Diwali indicates the victory of good over evil. To spread cheer, love and light, we celebrate Diwali. The festival is celebrated with diyas, lanterns and rangolis. It is an occasion to share joy and happiness. This is why we give special gifts to enlighten their lives with love and affection.

Make sure your gift this Diwali makes the person happy - be it your boss, your employee, your colleague, or your family friend. You may wonder if dry fruits, chocolates and sweets are among the only options when it comes to gift-giving on Diwali eve.

Well, it’s time that you try to go beyond those traditional symbols associated with Diwali celebration and do something unconventional, even strike a musical note. Look what the magical musical trio Shankar Ehsaan Loy has come up with this festive season. The three have chosen to get ‘musically’ innovative in their very own way!

The ‘breathless’ singer, Shankar Mahadevan gifted his dear friend and colleague Ehsaan, a Sennheiser HD series headphone. The latter was overjoyed to receive the present For him, this was among the most treasured Diwali gifts. Shankar was quoted as saying, “Music invariably brings a smile to one’s face, so this Diwali we thought of spreading happiness with it!”

Sennheiser’s quality sound equipment offers crystal clear sound level with noise cancellation. Loy also opted for the same gift. Even Ehsaan was to surprise with an unusual gift to his family n friends. “I didn’t want to give something they would expect.” Indeed, a gift gets special when it comes as a pleasant surprise. It’s the perfect gesture and truly serves its purpose!

Spread happiness and smiles with musical gifts instead of just chocolates and sweets, is the message from the musical trio of Shankar Ehsaan Loy this Diwali. Tune in to the real joy of Diwali…

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Travel firms are wooing sky watchers on eve of the 21st century’s longest solar eclipse. It takes place on July 22. You can opt to watch it with your friends and family from a Boeing above the clouds in Gaya. You may grasp more about the natural phenomenon from experts on the Benares ghats or may even fly to China, attend a workshop and get down to business in Anqing.

Cox & Kings has on offer a special tour package to watch the spectacular event from up close. You can take up a window seat based on your budget on a Boeing 737-700 to watch the solar eclipse. The package costs between Rs 29,000 and Rs 79,000. Cox & Kings has tried this idea for the first time.

The eclipse journey will last for about three hours. The flight will take off from Delhi and hold over Gaya during the eclipse period. The aircraft at a height of 41,000 feet will be intercepting the middle of the eclipse shadow for an unforgettable experience you can gift your family. Those taking the right side seats will get to watch the ‘sun side’, whereas those on the left can witness the shadow on the earth.

Vibgyor Travels is offering a package to inbound tourists for an eclipse holiday to the holy city of Benares. A 9 nights-10 days package comprises eclipse observation with help of experts from the river Ganges. Guides will assist visitors to understand the eclipse better.

If one wishes to enjoy a glimpse from abroad, Space Technology & Education is hosting an ‘eclipse trip’ to the Chinese city of Anqing. According to Amit Verma, several photographic experiments have been outlined on this trip to the eclipse site.

The China tour includes a ride on the Maglev train at a speed of 431 kmph. It comprises visits to Beijing, Shanghai and, of course, the Great Wall. A multimedia enabled workshop will be held for tourists.

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Practical jokes are a fun tradition to celebrate the spirit of April Fool’s Day also known as All Fools’ Day.

Some times, practical jokes are played out on office colleagues, friends or relatives on this day so you need to watch for such pranks the entire day. But keep in mind that this occasion is for-fun-only so you should not feel offended and take the whole thing the right spirit. We suggest some deceiving ‘gift’ ideas for this day in keeping with its mood and spirit.

‘Shocking’ Pen or pain
A perfect gift for the mischievous office prankster! This one is among the most shocking gifts that will, literally be a ‘pain’ for the receiver!!! Try it out and you’ll see it for yourself. Keep it on the person’s desk in such a way that he or she would be tempted to pick it, and you can enjoy the wacky, wicked feeling of revenge!

Faces on ‘Adam & Eve’ and other famous masterpieces
Imagine your friend’s photograph gets transformed onto, Adam & Eve or any other immortal character! You can opt for any masterpiece to get the person’s snap merged into it to customize the frame. You can get an artwork done on the Web! You may add a human figure or a pet in the background object of your choice in the artwork. Make it off-beat or wacky, of course, at your own risk.

SIGN & SEAL’ magnetic set
Add a touch of whimsy to your friend’s boring desk with this pen-holding pinniped. Just give it a whirl!

Pop Art Toaster
Why not let your friend kick start the day with a unique kitchen gadget. We are talking about this accessory that will ‘toast’ fun images into the bread!

These will make perfect gifts for the All Fools’ Day. You can think of more such ideas using your creativity and imagination.

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Discover the world of sizzling Swiss Military and Alpine Club products that embody both functionality and quality.

Writing Instruments
The Swiss military collection of Writing Instruments is known for the excellent quality and unique design elements. The Limited Edition line is created to impress the receiver. It is constructed from the finest and the best quality components.

