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VIDYA BALAN | KOCHI-MUZIRIS BIENNALE | WEDDING SPECIAL<br />
spice<br />
Volume 10 | Issue 12 | <strong>December</strong> 2016<br />
THE INFLIGHT MAGAZINE<br />
GEARING<br />
UP FOR<br />
Christmas
FROM THE<br />
CMD’S DESK<br />
Dear Readers,<br />
As the year draws to a close, we have much<br />
to celebrate. We are delighted to announce<br />
our seventh consecutive profitable quarter<br />
with a net profit of ` 59 crore for Q2 FY 2017<br />
– an increase of 103% over the previous year.<br />
Operating revenue for the quarter stood at<br />
` 1,400 crore, a growth of 35% and capacity<br />
deployed registered a growth of 38%.<br />
SpiceJet has now recorded the highest<br />
Passenger Load Factor for 19 months in a row.<br />
Since April this year, it has been in excess of<br />
90% every single month. You continue to fly<br />
SpiceJet in large numbers and we thank<br />
you for this.<br />
Your support has also helped us achieve<br />
the best On-time Performance (OTP) among<br />
all the Indian carriers for October 2016, a<br />
feat we expect to repeat in November. Our<br />
flight cancellation rate remains very low<br />
and this combined with our leading on-time<br />
performance makes SpiceJet India’s most<br />
reliable airline.<br />
SpiceJet received global recognition for its<br />
performance this month. At the annual World<br />
Travel Leaders Awards at WTM (World Travel<br />
Mart), London, SpiceJet was awarded for its<br />
incredible turnaround, and was the only airline<br />
in the world to receive recognition this year.<br />
SpiceJet’s revival is now a global case study<br />
and we are proud of what we have achieved.<br />
Demonetisation was the highlight of<br />
the month, a laudable effort that despite<br />
temporary inconvenience, will provide far<br />
reaching gains in the future. I encourage you<br />
to use the many digital booking mechanisms<br />
available on our website. I especially<br />
recommend you try SpiceCash, our soon-tobe-launched<br />
e-wallet.<br />
This month, SpiceJet continued to<br />
promote sport in India. We were the title<br />
sponsors for the first senior national boxing<br />
championship for women held in Haridwar. This<br />
championship will help identify boxers who will<br />
win medals in the future and make India proud.<br />
We also proudly sponsored the Delhi Dynamos<br />
football team that is doing so well in the Indian<br />
Soccer League, 2016.<br />
I take this opportunity to wish you<br />
fun-filled celebrations this month, the<br />
festivals for this month being a blend of<br />
both contemporary tastes and folklore.<br />
Beginning with The Rann Utsav or the<br />
Kutch Mahotsav, a celebration within the<br />
white sandy deserts of Kutch, one will<br />
witness the vibrancy of the Kutch region’s<br />
culture and heritage whilst staying in<br />
desert camps. This month, Goa will host<br />
the three day Sunburn festival with scores<br />
of entertainment, dance and music artistes<br />
congregating there.<br />
Avail our 12 daily flights to<br />
Ahmedabad and 10 daily flights to Goa<br />
from across all metros and more. Then<br />
there is the Mount Abu festival with<br />
traditional dancing, concerts, fairs, and<br />
fireworks easily accessible from Udaipur –<br />
a destination we connect daily from Delhi,<br />
Mumbai and Jaipur. And finally, Christmas,<br />
the eagerly awaited occasion for billions<br />
will be celebrated at SpiceJet both onboard,<br />
and on ground with our customary fun<br />
and gaiety.<br />
In the first 10 months of 2016, over 10.3<br />
million domestic passengers have already been<br />
carried with a further 1.35 million passengers<br />
on international flights. By <strong>December</strong>, we<br />
appear to be on course for carrying about<br />
14 million passengers for the year. This is a<br />
remarkable success possible only through your<br />
unflagging faith in us and also your constant<br />
patronage. Meanwhile, as a truly Indian airline,<br />
we continue to work with you to create a<br />
clean, digital and vibrant India. A better India.<br />
Jai Hind!<br />
Ajay Singh<br />
Chairman & Managing Director<br />
2 ||||| AUGUST 2016
Final Spice Route <strong>December</strong>16 Cover.indd 2<br />
VIDYA BALAN | KOCHI-MUZIRIS BIENNALE | WEDDING SPECIAL<br />
Volume 10 | Issue 12 | <strong>December</strong> 2016<br />
THE INFLIGHT MAGAZINE<br />
28/11/16 11:28 AM<br />
spice<br />
GEARING<br />
Christmas<br />
UP FOR<br />
DECEMBER 2016 www.spicejet.com<br />
Gearing up<br />
for Christmas<br />
CONTENTS<br />
GEARING UP FOR CHRISTMAS<br />
As the holiday lights go up and Christmas carols swell to<br />
a crescendo, we take a look at how several places in India<br />
celebrate the season of peace, love and joy<br />
A TOUCH OF CINNAMON<br />
A hint of spice can add lots<br />
of flavour to your Christmas<br />
goodies<br />
70<br />
ONWARD AND UPWARD<br />
With a historic turnaround<br />
behind it, SpiceJet spent<br />
2016 earning recognition for<br />
its achievements, launching<br />
new routes, introducing new<br />
privileges and redefining<br />
customer engagement<br />
76<br />
52<br />
ON THE COVER: From left: Dichamliu MK;<br />
Ahmad Nabil; Delphine Wilson; Devesh<br />
Arora. Photographed by Amit Sharma;<br />
Styling by Seitu Aneja; Hair and make-up<br />
by Sunil Gautam<br />
8 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
CONTENTS<br />
WEDDING BELLS<br />
A quick guide to help you<br />
organise the big day – from the<br />
perfect venue to the perfect<br />
honeymoon destination<br />
88 114<br />
92<br />
THE HEADLINER<br />
An actress par excellence, Vidya<br />
Balan has built a formidable<br />
reputation thanks to films such<br />
as The Dirty Picture, No One<br />
Killed Jessica, Paa, Ishqiya and<br />
Kahaani<br />
NOTHING GREEK<br />
ABOUT IT<br />
Counted among the world’s<br />
oldest spices, fenugreek has<br />
found use over the years<br />
as a medicine, beauty aid,<br />
preservative and culinary agent<br />
SPICEJET INSIDER<br />
Social media 22<br />
Spice products24<br />
SpiceVacations.com28<br />
Music140<br />
Onboard menu 141<br />
Mobile apps142<br />
My town144<br />
News148<br />
Stars of SpiceJet<strong>15</strong>0<br />
SpiceJet fleet<strong>15</strong>2<br />
Route map<strong>15</strong>6<br />
SpiceJet add-ons<strong>15</strong>8<br />
18 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
CONTENTS<br />
120<br />
IN SEARCH<br />
OF LOST<br />
TIME<br />
The Kochi-<br />
Muziris Biennale,<br />
which begins<br />
its third edition<br />
this month,<br />
has turned the<br />
sleepy town of<br />
Kochi into one<br />
of the most<br />
exciting art<br />
destinations in<br />
the country<br />
132<br />
spice<br />
DECEMBER 2016<br />
EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER<br />
MINAL SURVE<br />
EDITOR<br />
RAJU BIST<br />
rajubist@mwspiceroute.in<br />
EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />
EKTA MOHTA<br />
ekta@mwspiceroute.in<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
KAPIL C BATUS<br />
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR<br />
HEMALI LIMBACHIYA<br />
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER<br />
TANVI SHAH<br />
GRAPHIC DESIGNER<br />
VIDHI DOSHI<br />
PRODUCTION MANAGER<br />
MANGESH SALVI<br />
DIGITAL ARTIST<br />
JAYESH V. SALVI<br />
AD SALES<br />
MUMBAI<br />
VINOD MOHITE<br />
+91 9323554207, vinod@mwspiceroute.in<br />
RAHUL MUKHERJEE<br />
+91 9029457667, rahul@mwspiceroute.in<br />
NEW DELHI<br />
TANVEER AHMAD<br />
+91 9555098401, tanveer@mwspiceroute.in<br />
TAMIL NADU & PONDICHERRY<br />
CECIL S KOTEY<br />
+91 9884232475, cecil@mwspiceroute.in<br />
BENGALURU<br />
ANURADHA KUBER<br />
+91 9902329703, anuradha@mwspiceroute.in<br />
WEST BENGAL & NORTH-EAST<br />
MOHD. ASAD<br />
+91 9718834941, media.asad@gmail.com<br />
KOLKATA<br />
ASHIT NARAIN<br />
+91 9830006010, kolkata@mwspiceroute.in<br />
CHANDIGARH<br />
A ANU<br />
+91 7508049977, aryapuneet7@gmail.com<br />
KERALA<br />
T SIVASANKARAN<br />
+91 9947683001, sivakeral<strong>15</strong>@gmail.com<br />
GUJARAT<br />
SANJAY CHAWDA<br />
+91 98240 43072, sanjaychawda@gmail.com<br />
TELANGANA & AP<br />
ROCKWEL JOSEPH<br />
+91 9885804<strong>15</strong>5, rocky@mwspiceroute.in<br />
PUNE<br />
ARUSHI SHRIVASTAVA<br />
+91 9538846897, arushi@mwspiceroute.in<br />
PRODUCED BY<br />
A TREK THROUGH FORESTS<br />
While most people travel to Neral and proceed from there to<br />
Matheran by toy train or horse, there is another, lesser-known route<br />
to reach your destination<br />
EDITORIAL & MARKETING OFFICE:<br />
MW.Com (India) Pvt. Ltd., 401, 4th Floor, Todi Building,<br />
Mathuradas Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg,<br />
Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013., Tel: 022 67487777<br />
DELHI: 24/1, First Floor, Hauz Khas Village,<br />
New Delhi - 110016 Tel/Fax: 011- 26516071/72<br />
All rights reserved worldwide. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be<br />
returned unless accompanied by a postage pre-paid envelope<br />
20 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
BUZZ ON<br />
TWITTER<br />
#selfie with the #wonderful<br />
#spicejet #crew. Everyone feels<br />
good to be treated nice :)<br />
girish_pradhan_9<br />
Just flew from Bangalore to Pune by<br />
#Spicejet. Had an amazing experience.<br />
Thank you @flyspicejet<br />
@SohamGolecha<br />
Flight on the way to kochi from<br />
chennai #SpiceJet #night #light<br />
#landscape<br />
linslouis<br />
thanks SG-612 captain, for<br />
making us reach mumbai<br />
before time. and also for<br />
good sense of humour,<br />
made journey pleasant<br />
@Man_Ka_Mit<br />
@flyspicejet Had a wonderful journey<br />
with spicejet from Dubai to Hyd.<br />
Amazing crew on board<br />
@MirAreef<br />
Dear @flyspicejet wonderful time<br />
today on SG <strong>15</strong>4 the crew were<br />
lovely. Happy to fly again.<br />
@quickdraw_46<br />
Wonderful time on SG 103. Brand new<br />
aircraft. Before time smooth departure and<br />
landing. Smiling crew and captain. keep it up.<br />
@rk091179<br />
Flying high with @flyspicejet good<br />
crew, good service and most<br />
importantly bang on time. Loved it<br />
@pandeynimesh<br />
@flyspicejet Just completed my first intl<br />
flight with you guys & wanted to thank the<br />
onboard crew for their outstanding service<br />
Cheers #SG52<br />
@bhatman03<br />
Spicejet spicy meals are fun. Well<br />
done, Spicejet...<br />
Dinesh Nair<br />
Happy diwali to AS and team. Hope<br />
you keep the profits & shareholder<br />
wealth growing in a responsible<br />
manner<br />
C Vijay Simhan<br />
Congrats Spice jet for being<br />
number one. I love this airline.<br />
Sunita Tewari<br />
22 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
INNOVATIONS FOR<br />
COMFORT<br />
& CONVENIENCE<br />
AT SPICEJET, we believe that customer experience can always be improved upon. In<br />
keeping with this philosophy, we are constantly looking for ways to make travel not<br />
just a hassle-free experience, but also one that passengers will remember.<br />
Our latest slew of innovations reflects this: a product that rewards travellers who travel<br />
only with hand baggage; another that makes life easier for those who carry heavy<br />
baggage, but not heavy enough to be checked-in; yet another that offers a bigger<br />
choice of meals on board; products to please those who are always on the lookout for<br />
extra legroom, and those who are particular about where they sit on a flight; a prepaid<br />
card that allows passengers to make cashless transactions; an add-on service that<br />
allows the flexibility of cancelling or changing ticket(s) to suit your travel plan; and<br />
finally a product that aims at greater customer ease in case of flight disruptions. No<br />
surprise then that we are the country’s favourite budget airline.<br />
24 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
1SpiceMax<br />
SpiceJet’s SpiceMax provides more comfort and convenience. With extra<br />
legroom and greater personal space, passengers can travel with ease.<br />
Apart from significantly extra legroom on board, fliers can also enjoy other<br />
added ancillary products such as priority check-in, complimentary meal<br />
and beverage, priority baggage handling and priority boarding (aerobridge<br />
gates) at dedicated SpiceMax counters at the airport for a modest add-on fee<br />
per sector. The ease with which fliers can opt for this product enhances the<br />
experience. When booking a connecting flight with a stop-over, passengers can<br />
purchase SpiceMax seats separately for the two flights.<br />
2<br />
SpiceClub<br />
This prepaid card allows<br />
passengers to make cashless<br />
transactions. With the<br />
SpiceClub card they can<br />
purchase meals, merchandise and add-on<br />
services. Every recharge entitles the card<br />
holder to get additional credits, which<br />
convert to currency on the card. By<br />
paying just `599, a passenger can enjoy<br />
a host of exclusive benefits worth up to<br />
`3,000. The introductory benefits are<br />
two free vouchers worth `599 that can<br />
be used for domestic flight bookings; a<br />
Marriage Anniversary Special (50% off on<br />
domestic air tickets for two passengers);<br />
free priority check-in; preferred<br />
communication for any SpiceJet Promo<br />
Sale; and more.<br />
3<br />
Hot Meals<br />
Passengers have a wide<br />
variety of meals to opt<br />
for on SpiceJet flights<br />
when they pre-book<br />
a meal. Those flying Boeings are<br />
spoilt for choice. There are four<br />
options for breakfast. All-day<br />
meals (which include snacks,<br />
lunch and dinner) are<br />
spread across eight menus.<br />
Seven Chef’s Choice<br />
menus and two kinds of<br />
Platters are available 24x7.<br />
Passengers taking Q400<br />
flights can choose<br />
from eight different<br />
types of sandwiches.<br />
There is a great variety<br />
on offer – from Vermicelli Croquette,<br />
Saute Broccoli and Chicken Stroganoff<br />
to Angara Paneer Tikka Sub Roll.<br />
Pre-booking a meal offers other<br />
choices and benefits, too: the<br />
option of a gluten-free meal; a<br />
menu with Thai, Continental and<br />
Indian options as well as Indian<br />
Platters; discounted rates<br />
compared to onboard<br />
prices; passengers<br />
can wish their loved<br />
ones on birthdays and<br />
anniversaries midair<br />
with a cake on<br />
select flights; and a<br />
takeaway Kids’ Meal<br />
bag, shaped like an<br />
airplane.<br />
PRE-BOOK NOW!<br />
Pre-book your meals to make your<br />
journey with us a more comfortable<br />
experience. You can enjoy exceptional<br />
discounted rates, with meals starting<br />
at `180. It makes purchasing food and<br />
beverages onboard an entirely cashless<br />
affair. You can pre-book at the time<br />
of booking your flight, or add it later<br />
through ‘Manage My Booking’ on the<br />
website, www.spicejet.com. If you prebook<br />
on the SpiceJet mobile app, you<br />
can even get 50 per cent off on meals.<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 25
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
4<br />
SpiceFlex<br />
The next time you book a<br />
flight on SpiceJet, opt for<br />
SpiceFlex, a uniquely crafted<br />
bundled fare that offers<br />
passengers immense benefits such as<br />
preferred seat choice at no additional<br />
charge and change fee waiver. Enjoy<br />
these benefits at a marginal premium<br />
only. Considered an ideal option<br />
for frequent travellers and business<br />
executives, these fares are valid on all<br />
direct, via and onward flights. Customers<br />
can book SpiceFlex only on www.<br />
spicejet.com, and via travel agents.<br />
7<br />
My Flexi Plan<br />
Planning a trip will be easier<br />
than ever with SpiceJet’s new<br />
innovative add-on service,<br />
My Flexi Plan. Passengers can<br />
now enjoy the flexibility of cancelling or<br />
changing the ticket(s) to suit their travel<br />
plan. If they are certain about travel<br />
but not about the dates, then they can<br />
book a ticket by opting for this service.<br />
Customers can opt for this add-on at the<br />
time of booking by paying a fee of `1,125<br />
for domestic travel ticket and `1,250 for<br />
international travel ticket. The service will<br />
be applicable only for one change or one<br />
cancellation per ticket.<br />
5<br />
Fly For Sure<br />
Fly For Sure has been launched for greater<br />
customer ease in case of flight disruptions. It allows<br />
a passenger booked on SpiceJet a guarantee of<br />
flying in the next 24 hours in case of a flight delay<br />
beyond 90 minutes, missing a flight not exceeding 30 minutes<br />
from airport check-in closure of the original flight or a flight<br />
cancellation by the airline. With Fly For Sure the passenger<br />
gets to fly, in spite of the above unforeseen circumstances.<br />
It is available while booking for the flight and SpiceJet will<br />
reimburse the passengers for an alternate flight ticket (not<br />
exceeding double the price of the original ticket or the cost<br />
of second ticket, whichever is lower) on the airline of their<br />
choice in the same sector within 24 hours of the original<br />
scheduled booking with SpiceJet.<br />
6<br />
Carry More On Board<br />
Making air travel even more<br />
convenient, SpiceJet’s ‘Carry<br />
More On Board’ is a service for<br />
travellers with heavier cabin<br />
baggage. It is targeted at passengers who<br />
carry cabin baggage heavier than 7 kg, and<br />
do not want to check-in. Fliers can carry bags<br />
weighing up to 5 kg extra, a maximum of 12<br />
kg on board, while paying a nominal fee for<br />
each kg above 7 kg. Bags can be heavier, but<br />
not larger, and the standard free baggage<br />
allowances remain as before. Customers can<br />
opt for this product during airport check-in<br />
and at airport ticket counters.<br />
8<br />
Hand Baggage Only<br />
This is another unique product that offers a discount to those<br />
passengers who carry only hand baggage. Available on<br />
most direct domestic flights, this fare has a minimum <strong>15</strong>-day<br />
advance purchase period, and no free check-in baggage<br />
allowance is permissible. Bookings for this can be made on www.spicejet.<br />
com, at airport ticket offices, and through select online travel portals.<br />
Passengers should keep in mind that hand baggage allowance does not<br />
change. Those who book these fares, but decide to check in luggage later,<br />
will have to pay more.<br />
26 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
SPICEVACATIONS.COM<br />
TRAVEL WITH EASE AND FLEXIBILITY<br />
PLAN YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH SPICEJET’S UNIQUE INITIATIVE<br />
SPICEVACATIONS.COM, A PLETHORA OF END-TO-END TRAVEL SOLUTIONS, MAKING YOUR<br />
TRAVELS NOT JUST CONVENIENT, BUT ALSO RED. HOT. SPICY<br />
Customers need<br />
to simply decide<br />
on the theme of<br />
their vacation<br />
SPICEVACATIONS.COM is a one-stop<br />
shop for customised travel packages,<br />
offering services beyond the ordinary.<br />
Take your pick from a vast network<br />
of domestic and international holiday<br />
destinations, and book your flights with<br />
the right bundle of services to ensure an<br />
effortless journey. Carefully hand-picked<br />
hotels, quick car rentals, and travel<br />
packages created in association with<br />
local holiday experts – you have much<br />
to benefit from SpiceVacations.com.<br />
With SpiceVacations.com,<br />
customers can make changes in<br />
their itinerary online, at every step of<br />
the trip. For instance, if a customer<br />
wants to opt for a bigger car even if<br />
the package entails a smaller one, he<br />
can do so, and with ease. Customers<br />
need to simply decide on the theme<br />
of their vacation, such as pilgrimage,<br />
honeymoon, heritage, wildlife, beach or<br />
hills, and the platform throws up a wide<br />
variety of deals in terms of location,<br />
hotel arrangements, local sightseeing<br />
tours and car rentals, among others.<br />
A separate online domain, this<br />
product adds to the customer’s<br />
convenience and also acts as an<br />
information buddy. In the second phase<br />
of operations, travel experts will share<br />
their experiences, comments, blogs, etc.,<br />
that can help customers plan their next<br />
trip. Reviews from fellow travellers will<br />
also help customers plan their vacations<br />
in the right manner.<br />
With this unique initiative by<br />
SpiceJet, customers have the flexibility<br />
of booking a package at a minimal<br />
amount and can pay the rest later<br />
through various EMI options that are<br />
made available to them along with other<br />
regular options on offer.<br />
As the website is powered by<br />
SpiceJet, every customer can enjoy<br />
great flight and hotel deals. All these<br />
culminate in smart, convenient and<br />
detailed travel packages. In keeping<br />
with the times, the new product will also<br />
be connected with SpiceJet’s mobile<br />
app but this will be done at a later<br />
stage.<br />
So, travel the world with SpiceJet’s<br />
enviable travel packages and experience<br />
the perfect holiday.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
28 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
Estd. : 1939 Estd. : 1979
OPENING SHOT ||||| SOCIAL MEDIA<br />
Clockwise from above to below right:<br />
Photographs by Instagrammer Jordan Taylor<br />
Wright. Below left: By Jacob Riglin<br />
INSTAGRAMMERS<br />
IN INDIA<br />
ITC HOTELS AND THE LUXURY<br />
COLLECTION, in collaboration with<br />
Beautiful Destinations, hosted India’s<br />
largest Insta Meet – 20 social media<br />
influencers were invited to travel<br />
through the Golden Triangle. These<br />
global tastemakers (some of them<br />
included Jordan Taylor Wright, Murad<br />
Osmann, Jack Morris and others) took<br />
some breathtaking photographs of their<br />
trip, a few of which can be seen here.<br />
30 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
OPENING SHOT ||||| ENDURANCE<br />
SAMANTHA GASH RAN<br />
3,800 KM ACROSS INDIA<br />
LAST MONTH, AUSTRALIAN ULTRA<br />
MARATHONER Samantha Gash finished her<br />
3,800-kilometre run from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan<br />
