The Dastkari Haat Samiti has relaunched a series of crafts maps of India. Handy and helpful for not only exporters but also foreign tourists, designers and voluntary organisations, the maps are informative. They contain a bank of instruction detailing the production and marketing areas of the vast range of handicrafts and handlooms in different states of India, thus helping to provide direct access to artisans and serving as a friendly shopping guide. Another plus point with the maps is their tasteful design, for instance, the Bihar map is a contemporary expression of traditional Mithila painting by Neelkant Chaudhary in a range of colours reflecting the soil and the silk of Bihar. For more details, e-mail dastkarihaat@yahoo.co.in.

INTERNET
Pure Bliss

Ganga jal is widely used for purposes of religion and rituals. But it is a problem accessing pure Ganga jal. But now you need not look beyond www.holybaba.com. With water that claims to be pure and sourced directly from Tulsi Ghat, Varanasi, the Ganga jal is specially packed in plastic bottles of 500 ml for convenience. The Ganga jal, it is assured, is not filtered or processed to maintain its purity. Cost: Rs 31 for each 500 ml bottle.

FOOD
Guided Tour

Delhi is known for its exotic and vast variety of food. For passionate foodie freaks, Khanapani should serve as an unparalleled guide about restaurants in the capital, their speciality, the kind of cuisine served, costs, etc. It is updated regularly and covers most of the places. Check out the site www.khanapina.com. Priced at Rs 100, it is available at all news stands.

BOOK
Nobel Musings

Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore has been much translated and critiqued. Adding to that list comes Tagore by Fireside by Maitraye Devi, who enjoyed a long exchange of letters with Tagore. This book is a translation from her Bengali work, Mungpute Rabindranath. In this book we see Gurudev intensely alive in high spirited fun. The unknown personal-especially the humorous-side of the poet is brought out in such a way that one can see here the very inflection of his voice and see the mischievous twinkle in his eye. Published by Rupa, it is priced at Rs 70.

-S. Sahaya Ranjit