MORE PLAGIARISM IN THE HERALD.. ILLUSTRATIONS I & II

HERALD'S PLAGIARISED VERSION I

http://oheraldo.in/node/1483?PHPSESSID=6637aa3b8f1047

India on the ramp

Sonali Maria discovers that after curry and cricket, Indian fashion is making waves abroad
AT "Chokri", a trendy Indian designer wear boutique on Singapore's Orchard Road, the sales assistant can't tear herself away from the TVs by her cash counter. The store has just showcased its current collection - complete with fuchsia pinks, spangles and a heavy accent on Bollywood - at the Singapore Fashion Festival (SFF) the previous week and this is the first telecast. The uninhibited explosion of colour on the ramp has her in raptures and she sticks out her arm as proof of her excitement. "See Goosebumps!"
It's not just nearby Singapore that is so excited by the Indian influence in designer wear. Fashion houses across the world are gradually drawing more inspiration from India. Just this season, Prada's skirts have delicate Indian mirror work on their hems and DKNY's new arrivals are detailed with Indian embroidery.
As trends set in Milan and Paris are duly acknowledged by the rest of the fashion conscious world, inevitably, what emanates from India itself is being taken seriously. At the SFF which featured shows by Versace, John Paul Gaultier and Givenchy among others, the show by four well-known Indian designers was saved for the last day.
The anticipation was palpable even as the lights went dim to announce the collection of Sabyasachi Mukherjee, a favourite with Singaporeans. Through his collection of multiple layered skirts, churidhars and leggings all in dull gold and earth tones, the Indian prints and cuts were unmistakable. Sonam Dubal up next with his Sanskar label also stayed firmly within an Oriental theme: cummerbunds, embroidery, mirror work, loose pyjamas. Kolkata designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh and top Indian designer JJ Valaya drew inspiration from the flapper girls of the 1920s and Herge and Tintin in Peru respectively, but throughout there was no missing the Indian connection. The flapper girl for instance, so definitively American, had been adroitly interpreted to incorporate a lavish Indian look complete with tiny diamonds and shimmer. Indian designers, it seems, just can't get away from India.
"The fashion statement we make in our colours, textures and motifs are Indian and Asian," explains JJ Valaya. "It's wise to tap the resources on hand - not be overly Indian although we might find it fabulous but just hints and touches to show you 'speak Indian'. My collection, for instance, is a tribute to Herge, drawing on Tintin in Peru. Peru is not India but the techniques and elements I have incorporated are Indian." Showcasing abroad is a different ballgame altogether. Within India and in West Asia, Indian designers can indulge their couture lines and hard sell the "exotic India" look, but while showcasing in Western pret markets, the opulence is reined in and Indian designers walk the fine line between retaining their USP - India - while keeping in mind Western trends.
"I don't change a collection depending on where I'm showcasing," insists Sonam Dubal, "instead I show the best from both worlds; it's my signature style. There's an openness in the industry now which allows me to appeal to the East and yet have significance in the West. My current collection for instance is Asia-centric, drawing on the patterns and films of the 1930s in this region and showing how the trends have returned in 2005."
Designer Payal Jain says that buyers abroad are finally acknowledging Indian designers as professional and now as they navigate foreign markets, there is a keen awareness of the need to retain originality even while bowing to international trends in colour palette and silhouette.
Young talent Sabyasachi Mukherjee agrees with her. "It's important to have an Indian soul," he says, "If I were to use the same material as Armani, why would anyone buy me? Each designer needs to find their own USP." As Kiran Uttam Ghosh exclaims, "We don't have to sell India, it's already sold! Look at all the brocade and mirror work internationally - India's hot in terms of inspiration."
But even as these designers are walking the fine line between East and West while retailing abroad, at home their markets might be in for a shake-up. For years Indian designers enjoyed a devoted market for their couture labels and soon even began to have a captive market in the middle classes with their prêt lines. Now with big names such as Versace looking all set to enter India, India's narrow market will expand and also be shared. Already prêt lines such as Suneet Verma's Le Spice compete with Spanish design giant Mango and more new entrants are likely to create a buzz.

JJ Valaya admits that foreign labels have an advantage. They are streamlined and professional, he says, whereas in India "you're doing everything from the manufacturing to the PR - you're all-in-one. The system needs to be changed so that designers can concentrate on designing." But, like the other Indian designers at the SFF, Valaya too welcomes the entry of the foreign labels. Their stranglehold on the Indian market might be threatened, but Indian labels will finally see the need to professionalise and wisen up to market forces.

