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PbAuRsDsEiSness & CULTURE Bazaars of India for a Lifetime Experience Winter is the time for fairs and exhibitions in India. Diffused sunlight filtering through late misty mornings and hazy afternoons makes visiting these Indian bazaars a balmy delight for men, women, teenagers, and children. There is something for everybody.Dastkari Haat Pushkar Mela Dilli Hat is a venue where exhibitions are This fair is held every year on the day ofheld on a regular basis throughout the win- the full moon during the Indian month ofter. This location in South Delhi beside the Kartik (mostly in November, and sometimesINA market is easily accessible by road and in October) in Rajasthan. Though this bazaarrail. Among the various fairs that are held in is famous for the trading of camels, horsesthis venue, Dastkari Haat is of special men- and cattle, it is, in fact, an exhibition of color,tion. It is an exhibition of not only trendy exuberance and gaiety. It is a lifetime expe-handcrafted items, but also artwork whose rience to be present in this fair that lasts atechniques originated several centuries ago. fortnight every year. Villagers not only fromThe specialty of this bazaar lies in its pres- Rajasthan, but also from the adjoining statesentation. This is an outdoor event where of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maha-craftsmen bring their creations in cloth, rashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, gatherwool, leather, paper mache, wicker, glass and in this fair.metals such as brass, copper and aluminum.There are assortments of paintings, home In this assembly of about a half a milliondécor items, ethnic jewelry, and even food people, folk dances are performed to the ac-items for your selection. Madhubani paint- companiment of local musical instruments,ings, Kashmiri shawls, chikan kurtas from such as sarangi, rawanhathha, surinda, mor-Lucknow, glass- and bead-embroidered Gu- chang, algoza, satara and mataka are a bo-jarati ghagras, limestone utensils from Rajas- nus treat.than, inlaid furniture from Karnataka, wickerfurniture from the North East, and coir mats Sonepur Melafrom Kerala all find a place of prominence in This Indian bazaar is the largest of its kindthis annually held Delhi bazaar. in this country, as well as throughout Asia. The history of this livestock fair held in Bihar This haat is not only a place for the buy- state dates back to the Mauryan dynasty,ing and selling of handcrafted items and which existed in the 3rd century B.C. In addi-other products, but it is also a venue for per- tion to cattle, camels, horses, dogs, birds andformances. Dancers and singers dressed in even elephants are traded. Before trading,traditional costumes and performing local the larger animals are painted and drapednumbers create the ideal Indian ambiance to look their best. This fair is also held duringinside this Dastakari Haat. This was the fair’s November.28th year in operation.52 PARDES MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2014 PARDESMAGAZINE.COM
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PARDESIndiaFest MelbourneA Family Cultural EventIndiafest is a family festival which brings to focus, Spot Light Theater, Bright Star for on the making of various Indian and share the Indian culture in a fun filled way Grieving Children, Cancer Care, handicrafts, some of which are right here in Brevard County. This eagerly anticipat- The Brevard Hindu Temple, Trou- very popular in our lives today ed annual cultural event will be held on Saturday - bled Teenagers’ Organization, the – from paper products, wood March 8th and Sunday - March 9th at the Wickham Miami Bridge Youth Home, IASC, carvings, leather goods, jewelry, Pavilion, Melbourne. Meals on Wheels, and Red Cross. and other day to day items. The India is a melting pot of cultures within itself and Indiaf- Disaster aid reliefs for - 1998 Flori- stage will be pumping with en-est is a celebration of this - a parcel of the rich culture and da Fire Victims, Orissa Cyclone tertainment throughout the daytraditions. Started 18 years ago, with a curious and humble Victims in India, 1999 Hurricane with live traditional Indian musiceffort of an ethnic community, today Indiafest is a symbol Floyd Victims, The 2001 Earth- with the Sitar, Tabla, Santoor, andof cultural enrichment here in Brevard County and is quake Victims in Gujarat, India, Harmonium. There will be Yogacelebrated with great enthusiasm. The general consensus 9-11 Disaster in New York City, the and Zumba demonstrations andis that it is a very well run festival, bigger and better with a Tsunami victims, 2004 Hurricane then, the stage will comefresh and new look year after year. This uniqueness comes Victims, and 2005 SE Asia Earth-from the fact that a different theme is presented each year quake. In 2010 efforts to help alive