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Diwali fireworks can already be seen in the stock-market with the Sensex crossing 20,000. It has certainly set in the mood for Godess Lakshmi to step into the market. Stocks from Auto Sector amongst others have helped lift the Sensex to touch this new milestone with BSE Auto rising 0.27%. Traditionally, Diwali is also the time when auto marketers step on the gas to ride what’s considered the best demand season of the year. Dipawali hence sees a flurry of activity, from new models and upgrades to marketing and promotional campaigns, distribution and other ramp ups and more.
In my previous article I had talked about the discounts on offer from Auto manufacturers, lets get to the specifics now. You might like to compare each on TolMol Autos before arriving at a conclusion about the one best for you. For buying an Auto, in terms of variety, options, bargains on price, ac-cessories and insurance, this is about as good as it gets. So what if the interest rates still bite a bit, if they didn’t the bargains wouldn’t be that good, would it? Enough talk, lets get to the details of these offerings for Diwali 2007 now (Cars First):

• For the die-hard Maruti-Suzuki customer, its latest hatch, the Zen Estilo, comes with a Rs 45,000 rebate with dealers pitching in with further discounts on interest rates. Its other models too pack in quite a punch: the WagonR carries a discount of Rs 40,000 and the Alto Rs 34,000 while the old war horse Maruti 800 is off by Rs 25,000. Maruti’s mid-size sedan Esteem offers an impressive discount of Rs 56,000.
• Popular compact car Santro comes at Rs 25000 off while the Accent sedan carries a special price of Rs 4.99 lakh for a select few days. Hyundai is providing some value additions on its B plus Getz and C-seg Verna in addition to these discounts. The company is doling out a Rs 10,000 exchange bonus scheme on its Verna and Getz Prime models. A new car is being launched and its called “i10″, lets see if it manages to score a perfect 10 on your parameters!!
• Tata Motors is offering Rs 61,000 off on its Indigo Marina, Rs 45,000 on Indica Xeta petrol and Rs 40,000 off on the Indigo diesel range. Then Tata Motors has also rolled out a CRDi Safari followed by an Indica with V2 turbo and airbags and a Sumo Victa Turbo DI.
• Mahindra-Renault is offering a rebate of Rs 40,000 on its mid-segment Logan.
• Fiat Palio Stile hatchback is also off by a handsome Rs 38,000.
• General Motors is offering discounts of up to Rs60,000 or about 16% of the ex-showroom price for Spark, the car that is six just months old. GM is also expected to soon launch some limited editions and model up-grades.
• Honda has given a face-lift to almost all its products during the year, and has launched several limited editions of its various models.
• Czech auto maker Skoda introduced a third variant of its flagship model Superb last month
• Bentley has launched two convertibles - the Azure and the Continental GTC
• Ford rolled out a limited edition Fiesta which carries additional features like the 1.6 litre duratec engine delivering 101 bhp power, outside rear view mirror, stylish alloy wheels and an MP3 player with speakers and roof antenna

Well, bikes now and it appears that there’s a price war going on in the motorcycle market, this Deepawali.

• Market leader Hero Honda announced a discount of Rs. 2020 on its entry-level CD Deluxe and followed it up with Rs 2400 off on executive segment offering Splendor NXG. It also launched Hunk in the premium 150 cc category
• Its arch rival Bajaj responded by announcing a price cut of Rs. 4000 on its Platina. It has also launched a new product called XCD-125 and an upgraded version of Avenger which now features a 200cc engine
• Not to be left behind TVS motors is offering its upgraded Star City featuring 110 cc engine at the same price as its earlier 100 cc model.

With Diwali round the corner and Dussehra just gone by it seems to be just the right time to go in for that Auto purchase decision you have been postponing for a while. Well, your procrastination can’t be faulted much given the sharp spike in lending rates, which have risen by as much as four percentage points in the past three quarters to a five-year high.

This festival season vehicle manufacturers have news to cheer you up. Are you wondering that I am going to announce a sharp drop in auto loan interest rates? Well, not exactly! Though lending rates have eased a bit but they are still high enough to stop you from rushing to the nearest Auto showroom. Its a fry cry from previous years when Auto majors just couldn’t keep customers away during this auspicious period, traditionally the buying season for big-ticket items. So, you may be tempted to ask where’s the good news? Here it is: Most Auto firms are offering hefty rebates in the form of deep discounts. Many firms are even offering holidays to exotic locations, guaranteed buy-backs, cheaper financing, personal digital equipment, a year of insurance and other such goodies as part of the sales package.

Still, you need to find and compare the features, specifications of each before making that big decision. TolMol Autos to aid, whether its a bike or a car. Just compare your favourite autos side by side before visiting the showroom.

