INALIA

Is Contraception a Culture in Indian Hindu Women? - The Unheard Voice of A Christian Woman from India

2024-05-05T11:41:00.005+05:30

Well, yes, in the Western Countries and for those who are aiming to mingle with "Caucasians" or the West, this is the new trend in India among Indian women probably that to demonstrate that they are forward and modern, taking a pill presumptuously allows them to pop the pill. And, it is no longer going to be presumptuous for the Government of India has plans to make the pill, OTC, that is it can be brought without a prescription.

So, what is this hullabaloo about menstruation or periods which is much more a common word known to many? But before talking about the "taboos", I should acknowledge that I am aware of Christianity more and I cannot talk about Hinduism. This is the reason why I never argued but only asked about provoking me. We never discuss with friends periods as a social issue for it is a personal choice to oblige to the rituals or not and those who are in need can fight.

I have my own cause when it comes to periods and women and I think that is much more righteous than vain arguments over one abiding to their own rituals or not. My cause is to root out the evils and rights of a women to provide care for her body and embrace her biological creation that she can stay fit and healthy. While I was never willing to stand for or engage in dialogue over rituals and habits of a religion and its practices that I am not aware. I share respect to these practices when people have invited me telling them that I may deny if I am having my periods when I was reciprocated with dignity and respect allowing me or sharing understanding if they want to abide to their cultural practices. No one has ever wanted my companionship by force or as a psychopath wanting to use the pill that my presence will be acceptable until 2014 when the Hindu aggression started against me.

Now, what are the taboos that I find listed in the blog, Unearthing Menstrual Wisdom:

Not attending religious functions, visiting the temple and not touching menstruating women
Avoiding cooking and eating with others during menstruation
Avoiding sex during menstruation
Avoid swimming or washing the hair during menstruation
Avoid eating certain types of food during menstruation
Believing that menstrual blood is impure
Taking time off during menstruation
Restricting menstruating women to seclusion huts
Menstrual cycle regulated by moon cycle

Well, they have this list of reasons as to why they should forgo doing things during menstruation. But our women who want to demythify and overcome the taboos are more forward-minded has resulted in outrageous new practices into the system.

One such practice is the use of "pills" for just skipping the hassles that in a modern accommodation that a period can cause unauspicion and emotions runs high. The pill can pre- or postpone the period days. A temporary solution to miss being the center of attraction, avoid embarrassment of being told to everyone attending a function or the religious event, safety of not being left out when family is away to the temple, enjoy all the good food, and above all how can one miss all the fun, especially when one is a party animal and temples or festivals or occasions when I had to be secluded for the cause of periods is missing a party! That drives some of these extrovert party beasts in women!

Well, what Christianity has to do with all these culture and practices? Now, the problem is, are these Hindu practices or are they Indian practices? Have you decided to answer this question? If Indian then ask me whether I am abiding to or expect me to discuss about the need to use the pills on those days, such as Pongal or wedding or such Hindu occasions? I have never seen a Hindu home inviting me for their wedding telling me not to come if you have periods. Then most of the relatives will not be turning up, probably. Will this be possible to find the wedding date for a Hindu wedding only when all the women are having their cycles synchronised? Are they practising in this manner? Well, that is not the case even within a family, even in a orthodox brahmin family. But, on what basis that some so-called "orthodox brahmins" have stirred this discussion of the "need to use the pills" that the Christian neighbours in the suburbs should use the pill.

Even worse is "the pill" turning into a discussion provoking at a Christian women for Hinduism culture and at workplace. Is it not stirring religious chaos? What is the need that someone has to abide to some cultural practices at work and just one women has to forgo her periods? This raises the important question of the business ethics where the employers are selfishly doping their women employees that they remain as workhorses by stopping not only their biological cycles but also manipulating their biological emotions and requirements. In other words, making women a work robot so that it will not be allowed a social life and spontaneity of nature on its own?

And, there comes the argument back again when they emphasize on Hinduism cultural practices for using the pill. If all the science and such arguments are in place in avoiding women during periods, then what is the whole idea in using the pill to attend it? Is it not gimmicking God and their whole cultural beliefs is in disarray and practising what they are doing for the benefits they say it has makes no meaning or sense? The most important question is: Is the use of pill for abiding to Hindu cultural practices is morally correct? Does it yield the benefit that it has to provide for the women during her cycles? And, is it spiritually correct?

Before, Christianity never forbids me from having my cycles every month unless I have carry my baby. And, I have the discretion to not take the communion if I think that I am not ready to partake in the Holy Communion, but the practices of Old Testament just like the sacrifices in place for salvation is also forgone. My mother usually tells me not to take the Communion often as it will turn into a ritual but only when I am mentally prepared and usually the first two or three days of the periods we will not be prepared to take the Holy Communion. But it did not matter if my sister was being married or my nephew being christened and confirmed. The Lord is not going to deny me salvation or postpone my resurrection to heaven if I have died bleeding or on a bleeding day. He is still going to accept me.

With my beliefs in tact, why should I be troubled over the pill? Having brought up in a culture that allows me to run and play and disregard the concept of virginity over a hymen tissue way before October, 2018 when WHO and UN Women declared and banned virginity test making us as pioneers for not abiding to these practices, sounds like a backlash to this ban and an outrage as moral policing and public disgracing culture.

In the end, if taking the pill turning into Hindu Culture and Belief, let it be! Why bother me, I am Christian, thank you! I prefer having my cycles! And I do not want to participate in your parties.

Why Hindu Women Do Not Remove Bindi or Sindoor or Pottu?

2024-04-26T22:11:00.003+05:30

Indian Hindu Women with a Bindi

Bindi in Hindi or Pottu in Tamil, is unanimously a cultural practice of using a dot placed on the midpoint between the two eyebrows on the forehead by the Hindu women. Well, it is fascinating to talk of it as a culture of Hindu women but I have observed that men also have this practice but has been forgone this practice to modernisation. Hindu men, particularly the kings, nobles, and the brahmins have the habit of using bindi just like women. Now, bindi and its counterpart, Sindoor, has remained as a symbolism of Hindu women and their marital status. Sindoor, the counterpart of Bindi are used by married women on the top midpoint of their forehead as a dot or a long line.

A short research about what is the significance of Bindi according to Hindu science tells me that the Bindi point is considered as the third eye that keeps the bad luck away. This is also considered as the energy center of the body as it is the point of the sixth chakra in the body called Ajna Chakra that is responsible for concealed wisdom or enlightening point. This is the point where meditation will bring together concentration and focused energy to reveal the latent energy and wisdom.

Hindu Indian women, and so Hindus from other countries also use Bindi. They use it not only as a cultural and religious representation but according to their social norms and beliefs to wear it as a symbol of success, life, and prosperity. Though modern days, Bindi takes many forms and shapes, Bindi colours has its own significance and social representation.

Red Bindi made with kumkum is used to indicate that they are married and as a ritual for gaining the blessings of Gods and Goddess for protecting their husbands. This is considered as a symbol of sacrifice that women are willing to do for their husbands.

Black Bindi is made from kajal is worn on occasions when there is a loss and death in the family.

No bindi on a Hindu women indicates that their husband is dead and have become widows.

Colorful Bindis are worn by young and unmarried women to share their mood and emotions.

Chandan or Sandal Bindi is worn along with other colours in some ethnic groups of Indian women to showcase their respect and to release their inner energy effectively.

What is more religious about bindi is that it helps to identify a Hindu women irrespective of her caste and creed and does not hinder their devotion to Gods and Goddess and duty towards their husbands. This is their social norms and beliefs. In short, as to how Times of India called it, I think that it is nice to tag, bindi as a "cultural flag" for Hindu women.

The Hindu Science claims that bindi point and the use of bindi on this point, called Ajna Chakra affects the pituitary, pineal, head, eyes, and brain by radiating energy by acting as an acupressure point permeating permanently energy by the press of the bindi. Thus, it is thought to help in relieving migraines and headaches. It is also believed that using Bindi will help to keep their skin soft and supple. And, the stimulation of nerves by this acupressure at this point stimulates the cochlear nerves making the quality of hearing better. Moreover, it is also believed to help in regulating the sleep hormone, melatonin by promoting its activity, and one of the feel-good or happy hormones, serotonin.

The counterpart of Bindi is Sindoor is the use of the kumkum or vermilion on their forehead at the midpoint of hair partition indicating that they are married and to mark his presence in her life until his death. This practice seems to have been started with Harappan civilisation so that other men will be in peace with her husband by not persuading her that her husband will be provoked. But according to Hindu religion and faith, the social norm continues because of the belief that Goddess Sita wore this on her forehead in the form of a flame to please her husband, Lord Rama, and for whom she even fell into the flames to prove her chastity for the time spent in Lord Ravana's forests at Lanka. Besides, it is also said that the use of Sindoor and the chemicals in sindoor, drives sexual desire in women for the acupressure point stimulate more blood flow.

