Book Review : The Indian Cafe in London” by Veena Nagpal

Book Review : The Indian Cafe in London
Book Review : The Indian Cafe in London" by Veena Nagpal
Veena Nagpal’s contemporary fiction “The Indian Cafe in London” is the masterful weaving of connections, love, and grief through several generations. The book has a lot of heart and delicious food. It discusses travel, feelings, dreams, setbacks, and accomplishments. 
The Indian Café in London is a story of lost recipes, lost loves, and lost identities. It is filled with the smells of curries and culinary secrets from both ancient and modern times.

You’re enticed to attempt it all by the endearing characters, the settings, and those recipes. I adore how stories are used to introduce recipes; it keeps you coming back for more.  A stunning storyline with complete narration that rotates you between food and craving for new recipes on the next page. A memorable book and a must-read for everyone.

 
Veena Nagpal is a popular and best-selling author in India. She is renowned for her genre-defying literature that explores important themes affecting humanity via love, passion, intrigue, and boldly etched characters. Her writing time, which is what she has always fervently protected as “me-time,” has never been enough to sate her insatiable desire to sit at her roll-top desk and keep pounding away at her computer.  

The Indian Café in London is her fifth novel. Her earlier novels include Radius 200, The Uncommon Memories of Zeenat Qureishi (Tara), Karmayogi (Jaico), and Compulsion (Sterling).

She has also written four novels for kids, two of which are geared toward raising environmental awareness among school children.

She was an army brat growing up and enjoys traveling, particularly with a camera in hand. She also enjoys cooking different dishes and flavors, playing with oil colors, and exploring her little patch of greenery in Noida, close to New Delhi.

Click to Buy – The Indian Cafe in London

Simone Singh and Barkha Nangia crowns the Mrs Delhi NCR 2022

Simone Singh and Barkha Nangia crowns the Mrs Delhi NCR 2022
Simone Singh and Barkha Nangia crowns the Mrs Delhi NCR 2022

Amid all things glam and a day full of fervour, actor Simone Singh crowned this year’s Mrs Delhi-NCR,   Group A – Rakhi Singh , Mitali Gupta, Jyoti Meena  and  Group – B – Rashika Matharu, Vibha Prabhakar, Pallavi Nautiyal winners at The Leela Hotel, Ambience Gurgaon. Stage was set, and 80 contestants walked the ramp to the music of choreographer and director Shie Lobo, to celebrate womanhood in all its glory during the finale of the sixth edition of the event. A total of 5200 women from the Delhi-NCR region had turned up for the auditions. Glamour Gurgaon Director Barkha Nangia said, “Delhi-NCR resident women up to the age of 45 years and height 5 feet and above were eligible to participate in the auditions. And this year’s theme for the pageant was breast cancer, which is an alarming issue among women today.” Apart from Simone Singh, who was recently seen in the film Maja Ma, previous Mrs Delhi-NCR winner Namrata Senani Garg, Akassk Aggarwal (Jewellery Designer), Yasmin Mistry were also on the jury panel.

Commending Barkha, Simone Singh said, “It’s an amazing platform that you are offering to the women who are often seen as done and dusted after being married. There was a nothing that they can look forward to by way of finding joy in your personality, appearance, and your achievements, outside of just being married. But with this platform you are not just giving them the ability to shine but also providing a safe space where they can learn and develop their skills. And all the participants that I met have the zeal to do better and present the best version of themselves.”
With each passing year, the event is witnessing an incredible reaction in terms of participation. “Despite all difficulties, these ladies have shown tremendous dedication to their goal. These finalists are the crème de la crème and as the organisers of Mrs Delhi-NCR, we strive to foster confidence in them and enable them to be greater contributors to society,” Nangia shares.
2017 winner of Mrs Delhi NCR Namrata Senani Garg has worked with companies such as LG, Apollo Pharmacy, and Ferns n Petals, among others. Talking about the pageant, Singh said, “I am not only feel grateful to be a part of such an event but I am thrilled to see this dynamic and diverse group of intelligent women. This pageant is a great platform for them to shine.” The finalists adorned metallic and sequin attires by Reewaz Couture by Shweta Jain. And in the running for the title, they underwent soft communication training, grooming sessions with famous fashion designers, image consultation, and in-depth training from December 15-18. “Apart from this, photo shoots, and make-up sessions were also held. Sessions were also organised to help them understand the value of their health. I believe all these things will groom them and aid them in getting work in the industry. But, of all, the most important thing is willpower and determination that they needed to work on,” adds Nangia. This pageant honours the essence of modern women, said Nangia, adding that, “Married women mostly have to think a lot before leaving the house. So, here the aim is to instill confidence in the contestants so that they can participate and showcase their skills to the world. This will assist them in personal development and discovering their individuality.” It’s not necessary that all women participate just with an aim of working in the industry, sometimes the show ends up giving direction to women in their personal life as well. It’s a way to empower them personally as well as professionally.

