Ab yeh ek khoobsurat sapna nahi lagta…

Na hoon khafa tumse… Na tumse koi gila hai…
Tumse hi seekha hoon… Kya khoya aur kya mila hai…

Hum sab watan se yaha… kuch majboori se aate hai…
Aur phir aur majbooriyaan… Aur hum yahi reh jaate hai…

Mann to sabhi ko karta hoga… Ke laut jaaye apno ke kareeb…
par mann ko behla dete hai… Ke chal aur do saal azmaale naseeb…

Yaha ki zindagi aur taur tarike… Majboori ka naam le leti hai…
Aur phir yahi apni zindagi bankar… Rishto ko badnaam kar deti hai

Paiso ke is khel mein yaaron… Apno se mooh mod lete hai…
Do char din phir jaate hai milne… Saal bhar akele chod dete hai…

Woh kabhi nahi kehenge tumhe… Ke chod do sab kuch aur aa jao…
Par kabhi unke taraf se bhi socho…. Woh yahi sochte hai.. aa jao…

Na gila shikwa hai logo se… Mein to ab ghar jaata hoon…
Saath rahu jab mein apno se…. to muskaan bhare din laata hoon…

Kuch pal yaha khoob acche beetein… Jo saath mein lekar jaata hoon
Soch lo apno ke liye kabhi… Yahi salah dekar jaata hoon

. Love Mayur

Happily for India, 62-year-old Duncan Andrew Gwynne Fletcher is more famous for being Coach than Cricketer. He is the man who is credited with lifting the English cricket team from ranking last on the list of Test playing nations to right up there as No 2.

For all that, Fletcher never played Test cricket. England’s first foreign coach was born a Zimbabwean. An all-rounder – left-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler – and known for his sharp fielding, Fletcher was the first man to captain Zimbabwe in international cricket and it was he that led the team that beat Australia in the 1983 World Cup and almost beat India in the famous Tunbridge Wells match which skipper Kapil Dev came out to salvage at 17 for 5. India eventually lifted the World Cup that year.

Fletcher became England’s first foreign coach ever in 1999, and he slowly coached a lacklustre team back into a winning combination. England lost some and then began winning home and away tours, recording eight consecutive Test wins against New Zealand and West Windies in 2004. But his golden moment came when England won the Ashes beating Australia 2-1 in 2005. England had won the Ashes after 18 years and Fletcher was rewarded with an OBE. That year he also got what he had waited 15 years for – a British citizenship.

If there were spectacular ups, there were spectacular downs too. Not least the 5-0 2006-07 ‘Tour of Hell’ Ashes debacle just 15 months after England had won back the Ashes and a knock-out in the 2007 World Cup. Fletcher resigned after the World cup disaster.

Fletcher is known to keep a low media profile, while he builds the systems. He is known to focus on individual players – their strengths and weaknesses – spotting talent and then backing it to the hilt against odds.  Michael Vaughan, who would later captain England, was one such player. Fletcher is also known as the man who built Team England with players playing for country first, not county.

His knack for having a good rapport with captains like Nasser Hussain and Vaughan should also work for him in India.  Also, his focus on fielding, an area of weakness repeatedly identified in the Indian cricket team of late.

On the flip side, an early reaction is why a 62-year-old to replace the forty something Gary Kirsten. Also, Fletcher was widely criticised when England coach for persisting with his playing team despite performance issues.

Current England Captain Andrew Strauss wrote in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2008, “Any cricketer who came into contact with Fletcher could not help but realise that this coach was completely different from any they had experienced before. All batsmen, without exception, were shepherded into a dark room at some stage early in their England career, to listen to Fletcher’s theories on playing spin, which involved a white-board, plenty of lines showing different angles of deliveries, and finally why the “forward press” worked. He was never one for telling a player to do something unless he explained it thoroughly first.”

In November 2007, Fletcher published his autobiography ‘Behind The Shades’. He has since also been a consultant for the South Africa team.

India, unlike the England that Fletcher had famously inherited, is ranked as the No 1 Test side in the world. It has also just won the World Cup 2011.

Fletcher’s first task is to continue from where Gary Kirsten left off and ensure very successful tours of the West Indies and, piquantly, England, starting June.

Sunnyvale, California: April 25, 2011

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), the premier digital media company, today announced the acquisition of IntoNow.  Launched in January 2011, IntoNow has built a platform and companion TV application based on real time indexing of television that deepens the connections between audiences, television content and advertisers. IntoNow has indexed more than five years of US based television programming, creating a rich database to build video discovery and programming experiences. IntoNow is able to identify content down to the airing, episode and time within the program as well as provide program information and links associated with it, all within a matter of seconds.

“Relying on social channels as a means for discovering content – whether it’s on a PC, mobile device, or TV – is rapidly on the rise. IntoNow’s technology combines the ability to check-in to what a consumer is watching, engage in conversations, and find related content,” said Bill Shaughnessy, SVP of Product Management and Product Marketing at Yahoo!. “The IntoNow application the team has built clearly demonstrates the opportunities the technology presents across Yahoo!’s network, especially in regards to our video content, search, mobile and Connected TV experiences.

We are excited to have the IntoNow team join Yahoo! as we continue to build out these experiences.”

The addition of IntoNow will enable Yahoo! to provide enhanced media experiences and video programming, bolstering its social engagement across the Yahoo! network and on all screens. IntoNow users are able to easily engage with friends around the shows they enjoy most. IntoNow
helps people discover new shows, discuss favorites with friends and learn more about them, and provides recommendations for what is currently airing based on their interests and those they are connected to. The application is also integrated with Facebook, Twitter, iTunes and Netflix to
enable more sharing and information gathering.

“IntoNow has built a unique way for people to engage with each other around the content they enjoy,” said Adam Cahan, CEO of IntoNow. “Companion applications and devices are changing the way we interact with TV in significant ways. The IntoNow team is excited to be joining Yahoo! to help create new consumer experiences and to be part of Yahoo!’s global scale and reach.”