When I read the story of Ms Deepti Sharma on Teen Vogue, October 30, 2018, where she was able to boldly express herself freely about being bullied and nagged by her friends, her words, "Growing up, there was a hurtful song that kids in my school would sing to tease me: “I have a dot on my head, and the color is red. I’m a hindu.” I hated that song. As an Indian kid living in America, I went through all of the phases of rejecting, accepting, and ultimately embracing my culture. But a few years ago, I made a decision that makes me even more visibly Indian: I decided to wear a bindi every single day," resonated inside my head many times making me to scoff at them grumbling and lamenting despite "having" when even a Christian women of my social background and mental make cannot voice like her. She may say that I was able to write this blog, but the suffering that I had to go through just to write this blog is heinous, and I don't anticipate less when I have it published. And, when they have targeted and start persecuting, should one not be polite and system-thinking but can save themselves only if they have an activist background or a "vulnerable" social background other than economic vulnerability. This is because the way political system is driving the society in directions towards their convictions.

Well, I am quite indifferent to the use of Bindi and it has never fascinated me except when my sister was fascinated over its use with her friends and for her studies that I used to share my choices, and also for my friends may be. This is the fact, despite me being a dancer when I was a kid, when I used to hate having to keep the bindi on my forehead all of a sudden and being asked to keep my hands still even if I sweat to not spoil the decorations they have done to my face. I used to think in those days and tell my mother about having to grow up and dance without wearing one if I perform in front of the Christian community. Well, life has its own turns and I never pursued it for dance was nothing but a hobby at that age.

Now, all these surfaces back when they started persecuting me all of a sudden following one of their other persecution for being a Christian that started aggressively since mid-2007 attacking me when I was in Australia. Now, this persecution started to resurface again physically and in public since 2013 that with every year it started to turn more aggressive. By 2021, even watching online services was targeted which was only a grumble in 2020 during COVID-19 that they use some sort of technology harassing and distracting me from watching the services. But this did not stop with that. From February 2022 onwards they are harassing me for not using a Bindi that I wrote the blog to pent out the annoyance, introspecting what could have been the reason as to why Indian women shunned easily from the tradition of not wearing Bindis: https://inalia.blogspot.com/2022/02/why-78-indian-christians-do-not-wear.html.

Now, I write again following their outrage scarring my forehead during the Holy Week with a shot at my forehead that it caused a red scar like a radiodermatitis.

This time I thought a little differently. Why the Hindu women do not remove the Bindi and Sindoor? If I know that reason, then I will understand why some of the Hindu Indian women have made it as their own discretion and decision to patronise or not to patronise the use and value of Bindi.

Some use "bindi" as a political agenda to empower themselves by making a hue and cry that they are ostracised in the society when it comes to opportunities at employment for these symbols, as if Indian Christian and Muslim women are offered a "quid-pro-quo favour", when the major shame is attributed to Christian women who do not have to use any such symbols whereas the Muslim women at the least have the need to use symbols such as a scarf. These kind of hue and cry has in fact, well take my case for example, has stirred ostracisation against Indian Christians, especially those who have a background like me. Let's not delve into other influencing factors.

While this is the issue of the women at one side of the coin, the other side of the coin, I do not deny that Indian Hindu women wanting not to adhere to these social norms and beliefs are hurt and harassed for shunning their social norms and religious practices. But at the same time, some of these Hindu women are patronised as Goddess and are privileged with pampering that instead of hurting and harassing them, people in their society with convictions towards their social norms and beliefs, frustrated over asking them not to shun their culture, religion, and beliefs, pent out their vindication at Christian women who work with them and are known to them. This is because blaming us for them adopting new cultural trends and shunning such practices are their cultural and personal habits.

Lastly, I am not a great fan of Bindi! And, I am not interested in discussing this topic at all! It has never been part of our family culture since time immemorial, maybe for centuries in my family that women have never used Bindi because they all have been Christians for generations. Now, why don't they just ask me at my face than persecuting me.

Well, I am open for a dialogue just to stop them, and they gave a very clear signal by failing to turn up in the court for one of my cases on Christian persecution over drugs used in Hinduism for rituals (sastram, as to how they say so), that all they wanted to keep continuing doing is persecuting me! And, I remain hear in solitude, unheard to people who wish me well, and only heard to those who understand what they are doing to me but unable to do nothing but only keep faith in the Christian Hope for a support to reach me!

Bogi - First Day of Pongal

2023-01-14T18:23:00.005+05:30

Bogi is the first day marking the beginning of the four-day celebration of Harvest in Tamil Nadu. Hindus worship the Rain God today. And to mark the beginning of the new year post-harvest and thank God for all that went well. People from other religion participates mostly in the rituals which actually can start a day or two earlier.

The day usually starts at 4 AM when the cold morning cold breeze is made warm with all the sorted out old unwanted waste that needs to be disposed of. This is really fun, as I still remember as a small school-going kid boys and girls used to get drums and have fun beating them around the fire. The boys used to be roaming the whole day playing with these drums.

The drums used to be on sale decored in colors and some of them used to be even weightless. In my home, this used to be the time we usually clean up some unwanted stuff.

Unfortunately, our anthropocentric lifestyle has led us to burn tyres that the whole essence of the festival contributed to carbon emissions not only with carbon dioxide but also with toxic fumes that the government has to stop the whole fun part of the festival. Needless to say, the climate is not that cold, and is already hot to burn the stub to keep ourselves warm. This is probably the last day of the winter solstice. The bonfire actually should have been fired using the logs of wood from old agricultural tools with a mark of respect that the new ones will serve them in the same way in the year to come.

Another important aspect of this day's celebration is people used to draw big rice flour and flower patterns in front of the house called kolam. This is to mark to welcome good luck inside the house. I also remember that Hindus used to have the habit of placing a ball of cow dung with a pumpkin flower on top of it. My mother tells me that in her times they used to place this cow dung and flowers daily in front of their home.

Many of our traditions are lost for people who wanted to celebrate in a big way showing off their status and grandiose for the scarcity of resources to carry out the customs and traditions of our lifestyle going missing due to urbanization that we foolishly resort to using scraps that only harm our environment. For example, the burning of tyres adds toxic fumes to the environment. We may not be able to burn bonfires unless we have waste that needs to be disposed of such as stubs or care for the environment. Then why not for a change we propose to give away old clothes to the needy and wood or such wastes for recycling, and only burn away the rest of those that cannot be reused or recycled for the festive fun!

International Dog Day

2022-08-26T20:31:00.003+05:30

Today August 26, I should talk about International Dog Day. Well, I did not on my volunteer website, but here I will. It's going to turn out into another personal memoir.

Dogs have always been part of my life since childhood.

When I was born, I think, my mother's parents had a dog at their home. She told me the story of how even the dog at our home was planned into mental blame and was annoyed to be ruffian that it has to be terminated to death.

Later when I was in Uraiyur, where my father was working in the sugar factory, we had the neighbor's dog always visiting us. His name was Shankar. He was having more of us as his home though he always like going back to his home. I do not know what makes him always come to us but whenever I am up during the day he used be in our home participating in all of my activities right from gardening to guarding me.