to Mawsynram in Meghalaya, from the driest part<br />
of India to the wettest. A former lawyer by<br />
profession, the 31-year-old undertook the<br />
challenge of the Run India project to raise funds to<br />
support six World Vision Area projects in Jaipur,<br />
Barmer, Kanpur, Delhi, Hardoi and Pauri that<br />
focus on education. Gash averaged 60 km a day,<br />
and once posted, “During the run I’ve made many<br />
impromptu visits to schools that line the highways<br />
and roads I run along. The kids I’ve met have<br />
spoken different languages, lived vastly different<br />
lives and been from different faiths. However,<br />
each time I’ve been welcomed the same way –<br />
warmly, with intrigue and big smiles.”<br />
BRUCE VIAENE<br />
32 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
OPENING SHOT ||||| ART<br />
PAINT BY NUMBERS<br />
Clockwise<br />
from below: Poornima Sukumar's<br />
artwork in Bengaluru; Senkoe's artwork in<br />
Lodhi Art District; Harshvardhan Kadam's<br />
artwork in Lodhi Art District; and in Bengaluru<br />
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, St+Art India Foundation has taken the onus of<br />
interpreting our cities by creating conversations around local stories. In Delhi, they<br />
created the Lodhi Art District, the first public art district in India with more than 28<br />
street artists working to re-invigorate the iconic Lodhi Colony area. Between<br />
<strong>December</strong> 20<strong>15</strong> and March 2016, several walls between Khanna Market and<br />
Meherchand Market were turned into a spectacle – an open-air art gallery accessible<br />
to everyone. More recently, they recreated this feat in Bengaluru (October) and<br />
Hyderabad (November). In Bengaluru, they created narratives between Cubbon Park,<br />
MG Road and Majestic metro stations and also their surrounding areas, and in<br />
Hyderabad, several sites on the iconic Necklace Road came alive through murals,<br />
installations, talks, screenings and workshops.<br />
AKSHAT NAURIYAL<br />
34 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
OPENING SHOT ||||| ADVENTURE<br />
EMBARK ON THE CHADAR TREK<br />
THE MOST THRILLING TREK IN INDIA has a pretty small window for embarking on it. In January and February, the Zanskar River<br />
in Ladakh freezes over completely. In summer, you can do river rafting on the river, and in winter, it transforms into a sheet<br />
(chadar) of ice and you can walk on it. The gruelling journey is rated as one of the best treks on the planet and is a must-do for<br />
adventure lovers.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
36 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
OPENING SHOT ||||| PHENOMENA<br />
Clockwise from top: In Yosemite National Park; Photograph clicked by Sun TV anchor<br />
Manimegalai; Actor Shah Rukh Khan takes a selfie with the moon; At the Marina Beach, Chennai<br />
THE SUPERMOON SAID HELLO<br />
ON NOVEMBER 14, the supermoon – or the brightest moon in almost 69 years – lit up<br />
the world. The average distance between earth and moon is 384,500 km, but on<br />
November 14, the full moon was 356,508 km from earth. This was the closest the<br />
moon came to earth since 1948. There won’t be another such supermoon until 2034,<br />
when the moon is predicted to be even closer. People showed their enthusiasm for the<br />
event by posting pictures on social media, some of which can be seen here.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK (TOP)<br />
38 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
MELANGE ||||| HAPPENINGS<br />
HOT DATES<br />
EVENTS // MUSIC // THEATRE // ART<br />
Culture<br />
HORNBILL FESTIVAL<br />
The ‘window to Nagaland’,<br />
the aim of Hornbill<br />
festival is to revive and<br />
protect the rich culture<br />
of Nagaland and display<br />
its extravaganza and<br />
traditions.<br />
When: <strong>December</strong><br />
1-10, 2016<br />
Where: Kisama Heritage<br />
Village, near Kohima<br />
Music<br />
MAGNETIC FIELDS<br />
Attend three days of music,<br />
art, food and magical<br />
connections in a 17thcentury<br />
palace in Shekawati<br />
Rajasthan. Two stages will<br />
showcase the country’s best<br />
and most forward-thinking<br />
music alongside some of the<br />
world’s finest underground<br />
stars such as Roman Flugel,<br />
Matias Aguayo (in picture)<br />
and Helena Hauff.<br />
When: <strong>December</strong><br />
9-11, 2016<br />
Where: Alsisar Mahal,<br />
Rajasthan<br />
Cinema<br />
SHAKESPEARE LIVE!<br />
Catch the screenings of some of the greatest film<br />
adaptations of Shakespeare’s works such as Basil<br />
Dearden’s All Night Long, Kenneth Branagh’s Much<br />
Ado About Nothing (in picture) and Hamlet, Oliver<br />
Parker’s Othello and Derem Jarman’s The Tempest.<br />
When: <strong>December</strong> 19-23, 2016<br />
Where: NCPA Mumbai<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK (HORNBILL)<br />
42 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
MELANGE ||||| HAPPENINGS<br />
Festival<br />
SUNBURN 2016<br />
Sunburn is now one the top three music festivals in the<br />
world. This year’s line-up includes superstars such as Armin<br />
van Buuren (in picture), Axwell & Ingrosso, Dimitri Vegas<br />
and Like Mike and Afrojack.<br />
When: <strong>December</strong> 28-31, 2016<br />
Where: Pune<br />
Shopping<br />
DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL<br />
With world-class malls that elevate the shopping experience<br />
to new heights, Dubai is one place where you can shop till you<br />
drop.<br />
When: <strong>December</strong> 26, 2016, to January 28, 2017<br />
Where: Dubai<br />
Art<br />
PHAD<br />
PAINTING<br />
WORKSHOP<br />
Revisit and learn<br />
the fascinating<br />
Indian<br />
indigenous art<br />
form of Phad<br />
painting, which<br />
combines<br />
beautiful<br />
narrative art and<br />
folk themes.<br />
When:<br />
<strong>December</strong> 11,<br />
2016<br />
Where: Zorba<br />
the Buddha,<br />
Delhi<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK (DUBAI)<br />
44 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
MELANGE ||||| HAPPENINGS<br />
DECEMBER<br />
L<br />
ISTINGS<br />
2<br />
What: Kahaani 2<br />
(Hindi Movie)<br />
Where: Across India<br />
3-4<br />
What: Riders Music Festival<br />
When: 11.00 am<br />
Where: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi<br />
What: Urbana Music Festival<br />
When: 3.30 pm<br />
Where: Ozone Urbana, Bengaluru<br />
What: Jhakri Dance & Music Group from<br />
Mauritius<br />
When: 7.00 pm onwards<br />
Where: NCPA Mumbai<br />
5<br />
9<br />
What: Befikre<br />
(Hindi Movie)<br />
Where: Across<br />
India<br />
What: Venkatesh Kumar (Hindustani<br />
Classical Concert)<br />
When: 7.00 pm<br />
Where: MLR Convention Centre, Bengaluru<br />
What: Land of Gold by Anoushka Shankar<br />
(Hindustani Classical Concert)<br />
When: 7.30 pm<br />
Where: Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhavan, Bengaluru<br />
10<br />
11<br />
What: Zakir Khan Live<br />
(Stand-up Comedy)<br />
When: 7.30 pm<br />
Where: Museum Theatre, Chennai<br />
16-<br />
23<br />
What:<br />
Serendipity<br />
Arts Festival<br />
When:<br />
11.00 am<br />
onwards<br />
Where: Goa<br />
17<br />
&<br />
18<br />
What: Pet Fed Delhi<br />
2016 (Pet Festival)<br />
When: 10.00 am<br />
Where: NSIC Exhibition<br />
Complex, Delhi<br />
17 18<br />
What: BOOM 0.1<br />
Featuring Badshah<br />
What: Kathak Masterclass (Music Concert)<br />
by Aditi Mangaldas<br />
When: 7.00 pm<br />
When: 2.00 pm<br />
Where: Sarusajai Sports<br />
Where: NCPA Mumbai Complex, Guwahati<br />
23<br />
What: Dangal (Hindi Film)<br />
Where: Across India<br />
What: Vir Das in Kolkata<br />
When: 8.00 pm<br />
Where: GD Birla Sabhagar, Kolkata<br />
25<br />
What: Christmas<br />
Where: Across India<br />
31<br />
What: Hill Top Goa<br />
New Year’s Eve<br />
When: 5.00 pm<br />
Where: Vagator, Goa<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK (CHRISTMAS; PETS)<br />
46 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
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MELANGE ||||| INFORMATION<br />
WHAT'S NEW<br />
‘SANT NAGARI’ PLANNED IN<br />
GUJARAT •<br />
The Gujarat government is planning to<br />
showcase a ‘Sant Nagari’ (city of saints), a<br />
`575-crore project conceived by<br />
PM Narendra Modi when he was at the<br />
helm in the state, to foreign investors at the<br />
Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit<br />
from January 10-13, 2017. The project, which<br />
is expected to come up on 539 acres at<br />
Mahor village in north Gujarat, will bring<br />
together the teachings of Gautam Buddha,<br />
Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Guru Gobind<br />
Singh, Sant Kabir and Khwaja Moinuddin<br />
Chishti under one roof.<br />
INCREDIBLE INDIA WAS THE OFFICIAL PARTNER<br />
AT WORLD TRAVEL MARKET LONDON 2016 <br />
With 42 co-exhibitors and partners, Incredible India put on a<br />
fantastic show at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2016, which took<br />
place from November 7-9 in London. Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister<br />
of State for Tourism & Culture, inaugurated the WTM along with<br />
Simon Press, Executive Director, WTM London (in picture).<br />
Dr. Sharma stated that the government has invested more than<br />
$400 million in tourism infrastructure in the last 18 months.<br />
KOCHI-MUZIRIS BIENNALE HOSTS<br />
NOVEL COLLABORATIVE PROJECT ON<br />
KERALA-GULF LINKS <br />
The Trans-Indian Ocean Artists Exchange aims to build<br />
on the historical forms of traffic between Kerala and West<br />
Asia. As part of the four-phase project, Emirati artists<br />
Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim (in picture) and Mohammed<br />
Kazem are currently finishing a two-month residency at<br />
Pepper House, Fort Kochi. This will culminate in a display<br />
of their works at the Pepper House Residency Exhibition.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK (GUJARAT)<br />
48 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
MELANGE ||||| INFORMATION<br />
SAND ART<br />
FESTIVAL<br />
COMMENCES IN<br />
KONARK •<br />
Renowned sand artist<br />
Sudarsan Pattnaik is the<br />
brand ambassador of the<br />
5th International Sand<br />
Art Festival to be held in<br />
Konark by the tourism<br />
department of Odisha.<br />
International Sand Art<br />
Festival is a popular<br />
annual event, which is<br />
held from <strong>December</strong> 1 to<br />
5. As the festival coincides<br />
with the ‘Make in Odisha’<br />
conclave, a large number<br />
of visitors are expected.<br />
INDIAN AIRPORTS TO GET<br />
FULL-BODY SCANNERS <br />
INDIA-JAPAN TOURISM MEET<br />
FOR THE FIRST TIME <br />
One full-body scanner will initially be<br />
launched at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi<br />
International Airport. Full-body scanners<br />
had previously been resisted in India due<br />
to concerns over privacy, but officials<br />
have reassured the public, stressing<br />
that the devices do not produce images<br />
of exact body contours, but instead<br />
only undertake a “targeted search” for<br />
concealed prohibited items.<br />
Japan Tourism is expanding its<br />
presence in India with a new office<br />
in Delhi scheduled to commence<br />
operations this year. This was<br />
announced at the first ever India-Japan<br />
Tourism Meet organised by FICCI in Delhi from October 24-25. Dr. Jyotsna<br />
Suri, Chairperson, FICCI Tourism Committee, said, “Japan is the 10th largest<br />
source market for India with around 2.07 lakh Japanese arrivals in 20<strong>15</strong>.”<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK (JAPAN; SCANNER)<br />
50 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
Imagica!<br />
Your cool<br />
holiday<br />
destination<br />
this winter<br />
vacation<br />
Spend some exciting<br />
time with your<br />
family and take back<br />
delightful memories<br />
Advertorial<br />
The holiday season of the year<br />
is here already. From<br />
decorating the Christmas tree<br />
to gift-shopping for family<br />
members, the world begins to<br />
celebrate the winters. Work<br />
starts taking a back seat, relatives start<br />
visiting you while you start making lavish<br />
plans to bring in the New Year. This holiday<br />
season, head to India’s favourite family<br />
holiday destination – Imagica, right next to<br />
Mumbai where all the fun, frolic and fiesta<br />
gets together.<br />
At Imagica, the celebrations go a notch<br />
higher with entertainment for kids and<br />
adults. Revel in the pride of being an<br />
Indian while you immerse in ‘I for India’<br />
which showcases a stunning aerial view of<br />
India From Leh to Kanyakumari and<br />
Kutchh to Kerala covering many Indian<br />
sights, landscapes and festivals on a 90<br />
feet wide screen. At the same time<br />
become a child again and fire water from<br />
cannons in Splash Ahoy. The immersive<br />
motion simulation technology used in our<br />
Mr India attraction at the Theme Park will<br />
leave you awestruck. For the not so faint<br />
hearted we have a bunch of crazy<br />
rollercoasters which will give you an<br />
adrenaline rush. Enjoy the Water Park as<br />
you Zip Zap Zoom through the crazy slides<br />
or go Twisty Turvy in a thrilling high speed<br />
ride. You can also squeeze in a quick visit<br />
to India’s Largest Snow Park to enjoy<br />
snowfall,a snow hike and even a dance<br />
floor for magical snowy moments of this<br />
Christmas period.<br />
To add to the festive fervour, look out<br />
for the mesmerizing Christmas décor as<br />
Santa Claus brings his team of reindeers,<br />
elves, snowman and lots of gifts around<br />
the Christmas tree. With the very pleasant<br />
evenings, make sure to witness the Grand<br />
Imagica Parade with our cool Imagica<br />
characters, floats, dancers, magicians, as<br />
well as the spectacular laser show<br />
after sundown. It’s definitely a sight<br />
to behold!<br />
So many activities can be a bit<br />
exhaustive. The luxurious Novotel<br />
Imagica hotel lets you unwind from<br />
the exertion elegantly, with stylish<br />
rooms, all day dining options, a<br />
swimming pool, gymnasium and easy<br />
access to the Parks. If you are planning a<br />
getaway to one of the many nearby holiday<br />
destinations from Imagica, our Multi-Park<br />
ticket lets you enjoy all the parks at your<br />
convenience, anytime over 3 days. To make<br />
the most of your visit, you can also book <strong>15</strong><br />
days in advance with the Early Bird offer<br />
and save 10% on the tickets.<br />
Loaded with gripping stories,<br />
fascinating adventures, breath-taking<br />
roller coasters, hair-raising heights,<br />
dungeons and dinosaurs with boats to<br />
wash it all down, there is plenty of<br />
something for everyone. This is where you<br />
won’t miss out on the beaches, the snowcapped<br />
mountains or the beauty of nature<br />
because Imagica lets you witness it all.<br />
So stop searching for places to visit<br />
near Mumbai and Pune, gather all your<br />
family members and just drive through the<br />
beautiful landscapes to come celebrate the<br />
winter cheer in style at this amazing<br />
holiday destination – Imagica, located just<br />
2 hours away from the city, conveniently<br />
off the Mumbai - Pune expressway.<br />
To know more, visit www.adlabsimagica.com<br />
or call 022 42130405
COVER STORY ||||| CELEBRATIONS<br />
52 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
GEARING<br />
UP FOR<br />
CHRISTMAS<br />
AS THE HOLIDAY LIGHTS COME ON<br />
AND CHRISTMAS CAROLS RISE TO<br />
A CRESCENDO, WE TAKE A LOOK<br />
AT HOW SEVERAL PLACES IN INDIA<br />
CELEBRATE THE SEASON OF<br />
PEACE, LOVE AND JOY.<br />
BY BEVERLY PEREIRA<br />
Christmas is one of<br />
the biggest festivals<br />
of the year for the<br />
Christian<br />
community the<br />
world over.<br />
Observed as a religious celebration that<br />
commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ<br />
on <strong>December</strong> 25, the festival is symbolic<br />
of mirth, goodwill, love, peace and<br />
forgiveness. Come <strong>December</strong>, the cheer<br />
of the season finds its way into the<br />
hearts of people of all faiths. In India,<br />
too, the Christmas holidays have a knack<br />
of bringing people together. Fairy lights<br />
illuminate entire neighbourhoods; cribs<br />
that recreate the nativity scene pop up at<br />
every street bend; and churches start<br />
preparing for midnight Mass. Markets<br />
take on a festive appearance as eager<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 53
COVER STORY ||||| CELEBRATIONS<br />
shoppers bustle about for last-minute<br />
gifts, and decorations like Christmas<br />
trees, shiny tinsel streamers, starshaped<br />
lanterns and glittering baubles<br />
of all shapes and sizes that will adorn<br />
their homes.<br />
By mid-<strong>December</strong>, most Christian<br />
households will already be in the middle<br />
of preparing for Christmas. In fact, in<br />
accordance with the tradition of Advent,<br />
Christian families begin preparing and<br />
remembering the real meaning of the<br />
season a whole four Sundays before<br />
Christmas. Many households prepare<br />
Christmas sweets such as marzipan,<br />
milk cream, kulkuls, date rolls and plum<br />
puddings that will be shared with<br />
others. Decorating the Christmas tree<br />
and lighting the star is another<br />
important pre-Christmas activity that<br />
brings families together. Many even<br />
spend this time lending a hand and an<br />
ear at old-age homes. After all,<br />
Christmas is a season that not only<br />
promotes a sense of togetherness but<br />
also encourages the act of giving.<br />
In most Indian cities, Christmas<br />
markets, charity events, choral<br />
recitations and plays form a large part of<br />
the period leading up to <strong>December</strong> 25.<br />
NOW FLYING<br />
SpiceJet has daily, direct flights to<br />
Mumbai from most major cities. Log on<br />
to www.spicejet.com for more details<br />
Christmas pie<br />
Before schools in India shut for the<br />
holidays, children look forward to the<br />
annual Christmas party that sees them<br />
participate in skits, indulge in snacks<br />
and await the arrival of Santa Claus. Of<br />
late, the office Christmas party is yet<br />
another manner in which people<br />
celebrate the season of giving. Offices<br />
are decorated with streamers,<br />
mistletoes, baubles and holly wreaths<br />
days before the actual holiday. Secret<br />
Santa, a popular holiday tradition in the<br />
US and the UK, has now become a<br />
mainstay in offices across India. After<br />
drawing a colleague’s name from a box<br />
of chits, each employee becomes a<br />
‘secret’ Santa to another. As offices and<br />
schools shut for a few days and the<br />
weather takes a cool turn in most parts<br />
of India, it’s the prospect of a white<br />
winter that lures many Indians to take a<br />
short holiday to the northern parts of<br />
the country. With so much joy and<br />
goodness in the air, it’s hard to ignore<br />
the spirit of the season.<br />
MERRY-MAKING IN MUMBAI<br />
Streets across Mumbai come alive with<br />
strings of fairy lights, stars and paper<br />
decorations in the first two weeks of<br />
<strong>December</strong>. Although celebrations are<br />
concentrated in a number of pockets<br />
across the city, from Borivali, Malad<br />
and Bandra, right up to Khotachiwadi<br />
in South Mumbai, you’ll experience<br />
the festive mood everywhere you go.<br />
For example, on Hill Road, in Bandra,<br />
DELPHINE WILSON<br />
SENIOR CABIN CREW, BENGALURU<br />
The carol ‘Tis the season to be jolly’<br />
comes to my mind when I think of<br />
Christmas. We have always celebrated<br />
Christmas at home and I have some<br />
wonderful memories associated with<br />
it. I have been with SpiceJet for three<br />
years and I always enjoy how it is<br />
celebrated here – with X’mas hats<br />
being worn, brownies being<br />
distributed, and in various other ways<br />
to ensure our passengers are happy.<br />
DICHAMLIU MK<br />
CABIN CREW, BENGALURU<br />
What I love most about Christmas is<br />
the general good spirit pervading<br />
everywhere. I love going to the<br />
midnight Mass and dancing till the<br />
next day. I have been here only six<br />
months but I am aware that at<br />
SpiceJet, we celebrate all major<br />
festivals onboard and Christmas is no<br />
exception. I look forward to<br />
celebrating my first Christmas with our<br />
passengers.<br />
54 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
COVER STORY ||||| CELEBRATIONS<br />
DEVESH ARORA<br />
CABIN CREW, DELHI<br />
There are many beautiful things I<br />
associate with Christmas – happiness,<br />
holidays and, of course, gifts. Every<br />
<strong>December</strong> 25, I go to the church. It’s<br />
fun being on a flight on the day. You<br />
wear Santa caps and take photos with<br />
kids. It feels so good to see them<br />
happy and smiling. It is also wonderful<br />
to see grown-ups enjoying. Suddenly<br />
it’s no longer about taking them from<br />
point A to B. It is much more than that.<br />
AHMAD NABIL<br />
CABIN CREW, DELHI<br />
The best thing about Christmas is that<br />
there is so much calmness around it. I<br />
once went to a church on Christmas<br />
and it was one of the most peaceful<br />
experiences of my life. At SpiceJet, we<br />
have many colleagues who celebrate<br />
Christmas, and it is a joy joining them<br />
in their celebrations. In the two years I<br />
have been here, it has been a joyful<br />
experience wearing Santa caps and<br />
greeting passengers on our flights.<br />
stores burst with Christmas decorations<br />
and traditional Christmas sweets a few<br />
weeks before Christmas. Damian, a<br />
furniture store in the area, is a popular<br />
stopover for visitors and locals alike,<br />
who spend time taking in its elaborate<br />
Christmas-themed window display.<br />
Meticulously designed cribs can be<br />
spotted at every corner when you walk<br />
down the tiny cobblestoned lanes of<br />
Ranwar, Chapel Road, Waroda Road and<br />
Chuim, where crib contests showcase<br />
the creative talents of each locality.<br />