Amp-up your look with Rangriti’s fall winter collection

Amp-up your look with Rangriti's fall winter collection
Amp-up your look with Rangriti's fall winter collection

Rangriti has become the essence of fusion fashion with fabulous pieces that will make you want more. With the change in season approaching, upgrade your wardrobe with the Fall/Winter collection by Rangriti. It offers a curated range that reflects the needs and aspirations of the masses.

Every year Rangriti has added to their collection according to the latest trend.Rangriti has stylish woolen wear which is available in 50+ styles. Specially knitted styles from rangriti has been a demand to the season. It adds a contemporary touch to your winter look this season. Each piece is comfortable to wear and lends an opulent look making them a must have for any wardrobe. You can stay warm as well while looking extraordinary in winters. This collection is primarily dominated by  Kurtis, Kurtas, Palazzos, Pants & Skirts, suit sets and many more to choose from.

Siddharath Bindra MD Rangriti says “ We have added many styles in our range this winter that include winter dresses, coats, stoles and the woollen suit sets. Rangriti  offers stylish clothes for various occasions and this winter the collection is something every customer will want in their wardrobe. This collection adds comfort and a statement to your winter wear dressing.”

Solh Wellness conducted mental awareness program

Solh Wellness conducted mental awareness program in Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh
Solh Wellness conducted mental awareness program in Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh

New Delhi 16th December 2022: In a world increasingly plagued by issues of stress, anxiety and decreasing mental health, Solh Wellness collaborated with Modern Public School – Shalimar Bagh to introduce its series of workshops  to  promote  awareness about mental health among the  students.

Ms. Alka Kapur (Principal-Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh), Dr.Tarun Sehgal, (Psychiatrist& Co-Founder of Solh Wellness) and Mr. Kapil Gupta (Founder of Solh Wellness) led the workshop for the students aged 13 and above.The session  focused on the various aspects of emotions and developing emotional questions among the  students .The resource persons  highlighted the techniques to improve mental health and wellbeing in schools.The queries of  the students were  well addressed  and  they were guided in the best possible manner. This event was the first in a series of workshops that Solh Wellness hopes to conduct in educational institutes (schools and colleges), corporates and special interest groups across the country to remove the  stigma and empower people towards better mental health. Kapil Gupta (Founder-Solh Wellness): “At Solh Wellness, we aim to empower students, teachers and parents with tools and solutions to enhance the overall mental wellness quotient and reduce those entering severe conditions like depression. We believe that any improvement in the mental health quotient of an individual is reflected many times in their overall output. When it comes to communities, such improvements can result in exponential growth in output. ” Further he thanked the school administration for allowing him to conduct the workshop to aid the students. Alka Kapur (Principal-Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh): “Since post COVID, society has come up to a crisis of mental peace which is affecting their growth. This a joint initiative by Modern Public School and Solh wellness for overall development of students.” Solh Wellness’s mission is to make mental health support affordable, 24×7 accessible, personalised and accepted across the world by providing an AI driven non-judgmental, committed safe space for people to express themselves & seek support to prevent clinically diagnosed mental disorders. Solhempowers people with a set of tools & solutions for self-help, journaling & groups for community support, on-call medical practitioners & counsellors for support and allied therapies for stimulations.

#Storydek : India’s first family-friendly OTT platform, launched by Anand & Pallavi Gupta

Storydek, India's first family-friendly OTT platform,
Storydek, India's first family-friendly OTT platform,

Exciting family days are here! India now has its first family-friendly OTT platform in the name of Storydek. At a gala event held in Mumbai, Storydek was launched amidst the presence of noted stars of the film and entertainment industry. The channel was unveiled and the exclusive content went live on the platform at the event. Storydek is owned by Anand & Pallavi Gupta.

Actors Rahul Mahajan, Samiksha Bhatnagar, Gulshan Pandey, Shagufta, Gurleen Chopra, Sahila Chaddha, & among others attended the illustrious launch event.

The launch campaign #SabkaOTT is given to emphasise the fact that the entire content going live on the platform can be viewed with the entire family and from the comfort of their homes. The content will be suitable for all ages and free from any vulgar, sexual or gory material.

