You'd think that having to begin working at an ungodly hour would mean doing away with a beauty routine or fussing over what to wear, but Lakshmi offers a contradiction. Choosing a happy-hued cotton sari from her steel almari, stacking her arms with glass bangles, wearing her gold jimmikis (earrings) and nath (nose ring), wrapping fresh gajras around her neatly knotted hair-Lakshmi is one of the many middle-aged women across South India whose livelihood depends on gathering fresh flower produce before the crack of dawn.
Inextricably linked to the country's social and cultural fabric, the plenitude of gulaab, kamal, chameli and genda is evident in every festival, nuptial and gifting checklist, adorning homes, hair, deities and temples everywhere. In South India, the onset of Onam is marked by pookalam (flower rangolis) decorating doorways to welcome King Mahabali for a good harvest. Travel to Karnataka during Ugadi and you'll see marigold and mango leaf torans draped across front doors to ward off nazar. India's flower business (valued at *26,200 crore last year as per market research firm IMARC) is dependent on people who have dedicated generations to the trade despite reaping few benefits in return.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November - December 2024 من VOGUE India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November - December 2024 من VOGUE India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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Anupama Parameswaran knows the cost of being seen, of being a young woman in a world that's always watching. Beyond the beauty, the glamour and her young 28 years, she speaks five languages more than enough words to tell her story. The actor opens up to AKSHAYA PILLAI on the quiet details of a loud life.
ALL POWERED UP
For a long time, South Asians limited themselves to careers in tech and finance in order to make a mark away from Indian soil. Now, they are not only taking over the creative scene but also finding new ways to proudly display the identity they once felt compelled to conceal
THE PROMISED LAND
Generations of rural women have been refused a well-deserved seat at the decision-making table. Now, through upskilling and technological know-how, their daughters are taking their place at its head.
HOT!
A penchant for spice is no longer just a personal preference; it's a badge of honour, the mark of a wild, sexy, untameable spirit. It's why any Indian establishment worth its salt now takes pride in its proprietary condiments-big, bold, blazing ones that could only come from its kitchen.
DOWN TO EARTH
While grand gestures might make for good cinema, Bhumi Pednekar's real life is about making small, deliberate everyday choices for the planet
Ms. Brightside
A loved one's dementia diagnosis can feel like the person you know is lost forever. When the progressive disease came to claim their amma, two sisters found a silver lining in her changing behaviour.
A gift in time
Why do we assign some personal milestones more value than others? Perennial bridesmaid DIVYA BALAKRISHNAN demands that we reassess the definition of a 'big day'
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT
A growing cohort of Kashmiri creatives are forging new relationships with the valley by reviving lost art forms, making art out of their bodies and applying ingenious solutions to everyday items.
Didn't do it for the 'gram
Am I marrying for love or for social media? When she found herself spiralling before the big day, SHRADHA SHAHANI had to ask herself the hard question
LA DOLCE VITA
From a Sicily-inspired haldi to walking down the aisle twice for the Muslim and Sikh ceremonies, Malia Taqbeem and Abhay Dhaliwal's Italian wedding was the perfect missing piece to complete their serendipitous love story