Further north, it’s worth making a trip<br />
to St. Francis d’Assisi church in Borivali,<br />
reputed for its larger-than-life depiction<br />
of the nativity scene.<br />
The Mumbai Christmas Fest,<br />
organised since 2006 by the German<br />
Consulate and Indo-German Chamber<br />
of Commerce, Mumbai, is a popular way<br />
for families to soak up the Christmas<br />
cheer. This year, the event will be held<br />
on <strong>December</strong> 3 and 4 at the Royal<br />
Western India Turf Club in Mahalaxmi,<br />
where a Santa’s corner, and activities<br />
such as skating, bubble shows and kids’<br />
workshops, will provide wholesome<br />
entertainment for the young ones.<br />
Authentic German cuisine including<br />
sausages, cheese and a host of<br />
traditional Christmas desserts along<br />
with plenty of shopping opportunities<br />
set the tone for the season.<br />
Midnight Mass in Mumbai<br />
The sweet sound of carols wafts<br />
through homes, stores and restaurants<br />
closer to Christmas day, and on<br />
Christmas Eve, angelic choirs welcome<br />
the faithful into churches like Mount<br />
Mary’s Basilica, Holy Name Cathedral,<br />
St. Michael’s Church, and Sacred Heart<br />
Church for midnight Mass. Christmas<br />
Day begins with the exchange of gifts<br />
among family and close friends who<br />
come together for a hearty Christmas<br />
lunch of roast chicken, bakes, potato<br />
chops and plum pudding. Christmas<br />
reaches its peak in Mumbai at muchawaited<br />
dinner-and-dance events like<br />
the Christmas dance at the Bandra<br />
Gymkhana.<br />
GREETINGS FROM GOA<br />
Goa is a popular destination, be it<br />
summer, monsoon or winter. But the<br />
state, undoubtedly, has the largest<br />
inflow of tourists in <strong>December</strong>, when<br />
the weather is cooler and a celebratory<br />
air is all around. When in Goa, nothing<br />
compares to experiencing the season of<br />
Christmas just as the Goans do.<br />
NOW FLYING<br />
SpiceJet has daily, direct flights to<br />
Goa from Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi,<br />
Hyderabad and Mumbai. Log on to<br />
www.spicejet.com for more details<br />
56 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
COVER STORY ||||| CELEBRATIONS<br />
and gifts are unwrapped and carols sung.<br />
In Goa, too, the holiday ends with wellattended<br />
community dances.<br />
From top: Christmas being celebrated in<br />
Kolkata; Traditional Christmas sweets<br />
NOW FLYING<br />
SpiceJet offers daily, direct flights to Kolkata<br />
from major cities across the network. Log on<br />
to www.spicejet.com for details<br />
Restaurants like Arthur’s Theme<br />
in Candolim and Antares in Vagator have<br />
already announced lavish Christmas<br />
menus. Events like dances, gatherings,<br />
carol singing competitions and nativity<br />
plays at Kala Academy in Panjim are<br />
other major attractions. But it’s in some<br />
of Goa’s tiniest villages that one might<br />
find the true spirit of Christmas. It’s not<br />
rare to be offered a handful of traditional<br />
Goan sweets such as baath, pinarg, dodol,<br />
bebinca, marzipan and coconut ice when<br />
you walk through these off-the-map<br />
villages, where the smallest chapels are<br />
decorated with lights<br />
and creatively designed<br />
cribs. After attending<br />
midnight Mass at local<br />
churches, family and<br />
friends return to their<br />
homes to indulge in a cup<br />
of eggnog or a glass of<br />
spice-infused wine. Gala<br />
lunches and dinners<br />
bring people together<br />
DURING THE<br />
CHRISTMAS SEASON,<br />
PARK STREET IS TO<br />
KOLKATA WHAT TIMES<br />
SQUARE IS TO NEW<br />
YORK<br />
CARNIVAL-ESQUE KOLKATA<br />
In Kolkata, Christmas is also known as<br />
‘burra din’ and is an exuberant affair at<br />
the storied Park Street known for its<br />
colonial charm. Every year, the hugely<br />
anticipated Kolkata Christmas Festival<br />
that runs from mid-<strong>December</strong> through<br />
the first week of January draws tourists<br />
and residents from every corner of the<br />
city. In fact, during the Christmas<br />
season, Park Street is to Kolkata what<br />
Times Square is to New York. Christmas<br />
trees, life-sized Santa Claus and reindeer<br />
displays, lanterns, bells and blue fairy<br />
lights lend a magical touch to this busy<br />
road. Some of the city’s most fabled<br />
restaurants like Flurys sell Christmas<br />
mince pies and Yule logs by the dozen.<br />
Food stalls selling both local delicacies<br />
and Christmas sweets line Park Street,<br />
as do stalls selling knick-knacks and<br />
Santa hats.<br />
Not far, Allen Park serves as one<br />
of the main venues for the Kolkata<br />
Christmas Festival with a schedule<br />
packed with musical shows by wellknown<br />
singers and performers, who<br />
pander to the crowd’s demands for<br />
both carols and popular hits. Like<br />
every other year, the Kolkata Christmas<br />
Festival will be organised by the West<br />
Bengal Tourism Development<br />
Corporation, Kolkata Police and The<br />
Park Hotel and will begin<br />
on <strong>December</strong> 16, while<br />
the spectacular<br />
Christmas parade is<br />
scheduled to take place on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 18. A visit to<br />
the Bow Barracks is yet<br />
another popular way to<br />
get into the festive mood<br />
on a chilly <strong>December</strong><br />
evening. The locality is<br />
58 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
COVER STORY ||||| CELEBRATIONS<br />
From above: A crib depicting the<br />
birth-in-the manger scene; Christmas<br />
being celebrated in Kerala; Baath is a<br />
traditional Goan Christmas cake<br />
NOW FLYING<br />
SpiceJet has several flights to Guwahati,<br />
Agartala, Aizawl, Silchar and Bagdogra<br />
in the North-east, and to Kozhikode,<br />
Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in<br />
Kerala. Log on to www.spicejet.com for<br />
more details<br />
decked up in tinsel and lights,<br />
and the arrival of Santa Claus<br />
in a rickshaw remains the<br />
biggest attraction. On<br />
Christmas Eve, it’s hard to<br />
ignore the carol singers when<br />
you walk past churches like<br />
St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is<br />
packed to the hilt for its<br />
famous candle-lit midnight<br />
Mass.<br />
THE KERALA WAY<br />
In Kerala, where Christians<br />
account for nearly one-fourth of the<br />
population, Christmas celebrations are<br />
nothing short of grand. It’s mostly<br />
traditional with churches and homes<br />
tastefully decked up with cribs depicting<br />
the birth-in-the manger scene and stars<br />
twinkling on Christmas<br />
trees. Carol groups of<br />
churches and art clubs<br />
get busy visiting houses<br />
singing traditional<br />
songs. Christians claim<br />
that the message of Jesus<br />
was preached to their<br />
forefathers by Apostle<br />
St. Thomas, who landed<br />
at Kodungallur in<br />
Thrissur in AD 52.<br />
CHRISTMAS IS A<br />
SEASON THAT NOT<br />
ONLY PROMOTES<br />
A SENSE OF<br />
TOGETHERNESS BUT<br />
ALSO ENCOURAGES<br />
THE ACT OF GIVING<br />
NOSHING IN THE NORTH-EAST<br />
The North-eastern part of the country<br />
is no exception to Christmas<br />
celebrations. Shillong, which has a<br />
significant Christian population,<br />
celebrates it with pomp and glory. Most<br />
churches have local bands playing<br />
gospel music. The choirs in this part of<br />
the country are arguably the best. When<br />
it comes to food, don’t miss dohneiiong, a<br />
pork dish made with black sesame<br />
paste, usually eaten with rice or rice<br />
pancakes. Manipur celebrates this<br />
occasion in a tranquil manner with<br />
prayers (held in churches across the<br />
state), community feasting and<br />
exchanging gifts. Mizoram celebrates it<br />
over the course of three days. In<br />
Nagaland, Mokokchung is particularly<br />
noted for its extravagant Christmas and<br />
New Year celebrations.<br />
That could be attributed<br />
to its unique tradition of<br />
celebrating Christmas<br />
and New Year in the<br />
main town square at<br />
midnight. Meanwhile in<br />
Assam, Guwahati’s St.<br />
Joseph’s Cathedral in<br />
Panbazar attracts<br />
visitors with its eyecatching<br />
decorations.<br />
60 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
EXPERIENCE ||||| WILDLIFE<br />
CORBETT OF KUMAON<br />
With 160 tigers, more than 586<br />
species of resident and migratory<br />
birds, 36 species of dragonflies,<br />
33 species of reptiles and<br />
seven species of amphibians,<br />
the Corbett National Park is<br />
the perfect place to turn into a<br />
wildlife enthusiast<br />
YOUR FIRST SUNSET AT CORBETT<br />
National Park is an evening you’ll<br />
remember forever. An ochre landscape<br />
turns more golden with every stair that<br />
the sun climbs down, and wild elephants<br />
and deer become fellow spectators.<br />
Named after the legendary British<br />
hunter, who became a sort-of saviour to<br />
locals being preyed upon by man-eaters,<br />
Jim Corbett made the Kumaon region<br />
world-famous with his journalistic diary,<br />
Man-Eaters of Kumaon. Corbett, though,<br />
was a conservationist and campaigned<br />
hard for the area to become a protected<br />
reserve. Today, there are 160 or so<br />
tigers in the park. Despite their dense<br />
population, spotting a tiger isn’t so<br />
easy. Thanks to a combination of heavy<br />
foliage and street-smart tigers, the<br />
beasts are camouflaged well. Though,<br />
you wouldn’t leave disappointed –<br />
you can still spot sloth bears, langur<br />
monkeys, rhesus macaques, peacocks,<br />
otters, leopards and mugger crocodiles.<br />
The park is divided into five zones, from<br />
which you can take your pick.<br />
1<br />
DHIKALA: In the grassland of<br />
Dhikala, you can spot tigers,<br />
elephants, hog deer, chitals,<br />
reptiles and many grassland birds.<br />
2<br />
JHIRNA: In Jhirna, wild bear<br />
have a tendency to appear from<br />
nowhere, right in front of your<br />
tourist vehicle.<br />
3<br />
BIJRANI: The elephant safari<br />
4<br />
in Bijrani is popular for birdwatching.<br />
DURGA DEVI: Surrounding the<br />
Ramganga River, you can see<br />
several species of fish here.<br />
5<br />
SONANADI: This is the only<br />
zone in Jim Corbett where you<br />
can walk on foot. It is also richly<br />
housed with non-venomous snakes of<br />
different kinds.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
62 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
HOSPITALITY ||||| RESORTS<br />
Clockwise from above: An outdoor dining area; The Jiva Spa overlooking the pool; The resort’s design blends in with the surroundings<br />
UP CLOSE<br />
WITH<br />
NATURE<br />
The Gateway Resort Corbett, in<br />
the midst of lush green forests<br />
and located on the banks of the<br />
River Kosi near the well-known<br />
Corbett National Park, is just<br />
right for the traveller looking for<br />
a tranquil getaway<br />
THE GATEWAY RESORT near Corbett<br />
National Park has made its mark as one<br />
of the finest hospitality destinations in<br />
north India. The resort stands out for its<br />
unique location as well as wide range of<br />
amenities and services.<br />
The hotel stands in the middle<br />
of lush green forests. The river Kosi<br />
meanders nearby. Located very close<br />
to Corbett National Park, guests can<br />
experience first-hand nature in its full<br />
glory at the reputed national<br />
park. There are also many<br />
local attractions including<br />
a visit to the Jim Corbett<br />
Museum (timings 7.00 am to<br />
6.00 pm) and a jeep safari<br />
inside the Corbett National<br />
Park with its thick forests,<br />
rivers, lakes, grasslands and<br />
deep ravines.<br />
Back at the hotel, like<br />
at every Taj property, the<br />
guest’s stay at The Gateway<br />
Resort Corbett will end up<br />
being a memorable one.<br />
HOW TO REACH<br />
THERE<br />
The property is about<br />
two hours away from<br />
Pantnagar Airport. It<br />
is also connected to<br />
major cities via national<br />
highways: New Delhi<br />
(NH 24), Kolkata (NH 2)<br />
and Jaipur (NH 11).<br />
Contact information:<br />
The Gateway Resort<br />
Corbett, Zero Garjia,<br />
Dhikuli, Ram Nagar, Jim<br />
Corbett, Uttarakhand<br />
244 7<strong>15</strong><br />
The rooms come in four categories<br />
– Superior Rooms, Resort Cottage,<br />
Gateway Cottage and Corbett Suite –<br />
and provide some great views of the<br />
garden, pool or river. Two restaurants<br />
and a bar, Treetop, Jim’s Grill and Tusker<br />
Bar, offer different kinds of dining<br />
experiences. There are also venues for<br />
meetings, conferences, weddings and<br />
social occasions.<br />
For those who like to stick to their<br />
fitness routines even<br />
when away from home,<br />
the resort’s fully equipped<br />
fitness centres are just<br />
what they need. The<br />
equipments and amenities<br />
here include treadmill,<br />
weights, steam bath,<br />
swimming pool and table<br />
tennis. Finally, a wide array<br />
of treatments and therapies<br />
await guests at the Jiva<br />
Spa, where every effort is<br />
made to help them relax<br />
and rejuvenate.<br />
gateway.corbett@<br />
tajhotels.com;<br />
+91 5947 266600<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 63
COVER STORY ||||| PHOTO SESSION<br />
The staffers before the shoot<br />
BEHIND<br />
THE SCENE<br />
A QUICK PEEK AT THE<br />
MAKING OF OUR COVER<br />
WHEN SPICEJET STAFFERS<br />
DONNED PARTY CLOTHES<br />
FOR OUR CHRISTMAS-<br />
THEMED PHOTO SHOOT<br />
In hair and make-up<br />
Discussing the shot<br />
Getting the props ready<br />
66 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
COVER STORY ||||| PHOTO SESSION<br />
The final shot that gets approved<br />
Trying different angles<br />
Getting into the party mood<br />
That's a wrap<br />
68 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SELECT<br />
PLAY<br />
PERFORM!<br />
!<br />
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melody from the built in library of 2500+ songs.<br />
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up to an awesome singing experience.<br />
Set the tune for celebration with the Persang<br />
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Additional song Chip (SD Card) Volume 3 to 11<br />
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+91 96629 20000<br />
To Locate a store near you SMS space to 56161<br />
Persang Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.<br />
Registered office : 13-A, Shrinagar Society, Akota,<br />
Vadodara - 390 020, Gujarat, India.<br />
+91 265 2330606, www.persangkaraoke.com
FOOD ||||| RECIPES<br />
A TOUCH OF CINNAMON<br />
A HINT OF SPICE CAN ADD LOTS OF FLAVOUR TO YOUR CHRISTMAS GOODIES.<br />
BY AARTI KAPUR SINGH<br />
JINGLE BELLS AND CHRISTMAS aren’t too far away and the festival of<br />
merriment is incomplete without the aroma of baked goodies emanating from<br />
the hearth. There is just something so heart-warming about pairing the<br />
aroma and flavours of cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, fennel and similar spices<br />
with moist cakes. Patisserie Royale Chef Neha Lakhani has a flair for the<br />
dramatic. Drawing inspiration from her mother’s cooking, recipes collected<br />
on her jaunts abroad, and a resolve to bring together global influences,<br />
Lakhani’s desserts and bakes have a distinctive French influence. It helps that<br />
she has trained at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa under Chef Christian Faure and<br />
Chef Herve Chabert, and has also worked with Chef Heinrich Stubbe at<br />
Stubbe Chocolates. She shares the recipe of three delightful bakes that are<br />
sugar and spice and all that’s nice to warm up your winters.<br />
Top: Star Anise Cookies.<br />
Above: Chef Neha Lakhani<br />
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE CHEF<br />
70 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
FOOD ||||| RECIPES<br />
ORANGE SPICED<br />
CAKE WITH EARL<br />
GREY TEA<br />
This is a cake for lovers<br />
of both citrus and tea.<br />
Earl Grey tea, whose<br />
characteristic flavour<br />
is the essence of the<br />
bergamot orange’s peel,<br />
is presented as a cake<br />
that evokes the warmth<br />
of sunnier days.<br />
PREPARATION TIME:<br />
25 MINUTES<br />
Cooking time: 45 minutes +<br />
30 minutes cooling time<br />
Serves: 8-10<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
1/2 tin condensed milk<br />
3 tbsp icing sugar<br />
1/2 cup oil<br />
1/2 cup milk (to infuse tea)<br />
Vanilla<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/4 cup corn flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 cup orange juice<br />
100 gm candied oranges<br />
20 gm orange zest<br />
6 gm mixed spices (cinnamon,<br />
star anise, nutmeg, pepper,<br />
cardamom)<br />
20 gm Earl Grey tea leaves<br />
(infused overnight in milk)<br />
For the chocolate glazing<br />
500 gm Couverture dark<br />
chocolate<br />
200 ml vegetable oil<br />
200 gm roasted almond nibs<br />
METHOD<br />
Whisk the condensed milk and<br />
icing sugar until light and fluffy.<br />
Add oil to mix well. Try to avoid<br />
hand blender for mixing oil,<br />
else it could form clumps. Add<br />
milk-infused with tea leaves. Add<br />
in all dry ingredients but ensure<br />
they are sifted. Fold in orange<br />
juice, dusted candied oranges and<br />
zest. Ensure candied oranges are<br />
dusted well with flour else they<br />
will sink to the bottom. Pour this<br />
mixture in a grease-lined mould<br />
and bake at 160 degrees for<br />
45-50 minutes. Let the cake rest<br />
and cool well before unmolding.<br />
It’s important to let the cake be<br />
properly cooled before unmolding<br />
as it may break if hot. This cake<br />
has a long shelf life and can be<br />
stored in the refrigerator for about<br />
a fortnight. Melt the chocolate<br />
and add in the oil. Mix well and<br />
add in the roasted nibs. Coat the<br />
cake in the chocolate by simply<br />
dipping it into the chocolate glaze<br />
and keep aside till the chocolate<br />
sets. Decorate with dehydrated<br />
oranges and whole spices.<br />
72 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
FOOD ||||| RECIPES<br />
STAR ANISE<br />
COOKIES<br />
Inspired by warm<br />
fireplaces in Stockholm,<br />
these cookies make for<br />
an ideal Christmas gift<br />
as well.<br />
PREPARATION TIME: <strong>15</strong><br />
MINUTES<br />
Baking time: 18-20 minutes<br />
Serves 8-10<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
400 gm flour<br />
300 gm sugar<br />
300 gm butter<br />
175 gm hazelnut powder<br />
1.5 gm baking soda<br />
2 tsp coarsely ground star anise<br />
(you can also use the same<br />
amount of cinnamon powder for<br />
a variation)<br />
METHOD<br />
Cream the butter and sugar well.<br />
Add all dry ingredients. Mix using<br />
paddle attachment until well<br />
incorporated. Add the star anise<br />
and mix well again. Roll and cut<br />
into desired shape. Bake for 18<br />
to 20 minutes at 180 degrees.<br />
Remove from oven and cool on a<br />
wire rack. Serve when cooled.<br />
CARROT AND CARDAMOM<br />
SHORTCAKE<br />
A cake kept moist with carrots<br />
and lightly spiced with cardamom<br />
is inspired by Nordic desserts.<br />
Carrot-laced desserts are a staple<br />
in Stockholm, where sweet and<br />
savoury work their magic in<br />
tandem.<br />
PREPARATION TIME: 25 MINUTES<br />
Cooking time: 45 minutes + 30 minutes<br />
cooling time<br />
Serves 8-10<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
For the cream cheese frosting<br />
1/2 cup unsalted butter<br />
400 gm ounces cream cheese<br />
4 cups powdered sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
For the cake<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
4 eggs<br />
3 cups carrots, finely shredded<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1 cup self-rising flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
2 tsp cardamom powder<br />
1 tsp cinnamon powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
Zest of one orange<br />
3/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
3/4 cup yoghurt, plain<br />
METHOD<br />
For the frosting, cream the butter and<br />
cream cheese. Add powdered sugar. Beat<br />
well and add vanilla. For the cake, beat the<br />
sugar and eggs in a bowl until faint yellow.<br />
Fold in the vanilla. In another bowl, combine<br />
flours, baking powder, salt, cardamom and<br />
cinnamon. Add carrots and orange zest and<br />
coat the flour mixture with them. Add flour<br />
mixture, oil and yoghurt to egg mixture. Stir<br />
gently until combined. Preheat oven to 160<br />
degrees. Grease and sprinkle some flour on<br />
to two 8-inch cake pans. Gently pour batter<br />
– diving equally – into the pans. Bake for an<br />
hour till it turns golden. Allow to cool on a<br />
wire rack completely. Frost thickly.<br />
74 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICEJET ||||| MILESTONES<br />
ONWARD AND UPWARD<br />
With a historic turnaround behind,<br />
SpiceJet spent 2016 earning<br />
recognition for its several<br />
achievements, launching new routes<br />
on several important sectors and<br />
introducing new privileges for its<br />
customers. We take a look at some of the most important<br />
memories – from the times we were celebrating joyous<br />
occasions with our passengers to the times when we were<br />
able to extend help to someone in need<br />
76 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICEJET POSTED THE<br />
HIGHEST ANNUAL PROFIT IN<br />
ITS HISTORY<br />
SpiceJet reported a net profit of `73<br />
crore for Q4 FY16, after taking a onetime<br />
expense of `173 crore towards<br />
estabilising and improving the reliability<br />
of its fleet. Despite this one-time<br />
expenditure, the net profit is an<br />
improvement of 225% over the same<br />
quarter last year.<br />
SPICEJET TOPPED ON-TIME<br />
PERFORMANCE AND<br />
PASSENGER LOAD FACTOR<br />
SpiceJet outpaced all its peers for critical<br />
operational parameters of OTP (On-Time<br />
Performance) and PLF (Passenger Load<br />
Factor) this year. It registered a PLF of<br />
91.9%, in October 2016, clocking over 90%<br />
PLF for 18 months in a row. SpiceJet also<br />
