HAND

HAND

· Add cornstarch in a bowl of warm water and mix it well. Soak your rough or scaly hand in this water for 5 minutes. Regular treatment like this will soften your hands.
· Apply petroleum jelly in your nails before doing messy jobs. This will prevent dirt from getting lodged.
· Rub your hands with sugar and lime juice. The sugar granules will exfoliate and the limejuice will lighten the skin. It will also soften the skin.
·Rub your hands with a mixture of sugar and olive oil for 1 minute. Wash it off.
·To delay age spots on your hand, use a piece of lemon and rub all over your hand, before washing. This will delay onset of age-spots.

Home remedies for Rough or discolored elbows
· Beat the white of an egg, add to it 1 Tbsp. milk of magnesia. Apply to elbows and allow to dry. It works wonders.
-If you have a darkened elbow, apply a mixture of lemon juice mixed with milk cream. Wash it with warm water after 30 minutes.

-Elbow darkness could be removed by applying a mixture of cucumber juice and lemon juice(equal quantity). Wash it after 15-20 minutes with warm water

Other Remedies for beautiful hands

·Wash your hands with vinegar mixed water or lemon juice mixed water to ward off the ill effects of hot water, soda, soap and other detergents.
·Glycerine mixed with rose water or cucumber juice should be rubbed on hands with a cotton wool swab. It cleans the skin.
·Boil potatoes, peel them while they r still hot, and use the mashed potatoes to rub on your hand and fingers. It will soften rough hands.
·Massage hands and fingers with almond oil at night before going to bed. It makes the skin look attractive.
·Mix lemon juice in barley powder and apply on the joints or webs of fingers to get rid of the darkness. Just doing this twice a month will show u the difference.
· If you have a stained hands, rub lemon juice on the stains after washing it and before it gets dry. It will lighten the stains.
· If you have a wrinkled hands, use rich cream after steaming the hands.
· As a hand cleanser it excels, just rub the hand with the skin of a lemon (squeeze the juice out first). As a special hand moisturizer, massage the hands for about 10 minutes as you watch television with a mix of Olive Oil and salt, this simple effective mix exfoliates and softens the hand so that they feels like silk -your hands would never have felt so soft and smooth.
· If lot of hairs are their on your hands then this will help. Apply a paste of gram flour and oil on your hands. Wash it with warm water after 30 minutes.
· Use these preparations: Witch hazel extract: 5 tbsBrewer’s yeast: 2 tspTincture of benzoin: 1/4 tspMix all the above ingredients into paste. Put it in refrigerator for 30 minutes and use it chilled.
· Almond oil: 2 tspHoney: 1 tspMix the above ingredients and massage them on hands in night. Wash it off the next morning with warm water.

TIPS ON HOW TO STAY YOUNG

TIPS ON HOW TO STAY YOUNG
Research has found that people who generally live longer do so partly because of good habits. Here, Dr Vernon Coleman and others provide some of the following good habits for longevity.

1) Laugh & fun, don’t be gloomy

2) Let bygones be bygones. Dwelling on the past inflicts unnecessary stress.

3) Early to bed, early to rise, is healthy & wise

4) Stay lean, being just 30% overweight is bad.

5) Keep learning, reading & socializing – an alert & active mind keeps brain cells healthy.

6) Keep working, doing something you like. Don’t retire, it slows down your body.

7) Be the boss of your own life. Letting others push you around produces stress.

8) Too many pills ruin your body, take just what you need.

9) Constantly alternating between weight gain & loss is bad

10) Exercise, quit smoking and eat less fatty foods

11) Do not worry about health & death, just get on with your life and enjoy it.

Mangalore Rasam Powder

Mangalore Rasam Powder
Ingredients:
Red chillies - 1 cup (broken into small pieces and tightly packed).
Dry coriander seeds - 1 cup
Chana dal - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek - 1/2 teaspoon (methi seeds)
Asafoetida (Hing) - a pea size lump or 1 teaspoon hing powder.
Curry leaves - 3 sprays.
Method:
Break the red chillies into smaller pieces (to enable easier powdering). Use the chillies along with the stalks - as the stalks also have the potency of the chillies, and also provide fibre for the body).

