When Sakshi Rawat draped the pichoda on her wedding day as she took the vows with a certain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, this customary piece of apparel from the quiet hills of Kumaon was in the spotlight for a day. The hyperventilating electronic media went to great lengths, explaining the traditions of a Kumaoni wedding and the significance of the pichoda. A relatively unknown entity outside the frontiers of its state, on its home grounds it needs no introduction, as it is part of every bridal trousseau. To a bride from Kumaon the pichoda is what a phulkari is to a bride from Punjab, the red cheli to Bengal, the turquoise-studded perak to a Ladakhi or the khara dupatta to a Hyderabadi. It's a symbol of a married woman and, according to custom, to be worn during festive social gatherings and religious occasions. Usually it's presented to the bride by her family and, in some cases, by her in-laws as well. Rudimentary yet celebratory in appearance, a pichoda is worn over the sari and is … [Read more...] about Modern makeover
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Hammering the insurance: Moment Bronx auto body shop workers use a sledgehammer to bash Honda Civic as 12 are arrested for ‘making phony accident claims’
Video filmed by undercover police shows auto repair workers in The Bronx use a sledgehammer and cardboard to intentionally inflict damage to a car in order to defraud insurance companies by making an accident claim. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday announced that 12 people have been indicted following a two-year investigation into an alleged scheme by auto repair shop owners who are accused of falsifying insurance claims. The DA’s office alleges that body shop owners ‘intentionally inflicted damage to vehicles that were not previously damaged’ in order to defraud insurers. ‘In some cases, defendants strategically enhanced vehicle damage so the body shop could increase the billed repair cost while keeping the actual cost of repair to a minimum,’ the DA’s office alleges. ‘The insurer would be charged the higher amount.’ The image above shows video from an undercover police camera in which auto body … [Read more...] about Hammering the insurance: Moment Bronx auto body shop workers use a sledgehammer to bash Honda Civic as 12 are arrested for ‘making phony accident claims’