The week begins; your beats per minute already feel like you’ve been on a treadmill 24/7. And when work eases off, tedium tries to set in. Protect your natural sparkle this Independence Day.

Bordi beach lets you set your pace — even before you get there. Snooze through the three-hour train ride to Gholvad station and enjoy the auto ride. Choose a beach-front room at the MTDC from where your bare feet have easy access to sand and surf. Or stop at one of the old Parsi heritage homes for the same price and more polite service.

Bask in the fact that nothing needs to be done, even though delightful options exist. Drop by the Saturday market on the arterial road for some local wares. Splash through the rain to the Asavli dam. Or turn beach comber, letting your eye rove over the sand for interesting shells and flotsam.

Connect. With your lover, friend, yourself. On drizzle-drenched beach walks. On meanders through village paths that take you through chikoo orchards. And dark, eerily quiet roads by night.

Recharge your lungs and your mind. Now, you can take on the week and the world again.

MTDC: Tel: 22026713; Website: maharashtratourism.gov.in.
Tapovan Retreat: Tel: Homi on 98201-91153 or 22665322; Website: tapovanretreat.com.
(Tariff for both is Rs 900 per day; check-in, check-out time is 9am; home-style meals at reasonable prices.)

You’re proud of your roots. So what if you play the blasé career chick most of the time. Especially in mid-August, you find yourself getting misty-eyed over the Purana Qila. Or the flag flying over Rashtrapati Bhavan.

A patriotic pilgrimage on I Day will help you indulge those ‘I heart India’ feelings. An overnight bus or train to Amritsar will get you there just in time to see the sun’s first rays touching the Golden Temple.

If the golden domes, guttural-yet-sweet gurbani and the serenity here don’t touch your soul, perhaps the hearty jalebis and lassi at the street dhaabas outside will. Ramble through the narrow bylanes, where moneylenders and textile merchants look like they belong in a period film.

See the bullet-ridden walls and visit the martyr’s well and gallery in Jallianwallah Bagh to appreciate how hard-fought our freedom is. Witness the elaborate flag ceremony at the India-Pakistan border at Wagah to experience a heightened sense of Indianness. Or visit Sage Valmiki’s ashram to realise how deep-rooted our wisdom is.

Come away enriched.

WelcomHeritage Ranjit Svaasa, Mall Road, Amritsar. Tel: +91-183-2566618, 3298840; Website: http://www.svaasa.com/ranjit/svaasa_specials.htm. Tariff: Rs 3,500 and up.
Le Golden Hotel, near Golden Temple entrance, Amritsar. Tel: +91-183-5028000, 5068000; Website: www.hotellegolden.com. Tariff: Rs 800 and up.

You wear your mom’s vintage Kanjivarams with as much ease as your Armanis. Classic S.D. Burman lyrics on your iPod sing along with Akon and Rihanna. And tulsi chai is as much of a favourite as Chardonnay.

Sometimes style is as much about sensibility as about what’s in.

Lifestyle store Goodness Gracious’s current exhibition of stunning period furniture hits that sweet spot. Owner siblings Paramjit Singh and Mishi Arora trawled the deep interiors of Chettinad for the collection, and each piece has been lovingly restored to its former glory.

Take pleasure in the imposing columns of rough granite with carved wooden tops, seasoned rosewood armoires, complete with hidden drawers and secret crevices, crockery almirahs, tables, wall clocks, consoles. A rare Davenport writing desk in satin wood for your study, and colonial cane-backed rattan chairs for your lawns.

The most striking piece — a resplendent 100-year-old door, full of intricate carving and brass knockers. Now if only someone could gift you an ancestral home to frame it.

Goodness Gracious, 86/A, Shahpur Jat, Near Asiad Village, New Delhi. Tel: 9818394534, 011 51798820. Prices from approx Rs. 8000 to Rs. 1,70,000, plus taxes.

Sixty years after our hard-fought independence, you seek to emancipate yourself from the chains of mind-numbing stress, a boring routine, an unhealthy lifestyle.

Choose to break free. Follow the path of the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra and Sarah Ferguson. Each of these trailblazers retired to Soukya — from the Sanskrit word Soukyam, meaning contentment — to calm their souls, nourish their minds, re-energise their inner strength.

Set in 30 acres of landscaped garden and farmland, Dr Issac Mathai’s holistic healing centre offers de-stress packages tailored for the urban angst-weary.

