The green revolution has turned the wheels of fortune in favour of India’s long-standing tradition of massaging the scalp with herb-enriched oils. Aparrna Gupta traces its triumphant comeback.
Picture this: an intricately carved bathtub is filled with herbal water painstakingly infused by boiling barks of over a dozen trees. On one end are three intricately carved silver bowls, each containing a different oil: for face, body and hair. After a dip in this bath, hair is dried with a muslin towel and spread over a basket suspended over burning, herb-scented coals. The resultant smoke dries the strands gently and leaves them mildly fragrant.
A treatment fit for any luxury spa today, this is how South Indian princesses used to look after their long, black lustrous tresses. To oil or not to oil is a choice we as Indian women face today. For royalty, long, black hair oiled and combed was a ritual; for our humble ancestors, applying oil on hair was a habit.
To quote an ancient text, the Charak Samhita, ‘one who applies oil on his head regularly does not suffer from headache, baldness, graying of hair. Nor does his hair fall. Strength of his head, forehead is specially enhanced; his hair become black, long and deep-rooted.’ Thus, oiling is encouraged as the primary haircare regimen in Ayurveda.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Verve ã® August 2016 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Verve ã® August 2016 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Making Amends
This generationâs penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our misstepsâŠ
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the companyâs commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tigerâs perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earthâs crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Aliâs stories â written exclusively for Verve â attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using natureâs elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. Itâs not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesnât stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
