The Incredible Spa feeling

Spa’s seem to be the longest standing fad since boot cut jeans. Maybe there is more to spa treatments than meets the skin! I have always had a very practical approach to holistic treatments, apply only what can’t be consumed, for instance, why waste a whole papaya on your face, when you can eat half of it and create a benefit for your eyes and digestion. In fact fruit facials seemed almost absurd to me unless the fruit is too rancid to be eaten or generally tastes lousy.



The latest trend is veering towards even weirder products being applied all over the body, no matter how tempting chocolate is, it belongs in the mouth and nowhere else, unless you are considering it for intimate purposes, then that’s entirely a personal choice. But chocolate as a body pack just doesn’t seem right. The cocoa bean has numerous qualities, it has vitamins (A, B1, C, D & E), calcium and potassium, it even has endorphins, the chemicals that make a person happy. The main reason chocolate has won as a spa treatment is the anti oxidant properties it contains. Anti oxidants fight free radicals and free radicals are bad boys, they harm blood vessels, skin elasticity, the heart and worst of all, they are attributed to causing clusters of cancer cells. I guess that’s good enough reason for people to go find the closest Chocolate Spa treatment in their area. Chocolate is the only food substance I would suggest as an application, after all applying it would save you the calories but then again, is it worth the sacrifice? If chocolates have anti oxidants and all the other good stuff, then I would rather pop a piece in my mouth and rejoice.



The spa treatments that I completely agree with are of an entirely different nature. They have a science attached to them that is a little more gratifying and convincing than just “it’s good for you”. Massages for example, just regular massages can be the ultimate spa experience if done correctly. Use natural oils like coconut, olive or mustard (smoke it on a fire so the overpowering fragrance is reduced) or even a mild product like baby oil is great. Make sure the masseuse is either qualified, experienced or comes with great references, because he or she can hurt you.



Dim the lights, burn incense, lay out some flowers petals if you like flowers and just close your eyes. Let the stress slip out the soles of your feet and let strength seep into your neck and shoulders. There is a process for de-stressing during a massage, concentrate on every single part of your body, start with your toes. Relax your toes, let them be flaccid, move on to your ankles, the shin, the knees and so on. By the time you reach your forehead, you would have turned your body into a limp mass of person that requires an hour of kneading. Be the dough! Good massages can assist in digestion, weight loss, muscle strengthening, de-stressing and a general sense of well being. Massages can be had at home, at a spa or even your garden. In India, massages are a norm from the time a person is born. Infants as young as a few weeks old are gently massaged to help develop their dexterity, coordination and muscle strength. Almost all Indian children have been brought up on massages. Beyond the physical benefits, it is also a good way to bond with your baby.



Several holistic treatments that are age old remedies in Indian medicine (Ayurveda) are being adopted by Spa’s. Some of which are easy to replicate at home. The idea is to devote 2 hours a week to your body, that is sufficient time to take care of your hair, skin, teeth, nails and mind. Get a massage once a week, that’s 45 minutes and the rest of the time can be used for simple home treatments that are way more organic than anything in a bottle. If someone bottles consumables as body treatments there has to be a preservative involved, so when you use that product, you actually use the preservative too. There are a few simple recipes below that can give you a budget spa feeling within hours in your own home.

Hair:
1 egg white (never use the yolk, that’s where the foul smell comes from)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive or coconut oil
1 tbsp yoghurt

Mix all the ingredients and apply to the scalp and hair for 15 minutes or till the egg white dries and makes your hair crispy. Wash with tepid water and don’t apply shampoo till the end of the day.

Face:
2 tbsp chickpea flour
1/s tsp lemon juice (natural bleach but very potent so be stingy)
1 tbsp fresh cream (it’s better to take it off the top of boiled milk but in a lot of countries milk is tetra packed so the next not so best thing is packaged dairy cream)
1/s tsp sugar

Mix all the ingredients, to make a paste you can use a teaspoon of milk if the liquids in the recipe are not sufficient to make a paste the consistency of putty. Apply on the face for 15 minutes, when it is drying, gently rub it off. The dry face pack will take off fine hairs on the face and the sugar will help exfoliate.

