What distinguishes Kathak from other Indian classical dance forms is its spontaneity, lack of uniformity and room for innovation. Now comes a three-day (September 7-9) musical tribute to Durga Lal, a renowned Kathak maestro from the Jaipur gharana who won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984. September 7: Sangeeta Dash (Odissi), Rasika Khanna (Bharatanatyam), Rajendra Gangani (Kathak); September 8: Pandit Yashwant Bua Joshi (Hindustani vocal; Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Mohan Veena) and Ustad Shafaat Ahmed (tabla). The finale is on September 9 with a Bharatanatyam recital by dancer and actress Vyjayanthimala Bali. Entry is free. Venue: Kamani Auditorium, Delhi.

CUISINE
Quick Fixes

The latest offering from itc kitchens is Dum ki khumb, an aromatic spicy mushroom delicacy made in the traditional style. Cost: Rs 150 (425 gm). It serves three to four persons. There's a dessert option too: dry apricots in sugar syrup (Rs 150 for a 500 gm tin that serves seven to eight persons). Other delicacies: Baigan ka salan, Chicken Chettinad, Dal Bukhara and Khubani ka meetha. E-mail: kitchensofindia@itc.co.in.

ART
Journey Beyond

"The gallery is no more relevant today,"says M.F. Husain, "because art is dead. It will live on in the digital." Art Today, the premier art gallery in Delhi's Connaught Place, has closed down to launch the digital screen. Works of art-reproductions, calendars and postcard-sets-will now be seen and sold on the Net (www.arttodaygallery.com).

BOOK
Growth Chart

The Delhi Omnibus (oup), a collection of four volumes, is a comprehensive volume on Delhi. Delhi: A Historical Sketch by Percival Spear details the origins of the city; Twilight of the Moghuls traces its late medieval history; Delhi Between Two Empires 1803-1931 by Narayani Gupta explores its socio-political history from 1803 when it was conquered by the British to 1931 when New Delhi was formally inaugurated; and Delhi Through The Ages, a collection of essays by R.E. Frykenberg focuses on the importance of Delhi, its architecture, the schools of philosophy and its urban growth. Cost: Rs 595.