LEAP it up!

There is plenty of mathematics and cultural history associated with the Leap Year. A bit of marketing seems to be slowly creeping in.

The market never loses an opportunity: Grand celebrations are on in the city for the Leap Day

NICE TO have that one extra day before you grow one year older. Nicer if your birthday comes once in four years. You would be among the lucky few if you were born on February 29. It was by this Leap Year logic that Morarji Desai was just 20 when he became the Prime Minister of India!

The Leap Day seems like a harmless little quirk in the calendar to most of us. But some mind-boggling mathematics goes into its. Sample this: The earth actually takes 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds (365.242190 days to be precise) to travel around the sun. And the extra hours and minutes kind of don’t fit in. For centuries, people of all complexions have raked their brains over this. Ancient Greeks and Chinese, for instance, produced complicated calendars which had extra months included in every 19-year cycle. The Hindu calendar, on the other hand, has an Adhika Masa (an extra month) every four years.

But it was the Romans who came up with the idea of the Leap Day. By the year 46 B.C. the Roman festivals had got out of line with the seasons of the year, so Caesar’s first act was to prolong that particular year to 445 days. On the advice of a Greek astronomer, Sosigenes, he started the Leap Year system.

Pope Gregory XIII, in a bid to make it more perfect, came up with a special rule for years ending with 00: They are not Leap Years unless they are divisible by 400. Therefore, 2000 was Leap Year, but the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. This extra rule involving centuries is to make up for the fact that one extra day every four years is slightly too much correction. But even this system is not foolproof. Every 10,000 years, the Gregorian calendar becomes erroneous by two days, 14 hours, and 24 minutes. If the human race lasts long enough, one more adjustment will be necessary some day.

But Leap Year isn’t all mathematics. There’s some interesting cultural history to it too. Britain, we are told, was late in following the papal adjustment since, being Protestant; it was disinclined to obeying the Pope. It was not until 1752 that the Gregorian calendar came into operation in England and all its colonies. By that time, the disparity between our old time and the new calendar was 11 days, and thus, September 2 was followed by September 14 in order to catch up. The change resulted in riots and cries of “Give us back our 11 days.” That was how George Washington’s birthday (February 11) later came to be on February 22.

An interesting Leap Year custom was that women were “allowed to” propose on this day. One finds references to this in the Scottish Act of 1228. According to one version, it was St. Patrick who started the custom after hearing that a nunnery was mutinying for the right to “pop the question”. This ancient custom finds an echo in Hollywood star Tom Cruise pinning hopes on Penelope Cruz popping the question this year. He is reported to have said: “Who knows? 2004 is a leap year, so may be she’ll ask me to marry her!”

In more recent history, a man in Canada decided that he wanted the day to be set-aside for workers. He wanted to call the day International Underlings’ Day. We haven’t heard more on that. Didn’t appeal to the marketing gurus, perhaps. Not that they have let the day be just that — an extra day. Leap Year festivals (between February 28 and March 3) are grand affairs the world over. Looks like Bangalore, the “global city” that it is, is waking up to the possibilities of the day too. Some restaurants and pubs have already announced special bashes for the special day. One can trust the television channels to go to town with it. Wonder if someone will come up with “Happy Leap Year” cards!

B.S.

Hindu On Net

Adjust maadi year!

There is plenty of mathematics and some interesting cultural history associated with the Leap Year. A bit of marketing seems to be creeping into it too

The market never misses an opportunity: grand celebrations are on in the city for the Leap Year Day

NICE TO have that one extra day before you grow one year older. Nicer if your birthday comes once in four years. You would be among the lucky few if you were born on February 29. It was by this Leap Year logic that Morarji Desai was just 20 when he became the Prime Minister of India!

The Leap Year Day seems like a harmless little quirk in the calendar to most of us. But some mind-boggling mathematics goes into its. Sample this: The earth actually takes 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds (365.242190 days to be precise) to go around the sun. And the extra hours and minutes kind of don’t fit in. For centuries, people of all complexions have racked their brains over this. Ancient Greeks and Chinese, for instance, produced complicated calendars which had extra months included in every 19-year cycle. The Hindu calendar, on the other hand, has an Adhika Masa (an extra month) every four years.

But it was the Romans who came up with the idea of the Leap Year Day. By the year 46 B.C. the Roman festivals had got out of line with the seasons of the year, so Caesar’s first act was to prolong that particular year to 445 days. On the advice of a Greek astronomer, Sosigenes, he started the Leap Year system.