At the same time, there was a puppy that grew up to be a dog ahead of me - that's natural as you all know that dogs grow 15 times faster than us. So he was like a plump pig when we go to visit my grandparents I can't bear his weight and needed my mother's support and begging to stop him from jumping on me, licking me, sniffing me all over, and in the entire process pushing me down to the floor and all my toes bruised in his weight - unbound joy in welcoming me home! You will never know what made him intelligent but he's got more than a terrier, dachshund, beagle, Doberman, and whatnot that even I am not aware of. And he has one girlfriend, but my mother tells me that sometimes she suspects many of them were his puppies - why not, he was the smartest on The American Mission campus and has such a large territory for himself with no man being able to enter without his permission - not even the wild boars and porcupines. Well, that reduced a heap of my grandfather's workload. And he loves taking my titbits because he knows that I am the only one who will get the news lately about his diet that he should not be fed with that he can taste by then. And, needless to say, there will be always something new to learn like eating a cone of ice cream or an apple cake that he always can get a bite of because something will fall down for sure on the floor; and there will be no fussy about him eating it because sometimes it will get dropped in purpose! This gave me the privilege to cover him with the blanket at night when he goes to bed with us on par with my grandmother and my mother, and there was always a piggyback ride during morning sunbath with my mother - what a view of the lake? I learned my environmental lessons from my mother watching along with him. He is the one who taught me how I should avoid the busy bees gathering honey from the flowers in my grandparent's garden and in those gardens of those people living in the hills at the other end and in the nearby Bryant Park. Well, they own everything and there were no boundaries for them. He is the one who used to take care of me from not being bullied by my sister and cousins and took my place in turning me that they all lost - his point is I should not fall down the hill slope and the green wet slippery grass, besides he knew the terrain better than me giving them all a clear message - want someone on par with you? I miss now for not understanding that I could have hugged him than crying for blocking me from playing. What to do as he had clear instructions from my mother asking him to take care of me and he watched my mother and grandparents chiding my siblings for bullying me for my ignorance. Maybe he will be the happiest pal to know how kind I am now despite knowing more than them in many ways. And there he was ready to join my mother for a picnic, a walk in the garden, and only my and my time anywhere including shopping. What more he gets but only a walk with us that gives him immense joy for there was always him involved! He has the best coat that won him the First grand prize at the world-famous Kodaikanal Dog Show making my sister the proud winner. He loves kittens - nibbling them is fun and he agrees to Enid Blyton's Topsy. But mother pussy never agrees to it and poor did Sherly know that I will take all her kittens in her absence as I had enough pockets in my jumpsuit for each one of them. Unfortunate, Zimbo was not around, but I got caught by the entire family including one old warrior Brigadier thatha exalted to find many small mews from my pocket with a big mummy mewing pleadingly at my back that they had to run at my back and pamper me to return the kittens back to their mother. Even now they talk about it, maybe he is from heaven. I still remember being pulled back along with him by my grandmother for getting under the bed to get the kittens and being chided for Sherly being in bad temper for disturbing her children. Needless to say, who will mind me telling him that I will eat his food because he is very much assured that he will get it all no matter what and gobble it at one go - of course, he never minds the kittens getting inquisitive about his plate and he doesn't mind them licking the drops that might be left out of the stew once he's done, but never before or when he's eating. Bathing him is very tough - warm water and he hates it! We never had to leash him even in the church he knows how to gimmick the pastor of the church until he forgets and goes to the pulpit to wish him with a wag only to be sent out of the church sadly if not there can be a small bark at times with the hymns. I don't know why the pastor minds him worshipping with us, anyway, he's part of our family and was healed by God's grace - that's why all the extravaganza allowance of not complaining to my grandparents that he is the only family dog attending the church.

After him, there were no pets in our house. But we had a lot of stray animals helped and they are helping me in return since 2014. They found that there was drug trafficking near our house, they were doped to mate a puppy, with another mother stray bitch named beauty "hearing" all the plans and if I am getting emotionally upset. She knew that my baby was hated and the womb was hated even more and the plan was to mutilate and humiliate it with drugs. She spent time "hearing" all the conversations. There was Rangeela teaching Thomas kitten how to warm me up as she smelt me at the distance turning cold and going down when they had doped me thinking that a Christian baby was formed in my womb during a Hindu festival despite the temple people telling them that she is staunchly Christian and not to disturb her but for the misguided priest - that's what public got to know they wanted to abort the "Christian smart baby". And there she was day and night guarding the gate that no man or woman was allowed to get near the gate.

And, so there is now a beautiful puppy appearing like Zimbo, with hooves that can hop like a horse, finding a home has made him so happy that he wants the same belly rub as he's getting in his home! I call him Scott, who knows what's his home name!

Sniff! Sniff! is all the message but there's a lot of love and so much of a personality that's more adorable than a human!

Why 78% Indian Christians Do Not Wear Bindi?

2022-02-11T16:44:00.004+05:30

Ha.. ha... I am not the voice for 78% of Indian Christians but only for myself.

So when I started to get bothered over my blank forehead that had a lot of space, I realized that I better be ahead of the bus to understand why Hindus wear Bindi, though I know it's no use like how they claimed about "drugs" in name of sastram.

Why Hindu women keep Bindis or Sindoor?

Both are different, as they say, is based on the location, and probably, the type of material to colour it. It is placed on the forehead at the center spot between the two eyebrows.

It's fashion these days! But is more of a cultural and signature for women and its Hindu tradition!

Benefits:

Bindi relieves headache.

Bindi clears sinuses in the forehead.

Bindi improves vision and eye health.

Bindi rejuvenates the facial skin to look young.

Bindi has an aroma because of the material used and it also relaxes because of the acupressure thereby preventing depression.

Bindi improves hearing.

Bindi will help to reduce stress, eye strain, fatigue, and insomnia.

Bindi boosts memory and concentration.

Bindi improves intuition and awareness.

Well, now coming to the point of why Christians do not keep Bindi?

Simple.

It's mostly a Hindu tradition that Christians do not want to follow as it has religious significance.

They should have adopted by observing the women missionaries who came to India spreading the word of God who is not used to wearing Bindis.

Bindi is removed in widowed women and is part of the patriarchal societal system. But in Christianity women do not lose their significant position in society, for if you remember Jesus has fought for a prostitute to all the men who threw stones at her and have healed many women. Single women were also common. For God marital status was insignificant. God kept women on par with men. This is why he made Eve from Adam's rib and not the tarsals of his ankle. So the death of a husband is not stigmatized and ritualized against her to isolate her socially. Widows are allowed to remarry. So Bindi is not worn not to differentiate women based on her marital status.

Some of my Christian friends have discussed this when I was in college - I have always asked them to shut up and stop bothering me as I have a better business - they told me that is because of the cross that is blessed during baptism and every Holy Communion. They think it is not right to have something applied, especially because they have related it to Hindu culture and God, on top of God's blessing in the form of the Cross, on which Jesus died for us.

Ask me why I don't wear it? Because my mother doesn't wear one.

Beyond that, I cannot tolerate it spreading and slipping on my face or have the patience to spend time placing one on my forehead. I don't want that material to give me the confidence and a beauty appeal to my face.

I have worn this stuff on my head on a few occasions - when I staged for Bharatanatyam as a child, then during my farewell at school when my sister's friend wanted to have her final touch on me, and lastly when I staged for dramatics as a Brahmin girl at college. But I always think, if I had continued my Bharatanatyam classes, I would have danced without Bindi to experiment especially for Christian Carnatic compositions.

Above all, if you ask me to keep Bindi, I will say a "Please, No, thank you!" Basically because I don't find a need to dress up myself with that extra stuff on my forehead!

Sanity in Faith

2022-02-08T06:43:00.002+05:30

When I was in college, we had the habit of conducting morning prayer by sharing a message. I never had such an encounter with people discussing about Christian concepts except for one of my peers in the first few days of college over anklets and Christianity. She later left the college.

One day, one of my very good friends shared this message:

Praise the Lord!

A pious man purchased a horse one day. He trained his horse to obey the command, "Praise the Lord!" When he said once, it started to move and when he said again it stopped moving. One day when he was riding his horse, he came near the tip of a hill. The view was magnificent. He said "Praise the Lord!" The horse obeyed his master and both fell down the hill.

The moral of the story is to have sanity in Faith. God demanded in his Ten Commandments, Do not use my name in vain. I was thought this.

I am not preaching against anyone or their practices.

Chana Chole Masala Noodles! Here's an Authentic Indian Noodles!

2022-01-20T14:36:00.007+05:30

Chana masala or Chana chole or Chhole masala or whatever is a favorite Indian subcontinent dist. It's mouth-watering and lip-smacking spicy chickpea cooked in authentic Indian spices. This dish is usually cooked making use of Kabuli Chana or the white chana. There are two versions of Chana Masala the dark brown thick gravy where there is little to no tomato while the reddish-orange gravy is the one made with a lot of onions and tomato gravy. Here we will see how to make both the versions and mix them up with noodles. These noodles are not only nutritious but are also stomach-filling!

Preparing the Chole or Chana Masala:

Soak the Chickpeas:

Soaking chickpeas should be done overnight as this will allow the chickpeas, if fresh, to germinate making it easy to digest and protein breakdown thereby more nutritious; if dry chana, then it will make it easy to cook by softening them through rehydrating the chickpeas and also by breaking down the phytic acid in these peas as it causes flatulence and bloating. Overnight or 8 hours of soaking is needed for making the chickpeas easy to cook in a pressure cooker. This can be done using a quick and alternative process by soaking the chickpeas in hot water for 1 to 2 hours. Canned chickpeas are even easier to prepare and will not need to be soaked. When you soak the chickpeas, soak them in a bowl that has enough headspace and pour enough water that the chickpeas are submerged in the water that they will still remain immersed in water after expanding on imbibition at the end of time. Before use, strain all the water, rinse, and wash the soaked chickpeas.