THE ORIGINAL VERSION I

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=20
05050800150200.htm&date=2005/05/08/&prd=mag&

India on the ramp

HEMANGINI GUPTA
AT "Chokri", a trendy Indian designer wear boutique on Singapore's Orchard Road, the sales assistant can't tear herself away from the TVs by her cash counter. The store has just showcased its current collection — complete with fuchsia pinks, spangles and a heavy accent on Bollywood — at the Singapore Fashion Festival (SFF) the previous week and this is the first telecast. The uninhibited explosion of colour on the ramp has her in raptures and she sticks out her arm as proof of her excitement. "See. Goosebumps!
It's not just nearby Singapore that is so excited by the Indian influence in designer wear. Fashion houses across the world are gradually drawing more inspiration from India. Just this season, Prada's skirts have delicate Indian mirror work on their hems and DKNY's new arrivals are detailed with Indian embroidery.
As trends set in Milan and Paris are duly acknowledged by the rest of the fashion conscious world, inevitably, what emanates from India itself is being taken seriously. At the SFF which featured shows by Versace, John Paul Gaultier and Givenchy among others, the show by four well-known Indian designers was saved for the last day.
The anticipation was palpable even as the lights went dim to announce the collection of Sabyasachi Mukherjee, a favourite with Singaporeans. Through his collection of multiple layered skirts, churidhars and leggings all in dull gold and earth tones, the Indian prints and cuts were unmistakable. Sonam Dubal up next with his Sanskar label also stayed firmly within an Oriental theme: cummerbunds, embroidery, mirror work, loose pyjamas. Kolkata designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh and top Indian designer JJ Valaya drew inspiration from the flapper girls of the 1920s and Herge and Tintin in Peru respectively, but throughout there was no missing the Indian connection. The flapper girl for instance, so definitively American, had been adroitly interpreted to incorporate a lavish Indian look complete with tiny diamonds and shimmer. Indian designers, it seems, just can't get away from India.
"The fashion statement we make in our colours, textures and motifs is Indian and Asian," explains JJ Valaya. "It's wise to tap the resources on hand — not be overly Indian although we might find it fabulous but just hints and touches to show you `speak Indian'. My collection, for instance, is a tribute to Herge, drawing on Tintin in Peru. Peru is not India but the techniques and elements I have incorporated are Indian." Showcasing abroad is a different ballgame altogether. Within India and in West Asia, Indian designers can indulge their couture lines and hard sell the "exotic India" look, but while showcasing in Western pret markets, the opulence is reined in and Indian designers walk the fine line between retaining their USP — India — while keeping in mind Western trends.
Designer Payal Jain says that buyers abroad are finally acknowledging Indian designers as professional and now as they navigate foreign markets, there is a keen awareness of the need to retain originality even while bowing to international trends in colour palette and silhouette.
Young talent Sabyasachi Mukherjee agrees with her. "It's important to have an Indian soul," he says, "If I were to use the same material as Armani, why would anyone buy me? Each designer needs to find their own USP." As Kiran Uttam Ghosh exclaims, "We don't have to sell India, it's already sold! Look at all the brocade and mirror work internationally — India's hot in terms of inspiration."
But even as these designers are walking the fine line between East and West while retailing abroad, at home their markets might be in for a shake-up. For years Indian designers enjoyed a devoted market for their couture labels and soon even began to have a captive market in the middle classes with their prêt lines. Now with big names such as Versace looking all set to enter India, India's narrow market will expand and also be shared. Already prêt lines such as Suneet Verma's Le Spice compete with Spanish design giant Mango and more new entrants are likely to create a buzz.
JJ Valaya admits that foreign labels have an advantage. They are streamlined and professional, he says, whereas in India "you're doing everything from the manufacturing to the PR — you're all-in-one. The system needs to be changed so that designers can concentrate on designing." But, like the other Indian designers at the SFF, Valaya too welcomes the entry of the foreign labels. Their stranglehold on the Indian market might be threatened, but Indian labels will finally see the need to professionalise and wisen up to market forces.