topped the OTP chart for the month at<br />
86.1%.<br />
SPICEJET LAUNCHED<br />
SPICECLUB AND FLY FOR SURE<br />
Continuing with its pioneering ways,<br />
SpiceJet launched a rewards card that<br />
pays back the member many times over.<br />
The prepaid card, SpiceClub, allows<br />
passengers to make cashless<br />
transactions within the SpiceJet<br />
ecosystem. They can purchase meals,<br />
merchandise and add-on services. With<br />
every recharge, they get additional<br />
credits, which convert to currency on the<br />
card. The passenger enrols for a one-year<br />
SpiceClub membership by paying only<br />
`599 upfront; the cardholder can then<br />
enjoy a host of exclusive benefits worth<br />
up to `3,000. SpiceJet also launched ‘Fly<br />
For Sure’ for greater ease in case of flight<br />
disruptions. It entitles a passenger a<br />
guarantee of flying in the next 24 hours<br />
in case of a flight delay beyond 90<br />
minutes, missing a flight (no-show) not<br />
exceeding 30 minutes from airport<br />
check-in closure of the original flight or a<br />
flight cancellation by the airline.<br />
Passengers can purchase this add-on<br />
product while booking the flight.<br />
SPICEJET INTRODUCED<br />
LOUNGE SERVICES<br />
SpiceJet passengers can now enjoy the<br />
services of lounges in the airports of<br />
Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kochi<br />
and at premium lounges such as Club<br />
One Class Lounge, International<br />
Airport, Jaipur; Zesto Lounge, SHA, Lal<br />
Bahadur Shastri International Airport,<br />
Varanasi; and Prive Lounge at Lokpriya<br />
Gopinath Bordoloi International<br />
Airport, Guwahati, at a nominal cost.<br />
The service allows passengers to<br />
unwind and relax in the comfort of<br />
SpiceJet’s hospitality.<br />
SPICEJET BECAME THE<br />
FIRST AIRLINE TO LAUNCH<br />
CHECK-IN USING NEAR FIELD<br />
COMMUNICATION AND<br />
BEACON TECHNOLOGIES<br />
SpiceJet launched smart check-in<br />
facility using BLE (Bluetooth Low<br />
Energy) and NFC (Near Field<br />
Communication) technologies under<br />
the aegis of Ashok Gajapathi Raju,<br />
Honourable Union Minister for Civil<br />
Aviation, in GMR Hyderabad<br />
International Airport. NFC enables<br />
passengers to receive their boarding<br />
pass on their smartphone when they<br />
check-in through an NFC-enabled<br />
smartphone with SpiceJet’s app.<br />
Passengers can simply open the app<br />
and touch the mobile device on the<br />
NFC check-in poster at the airport<br />
to retrieve their mobile boarding<br />
pass.<br />
SPICEJET INTRODUCED<br />
SPECIAL HAJ FLIGHTS<br />
SpiceJet carried more than 8,000<br />
pilgrims on special flights for the Haj, in<br />
Mecca from Gaya and Indore. The<br />
airline deployed two Airbus 320 to ferry<br />
pilgrims to Jeddah and Medina<br />
between August 4 and September 3,<br />
2016.<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 77
SPICEJET ||||| MILESTONES<br />
After earning<br />
recognition and<br />
respect for our<br />
turnaround,<br />
the awards<br />
came thick and fast this year.<br />
SpiceJet was recognised on<br />
numerous occasions in<br />
almost every arena – from<br />
our new initiatives to<br />
employee satisfaction to<br />
having regained the trust of<br />
the consumer and the<br />
industry at large.<br />
WORLD<br />
TRAVEL<br />
LEADERS<br />
In November,<br />
SpiceJet CMD<br />
Mr. Ajay Singh<br />
received the<br />
‘World Travel<br />
Leaders’ award<br />
at the World<br />
Travel Market<br />
Awards in<br />
London.<br />
BEST HISTORIC<br />
TURNAROUND<br />
SpiceJet was presented the ‘Best<br />
Historic Turnaround’ award by Civil<br />
Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi<br />
Raju at the 9th ASSOCHAM<br />
International Conference & Awards on<br />
Civil Aviation & Tourism in New Delhi.<br />
RISING LIKE A PHOENIX<br />
SpiceJet’s public relations (PR)<br />
campaign ‘Rising like a Phoenix’ was<br />
awarded at the Global SABRE Awards<br />
held in Miami in October as among the<br />
40 best PR campaigns in the world. The<br />
winning campaigns were selected<br />
from more than 5,000 entries. Spicejet<br />
PR was also awarded the best<br />
‘Individual: Consultancy Professional’<br />
award at Fulcrum 2016 in the same<br />
month, held in Aamby Valley City.<br />
GAME CHANGER<br />
SpiceJet CMD Mr. Ajay Singh received<br />
the ‘DDP Game Changer’ award at the<br />
North India Travel Awards. SpiceJet also<br />
received the ‘Best Domestic Airline’<br />
award.<br />
BEST EMPLOYEE<br />
ENGAGEMENT<br />
At the 4th DMA-Thomas Associates<br />
National Award for Excellence in Talent<br />
Management, SpiceJet was awarded for<br />
‘Best Employee Engagement’ out of 104<br />
corporates.<br />
BEST AIRLINE BRAND<br />
SpiceJet was voted the ‘Best<br />
Transportation’ brand as well as the<br />
‘Best Airline’ brand in India for 2016 by<br />
Brand Trust Report in April. In the same<br />
month, SpiceJet also won the ‘Best<br />
Domestic Airline for South India’ by<br />
DDP TravTalk.<br />
BEST CHECK-IN INITIATIVE<br />
SpiceJet was awarded the ‘Best Check-in<br />
Initiative’ by Future Travel Experience<br />
global awards in Las Vegas for its<br />
introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy<br />
(BLE) beacons and Near Field<br />
Communication (NFC) technology. The<br />
smart check-in initiative was also<br />
recognised by CIO 100 India symposium.<br />
78 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
BEST ON-TIME<br />
PERFORMANCE<br />
IN INDIA.<br />
As per DGCA statistics, SpiceJet<br />
has recorded the best on-time<br />
performance amongst all airlines<br />
in the month of October, 2016.<br />
The results were announced on 20th November, 2016.
SPICEJET ||||| MILESTONES<br />
Over the last<br />
11 years,<br />
SpiceJet has<br />
stood out for<br />
its on-board<br />
celebrations.<br />
This year, too, every occasion,<br />
big and small, was celebrated<br />
with warmth and love with<br />
our passengers and employees.<br />
DIWALI<br />
SpiceJet celebrated Diwali by<br />
promoting the ‘Make in India’<br />
campaign. On 10 flights out of Delhi,<br />
passengers were welcomed with a<br />
tilak and a pack of diyas. Additional<br />
crew were dressed in ethnic wear to<br />
greet the passengers. All airport staff<br />
were also dressed in ethnic wear, and<br />
ticketing and check-in counters at all<br />
airports were decorated with<br />
marigolds.<br />
REPUBLIC DAY<br />
Passengers not only appreciated the<br />
SpiceJet decorations at the airport, but<br />
also loved the idea of having the ground<br />
staff in traditional attire and flag pins,<br />
and the crew in tri-colour stoles. Playing<br />
the National Anthem on all Boeing<br />
flights was also very well received.<br />
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S<br />
DAY<br />
SpiceJet celebrated by taking 20 women<br />
on a day trip aboard SpiceJet’s all-women<br />
crew Delhi-Bengaluru-Delhi flight to<br />
Art of Living’s Bengaluru centre.<br />
HOLI<br />
SpiceJet celebrated Holi in its own<br />
signature style. Passengers were<br />
welcomed with a chandan tilak and<br />
their seats were decked with<br />
colourful scarves. The airline also<br />
distributed waterless Holi stickers to<br />
commemorate the festival. SpiceJet<br />
also surprised its passengers by<br />
orchestrating a flash mob at Terminal<br />
1 departure lounge, IGI Delhi Airport<br />
and at Cyber Hub, a popular hangout<br />
destination in Gurgaon.<br />
VALENTINE’S DAY<br />
SpiceJet celebrated the day of love<br />
mid-air. Crew members welcomed<br />
passengers with a rose and also<br />
presented newlyweds with heartshaped<br />
cakes, which were cut onboard.<br />
INDEPENDENCE DAY<br />
All passengers flying with SpiceJet<br />
under the fare of Indian Armed Forces<br />
were offered a meal and beverage at no<br />
added cost. The airline also placed the<br />
tri-colour on the bulk heads of its Boeing<br />
737 aircraft.<br />
82 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICEJET ||||| MILESTONES<br />
At SpiceJet we<br />
believe that a<br />
meaningful<br />
existence<br />
can only<br />
come from<br />
being a corporate with high<br />
values. Several initiatives<br />
we undertook this year<br />
underlined our commitment<br />
of helping out in every way<br />
we could.<br />
REACHING OUT TO THE<br />
DROUGHT-HIT<br />
In May, SpiceJet stepped in to<br />
pledge help and relief to 11<br />
villages in Latur. Along with the<br />
organisation Anybody Can Help,<br />
SpiceJet helped organise,<br />
coordinate and execute the<br />
supply of approximately 71,500<br />
litres of water to 11 villages every<br />
day across Ausa Taluka in Latur.<br />
SPONSORED THE TRAVEL FOR<br />
EDUCATIONAL TOUR OF J&K GIRLS<br />
SpiceJet facilitated the travel of 20 female<br />
students and two teachers from Mawar<br />
Valley, J&K, organised by the Indian Army<br />
for Operation Sadbhavna. The annual<br />
educational tour saw them visiting Delhi,<br />
Chandigarh, Dehradun and Amritsar. The<br />
group boarded a SpiceJet Boeing from<br />
Amritsar to Srinagar.<br />
HONOURING WOMEN OF<br />
SUBSTANCE<br />
On International Women’s Day,<br />
SpiceJet chose 20 women for a day trip<br />
aboard SpiceJet’s Delhi-Bengaluru-<br />
Delhi flight to Art of Living’s<br />
Bengaluru centre. These women were<br />
from villages and slums, and had been<br />
victims of violence, imprisonment and<br />
others. All of them were first-time air<br />
travellers. Through yoga and<br />
meditation, they were initiated into<br />
the process of inner healing.<br />
CELEBRATING THE JOY<br />
OF GIVING<br />
In January this year, the<br />
corporate office of SpiceJet<br />
collected warm clothes, toys,<br />
towels, blankets, vessels,<br />
artefacts, woollens, heaters and<br />
coils from SpiceJet staff to give<br />
to the less advantaged sections<br />
of society.<br />
HELPING DURING ASSAM<br />
FLOOD RELIEF<br />
In July this year, Assam received 60<br />
per cent more rainfall than it received<br />
in July 20<strong>15</strong>, flooding the state. This<br />
affected 1.8 million people. Faced with<br />
a crisis at this level, SpiceJet, in<br />
association with Anybody Can Help<br />
and Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal’s<br />
office, helped with relief efforts.<br />
Nearly 800 kilos of rice and dal,<br />
donated by Anybody Can Help, were<br />
ferried and distributed by SpiceJet to<br />
Jorhat; 1,500 packets of food supplies<br />
were donated by SpiceJet in Majuli<br />
Islands; 103 cartons of milk, donated<br />
by Nestlé, were ferried and distributed<br />
by SpiceJet to Jorhat; and 42 cartons of<br />
medicines, donated by NGO The Sara –<br />
Jammu, were ferried and distributed<br />
by SpiceJet to Jorhat.<br />
84 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
STAR BUZZ ||||| VIDYA BALAN<br />
THE HEADLINER<br />
AN ACTRESS PAR EXCELLENCE, VIDYA BALAN HAS BUILT A FORMIDABLE<br />
REPUTATION THANKS TO FILMS SUCH AS THE DIRTY PICTURE, NO ONE KILLED<br />
JESSICA, PAA, ISHQIYA AND KAHAANI. IT CONTINUES TO HOLD HER IN GOOD<br />
STEAD. THE ACTRESS IS NOW IMMERSED IN THE SEQUEL, KAHAANI 2, WHICH IS<br />
AGAIN DIRECTED BY SUJOY GHOSH. SHE TALKS TO US ABOUT USING MINIMAL<br />
MAKE-UP IN THE FILM, DOING ACTION SCENES, TAKING A BREAK AND FORGING<br />
AHEAD ON HER OWN STEAM. BY BOLLYWOOD NEWS SERVICE<br />
Kahaani or Kahaani 2 – which role has<br />
been more challenging?<br />
Honestly, at the point when I did<br />
Kahaani, that was the most challenging<br />
role for me. But I have grown in age and<br />
experience and I think that at this point,<br />
I understand my Kahaani 2 character,<br />
Durga Rani Singh, better. I couldn’t have<br />
done it four years ago; I am better<br />
equipped to do it today.<br />
Why have you chosen to have minimal<br />
make-up in Kahaani 2?<br />
Sujoy [Ghosh, the director] wanted my<br />
look to be realistic and my make-up artist<br />
Shreyas specialises in the no make-up<br />
look. To protect the skin, we have applied<br />
a little bit of make-up – we were shooting<br />
in Kalimpong and Sujoy wanted a certain<br />
dryness to the skin due to the cold<br />
weather there. So we have given a slight<br />
texture to the skin. That’s how Sujoy saw<br />
Durga Rani Singh and that is the reason<br />
for the no make-up look.<br />
Was it a challenge for you to shoot the<br />
action sequences in this film?<br />
I love hitting, punching and kicking, and<br />
I get very few opportunities to do that.<br />
Do you choose films based on a good story<br />
or your role or do you need both?<br />
Sometimes the story and the role are<br />
both nice but I feel I should not do the<br />
film. What is good is relative because<br />
what I like may not be what you like.<br />
Would you say Sujoy Ghosh is a better<br />
writer or director?<br />
He writes beautifully but on the set, he is<br />
a director. That’s the balance that creates<br />
the magic onscreen.<br />
You have become a major star without<br />
co-starring with any male superstars. What<br />
would you say is the reason for your not<br />
teaming up with them?<br />
ALAMY<br />
68 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
The actress in the upcoming Kahaani 2;<br />
with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Te3n, her<br />
last release; and with Emraan Hashmi in<br />
Hamari Adhuri Kahani<br />
It’s possibly because I have not had the<br />
opportunity. And I really like to stand on<br />
my own feet. I don’t put my hand on<br />
anyone else’s shoulder to stand tall – not<br />
that anyone else is doing it; please don’t<br />
misinterpret me. What I am saying is<br />
that I am still standing on my own two<br />
feet, and I feel very proud about that.<br />
Some people call you the female Aamir<br />
Khan. Comment.<br />
Let my films do the kind of business that<br />
Aamir Khan’s films do, then I will<br />
believe that I am the female Aamir Khan<br />
[laughs]. It is a huge compliment when<br />
someone says that but, according to me,<br />
it’s far from the truth. He has worked in<br />
this industry for many years and he<br />
knows a lot about film-making and<br />
marketing. He is almost like a marketing<br />
guru, I believe. I have not worked with<br />
him till now but I think I have a long way<br />
to go. Pehle main numbers toh dekhu uss<br />
tarah ke [laughs].<br />
Six years after Paa, you recently starred<br />
alongside Amitabh Bachchan once again in<br />
Te3n. What was the experience like?<br />
We all learn from Amitabh sir. The<br />
enthusiasm that he possesses when he<br />
arrives on the sets even after so many<br />
years of acting is an inspiration to all<br />
of us.<br />
You get along well with your co-stars. Do<br />
you keep a relationship going after a film is<br />
over?<br />
Honestly, I don’t make an effort to keep<br />
in touch with anyone post the film.<br />
Initially, I used to feel I have to keep in<br />
touch with everyone but it’s humanly<br />
impossible because you are working<br />
with 200 people at any given time. How<br />
can you possibly be in touch with them?<br />
Some friendships may have endured<br />
between some people, but that’s not<br />
happened to me. Every film brings a new<br />
set of people in your life.<br />
Do hits and flops affect you?<br />
I feel hits and flops are part of a career, I<br />
don’t think it’s possible to only have hits.<br />
I don’t worry about the fate of my film<br />
any more. Finally, you have to keep<br />
working.<br />
You took a long break sometime back.<br />
I was out for eight-odd months but it<br />
feels like a longer break because I did not<br />
have any release in a year.<br />
Did you experience withdrawal symptoms<br />
because you were not shooting?<br />
Ever since I became an actor, I had not<br />
taken an eight-month break at a stretch.<br />
So initially it was difficult but it really<br />
helped me immensely. The renewed<br />
energy is there for everyone to see.<br />
How did you process film offers during that<br />
time?<br />
I was very honest in my approach. As a<br />
matter of fact, Srijit Mukherji had come<br />
to me before, too, with Begum Jaan but I<br />
had refused him because I wasn’t taking<br />
up work at that time.<br />
How did you patch up with Sujoy Ghosh for<br />
Kahaani 2 after saying no to his Durga<br />
Rani Singh?<br />
I didn’t say no to the film because I didn’t<br />
like the script. I had to leave because I<br />
was unwell. I was committed to doing it.<br />
When Sujoy and I met again for Te3n,<br />
everything was the same. We were<br />
behaving like nothing happened<br />
between us and ignored that we hadn’t<br />
talked for more than a year.<br />
Having been at the receiving end of so much<br />
praise, does criticism still bother you?<br />
It’s never the end of the world. When I<br />
started, people used to have opinions<br />
about me, and I didn’t feel great. My<br />
biggest lesson is that there will never be a<br />
day when everyone praises you. I have<br />
learnt that through experience.<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 89
IN FOCUS ||||| MONTAGE<br />
FEATHERLITE SWITCHES ON THE<br />
GREEN LIGHTS<br />
FEATHERLITE, besides being a leading furniture<br />
manufacturer in India, is also a responsible corporate citizen.<br />
The company has achieved prestigious certifications e.g.,<br />
Business and Institutional Furniture Manufactures<br />
Association (BIFMA) Platinum, ISO-9001, ISO-14001 and<br />
ISO-18001 based on various safety, health and environmental<br />
initiatives. The company has also achieved zero discharge and<br />
100% recycling of its solid waste materials. Featherlite is one<br />
of the first manufacturing units in the state of Karnataka to<br />
not only sign an MOU with the state government but also to<br />
implement and generate 1 MW Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic<br />
system (<strong>SR</strong>TPV) on an industrial building.<br />
The state-of-the-art manufacturing unit at Hejjala, 20 km<br />
from Bengaluru, has a rooftop area of 70,000 sq.ft. The<br />
company has utilised every available roof space including<br />
canteen, two-wheeler stands, car parking roof and canopies<br />
besides the main manufacturing unit in order to maximise the<br />
power generation. A total number of 3,000 solar panels each<br />
generating 320W of power per day, have been imported from<br />
Canadian Solar Inc. String invertors (16 Nos) manufactured<br />
by Delta Power Solutions Pvt. Ltd., support the power<br />
generation and transmission to power-receiving yard. The<br />
system has been integrated with state power supply board and<br />
surplus power generated is fed into the grid. The system will<br />
produce 1.5 million units per annum of which 0.5 million units<br />
will be fed into the grid lighting scores of households.<br />
The plant was erected and commissioned by a team of<br />
well-trained engineers from M/s.GreenSol Renewable Power<br />
Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, and Featherlite in a record time of 30<br />
days. This major initiative has reaffirmed the group’s<br />
commitment to minimising environment degradation by<br />
reducing its carbon footprint.<br />
90 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
Where you tie the knot<br />
With myriad options available across hotels, resorts and banquet halls, you are truly spoilt<br />
for choice for your wedding venue. Here are our top picks. BY BINDU GOPAL RAO<br />
JW MARRIOTT<br />
MUSSOORIE WALNUT<br />
GROVE RESORT<br />
AND SPA<br />
JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort &<br />
Spa is a splendid location for an unforgettable<br />
wedding celebration. The 4,200 sq ft of banquet<br />
space embodies opulence. With a variety of<br />
entertainment options, a majestic spread of<br />
delectable cuisines and outdoor venues offering<br />
a splendid view of the Garhwal range of the<br />
Himalayas, this is an ideal place for a resplendent<br />
ceremony. Expansive indoor ballrooms, pictureperfect<br />
outdoor venues, artistically crafted<br />
rooms and intricate décor options to add special<br />
touches ensure fascinating wedding revelry. The<br />
culinary team offers various menu options for<br />
the wedding and preceding functions. For<br />
cocktails and pre-wedding functions such as<br />
haldi and mehendi, the team can recommend<br />
numerous specialty and bespoke setups for<br />
different meals at various locations. JW Terrace,<br />
a walnut grove, offers breathtaking views of the<br />
resort and is perfect for pheras.<br />
IMAGES<br />
COURT ESY<br />
THE HOTELS
THE LEELA AMBIENCE CONVENTION HOTEL,<br />
DELHI<br />
The USP of this hotel is that it has India’s largest pillar-less banquet hall<br />
in a luxury hotel (25,000 sq ft), located on the ground floor and capable<br />
of hosting up to 6,000 guests as floating crowd and 2,500 guests in a<br />
theatre-style setup. The beautiful outdoor venues add the much-needed<br />
charm to every function. A private concierge that co-ordinates with both<br />
sides of the family ensures each individual’s needs are looked after. The<br />
two towers of the hotel, namely the Club Tower and the Hotel Tower, have<br />
a pre-lobby and a main lobby that are available to provide assistance to<br />
guests at all points in time. Apart from accommodation and decoration,<br />
they have a dedicated team that creates a special and unique themebased<br />
menu. The ballrooms offer the perfect background to play around<br />
with different themes and colour schemes.<br />
OXFORD GOLF RESORT, PUNE<br />
A quintessential private club spread across 400 acres, Oxford Golf Resort offers<br />
a range of hand-picked amenities to suit any event. Its unique location on the<br />
Mumbai-Pune highway, coupled with a beautiful golf-course backdrop, makes it<br />
a great wedding destination. Couples can also plan their pre-wedding shoots at<br />
the property and select from six different venues for their big day. Catered venues<br />
are available for weddings, sangeet parties and mehendi functions by the pool.<br />
“Our spacious banquet halls and sophisticated boardrooms are ideal for indoor<br />
events, and our outdoor venues offer breathtaking views that surround our plush<br />
lawns and helipad,” says Rohan Seolekar, Director at Oxford Group, Pune.
