Can sound heal? Well, Osho's Swami Chaitanya Bharti seems to think so. He has launched a music company called Oorja Music with a five-cassette collection of The Osho Oorja Kirtans -- Ram Ras Piya Re, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Om Namah Shivay La Ilaha Illallah, Hari Om Namo Narayana and Walekum Salaam. The Oorja Kirtan uses pure classical instruments like the sarod, sarangi, sitar and violin in kirtan for the first time. And the company has got together as many as 16 professional musicians and singers. Apart from traditional Hindu chants, Oorja has also chosen to sing mantras and words from other religions including Islamic Sufism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Music to meditate by.

Director's day

To commemorate V Shantaram's 97th birth anniversary, on November 18, Plaza Arts has organised the V Shantaram Smriti Gandh competitions on November 14 and 15. The programme includes a drawing and painting competition for children in the age group of 8 to 14, a postercompetition based on V Shantaram's film titles, a dance competition restricted to songs from his films, a one-act play competition 20-minute plays based on the director's film's titles. Entry fee for these competitions is Rs 25 for the age group of 8 to 14 years and Rs 50 for the age group of 15 years onward.

For details contact Plaza Arts on Ph no: 430 4704 / 432 8036 (Till Nov 10).

Slim read

Here's some good news for health freaks. Foodie Karen Anand has come out with a collection of low-calorie Indian recipes which have little or no oil at all, titled Lean Cuisine Curries. The author also explains the concept of `low calorie' and why it is so important to eat healthy in today's world.

She examines traditional Indian recipes and how they came to be cooked in a particular way. The book includes chapters on starters and soups, curries dry and wet, chutneys and relishes, spice pastes and powders, and desserts.

The book is being launched in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Calcutta. And theevent is being sponsored by the Taj group of hotels, Jet Airways and Indage (India) Ltd. So check your closest bookstore for the latest releases.