Heat oil in a kadhai and fry the red chillies on a slow fire till the chillies turn plump, Keep aside on a plate. Now in the same kadhai add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, fenugreek seeds and roast till light brown in colour. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves and roast for about five minutes on a slow flame.

When it is well roasted , a lovely aroma is emanated. Roasting enables the dals to get powdered easily and also roasting enables to store the masala powders for longer time. Once roasted, remove from flame and allow to cool. Grind all this together in a mixie and store in an airtight container.

This powder can be stored for a few months, Always use a dry spoon to remove the masala powders.

GOING BACK IN TIME IN THE MODERN AGE FOR SOME TRADITIONAL HOME REMEDIES

GOING BACK IN TIME IN THE MODERN AGE FOR SOME TRADITIONAL HOME REMEDIES
My aim to include this particular section in my blog is to preserve our traditional home remedies, which are so simple, easily available and good for the body system and don’t have any side effects. I hope for each and everyone to benefit from these. As we are progressing we are loosing touch of all these home remedies and have started heavily relying on western medicines which have harmful chemicals and side effects too. Simple ailments can be cured with a simple remedy available at home or the backyard garden and need not be treated with expensive visits to the doctor and harmful chemicals ingested into the body.
Home remedies are treatments of certain common ailments using household items and techniques. They are effective in curing certain common ailments like cough, cold, sore throat, headache, fever, sprains, pains, itches, cuts, etc. These remedies may not have a scientific explanation, but have been observed to be extremely helpful in curing many ailments.

These remedies have been passed on orally from one generation to another. Most commonly these remedies are known as grandma's remedies since the old ladies in a house are generally well aware of these kinds of remedies. These remedies don't use any artificial or chemically synthesized medicines but instead use things from the kitchen like turmeric, mint, honey, ginger etc. It may also involve use of oils and other liquids.

Home remedies are becoming more and more popular among the new generation also since they save a lot of money that people generally spend in curing certain ailments using medicines. Home remedies are most of the time safe to use for anyone in any condition. However, there may be few catches here and there which a person needs know before applying these remedies.

These remedies are not sure shot and there effect are variable from person to person and place to place. They may be really effective on certain people while some may find it completely ineffective. Some may also find their ailment increased with the treatment. Therefore extra care is required before adopting any home remedy for any ailment. Home remedies have been a very important part of Indian homes since time immemorial. No matter how ever well developed science may get, home remedies will still be common in Indian homes.

In India, when a person gets sick, be it a child or an adult the first thing that the lady of the house does is use spices and herbs available at home to cure or ease the ailment. There is a fear for using Western medicines as it causes a lot of body heat and also has many side effects, whereas home remedies are absolutely safe and light on the stomach and the entire system. When one thinks of traditional home remedies one gets a nostalgic feeling associated with wise all knowing grandmothers and simple, natural ingredients like turmeric, ginger, pepper, and honey. Members of the older generation in India relied heavily on Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, as they were not convinced of the efficacy and safety of modern allopathic treatments. It was largely due to their experience and knowledge of the medicinal properties of various herbs that they were able to treat common diseases like diarrhea, gripes, cough, cold, fever, etc. Even today, it is quite common for parents to try to treat common illnesses at home by these methods rather than rush to the doctor at the first sneeze.

My aim is to be a guide for the younger generation, else we will loose all these secrets passed on by our wise ancestors.
I will try to cover the simple traditional remedies known as“ Naatu Vaidyam or Tribal medicine, Ayurveda, Siddha and Kerala herbal medicine, even Western home remedies. Have tried to add the different names by which the herbs are called(the English name, south Indian name and north Indian name of the herbs so that it can be easily understood by everybody.)
I will be happy to add more inputs(traditional remedies) that I receive from the people who visit my blog. If you would like to suggest a traditional home remedy that has worked for you, you can add it to the comments.