Boiling the chickpeas:

The chickpeas are boiled with dried amla or a tea bag that a tangy flavour and a dark colour is imparted for the preparation of chole. Amla gives both the taste and the colour while the tea bag imparts only the colour. In that case, either pomegranate seeds or amchur powder or lime or lemon juice can be used as an alternative. Add enough water that the chickpeas are immersed in the water - about 2.5 to 3 cups of water for 1 cup of soaked chickpeas. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix it well. Pressure cook the chickpea for 2 to 3 whistles or until it is cooked soft and is easy to mash. Remove the amla pieces or the teabag.

Chole Spices:

Place a skillet on the stovetop and heat it on low heat. To this hot skillet add the following spices:

2-3 black cardamoms

1 to 1.5 inches of cinnamon bark

3 to 5 peppercorns

2 to 3 cloves

1 medium-sized bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon carom seeds or ajwain or omam

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1.2 teaspoon dry pomegranate seeds or amchur (mango powder) (optional)

1 to 3 dry red chilies whose seeds are removed and broken open

Roast them dry in this hot skillet till they are deep brown but not burnt. Allow the spices to cool and dry grind them to a fine powder.

Preparing the Chana Masala Gravy:

Heat in a wok or a vessel 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Any oil can be used but preferably lightly dense oil than coconut or mustard or olive oil as they can leave their own flavor.

Grind 1 to 2 cm of ginger root with 4 to 5 pieces of peeled garlic cloves. Add this ginger-garlic paste to the oil and saute it. Add 1/3 cup of finely chopped onions and saute it till it turns translucent or light brown.

Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of tomatoes (as per the desired color of the gravy, fewer tomatoes or no tomato for black gravy) and saute it till it turns soft and cooked appearing pale red. The oil will start to mix well with the wet ingredients and leave the sides of the wok.

Reduce the heat to low heat from medium or high heat. Add all the dry chole spice powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. To this, add 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala powder, but is optional. Mix well until the ingredients blend with each other.

2 to 3 deseeded and slit green chilies are added and sauteed till it blends well with the mixture.

Add the cooked chickpeas after draining the remaining water. The water will be used as a stock. Stir the chickpeas to mix well with this sauteed masala until it blends well and coats all the chickpeas.

To this chickpea masala in the wok, add 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock and water as needed. Stir well and add enough salt to taste. Stir well again. Cook it in low to medium heat.

When the chana masala reaches a boil or starts bubbling, add some more water as needed for the noodles to cook. This can amount to another 1 to 1.5 cups of water. Let the chana masala come to a boil. (You can squeeze or add the lime or lemon juice at this point).

Open the ready-to-cook noodles, and add the noodles to the boiling chana masala. To this also add the given masala powder and salt to taste. (Adding the masala powder is optional and in that case, the chana spice powder can be made a little spicier to accommodate the noodles). Stir the mixture well that the chickpeas and the noodles are mixed well. Close it with a lid and allow the noodles to cook.

If you are using a Hakka or such noodle cake, prepare the noodle separately in a round-bottomed container with a drop of oil and salt to taste. Drain the noodles dry and transfer the noodles to the boiling chana masala. Stir well in the heat until the noodles and the chana masala blends well. Simmer it until the chana masala noodles are of desired gravy and transfer it to the bowl. Top it with grated cheese and coriander leaves.

Hint: Vegetables like potato, carrots, beetroot, and beans can be added but is optional.

Once the noodles are cooked, stir it once more and top the chana noodles to a bowl with coriander to dress. For a more cheesy taste, sprinkle some grated cheese before serving.

Break the Barriers by Pairing Your Choice of Fruit with Lime and Mint Water

2022-01-03T13:19:00.003+05:30

On a hot sunny day is when we drink a cold Lime Juice! Whenever I go to any fruit juice shop, I always find that the lowest-priced but the healthiest, refreshing, and hygienic drink is Lime juice?

But times have changed! I find that lime juice and lime soda have turned out to be savory and made a priced fruit dash with the addition of other fruits and veggies!

How do I prepare my Lime and Mint WAter combinations - many ways that you can imagine!

1. Lime Mint Water:

Add a few slices of lime and a few sprigs of mint into a jar full of water and leave it for a few hours. It makes a refreshing drink. A Detox Drink - you can add to this water, other fruits or veggies like cucumber slices, pineapple slices, lemon slices, orange slices, strawberries, mosambi slices, grape, grapefruit slices, kiwi fruit slices, and watermelon slices. These combinations make it excellent detox water.

2. Lime Mint Juice (Salt/Sweet):

This is the refreshing drink that revitalized me during a hot, sunny, and humid day.

Squeeze half a lime or lemon juice and to this add a few pinches of salt (1 or 2 tsp of sugar or nannari syrup). Mix it up in the fruit juicer, followed by adding a few sprigs of mint or as needed, and mix it in the juicer until the mint leaves make into a smooth paste blending with the lime juice. You can add ice cubes if desired.

3. Lime Mint Soda or Mojito (Salt/Sweet):

This is the same drink preparation as Lime Mine Juice but soda is added instead of water. Initially, the lime juice, sprigs of mint leaves, salt (or sugar or syrup) are added to a small proportion of water and blended in a juicer. To this, the rest of the proportion is mixed with soda water or sparkling water. I was told that soda rehydrates two times better than water.

Benefits of Lime-Mint and its combinations:

1. Lime juice rejuvenates skin because of its hydration and antioxidant properties. It is also a rich source of vitamin C and flavonoids.

2. It helps in digestion because of its acidic nature that helps in breaking down complex fat (in the African continent it is by their culture that they drink a glassful of lime juice after a meaty meal). Thus, it also helps to ease constipation.

3. Vitamin C is the immunity vitamin fighting against viral infections - the dash of mint and other veggies like strawberries, cucumber, orange, or melon, only make it more valuable Immunity Water.

4. Helps in weight loss as the citric acid boosts the metabolism accessing the stored fats to be burnt. It also supplements with other needed minerals and vitamins that satiate to reduce the craving for bigger portions by including it in weight loss diet plans.

5. The lime mint water has the ability to regulate the blood glucose sugar level by boosting the energy potential and reducing the craving or need for energy. So the blood sugar spikes can be controlled especially by drinking the salted version of lime mint juice or soda.

6. Lime and mint are good sources of potassium and magnesium that aids in regulating blood pressure by increasing blood circulation. It also has a chemical called limonins which break down cholesterol.

7. The antioxidative effect of lime and mint must be helping cancer patients and preventing cancer by scavenging the painful oxidative chemicals flowing in the bloodstream. A direct role is still not clear. So this effect should also help to clean up the blood of unwanted other chemicals that causes inflammation. It also scavenged uric acid.

8. It serves as an electrolyte drink while recovering from fever, diarrhea, and vomiting, or sunstroke.

9. The rehydrating effect of lime mint water and its effect in balancing out the chemicals will help to flush out the excess minerals out of the body through urine. It helps to prevent kidney stones though it may help in increasing urine formation and micturition that can wash out if the kidney stones are small.

10. It helps to clean up the teeth and will act as a natural teeth whitening agent. As the acidic properties of lime and minerals in mint juice are mixed with the saliva, savoring the water or soda will break down the debris and reduce the microbes in the cavities (salted version). Further, it will also clean up the yellow in the teeth making the enamel shine white. At the same time, the acidic nature can cause a sting in your cavity as well. This is why this drink is good when you have bad breath - halitosis.

11. It helps to ease the pain of menstrual cramps by regulating the blood circulation to the uterus, acting as an emmenagogue, balancing the hormones, supplementing with the needed minerals and vitamin shot for easing the cramps, and stress relaxant. It also reduces fatigue of menstruation.

On a final note, do you have to ask about the benefits that are multiplied by adding other fruits and veggies like cucumber, watermelon, strawberries, mosambi, orange, kiwi, and pineapple?

A Sip of Immunity is Equally Refreshing - Ginger Tea

2022-01-01T22:02:00.002+05:30

Ginger Tea? Argh! This is how some people will say so! It's drunk as a medicine and is a common devotion made from Ginger root, a common daily spice found in the kitchen of all the households in countries of Asia and the Pacific continent.

Ginger is a brown-skinned root that has yellow to a mustard-colored pulp. The root is flat and spreads in a branching manner. Small roots - rhizoids - are found on the crevices of these roots. They are tangy and sharp in taste that is neither sweet nor bitter.