The Storydek has announced a Talk show with Rahul Mahajan, he said, “I am very happy to be associated with Storydek. I urge people to consume good and clean content.”

Dharavi Bank actress Samiksha Batnagar said, “Storydek USP is complete family entertainment. I got an opportunity to work with accomplished actors and the team knows its job really well.”

The others original projects Avaruddh,, Black Justice, Hayat, Rajwaado, Mera Baap Kaun Hai, Night Driver, Manglik, Shery, Ghar Ghar Chala Rasgullelal, Talent Hunt 2023, 3 Couples, Short Film Festival, Julia, Ek Shaam aap ke naam, Jafar, Butterfiles, Bhagwaan Shaitaan chale chutti par were announced at the event while more than 50 Indian movies were made available on the dashboard. Trailer of the upcoming projects were also played at the launch event. The content is available in Hindi and will be dubbed in other regional languages in future. More content in other regional languages will also be available in days to come.

“Storydek makes such content wherein family and individuals can sit anywhere and enjoy films, web series and much more. Popularity and demand in youth have led to increasing viewership of digital platforms. There was a dearth of family-friendly OTT platforms,” said Anand & Pallavi Gupta, founder, Storydek.

Seconding the opinion, Business Head, Haresh Togani, Channel Head of Storydek, said, “While we don’t intend to compete with others, we shall give the audience a wide variety of prime and classic content at affordable price.”

The platform aims at providing its audience with unique and high-quality content that can be entertaining for the audiences across. The platform comes with a user-friendly app that will run on a subscription model. The platform will offer a wide array of films, short films and documentaries to the audience. In an endeavour to extend exciting entertainment offerings, Storydek one of India’s leading OTT platforms

3 Tips by Meera Gandhi

On the 13th of December, 2022 Meera Gandhi’s new book 3 Tips was unveiled at the stunning monument structure of the Delhi Golf Club
On the 13th of December, 2022 Meera Gandhi’s new book 3 Tips was unveiled at the stunning monument structure of the Delhi Golf Club

Meera Gandhi is a humanitarian and the founder of The Giving Back foundation where education and mental wellness are the cornerstones of the foundation’s global efforts.

Surrounded by friends and family, co-hosts Sunita and Nauhar Rana, Shalini Arora Kochhar, Ramola Bachchan and Suhel Seth celebrated the unveiling of Meera’s new book “3 Tips”.

3 Tips: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success by humanitarian and the Founder of The Giving Back Foundation, Meera Gandhi covers several topics related to mental health and wellness. This book is published by Rupa Publications India.

The book breaks down complex issues into 3 simple tips for each subject which anyone can pick up and implement into their own lives. Anyone feeling lost or in need of guidance can easily dive into the many subjects covered and find themselves gently nudged into a direction that brings them a greater awareness and clarity of their present situation in the context of a greater spiritual perspective.

Some eminent guests attended the event like Actor Suhel Seth, Ramola Bachchan, Mr. Aman Nath Founder Chairperson Neemrana Hotels, Lifestyle Guru Shalini Arora Kochhar, Philanthropist Neelam Pratap Rudy, Ontologist Aashmeen Munjaal, Reshma Punj to name a few.

On the occasion, Meera Gandhi said, ”We are to the Universe, only as much as we give back to it. This book is a guide to becoming our best self. It covers mental health and wellness topics and breaks down complex issues into simple tips that anyone can pick up and implement into their lives.”

This book is a continuation of Meera’s focus on creating highly accessible and practical resources in the mental health, wellness and spirituality space. In fact, supporting mental wellness initiatives is the third pillar of The Giving Back Foundation.

3 Tips originally appeared as a segment on Meera’s B4U TV Network show, The Meera Gandhi Show. It then continued on Instagram to a large following of over 2.4 million.

This candid book not only mirrors the content of the show in that it covers 52 topics related to wellness with short, practical advice on how to navigate them, but also expands upon each of the Tips with a deeper insight into each topic and reveals the thought process, experiences, successes and mistakes that led to gaining the wisdom behind the insight of each Tip.

Meera Teresa Gandhi is the daughter of an Irish mother and an Indian father. At the age of 16, she volunteered to teach at Ashadaan, a shelter for abandoned and differently-abled children run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity which proved to be the turning point in Meera’s life.

Meera had the opportunity then to work and interact closely with Mother Teresa. This is when she truly understood the great joy in doing things that are beyond and outside of the self.