Ergonomic, functional design of the line sure will leave a user wondering why he or she did not write with this genuine Swiss Military Writing Instruments before. If you happen to run out of ink, you can buy an exclusive Swiss-made ink refills to continue enjoying writing with your well-crafted SM pen.

Their features are Swiss Made Refill; Gold Plated Parts; Scratch Proof Lacquer; Black Metal Finish Body and Top Swiss Cross Logo with Epoxy. There is Shining Black Lacquer Barrel with Gold Plated Parts.

The SM/Alpine Club travel Gear
The travel Gear series of SM/Alpine Club has something for everyone to meet diverse needs of travel and vacation that includes hiking, protecting your laptop during travel, or dashing through the airport.

Durability and high performance are their features. The bags will make sure that your valuables safely reach the destination. A recent addition to their selection is laptop trolley bag. It features individual compartments for storing your personal possessions.

Their waist belt pouches and leisure bags are perfect for families and individuals respectively. These ready to use bags are suited for carrying Cameras, tickets, Passports, etc. while you are on the move.

They come with features like a Mobile Holder and Pen Holder. They are easy to handle and adjustable. Built from tough material, they also have a large Storage Capacity and multiple pockets. 

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Gifts give a great joy, it goes without saying. They convey your emotions to the receiver, who in turn, appreciates your sentiments. Gifts enhance relations and strengthen bonds of love. But gifts also serve a practical purpose when it comes to financial planning. You may wish to know. Let me bring to your notice that gifts can serve as a simple albeit very effective tax planning tool.

The provisions of Section 56, relating to tax on gifts, along with the basic exemption limit provisions to make your income is tax-free are applied simultaneously, to ensure tax-free income.

An individual falling in a higher tax bracket, can manage to cut down on the tax liability and increase his or her capital into tax-free income through gifts. This is essentially made possible by tax planners.

The method they follow is to make a person give gifts from post-tax capital to the parents and major children, who mostly are non-taxpayers. To double the benefit, when the recipients of these gifts invest the same, the family can earn more tax-free income.

Of course, there are certain issues, precautions and clarifications that you need to seek from your tax consultant who will address all these aspects so that you are able to put this gainful tax planning strategy through gifting into practice.

In a nutshell, gifts given to your parents and children (above 18) will not invite clubbing provisions. We shall learn about the finer aspects of tax planning and gifting in the subsequent blogs.

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The year 2008 is almost behind us and 2009 is peeping round the corner! The year gone by had many unfortunate and a few memorable moments. Even as we tend to learn from the history, this is not the time to cling to the past as we wish GOODBYE to a year gone by and say HELLO to the new year.

We should all welcome the New Year with a smile on our faces and share our joy through exchanging wishes and gifts. Here are some tips for giving a New Year gift:

1. Do not simply repeat the last year’s gift to the same person. It is a matter of common sense not to repeat previously given gifts or something which other employees have already given as a present.
2. Give something new and innovative: The gift should not be boring and pedestrian. Let there be some surprise element to it. When the receiver unwraps the gift, he or she should exclaim ‘wow!’
3. Give a personalized touch: Give some personalized gifts, like a coffee mug set with a message inscribed on it, which will give it a unique touch and surely draw everyone’s attention. This will involve extra efforts, but the end result will be worth it.
4. Stick to your budget: It is only a misconception that you have to spend a lot of money to get a good gift. Keep your budget in mind and try to get the best possible gift in that range.

Play safe if you cannot be innovative. You can opt for online shopping if time is a constraint. Check out for discounts and free shipping offers.

Remember, the whole idea of celebrating the New Year is for the hope and cheer it brings. There’s something special about the New Year gift that just has to instill the spirit for a fresh beginning, which always give us the hope for a better year ahead.

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You will be busy celebrating and welcoming the New Year with your friends, family and colleagues - texting and calling them as well. This also is the perfect opportunity to share our joy through exchanging wishes and gifts.

The New Year gift basket is a not to be missed ritual. Here we offer some off-beat ideas and basic suggestions for you to create a gift basket for your boss, colleagues and friends.

• Always keep the hierarchy factor in mind. For your immediate bosses, the gift basket should be a tad bigger, and the gifts, that much more expensive.
• The basket that you gift your owner or MD should be the most impressive. Come up with a bottle of his/her favorite perfume; buy a branded shirt or get a classy pen set.
• The gifts you give may not be that much more expensive than the ones you give your colleagues, but should be packed creatively and presented in person.
• Decorate the handle with a bigger bow or shinier ribbon and you’re sending a sub-conscious message about his status.
• Find out what the person likes is looking to acquire before making a choice and that person really wants to possess. It is not always about buying a costly gift.
• If you want to be conventional, stick to office essentials like deodorants, classy pens, desk-top clocks, miniature calendars, etc.
• Colleagues in your department should be given the same gifts or goodies; you can skip the other departments unless you have forged special ties with some of them.