Nails:
2 tbsp glycerin
1 tsp lemon juice

Dip your fingers in this mix for 10 minutes a week and watch your nails sparkle white and stay healthy and chip free.

The Taj - A Symbol of Devotion

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The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a mausoleum for his favorite Persian wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1632 and was completed in approximately 1648.

Some dispute surrounds the question of who designed the Taj Mahal; it is clear a team of designers and craftsmen were responsible for the design, with Ustad Ahmad Lahauri considered the most likely candidate as the principal designer.

The Taj Mahal (sometimes called "the Taj") is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as a "universally admired masterpiece of the world's heritage.



In 1631 Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their daughter Gauhara Begum, their fourteenth child. Contemporary court chronicles concerning Shah Jahan's grief form the basis of the love story traditionally held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.

Construction of the Taj Mahal was begun soon after Mumtaz's death. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648, and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.

The complex is set in and around a large charbagh (a formal Mughal garden divided into four parts). Measuring 300 meters × 300 meters, the garden uses raised pathways which divide each quarter of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, and a linear reflecting pool on the North-South axis reflect the Taj Mahal. Elsewhere the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains

The Charbagh garden was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor Babur, a design inspired by Persian gardens. The charbagh is meant to reflect the gardens of Paradise (from the Persian paridaeza — a walled garden). In mystic Islamic texts of the Mughal period, paradise is described as an ideal garden, filled with abundance. Water plays a key role in these descriptions: In Paradise, these text say, four rivers source at a central spring or mountain, and separate the garden into north, west, south and east.

Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular in form, with a tomb or pavilion in the center of the garden. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is located at the end rather than at the center of the garden. But the existence of the newly discovered Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna provides a different interpretation — that the Yamuna itself was incorporated into the garden's design, and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise.

The layout of the garden, and its architectural features such as its fountains, brick and marble walkways, and geometric brick-lined flowerbeds are similar to Shalimar's, and suggest that the garden may have been designed by the same engineer, Ali Mardan.

Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including roses, daffodils, and fruit trees in abundance. As the Mughal Empire declined, the tending of the garden declined as well. When the British took over management of the Taj Mahal, they changed the landscaping to resemble the formal lawns of London.

Myths about the Taj Mahal are now so old or compelling that they are often repeated as facts. A longstanding myth holds that Shah Jahan planned a duplicate mausoleum to be built in black marble across the Jumna river. The 'black taj' idea originates in the fanciful writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a European traveller who visited Agra in 1665. The story suggests that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb before the black version could be built. Ruins of blackened marble across the river, in the so-called Moonlight Garden (Mahtab Bagh) seemed to support this legend. However, excavations carried out in the 1990s found only white marble features discoloured completely to black. The garden buildings had collapsed due to repeated flooding. Others speculate that the 'black taj' may refer to the reflection of the Taj in the large pool of the moonlight garden.

Numerous stories describe — often in horrific detail — the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations which Shah Jahan inflicted on various architects and craftsmen associated with the tomb. No evidence for these claims exist.



Sometimes misinformation about the Taj has been used for political or self-serving advantage. Lord William Bentinck, governor of India in the 1830s, supposedly planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. There is no contemporary evidence for this story, which may have emerged in the late nineteenth century when Bentinck was being criticised for his penny-pinching Utilitarianism, and when Lord Curzon was emphasising earlier neglect of the monument. Bentinck's biographer John Rosselli says that the story arose from Bentinck's fund-raising sale of discarded marble from Agra Fort.

The Sensual Sari

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The ‘sari’ adds a whole new meaning to the term ‘the whole nine yards’. It is a 5000 year old traditional outfit, worn by an estimated 75% of the female populace of India. It is a one piece garment and its length ranges from five to nine and half yards. All of which is wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder. It is worn all over India in over 15 regional styles and in every way that a 'Sari' is fashioned it adds sensuality and femininity to a woman’s body.



