A slice of old-world England; Perks of meditating before meals

Hello,

India’s two biggest lenders are keeping the ball rolling on stellar first-quarter results.

HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector lender, posted first quarter profits that beat estimates despite increased provisions on its balance sheet. Net income rose 12% to Rs 18,155 crore in the three months ended June from a year earlier. 

ICICI Bank’s first-quarter profits also beat estimates, driven by growth in its business and corporate lending divisions. 

While overall bank credit growth has slowed in India, lenders are optimistic about a recovery following the RBI’s move to cut rates by 100 basis points since February.

On the investment side of things, SEBI is proposing changes to current mutual fund scheme rules, allowing asset managers to offer both value and contra funds, provided the overlap in their investment portfolios does not exceed 50%. 

ICYMI: Speaking of regulatory changes, banks may also soon need to keep a close eye on climate risks within their loan portfolios. 

In other news, what would you be willing to pay to own a piece of another world? A bidder at Sotheby’s has set an auction record by shelling out $5.3 million for a Martian meteorite.

The 54-pound fragment is one of the largest known pieces of Mars, discovered in November 2023 in Niger's remote Agadez region.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• A slice of old-world England
• Perks of meditating before meals
• Where food meets dignity

Here’s your trivia for today: What sport has been played on the moon?

Travel and Leisure

A walk through the English countryside

Bakewell, home to barely 4,000 people today, attracts its fair share of visitors. Yet, beneath the bustle of day-trippers and tour groups, it remains a working UK market town, rooted in its Saxon past as in the rhythms of rural life. 

Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the town’s history goes back centuries, etched into the limestone walls of All Saints Church and the arches of its medieval stone bridge, which has spanned the Wye since the 13th century.

Escape to the past:

• Bakewell’s most enduring and delicious legacy is its signature dessert—the Bakewell Pudding, with a buttery, flaky pastry base topped with jam and an almond-egg filling; pudding-like when warm. The more familiar Bakewell Tart, iced and mass-produced, makes its way to supermarkets across Britain. 
• The town’s Monday market, which dates back to 1330, still spills through the streets with stalls selling everything from handmade crafts to Peak District cheeses. The Old House Museum offers a window into Bakewell’s past, while the Peak District Artisans market showcases the creative spirit of the region.
• A short drive away lies Chatsworth House, one of England’s most magnificent stately homes, said to be the inspiration for Austen’s Pemberley. Set amidst rolling parkland designed by Capability Brown, Chatsworth is still the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

Mindfulness and Spirituality

Perks of meditating before meals

Earlier, dinner would often be a task finished while half-watching a show, half-replying to emails, and not really tasting anything. Meals felt transactional—a task to check off the list. More than just getting full, they often felt like an attempt to fill something deeper.

But one day, adding a small pause before eating kickstarted a habit that changed everything about mealtimes. 

Mindfulness at meals:

• Meditating wasn’t about controlling food intake. This wasn’t about ‘mindful eating’ or performing wellness; rather, it was about giving permission to be present, to treat food not as a reward or escape, but as a small, beautiful act of care.
• Meditating before meals also allowed space to evaluate the primary motivation behind the drive to eat. Not to judge, but to ask: What am I hungry for right now? Sometimes the answer was “just food.” Other times, it was something else entirely–rest, connection, or silence.
• What was surprising was the gratefulness it instilled for the food itself, and for the people who grew it, cooked it, and served it. Even for the body, which was doing its best, and for the simple privilege of having something warm and nourishing.

Mental Health

Where food meets dignity

For over two decades, The Banyan, a Chennai-based nonprofit focused on mental health, has been integrating food-based training into its care models for individuals facing homelessness and long-term psychiatric conditions. 

By conducting baking workshops in residential centres and through community cafés and public canteens, its programmes aren’t simply about skill-building, but a step towards stability, choice, and a sense of continuity for women navigating life after institutionalisation.

News & updates

• Battle for browsers: Nvidia-backed Perplexity AI is in discussions with mobile device makers to pre-install its new Comet browser on smartphones. The move could significantly boost Perplexity's reach by capitalising on browser ‘stickiness’,  potentially driving habitual use of the company’s AI tools.
• Backing out: Private equity firm Blackstone has pulled out of a consortium seeking to take a minority stake in TikTok’s US operations. The latest change comes as uncertainty has mounted, and there have been several delays in the TikTok deal now at the centre of US-China trade talks.
• Production obstacles: Nvidia has told its Chinese customers it has limited supplies of the H20 chip, the most powerful AI chip it has been allowed to sell to China under US export restrictions. Right now, the company does not plan to restart production. 

What sport has been played on the moon?

Answer: Golf. In 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard swung a makeshift 6-iron on the moon’s surface—he missed on his first attempt but connected on his next two swings. 

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