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HERALD'S PLAGIARISED VERSION II

http://oheraldo.in/node/2328?PHPSESSID=6637aa3b8f1047

Saleable Spirituality

Sonali Maria

As he addressed an after-work gathering of his followers recently, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath shared his concerns about the correct way to market a CD version of his teachings.
Consulting the 26 disciples sitting at his feet in a smart south Delhi apartment, he discussed at length how to fix the right price and analyzed how best to protect the content from being pirated and sold cheaply.
“These CDs offer value for time spent,” he said. “I want people to listen to them when they’re commuting and stuck in traffic. They will be very useful, but we must get them marketed properly.” He asked a disciple to make sure that a Delhi public relations expert would be present at his next reading. “I think we are very bad in PR,” he said. “We need to work on media relations.”
As the national economy blossoms, the role of the guru as someone who helps his followers find enlightenment is evolving: Many spiritual guides are now smooth marketers with, often enough, a considerable knowledge of how to maximize their commercial appeal. Many gurus have been forced to revolutionize their practices — packaging and aggressively marketing their religious services to cater to the changing desires of the consumer. Some have adopted the style of Western televangelists to promote their message. What is more, the leaders of India’s economic revolution are turning to spirituality in large numbers.
While Western workers pop antidepressants and tranquilizers to beat stress, India seeks relief from the pressures of its emerging materialistic society with a booming spirituality industry.
Personnel departments in big firms are calling on spiritual gurus to help new recruits handle the tensions of modern working life. Spirituality shops offering ‘health and wealth kits’ are doing good business, and newly created religious channels on domestic television are expanding their reach into millions of homes.
One of India’s slickest spiritual movements, the Art of Living Foundation, led by the telegenic guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, runs a “corporate executive program” aimed at helping senior management in India’s leading companies cope with stress. It offers relief by teaching employees how to improve their breathing. “Our corporate program is for people on the fast track, and these people are facing high levels of urban stress,” said Sanjiv Kakar, an Art of Living guru who teaches the course. “They may not be looking for spiritual solace, but they are looking for stress relief and we can provide that.” Kakar volunteers his services, but the movement charges Rs 300,000 to instruct 25 executives; the money goes to its charitable trust.
Pravin Anand, managing partner at an intellectual property law firm, Anand and Anand, was enthusiastic about the effect that the Art of Living course had had on his company.“Intellectual property is becoming a very big thing in India, and our work has increased enormously in the past decade,” Anand said. “People work 18-hour days here and are really stressed out.”
“The course was fantastic. It was like paying your money and getting your goods — a quick transaction. Lawyers have a hard-nosed reputation, but the course inspired all of us; we began to think about higher issues. The quality of our workers’ lives really began to change and there was a positive effect on the business as well,” he said. Others are brazen in the claims they make for their services.
Daivajna Somayaji promises more than mere stress relief to his clients. Based in Bangalore, the hub of India’s information technology revolution, he specialises in smoothing product starts and increasing investment bankers’ profit margins, professing to have a “99.9 percent” success rate in turning around failing businesses.
“I visit the office or factory premises,” he said, “I study the energy patterns of the location and I study the people, looking at their vibrations; it’s something that I can experience, but am unable to explain.”
The changing role of the guru has caused much unease among social commentators. In a recent public debate in Delhi, Javed Akhtar, an atheist and outspoken Bollywood script writer and poet, opened an attack on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and other modern gurus, arguing, “It is not enough to teach rich people how to breathe.” He condemned the emergence of supermarkets for ‘spiritual fast food,’ where people can buy “crash courses in self-realization — cosmic consciousness in four easy lessons.”
Suma Varughese, editor-in-chief of the spiritual magazine Life Positive, agreed that the modern guru’s endeavor to combine spiritual and material values gave rise to considerable tension. “The changing economy has brought a massive explosion of unhappiness and confusion and, although no research has been done,” she said, “I think hundreds of thousands of people are turning to spirituality for guidance.”
“Gurus are adopting the corporate approach for two reasons,” she said. “Some are genuinely trying to give support to the overwrought urban workers; others are simply trying to popularize their movements.” Daivajna Somayaji of Bangalore argued: “I have rejected materialism, but I see nothing wrong in helping other people realise their commercial goals. “Commercial aspirations are not wrong — they are important,” he said.

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THE ORIGINAL VERSION II

http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/2005/06/10/news/india.php

