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 A
Walk In The Clouds
When Norman Troupe, a restless British army officer, landed in Ranikhet,
in the Kumaon hills in Uttar Pradesh, he immediately found himself at
home in the dreamland. And with an urgent spontaneity, Troupe set out
to build that dream that had been haunting him all his life. A home for
himself and a place where his friends would frequently love to come. A
home facing the magnificent Himalayas. The house, which encompassed a
13-acre orchard, was christened Holm Farm, named after William Holm, who
was Troupe’s friend and helped him develop a beautiful tea garden.
Later, the bungalow changed hands and was owned by Mohd. Amin, F. C. Banyon,
Catherine Abbot, wife of Colonel Abbot of Abbot Mount fame, and from 1947
onwards, by Madan Mohan Upadhyaya, a freedom-fighter and lawyer of national
fame. The bungalow, which can be reached after a 10-minute drive along
a zigzag of pine, chestnut and cedar trees, has had the privilege of hosting
personalities like Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Lord and Lady Mountbatten and
Acharya Narendra Dev.
Fizzing To New Heights
The revelations of Noam Chomsky taught the disillusioned that democracy
was a facade beneath which reality existed. Now, the Internet has attempted
to rebuild the crumbling foundations of democracy. Parmesh Sahani, one
of the youngest CEOs in cyber world, created a forum upon which the youth
could express themselves. Freshlimesoda, as the site is called, has completed
a year in the business. With portals in music, art, poetry and politics
and content that’ll open myopic minds, freshlimesoda has become a
cult of sorts. In fact, as Parmesh confirms, ‘‘The site is popular
in 65 countries. Perhaps because the youth can relate to it and the minds
involved in the making of it.’’ The 24-year-old conceived the
name as representative of ‘‘effervescence, it is fresh, tasty
and affordable’’.
An international site with an Indian perspective, freshlimesoda has caught
the attention of media giants BBC and Business World. The conglomeration
of minds resulted in the poetry-reading session at the NCPA. And with
Sony and Apletech supporting the site’s vision, Parmesh has decided
to expand boundaries with portals that initiate interactivity, a lifestyle
portal and an email service. Capturing the ‘alternative’ and
harnessing raw talent, Parmesh (seated behind the transparent green-tainted
monitor) hopes to continue his endeavour and perhaps change the world
in his own way.
 Magickland
FRANZ Harary, the renowned magician from the US, on his magical experience
in India: ‘‘During my ’98 tour of India, I stumbled upon
real magic, the kind I didn’t think was possible. This was in a small
village near Delhi called Shadipur Depot. What I saw there was something
which defied everything I ever knew about magic. I met a group of traditional
Indian magicians called the MASET (Magicians’ Association for Self-employment
and Training). Their living conditions, to say the least, were far from
magical. With virtually no technology, they create magic in many ways
more powerful than my own. Their art form is so pure, so real, it transcends
true magic. But sadly, they go unrecognised by their own people. If their
magic disappears, so will India’s magical history. I feel privileged
that they have entrusted me with a centuries-old magic wand, which passes
from one magician to another and which will be brought back to India after
my act is over this year.’’
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