Pope Gregory XIII, in a bid to make it more perfect, came up with a special rule for years ending with 00: they are not Leap Years unless they are divisible by 400. Therefore, 2000 was Leap Year, but the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. This extra rule involving centuries is to make up for the fact that one extra day every four years is slightly too much correction. But even this system is not foolproof. Every 10,000 years, the Gregorian calendar becomes erroneous by two days, 14 hours, and 24 minutes. If the human race lasts long enough, one more adjustment will be necessary some day.

But Leap Year isn’t all mathematics. There’s some interesting cultural history to it too. Britain, we are told, was late in following the papal adjustment since being Protestant, it was disinclined to obeying the Pope. It was not until 1752 that the Gregorian calendar came into operation in England and all its colonies. By that time, the disparity between our old time and the new calendar was 11 days, and thus, September 2 was followed by September 14 in order to catch up. The change resulted in riots and cries of “Give us back our 11 days.” That was how George Washington’s birthday (February 11) later came to be on February 22.

An interesting Leap Year custom was that women were “allowed to” propose on this day. One finds references to this in the Scottish Act of 1228. According to one version, it was St. Patrick who started the custom after hearing that a nunnery was mutinying for the right to “pop the question”. This ancient custom finds an echo in Hollywood star Tom Cruise pinning hopes on Penelope Cruz popping the question this year. He is reported to have said: “Who knows? 2004 is a leap year, so may be she’ll ask me to marry her!”

In more recent history, a man in Canada decided that he wanted the day to be set aside for workers. He wanted to call the day International Underlings’ Day. We haven’t heard more on that. Didn’t appeal to the marketing gurus, perhaps. Not that they have let the day be just that — an extra day. Leap Year festivals (between February 28 and March 3) are grand affairs the world over. There is even a site that arrange for meetings between people born on Leap Year Days. Looks like Bangalore, the “global city” that it is, is waking up to the possibilities of the day too. Some restaurants and pubs have already announced special bashes for the special day. One can trust the television channels to go to town with it. Wonder if someone will come up with “Happy Leap Year” cards!

B.S.

Hindu On Net

Aishwarya Rai to appear in court

MUMBAI,

FEB. 22.

In response to a summons issued by a local court, actress Aishwarya Rai and her family members would appear before a magistrate on February 27 in a cheating case filed by a real estate agent against them, Aishwarya’s lawyer said here today. — PTI

Hindu On Net

Crystal, crystal, shining bright

Swarovski has managed to cash in on the Indian fondness for sparkle. From bindi to mehendi to nose ring to a backless choli, everything sports a crystal, writes PRIYA SREENIVAS

BE IT garments or ceramic tiles, Swarovski is crystallising ideas for a sparkling lifestyle.

From Preity Zinta’s stunning sky blue-orange lehenga in the “Aaja Mahiya” song to Bangalore’s hip college students sporting crystal tattoos on their faces, Swarovski Crystals have created a huge splash on the Indian fashion scene this year. “Crystal embellishment is the strongest international trend today. This is not just a passing fad. Such creations have become a must-have in any wardrobe,” says Sanjay Sharma, who heads Swarovski’s Crystal Components Business in India.

In the West, Swarovski’s crystals have adorned stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Micheal Jackson, and Tina Turner. The most recent Bond movie Die Another Day, features Bond cavorting with Halle Berry who wears a Swarovski crystal in her belly button.

While India is familiar with Swarovski’s collectibles and gifts, crystal components is another segment of the Belgium based company’s business that finds application in fashion and home d
cor.

With no other branded crystal manufacturer in the market, Swarovski has managed to cash in on the Indian fondness for sparkle on occasions such as weddings, parties, and festivals. Crystal blends in well with any Indian garment and handiwork like zardozi and embroidery. ” Swarovski is adding the glitter to India Shining!” quips Sharma.

Top designers such as JJ Valaya, Rina Dhaka, Satya Paul, Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, and many others have created shimmering ensembles by incorporating crystals into their garments. If you think Swarovski is restricted to haute couture, you are mistaken. Traditional sari houses such as Nalli, Rasi Silks, and Deepam also favour crystals. With a collection of more than 100,000 stones ranging from bright and sparkling colours to muted tones, the sky is the limit for design and creativity.

Designers have a wide gamut of crystal products to choose from — hot-fix crystals that can be arranged to form a motif and then applied to fabrics by means of heat, crystal fabric — a transparent material that combines crystal and fabric to form a second skin. Sew-on crystals, crystal pearls, crystal buttons, and even zippers with crystals built into the teeth of the zipper, are available.