Meera has lived many roles in her life as a philanthropist, a mother, a businesswoman, a television show host, an author and spiritual yogi who believes that we are very much a part of the universal spirit and we all must live in the flow of the ether that guides and propels us through our life journey!

Meera is also a sponsor of the Woodstock Film Festival where she presents the Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award to a director, producer or actor who best delivers a message of social change and who has a strong compassion for philanthropy. Awardees have included Mark Ruffalo and Mira Nair.

Actress Nikita Rawal newspaper dress goes viral

Actress Nikita Rawal

Popular Bollywood actor Nikita Rawal has been raising the temperature on social media with her stunning, sexy and hot photos which have been breaking the Internet as well and going viral in no time.

 

Nikita Rawal who got fame through films like Garam Masala and Amma ki Boli. She is very active on social media and regularly posts pictures and videos of herself that make her fans and followers super happy. The young actress has added more spice by posting a pic in which she is wearing a skimpy outfit made out of a newspaper.

Actress Nikita Rawal

Nikita has captioned the pic “today’s news in the Newspaper”. There is an equal mix of praise and trolls for the young actress’s innovative dressing sense but going by the likes one can conclude that it is a hit with the masses. She is dressed in a fancy outfit made out of a newspaper that has been made by Nikita herself. She used the newspaper to make an off-shoulder crop top and sealed her waist with a belt and skirt with the same paper

Let us have a look at Nikita Rawal’s stunning, sizzling and breath-taking photos which will set your screens on fire!

Gunjan Taneja introduces India’s first Salon Management book

Gunjan Taneja introduces India’s first Salon Management book
Gunjan Taneja introduces India’s first Salon Management book

To guide the aspirants in the beauty business, Ms Gunjan Taneja has penned the first-ever salon management book in India – “Step by Step Guide for Salon Management”. The renowned ‘Diamond Publishing House’ has taken the initiative of publishing the book. Ms. Gunjan Taneja displayed the book at Professional Beauty India Expo in Mumbai. The author disclosed the secret about how to manage a salon business from A to Z.

The professional Beauty India Show is happening on 19th-20th September 2022 at the Bombay Exhibition Center, Goregaon, Mumbai. Over 350+ brands across the verticals of hair, skin, makeup, spa and nails as well as salon tools, accessories, and furniture took the place at the event.

A key highlight was the Salon Management Congress, where the attendees had ample chances to benefit from the expertise and experiences of industry veterans on a variety of themes, including salon management, fascinating scaling-up strategies, staff management, and the development of creative service menus.

During the Salon Management Congress, Ms. Taneja emphasizes the growing structure of the beauty industry and how is the business evolving post covid. And talk about that why the industry needs a strategized curriculum for Industry growth.

From the author’s den, “I have always engrossed myself in curating curriculum and designing the same for school, colleges and universities. Witnessing and presuming the exponential growth in salon sector, I am delighted to introduce the maiden book on salon management for the generation that aspires to make a mark in the beauty industry. The book will guide the students around the principle of the industry and what is required to succeed in the field.”

“Step by Step Guide for Salon Management”, authored by Ms. Gunjan Taneja reflects a wide syllabus that comprises of topics such as business plan, the name of the salon, how to choose a location, expenses, marketing strategies, safety manual, hygiene, and reviews to revenue, and various other details.

The Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) has also introduced the book as a recommended part of its bachelor’s degree program in salon management which has added another feather to the cap for Ms. Taneja.  She is taking seminars and is looking forward to tie up with various academies so that beauty education is taken as a responsibility, a choice and not just a chance!

About the book – Whether you are planning to open a salon or looking for ways to double up your salon sales, this book is packed with tried, tested and stamped strategies by Gunjan Taneja, who is a serial salon-opener – popularly known as the ‘Salon Management Guru’ of the industry. Get answers of all your basic introductory questions – how to finalise a ‘Location’, how to ‘Name’ your salon, how to design an irresistible ‘Salon Menu’, who to ‘Hire & how’, how to balance ‘Expense & Income’, what are the basics of ‘Website designing’ and how to master ‘Social Media Marketing’ – get an in-depth insight on how to establish & run a successful salon business that brings you name, fame and a life of your dreams.

This book is a readymade business model – it covers all. Gunjan is offering the essence of more than 20 years of her professional journey of conceptualising, opening, operating and running hundreds of salons across the country. From opening one salon in the neighbourhood to building your own Franchise Empire across states, this book will encourage and empower you to think like a Salon Leader and stay ahead of your competition. It is a business blueprint filled with practical advice, everyday examples from her entrepreneurial experience, tried & tested tricks for successful business growth, and cutting-edge marketing strategies that will help you earn big returns on your investment.