How to Make Ginger Tea?

Ginger Tea can be prepared in several ways:

a) Ginger Tea:

Take a piece of ginger and boil it in water. Strain the water to collect the decoction. Add some honey or sugar or jaggery before drinking.

b) Lemon Ginger Tea:

Take a piece of ginger and boil it in water. Strain the water to collect the decoction in a cup having the juice of half the lemon squeezed in it. To this add honey or drink it as it is.

c) Other combinations of Ginger Tea:

Mint, turmeric with black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon, and tulsi are other herbs and spices that can be added along with the ginger tea preparation. In all these cases, the ginger tea is prepared with these spices and herbs added to the boiling water, and the decoction is strained to a cup. To this devotion is added honey or jaggery. Maple syrup is also a good choice to add to it.

d) Ginger tea with tea:

Ginger root added to the regular tea devotion while being boiled makes the typical and common Indian ginger tea. To this decoction, milk can be added as a choice, and adding milk to a strong pungent ginger tea is highly refreshing. Take my word for a recommendation. Sugar can be replaced with lemon in this tea and for this tea, milk should not be added as it will curdle.

Benefits of Ginger Tea:

1. A shot of ginger tea is good enough to stop motion sicknesses like dizziness, cold sweat, vomiting, or nausea.

2. Ginger tea relieves heartburn, reduces pressure, lowers blood pressure, slims blood clots, and increases blood circulation.

3. Reduces weight gain and regulates blood sugar levels.

4. Reduces inflammation and pain.

5. Boosts immunity.

6. Helps in digestion and is good to have a cup after a heavy meal.

7. Helps to fight viral infections - so good for COVID by helping to alleviate its symptoms - I think this is something that all of your should drink when you take your COVID shots.

8. This is the best decoction to drink for alleviating and reducing menstrual cramps, dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea; it is helpful to increase blood flow or start periods naturally as it is an emmenagogue.

9. Nothing can surpass its refreshing effects as it instantaneously relieves stress. So sip a cup next time when you reach home tired.

10. The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger and a load of antioxidants in this root, helps to reduce the occurrence of cancer.

11. The drink helps to improve brain function as it reduces stress and has a good amount of antioxidants that protect against Alzheimer's disease.

Anti-drug Abuse Propaganda

2021-12-25T10:18:00.005+05:30

I share this blog against drugs once again to create awareness.

This is all I can do as it is up to the government and their paid administrative authorities who have to invest time and money to plan more awareness campaigns for such women's issues.

Yet, I share this in for I want others to complain and not accept such idiocractic claims of imposing their personal opinion on others and also want more people to refrain from harming others. I can die and you can become a "murderer", even if you escape from the law, God will know that you murdered me misusing these drugs.

English Version of Anti-drug Abuse Propaganda

Tamil Version of Anti-drug Abuse Propaganda

Cool Away Every Summer With Cucumber!

2021-04-14T21:28:00.007+05:30

Cucumber, as the name, itself goes gives away a cooling effect! When I was small, I used to love cucumbers! I used to wait for the summer only to much some cucumbers. They used to sell them in cane baskets carrying on their heads in bus stops and on the roads of India. The cucumber vendors used to sell a bunch of cucumbers for Rs 10 or more with chilli and salt. However, I like to gorge into the cucumbers as it is.

The ones that I used to enjoy as a child were the Armenian varieties - these are light green, long and thin-skinned cucumbers. However, as I grew up these cucumbers are hard to be seen anywhere and I was shocked to see people selling dark green and thick-skinned smaller vegetables as cucumbers. These are the American Slicing varieties. Later when I was in Australia and got to explore supermarkets in India, I found a various other varieties of cucumbers like English/European/Hothouse, Kirby, Lemon, Gherkins and Zucchini.

Cucumbers are high fibre and high water-containing fruit of the plant and NOT the vegetable.

Cucumbers have loads of antioxidants, phytonutrients and flavonoids which are anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer agents and free radical scavengers.

Cucumber has small amount of proteins - that's good news.

Cucumber has zero fat and cholesterol - that's even more good news.

Cucumbers are loaded with Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It also has Vitamin K.

Minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese are in plenty.

Having said this what does cucumber can do to your body besides cooling?

- good for cancer and inflammatory diseases

- it rehydrates

- makes skin shine and smooth

- good for bone as both vitamin K and vitamin D can absorb good volume of calcium into the blood

- the potassium helps to regulate blood pressure and maintain healthy active cardio

- helps in weight loss

- good for digestion

- a chemical, fisetin, is good for nerve cells implying its effect on good brain health and improved memory

- puts the biological balance back into place

- regulates bowel movements

- best detoxifier

Blueberries Makes Me Merry!

2021-03-20T18:55:00.002+05:30

Berries are tangy and sweet that tingles your taste buds. They are a satiating snack and as most of the berries can be just popped into your mouth without having the need to peel or cut, they are the world's most easiest, most simple and healthiest snacks.

Of all the berries blue berries are the best and the most healthiest berries. What are they packed with?

Antioxidants:

Anthocyanins, quercetin and myricetin are the three major group of antioxidants found in blue berries. Anthocyanins give the blue to the blue berries and the more the blue they are, the more richer they are with anthocyanins. These blue even sticks onto my tongue. Quercetin and myricetin are flavonoids. These group of chemicals are antioxidants that have action against inflammatory responses, scavenges free radicals aiding in cancer fight and does good to your brain's oxidative stress, decreases the risk of heart diseases, reduces the bad cholesterol in the blood and are also known to control the blood sugar level in diabetes.

Vitamins:

Blue berries are known to be rich in vitamins like vitamin C that gives its tangy taste, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin E. Thus they do good to regulate the monthly menstrual cycle in women.

Minerals:

Blueberries are the richest source for calcium in the fruit family. They are also popular for their high potassium content that regulates the blood pressure and magnesium. So blueberries are also good for your bones.

Benefits:

Blueberries are known to:

reduce blood pressure
fight cancer and diabetes
improve memory
tightens and glows skin
strenghtens and builds bones
reduces inflammation
boosts immunity
reduces heart diseases
reduces cholesterol level
reduces blood sugar level
regulates menstrual cycle and increases bleeding
detoxifies blood
alleviates your mood levels
reduces urinary tract infections
good on your stomach
and more...

No wonder blue berries are called "Superfood" and "King of Antioxidant fruits". Having a bowl of blueberry puts you on a good mood even on those bad days!

Black Magic Is NOT SUPERNATURAL

2021-03-06T19:21:00.004+05:30

When I was small, I was thought the Lord's prayer. I was told that the Lord's prayer is powerful and has to be told whenever fear and distress creeps in. This has been my practice ever since. I remember people sharing with me their experiences of how they were able to ward off sorcerers approaching them while on travel.

(C)deviantart

Since 2014, I had been blackmailed to "use modus", as a village girl belonging to the brahmin caste moved with Indian army soldiers and rode in their bike. The villagers got aggravated and started to threaten me to "use modus". They never approached me directly for that will gain me legal support. This is true as the DCP, LO of Madurai took it seriously and appointed somebody to investigate this issue ever since. Ever since there was mockery by some supporting forces of that village woman who nicknamed herself as "amelio" with the help of technology. I have seen people asking to "use modus" on me and they have travelled to Chennai stalking me with the same intention. In 2014, however, there was also immediate enquiry initiated by police of Madurai. People got aware that they are using faux drugs and are circulating some kind of "plant chemicals" that will affect periods of women. Some also claimed that it was "cannabis" and "ecstasy or happy" drugs. Moreover, through the technology they had been bullying over my faith in God and were trying to woo for sexual relationships with a man known to this "amelio". In 2016 to 2017, while I was staying in Chennai, they brought in this practice to the local "mariamman temple". But the temple administration was announcing very clearly that they celebrate the annual festival praying only for rain. But the priest of the temple was carried away by "modus practice" as I have seen him shouting alone in the temple to the goddess asking to "use modus to please the Goddess". Besides, it's a very common practice that drugs and plant chemicals like cannabis are used in such annual temple festivals, especially in those temples where practices of hooking exist as to prevent bleeding. In 2014, Madurai has seen some of the crimes related to black magic like human sacrifice of young and unmarried women, forceful marriages by doping the groom or the bride, robbery and so on. All this led to me think that I write something about black magic.