Spurred by the response of Indian designers to their products, Swarovski has brought out its own collection “Crystal Facets of India” that highlights crystal motifs exclusive to India.

What explains the instant appeal of crystal? “Today, crystal has become a lifestyle statement. Also, people have become more adventurous, open to ideas and are willing to experiment. And this is across most age groups from teenagers to the middle-aged,” says Sharma.

The crystals need no polishing, special washing instructions or maintenance, which may be another reason for the popularity of crystal embedded garments.

Crystal is not just restricted to textiles. Today, retail outlets stock accessories such as shoes, bags, fashion jewellery, and home furnishings studded with crystals. Jaquar has come out with a new range of crystal bathroom fittings. If you thought this weird, there’s more. Ceramic tiles, lingerie, Adidas trainers, venetian blinds, helmets, motorbikes, car interiors, and mobile phones have also started sporting crystal.

Crystal tattoos, introduced by Lakme during the Lakme Fashion Week last year, has become a rage, especially with college goers. Priced at a very modest Rs.100, it is sold through Lakme’s saloons and offers a temporary and painless, yet sparkling alternative to conventional tattoos. The possibilities for creative dressing are enormous. It could be worn as a bindi or mehendi, a faux anklet or nose ring or could go well with a backless choli outfit. Easy to use, it stays on for three days to two weeks depending on where it is applied.

Whether the crystal fever is just a fad or here to stay is debatable, but what seems crystal clear is the public appetite for sparkle and shimmer.

Hindu On Net

Rudraksh

IMAGINE ALL those Hollywood blockbusters — “Harry Potter”, “Indiana Jones”, “Lord Of The Rings”, “Matrix” (all of them) “The Return Of The Mummies” and some of those Chinese/Hong Kong ventures with some glorious stories of yore with ramifications in the present! And now, imagine bits of all these in a Bollywood venture with just the storyline mired in Indian mythology. Add some really good special effects — and you have Karma Entertainment/Bhairav Films’ “Rudraksh”.

It would appear that director Mani Shankar (“16 December”) has been so taken up with bits and pieces of several films that he feels driven to utilise them somehow in this venture, which he has written, directed, edited, supervised and executed the special effects. And while it is very commendable that he wants to give audiences something not seen before (unlike many films with really tacky special effects) and that he wants to combine science fiction and mythology, the poor man gets completely lost in his own quagmire of ideas. The story just does not know how to move and meet its own logic.

Long-haired Varun (Sanjay Dutt) has healing powers that he himself does not understand. He is able to take on the pain and wounds of people who come to him for succour. He crumbles — but only for a while for he gets back to normal and moves on. Then there are things that go beyond the normal and routine and these are what Dr. Gayathri (Bipasha Basu) is exploring so that with her findings she will eventually win a Nobel Prize! To go on with the narration — as research progresses, Varun is thrown into some things that go back in time — when Ravana (yeah, yeah of the Ramayana fame) left a legacy of the Rudraksh. The kind that can give its possessor powers unlimited and unimaginable — to the extent that it can create an entirely new aggressive species of human beings — or rather recreate the rakshas era.

And in the wrong hands like Bhuria (Sunil Shetty) it can be disastrous. Bhuria hopes to create riots in the world (?) and he has as his consort Lali (Isha Koppikar). Thus comes into being the eternal fight between the dark forces of evil and pure good.

And so this battle takes Varun on a long journey into Sri Lanka into the lost kingdom of the asura king Ravana and into the future where science shows him how the Rudraksh is not just a bead but also a hologram with the power to create and mutate.

The film is slick. In production values and in its conception of scenes. Concepts such as thought transmissions, electro magnetic fields high tech scans and gadgetry are flung around at regular intervals with all the performers assuming grave expressions and gaits. The lost kingdom in Sri Lanka looks like a cardboard cut out, but in general cinematography by T. Surendra Reddy comes into its own — especially the black storm in the ashram with Kabir Bedi doing a Dumbledore look-alike. Music by Shankar, Loy and Ehsan is disappointing and there is not much one would remember of it. Background score by Shashi Preetam is promising. Sanjay Dutt tries hard — but somewhere one wonders if he is convinced about his role.

Sunil Shetty is not too bad — the avenging angel mood seems to fit him well.

Bipasha Basu as it stands cannot act. But that won’t matter if she continues to look the way she does. Isha Koppikar as Shetty’s appendage does a reasonable job.

CHITRA MAHESH

Hindu On Net