JAGMANDIR ISLAND PALACE,<br />
UDAIPUR<br />
Weddings are about experiences and memories. And if it<br />
is at one of the world’s most exclusive wedding<br />
destinations – Jagmandir, a palace on an island in Lake<br />
Pichola – it takes the experience several notches higher.<br />
Jagmandir Island Palace is a historic 17th-century palace.<br />
Refurbished into a heritage hotel, the palace has<br />
contemporary and world-class amenities such as an allday<br />
café, a stylish dining restaurant, bar and spa. In terms<br />
of facilities, their specialty is the warm hospitality and<br />
customisation in arrangements. Be it the flowers, the<br />
lighting or folk arts, their team has dedicated heritage<br />
venues that challenge your creativity in pampering<br />
guests. According to Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, HRH<br />
Group of Hotels, “The property itself is our USP. With our<br />
hospitality, we create experiences that are nothing less<br />
than magical. The destination is located in the middle of<br />
the lake surrounded by beautiful mountains, which makes<br />
it a naturally enticing destination to tie the knot.”<br />
MLR CONVENTION CENTRES, BENGALURU<br />
MLR Convention Centres are located in two prime areas in Bengaluru, namely JP<br />
Nagar and Whitefield. The venues are designed to suit all your needs and<br />
requirements. These have free-flowing spaces, open courtyards and spacious<br />
banquet halls with great parking facilities. “We have a well-trained staff that<br />
understands what needs to be done for a wedding,” says Ramesh Kumar, Senior<br />
Operations Manager. “With 8-10 years of experience in the wedding industry, the<br />
MLRs are sought-after wedding destinations. These are state-of-the-art venues<br />
that are designed to meet international standards.” Catering services include<br />
buffets, plated meals, cocktail fares, barbeques and banquets. They also have<br />
bridal care services through a well-equipped and professional unisex salon.
Love through a lens<br />
Your wedding photographs and videos are not worth skimping on. Here are some of India’s best<br />
photographers who will leave you with stunning memories of your big day. BY BEVERLY PEREIRA<br />
Wedding photography<br />
has evolved a fair bit<br />
in the last decade.<br />
It’s a far cry from those stuffy,<br />
pre-staged shots seen in your<br />
parents’ wedding album.<br />
Today, candid photography is<br />
popular, as are pre-wedding<br />
photo-shoots in exotic<br />
locations, quirky save-thedate<br />
shoots and post-wedding<br />
photography.<br />
COURTESY THE WEDDING SALAD
AKASH AGARWAL AND<br />
ANKITA ASTHANA<br />
Wedding Nama, founded by Akash Agarwal<br />
and Ankita Asthana, specialises in luxurious<br />
wedding photography and videography with<br />
a tasteful, artistic approach. Known to work<br />
with unique ideas and angles, the husbandwife<br />
duo has a knack of letting personalities<br />
shine through. From shooting underwater in<br />
Ladakh to working with six dogs for a savethe-date<br />
video for a bride who’s a dog<br />
trainer by profession, Wedding Nama tells<br />
visual stories that capture every emotion –<br />
from happy moods to tearful goodbyes.<br />
Visit weddingnama.in for more details.<br />
SEPHI BERGERSON<br />
Seasoned wedding photographer Sephi Bergerson believes<br />
that it’s not the camera that creates the image but the person<br />
holding it. The award-winning documentary and lifestyle<br />
photographer has worked on a variety of weddings across<br />
diverse communities in India – from Rajasthan to Kerala.<br />
The Israeli-born Bergerson, who has lived in Goa since 2002,<br />
has a unique style that’s best described as the intersection of<br />
documentary photography and art. Interestingly, he recently<br />
shot an entire wedding in Udaipur (in picture) using just his<br />
iPhone 6s Plus. Visit sephi.com for more details.<br />
102 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
AAYUSHI SACHDEVA<br />
AND KANISHKA<br />
SONTHALIA<br />
The Wedding Salad, a collaborative<br />
photo venture by Aayushi Sachdeva<br />
and Kanishka Sonthalia, began as a<br />
wedding present for a bride and groom.<br />
Having travelled across India to shoot<br />
the most priceless moments of the<br />
weddings they cover, the duo has<br />
become one of the most popular<br />
choices among couples today. The<br />
Wedding Salad specialises in candid<br />
photography, but the team is equally<br />
adept at executing stunning save-thedate,<br />
engagement and pre-wedding<br />
shoots. If a bride so desires, the shoot<br />
can also extend to capturing those<br />
precious moments, as she gets ready<br />
for her big day. Visit theweddingsalad.<br />
com for more details.<br />
PARIKSHIT SURI<br />
Vintage sepia tones, contrast images and<br />
stylised collages might put wedding<br />
photographer Parikshit Suri in a class of<br />
his own. But, it is undoubtedly his ability<br />
to capture candid shots that makes<br />
couples want to book PK Suri Worldwide<br />
Studios for their big day well in advance.<br />
His keen eye for detail and the ease with<br />
which he brings out the best in every<br />
guest and family member at a wedding<br />
work in tandem to make sure that no big<br />
moment is lost. Many couples seek him<br />
out for wedding photo-books that tell a<br />
dramatic, almost cinematic, story.<br />
Visit pksuri.com for more details.<br />
104 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
Over the Moon on Your Honeymoon<br />
The beginning of a new life is a memory to be cherished for a lifetime. Choosing where you spend your<br />
honeymoon is something that must be done with care. Here are a few suggestions.<br />
BY BINDU GOPAL RAO<br />
TAJ FALAKNUMA PALACE,<br />
HYDERABAD<br />
The epitome of luxury is the Nizam Suite at Taj Falaknuma<br />
Palace. The Nizam Suite, which was once the abode of the<br />
world’s richest man, continues to revel in its former glory,<br />
with immaculately done, ornate interiors. This<br />
extravagant duplex suite leaves you speechless as you<br />
step into the shoes of the Nizams. It comes with a private<br />
swimming pool and offers guests decadent creations by<br />
the masterchefs. The Nizam Suite also has a private<br />
butler, a private elevator, 24-hour laundry, in-room<br />
dining and on-call doctor and nurse. But, it is the Sufi<br />
session each night coupled with the champagne palace<br />
walk that makes this a magical experience.<br />
106 ||||| DECEMBER 2016<br />
IMAGES COURTESY OF HOTELS
CONRAD, PUNE<br />
Conrad Pune has 310 uber luxurious guest rooms<br />
and suites with the latest in-room technology;<br />
spacious, warm gold marble bathrooms with a<br />
bathtub and separate rain showers; three specialty<br />
restaurants; a chic bar and a deli, making it an ideal<br />
honeymoon destination. A dedicated lifestyle<br />
floor with the city’s first outdoor temperaturecontrolled<br />
pool, whirlpool, 24-hour fitness centre,<br />
Conrad Spa and a salon makes it the perfect place<br />
to rejuvenate. “We have a range of spa packages<br />
especially the Conrad Signature Day Spa package,<br />
a very indulgent and luxurious experience to gift a<br />
couple on their honeymoon. The Conrad Day Spa,<br />
includes specially curated luxury offerings such as<br />
an Audi pick-up and drop-off service from<br />
anywhere in Pune, a day’s stay in a Conrad Deluxe<br />
Room, and an expansive buffet lunch at Coriander<br />
Kitchen,” says Amit Midha, General Manager.<br />
GRAND MERCURE, MYSURU<br />
Grand Mercure Mysuru offers a bouquet of experiences for honeymooning<br />
couples to discover and enjoy the magic of a new relationship. A<br />
contemporary set-up with an array of cuisines and services wrapped in<br />
French hospitality are some of the elements offered by them. The hotel also<br />
offers delightful surprises such as special couple spa treatments and exotic<br />
dining experiences. “We have a specially designed romantic getaway<br />
package for couples who would like to indulge in a rejuvenating holiday.<br />
Valid until <strong>December</strong> 31, 2016, this package comprises a night stay with<br />
complimentary breakfast and dinner with a signature couple massage from<br />
the Zazen spa at the hotel,” says Sachin Malhotra, General Manager. You<br />
can enjoy the serenity of nature and an old-world charm and return with a<br />
lifetime memory of a scintillating honeymoon experience.
PLANET HOLLYWOOD BEACH RESORT,<br />
GOA<br />
A honeymoon in Goa is the perfect way to raise the curtains on a new<br />
beginning. Spread across 10 acres of land, Planet Hollywood Resort,<br />
Goa, is an upscale property with a stunning collection of rooms, each<br />
with its own, one-of-a-kind touch of Hollywood memorabilia and richly<br />
appointed amenities. With two niche restaurants to satiate your taste<br />
buds, you must spend time at the Pink Room Salon & Spa that offers an<br />
extensive choice of body and beauty treatments. Charmaine Moraes,<br />
Associate Director of Sales, says, “A basic package for stay is always on<br />
offer, and it is also customised with a limousine pick-up, room décor<br />
with towel art, fresh floral arrangement and rose petals, a bottle of<br />
vintage champagne, personalised amenities and linen and hand-crafted<br />
chocolate and fresh strawberries delivered to the room. The resort is<br />
entirely Hollywood-themed and our in-house activities consultant can<br />
offer various options such as aqua zorbing, paddle boating, water<br />
sports, cycle treks with picnic baskets, barbecues at the beach and a<br />
range of exciting alternatives to enhance your honeymoon experience.”<br />
AAMOD AT SHOGHI, SHIMLA<br />
With 20 cute cottages and lots of privacy around the<br />
hillside, Aamod at Shoghi in Shimla is a great choice for<br />
your honeymoon. Pristine greens and cosy spaces<br />
across the resort offer lots of opportunities for couples<br />
to spend time with each other. There is a plethora of<br />
on-site activities for couples to enjoy and also test their<br />
adventurous streak. Long and romantic nature walks<br />
are also a great way to bond with each other. “You can<br />
choose any spot at the resort, and we guarantee you a<br />
star-studded feast,” says Gaurav Jain, MD. “Trust our<br />
chefs to whip up anything you want. Our spa and<br />
Jacuzzi is the epitome of the honeymoon trip thanks to<br />
its location. Unwind, relax and gaze into the cloudy<br />
peaks and valleys while you spend precious time with<br />
your loved one. In fact, we customise the honeymoon<br />
package for all our guests. We believe every experience<br />
is special and it cannot be the same for all.”<br />
112 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICE TALK ||||| FENUGREEK<br />
EACH SPICEJET AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN NAMED AFTER<br />
A PARTICULAR SPICE. IN THIS ISSUE WE TALK ABOUT<br />
THE BENEFITS AND USAGE OF FENUGREEK<br />
Egyptians of yore used fenugreek paste<br />
to embalm mummies while their famed<br />
queen, Cleopatra, used the seeds<br />
warmed in oil or milk to keep her locks<br />
long and lustrous. One of the oldest<br />
spices known to civilisation, the<br />
Mesopotamians are said to have first<br />
used fenugreek in pickle form – those<br />
days, vegetables were simply soaked in<br />
brine and vinegar.<br />
Back home, one of the most common<br />
uses of methi is where its bitter, hard-tobite<br />
seeds are used in tempering.<br />
Dharmesh Karmokar, owner of Hotel<br />
Aureole, uses roasted methi seeds to<br />
temper khichdi but is equally fond of<br />
methi greens. “The beauty is the flavour<br />
play that tempered seeds and fresh<br />
greens add to the dish. While the seeds,<br />
once roasted as part of paanch phoran<br />
[all-seed spice-mix of East India], lend<br />
sweetness to the dish, the greens,<br />
though slightly bitter, cleanse the palate<br />
for a second bite,” he says.<br />
Speaking of seeds, culinary director<br />
Aloo methi<br />
Paul Kinny says, “Fenugreek seeds have<br />
this amazing quality of combining with<br />
NOTHING GREEK<br />
ABOUT IT<br />
COUNTED AMONG THE WORLD’S<br />
IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE an Indian<br />
kitchen without fenugreek (methi) and<br />
harder still to imagine the<br />
quintessential Indian pickle without<br />
this spice. Fenugreek forms a staple in<br />
South Asian cuisine, and to a certain<br />
other spices when treated slightly to<br />
work new flavours into a dish, which<br />
does not taste bitter.” Indeed, kadhi or<br />
yoghurt-based gravy is a case in point.<br />
In fact, even the raan prepared by<br />
Zaffran, owned by Chef Chetan Sethi,<br />
extent, even Mediterranean and<br />
uses slightly toasted fenugreek seeds to<br />
OLDEST SPICES, FENUGREEK HAS<br />
African cuisines. For long now, methi<br />
give meat that distinct flavour.<br />
FOUND USE OVER THE YEARS AS A<br />
has been the bedrock of Indian cooking<br />
“Fenugreek’s ability to create<br />
MEDICINE, BEAUTY AID,<br />
– used fresh or dried, as leaves, seeds or<br />
interesting spice weddings makes it a<br />
PRESERVATIVE AND CULINARY AGENT.<br />
BY MADHULIKA DASH<br />
in powdered form.<br />
Charak Samhita, the ancient Indian<br />
text on medicine, hails fenugreek as an<br />
effective cure for heartburn, ulcer and<br />
gastrointestinal inflammation. The<br />
key ingredient in differentiating one<br />
kebab from the other,” says Sethi.<br />
Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, Lavaash by<br />
Saby, is unapologetic about his bias<br />
towards methi in paanch phoran. “It is<br />
ALAMY; SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
114 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICE TALK ||||| FENUGREEK<br />
Clockwise from above: Methi<br />
paratha; methi paneer; methi seeds<br />
METHI ON THE MENU<br />
Some iconic Indian dishes prepared<br />
using fenugreek include aloo methi, methi<br />
pakora, methi muthiya, methi paratha,<br />
methi ke laddoo and methi chicken.<br />
the one spice in the mix that not only<br />
protects the stomach from heavy<br />
roasting of masala that intensifies most<br />
of the spices, but also the contrasting<br />
taste that makes it delicious,” he says.<br />
Lavaash by Saby’s Bengali Kalia Maach,<br />
Oriya Bamboo Mutton and Assamese<br />
Tenga are excellent examples of<br />
fenugreek’s “culinary congeniality”.<br />
Taking it a step further, Gorai even uses<br />
fenugreek to create interesting dolma<br />
filling and give a slight twang to breads<br />
he serves with his dishes.<br />
According to<br />
Head Chef Saurabh<br />
Udinia, Masala<br />
Library by Jiggs<br />
Kalra, fenugreek –<br />
roasted, powdered or<br />
otherwise – makes for the perfect<br />
korma. “It cuts through the creaminess<br />
to create a flavour profile that is mild<br />
yet has a hint of spice,” he explains.<br />
Udinia calls fenugreek the “miracle<br />
pinch” that breaks the monotony of<br />
almost any dish. Methi micro-greens<br />
have found their way into many of his<br />
preparations. Commenting on Masala<br />
Library’s dehydrated papad, he says,<br />
“The micro-greens create a nice taste<br />
layer to the dehydrated papad with a<br />
sweet-bitter aftertaste. The whole<br />
experience is fantastic.” Not<br />
surprisingly, these greens form “edible<br />
garnish” in menu items including kanji<br />
and kachri.<br />
Expert cooks such as Executive<br />
Chef Gaurav Chakraborty, Novotel<br />
Imagica Khopoli, have raised the status<br />
of fenugreek to a “modernising spice”. It<br />
is common for him to toss fenugreek in<br />
olive oil along with garlic, chilli f lakes<br />
and parmesan cheese to create that<br />
“flavourful yet healthy” pasta. He<br />
elaborates, “Leave aside the tempering<br />
that lends Indian curries their complex<br />
depth and taste, crushing fenugreek<br />
seeds makes for a great, new-age<br />
spaghetti pasta or a different taste<br />
dimension to sauces used for meat and<br />
dips like guacamole.”<br />
No doubt its ability to marry the old<br />
with the new, the conventional with the<br />
innovative, is one of the main reasons<br />
behind the culinary fascination with<br />
fenugreek. As Gorai puts it, “It’s all<br />
about how the spice reacts to different<br />
treatment. While roasting and<br />
powdering works beautifully for getting<br />
that sweet aroma, tempering can add a<br />
slight sourness to the dish.”<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
116 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
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ART ||||| BIENNALE<br />
This year at Kochi, Mansi Bhatt showcases 'A Suite', which<br />
uses her body as the site of art production<br />
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME<br />
THE KOCHI-MUZIRIS BIENNALE, WHICH BEGINS ITS THIRD EDITION THIS MONTH,<br />
HAS TURNED THE SLEEPY TOWN OF KOCHI INTO ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING<br />
ART DESTINATIONS IN THE COUNTRY. BY AKSHAYA PILLAI<br />
NOW FLYING<br />
SpiceJet has daily, direct flights to Kochi<br />
from Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi and<br />
Mumbai. Log on to www.spicejet.com<br />
for more details<br />
The banyan tree in the premises of the abandoned cashew<br />
factory in Mattancherry looks onto the backwaters.<br />
Underneath its canopy, a couple of musicians rehearse for an<br />
upcoming show. The first floor of the warehouse is ready for a<br />
film screening, and the rest for art and literature. The latest<br />
offering from the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) team, Uru is an art harbour<br />
crafted by Riyas Komu, the co-founder of the bienniale. It was inaugurated on<br />
November 12, 2016, in the hope of bridging the gap between the artist and the<br />
local community, and is one of the many art-cafes that have sprung up in the last<br />
five years, transforming Kochi into a cultural hub.<br />
IMAGES COURTESY KOCHI BIENNALE FOUNDATION<br />
120 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
Clockwise from above: Francesco Clemente<br />
inside his installation, 'Pepper Tent', at<br />
Aspinwall House in 2014; In 2012, artist<br />
LN Tallur took advantage of the biennale’s<br />
huge venues to create this inverted roof<br />
installation with Mangalore tiles, some of<br />
which had tiny figures in hatha yoga poses;<br />
Visitors viewing Marie Velardi's 'Future<br />
Perfect, 21st Century'<br />
THE VENUES’ GLORIOUS PAST<br />
David Hall, a whitewashed long<br />
bungalow with blue windowpanes, was<br />
erected in 1695 opposite the parade<br />
ground in Fort Kochi. Built by the Dutch,<br />
it was once home to the Dutch military.<br />
Till half a decade ago, Fort Kochi was<br />
known for such dilapidated colonial<br />
structures, which cached history of this<br />
port town’s lost glory. Aspinwall House,<br />
another imposing structure built in 1867<br />
by an English trader, was once a<br />
storehouse for pepper, turmeric,<br />
cardamom, timber and<br />
all that this rich town<br />
had on offer. And,<br />
Pepper House, a gigantic<br />
16,000 sqft warehouse<br />
with two historic<br />
dockside godowns, is<br />
where these goods and<br />
spices were loaded onto<br />
ships. What remained of<br />
these buildings were<br />
crumbling walls, mossy<br />
roofs and termiteinfested<br />
doors and<br />
windows that creaked<br />
threateningly. India’s<br />
first art biennale, named<br />
after the lost port of<br />
Muziris, helped restore<br />
14 such rundown<br />
KOCHI-MUZIRIS<br />
BIENNALE 2016<br />
DECEMBER 12, 2016 -<br />
MARCH 29, 2017<br />
This year, the biennale has<br />
outdone itself by choosing<br />
to bridge the divide in<br />
artistic categories by<br />
bringing in 97 artists from<br />
across the fields of art and<br />
culture. Curated by eminent<br />
artist Sudarshan Shetty,<br />
and titled ‘Forming in the<br />
Pupil of an Eye’, the third<br />
edition of the biennale<br />
will also feature poets,<br />
musicians, performance<br />
artists and movies. The<br />
main exhibition is spread<br />
across 11 venues between<br />
Fort Kochi, Mattancherry<br />
and Ernakulam.<br />
buildings and made them the venue for<br />
art exhibits and installations.<br />
Furthermore, what began as a partially<br />
government-funded enterprise later<br />
garnered the support of patrons,<br />
businessmen and artists from across the<br />
world. Five years after the first edition of<br />
the biennale, art is not restricted to<br />
galleries or museums. It has crawled out<br />
of rooms and into open spaces, where it is<br />
on display for one and all.<br />
ART ON THE STREETS<br />
Chinese fishing nets introduced by<br />
Chinese-Canadian artist Zhang He,<br />
against the dramatic skyline, is the<br />
opening image of Fort Kochi. From here,<br />
a mesh of parallel roads takes you to airy<br />
cafes and timeworn stores that sell<br />
jewellery and spices. As<br />
you walk past, you find<br />
faces on the wall. Here,<br />
the walls talk and even<br />
boulders take on the role<br />
of canvasses. In black<br />
and white and bursting<br />
pop colours, a lot of the<br />
graffiti took shape<br />
during the first edition<br />
of the biennale. The<br />
graffiti has made art<br />
accessible and is an<br />
apparatus to reclaim the<br />
charm of a forgotten<br />
city. Early in 2014, a<br />
series of anonymous<br />
graffiti speckled Fort<br />
Kochi walls overnight.<br />
The ‘Guess Who’ series,<br />