Black magic is not supernatural. Yes, even in The Bible, there was the demonstration of black magic and sorcery by the magicians of the Pharoah's court in Egypt to Moses. But after Jesus, God said that the miracles will be performed through his disciples on earth and people will be blessed with skills to carry out the work of God. Besides, in these days I don't think there are any real such magicians who are able to relate to Satan to perform devlish activities. Yes, but there are people who worship demons and gods to get supernatural powers. For receiving these powers and performing some magical tricks, they harm fellow human beings. I like to list some of the black magic practices that I have heard of and I will try to update this blog as I receive more information on the "tricks and chemicals" that they use to deceive people.

1. Hypnosis:

a. This is a very common mode of theft practice in Madurai. I have heard people say that they get mesmerized and stunned by the robbers before snatching them of jewels and money. For achieving this, these robbers use chemicals and plant herbs.

b. Another form of hypnosis is carried out by some kind of priests doing worship and trying to chase or call for demons and spirits. They use drugs like cannabis, marijuana and other plant herbs that causes hallucinations. They use plant herbs that have psyhoactive implications.

2. Human Sacrifice: I have heard about burying human beings, especially unmarried girls and woman, for achieving prosperity and ward off evil. These people are also known to be involved in having sexual relationships with these women, especially based on their star birth dates.

3. Witchcraft: In TamilNadu, witchcraft is of different types, namely, pilli, suniyam, seivinai, yeval and vasiyam. They have their own significance. For achieving these supernatural sensations and mystical deception, these priests use chemicals and cheap magical tricks. They also say a lot of lies and dope themselves to exalt themselves. They carry out lot of rituals like using beetle and tea leaves for prophesying, use eye cosmetics - kajal - for showing the past, puff up smoke, pray with bones and skulls, use a piece of clothing, hair or jewelry, and use women reproductive parts like uterus for worship.

4. Prophesy and Eternal life: Demonic or witch priests claim of prophesying the future and foretelling using spirits and perform cheap gimmicks. With advancement of technology they use technological effect to cheat on people besides chemicals and tricks.

To be updated...

Pasta - Types that Tingles Our Tongue

2020-06-30T20:06:00.001+05:30

Pasta is a very easy to cook healthy Mediterranean diet. It is of four broad types: tubular, ribbon, strand and stuffed. Let's take a deeper look at them and what makes the differences.

Tubular are long and elongated pasta that take the form of tubes through which the sauce can penetrate through. They are straw-shaped pasta.

1. Macaroni is the famous tube shaped pasta that is curved like a shell. The sauce oozes through the holes.

2. Penne is another famous and trending pasta in tubes. These are straight and elongated short tubes.

3. Cannelloni are bigger tubes that are stuffed and topped with sauce and baked to serve.

4. Rigatoni is a tubular pasta but much bigger than penne and comes in a wide range of size.

5. Bucatini is another tubular pasta that are as long as spaghetti but with a hole in the center like a straw.

6. Manicotti are much rigid bigger tubes like cannelloni that can be stuffed and served with a pasta sauce.

(C)vectorstock

Ribbon pasta are long stacks of slender pasta flat bread-like sticks. They do not have holes but they come in a wide variety.

1. Lasagne are getting very common these days. These pasta sheets are flat and are layered with topping and sauce alternating with each other in layers, baked and served.

2. Fettucine are long flat strands of pasta. They are much like spaghetti but are flatter.

3. Tagliatelle are balls of flat strands of pasta.

4. Linguine is 4 mm wide and elliptical type of pasta.

5. They are broad and flat pasta noodles.

6. Mafaldine are twisted flat pasta sticks.

The idea of making ribbon pasta varieties is that the flat strands size and shape blends with the sauce and the toppings in a different manner thereby has a difference in the taste.

Strands are pasta that are like ribbon pasta but are much thinner and longer. These pasta are faster to cook many times merely sauting and mixing with the sauce itself is good enough.

1. Spaghetti is a very famous italian pasta that are slender and long sticks. They are little chewy strands.

2. Vermicelli are very thin and small strands of pasta that are packed as a mesh or broken pieces.

Stuffed pasta are some of the most delicacy. It is very tasty as the pasta stuffing also gets cooked. The stuffing is packed within the dough, dried and stored.

1. Ravioli are thin dough filling pasta stuffed with spinach, ricotta and spices.

2. Tortelloni are shaped differently and the stuffing dough is a little thicker with spinach and ricotta cheese as stuffing.

3. Agnolotti pasta are stuffed dough with roasted meat and vegetables.

Just get wired to creativity and make your own pasta bowl. Its the easiest and tastiest dish to be made.

Pasta - Sauces that Flavours Nostrils to Buds

2020-06-30T18:40:00.001+05:30

What I love about eating pasta are the wide variety of fragrances that the sauces can bring to nostrils and taste buds. I like to enjoy my pasta in a wide variety of sauces. Though my favourite is the white sauce, I enjoy eating the red or the tomato sauce as well. Here is a quick look at some of the common sauces and how they are made.

Alfredo sauce: Add the cream and butter to simmer and when the sauce thickens top it with Parmesan cheese. The creamy and smooth white sauce that sticks to your lips and mouth for some time with a tangy salty taste is inevitably a feast to enjoy. Enhance the flavour with a wide range of herbs like vanila, rosemary, cilantro, coriander and mint.

Arrabiatta sauce: This is a sauce that is made of tangy tomato and hot chilli that takes your sensation to the next level. It has the option to create variations by adding a zest of extra tangy lemon or a wide range of aromatic herbs from rosemary to mint and coriander.

Marinara: This is a typical Italian tomato sauce simmered with loads of garlic and a wide variety of herbs to taste.

Pesto: Pesto is green sauce made with basil and loads of garlic and cheese. This is rarely found in the market but is a delicacy that can be readily made at home. The difficulty in making this sauce is that the basil will start leaving water in the sauce which will reduce the creamy texture and has to be always prepared fresh.

My White Sauce: Maybe I should name this sauce Cheez. I make my white sauce with milk simmered with creamy cheese and this simmered sauce is flavoured with spices like dry red chilli or pepper and herbs.

What's the powder fragrance do to your complexion?

2020-06-18T17:55:00.001+05:30

What inspired me to blog is the photo of mine that had different colour fragrances showed different complexions.

The most common powder that changes your complexion to rosy sun-kissed cheeks is Rose powder. The rose powder made with the mild fragrance of rose imparts a rosy color to your cheeks. It adds a bashful you to your face.

Usually, all of us think that's the only powder that we think adds colour to our face. Many think the face powder makes our face turn white. But that's not true, the complexion changes according to the fragrance.

Sandal powder turns your face to a tint of yellow complexion that glows your inner beauty. If the colour of your complexion is fair, then use sandal powder and flaunt the beauty of your radiant skin.

If your complexion is brown to dark then use powder with fragrances like Jasmine and mild white flowers that the powder will just leave you the long-lasting freshness and fragrance. Lavender fragrance is another powder that suits and radiates the freshness and beauty for any complexion.

This is my experience with different powders and varying fragrances.

Beauty tip: I choose my powder fragrance according to the seasons: sandalwood for summer, dreamflower to lavender for winter and rainy seasons.

Tea - The Indian Drink - Flavour and Flavoured!

2020-05-10T16:11:00.002+05:30

Tea is the thirst quencher for Indians. The drink of China and Japan is also the secret for the longevity of youthoood in Indian race too!!!

Tea known for the voluminous antioxidants, flavanoids and phenols powered with the milder theamine is a rejuvenating drink that does no harm. This do not dehydrate but rehydrate and is good for your heart. India is a tea-drinking country.

I want to list out the different varieties of tea.

Milk Tea and Black Tea: Milk tea is tea brewed in milk with sugar added to taste. Black Tea brewed in water and drunk with sugar or jaggery added to taste. Milk tea has its advantages of milk absorbing all the harmful phenols and other chemicals in the tea, black tea is considered to retain the medicinal properties of tea intact. Black Tea is known to reduce weight. Both use fermented tea leaves.

Indian Teas:

Masala Chai: It is milk tea mixed with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. the proportion of spices make the tea is an identity to many households.

Butter Tea:Butter tea is also known as Gur Gur. It is made of yak butter, tea and salt. This tea is suitable for high altitudes as it provides a good amount of calories that need to be burnt.

Kulhad Chai: Tea served in kulhad, clay pots are kulhad tea. There is an alternative version when the kulhad are made hot on tandoori stove, brewed in these hot kulhad and served in cold kulhad.

Amrut Tulya: Mumbai version of tea made with freshly ground ginger, cardamom and few other spices. The tea is made in brass vessel and is served sweet.

Mamri tea: Like how coffee is brewed and served fresh, tea leaves can be crushed, torn and curled and served fresh. This is common way of serving fresh industry tea in Assam and Nilgiris.