In India, spirituality is going commercial

By Amelia Gentleman

International Herald Tribune

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2005 -- NEW DELHI As he addressed an after-work gathering of his followers recently, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath shared his concerns about the correct way to market a CD version of his teachings.
Consulting the 26 disciples sitting at his feet in a smart south Delhi apartment, he discussed at length how to fix the right price and analyzed how best to protect the content from being pirated and sold cheaply.
"These CDs offer value for time spent," he said. "I want people to listen to them when they're commuting and stuck in traffic. They will be very useful, but we must get them marketed properly."
He asked a disciple to make sure that a Delhi public relations expert would be present at his next reading. "I think we are very bad in PR," he said. "We need to work on media relations."
As the national economy blossoms, the role of the guru as someone who helps his followers find enlightenment is evolving: Many spiritual guides are now smooth marketers with, often enough, a considerable knowledge of how to maximize their commercial appeal.
Many gurus have been forced to revolutionize their practices - packaging and aggressively marketing their religious services to cater to the changing desires of the consumer. Some have adopted the style of Western televangelists to promote their message.
What is more, the leaders of India's economic revolution are turning to spirituality in large numbers.
While Western workers pop antidepressants and tranquilizers to beat stress, India seeks relief from the pressures of its emerging materialistic society with a booming spirituality industry.
Personnel departments in big firms are calling on spiritual gurus to help new recruits handle the tensions of modern working life.
Spirituality shops offering "health and wealth kits" are doing good business, and newly created religious channels on domestic television are expanding their reach into millions of homes.
One of India's slickest spiritual movements, the Art of Living Foundation, led by the telegenic guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, runs a "corporate executive program" aimed at helping senior management in India's leading companies cope with stress. It offers relief by teaching employees how to improve their breathing.
"Our corporate program is for people on the fast track, and these people are facing high levels of urban stress," said Sanjiv Kakar, an Art of Living guru who teaches the course. "They may not be looking for spiritual solace, but they are looking for stress relief and we can provide that."
Kakar volunteers his services, but the movement charges 300,000 rupees, or almost $7,000, to instruct 25 executives; the money goes to its charitable trust.
A brochure printed on expensive paper declares that senior management officials in big Indian companies have taken the course and says that 88 percent of those who graduated reported an improvement in dealing with stress and negativity.
"The pace of life here has completely changed with the economy opening up," Kakar said. "Family life has been totally messed up because of work pressure."
He added, "We give people practical techniques to get rid of anger, negative feelings and frustration; we are not a culture that relies on tranquilizers."
Pravin Anand, managing partner at an intellectual property law firm, Anand and Anand, was enthusiastic about the effect that the Art of Living course had had on his company.
"Intellectual property is becoming a very big thing in India, and our work has increased enormously in the past decade," Anand said. "People work 18-hour days here and are really stressed out."
"The course was fantastic. It was like paying your money and getting your goods - a quick transaction. Lawyers have a hard-nosed reputation, but the course inspired all of us; we began to think about higher issues. The quality of our workers' lives really began to change and there was a positive effect on the business as well," he said.
Others are brazen in the claims they make for their services.
Daivajna Somayaji promises more than mere stress relief to his clients. Based in Bangalore, the hub of India's information technology revolution, he specializes in smoothing product starts and increasing investment bankers' profit margins, professing to have a "99.9 percent" success rate in turning around failing businesses.
"I visit the office or factory premises," he said, "I study the energy patterns of the location and I study the people, looking at their vibrations; it's something that I can experience, but am unable to explain."
He spoke in a telephone interview from his ashram in Bangalore. The interview was organized through a Delhi PR firm that promotes his services.
"I might recommend changing the structure of the building, or the altering the personnel in the office," he said. "I have no fixed fees - whatever they pay, I accept. Companies have doubled their profitability after consulting me."
For reasons of customer confidentiality, he would not name any of his clients, making it impossible to substantiate any of his claims.
The changing role of the guru has caused much unease among social commentators. In a recent public debate in Delhi, Javed Akhtar, an atheist and outspoken Bollywood script writer and poet, opened an attack on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and other modern gurus, arguing, "It is not enough to teach rich people how to breathe."
He condemned the emergence of supermarkets for "spiritual fast food," where people can buy "crash courses in self-realization - cosmic consciousness in four easy lessons."
He concluded: "Our Marxist friends used to say that religion is the opium of the poor masses. I don't want to get into that discussion, but spirituality nowadays is definitely the tranquilizer of the rich."
Suma Varughese, editor-in-chief of the spiritual magazine Life Positive, agreed that the modern guru's endeavor to combine spiritual and material values gave rise to considerable tension.
"The changing economy has brought a massive explosion of unhappiness and confusion and, although no research has been done," she said, "I think hundreds of thousands of people are turning to spirituality for guidance."
"Gurus are adopting the corporate approach for two reasons," she said. "Some are genuinely trying to give support to the overwrought urban workers; others are simply trying to popularize their movements."
She added, "There is no doubt that today there is a desire to have spiritual nirvana and material wealth. I think most true seekers would admit that this attempt to wed the two is not possible."
Daivajna Somayaji of Bangalore argued: "I have rejected materialism, but I see nothing wrong in helping other people realize their commercial goals. "Commercial aspirations are not wrong - they are important," he said.