122 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
ART ||||| BIENNALE<br />
mostly wry commentary on<br />
socio-political <strong>issue</strong>s, was<br />
inspired from the biennale<br />
– an art reaction that<br />
proved that the biennale is<br />
not just a platform but a<br />
movement that inspires.<br />
CREATIVITY AS A<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
The second biennale<br />
recorded a whopping 5 lakh<br />
visitors. With workshops,<br />
residencies and exhibitions<br />
round the year and with<br />
Kochi as a recurring muse,<br />
KMB has rebranded the<br />
city. The locals have started renting out<br />
their properties as creative studios and<br />
old warehouses have been renovated<br />
into art galleries. While residents such<br />
as Isaac Alexandar have come up with<br />
art residencies, the number of homestays<br />
that are letting rooms for a long term is<br />
also on the rise. There are several<br />
galleries, bookshops and performance<br />
spaces being added to the city’s<br />
topography, including OED<br />
Contemporary Art Gallery, Springr Café<br />
& Studio, Café Papaya and the latest Uru<br />
Cultural Harbour. And what is<br />
interesting is how these spaces have<br />
helped widen the bandwidth of art,<br />
incorporating literature, music and<br />
films.<br />
MUZIRIS, THE STARTING POINT<br />
Muziris, the ancient port, which was the<br />
starting point of the biennale, is believed<br />
to have been washed away in the<br />
great flood of 1341. The story of<br />
Muziris began in 3000 BC when<br />
Babylonians, Assyrians and<br />
Egyptians came to the Malabar<br />
Coast in search of spices. After them<br />
came the Arabs and the Phoenicians.<br />
Archaeologists have unearthed<br />
Amphora pottery shards, Roman<br />
Top to bottom: The opening<br />
ceremony of the biennale in<br />
2014; Artist T Venkanna's<br />
'Panch Mahabhuta' from<br />
2012; Wangechi Mutu's<br />
'Dutty Water' from 2014<br />
124 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
ART ||||| BIENNALE<br />
coins, Chinese crockery and many<br />
such findings that establish the<br />
diverse sea links of this town. It is<br />
owing to such a wealthy past and the<br />
growing cosmopolitanism of Kochi<br />
that made founders Riyas Komu and<br />
Bose Krishnamachari opt for it as the<br />
venue. India’s largest heritage<br />
conservation project and the first of its<br />
kind, the Muziris Heritage Project<br />
comprises 25 museums across<br />
Thrissur and Ernakulam and is in<br />
harmony with the biennale to<br />
re-establish the historical and cultural<br />
significance of Muziris. Together, they<br />
aim to preserve the rich past and<br />
attract the cultural crème crowd for<br />
whom a vacation comprises art and a<br />
brush with history. As Anne Carson<br />
writes, “Towns are the illusion that<br />
things hang together somehow.” When<br />
it comes to Kochi today, it hangs in one<br />
long thread called the Kochi-Muziris<br />
Biennale.<br />
Top: Goan artist Nikhil Chopra winds up his 52-hour performance in 2014.<br />
Above: Bose Krishnamachari, Jitish Kallat and Riyas Komu<br />
126 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
VIEWPOINT ||||| SPIRITUALITY<br />
SCIENCE OF TRANSMISSION<br />
KAMLESH D. PATEL INTRODUCES THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE OF<br />
HEARTFULNESS I.E. TRANSMISSION. LIKE ANY TRANSFER OF ENERGY, THE<br />
QUALITY AND POTENCY MATTER<br />
ABOUT KAMLESH<br />
D. PATEL<br />
From an early age, Kamlesh<br />
D. Patel was interested in<br />
spirituality and meditation,<br />
and eventually came to the feet of his guru<br />
in 1976. He is now the fourth spiritual guide<br />
in the Sahaj Marg system of Raja Yoga<br />
meditation. He is a role model for students<br />
of spirituality who seek the perfect blend<br />
of Eastern heart and Western mind.<br />
OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES,<br />
meditation has acquired universal<br />
recognition for its numerous positive<br />
effects. Many methods of meditation are<br />
available, and it is possible that all of them<br />
may be good. The Heartfulness<br />
meditation technique is also good, but<br />
what makes it unique is the addition of<br />
another element known as pranahuti, or<br />
yogic transmission. Yogic transmission<br />
makes meditation truly dynamic, and it is<br />
a specialty of the Heartfulness method<br />
offered by Sahaj Marg.<br />
What is transmission? Transmission<br />
has been defined as utilisation of divine<br />
energy for the transformation of man.<br />
Here, we are not speaking of physical<br />
transformation, as our bodies are limited<br />
by our genetic makeup. On the mental<br />
level, there are fewer limitations. We can<br />
all learn – some very easily and some with<br />
greater difficulty. But it is only on the<br />
spiritual level that there is infinite scope<br />
for growth. Transmission is the<br />
nourishment that allows such unlimited<br />
growth.<br />
If transmission is an energy that can<br />
bring about infinite growth, it must also<br />
be infinite. In the physical world, there is<br />
no such thing as infinite energy. The sun<br />
can blaze for billions of years, but<br />
eventually, even it will burn itself out. But<br />
yogis have never been bound by physical<br />
laws. An adept meditator may be seated in<br />
one country, while the aspirant is seated<br />
in some distant place across oceans and<br />
mountains. Yet, the moment the adept<br />
one triggers the transmission, the<br />
aspirant receives it, wherever he or she<br />
may be. This is the common experience of<br />
so many meditators. If we merely think of<br />
transmission, it starts to flow instantly.<br />
Even light cannot travel instantly. If a<br />
distance can be traversed in zero time,<br />
the velocity is infinite. Inserting infinity<br />
into the equation means that the energy<br />
that comes to us would also be infinite,<br />
and its source would also have to be<br />
infinite. This is transmission.<br />
While the link between science and<br />
spirituality continues to be a source of<br />
debate and research, the best way to<br />
understand transmission is to experience<br />
it practically. Trying to grasp it<br />
intellectually is like trying to understand<br />
the taste of strawberry ice cream<br />
intellectually. Is it possible to convey its<br />
taste in words to someone who has never<br />
tried it? You can explain all about sucrose,<br />
dairy proteins and the temperature at<br />
which milk freezes, but it would all be<br />
useless. In the end, you would probably<br />
say, “Just try it.”<br />
Add transmission to your individual,<br />
spiritual or religious practice, faith or no<br />
faith, and you will experience a quantum<br />
shift in your inner experience from day<br />
one. You can use scientific<br />
experimentation to test the effects of<br />
transmission. First, meditate without<br />
transmission, using only the prescribed<br />
Heartfulness technique. Then, after a few<br />
minutes, meditate using the same<br />
technique, but with the assistance of an<br />
adept who meditates along with you. This<br />
expert can either be physically present<br />
with you or at a remote location. You can<br />
do this as many times as you like, as it will<br />
be replicable. This will allow you to<br />
compare the difference between<br />
meditation with transmission and<br />
without. For many people, the experience<br />
of receiving transmission is so convincing<br />
that no further proof or understanding is<br />
necessary. I invite you to experiment and<br />
experience it for yourself.<br />
To know more about Heartfulness and Sahaj Marg, please visit www.heartfulness.org.<br />
To experience meditation with a trainer, please send an email to contact@heartfulness.org or give a missed call to 78478 41111.<br />
Reprinted with permission from Heartfulness Magazine, Issue 4, January 2016; www.heartfulnessmagazine.com.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 129
TRAVEL ||||| ADVENTURE<br />
A TREK THROUGH FORESTS<br />
WHILE MOST PEOPLE TRAVEL TO NERAL AND PROCEED FROM THERE TO<br />
MATHERAN BY TOY TRAIN OR HORSE, THERE IS ANOTHER, LESSER-KNOWN<br />
ROUTE TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION.<br />
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAFIQUE HAZARIKA<br />
Ever since moving to<br />
Mumbai, I had heard<br />
a lot about it - one of<br />
the very few oldest<br />
hill stations in the<br />
world, and just a local<br />
train ride away from the city. Naturally,<br />
Matheran, which means “forest on top”,<br />
had piqued my curiosity no end. Vehicles<br />
were not allowed within the hill station;<br />
what an impressive way to preserve all<br />
that flora and fauna, I thought.<br />
Even as I planned to take a train to<br />
Neral, 80 km from Mumbai, and proceed<br />
from there to Matheran either by toy<br />
train or horse - the only available means<br />
of travel to the hill station - I stumbled<br />
upon what looked like the schedule of a<br />
trek to the place while browsing the<br />
Internet. Imagine my excitement when I<br />
enrolled for the hike that was to take us<br />
to the hill top not via the usual route but<br />
from the opposite side through jungles<br />
and through a small village called<br />
Dudhani. A villager was to lead our<br />
adventure travel group through<br />
uncharted territory all the way to 2,625<br />
feet above sea level.<br />
I waited with bated breath for the<br />
Sunday morning. When I woke up, it was<br />
pouring cats and dogs and for a while, I<br />
thought I wouldn’t be able to realise my<br />
dream. However, I decided to challenge<br />
the rain gods and armed with raincoat,<br />
backpack and a firm resolve, I finally<br />
stepped out of the house. As if the<br />
SAFIQUE HAZARIKA<br />
132 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
universe were further conspiring to<br />
derail my plans, at least five to six autorickshaws<br />
passed me by before I could<br />
get hold of one that agreed to ferry me to<br />
the place we had decided to meet. I knew<br />
that adventurous people tended to be<br />
persistent and hence, were less likely to<br />
be tardy but what awaited me was<br />
something else! All 19 members had<br />
arrived on the dot despite the downpour<br />
and were waiting for me to show up. I<br />
was late by five minutes. Late<br />
nevertheless, I tendered my apologies. A<br />
quick round of introductions and all 20<br />
of us were inside the vehicle we had<br />
rented, and on our way. We stopped for<br />
some delicious poha and piping hot tea<br />
before resuming our journey. About 30<br />
minutes later, we got off at Dudhani<br />
village, the starting point of our trek.<br />
By then, the rain had pared down to<br />
a drizzle but the path remained wet and<br />
slippery and snaked through cliffs and<br />
valleys and we had to negotiate with<br />
great caution. Intermittently, the forest<br />
cleared to provide stunning views of the<br />
valley below and the group all but forgot<br />
their tiredness to take in the beautiful<br />
scenery. Some members of the group<br />
yanked out their cameras and began<br />
clicking pictures feverishly. We trudged<br />
through hilly forest for nearly one-anda-half<br />
hours before arriving at a big<br />
waterfall. Luckily, I was among the first<br />
ones to reach which gave me added time<br />
to enjoy the waterfall. Thumb rule:<br />
When trekking in a large group, staying<br />
ahead is an advantage as you get to wait<br />
longer till the others arrive; by contrast,<br />
laggards hardly get any time to rest at a<br />
spot and enjoy.<br />
The road upwards from the<br />
waterfall was rocky and treacherous<br />
and in some places, we had to literally<br />
crawl to move ahead. After scaling sharp<br />
rocks and dense jungle, we arrived<br />
somewhere near the top where it felt as<br />
if the clouds were moving below us. I<br />
was on top of the world, I thought!<br />
Around half-an-hour later, we came to<br />
the final leg of our expedition – a 50<br />
metre climb on rocks – at the end of<br />
which we were on a hillock where we<br />
had lunch before proceeding to<br />
Matheran market. One look around and<br />
all you could see was red soil and thick<br />
forest. Typically, the hill station offers<br />
about 32 viewing points but if you’ve<br />
climbed up the jungle route like we had,<br />
you’ve anyways seen at least a 1,000<br />
other viewing points. At the market, we<br />
wasted no time in picking up water<br />
bottles, energy drinks and snacks to last<br />
us on our way down. At about 3.30 pm,<br />
we started climbing down along the<br />
same route.<br />
The descent was scary as compared<br />
to the ascent because every now and<br />
then, the forest would clear and the<br />
valley would appear right in front of us;<br />
we knew that one wrong step and we<br />
could be freefalling down those depths.<br />
After some time, we came to the big<br />
waterfall we had passed on our way up.<br />
This time, almost the entire group<br />
jumped into the water, frolicking way<br />
longer than we should have. We reached<br />
Dudhani by 6.45 pm and no one had any<br />
energy left to talk. As we boarded the<br />
vehicle that was to take us homeward,<br />
we all but agreed that it had been an<br />
unforgettable experience!<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 133
VIEWPOINT ||||| YOGA<br />
THROUGH THE MYSTIC EYE<br />
SADHGURU IS A YOGI, MYSTIC AND VISIONARY. AN INTERNATIONALLY-RENOWNED SPEAKER, SADHGURU’S WIT AND<br />
PIERCING LOGIC PROVOKE AND WIDEN OUR PERCEPTION OF LIFE. IN THIS SERIES, SADHGURU ANSWERS QUESTIONS, AND<br />
OFFERS REFRESHING PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSE TOPICS<br />
activating these, you will create a<br />
workforce but no geniuses. More than<br />
the systems themselves, we have to<br />
upgrade those who deliver the system.<br />
The best people must become teachers.<br />
What a child needs is inspiration, not just<br />
information. If you want information, a<br />
book or the internet is better than a<br />
teacher. But without inspiration, no<br />
human being rises beyond the<br />
limitations in which he lives. It is very<br />
important that we look at this because<br />
educating a child is not just a teacher’s,<br />
parent’s or school’s business – it is the<br />
responsibility of the entire society.<br />
Sadhguru with Ken Robinson<br />
KEN ROBINSON<br />
British author, speaker and<br />
international advisor on education<br />
What do you think makes a perfect school?<br />
Sadhguru: There is no perfect school. As<br />
we are looking for the evolution of a<br />
human being through the education<br />
system, the education system itself<br />
should always be an evolving process.<br />
Unfortunately, education today is<br />
entirely intellect-based. Mistaking<br />
intellect for intelligence is a serious<br />
error. If your memory is removed, your<br />
intellect is quite useless. But there are<br />
other dimensions of intelligence that do<br />
not need the support of memory. If<br />
education systems do not focus on<br />
AMAN<br />
(SpiceJet passenger from Pune)<br />
You said there was quality control in<br />
spirituality but 1,000 years of foreign<br />
subjugation destroyed that. Can you<br />
elaborate?<br />
Sadhguru: There was no external<br />
authority, it was self-governed. It<br />
could be self-governed because<br />
spirituality was mainstream in<br />
society, and not the fringe. There<br />
were many people in profound states<br />
of experience, so if somebody said<br />
something wrong, everyone knew.<br />
But when invasions happened, most<br />
of them were killed because invaders<br />
knew that unless they imposed their<br />
religion, the land is not really taken. If<br />
we want to bring quality control back,<br />
truth should become the mainstream.<br />
SpiceJet welcomes its passengers to ask Sadhguru questions on yoga, health, well-being and other topics of<br />
general interest. Select questions will be answered in forthcoming <strong>issue</strong>s. Please email your question to<br />
mediarelations@ishafoundation.org. For more of Sadhguru’s wisdom, visit isha.sadhguru.org<br />
134 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
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DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 135
IN FOCUS ||||| MONTAGE<br />
KARNATAKA<br />
BANK LIMITED<br />
– DIGITAL<br />
INITIATIVES<br />
THE KARNATAKA BANK LIMITED, a private sector bank,<br />
with headquarters in Mangaluru, was launched 92 years<br />
ago, and today has a presence in 21 states and 2 union<br />
territories with a network of 736 branches and 1,319<br />
ATMs and 93 e-lobbies/mini e-lobbies.<br />
The bank has taken several digital initiatives such as:<br />
e-Lobby services to render essential banking services<br />
round the clock.<br />
Online Account Opening facility<br />
Mobile Apps - ‘KBL-SMARTz’ – [UPI app], KBLmPassBook<br />
& KBL ApnaApp [SMS Banking]<br />
Mobile Banking services<br />
MoneyClick Internet Banking facility<br />
Missed Call Banking facility<br />
Interactive Voice Response System<br />
Various types of debit cards, gift cards and travel cards.<br />
Payment gateway facility<br />
KBL-Online Loan Junction<br />
POS facility along with ‘KBL POS Manager’ mobile app<br />
for merchants to manage their activities around POS,<br />
which is the first of its kind in the banking industry<br />
The bank has bagged excellence awards from reputed<br />
organisations this year:<br />
FIEO – Southern Region Export Excellence<br />
Award: Best Financial Institution [Southern Region] for<br />
the support extended to Export Business, for the year<br />
2013-14 under Gold Category, instituted by Federation of<br />
Indian Export Organisations.<br />
Greentech Safety Award 2016: Gold Award, for<br />
significant achievements made in the field of safety and<br />
security, instituted by Greentech Foundation.<br />
Certificate of Special Mention for use of<br />
Technology for Financial Inclusion among small<br />
banks: Instituted by IDRBT.<br />
CFBP Jamnalal Bajaj Awards 20<strong>15</strong>: For Fair<br />
Business Practices - Certificate of Merit under the<br />
category ‘Service Enterprises – Large’.<br />
Award of Excellence for Outstanding<br />
Performance in MSME Funding: Instituted by<br />
Federation of Industry Trade & Services [FITS].<br />
The bank is in the process of introducing new<br />
technology-based product such as co-branded credit<br />
cards and also bringing out an upgraded version of<br />
internet banking.<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 137
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
SUPERMAN OF OUR SKIES<br />
With his sharp sense of humour and original banter, Captain Danny Desai wins the hearts of SpiceJet<br />
passengers every time he makes an announcement on his flights.<br />
BY NEHA SHARMA (WITH INPUTS FROM SUDIPTA DAS)<br />
Capt. Danny Desai<br />
THE WORLD IS FULL OF COLOURFUL<br />
AND HAPPY FACES, but not all of them<br />
are featured in magazines – even though<br />
they should. My colleague and I had<br />
the good fortune of meeting one such<br />
amazing personality, who, despite being<br />
enormously versatile and enchanting, has<br />
chosen to stay away from the limelight.<br />
As we waited impatiently in a big<br />
boardroom, an anticipated image started<br />
taking shape in my head, and as I sifted<br />
through my preparatory notes, time<br />
seemed to stand still. The long awaited<br />
moment came as our teetotaller subject<br />
entered the room like "a whiff of fresh<br />
air", as described aptly by one of his<br />
passengers. There is an unmistakeable<br />
element of charm in the way he carries<br />
himself.<br />
Captain Danny Desai was born on<br />
June 10, 1959, the son of Subhash Desai,<br />
producer of well-known films such as<br />
Amar Akbar Anthony and Dharam Veer.<br />
Considering his lineage, it was expected<br />
that Capt. Desai would join the film<br />
industry. As such, he became an assistant<br />
director and then a director of special<br />
cinematic effects and worked on several<br />
award-winning and prestigious projects.<br />
But, his heart lay elsewhere – flying. His<br />
father strongly disagreed, but given Capt.<br />
Desai’s eloquence and self-belief, he was<br />
successful in convincing him to allow him<br />
to pursue his passion. At the age of 21,<br />
he started flying his beloved birds – his<br />
“oversized cigars”, as he lovingly calls<br />
them. He began his stint with Vayudoot<br />
in 1985 and then flew with East-West<br />
Airlines, Skyline NEPC, Sahara Airlines<br />
and JetLite to finally land in SpiceJet in<br />
February 2016.<br />
Although Capt. Desai stayed away<br />
from the glamour of cinema, his life<br />
has been no less filmy. He fell in love at<br />
first sight with the woman who would<br />
become his wife, Mrs. Kashmira Danny<br />
Desai. He shares his passion for flying<br />
with his sons as well – Captain Aleck<br />
Danny Desai and Mr. Jim Danny Desai.<br />
At SpiceJet, he has set high standards<br />
of perfection and sophistication, be it<br />
with his communication or technical<br />
knowledge. His unmatched articulation,<br />
voice modulation and excellent English<br />
can safely be attributed to his semi-Parsi<br />
upbringing; his mother, Chanden Subhash<br />
Desai, was a Parsi.<br />
As per all the feedback we’ve<br />
received, he hypnotises passengers<br />
in the manner in which he delivers<br />