Make an impact with an impressive gift basket and after that, no one will be forgetting you in a hurry. Last but not the least, do your bit for society, when buying your gifts. Buy some products from an NGO.

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Santa Claus is an icon of peace, joy and happiness, who enlivens our minds and hearts. He lives in the hearts of those who believe in virtues of giving and spreading happiness. Hence, gifting is something that is closely associated with the festival of Christmas.

Traditionally, Saint Nicholas was depicted as an imposing, tall, dignified ecclesiastical figure riding a white horse, dressed in red robes trimmed with white fur, worn by bishops, placing gifts of nuts, fruit, candy and small figurines on the hearth.

The popular and distinctive image of Santa was further developed from literary descriptions by novelist Washington Irving and poet Clement Clarke Moore and the fanciful drawings of poet and illustrator, Thomas Nast. In his drawings, Nast has depicted Santa as a delightful and jolly elf with a potbelly, and a bagfull of gifts slung on his shoulder.

In his poem, ‘A Visit by Saint Nicholas’, Nast has gives a detailed description of a happy, old, dwarfish man, riding on a sleigh drawn by eight reindeer, whose names are specified as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, respectively.

The present adorable personality of the North American Santa Claus, which took shape in the 19th Century, was that of a chubby, bespectacled elf, dressed in bright red. Father Christmas, Befana or even Kringler, Baboushka, Santa has spread cheer, joy and warmth in every form and under every garb. And that makes him a key figure in religious history, who carries a touch of benevolence.

But Reindeer are not found around the North Pole, so how do they figure in German, Dutch and North American legends? Actually, this was the brainchild of Clement Moore. One evening, while riding back home from New York City, he was inspired by the tinkling of bells on old Dobbin, his donkey and there flashed an idea for a Christmas tide verse for his children! Another explanation could be that German legends and mythology are closely related to those of Scandinavia, a Polar region.

Christmas is the time to rejoice with Santa, the Patron of Giving, and Giving sure is a noble gesture.

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As Christmas approaches, Santa Claus is eagerly awaited by children and so also the goodies and gifts he brings along.

It is interesting to note that the popular view of Santa we all have today - with the sleigh, the reindeer and the chimney – was derived largely from Clement Moore’s ‘The Night Before Christmas’, the 1822 book, further reinforced further by an advertising campaign.

The Santa Claus story combined with the modern retailing phenomena and consumer culture has grown since the turn of the century to make gift-giving an integral element of the Christmas celebrations. Incidentally, there was no elaborate exchanging of gifts until late 1800’s.

The Christmas tree – apparently a German tradition – began in the early 700AD century. The tradition of a Christmas Tree gradually moved to the UK and US. Since Victorian times, people had been decorating trees with candies and cakes hung with ribbon, ornaments and candles. The first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared in 1882. Mistletoe, representing the goddess of love (Frigga - Scandinavian), was used as a decoration in houses for thousands of years and is also associated with many pagan rituals.

The 12 days of Chistmas are the ones that separate Christmas day (December 25) from Epiphany celebrated on January 6, marking Christ’s baptism (the Catholic tradition) or the day when the wise men visited baby Jesus with their gifts. This includes great fanfare and singing. The Anglo-Saxon tradition revolved around gathering together for small, serene choirs on the scenic village green lawns to sing carols and popular Christmas songs that would entertain and please the passers-by.

This joyous festival truly enlivens our hearts with warm revelry that extends well into the new year! Gift your near and dear ones, the little children, your friends and colleagues to spread the joy of Christmas.

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This is a fun event for children to which you can take your children and bring a smile on their faces. Apart from gifting children toys and games, this is one way of making them happy, in a quality way.

Bookaroo, the children’s literature festival, will happen in New Delhi (22nd and 23rd November, 2008 at Sanskriti Anand Gram on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road).

Here are the events that form part of the festival
- Listen to stories
- Dramatix
- Rhyme time
- Comics
- Interactive buzz
- Graffiti
- Glum peacocks
- Magic pencil
 
Choose your event/s and register now! You may check the possibility of holding a similar event in your city by sending a mail to info@bookaroo.in 

The Bookaroo Festival kicks off with an outreach program on November 19th and 20th. It will give children a chance to meet famous Indian and international authors, poets, and illustrators. The aim of the festival is to expose children to the hidden joys of reading. This is truly a one-of-its-kind event, which focuses on the role books play in shaping children’s thinking and lives. The interactive sessions will comprise workshops, plays, comics, storytelling, games and lessons in creativity.

For instance, Sampurna Chattarji, Kalpish Ratna and Ishrat Syed will present ‘Panchatantra in Wonderland’. These animal fables are an invariable part of our literary and social heritage, but what do they really mean in today’s world? Here a modern twist is given to the classic tales.

According to Anita Roy, one of the organizers, the Bookaroo Festival is all about bringing together children with those who actually pen the books they love so much. She adds: “It is about celebrating the world of children’s book writing and literature in all its marvelous variety.”

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