DADI MAA KE NUSKHE / PAATI VAIDYAM (GRANDMOTHER'S HOME REMEDIES) ESPECIALLY FOR OUR BABIES

DADI MAA KE NUSKHE / PAATI VAIDYAM (GRANDMOTHER'S HOME REMEDIES)

Since the time I started this column, many people have been writing to me, they ask me queries on dosages, alternatives etc. etc. I am glad to help as much as possible but I would like to share with my readers that I am not a physician (kindly check the disclaimer below) nor were our grandmother's but they knew how to relieve us with herbs and spices available immediately at home.

Below are some home remedies, which I have heard of, read about and some which are tried and tested and proven to be effective time and again. I owe a lot to my parents who believe strongly in the power of herbs and home remedies. My father has written down many remedies, some of which are shared by me here for the benefit of the people at large. I would love to have contributions from visitors too.


EFFECTIVE HOME REMEDIES FOR BABIES
Babies.......Our precious little ones. We wouldn't want anything to happen to them, but it is well known that the immune systems of babies below the age of one year are immature. Hence, they are very susceptible to falling sick with slight changes in weather, diet, water etc.
Every time I went to the doctor when my baby was sick, he gave me so many packets of medicines, one for cold, one cough, one for allergy, one for fever, one for stomach pain. I felt like I was torturing my baby force feeding her so many different medicines. I'd have to use all my power to subdue her and force feed the medicine. So many times, my baby would reject the medicines by spitting it, vomitting it after crying. After all this I used to wonder if the medicine actually went into her body or not.
I was scared to give her another dose as I was scared that it may become an overdose.
Feeding her the medicines was probably the biggest challenge for me.
The moment husband dear came home the first thing I would hand over to him was the challenge of feeding the Evening dose of the medicines of my baby.
I'm sure many people would agree that feeding a baby so many medicines is a daunting task and after feeding them you are still worried. We are also worried if our baby sleeps too much, has a urinary tract infection or feels constipated because of the medicines given by the doctor as these are the common side effects of consuming the medicines.
So, even after administering the medicines by the doctor. you are worried.......
That's when I realized the value of home remedies.
Indians as a race don’t like to give babies western medicines at the drop of the hat, it is for this reason that most Indian households stock up on medicinal herbs to tackle common situations such as gripes in the middle of the night or a sudden rise in body temperature.
These are also popularly known as Dadi Ma ke nuskhe (Grandmother's prescriptions).

Here is an advertisement that most Indians growing up would remember.....The Woodward's Gripe water Advertisement.

You can see that in the advertisement, a baby cries, the young mother is disturbed, immediately the grandmother of the baby comes and asks what's wrong and suggests her daughter-in-law to administer Woodward's Gripe water, then the great grandmother asks and the great-great grandmother asks. Such is the way, in Indian families, if anything happens, the whole family worries and usually the elderly suggest some home remedies, or herbs from the garden that can be administered to babies. This section is dedicated to preserve our traditional home remedies, which are so simple, easily available and good for the body system and don’t have any side effects. I hope for each and everyone to benefit from these. As we are progressing we are loosing touch of all these home remedies and have started heavily relying on western medicines which have harmful chemicals and side effects too. Simple ailments can be cured with a simple remedy available at home or the backyard garden and need not be treated with expensive visits to the doctor and harmful chemicals ingested into the body.

But not all home remedies may be suitable to every baby's constitution. Be sure to ask your child’s doctor to make sure anything you use is safe.




DISCLAIMER : "HOME REMEDIES ARE JUST SUPPLEMENTARY APPROACHES. ALWAYS SEEK A QUALIFIED PHYSICIAN'S ADVICE FOR ANY ILLNESSES."

BHARAT EK KHOJ - DISCOVERY OF INDIA

NOSTALGIC MEMORIES

BHARAT EK KHOJ (1988)
One of my favorite serials when I was a kid was Bharat Ek Khoj (Hindi: भारत एक खोज, translation: Discovery of India)

It was a series of explorations into the different periods of Indian history and was made in 1988 by the writer, director and producer Shyam Benegal.

The serial was based on a book written by the great historian and the first Prime Minister of independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, titled The Discovery of India.