minute-by-minute details of flight delays<br />
and announcements. All the panic<br />
and anguish with them dissolves with<br />
his sweet manner of addressing. The<br />
emotional quotient in his words creates<br />
a magical web of feelings. Taking after<br />
his mother, he is a true reflection of<br />
sophistication and poise, be it the words<br />
he chooses or his manners. It is hard<br />
to miss that unique accent once you<br />
have been subjected to it. The endless<br />
appreciation notes from his happy<br />
passengers say it all for him.<br />
“INFORMATION IN A<br />
LANGUAGE THAT SOUNDS<br />
LIKE POETRY.”<br />
“SAVOURY TANG OF<br />
HUMOUR AND SPICY WIT.”<br />
“PERFECT VOICE MODULATION<br />
AND JUST THE PERFECT PAUSE<br />
AT THE PERFECT TIME.”<br />
“EXCELLENT ENGLISH<br />
HUMOUR.”<br />
“LET DESAI BE THE MIDDLE<br />
NAME, AND THE SURNAME BE<br />
GAB-FABULOUS.”<br />
138 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
ONE OF HIS PASSENGERS<br />
ALSO SAID THE FOLLOWING<br />
IN PRAISE OF CAPT. DESAI:<br />
“The pleasure reaches the sky when<br />
it is a flight with Capt. Danny Desai.<br />
What a man! Full of principles yet so<br />
entertaining. I have had the opportunity<br />
to fly with him about 7 to 8 times. All<br />
the times that I have travelled with him,<br />
he has never repeated a single sentence<br />
(does he have a glossary kit?). It’s always<br />
clever, witty, quick and funny – whether<br />
it’s a simple greeting or giving some<br />
flight information. Every time I travel<br />
with him, I see an umpteen number<br />
of messages for him coming from the<br />
passengers. Once a group of 18 of us<br />
were travelling from work, and none of<br />
us was sitting together, and as usual,<br />
there were these letters handed over<br />
to the flight attendants for delivering<br />
to Capt. Desai. Later on, I realised that<br />
all my colleagues had written because<br />
they were so mesmerised by his speech.<br />
Another incident was when I was on my<br />
way to Mumbai on the day of the floods.<br />
The aircraft was already boarded when<br />
we received the news of heavy flooding<br />
in Mumbai. We all waited inside the<br />
aircraft thinking that the flight would be<br />
cancelled. But soon the aircraft started<br />
moving towards the runway, and we all<br />
started praying, and just then there was<br />
an announcement from the cockpit. It<br />
said, ‘This is your captain, Capt. Danny<br />
Desai.’ That’s when I was relieved<br />
and knew we would land safely. He<br />
always makes sure that each and every<br />
passenger is comfortable. In the arrival<br />
hall, passengers met him as though he<br />
was a hero (he indeed is). It’s difficult to<br />
find someone so dedicated to his work<br />
and so knowledgeable. Now before<br />
each flight I pray, not for the safety of<br />
the flight but, to fly with Captain Danny<br />
Desai.”<br />
THE APPRECIATION NOTES ARE<br />
BUT A FEW DECLARATIONS OF LOVE<br />
and confidence from his passengers and<br />
fans. His immense sense of empathy<br />
for all his fellow members is rare in<br />
today’s fast-paced world. I would not<br />
be wrong in stating that he is a rare,<br />
endangered species that we need to<br />
preserve in our hearts. The youth has so<br />
much to learn from him; one passenger<br />
even exclaimed that Capt. Desai is in<br />
the wrong profession – he should be<br />
a professor and help in shaping young<br />
minds. At SpiceJet, he has added the<br />
spice of customer delight. As mentioned<br />
by one of his passengers, “Captain<br />
Desai is the best thing that can happen<br />
to you.” We are glad he is one of the<br />
best that has happened to SpiceJet. We<br />
are immensely honoured to have him<br />
aboard.<br />
NEHA SHARMA AND SUDIPTA DAS<br />
ARE EMPLOYEES OF SPICEJET LTD.<br />
Top: With his wife, Mrs. Kashmira Danny<br />
Desai, and sons Jim (left) and Aleck (right).<br />
Above: In his younger days<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 139
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
MUSIC ON BOARD<br />
SpiceJet plays soft rock music on all its flights for boarding and landing. Here’s this month’s playlist<br />
WET WET WET<br />
Love Is All Around Me<br />
This song was a cover by<br />
Wet Wet Wet (the<br />
original was by the<br />
Troggs) for the movie,<br />
Four Weddings and a<br />
Funeral. The band chose<br />
it over Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I<br />
Will Survive’ and Barry<br />
Manilow’s ‘Can’t Smile<br />
Without You’.<br />
PHIL COLLINS<br />
A Groovy Kind Of Love<br />
The Mindbenders were<br />
the first to record this<br />
song, and Collins’ was<br />
a cover. Unlike the<br />
Mindbenders’ version,<br />
which was an upbeat,<br />
guitar-based pop song,<br />
Collins’ was a slow ballad<br />
with prominent piano and<br />
strings.<br />
CHRIS DE BURGH<br />
Lady In Red<br />
On the British TV series,<br />
This Is Your Life, Chris de<br />
Burgh said that the song<br />
was inspired by the<br />
memory of the first time<br />
he saw his wife Diane,<br />
and how men cannot<br />
even remember what<br />
their wives were wearing<br />
when they first met.<br />
ROXETTE<br />
Listen To Your Heart<br />
In 1998, Roxette received<br />
an award from BMI for<br />
this song being played<br />
over 2 million times on<br />
American radio.<br />
BEE GEES<br />
How Deep Is Your Love<br />
It won the 1977 Grammy<br />
for best pop performance<br />
by a group. It was the<br />
first of four new songs on<br />
the Saturday Night Fever<br />
soundtrack to top the US<br />
Hot 100.<br />
THE BEATLES<br />
Love Me Do<br />
John Lennon and Paul<br />
McCartney wrote this in<br />
1958, when John was 17<br />
and Paul was 16. They<br />
made time for writing the<br />
song by skipping school.<br />
They had written songs<br />
before, but this was the<br />
first one that they liked<br />
enough to record,<br />
making it the Beatles’<br />
first single.<br />
STEVIE WONDER<br />
I Just Called To Say I<br />
Love You<br />
This song was featured in<br />
the movie, The Woman In<br />
Red, starring Kelly<br />
LeBrock as the woman<br />
and Gene Wilder as the<br />
man mesmerised by her.<br />
Wonder wrote the score<br />
for the movie, and this<br />
song won the Oscar for<br />
best original song.<br />
AIR SUPPLY<br />
All Out Of Love<br />
This one deals with the<br />
unrequited love of a<br />
singer, who feels lost<br />
without the object of his<br />
affection.<br />
SHANIA TWAIN<br />
You’re Still The One<br />
This song was remixed<br />
for its single release to<br />
sound less country and<br />
more pop in the hope of<br />
giving Twain a<br />
mainstream crossover hit.<br />
The plan worked, and<br />
Twain took home two<br />
Grammy awards that<br />
year.<br />
QUEEN<br />
Crazy Little Thing<br />
Called Love<br />
This was the first song for<br />
which Freddie Mercury<br />
played rhythm guitar. He<br />
was keen to keep the<br />
song minimal, despite his<br />
limited guitar knowledge,<br />
and producer Mack<br />
claimed that he rushed<br />
into the studio to record<br />
it “Before Brian [May]<br />
could get there”.<br />
THE POLICE<br />
Every Breath You Take<br />
Sting wrote this song at<br />
the same desk in Jamaica<br />
where Ian Fleming wrote<br />
his James Bond novels. It<br />
was the biggest hit of<br />
1983 in the US.<br />
RIGHTEOUS<br />
BROTHERS<br />
Unchained Melody<br />
Is there anyone who<br />
hasn’t slow danced to this<br />
song? The mellifluous<br />
vocals and soulful lyrics<br />
were also most famously<br />
used in Ghost.<br />
ROD STEWART<br />
Have I Told You Lately<br />
Rod Stewart performed<br />
this on his MTV<br />
Unplugged special in 1993<br />
and released the acoustic<br />
version as part of his<br />
album Unplugged... And<br />
Seated. This version was<br />
a big hit, going to<br />
number 5 in both the US<br />
and the UK. Stewart got<br />
so emotional, he cried at<br />
the end of his MTV<br />
performance.<br />
RONAN KEATING<br />
When You Say Nothing<br />
At All<br />
Richard Curtis wanted a<br />
key song for his new film,<br />
Notting Hill. He suggested<br />
this to Ronan Keating,<br />
who was at the time still<br />
with Irish boy band,<br />
Boyzone.<br />
ELTON JOHN<br />
Can You Feel The Love<br />
Tonight<br />
This was featured in the<br />
Disney movie, The Lion<br />
King, when the main<br />
character, Simba the Lion,<br />
falls in love with his<br />
childhood friend, Nala.<br />
This version was<br />
performed by the film's<br />
voice actors while the<br />
Elton John version plays<br />
over the end credits.<br />
TRACY CHAPMAN<br />
Baby Can I Hold You<br />
It is the third single<br />
released by the<br />
contemporary folk artist.<br />
BRUNO MARS<br />
Count On Me<br />
This country-tinged<br />
friendship tune was<br />
written by Bruno Mars for<br />
his debut studio album,<br />
Doo-Wops & Hooligans.<br />
BRYAN ADAMS<br />
(Everything I Do) I Do<br />
It for You<br />
This song is featured in<br />
the Kevin Costner movie,<br />
Robin Hood: Prince Of<br />
Thieves, where it plays<br />
over the credits. Initially,<br />
this song didn’t get<br />
Hollywood approval, as<br />
the film company wanted<br />
it to have instrumentation<br />
in line with the films’ era<br />
– lutes, mandolins and<br />
other such. The film<br />
company relented, but<br />
buried the song midway<br />
through the credits.<br />
U2<br />
With Or Without You<br />
This was voted the best<br />
single of 1987 in a Rolling<br />
Stone magazine readers’<br />
poll. It became the<br />
anthem of the characters,<br />
Ross and Rachel, on the<br />
hugely popular sitcom,<br />
Friends, after it was used<br />
in an episode where Ross<br />
dedicates it to Rachel on<br />
the radio.<br />
KENNY ROGERS<br />
Lady<br />
Lionel Richie wrote this<br />
song, especially for<br />
Rogers.<br />
140 ||||| DECEMBER 2016<br />
*All information sourced from songfacts.com
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
NEW ON THE MENU<br />
SpiceJet introduces “pre-booking only” menu for Thai,<br />
Continental and Indian Platters<br />
SPICEJET HAS UNVEILED an all-new inflight menu and flyers can now look forward to<br />
a fresh and improved dining experience. The airline has added a number of new<br />
alternatives to its ‘buy on board’ options. The ‘Hot Meals’ section has been entirely<br />
revamped. In addition, special meal categories such as Gluten-free meal have been<br />
introduced. Also, a special pre-booking menu has been activated for availing Thai,<br />
Continental and Indian platters. Hot favourites like Pringles and Aam Papad (two<br />
flavours being Bomb Peda & Spicy Meetha) have been introduced in the non-perishables<br />
section to entice the kids and youth categories of customers. With biriyani and kathi<br />
rolls being hot favourites, the airline has retained them in the menu considering the<br />
feedback received from customers and the sales team.<br />
THAI CHICKEN CURRY<br />
You can now even prebook<br />
a menu with Thai and<br />
Continental options<br />
o<br />
NON-VEG<br />
TANDOORI PLATTER<br />
Hearty platters are for<br />
your asking 24 x 7<br />
o<br />
o<br />
STEAMED RICE<br />
WITH KADI<br />
PAKODA<br />
Enjoy traditional<br />
and mouth-watering<br />
home-like food up in<br />
the sky<br />
CHICKEN STROGANOFF<br />
WITH YELLOW RICE<br />
Check out this variation<br />
of a mid-19th century<br />
Russian dish<br />
THE JOY OF PRE-BOOKING<br />
There are many benefits of availing<br />
the pre-booking meals facility<br />
before taking a SpiceJet flight.<br />
The passenger can choose from a<br />
wider menu and can be sure that a<br />
meal of choice is served on-board.<br />
Pre-booking also ensures great<br />
discounts - flat 50% on prebooking<br />
through the SpiceJet app<br />
and 50% on pre-booking drinks.<br />
Meals can be pre-booked at the<br />
time of booking the flight or later,<br />
through ‘Manage My Booking’ on<br />
wwwspicejet.com. The alternative<br />
is to pre-book through the SpiceJet<br />
mobile app.<br />
o<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 141
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
FLIGHT BOOKINGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS<br />
SpiceJet’s popular mobile app offers never before convenience and speed for customers on-the-go<br />
With SpiceJet’s new mobile<br />
app, customers will find it<br />
more convenient than ever<br />
before to make and manage bookings,<br />
check flight status, and receive<br />
exclusive offers on their mobile devices.<br />
The interface is so simple that even the<br />
origin of journey helpfully gets autofilled<br />
thanks to inbuilt geo-tagging.<br />
The app also allows customers to<br />
book or add exciting SpiceJet add-on<br />
products such as choosing premium<br />
SpiceMAX seats, in-flight meals and<br />
Priority Check-in. Customers can also<br />
pre-book excess baggage at discounted<br />
rates through this app.<br />
The payment gateway of the app<br />
offers a variety of options like Quickpay,<br />
credit card, debit card and Internet<br />
banking. The Quickpay option ensures<br />
instant booking with just a single click.<br />
You can download the official<br />
SpiceJet app from Google Playstore<br />
and App Store.<br />
Spice First Check-in<br />
SpiceJet has raised the<br />
bar of customer comfort<br />
and convenience with the<br />
effective integration of<br />
technology into its services.<br />
In a first of its kind initiative<br />
by any airline in the country,<br />
the carrier has launched<br />
Spice First Check-In. This<br />
enables customers to get<br />
their boarding pass on their<br />
smartphones at the click of<br />
a button. The service will<br />
be initially introduced at<br />
Hyderabad as a pilot project.<br />
The airline which has<br />
set a new benchmark in<br />
the country by launching a<br />
slew of customer-friendly<br />
and innovative products<br />
and services has effectively<br />
incorporated Near Field<br />
Communication (NFC)<br />
and Beacon technologies<br />
with its mobile application.<br />
This enables customers<br />
who have booked tickets<br />
through the SpiceJet mobile<br />
app to receive boarding<br />
passes directly on their<br />
smartphones. Customers<br />
will thus be relieved from<br />
standing in long queues<br />
thus further enhancing their<br />
travel experience.<br />
STEP: 1<br />
The main<br />
menu screen<br />
offers four<br />
options. To<br />
book a flight,<br />
select Flight<br />
Booking<br />
142 ||||| AUGUST DECEMBER 2016 2016
ENJOY EXCLUSIVE OFFERS<br />
With Spicejet’s hot new mobile app, one can not only book flight tickets on the go, prebook<br />
spice add-ons, check flight status and manage one’s bookings, but also get access to<br />
exclusive discounts. Book through the mobile app and get up to 7% discount on flight<br />
tickets and 50% discount on meals<br />
STEP: 2<br />
Choose the required field. Fill in the<br />
details and click on the Search Flights<br />
options<br />
STEP: 3<br />
Flights options according to date of<br />
travel are displayed. The fare details<br />
are at the bottom<br />
STEP: 4<br />
On selection of the button, the<br />
detailed fare sumary is displayed<br />
STEP: 5<br />
Once the required flight option<br />
has been selected, fill in your<br />
contact details<br />
STEP: 6<br />
Fliers can choose numerous add-on<br />
options that will make the journey<br />
hassle-free<br />
STEP: 7<br />
Customers can pay via Credit or<br />
Debit card. QuickPay option saves<br />
transaction time<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 143
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
MY TOWN<br />
Our ongoing series in which we look at various Indian cities<br />
through the eyes of SpiceJet staffers. This month, Cabin Crew<br />
Shirin Mendonca talks about her hometown – Goa<br />
Connection to the city: I was born and<br />
raised in Mapusa, which is in North Goa.<br />
The best thing about Goa: The exotic<br />
beaches – apart from popular ones such<br />
as Baga and Calangute, the beaches of<br />
Majorda, Morjim and Ashwem are known<br />
for their blue waters and white sands.<br />
I also think that Goans make this state<br />
very inviting – they are broad-minded,<br />
fun-loving and helpful.<br />
Best places to hang out: Goa is very<br />
popular for its nightlife. We have many<br />
clubs such as Tito’s, Cafe Mambo, Cape<br />
Town Cafe, AZ.U.R – The Marriott Goa,<br />
Cafe Mojo, Down The Road, Shiva Valley,<br />
Club Cabana, and so on. If you enjoy<br />
Temple and Fort Aguada. Tourists should<br />
karaoke, St. Anthony’s is a nice place. We<br />
also visit a spice plantation and indulge<br />
also have many flea markets, Saturday<br />
in water sports to make the most of the<br />
night markets, casinos and cruises.<br />
experience.<br />
Clockwise from above: Goa is known for its<br />
buzzing nightlife; The Anjuna flea market is<br />
one of the most popular shopping<br />
destinations in North Goa; Parasailing on the<br />
beach; Seafood delicacies include pomfret,<br />
shark, tuna, and mackerel<br />
Favourite eating places: I love seafood,<br />
especially stuffed mackerel (known<br />
locally as recheado bangdo) and crab. In<br />
restaurants, Spice Goa is known for its<br />
delicious and fresh seafood, and<br />
Recommended places near the city:<br />
Karwar and Sindhudurg have stunning<br />
forts and beautiful beaches.<br />
Goa when compared to other places:<br />
St. Anthony’s has a lovely ambience.<br />
My job has given me the opportunity to<br />
NOW FLYING<br />
SpiceJet has daily, direct flights<br />
to Goa from Ahmedabad, Chennai,<br />
Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Log on<br />
to www.spicejet.com for more details<br />
A few more places I would recommend<br />
are Wok & Roll, Avozin, Himalaya,<br />
Bomra’s, Mafia Cocktail Bar and Mirabai.<br />
Local attractions: Every tourist must go<br />
to Old Goa. Also do visit the Basilica of<br />
Bom Jesus, Dudhsagar Falls, Mangeshi<br />
visit many places such as Ahmedabad,<br />
Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Calicut, Delhi,<br />
Guwahati, Kolkata and Mumbai. Besides<br />
these, I have also visited Pune, Port<br />
Blair and so many others, but trust me,<br />
I have not seen a place that I could ever<br />
compare to Goa.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
144 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
A PILLAR OF SUPPORT FOR THE HAJ<br />
This year, SpiceJet flew 8,000 pilgrims to the Haj, a first-of-its-kind operation in the<br />
history of the airline<br />
SpiceJet team with officials from the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia<br />
“IT ALWAYS SEEMS<br />
IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL<br />
IT’S DONE” – NELSON<br />
MANDELA<br />
2016 will mark the year when SpiceJet’s<br />
ground services team took up one of<br />
the most challenging operations – of<br />
the holy pilgrimage of Haj. Normally,<br />
three major airlines – Air India, Flynas<br />
and Saudi Airlines – have flown Haj<br />
pilgrims from India to the twin cities of<br />
Jeddah and Medina. This year, SpiceJet<br />
was the first private carrier to embark<br />
on the Haj operations challenge. All<br />
stakeholders of SpiceJet joined forces<br />
to support this noble cause. SpiceJet<br />
also received extensive support from<br />
SpiceJet CMD Mr. Ajay Singh, the Haj<br />
Committee of India and the Ministry of<br />
Civil Aviation.<br />
For the first time, SpiceJet decided<br />
to directly participate in Haj operations.<br />
This meant carrying over 8,000 pilgrims<br />
in the Haj season between August and<br />
October. The ground services staff put<br />
in dozens of sleepless nights in ensuring<br />
the safety and security of thousands of<br />
pilgrims.<br />
MEET THE TEAM<br />
GP Gupta, Chief Administrative<br />
Officer & Accountable Manager,<br />
was in-charge of the overall operation.<br />
Sumant Rautela, General Manager,<br />
Ground Services, was responsible for<br />
ground services.<br />
Manoj Jain, General Manager ATF,<br />
Insurance & Catering, ensured all<br />
logistics were in place.<br />
N Thiyagarajan ensured the security<br />
of passengers.<br />
Nelash Godara liasoned with<br />
regulators for securing slots.<br />
Pankaj Mathur ensured all contracts<br />
were in place for seamless Haj<br />
operations.<br />
Shaikh Azharuddin led the team<br />
in Saudi Arabia.<br />
THE HAJ<br />
OPERATIONS<br />
TIMELINE<br />
CMD Mr. Singh was<br />
sent a request to carry<br />
out this operation,<br />
which he accepted<br />
and subsequently, the<br />
tender was closed in<br />
February 2016. A series<br />
of challenges began,<br />
the first of which was<br />
securing slots in the<br />
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia<br />
(KSA). The time frame<br />
to apply for slots is<br />
limited due to the massive<br />
confluence of pilgrims, followed by an<br />
equal number of wide-bodied aircraft to<br />
operate flights in a limited time frame.<br />
On July 16, a meeting was called<br />
by the Haj Committee of India in<br />
Mumbai, at which Mr. GP Gupta, Chief<br />
Administrative Officer & Accountable<br />
Manager of SpiceJet, laid bare the<br />
situation. With barely two weeks to<br />
go before the first flight on August 4,<br />
Spicejet was advised to scale up its<br />
preparedness and ensure handling and<br />
management of this operation on its<br />
own without causing any inconvenience<br />
to pilgrims. This timeline was subminimal<br />