Herbal Teas: Herbal teas are tea leaves infused with or homogenised with herbal leaves from various resources like chamomile, shoeflower, lemon, lemongrass and so on.

Green Tea: Green teas are made from fresh green tea leaves that are not fermented but dried and made into tea leaves. They contain catechin that make them very healthy alternative to black tea. Green tea are infused with lemon, honey, ginger and a number of other spices to give the flavour and taste.

Tea is such a drink that one finding it "taaza" reviving the spirit.

Reducing Thrash - Small Efforts Bigger Contributions

2020-02-20T18:30:00.001+05:30

Small efforts will reap bigger contributions. Thrash is a menace; global weather is fluctuating drastically to blame of climate change. Let me list here what small deeds of us can lead to bigger contributions. I don’t have the statistics but I have the ideas and deeds listed out:

Give up single-use plastics. Use paper cartons and clothe bags. It’s fun to carry your bag to the market.

2. Switch off lights as much as possible.

3. Use technology wisely and less. The more you rest and indulge in other forms of leisure your emotional bonds also will grow.

4. Stoop throwing garbage on the streets.

5. Turn off your TV and computer in the office as you leave the room or desk.

6. Do group events or family leisure time.

7. Grow trees

8. Keep your vehicle clean and smart that uses nominal fuel and doesn’t form soot.

9. Stop burning your Agri produces in mass

10. Electrocute organic material

11. Judicious use everything in our daily lives

12. Encourage nature-based products for decoration

13. Use leaf based and organic material for your family gathering and business conference souvenirs and dinners

14. ….add your points to this list

Consumerism - Unspoken stressor to Indian Corporates

2020-02-20T17:48:00.003+05:30

This is my opinion and observation. Stress, depression, and burnout are the buzz corporate words. People just have the habit of saying they are feeling depressed when the fact is their body and mind are only stressed. How can one stay with them if they are depressed?

When you face physical fatigue and a mental block, this is only a burnout. Consumerism, your needs forcing you to do workloads of others, is the one that forces you to exert your body and mind. This results in burnout. Continuing and stretching your burnout for your buying sprees is only stress. What to do that we desire and the society sells clothes that wear out after wearing for 2 or 3 times. The consumeristic economic strategies are to be blamed.

Then when you are depressed. You are depressed when you don’t feel the stress and burnout; your buying spree is uncontrollable and you stock up beyond your needs. Your addiction makes you depressed when is not satiated. Depressed that was once a societal taboo these days has turned out to be a fancy word today, without which you are considered normal and odd one in the crowd.

To be normal should one be depressed?

What make FATS - Good or Bad?

2020-02-01T15:14:00.001+05:30

If you are working 8 hours a day and give hours at the desk, then you are leading a sedentary lifestyle. On the contrary, if you are going to a gym, walking daily to the office, or actively doing physical exercise then you are leading an active lifestyle.

The carbs and proteins that you consume despite the fatty avoidances will still form the bad fats in the body from these sources. They form cholesterol and are deposited beneath the skin. Even when you are active these fats do breakdown but make the scenario worse by getting into the blood circulation. Thus these fats pose you to higher risk.

If you don't consume good fats then you will lose the fat homeostasis in the body causing a number of ailments. The good fats will scavenge these bad fats and keep them in balance and you safe. So consumption of good fats is mandatory. The good fats are the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that are found in avocado, nuts, and fatty fishes. So consume these daily in proportions and increase your protein intake especially when you plan a weight management schedule.

An Hour of Animal Helper at Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Center

2020-01-22T21:41:00.003+05:30

On the day of Lohri, 14^th January, 2020, which is Bogi in my state of Tamil Nadu where I was born, I decided not to sit with my computer searching for opportunities but spend some break off and relax with animals. I had the day planned with an evening for an alumni event at the Australian High Commission with the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Scott Morrison, in pressing times when I was really wanting a break back to Australia. But the event stood cancelled. And, that didn't push my spirits back to my system in search for a job. So, I took the local metro in Delhi only with the comfort of standing to SGACC, both to and return. This required me to take a hard ride on shared auto as well to their animal hospital for “Indian Roads”. I was dreaming of helping as in Animal Planet series like being a paravet or a helper to the vets but they gave me a broom and dustbin to help their “animal helper” whom I will call as “animal housekeeper”. I took up the job.

SGACC has a root to Australia and so I dropped to them claiming my Australian alumnus status too. We are entitled to do some charity as a give back to the country, especially in collaboration of our passion beyond work. What I always loved are the love-seeking stray animals beyond my own life and my pets that are part of my family. I used to feed the stray and celebrate or share my Christmas time. Thus, my charity is usually taken for granted as I don’t spend “the money”; I was challenged.

My day was fabulous, as the housekeeper is a very honest woman who asked me to leave the bag and get started. We mutually shared our tactics to clean these animal droppings. I taught her some of our family tactics like using the “dropping powder” everywhere first before starting to pick up that the smell will go away. But she taught me many things in return to get her job done. This was a challenging experience for me as I took the puppy place where there were dogs and cats, specifically a golden brown, a black and white puppy and a cat. The black and white puppy was tamed and it knew that the room will be messy if it didn’t allow me to clean. However, the golden brown was such a big challenge – it was heavy too – wanting my pampering and kind hugs than focus on cleaning its mess. I had to explain it and told it to stop snatching the broom from my hand. On top of this was the black and white cat which was matured enough wanting to purr on my lap when it saw my comfortable squatting position to sweep away the dirt as a desirable it’s purr placement time. Dollie, the housekeeping lady assured me that they behave in this manner with everyone. But how one can forget the sighs when I removed their dirt and monitored interestingly me cleaning up their messes. Never knew how much they missed covering their dirt with sand. I wish they had sand floor in their compartments and is open, if not for the warmth they need during the winter season and the need to tame them for adoption to a home.

Needless to mention, my spondylosis was a real challenge. I could not do my work bending and so I started to paralyse for the amount of physical activity involved. Yet, I wanted to overcome this challenge and took it up till the end. I know I may not have cleaned entirely with Dollie having to dig up the hard and long-time dried stains, which when I asked her about her daily duties. I mopped the entire floor and I learnt the trick of the clothe used by housekeepers. Yet I found I only won the challenge that I made for myself as I only had to fight the muscular pain later as I enjoyed the hot water bath and sleep on retuning back to hostel. Even otherwise I would have faced for sure this muscular pain for the physical activity involved but probably at a lesser intensity. I was finding awe at the immense stamina that Dollie has to clean up these sheds on daily basis.

What makes these sheds very difficult to clean are the sofas and pillows they have, but still the cats and dogs, know that they should not dirty them? I’m curious how and where they learn good habits which they don’t do at our home. Is it because we don’t let them be the beast they can be?

What we can do to these animals who bark in the street and fighting for us only for a wave of greeting at them or occasional bites or a pat that they fight for us from miscreants. So, what the cat does or get in return and keep away the pests away from our houses? I realised that sharing my kindness made me feel good and loved – I had someone wanting love in return and are harmless and is pennies lesser.

My Christmas poem for 2018

2020-01-12T18:05:00.003+05:30

Christmas Biochemistry

(C) sciencesparks

Roaring out in laughter,

Belly fat jumping up and down in joy,

For the season is “Oh...oh...oh!”,

‘‘Tis Christmas season,

Shooting up the endorphins,

Dwindling down the cortisol,

Giving life a balance to fill with joy and hope.

Twinkling stars lighting the dark clad sky,

Lit by moonlight soaring melatonin high,

But Santa’s sleigh speeding past with sparkles that fills stockings,

Decored houses with many longing happy hearts sleeping tight,

Dreaming of boxes to be opened,

Filled with warmth that has packed love and joy,

Releasing pheromones that is to rapture the Spirit of Christmas.

Jingling bells and hopping choirs with lanterns leading the way,

Shedding warmth to these late-night Christmas messengers,

Knocking doors with joy thumping up a bash of adrenaline,

Sharing ecstatic applause to emulate serotonin into action,

Doesn’t these fill the season with joy and merry?

A reason to wish everyone and X’changing undoubtful smiles!

- (C) Rachel Predeepa

What to Serve on Christmas Day?

2020-01-12T17:53:00.003+05:30

Christmas symbolises Hope and Peace which in turn brings Prosperity meaning good food, health, wealth, family and people.

Something that my family focuses on Christmas Day celebrations as a tradition is to plan the day’s recipe.

I thought this Christmas that I will collate the global recipes and their base ingredients into one single post. I want to share this as I want people to prosper and never go without food.