with performances byshowing the unique aspects of India’s culture, history and earthquake victims of Haiti raised our local artistes dancing to tradi-traditions. This year the festival will be featuring Handicrafts $225,000 to benefit Ruska Village tional folk, classical, and modernof India with demonstrations of workmanship and materials Orphanage. In March 2011, the Indian music while the fashionof various handicrafts made in India by artisans. Indiafest committee presented show will be the highlight of the the “Indiafest Endowment” award day. The grounds will feature An admirable factor of this festival is its commitment of $100,000 to Florida Institute vendors selling jewelry, richto philanthropy and community service with a vision and of Technology. The endowment colorful ethnic garments, arts andpurpose of cultural education, through entertainment, and was part of the organization’s crafts, music and videos. One canto support charities. Indiafest is a volunteer run, not for accumulated emergency fund. indulge in the temporary bodyprofit, cultural organization, known for its charitable efforts Returns from the endowment art of exotic Henna designs whileto several local charities, including the parent organization, will provide financial assistance the aroma of food being pre-Manav Mandir, and aid in disaster recovery, nationally and to one Brevard student per pared at the live food demonstra-internationally. Charities supported are - Daily Bread, Yellow year. Last year the organization tions with easy to make recipes,Umbrella, Serene Harbor, Jess Parrish Auxiliary, The Hope selected the Sentinels of Free- will draw visitors for a taste of theCenter, Early Intervention Program, Crosswinds Project, The dom as their special charity and tantalizing flavors of India. presented a check of $10,000 at 58 PARDES MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2014 the 2013 event. The 2014 festival Today, as technology has is currently researching disabled made the world smaller and more children’s organizations and once accessible, the integration of dif- a selection is made the name of ferent cultures is very real and the the organization will be available. need to appreciate each other is A portion of the proceeds raised ever more apparent. At Indiafest at the festival will be donated to you will take back with you a part that organization. of India’s rich cultural heritage - be it arts and crafts, food, jewelry, There’s something of interest music, dance, or clothes. You will for everyone at Indiafest from be transcended, through miles hands on activities for the youths, and time, as you get a close up to shopping for the adults, view of the traditional and vibrant mouth watering Indian cuisine, aspects of this culture. So, come and stage entertainment for join us at on March 8th and 9th at all to enjoy. The Discover India the Wickham Pavilion. Tickets are Booth carries the theme of the $5 adults, $2 children under 12, event and will have displays, and free for children under 5. For information and demonstrations more info visit: indiafestbrevard. org PARDESMAGAZINE.COM
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PtAeRcDhEnS ology& Business FasPhoirotanlsFlipkartConsidering Such As YepMe and Zovi In its quest for high margin products, Flipkart has launched its own fashion brand and is also planning to acquire another apparel company. It is considering YepMe and Zovi since both have a desirable rate of sale. If this plan comes to fruition, this will be Flipkart’s second in the last two years, the first being the acquisition Letsbuy, an electronic portal, in 2012. In 2013, Flipkart gener- ated a whopping amount of capital that can easily be used for making the desired ac- quisitions this year. The company is expected to achieve a record sale of $1 billion or Rs. 6,200 crore by the year 2015. Once this milestone is achieved, Flipkart will look forward to welcoming more private labels and sellers. The margins for private-label fashion can be upwards of almost 60% and, for brand- ed clothing, by almost 45%, thus making it a feasible category for online stores that are looking to cut losses. The margin for electronic items is around 10% or less. A new range of menswear and footwear, Flippd, is soon to be extended to other categories, such as women’s apparel, watches and sunglasses by the first quarter of 2014. Flipkart has also recently bought a jewelry retailing brand, which is the second brand that the company launched. In 2012, a tech-brand called DigiFlip was launched by Flipkart. It sells mobile cases, speakers, chargers, etc. Pushing private labels seems to have become the new strategy for online business- es to increase their profit margins. This is due to the fact that online businesses have been seeing a tough time in India. Snapdeal, an online marketplace, aims to increase its profit margin in the