to complete all preparations,<br />
ranging from engaging service partners,<br />
securing permissions, slots approvals<br />
and making schedules for the flight.<br />
At that point, driven by the urge<br />
to never give up, Mr. Singh and Mr.<br />
Gupta decided to fight back and give it<br />
another shot. With no schedule in place<br />
and no permissions and approvals,<br />
146 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
out of which 49 took off from Gaya<br />
and 11 from Indore.<br />
OUT-OF-THE-BOX<br />
APPROACH<br />
During the second phase of the<br />
operation, on the way back, while<br />
all the other airlines were struggling<br />
to check-in their passengers at the<br />
airport, SpiceJet staff opened checkin<br />
facility in the city about 36 hours<br />
before departure. The passengers<br />
went through and through to the<br />
aircraft without any difficulty.<br />
SpiceJet’s senior management, too,<br />
put their full weight behind ensuring<br />
successful operations.<br />
The core SpiceJet team behind the Haj operations<br />
SpiceJet set sail on a tumultuous<br />
journey, all in the name of god and<br />
the holy cause of serving our fellow<br />
citizens. With 14 days to go, on July 21,<br />
it was finally decided that SpiceJet will<br />
take up the challenge.<br />
IN THE MEANTIME<br />
The core team was working on the<br />
backend to secure permissions to<br />
operate in KSA, contracts with service<br />
providers and approval of slots to land.<br />
When things did not work, on July 30,<br />
with five days to go for the operations,<br />
Mr. Gupta finally reached Jeddah to<br />
seek approvals in person despite his<br />
personal challenges. Merely two days<br />
were left for the first take-off, and<br />
SpiceJet still did not have approvals<br />
to land in Saudi Arabia. After much<br />
persuasion, Mr. Gupta was finally able<br />
to secure all the approvals. All the<br />
paperwork was done then and there,<br />
approvals were sent and the aircraft<br />
finally moved from Vietnam to Fujairah<br />
and from there to Delhi.<br />
After days of back-breaking<br />
preparations, SpiceJet team flagged<br />
off its first flight from Gaya on August<br />
4, carrying 135 passengers aboard<br />
Airbus 320 on the scheduled time of<br />
11.30 am. Pre-check-in facilities were<br />
made available to the pilgrims (most<br />
of the passengers were senior citizens,<br />
so catering to their needs became<br />
first priority). Inaugurated by Mr.<br />
Abdul Ghafoor, Honourable Minister of<br />
Minority Affairs, Bihar, the first flight<br />
spread its wings to reach Mecca. Some<br />
of the personalities present to honour<br />
the occasion were Mr. Shri Kumar<br />
Ravi, District Magistrate – Gaya; Mr.<br />
Dilip Kumar, Airport Director – Gaya<br />
Airport; Mr. Sumant Rautela, General<br />
Manager, Ground Services, SpiceJet; Mr.<br />
Ajay Jasra, Head of Corporate Affairs,<br />
Spicejet, and other esteemed members<br />
of the Haj Committee of India. A total<br />
of 60 departures (return flights) took<br />
place – 30 to Jeddah and 30 to Medina,<br />
OPERATIONAL<br />
CHALLENGES<br />
Needless to say, team SpiceJet<br />
delivered high on-time performance,<br />
ensuring customer satisfaction.<br />
To operate in a culturally sensitive<br />
country and for a religiously<br />
sentimental occasion is not an easy<br />
task. However, the efficient and<br />
motivated team members proved<br />
otherwise. All the passengers were<br />
given meals at the airport and onboard,<br />
on departure and arrival. The elderly<br />
were treated carefully as if they were<br />
children, and the staff members<br />
assisted the passengers like they would<br />
assist their own family members. The<br />
passengers’ feedback and officials’<br />
appreciation say it all. Officials at<br />
Saudi Arabian airports and members<br />
of the Haj committee personally<br />
congratulated Mr. Gupta and his team.<br />
The SpiceJet team ensured that the<br />
operation was executed with precision.<br />
In the future as well, SpiceJet plans<br />
to carry out more such operations.<br />
SpiceJet is proud to say that the Haj<br />
operations were a huge success, and<br />
the hard work finally bore the sweet<br />
fruit of victory.<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 147
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
NEWS<br />
SpiceJet doubled net<br />
profit to `58.9 crore<br />
SpiceJet reported a net profit<br />
of `58.9 crore for Q2 FY 2017 as<br />
against `29 crore for the same<br />
quarter last year, an increase of<br />
103%. Operating revenue for the<br />
quarter stood at `1,400 crore, a<br />
growth of 35%. This is the seventh<br />
consecutive profitable quarter for<br />
SpiceJet.<br />
SpiceJet CMD Mr. Ajay Singh receives the award<br />
SpiceJet received ‘World Travel Leaders’ award in London<br />
SpiceJet received the ‘World Travel Leaders’ award at the WTM (World Travel<br />
Market) Awards in London on November 7. The airline was recognised for its dramatic<br />
turnaround and its use of innovation to rebuild customer loyalty. SpiceJet was the<br />
only airline to be recognised this year. The airline was commended for its exemplary<br />
performance, high passenger load factor and use of innovations such as yoga onboard,<br />
flash mobs and smart boarding technology, among other customer-engaging<br />
experiences. On the occasion, CMD Mr. Ajay Singh, said, “I am delighted that there is<br />
global recognition for SpiceJet’s story. I am honoured to receive the award on behalf of<br />
my 6,400 colleagues, my partners and my country.”<br />
SpiceJet celebrated Children’s Day<br />
On the occasion of Children’s Day, SpiceJet<br />
distributed a Doraemon gift pouch to all the<br />
children onboard and brought priceless smiles to<br />
their faces.<br />
148 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
SpiceJet leads with best<br />
On-time Performance and<br />
highest Passenger Load<br />
Factor<br />
SpiceJet achieved the best On-time<br />
Performance (OTP) of 86.1% among<br />
all Indian carriers for October 2016.<br />
SpiceJet also registered the highest<br />
Passenger Load Factor (PLF) of<br />
91.9%; the best among industry<br />
peers for 18 consecutive months.<br />
With an OTP score of 89.7%, 72.9%<br />
and 88.5% in Delhi, Mumbai and<br />
Bengaluru respectively, SpiceJet<br />
topped the OTP charts at the<br />
country’s busiest airports.<br />
SpiceJet unveiled its ‘Spicy Hot Jackpot’ on Diwali<br />
The airline offered the chance of winning a Mercedes-Benz C-Class along with<br />
other exciting prizes in its ‘Spicy Hot Jackpot’ offer. Valid for sale and travel<br />
between October 25 and <strong>December</strong> <strong>15</strong> (both dates inclusive), the Diwali Dhamaka<br />
promotion was made applicable on all bookings made across all channels along with<br />
the pre-purchase of a Spice Add-On service (such as SpiceMax, Hot Meals, Priority<br />
Check-In, Bag Out First, MyFlexiPlan, FlyForSure and Carry More On-board). The<br />
airline will draw the names of 7 winners for 7 consecutive weeks with winners slated<br />
to receive exciting prizes such as Royal Enfield 350cc bikes, premium smartphones,<br />
40-inch Panasonic televisions, home theatres, premium watches, Kindle Paperwhite,<br />
and SpiceVacations’ Couple Holiday Package for Goa each week.<br />
SpiceJet launches Hyderabad-<br />
Jabalpur-Hyderabad daily flight<br />
SpiceJet has launched a daily, direct flight<br />
on the Hyderabad-Jabalpur-Hyderabad<br />
route from <strong>December</strong> 23. Hyderabad is<br />
the third metro after Delhi and Mumbai<br />
that SpiceJet will be serving a daily,<br />
direct flight connecting Jabalpur. The<br />
starting fare on Hyderabad to Jabalpur<br />
route will be from `3,613 and from<br />
Jabalpur to Hyderabad from `3,073. With<br />
the introduction of this flight, Jabalpur<br />
will now be connected with Chennai,<br />
Bengaluru, Tirupati, Vijayawada and<br />
Coimbatore through onward connections.<br />
SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| 149
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
ST RS OF SPICEJET<br />
We share the achievements and experiences of this month’s high-flyers<br />
from the ground services staff<br />
HARI KRISHNA<br />
SHARMA<br />
BAGDOGRA<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
Mr. Sharma is hard-working,<br />
dedicated and a good team player. He<br />
has been appreciated by many SpiceJet<br />
passengers for the extra measures he takes<br />
in retrieving lost and found articles.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: I still remember<br />
the day I joined aviation – it was a whole<br />
new world and a whole new family. I was<br />
not sure whether I would be able to cope<br />
with everyone but once I started working<br />
at SpiceJet, things started becoming<br />
easier for me with love, help and care I<br />
received from the SpiceJet family. It makes<br />
me so proud to say that I work with an<br />
organisation in which we get the platform<br />
to share our views and present new ideas.<br />
NARENDER SINGH<br />
DELHI<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
Mr. Narender is a sincere<br />
and hard-working security staff. He is<br />
a master at multi-tasking and is good<br />
with administrative work. It is always a<br />
pleasure to have someone like him in our<br />
organisation.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: I have<br />
been with SpiceJet for more than two<br />
years, and it has been a great learning<br />
experience. It makes me proud to<br />
belong to an organisation that values<br />
its employees as much as SpiceJet. My<br />
seniors have been very supportive of<br />
my work, and it brings me great joy<br />
to come to work in such a positive<br />
environment.<br />
AIRPORT SECURITY<br />
SUMIT KOTWAL<br />
JAMMU<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
Sumit is appreciated not<br />
only by passengers but also<br />
his colleagues. He’s very hard-working<br />
and does his job with full attention and<br />
sincerity. He brings to the job an excellent<br />
attitude, which reflects in his handling of<br />
passengers.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: I have<br />
completed 5 years in aviation, most of<br />
which has been at SpiceJet. Looking<br />
back, I can see how I have evolved both<br />
professionally and personally. Every day<br />
brings new lessons and opportunities,<br />
which have helped in my growth. I am<br />
thankful to SpiceJet for providing support<br />
to my family and me. God bless our<br />
SpiceJet family.<br />
ADTIYA VIJAY<br />
RAWAT<br />
JABALPUR<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
Aditya Vijay Rawat is very soft-spoken and<br />
a good team player. He is very sincere and<br />
honest. His qualities in team-building have<br />
helped us boost team spirit, which is very<br />
important for morale at work.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: I have finished<br />
11 years in aviation, which include 4<br />
years and 2 months at SpiceJet. I feel<br />
proud when my sincere efforts are<br />
recognised by the management. I enjoy<br />
my work and give my 100% to finish tasks<br />
within the prescribed time limit. I am<br />
very thankful to all my senior colleagues<br />
who have supported me wholeheartedly in<br />
furthering my career prospects.<br />
<strong>15</strong>0 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
CUSTOMER SERVICE EXECUTIVES,<br />
AIRPORT SERVICES<br />
KUNAL KOUL<br />
JAMMU<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
Mr. Kunal Koul is very<br />
proactive. Every job<br />
assigned to him is done in a very<br />
organised manner. Even passengers have<br />
appreciated him for his customer service<br />
and the way he deals with situations. He<br />
is a good team player and loves to make<br />
friends.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: My journey<br />
with SpiceJet has been full of lessons. I<br />
enjoy the work atmosphere very much.<br />
Every deed here is very transparent.<br />
All my colleagues are very supportive<br />
and helpful – be it in a personal or<br />
professional matter. I would like to thank<br />
my seniors and colleagues for their<br />
support and trust in my work.<br />
PHOOL KUMARI<br />
PORT BLAIR<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
Ms. Kumari is a<br />
perfectionist and performs<br />
every task to the best of her abilities.<br />
She maintains a calm demeanour in all<br />
situations and is an excellent team player<br />
with a good attitude towards customers.<br />
She knows the job, and we are very<br />
happy to have her in our team.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: I have been<br />
working with SpiceJet for more than 7<br />
years, and I have had a truly wonderful<br />
experience. The company has always<br />
supported me in exploring myself. Our<br />
ideas are actually valued here. Thank<br />
you, SpiceJet, for everything. It is an<br />
honour representing the company at<br />
Port Blair.<br />
KHALID FAROOQ<br />
WANI<br />
<strong>SR</strong>INAGAR<br />
Internal appreciation: Khalid<br />
is very dedicated and sincere.<br />
He has the ability to meet deadlines<br />
and is committed towards smooth flight<br />
operations. He is always punctual, wellgroomed<br />
and smiling when performing his<br />
duty. He always interacts with customers<br />
with great sincerity, and is an asset to our<br />
company.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: My company<br />
has provided me everything I desired in my<br />
professional life. Undoubtedly, our work<br />
culture, with respect to professionalism,<br />
discipline, punctuality, grooming standards<br />
and customer service, is unbeatable. Every<br />
day is a new learning experience under the<br />
guidance of my seniors.<br />
P. VIJAY KUMAR<br />
HYDERABAD<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
The diligence and<br />
dedication of Mr. Vijay Kumar have<br />
been noticed by our supervisors and<br />
colleagues. We have all observed his<br />
enthusiasm, and the extra hours he<br />
puts in is extraordinary. His work is<br />
particularly impressive. Our overall<br />
quality figures of Mr. Vijay were up for<br />
all allocations for the month.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: My time<br />
with SpiceJet has been one of the<br />
greatest learning lessons of my life.<br />
SpiceJet is full of opportunities and<br />
challenges. It is truly an honour to be a<br />
part of this company, and I feel like I'm<br />
a part of family.<br />
SUNNY PAL<br />
JABALPUR<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
Mr. Sunny Pal is very<br />
hard working, focused, systematic and<br />
well-organised. He is a wonderful team<br />
player and is knowledgeable about his<br />
work. He creates a positive environment<br />
in office. He also enjoys a good and<br />
healthy rapport with other stakeholders<br />
at the airport. His best quality is that<br />
he takes time to know more about<br />
SpiceJet.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: I have been<br />
working with SpiceJet for 4 years, and<br />
my experience has only improved with<br />
time. I have always endeavoured to give<br />
my best to the organisation, and I am<br />
proud to be a part of SpiceJet.<br />
FESAL SHAIKH<br />
MUMBAI<br />
Internal appreciation:<br />
In just one year at SpiceJet,<br />
Mr. Fesal Shaikh has picked up essential<br />
skills and shown incredible attention to<br />
detail. He displays a positive attitude<br />
towards work and has shown signs of<br />
an improved performance every day. His<br />
several stellar qualities – punctuality,<br />
ability to learn things quickly and<br />
dedication towards work – make us proud<br />
of him.<br />
Experience with SpiceJet: At SpiceJet,<br />
every day I get to learn something new<br />
from my team members. The credit goes<br />
to my senior colleagues who have always<br />
appreciated and encouraged me to<br />
enhance my skills and knowledge.<br />
DECEMBER 2016 ||||| <strong>15</strong>1
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
Boeing 737 - 700/800/900ER Series<br />
Interior arrangement of Boeing 737 - 700 (149 Passengers)<br />
Interior arrangement of Boeing 737 - 800 (189 Passengers)<br />
Row 1 -32<br />
Entry / Exit<br />
Row 1 -26<br />
Emergency Exit<br />
Entry / Exit<br />
Entry / Exit<br />
Emergency Exit<br />
Entry / Exit<br />
Row 1 -20<br />
Passengers<br />
(single class configuration)<br />
*<br />
BOEING 737-700<br />
2<br />
149<br />
BOEING 737-800<br />
BOEING 737-900 ER<br />
BOMBARDIER Q400<br />
22<br />
4<br />
17<br />
189 212<br />
78<br />
6200 km<br />
0.79 M (840 km/h)<br />
5,600 km<br />
0.79 M (840 km/h)<br />
5000 km<br />
0.79 M (840 km/h)<br />
Speed unit M denotes Mach Number; 1 Mach is equal to the speed of sound.<br />
2000 km<br />
666 km/h<br />
* These numbers exclude wet lease aircraft.<br />
BOEING 737-700<br />
BOEING 737-800<br />
BOEING 737-900 ER<br />
BOMBARDIER Q400<br />
112 ft 7 in (34.3m)<br />
93 ft 3 in (28.42m)<br />
117 ft 5 in (35.7m)<br />
110 ft 4 in (33.6m)<br />
41 ft 2 in (12.5m)<br />
11 ft 7 in (3.53m)<br />
107 ft 9 in (32.83m)<br />
24 ft 4 in (8.34m)<br />
8 ft 2 in (2.49m)<br />
The above mentioned descriptions are accurate at the time of magazine printing.
Routemap<br />
Domestic<br />
International<br />
Effective from 23rd Dec, 2016 onwards<br />
Jodhpur<br />
Gorakhpur<br />
Belagavi<br />
Thiruvananthapuram<br />
India connects with SpiceJet<br />
Flight schedules are subject to regulatory approvals and change.<br />
Map not to scale, graphic representation only.<br />
Content as on 25th November, 2016.<br />
Silchar<br />
Aizawl
SPICEJET ||||| INSIDER<br />
ADD-<br />
Know more about SpiceJet’s<br />
innovative products and services<br />
SEAT SELECTION DOMESTIC INTERNATIONAL SPICEFLEX<br />
(DOMESTIC)<br />
SPICEFLEX<br />
(INTENATIONAL)<br />
SpiceMax* seats (Q400) M 500/- M 650/- M 400/- M 550/-<br />
SpiceMax seats (Boeing/Airbus) M 1000/- M 1<strong>15</strong>0/- M 900/- M 1050/-<br />
SpiceMax seats (Non-reclining on Boeing/<br />
Airbus)<br />
M 900/- M 1050/- M 800/- M 950/-<br />
Preferred Seats - on Boeing /Airbus<br />
Ahead of exit row window /aisle M 300/- M 450/- Free Free<br />
Ahead of exit row middle M 100/- M 250/- Free Free<br />
Behind exit row window /aisle M <strong>15</strong>0/- M 300/- Free Free<br />
Behind exit row middle M 99/- M 99/- Free Free<br />
Preferred seats Q400 Free Free<br />
Front half of cabin window /aisle M 200/- M 350/- Free Free<br />
Rear half of cabin window / aisle M 100/- M 250/- Free Free<br />
SPICE CLUB (Rewards Card) M 599/- NA<br />
PRE-BOOK EXCESS BAGGAGE<br />
5 kgs M 500/- M 2450/-<br />
10 kgs M 2,000/- M 4,900/-<br />
<strong>15</strong> kgs M 3,500/- NA<br />
20 kgs M 4,667/- NA<br />
30 kgs M 8,000/- NA<br />
PRIORITY CHECK-IN M 200/- M 300/-<br />
BAG OUT FIRST<br />
1 Bag M 100/- NA<br />
2 Bags M 200/- NA<br />
3 Bags M 300/- NA<br />
CARRY MORE ONBOARD (FREE ALLOWANCE 7 KG; BUY UP TO 5 KG MORE)<br />
Pre-book M 250/- per kg M 450/- per kg<br />
At Check-in M 300/- per kg As per current excess<br />
baggage rate<br />
At boarding gate M 300/- per kg As per current excess<br />
baggage rate<br />
MY FLEXI PLAN M 1125/- M 1250/-<br />
HAND BAGGAGE ONLY FARE - CHARGE AT AIRPORT<br />
Fare type change fee if checking-in bag at airport<br />
after purchasing HBO fare<br />
Up to <strong>15</strong> kgs -<br />
M 400/-<br />
NA<br />
SPICE CAKE M 750/- M 800/-<br />
SPICE LOUNGE (Delhi/Bengaluru/Hyderabad/Kochi/ M 700/- M 1300/-<br />
Varanasi/Guwahati/Jaipur)<br />
FLY FOR SURE M 299/- Only ex-India M 499/-<br />
SPICE TALK (INTERNATIONAL SIM CARD) NA M 249/-<br />
*SPICEMAX SEATS OFFER SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LEGROOM, PLUS COMPLIMENTARY MEAL, PRIORITY CHECK-IN, PRIORITY BOARDING (AT<br />
AEROBRIDGE GATES), AND PRIORITY BAGGAGE HANDLING **NA STANDS FOR ‘NOT AVAILABLE’ *THE ABOVE MENTIONED PRICES AND<br />
FEATURES ARE ACCURATE AS AT THE TIME OF MAGAZINE PRINTING, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE<br />
<strong>15</strong>8 ||||| DECEMBER 2016
Office Furniture<br />
STANDING IS THE NEW SITTING<br />
Height adjustable desks are a new generation of worktables that offer flexibility to users<br />
who sit glued to their desks for over eight hours everyday. Flexible work life helps you to<br />
stay active throughout the day, allowing you to stay fit and healthy during desk work.<br />
Changing your work position makes working more effective and productive.<br />
Now available online (Automatic and Manual) on store.featherlitefurniture.com<br />
Now open at PS Continental, 1st Floor, 101, 83/ 2/ 1, Above Porsche, Topsia Road South, Kolkata. Mob: +91 98307 74009<br />
FEATHERLITE COLLECTIONS: #16/A, Millers Road, Vasanthnagar, Bangalore - 560 052. | Tel: 080 4020 9631 | Email: sales@featherlitefurniture.com<br />
Ahmedabad | Ananthpur | Bhubaneshwar | Chandigarh | Chennai | Coimbatore | Davangere | Durgapur | Ernakulam | Goa | Guwahati | Hubli | Hyderabad | Imphal<br />
Indore | Jaipur | Kochi | Kolhapur | Kolkata | Kurnool | Ludhiana | Lucknow | Mangalore | Madurai | Mumbai | Mysore | Nagpur | Nellore | New Delhi | Noida | Patna<br />
Pune | Rajkot | Ranchi | Raipur | Salem | Secunderabad | Shimoga | Siliguri | Thiruvananthapuram Tinsukia | Tirupathi | Vadodra | Vijayawada | Vishakapatnam | Nepal<br />
Dealers enquiry solicited: +91 93428 27325 | nitinsrivastava@featherlitefurniture.com<br />
www.featherlitefurniture.com
R.N.I NO:DELENG/20<strong>15</strong>/63282