Let’s do it alphabetically:

Angola: Corn meal or cassava flour food, rice, spaghetti, French fries, turkey, fried chicken, cold fish with vegetables, fired fish or beef with tomatoes, garlic, ladies fingers, sweet potatoes, spinach, grilled fish with palm oil beans. Dessert is Bolo Rei cake.

Argentina: Roasted turkey, pork or goat, creamy anchovy and tuna sauce, stuffed tomato, salads, tuna sandwiches, tortillas. Dessert: Christmas bread, pudding, fruit salads, ice cream, pies, sweets like chocolate resins, sugar coated almonds, peanut butter.

Armenia: Rice, fish, chick pea, yoghurt, wheat soup. Dessert is dried fruits and nuts, walnuts in grape jelly, bastukh.

Australia: Cold Christmas dinner, barbecue, prawns, lobsters, seafood. Dessert is Christmas pudding.

Austria: wine, fried carp, roast turkey, roast goose. Dessert is chocolate, apricot cake, gingerbread, Austrian cookies.

Bangladesh: Rice with chicken and vegetable curries. Dessert is rice cake and rice pudding.

Belarus: 12 dishes. Kuccia, pancakes, fish and mushrooms. Dessert is oatmeal fruit, berries and potato starch with milk.

Belgium: Crisps, mini pizza, soup as starters, game or seafood, turkey or chicken, potato croquettes. Dessert is ice cream cake.

Bolivia: Stew or soup of chicken or beef or pork, corn, potatoes, salads, roast beef or turkey. Dessert is tropical fruits.

Brazil: Pork, turkey, salads, dried and fresh fruits, rice cooked with raisins. Desserts is tropical and raisins.

Bulgaria: Rich vegetarian meal, cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, beans soup, peppers stuffed with rice, boiled wheat with sugar and walnuts. Dessert is pastries, dried fruits, oranges.

Canada: Roast turkey with vegetables, mashed potatoes, vegetables. Dessert is Christmas plum pudding, mincemeat tart, Christmas crackers, Christmas fruit cake.

Chile: Barbecue chicken, turkey or pork. Dessert is Chilean Christmas cake, Christmas drink.

China: Apples. Brussels, sprouts, turkey. Dessert is Christmas pudding.

....

Then what about India?

Biriyani is favourite lunch accompanied with dishes that can be vegetables or non-vegetarian; and salad. Desserts will include cake and a range of Indian sweets and savouries. Plum cake is the hot, stolen bread and such are served after church service during coffee fellowship. Ice cream is also a favourite dessert. Chiristmas cookies and chocolates are other favourite. Christmas breakfast and contemporarily dining outside has become a family event on Christmas night. Family games and worship are also entertained with family members.

How to pack a power-filled snack for a break?

2018-01-14T16:44:00.001+05:30

Here's how I make my power snack for the break?

Snack boxes to your child or for yourself is admonishable if filled with fruits or junk food. Junk food for health and fruits are considered not trendy and time-consuming. Maybe fruits also rot by evening. So the best is to pack neutral snacks like these power snacks that also keeps you as much awake like fruits.

Biscuits are not good for your health as the sugar and flour can make you supped? Best is to replace your snack boxes with digestive, oatmeal or whole grain cookies with or without sugar and low or salted crackers. They form the base for your power snack.

What to fill in? Pack your snack box with a pair of salad leaves, peanut butter, cheese slices and egg omelette. Egg omelette can be replaced with chicken and ham sausages, carrots and cucumber and a wide range of options to choose from. They make great and sumptuous fillings between a pair of biscuits. They also help your clock ticking and are best for the extra hour that you will need to keep you working. They are also satiating and prevents you fall from slumber. They are best energy boosters for an afternoon snack.

Thus you are going to find yourself checking on your weight as well with these power snack. Worthy Indian versions are vadai made of lentils and whole grain sundals which also meet your daily dietary needs.

Never resort junk food and make yourself worser and soggy.

What Makes THE PILL Different from Hormone? What's THE PILL is in India?

2017-11-28T00:40:00.002+05:30

I write this blog following this status update I made in my LinkedIn Profile:

THE PILL is all that people wanted to know more of and the reason for the misnotion and chaos. I never wanted to know. Why? For I believed, whatever be the tablet they are asking me to take - even if paracetamol or a chewing gum - I have as citizen of this democratic India to file a FIR for being black mailed and if doped, a hurt and mischief complaint. But, when they spelled the word "modus", this created a stir for people were aware that they are asking to use this tablet as "THE PILL". This was going on since January 2014, but I know that the mass was stirred on 7th June 2014 at 5:30 A.M when a woman in the village started threatening me to abuse with these drugs...blah...blah..and then followed the stir asking all the unmarried women in that area to use these drugs. Why me? I know on 6 June 2014 this village woman calling herself was under the custody of soldiers and they wanted me to use the drugs for the armed soldiers troop questioned this nicknamed woman, "amelio ponnu/person" for intimidating me. I was not aware as to why she was under their custody; and her father was also stirring up something in the Commissioner of Police Office in Madurai with the guards on duty at Meenakshi Amman Temple, which also I witnessed on 5 June 2014. My aim now is to mend "THE PILL" awareness for I know that the increased stir to use this "modus"drugs has stirred in an interest to people to "use the pill" as "emergency contraception".

Let me make clear certain facts of "THE PILL"and the modus or "Hormone Tablets"!!!

I need to write this and hopefully, I wish no more of this heated discussion around me to threaten abuse or possibility of being abused, please!

"THE PILL" are the contraceptions that are also made of the same hormones called the sex hormones: they can be "THE MALE PILL"or "THE FEMALE PILL". Hence, accordingly the pills are made of sex hormones of single type or in combination that in dosages used will not cause harm or alter the natural hormonal balance in the body to cause medical complications unlike the misuse and abuse of HORMONE TABLETS that will cause serious medical complications including death.

Let me write in this blog more of THE PILLS as I have already written of the hormone tablet in my previous blog:

There are nearly 16 different ways of effective contraception method for a couple who do not prefer to have a baby wants to adopt. All they need to do is discuss their doubts, anxieties and needs to a good health practitioner, preferably an adrologist or a gynecologist. This is the couple's choice to decide with the physician and is between the couple to decide as to who will go for the contraception. Why public or employer or a brahmin or an authority?

With advent of technology and racing with time, stress being the buzz word, as the reproductive age spans from 15 to 49 years, adolescent maternity and late maternity are of increase and both of which are prone and cause for increased maternal death rate when the pregnancy is unplanned. So the Government of India has dedicated this year, April 11, National Safe Motherhood Day, for reducing maternal deaths. While they discuss of women's reproductive rights being violated by refusing to prescribe contraception when unmarried and/or without husband, this is also the right of the women to refuse to use such "pills" for need of employers and peers or any other reason, including on a married woman by her own husband without her consent which is equivalent to marital rape.

Talking of THE PILL:

There are two types of THE PILL: the regular monthly contraception and the emergency pill.

The Regular Monthly Contraception:

These will include the use of daily pills which can be made of progesterone only (POPs or progesterone patch or lotion) or combination drugs like Mala-D. However, gone are those days and the contemporary trend is to use spacing contraceptives as tablets (non-hormonal, Chhaya) or injectables (hormonal, injectable contraceptive-MPA). Besides there are a number of pills that are hormones and are used as oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, but they come in a pack that are designed for contraception. These pills, thus, will not turn overdosage as will be administered in synchrony with the natural cycle without impacting the hormonal balance. These pills are of three types: monophasic, biphasic and triphasic based on the amount of progestin and estrogen they release in a day.

Emergency Contraception:

These are the pills that are used when the regular contraception fails or unexpected and unprepared sexual intercourse has happened that can lead to unwanted pregnancy. There are a range of these pills available in the market and they work to prevent pregnancy when consumed within 12 to 72 hours, the maximum, soon after the "unexpected moments".

How do I conclude this topic? I wonder is this possible to post all you wanted to ask me or tell me and not able to open up directly as a comment here? Is this possible that you can change your opinion on reading this for a open-minded and casual direct discussions if you want one? Is this possible if you will learn to ask me if you are curious or learn manners and not to commit crimes by miusing these kind of pills for your doubts and gossips of that handsome chap as my probable husband? Is this possible for me to imagine that I conveyed the message that THE PILL and Modus you threaten to use are not the same? Is this possible that I imagine that Modus or THE PILL are not cultural stigma products but are chemicals used in treatment? Is this possible that I imagine that you will stop blasphemy in name of your religion to increase the market value of these products or make you answer my questions?