The rooms are plush, the meals delicious. You won’t even miss television or tenderloin steak.

Salute the sun with the suryanamaskar. Sign up for an ayurvedic massage. Go in for a refloxology treatment to return the supple to your body. Or opt to follow the living principles of yoga to experience simplicity.

If you have a medical condition, there are ayurvedic doctors, acupressurists, naturopaths and homoeopaths to work together on a single prescription for you.

Return to the city as good as new. Knowing freedom is just around the corner.

Soukya, 261 Soukya Road, Samethanahalli, Whitefield, Bangalore 5600067. Email: info@soukya.com Web: www.soukya.com. Phone: 2794 5001/27945003/25318405/9845374400. A two days-one night all-inclusive de-stress package for two costs Rs 9,200 per person on double occupancy basis, plus taxes.

Tomorrow: Another wellness getaway.

As a teen, you craved to be one of Archie’s gang, spending happy, outdoorsy summers at camp. As you grew older and explored the world — by plane, train or the Travel & Living Channel — you knew how much you needed the wide open spaces to keep your mind fresh and mojo groovy.

That’s why you’re always scouting around for sylvan spots to head out to every chance you get. Especially for Independence Day, our Trendy Travel Buff recommends the YMCA’s Camp Lakeside at Nilshi, near Lonavala, set in the midst of rain-drenched trees and mist-morphed mountains. Not merely because the very organic and eco-friendly architecture (rooms are built into the hill and lush grass grows on the roof) has won awards or its open-to-nature living spaces are cozy and spotlessly clean. Or that it allows you a quiet commune with nature with a lot of creature comforts thrown in. But also because it’s the hub for lots of exciting activities with friendly camp counsellor Melvin: archery, kayaking, rappelling and the special challenge of this season — climbing up through thundering waterfalls.

You know you’re up for the adventure. And the all-pervading peace. Just as frenetic or as tranquil as you choose.

Sign up for Camp Lakeside, Nilshi, at YMCA, 12 Nathalal Parekh Marg, Colaba, Mumbai; Tel: 22021316, 22020079, 22826384. Tariff: Rs 900 per day for 8-bed dormitory and nominal charges for all activities and a lavish buffet.

It’s that in-between time, when the rain takes a break, leaving you thinking wistfully of lush green leaves. And wind-swept skies. And, perhaps, a cloudy cliff. Or two.

Retreat to Writers Hill this I-Day weekend, for all this and more. Drive off early morning towards Karnal, take a right towards Nahan, and you are at Kala Amb (Black Mango), near the Jalal river valley. Another twenty minutes, and you are there, by late lunch-time.

Choose from the three cottages, and settle in. An attached study has a whole bunch of books, carefully chosen by the trio of owners who also happen to be, in their day job, journalists, Sundeep, Arup and Shireen. Dip into Dylan Thomas. Or enjoy a James Joyce.

Trek to Churdhar, the nearest hill. Walk along the periphery of Renuka Lake, just below. Take a cooking class to pick up a local delicacy. And wait for Sundeep, a dab hand in the kitchen, to rustle up delicious chicken curry and subzi and hot rotis.

Stare out at the clouds. Caution: keep your windows closed, or they can wander right in, leaving a tingly patch on your arm.

Feel free.

Contact: Munish +919872621619, Sundeep Misra +919815362999 and +919316123030.
Prices : Rs 3,500 on twin sharing basis per night, inclusive of all meals. For bookings, visit www.writershill.com. Best option, to drive from Delhi. Or fly to Chandigarh. Or take the Shatabdi to Chandigarh or Ambala Cantt; in both instances, a Writers Hill arranged cab will bring you to the spot.

Wearing the flag on their sleeve does it for some. Others want something deeper to celebrate their Indianness. You know how to live in the now, and celebrate your heritage — in your tank top with a silk handspun stole draped over your shoulders.

The Sangit Mahabharati classical music institute kicks off Independence Day on Saturday with a tribute to Pannalal Ghosh, ‘the father of Hindustani classical Flute.’ The line-up? Flautist Prasad Sathe and vocalist Ahsaan Ahmed, followed by Ustad Shamim Ahmed Khan, senior disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Foster your inner diva’s appreciation for time-honoured traditional music, and then come back for more on Wednesday, when the Sangit Mahabharati grounds will echo to the strains of Vande Mataram, sung by a chorus of students. Mandar Marathe, senior disciple of artiste Nayan Ghosh will present a sitar recital, followed by vocals by Janab Raza Ali Khan of Patiala Gharana, son of late Ustad Munnavar Ali Khan and grandson of the legendary Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Soak in the history and the harmony.