The 53 episode television series was telecast on Doordarshan and dramatically unfolded the 5000 year history of India from its beginnings to the coming of independence in 1947. The starcast included Om Puri and others. Om Puri was also a narrator of the stories. Roshan Seth looked very much like Nehru and was also the narrator of the series.

Lyrics Of The Title Track

The lyrics of the track were so meaningful and the music was excellent. I can’t seem to forget the lyrics after so many years.

“Srishti se pehle sat nahin thaa, asat bhi nahin Antariksh bhi nahin, aakaash bhi nahin thaa. Chhipaa thaa kyaa, kahaan, kisne dhaka thaa? Us pal to agam, atal jal bhi kahaan thaa.

Shrishti kaa kaun hain kartaa? Kartaa hain yeh vaa akartaa? Oonche aakash mein rahtaa. Sadaaa adhyaksh banaa rahtaa. Wohee sach much mein jaantaa..Yaa nahin bhi jaanataa Hain kisi ko nahin pataa, Nahin pataa, Nahin hai pataa, nahin hai pataa.

Voh tha hiranya garbh srishti se pehle vidyamaan. Vohi to saare bhoot jaatee ka swami mahaan. jo hai astitvamaana dharti aasmaan dhaaran kar. Aise kis devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar?

Jis ke bal par tejomay hai ambar. Prithvi hari bhari sthapit sthir. Swarg aur sooraj bhi sthir. Aise kis devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar?

Garbh mein apne agni dhaaran kar paida kar, Vyapa tha jal idhar udhar neeche upar, Jagaa jo devon ka ekameva pran bankar, Aise kis devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar?

Om ! Srishti nirmata swarg rachaiyta purvaj rakhsa kar. Satya dharma palak atul jal niyamak raksha kar. Phaili hain dishayen bahu jaisi uski sab mein sab par, Aise hi devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar, Aise hi devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar.”

 

Here's a translation from Sanskrit (by Prof: Raimundo Panikkar, courtesy Google)At first was neither Being nor Nonbeing.
There was not air nor yet sky beyond.
What was wrapping? Where? In whose protection?
Was Water there, unfathomable deep?

There was no death then, nor yet deathlessness;
of night or day there was not any sign.
The One breathed without breath by its own impulse
Other than that was nothing at all.

Darkness was there, all wrapped around by darkness,
and all was Water indiscriminate, Then
that which was hidden by Void, that One, emerging,
stirring, through power of Ardor, came to be.

In the beginning Love arose,
which was primal germ cell of mind.
The Seers, searching in their hearts with wisdom,
discovered the connection of Being in Nonbeing.

A crosswise line cut Being from Nonbeing.
What was described above it, what below?
Bearers of seed there were and mighty forces,
thrust from below and forward move above.

Who really knows? Who can presume to tell it?
Whence was it born? Whence issued this creation?
Even the Gods came after its emergence.
Then who can tell from whence it came to be?

That out of which creation has arisen,
whether it held it firm or it did not,
He who surveys it in the highest heaven,
He surely knows - or maybe He does not!
I discovered later that it was an extract from the Rigveda. In the Rig Veda, there is a sukta or a great hymn called Nasadiya Sukta.

1.2. NASADIYA SUKTA NARRATION
The NASADIYA SUKTA also of Rig Veda gives another account which says " In the beginning there was neither existence nor non- existence, no realm, no sky, no air, no earth. There was neither mortality nor immortality, neither any form nor name, neither day nor night.; Darkness concealed darkness. There was, however, only one thing: 'Breath which breathed breathlessly.' This breath desired to create and there was creation. The Gods themselves were not there. How was it formed or was it not formed at all? God only knows; Maybe he knows; Maybe he knows not"2
Thus desire- Kama ( desire or lust ) is found to be the cause of creation. Whose desire was that? No one knows. From 'ASAT' -( Non-being) arose 'SAT'- (being). The opposites that are yet complementary entities whose interaction produced and maintained everything.
Does this not sound like the saying " The Lord said 'let there be light ' and there was light"?
The music for the the title track was done by the famous composer Vanraj Bhatia. The track was a mixture of Sanskrit Slokas from Rigveda, and their translations in Hindi.
One of the singers of the Vedas was Mr. Gauri Shankar, I was an active Chinamayite then. Mr Gauri Shankar had attended the Chinmaya Balavihar Camp at the Sandeepany Sadhnalaya Ashram at Powai and taught us some shlokas. He also told us that he is one of the singers of the title track of Bharat Ek Khoj, that made me watch the serial. I was so proud to know that I know one of the persons in the credits of the track.