About the author – Gunjan Taneja is among India’s top trainer in product & skill knowledge in the industry and has conducted many workshops and training programmes for popular brands such as Dabur, The Body Shop, Amway, etc. She believes in learning a new art every year, thus holds more than 20 certificates in various skills of beauty and hair. She has served as a guest faculty in a number of institutes over two decades for different topics of beauty. Currently, she is the Guest Lecturer at Delhi University for Salon Management and Retail Marketing, actively involved in designing the curriculum framework for various vocational courses in beauty & salon management. With over 20 years of experience in amalgamating salon & education, Gunjan is also a celebrity trainer, columnist and permanent makeup expert with many Cancer foundation NGO’s and societies. Gunjan is a serial salon opener who holds a record of opening 50 Franchises in a short span of two years for her own brand Bharti Taneja’s Alps Salon & Academy. She is also well versed in developing skin and hair care products in her 30 years running laboratory and production factory, where she manufactures the same for various third-party companies as well. Her Diploma in Rhetoric Writing from Harvard University has helped her to execute the thought of writing a book on salon management. With this book, she plans to announce to the world that beauty salons are not just an industry of facial, hair cut or make up…it goes much deeper than that.

You can write to her on gunjansalonguru@gmail.com

Persona mrs india universe 2022- Hema Niranjan interact with media

Persona Mrs India season 5 winner from the city Bengaluru mrs hema niranjan is an entrepreneur and an interior designer but has now added one more feather in her cap by crowning herself as persona mrs india universe 2022.

So her journey for stardom as one of the celebrities has begun from this platform. She will be representing Our country in mrs universe pageant. Mrs Hema niranjan is a true version of beauty with brains. She competed with 33 finalists on stage who were from all across India and made a mark by her performance.

The show was hosted by shardul pandit, big boss fame and Rj shravan. The jury for this event were Archana Kochhar Akash choudhary Aamir Dalvi Karan Khandelwal Karishma Modi Avi Mittal Anjali Raina And megha agarwal This event was the most ectraavegent and biggest event of the year. Atrangii channel is the channel partner of persona mrs india. Blankcanvas academy is the grooming partner Radio mirchi is the radio partner Femglam magazine is the magazine partner- Enrich beauty is the Makeover partner Simca advertising is the outdoor hoarding partner- New age yoga institute is the yoga partner Dr Sagar Abichandani is the smile partner- Dr abhinit Gupta is the skin care partner Golden ace Ventures is the Accessories partner Sony bridals is the ethnic wear round partner Bhavika Jeswani is the evening gown round partner The chef story, mogassuni and hempved are the Gifting partners Heemangi patil is the diet and nutrition partner Buyceps is the fitness partner- Sara makeup and hair is our photoshoot grooming partner Homemade happiness is the bakery partner.

6 Ways To Hydrate Your Skin From The Inside-Out This Hot Summer : Meeta Madhok

Skin is the largest organ of our body, so it needs more care. Outer and inner nutrition goes hand in hand always because stronger inside means beautiful outside. Let’s read some quick care tips to glow n hydrate our skin from inside out.

 Skin Hydration

Water therapy is the cheapest yet the best, it keeps our skin moist from inside and gives outer glow.

Drink at least 12-15 glasses of water a day, you can infuse your water with flavored zero calorie herbal teas or eat your water in form of high water content salads n fruits.

Skin Shield : SUNSCREEN

Outer shield from the UV RAYS is very important. Whether it’s Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy Or you are sitting under the Air conditioner, always wear sunscreen at morning and reapply at afternoon .

One of the most obvious and notable benefits of sunscreen is that it protects your skin against the sun’s broad spectrum of harmful UV rays.

Choose it wisely

Exfoliate, Scrubbing, Cleaning, Hygiene to be maintained regularly because in hot and humid conditions germs and infections spread rapidly, clean your skin and exposed area more often and avoid infections.

Food

obviously inner nutrition matters, as you sow so shall you reap, what you put in comes outside. Eat more of fibrous food like salads, fruits ,nuts to keep your gut on toes, Higher immunity less diseases.

Avoid Alcohol and Smoking 

Limit Alcohol and Smoking as these habits dehydrate your skin too fast.

Quality Sleep

Last but not the least. Our skin repair itself during deep sleep of minimum 6-8 hours. Less sleep more stress.