The hot new ornament for 2006

Remember a time, when calendars were just meant to be looked at, to check on the day/month/week etc? But these days, they have to be extremely ornamental as well. Or should I honestly say, it should show skin and lots of it to qualify being displayed, as a work of art in your living room or office lobby.

Here are some really sexy ways to keep track of your appointments and dates in 2006.

Channel V recently launched its limited edition calendar featuring the likes of VJs Pia, Sarah-Jane, Archana, Juhi and Tina in all their natural and unnatural glory. Of course, gracing the occasion were a small but steady posse of celebrities who themselves took quite a shining to the cameras.

And, in the tradition of all good events, the party started almost an hour late, leading mere mortals to wonder whether the chief guest had bothered to check his calendar. Moral of the story: When it comes to dates, get a calendar with women on every page.



The Kingfisher calendar

Mention women and calendars in the same breath, then Vijay Mallya can't be far behind. His Kingfisher calendars are hot and has the best bodies in the world of modelling, dying to get on it. A regular who has been featured in this calendar, has been Yana Gupta and a new flavour of the season seems to be Pia Trivedi. It goes without saying that this calendar is mostly beaches, babes and bikinis. Also, the calendars are not sold, they are handed out to maintain exclusivity, so try and steal them!

But the really first Indian corporate to put out beautiful women and handsome men on desktop calendars, made out of handmade paper, was the Taj Group of Hotels. Every year, Tata Group executives got these classy calendars and for the most part, there was a theme - '100 years of the Taj Hotel', the 'Retro Look', the 'Bohemian theme' etc. Indian designers get to showcase their clothes on Indian models. These are tasteful calendars featuring gorgeous people, and for those who don't prefer the rampant skin show.

Writing about calendars that show a lot... of stuff, then one is reminded of the grand daddy of such calendars - the Pirelli calendar. This Italian tyre brand is forever associated with putting on the most beautiful, the boldest and the sexiest people on the planet, in really compromising positions and photographing them.



The Pirelli calendar

You think this is just hyperbole. Well, this year's calendar had Naomi Campbell in the nude with her boyfriend, also in the buff, lolling around in bed. Sorry guys, this year is almost out...so there's no way you are getting to look at this nude fest!

In 2006, the Pirelli calendar has the Brazilian hottie Giselle Bundchen among many others, in their birthday suits, most of the time. Still want to know more? Well, try and get your hands on this calendar. That should be your first New Year's resolution for 2006.

Or, here's a link to the website, where you can check out the Pirelli beauties. http://www.pirellical.com/thecal/calendar.html

Written for www.moneycontrol.com