List of Episodes

1. Bharat Mata Ki Jai

2. The Beginnings

3. The Vedic People and the Rigveda

4. Caste Formation

5. Mahabharatha Part 1

6. # Mahabharatha Part 2

1. Republics and Kingdoms

2. Acceptance and Negation of Life

3. Chankya and Chandragupta Part 1

4. Chankya and Chandragupta Part 2

5. Ashoka Part 1

6. Ashoka Part 2

7. Sangam Period and Sillapadirakam Part 1

8. Sangam Period and Sillapadirakam Part 2

9. The Classical Age

10. Kalidasa Part 1

11. Kalidasa Part 2

12. Bhakti

13. Chola Empire Part 1

14. Chola Empire Part 2

15. Delhi Sultanate Part 1 (Arrival of Turk-Afgan)

16. Delhi Sultanate Part 2 (Prithvi Raj Raso)

17. Delhi Sultanate Part 2 (Padmavat)

18. Synthesis

19. Vijaynagar Empire

20. Fall of Vijaynagar

21. Akbar Part 1 (Deem-E-Ilahi)

22. Akbar Part 2

23. Golden India

24. Aurangzeb Part 2

25. Aurangzeb Part 2

26. Shivaji Part 1

27. Shivaji Part 2

28. Company Bahadur

29. Tipu Sultan

30. Bengal Renaissance and Raja Ram Mohan Roy

31. 1857 - Part 1

32. 1857 - Part 2

33. East India Company -Indigo Revolt

34. Mahatma Phule

35. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

7 DONT'S AFTER A MEAL

7 DONT'S AFTER A MEAL

* Don't smoke-Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).

* Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach
to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal.

* Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will
cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.

* Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to
be twisted &blocked.

* Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body
thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

* Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you
will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to
be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

* Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus
will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.

LIGHTING THE EVENING LAMP

Lighting The Evening Lamp

I have always seen my mother light a small silver lamp in the mornings and evenings in front of the deities in our small pooja room at home. It used to set me thinking that in the days of electricity what was the significance of lighting the lamp. As far as my knowledge goes people in the olden days used to get up early and sleep early. As there was no electricity in those days lamps were lit. I am sure most of us would have questioned our parents. I want this article to enlighten people on why we light the lamp.

Lamps are lit during prayers, festivals, celebrations, religious ceremonies, at opening ceremonies/events where it is usually kept burning up to the end of the ceremony/event.
Lighting lamps is considered auspicious.
Clarified butter (Ghee) or oil is used to light a lamp, it is believed that the clarified butter or oil represents the ego within us, and this needs to be removed or burnt off.
Light represents knowledge and darkness represents ignorance. Lighting one oil lamp enables the lighting of countless number of lamps, just as one knowledgeable person can enlighten others with his knowledge.
Light represents the presence of God as we believe that he is the authority that gives us knowledge and removes ignorance ( as in the Bhagavad Geeta, where Krishna advises Arjuna).
All of mankind is in search of peace and this ultimately comes from the realization of ultimate truth and knowledge. A diya or deep is an oil lamp lit such that everything outside and below the rim of the lamp is dark. The inside of the lamp glows with the flame of the wick, and the trajectory of the light is upwards. Each diya represents a human being.
Once the lamp is lighted, the darkness recedes to bottom of the lamp but does not go away. By lighting the lamp, the individual not only illuminates himself but also everything around him so that the inflated ego is put in its proper place. The ego is not destroyed but transcended by the light of patience, compassion, love, and respect for all beings.
In the darkness of night, all one sees from a distance are the identical flickering lights of the lamps, not the lamps themselves. The row of lamps indicates a row of people. It tells us that it is the illuminated part.
Patience, compassion, love and respect for all beings that unites us in a world of darkness.


