Universal Prayer
O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.Thou art Satchidananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute).Thou art the Indweller of all beings. Grant us an understanding heart,Equal vision, balanced mind,Faith, devotion and wisdom.Grant us inner spiritual strengthTo resist temptations and to control the mind.Free us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy.Fill our hearts with divine virtues. Let us behold … Continue reading Universal Prayer
Maintaining Our Sense of Perspective
BY JOE NUTT One of the most significant advances in Western culture took place when a handful of Renaissance artists defined the rules for creating the illusion of linear perspective in their work. When painters learned how to mimic reality by following rules, they unknowingly initiated cultural and intellectual innovation on a vast scale. Perspective gave people vision. Our modern day visionaries have lost this … Continue reading Maintaining Our Sense of Perspective
Raqib Shaw
BY CSMI STAFF WRITER The Artist Raqib Shaw is known for opulent and intricately detailed paintings of fantastical worlds, often with surfaces inlaid with vibrantly coloured jewels and painted in enamel. His works reveal an eclectic fusion of influences—from Persian carpets and Northern Renaissance painting to industrial materials and Japanese lacquerware—and are often developed in series from literary, art historical, and mystical sources. Shaw has … Continue reading Raqib Shaw
7 Star Luxury in Hyderabad
BY CSMI STAFF WRITER While there isn’t an official international standard of rating that lets a hotel earn a 7 star category or tag, the benchmarking is usually done on the basis of the levels of luxury, comfort and hospitality offered by the property, and the overall experience that can be defined as nothing short of a grandiose. The term “7-star hotel” was coined by … Continue reading 7 Star Luxury in Hyderabad
Passion Fruit Martini Mocktail
Ingredients 1 passion fruit, plus an extra ½ to garnish 50ml sparkling or cloudy apple juice 15ml passion fruit syrup 15ml lime juice a few drops vanilla extract Method Slice open the passion fruit and scoop out all of the seeds into a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake well. Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with the passion fruit halve. Continue reading Passion Fruit Martini Mocktail
The Gyatri Mantra
May my intellect be steady without agitation.May it be clear without anger or passion.May the brilliant light of the sun beam though my intellect sothat perception of the world may be clear, my discriminationsubtle, my judgment correct and quick, and mycomprehension of persons and situations precise and wise. Continue reading The Gyatri Mantra
Where does ‘Progress’ End?
BY DANIEL JUPP Are there any boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed in the name of a “progressive society”? The progressive offer is a seductive one in one sense: if you accept complete submission and subservience to the progressive ideology, if you accept that the State is all powerful and decides all things, if you normalise the idea that every human being is both flawed and … Continue reading Where does ‘Progress’ End?
Off the Beaten Track
BY AJAI SINGH I‘m not sure if this place is really hidden from tourists or not but this place certainly boasts of its own set of admirers both commoners as well as eminent personalities. The place I’m talking about is Kasar Devi. Perched just 8 kms from Almora, a district in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, Kasar Devi is a hushed hamlet situated in the silence … Continue reading Off the Beaten Track
Chahal for the Test Team?
BY BHINESH ANTHONY India currently possesses an abundance of skill in both fast bowling and spin bowling, which has helped them become one of the most powerful teams in the world in Test cricket in recent years. While Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav would almost certainly have been assured a position in the playing eleven of other Test-playing nations, they struggle to find a space … Continue reading Chahal for the Test Team?
Pav Bhaji
Ingredients For the bhaji 400g/14oz potatoes (peeled weight), any variety, chopped into small chunks 200g/7oz carrots (peeled weight), chopped into small chunks 150g/5½oz cauliflower florets, cut into small chunks 100g/3½oz peas 50ml/2fl oz sunflower oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 300g/10½oz red onions (peeled weight), finely chopped 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 15g/½oz fresh root ginger, peeled and grated 400g/14oz tomatoes, finely chopped 2–3 green chillies (bird’s eye or similar), chopped and seeds left in 1 tsp salt 1–2 tsp tamarind paste (diluted in 100ml/3½fl oz … Continue reading Pav Bhaji