From the basic cotton to rich silk, sexy satin and elegant organza, the sari comes in a variety of fabrics. Sari’s can be block printed with natural dyes; they can be embroidered with intricate patterns or woven with imaginative designs. Even avid ‘sari’ collectors will say no one can have them all. Some of the popular regions for ethnic ‘sari’s are West Bengal where the wondrous ‘Baluchari’ comes from, it always has images of Indian religious epics as a pattern. The state of Tamil Nadu offers the richly brocaded ‘Kanchipuram’, they are silk saris much sought after and considered a must for every woman to own. Orissa has mastered the art of yarn dyed patterning, their Sari’s are stark and geometric. Rajasthan and Gujarat derive their inspiration from the gypsy culture of that region, their bandhini’ sari’s come in vibrant colors achieved from the process of ‘tie and dye’. The list of ethnic sari’s is endless but the ‘sari’ has evolved. As times have changed so has the ‘sari’, in order to suit the 21st century Indian women, sari’s come with more modern designs and in more manageable fabrics. Embroidery on ‘sari’s’ has been replaced by sequins and ‘Swarovski’ crystals, only to invite a whole new generation into its fold (pun intended)!

What really makes this outfit extremely versatile is that it can be worn as a trouser, as shorts or as a simple skirt, without one single stitch on it. Sari’s suit the weather of the Indian subcontinent, it is airy and light yet sensual and suggestive. A hint of the midriff is all an Indian woman will divulge but the sari hugs a woman’s curves so beautifully, that she stands out despite her whole body being covered.

The ‘sari’ is draped and tucked into a skirt like garment called the ‘petticoat’ and on the upper body a short bodice called a ‘blouse’ is worn. The midriff is bare. Every state of India has a traditional weave for the ‘sari’ as well as a traditional style of draping. North India produces fine block printed cottons and textured silks like those found in Varanasi. South India on the other hand prefers to ignore the glaring sun and produce richer and heavier silk saris with ancient motifs and patterns. Every region of India boasts of a typical ‘sari’ only found in that area.

So if you haven’t worn one yet, go ahead take the plunge. The real secret of the ‘sari’ is – it adds curves to the right places and hides curves in the wrong places. Enjoy!

About the famous ‘BINDI’

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Indian women are famed for their bright clothes and traditional jewelry. Added to this burst of color are a host of other adornments in the form body art and piercings. One strong symbol of body art is the ‘bindi’ or ‘bindiya’. It is usually a red dot worn in the center of the forehead, just between the brows.

A powder of dried turmeric and lead produces ‘kumkum’ or ‘sindoor’ used to apply the traditional red bindi. In southern India vermillion is used to apply a ‘bindi’, it is made of powdered red mercuric sulphide. Now bindi’s are available in a variety of colors and materials. Married women wear it as a norm, while younger women prefer to wear it as an accessory.

Several theories explain the tradition of this ornamental dot. Those of a scientific bent of mind say the 'bindi’ is applied on an integral nerve point. This center point is considered an integration of higher wisdom and inner strength. The ‘bindi’ is thus applied to retain energy. The traditionalists believe it brings good fortune and luck. It is auspicious and a symbol of marriage, the most sacred of all ties. Mystics have always argued that the ‘bindi’ is the third eye, the seat of all Hindu goddesses and their powers. Ultimately it is the Fashionista’s that have brought the ‘bindi’ into the limelight by wearing it simply for its stark presence and mystery.

‘Bindi’s’ are now tradition and trendy. They come in intricate patterns with gems and sequins adding to the vibrancy. They are worn with both ethnic and western clothes, making a global statement in fashion.


Not only women, but Hindu men also wear a dot on the forehead, indicating their third eye. The 'bindi’ for men can also be called a ‘Tika’ or 'Tilak', it is usually longer and applied with the thumb. The ‘Tika’ is an auspicious symbol for men too, it reminds them of their spiritual heritage. In terms of history this ‘Tika’ helps to identify a Hindu among the members of other religions. Christians wear a cross, the Jewish wear a ‘yarmulke’, the Sikhs wear a turban and so on.


Ulitmately its women that identify most with the 'bindi', it signifies female energy or ‘shakti’. This red dot has gone from a symbol of marriage into patterns that go with a woman’s moods and the occasions in her life. It is all about empowerment and femininity.