Bindu Manchanda, a heritage conservator, has made her book debut with a typically touristy profile of the desert town of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan with a subtitle that says City of Golden Sands and Strrange Spirits (HarperCollins; Rs 495). Scenes of contemporary Jaisalmer life are interspersed with old B&W shots of the city which reveals that its transformation has been minimal. There's plenty about its history, a genealogy of its rulers, its landmark fort, the Jain temples, the laidback markets, the fairs and festivals, the rich cuisine and the arts and crafts for which Jaisalmer is famous. There's also an informative section on the villages around Jaisalmer, including the ghost towns of Kuldhara and Khaba which are the probable source of the "strange spirits".

EXHIBITION
Past Perfect

Installation art whiz Nalini Malani, who also exhibited last year in the Century City show in the Tate Modern in London, is now showing a series of reverse paintings in Mumbai's Sakshi Gallery called "Stories Re-Told". The new series draws extensively from Indian mythology, particularly from stories that survive from the ancient past by word of mouth. On till July 25. Call 91-22-4910728/29 for details.

BOOKSTORE
A Den of Tales

Antara Dev Sen, Amartya Sen's daughter who publishes The Little Magazine from Delhi, is determined to increase her "little movement" and the latest is The Little Bookshop in Delhi's bookshop-starved locality of Mayur Vihar. The selection is mostly of contemporary diaspora writing, vernacular fiction and poetry. Call 91-11-225-8434 for details.

FASHION
Natural Style

Chennai's Apparao Galleries, called "The Gallery" and established in the 1980s to promote contemporary Indian art, is now expanding its activities beyond the realm of art and having a haute couture exhibition in vegetable dyes only. The exhibition includes both western and Indian outfits from a number of upcoming designers from the Apparao stable and is being organised in collaboration with Aranya, a natural dye unit which works out of the picturesque Munnar in Kerala. July 12-30 at 7, Wallace Gardens, 3rd Street, Chennai. Call 91-44-8272226 for details.