Why do we do Aarti?
Aarti being performed with Camphor has a spiritual significance. Camphor burns itself out completely without leaving a trace. Camphor represents our Vasanas, unmanifest desires. So also if we were to take refuge in the Lord, obtain knowledge, these desires will get burnt out. Although the camphor burns itself out, it emits a nice perfume. On a human plane it means that we should sacrifice ourselves to serve society, in the process spread the perfume of love and happiness to all.
We close our eyes while performing the Aarti as if to look within. The Self or Atman is within us. Self realization can be achieved by knowing thyself, with the flame of knowledge.
At the end of the aarti we place the hands over the flame and touch our eyes and top of the head. It means that may the light that illumined the Lord light up my vision, may my thoughts be pure and beautiful. With the Aarti comes the flame which signifies light. There can be light in our lives only if we have knowledge. In an era of darkness there would be ignorance, we would be perpetually running to fulfill our vasanas resulting in unhappiness and stress all around

MANGO PICKLE

Mango pickle
Ingredients
Raw mangoes - 500 gms.
Fenugreek seeds - 3 tbsp.
Fennel seeds - 4 tbsp.
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 3 tbsp.
Mustard oil - 350 mls.
Salt As per taste

Method
Cut raw mangoes into half, remove seed and then cut ¾th inch sized pieces. Apply turmeric powder and salt, rub nicely and then keep it for half an hour. Drain out excess moisture.
Grind fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and mustard seeds to a coarse
powder.
Heat mustard oil until smoking point, remove and let it cool.
Mix fenugreek seeds, fennel and mustard powder with red chili powder.
Add half of the mustard oil to this mixture and rub this spice and oil mixture to the mango pieces. Mix thoroughly.
Put this into an earthenware jar and pour the remaining mustard oil.
Cover the jar with a muslin cloth and keep it in the sun for 5-6 days.
Make sure you stir the contents o f the jar for the first two weeks at least once a day. This is to ensure that the mango pieces are always in contact with the oil.

Note: In most of the Indian pickles, salt and oil are used as preservatives.

SKIN

SKIN

Home remedies for glowing skin
-Cucumber for face :Take a fresh cucumber and blend it well. Apply the blended cucumber on face, eyes and neck. Leave it for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it off. Cucumber is a wonderful tonic for face and skin near by. Cucumber could be used regularly which could help in preventing blackheads, pimples, face dryness and wrinkles. Cucumber could also be used as a whitener for all types of skins. Make lotion out of few drops of limejuice, a bit of turmeric and one tbs of cucumber juice. Stir it well and apply it on face and neck. Leave it for half hour and wash it off.
· Coconut Face Mask : Take coconut oil and use it to massage your face properly. Once you have massaged your face with coconut oil, take a cloth, dip it in hot water, squeeze the excess water and spread it over face. Cloth should not be too hot. Repeat the process for 5-6 times. wash your face now with warm water. Now use rose water with some cotton and spread it on your face gently so as to remove traces of oil. Wow, you got a glowing face.
· Paste of Oatmeal for oily skin :Ingredients:Oatmeal: 2 tablespoonOlive oil: 1 teaspoonParsley: 1 tablespoon (chopped)Lemon juice: 1 tablespoonYogurt: 4 tablespoon (plain)
Make a mixture out of all the above ingredients. Massage the mixture on skin and rinse it after about four to five minutes. This preparation is best for oily and irritated skin.

Pigmentation
·Honey helps to reduce the pigmentation. Apply and drink 1-teaspoon honey and 1/2 lime every day in water.

Herbal remedies for removing mark (chicken pox)

Make a paste of ground neem leaves and turmeric and apply to the marks they heal gently with almost no side effects. Results vary from person to person and may not heal lesions caused by chicken pox.