Has the monotonous schedule of life made your soul yell to break free from this suffocating boredom of life? At this juncture, a hiatus to move out of this conundrum and heading towards a holiday destination across the vast expanse of India(or the globe!) seems like an appropriate option. For the time that you spend in travelling to any location, one not only gets the time to unwind but also learns about the diversity of life in and around of that area of visit. Moreover, a trip refreshes the individual(well, the complete family too!!) to take on the rigours of life with a better spirit.

This festival season, most online travel portals have come up with attractive promotional offers in the form of cash-backs upto 50%!! You can consider these cash-backs as a sort of a discount, which accrue back to a customer either in the form of gift voucher or reflects as credit on her credit or debit card statement.

In the currently crowded online travel space in India, how do you choose amongst the best deal being offered by MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Arzoo, TravelGuru, Cleartrip, Indiatimes and Journeymart.
TolMol Travel to your rescue again! Just, compare and select the deal best suited to your travel plans from amongst these on TolMol and off you go. May I say, Bon Voyage!

Give any name to it, this surely is the true pan Indian festival transcending all the barriers of caste and region. Celebrated across India with religious fervour and gaiety, it’s also a time to shop and gift. If Northern India observes rigorous fasts and prayers during Navaratras, with Ramlila in the evenings and Vijaya Dashmi on the tenth day, in Eastern India, its Pandal Hopping for populace during Durga Puja. Navratri in Western India holds a special significance and for the youth particularly its Dandiya (originally Raas and Garba dances to please the Goddess!) time. South India celebrates Dussehra(or Dasara) culminating in grand processions with the idol of Goddess riding in a golden Ambaari (Elephant-seat) heaved on Elephant-back(ever heard of Mysore Dasara!).

This festival season, most Electronics and Computers manufacturers have launched new models and offered cool discounts on many of existing models. Not to be left behind, even Auto majors have announced new offerings taking note of the popular belief that Navratras are an auspicious time to buy.

So, what are you waiting for, go check out the latest festival offering on TolMol and compare across different brands. Your loved ones expect Gifts during this time, just find the best according to their tastes and of course your budget!

He is undoubtedly the biggest star to have come out of Indian cinema. After reading the title of the post, you may be tempted to add that he was voted so in the BBC millennium survey for the century ending 1999. Agreed, that was the past millennium, now we are in the new one!
Many critics have excoriated his decision to act in films such as Nishabd, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and essaying the role of Babban Singh in the disaster of the Sholay remake called RGV ki Aag. Then, there are many others who have panned some of his movies from late Eighties and Nineties. Films such as Jaadugar, Ajooba, Mrityudaata and Lal Baadshah were not befitting of his status and cult following.

Let critics have their say, but can someone deny the fact that he has towered over an entire industry within the span of last 38 years. As an actor he is in a class by himself. He is not OF any school, he IS a school, and nobody can do it quite like him. If he has taken on a script, he has done full justice to it with his meticulous approach to acting.

Here’s a short list of some of best Amitabh Bachchan movies(alright, they are from the era gone by, but aren’t these the ones which are truly his best!).

• Zanjeer
• Anand
• Sholay
• Deewar
• Kabhi Kabhie
• Laawaris
• Chupke Chupke
• Silsila
• Don
• Amar Akbar Anthony

Tolmol Movies has all of your favourite Big B movies apart from those listed above.

On your 65th birthday, all one could wish for maybe would be that you choose your current roles more wisely and less freely, Happy Birthday, Sir!

A simple love story combined with enchanting music has been the age old recipe of success for most of Bollywood’s biggest hits. However, of late romance, if only temporarily, seems to have taken a back seat in Bollywood movies. The mellifluous ethereal feeling of love has been replaced by comedy, thriller and topics on infidelity. Taking a look at the movies released in the last few years, it appears that Hum Tum released 3 years ago was the last Bollywood love story. It was preceded by experimental love stories such as Saathiya, Chalte Chalte and Veerz Zara which enjoyed great success at box office. While over the years, most of the romantic films have had the same oft repeated formulae there have been some amazing romantic films which have had those magical moments which have still managed to sustain romance in Bollywood. Here, we take a look at some of the best romantic films available on Tolmol Movies.

• Devdas
• Mughal-e-Azam
• Ek Duje Ke Liye
• Aradhana
• Kabhi Kabhie
• Bobby
• Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
• Maine Pyar Kiya
• Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin
• Hum Aapke Hai Kaun
• Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge

There are many many more. Undoubtedly, Bollywood has been a big reservoir of love stories. Today’s generation certainly enjoys those great romantic moments created on celluloid by the stars of yesteryears. Hopefully, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Sawariyaa which features stars of today (ok, perhaps the future!), love story makes a comeback.

