Do you know how ladies used to dry their hair after a head bath in those good old days when electric hair driers were not available? Yes! They had a traditional style of drying the hair with perfumed hot air. Sounds romantic and feels cosy doesn’t it? In the old days, when modern gadgets had not yet invaded the lives…
One of the wonders of creation is water. 90% of the human body is water. Without water, there is no life on earth. The entire species on earth have learnt to drink water in their own way. The primitive man started drinking water from his cupped hands and with progress in civilisation the man started using a variety of glasses…
The dimensions of the pot: 15” diameter at the belly, 4” diameter at the mouth, Height – 12” This antique copper water storage pot is from the state of Rajasthan, India. Most part of Rajasthan is a desert or arid land and water is a scarce commodity. It is a common sight in rural Rajasthan that women carry up to…
During my younger days, the monthly ritual in our family was that all children were required to take an oil bath. To begin with, my mother used to apply a fistful of coconut oil on the top of my head and keep on patting at the same spot chanting a variety of blessings. One blessing I still remember is…
Ancient Indian wisdom of storing water in brass vessels for healthy living is now proved to be a scientific fact. Extending the same habit, ancient Indians drank their water from brass pots. This culture was prevalent till the beginning of 20th century and that was when the stainless steel and plastic culture pushed out the use of brass as a…
Flowers are one of the most beautiful and colourful creations in nature. Everybody loves flowers and we use them for various purposes. Flowers are an essential part of the Hindu way of doing ritual prayers known as “Pooja”. Hindu scriptures say that essentially any of the three things namely “Pushpam”, “Phalam”, and “Toyam” meaning flower, fruit, and water should be…
It is a dream come true for me. At last, I managed to take the pilgrimage to Maha Kumbh Mela, 2013. Though I had the intense desire to see the magnificent spectacle that is Kumbh Mela, all my attempts failed due to non-availability of tickets and lack of the right company. I was warned not to take a journey…
Gaja Diya Gaja in Sanskrit means Elephant, and Diya is an oil lamp with a wick. This oil lamp is crafted to show an Elephant carrying a diya on its back. It is customary that Gods, Kings and Dignitaries sit in a howdah placed on a caparisoned Elephant. They do not sit directly on the back of the Elephant. In…
Gangalam is a huge metal vessel normally used for cooking food and storage of water. Pulusu is an Andhra special food item prepared with Tamarind juice and vegetables cooked together with spices and seasoned to get the special flavour. This dish is a semi liquid item with vegetables and is eaten mixed with hot rice. The picture shown here is…
This wonderful art object in the form of a fish is actually a Bharani (Container) made out of Brass metal used for storage of red powder called Tiruchoornam. Tiruchoornam is used by Vaishnavite sect of Hindu Brahmin Community to apply Namam, a religious mark on their forehead. Vaishnavism and the Namam Namam mark is a visible sign of a…