next 2 years. Myntra, an online fashion brand, aims to achieve the same by the end of 2014. According to the documents submitted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, in fiscal 2013 Flipkart Indian Pvt. Ltd., the wholesale cash-and-carry business of the online retail company, earned a total income of Rs. 1, 180 crore and suf- fered a loss of Rs. 281.7 crore before extraordinary tax and items. Experts believe that it is better for Flipkart to go for an acquisition rather than create its own brands. However, the online retailer will have access to online-only brands, which will considerably restrict its options. Bankers have opined that this restriction of options can drive up the valuation of the companies, making it expensive for Flipkart to buy them. Zovi, a seller of clothes, footwear and accessories, intends to earn around $250 million or Rs.1550 crore in the next 3 or 4 years. YepMe, which has its own clothing and footwear brand, aims to generate a ROI of Rs. 300 crore by next year. A spokesperson at YepMe has said that the brand is ready to collaborate with any portal that offers them brand value. Zovi collaborated with online retailer Inkfruit in 2013. Myntra, in 2012, acquired a private label brand called “Sher Singh” and its sister concern, “Exclusively,” which is solely sold in India. To wrap it up, it can be said that having private labels is the new way to go for run- ning a successful e-commerce business. Competition is stiff, so companies need to 60 PARDES MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY c2o0m14pete on the basis of the uniqueness of their prodPuAcRtsD.ESMAGAZINE.COM
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PARDES What is a cataract and what is cataract surgery? Cataracts are the most common cause of vi- How long has the procedure been sion loss in people over 40. Today cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans age 40 and older. performed? At some point in our life, we will all develop a cataract. Thousands of cataract procedures have been successfully performed by using femtosecond Cataracts are the natural clouding of the lens laser systems, which have been employed in eye in the eye. As we age, proteins in the lens of the procedures for decades. The most familiar use of eye become altered and lose their transparency. femtosecond laser technology is LASIK. Femto- Symptoms that cataract patients generally de- second lasers represent an advanced standard in scribe include blurred vision, seeing halos or star- precision laser cataract surgery and the Ziemer bursts at night, difficulty reading, needing more Z6 platform was FDA cleared in 2013. and more light to read and frequent changes in their glasses prescription. What should I expect on the day of surgery? The treatment for cataracts involves a painless, Your day in surgery should be no different 10-minute surgery to remove the “clouded lens” than a routine cataract case. The Ziemer Z6 laser or “cataract” and replace it with a manmade in- is positioned next to the surgeon and is seam- traocular lens implant. It is the most common sur- lessly utilized during the cataract surgery process. gical procedure in the United States and around You will be given a mild IV sedation that will likely the world and is considered to be an extremely keep you pleasantly unaware of the goings on in safe procedure with a success rate approaching surgery. The procedure involves no pain, needles 99.5%. or stitches. What are the benefits of laser cataract What should I expect after surgery?Your day surgery? After surgery, you can generally expect your vision to improve within 24 hours. Generally, • A highly customized treatment patients do not experience any pain after surgery. • A treatment with little or no discomfort Slight scratchiness of the eye is common and eye • A more precise and predictable drops will be prescribed to help with any of these treatment symptoms. Many patients return to work or nor- • Gentler and easier cataract removal mal activities the next day and even drive them- • Generally, a more rapid visual recovery, selves to their post-op day one appointment! due to reduced inflammation • The opportunity to receive tailored How long does the procedure take?our day treatment with advanced technology multi-focal lenses, which may reduce the need for glasses or You can expect to be at our center for 2 hours, contacts after surgery including 20 to 25 minutes in the procedure room. Am I a suitable candidate for laser cataract Call Milan Eye Center at 678-890-2563 for surgery? more information.our day Your surgeon and you will decide whether you are a suitable candidate, based on your eye anatomy, type of cataract and type of lens im- plant that you desire.62 PARDES MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2014 PARDESMAGAZINE.COM
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