Just why do people keep going back to classics? There are so many novels with storlylines like: girl meets boy, they fell in love, separated by friend/family/themselves and then a friend/family/themselves gets them together again and they live happily ever after. Well, maybe classics’ characters seem to be more realistic, believable and sweet. They have more conflicts to think about and it takes several months even years, before it can finally be resolved and you can follow their characters’ growth. You rejoice in their triumphs with them. This fact is exemplified none better than by the novels from the Victorian and Pre-Victorian era. Here’s a short list favoured by many (including yours truly!) available from Tolmol Books.

• David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Bronte (Charlotte, Emily and Anne) Sisters
• Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans actually, she took a male pen name just to make sure her works were taken seriously at that time!)
• Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
• The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Scalet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Well, there are many, many more and if you’ve not read any of them yet just explore these classics. Did I hear some of you say that you’ve already read them over? Then I ought to reproduce Cliff Fadiman’s remark, “When you re-read a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before”.
Ready for introspection or you’re still reading those chic lits or novels of that ilk! I would love to hear from you.

Bajaj Auto recently launched its much-awaited motorbike, christened “XCD 125 DTS-Si“. It claims to offer an unprecedented combination of 150cc features, 125cc performance and 100 cc mileage. Striving to be part of the buoyant executive segment, which includes Hero Honda’s hugely successful Splendor(+) and Passion(+) (both 100 cc bikes), it aims to wean away commuters from the 100 cc segment.
Wouldn’t be easy given Hero Honda’s stranglehold on this segment as both these bikes account for sales of over 1.5 lakh units each month. With TVS also set to launch 125 cc Flame, in the executive segment, the competition is likely to get intense.
So, who’s going to be the ultimate winner of this battle royale? Well, the commuter, who else! As bike manufacturers keep launching newer models to keep you interested, rest assured, we at Tolmol Autos would be the first to bring its features and specifications along with reviews from consumers. Just go ahead and compare the price, specs and features side-by-side and find the one best suited to your needs.

A good mystery novel propels us into another world, engaging our minds to the extent that we forget ourselves and the time passing by. A good mystery stokes our imagination and fuels our memories. Since early school days children start reading The Secret Seven and Famous Five by Enid Blyton. On progressing to middle school, its the Hardy Boys (by Franklin W Dixon) and Nancy Drew (by Carolyn Keene) who capture their imagination. In fact many have idolized them as their heroes in that impressionable age. However, its the grown-ups whom mysteries enthrall the most.
Right from the time that Edgar Allen Poe created the eccentric and brilliant C. Auguste Dupin in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” in 1841, the plot formula has been successful, give or take a few shifting variables. The style of the analysis, with its attention to forensic detail, is perhaps the inspiration for the stories about the most famous of all fictional detectives, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Then there are the Queens of Crime Agatha Christie with her detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and Dorothy L. Sayers’s aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey.
More recently John Grisham and Fredrick Forsyth have taken mystery novels towards the thriller genre.
So, whatever age group you belong to you can find the mystery of choice on Tolmol Books.

October the 2nd is a national holiday for all of us. For people at large, while there are some things to look forward to on other National holidays viz. the magnificent parade on 26th January and the PM’s speech on 15th August (new schemes are generally announced in it), Gandhi Jayanti is a day to relax. This observation when looked from the perspective of the youth is even more evident. The ideologies of Peace, Ahimsa, non-cooperation, Swadesi, honesty and integrity were mere words for Gen X. The principles followed by the father of the nation have for long been looked upon and typecast as stereotypical and dull by young India.
Well, all this seems to have changed after the Indian cinema’s resolve to revive the icon of the nation`s freedom struggle - Gandhi. New age directors such as Rajukumar Hirani (Lage Raho Maunna Bhai) and Feroz Abbas Khan (Gandhi My Father), have shown the youth the effectual results that come out of the implementation of these ideologies in today`s fast paced world. If Richard Attenborough’s celluloid epic had swayed audiences across the continents in the 1980s, these recent Bollywood films have sought to explore different aspects of the Mahatma’s mystique. In Jahnu Barua’s interestingly titled film, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara, a retired lecturer suffering from Alzheimer’s who is convinced that he assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.
As you look to get inspired from such movies just browse, compare prices and buy from your favourite seller on Tolmol movies.
Before concluding, another interesting piece of trivia, that would justify the title of this post. A recent poll on university campuses across the US put Mahatma Gandhi ahead of political figures anywhere in the world — the only man more popular than him among the student community, understandably, was Bill Gates!