Sangit Mahabharati, A-6, 10th Road, Sangit Mahabharati Chowk, Juhu Scheme, Mumbai; Tel: 26206106; 6pm on Aug 11 and 10 am on Aug 15 (after flag hoisting). Entry free for both.

Your budget is teeny, your style is sassy. Yet in sale season, the two can dance. Our Trendy Fashionista scoured the city streets in search of cheap chic.

Hum India: Great kurtas, scarves, capris and belts. Buy three, get one free.
Trendy pick: Cheesecloth kurtas, chiffon tops with delicate floral embroidery.
Church Street, near Bhima’s; Commercial Street , near Anand Sweets. Tel: 41130860. Kurtas start at Rs 350, tops at Rs 200.

Pepe: Jeans at 50% discount, short cotton shrugs, three polo neck tees at slashed prices.
Trendy pick: Pack of three round-neck tees in blue, yellow and neutrals.
Forum Mall, Garuda Mall. Jeans start at Rs 1000, shrugs at Rs 599, polo tee packs cost Rs 1000, round-neck tee packs cost Rs 649.

iffa Fashions: Cotton skirts, dresses, tops. Embellished with lace, embroidery and crochet. No sale, but it’s a steal anyway.
Trendy pick: Lovely broderie anglaise tops.
No.66, Pradeep Plaza , 1st floor, Commercial Street 2nd cross. (Turn left after Koutons showroom, this is the second building on the right.) Tel: 9844012873. Tops start at Rs 175, skirts and dresses at Rs 250.

Trendy Tip: The lane that turns left from Anand Sweets on Commercial Street is a prayer answered for accessories, shoes and kitsch needs. Don’t miss the funky embroidered slingbags starting from Rs 150.

You treasure your childhood keepsakes. Your bedraggled Raggedy Ann is still beloved. She was your best friend when you were growing up, and shared all your secrets.

Get ready for another love-in with the eternal little girl in you. With eleven-year-old Biniya, who lives in the snowy mountains of Himachal Pradesh, and whose lovely smile spreads joy, like contagion, in her little hamlet.

And then one day, her cup runneth over. She is gifted a blue umbrella, of a wondrous azure hue. It’s the nicest thing anyone ever gave her, and there isn’t a happier girl in the universe. Till tea-stall owner Nandkishore casts his greedy eye on the precious umbrella.

Vishal Bharadwaj, one of India’s best directors, makes a magical movie of Ruskin Bond’s timeless tale of the same name, seamlessly capturing a simple story which says everything. ‘The Blue Umbrella’ is fabulously shot, and superbly acted: Pankaj Kapoor as the covetous chai-wala has never been better, and Shreya Sharma as the little girl is all little girl — all bright-eyed innocence, and sparkle.

Just the way you used to be.

The Blue Umbrella, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj. Out at your neighbouring multiplex on Friday August 10.

The Dior dress, the Chanel top, the Suneet Verma skirt have all done their rounds. Now you feel like a stand-out sari.

Sabyasachi is too arty for your taste; Satya Paul prints are too graphic. Get yours customised by Ratna Jain, the designer behind the label, Tantra. Her monsoon collection, Pearls Unstrung, is inspired by the myriad colours of the Goan beaches and the Arabian sea.

Unlike traditional weaves, these dream drapes are made from a mix of different fabric blends like net, Chantilly lace, velvet, shimmering chiffon, and linen. The colour palette ranges from beige to gold to seafoam white, aqua green, sea blue, shell pink and lilac: Our Trendy Fashionista gushed over an innovative skirt sari, in earthy pink net and chiffon and velvet, embellished with cultured pearls.

If you are a sari newbie, and all the draping and tucking intimidates you, Jain’s skirt saris are perfect. Just wrap it around, and see it cling to the right curves.

Pick one up from her present collection. Or order one customised just for you, to hit the next do.

Tantra Designs By Ratna Jain; Studio: KH-146, Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad 201002. Phone: 95 120 2701842, 4118132. Casual and cocktail saris start from Rs 7,500, formal saris Rs 10,000-25,000.