Skin care

Why is skincare considered so important? Surely our ancestors managed well without this kind of thing! Wrong! Our forefathers and mothers were very much into skin care. The products they used may not have come out of a jar or a tube. But the concept of caring for skin was always a prime concern. Oil baths, scrubbing the body with besan (Bengal gram flour) were a part of their weekly routine. They also used turmeric and sandal wood paste to keep away acne, pimples and heat boils. In the olden days, the skin was kept well hydrated with water, oils and a healthy diet. But the modern generation has to contend with the after effects of junk food, long hours in air-conditioned rooms (dehydrates the body), stressful lifestyles and time constraint. These factors adversely affect our skin. - We therefore need to take adequate care of our skin - to keep it nourished and refreshed. Unless the skin is cared for, it could end up looking weather beaten and ravaged. This could hasten the onset of wrinkles and fine little lines. Good skincare is all about keeping your skin clean, healthy and beautiful. It's about keeping it clear of pimples and other eruptions. It's about keeping your skin youthful and refreshed. Skin needs to be protected from the vagaries of weather, pollutants, age and inappropriate lifestyles. Regular skin care is the best way to get a beautiful and ageless skin. Inculcating a skincare regimen into our daily lives would go a long way in keeping our skin healthy and rejuvenated. 

Chennai Sangamam

The fifth edition of Chennai Sangamam will feature over 1,300 artists from all over the State, including about 800 folk artists. Chennai Sangamam is the biggest open-air festival of India. A significant feature of this year's festival was performances by the underprivileged children, children from slums, differently abled and transgenders. The children presented folk dance programmes, whereas the orchestra was by the visually challenged. The transgender group  staged a play. This year chennai sangamam had a documentary festival too. Oyilattam, KokkaliKattaiattam, Thevarattam, Villuppaattu, Sakkaikuchchiyaattam, Thappaattam, Kaniyaan Koothu, Periya Melam, Jimplaa Melam, Kalarippayitru, Kummiyaattam, Poikkaal Kuthirai Aattam, Kazhiyalaatam, Therukkoothu, Nayyaandi Melam, Kaavadi Aattam, Paavaikkoothu (Leather puppet show), Karagaattam (Maadattam, Mayilaattam, Karadiaattam, Puliyaattam), Jikkaattam, Silambaattam, Chendai Melam and Tudumbattam are the various folk arts performed.

Sarangi - a palace of Kanjivaram saris

Sarangi, ideal store for silk saris celebrates the spirit of the Kanjivaram with a range of saris that are elegant, beautiful and always special. Never blatanly modern, each sari is designed keeping the aesthetics and sensibility of The Kanjivaram in mind. The name Sarangi(sau (meaning “hundred”) and rang (meaning “colour”) is inspired by the Indian musical instrument of the same name, whose sound is as expressive and evocative as a hundred colours. When asked about the idea behind starting Sarangi, Ahalya, creative head of Sarangi told “To me when something is beautiful, whether it’s jewellery or silk saris, there’s harmony, meaning and purpose. And for that to happen it must compliment their personality and be relevant to their life & lifestyle.” Sarangi is housed in a vintage 1963 bungalow, tastefully modified to suit the requirements of a sari store. It shares space with Rasvihar, the jewellery store. It creates space that offers privacy, luxury and comfort to our clients. A space where they could browse at their leisure, in a relaxing environment. 

If you have time and the interest to visit this palace of Kanjivaram saris, here is the address

#17a, Sterling Avenue
Nungambakkam Chennai -600034

Fish Pedicure

There’s a new trend in the world of beauty that has some health officials concerned. The demand for an unconventional procedure known as a “fish pedicure” is growing in popularity. A fish pedicure is a foot treatment that involves placing the feet into a tank filled with small fish called Garra Rufa. These fish enthusiastically devour dead tissue on the feet leaving them softer and easier to manage. This is usually followed up by a standard pedicure performed by a human.

"A pedicure is not a very enjoyable experience, the normal pedicure. We wanted to make it much more enjoyable and fun loving for people. We thought that when they come here. They should enjoy and have a good experience. We wanted to give them a lively experience and through fish pedicure we have been able to give them that," said Rahim, Director, Naturals Salon and Spa. The beauty solons in chennai which provides fish pedicure are Naturals Unisex salon, Tulip beauty care, Kanya, Trends in Vogue,etc.,

WARNING…!!!

There is warning if anyone is opting for fish pedicure. According to officials, a fish pedicure can cause tiny nicks or scratches on the skin which have the potential to become infected with bacteria and fungus.These fish are kept in non-chlorinated water which could be a source of bacteria and fungi that could lead to foot infections.

Kalamkari - The Ancient Indian Art

Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced in parts of India. The word is derived from the Persian words kalam (pen) and kari (craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen.

The craft made at Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, evolved with patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda sultanate.

There are two distinctive styles of kalamkari art in India - one, the Srikalahasti style and the other, the Machalipatnam style of art. The Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari, wherein the "kalam" or pen is used for free hand drawing of the subject and filling in the colours, is entirely hand worked. This style depicted deities and scenes taken from the great Hindu epics - Ramayana. Mahabarata, Puranas and the mythological classics. 

Only natural dyes are used in Kalamkari and it involves seventeen painstaking steps. The cotton fabric gets its glossiness by immersing it for an hour in a mixture of myrabalam (resin) and cow milk. Contours and reasons are then drawn with a point in bamboo soaked in a mixture of jagri fermented and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes. After applying each color, the Kalamkari is washed. Thus, each fabric can undergo up to 20 washings. Various effects are obtained by using cow dung, seeds, plants and crushed flowers.

The J. J. School of Art, Mumbai is one such beneficiary. They are presently experimenting with this art form on Silk Ikat (i.e., tie and dye textiles popular in Pochampally, Andhra Pradesh).

http://www.kalamkariart.org/

http://www.craftsofindia.com/kalamkaripainting/index.shtml 

Aditi Prakash's blog

When I was searching for a journalist’s blog who is in the lifestyle beat, the person who came into my mind was Aditi Prakash from THE HINDU. I just went through her blog, I could find the clarity of her writing in each and every article. She has posted an article about the Blue Pottery from Jaipur which is becoming popular in all the leading cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Hydrabad, Bombay, etc., The wide product collection right from Animal strings,Chmineys,Ashtrays,Bathroom sets and Lamps and much more is a treat for your eyes. She has mentioned all the details and information about the Blue Pottery and the places where we can get these. This is her recent post is her blog. She has even written about Tanjore paintings in chennai, a detailed article about Kalamkari works, a brief and informative article about tilings, ceramics and sanitaryware, home decors, domestic furnitures, etc., The most striking feature of writing is she has made the reader’s work more simpler by mentioning the online websites where you can buy Indian handicrafts, plants, painting and home decors, furnitures, tanjore paintings, blue pottery, etc., Eagerly waiting to know about her next blog post J