Month: March 2013

Categories
Wellness

Holi hai!

Heading out to play Holi? Presenting some before and after-the-revelry tips for you to remain safe from Holi’s ill effects.
by Dr Ajaya Kashyap and Dr Abha Kashyap

Part III of III

It is Holi today, and if you’re reading this, chances are you’re looking for safe ways to play Holi. Or it’s possible that you’ve got colour all over yourself and nobody, including yourself, recognises you.

Either way, we’ve got some tips that will help.

Try to dissuade people from applying colour all over your face with their hands. If you fail to do so, be especially careful in keeping your eyes and lips tightly shut. Always request the person not to smear the colours near the eyes.

Apply cold cream around your eyes and make a thick coating of it over there. This would ensure that the colours can be easily removed when you wash your eyes. When trying to remove the colours around your eyes, keep your eyes tightly shut and use warm water.

You can cover your hair with a dupatta/bandanna and a polypeptide-based gel can be applied to partially repel colour.

Caring for your eyes is equally important while playing Holi. People wearing contact lens should take them off before they begin to play with the colours. When somebody is spraying water colours on your face, keep your eyes shut to prevent damage to the pupil, cornea and iris.

After you’re done playing Holi:

– Don’t sit in sunlight after playing Holi. It makes colours difficult to remove and harms the skin as well. Sit in the shade even when playing outdoors.

– Don’t remove colours by scratching your skin with your nails. Use a granular scrub on the body and face to get rid of the colour.

– Wash off colour from your hair two to three times with shampoo and remove the colour completely. Apply a lot of moisturiser on the body and face after taking a shower.

– Wash the colour off your body at the earliest. Use a basic body wash and if the colour doesn’t go off after the wash, try the aforementioned remedy.

– Make a paste of gram flour (besan), juice of lemon and heavy cream or some milk and apply it on the stained area, let it sit for few minutes and then remove it by taking it off with olive oil.

– Hair should be deep conditioned after the wash. Make sure your hair is clean. Apply a hair mask after two-three days to cure the damage.

– Remove the colour from your face by using a light oil like jojoba or grapeseed. Wash off with face wash and lukewarm water. Follow up with lots of moisturiser.

– Do not bleach, shave, wax, go for facials or clean-ups the following week. Give your skin and body some time to recover from the damage.

Have a happy and safe Holi 🙂

Dr Ajaya Kashyap is Chief Surgeon in Cosmetic and Plastics from Fortis Hospital; Dr Abha Kashyap is an aesthetic image consultant, MedSpa.

(Picture courtesy theatlantic.com)

Categories
Learn

State’s set up a bank account for drought relief

Donating to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for drought? Deposit your money in a dedicated State Bank of India account.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

By now, everybody knows that Maharashtra is in the grip of a severe drought, the likes of which have not been seen in years. In a heartening development, however, even as the State Government looks for ways to ease the situation, citizens of the State are coming forward daily to contribute money for those affected by the drought.

Seeing the response to the the Government’s call for help, the State has gone a step further from merely collecting money for drought – today, the Government announced a specially set up bank account where citizens can now directly deposit the money they wish to donate.

The account is a State Bank of India account, whose number is 32860305777. The account has been set up at the State Bank of India’s Fort, Mumbai branch. As per a release from the Chief Minister’s office this afternoon, citizens can now directly deposit their cheques or demand drafts at SBI outlets and address it to the ‘Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (Drought 2013). The bank will give the person a rough receipt, which he/she can then write to the Chief Minister’s Accounts Officer at the Mantralaya with a copy of the rough receipt and request an original one.

(Picture courtesy vickynanjapa.wordpress.com)

Categories
Big story

Paani cut!

The BMC cuts 745 water connections in 22 municipal wards during a special drive conducted to assess non-payment of dues.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The State of Maharashtra is grappling with the worst water crisis in years, and in Mumbai, 22 wards have a different water crisis of their own. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Hydraulic Engineer’s department, during a special drive in Mumbai starting March 15, 2013, found that several wards in the city had not paid its dues.

As a result, the department has cut as many as 745 water connections in 22 wards in Mumbai for non-payment of outstanding dues. So if your house taps have been running drier than usual, this could be the reason.

The ward-wise cut connections are:

Ward A: 10

Ward B: 1

Ward C: 14

Ward E: 7

Ward F/North: 15

Ward F/South: 12

Ward G/North: 20

Ward H/East: 49

Ward H/West: 28

Ward K/East: 33

Ward K/West: 43

Ward L: 50

Ward M/East: 124

Ward M/West: 145

Ward P/North: 10

Ward P/South: 27

Ward R/Centre: 10

Ward R/North: 21

Ward R/South: 24

Ward N: 31

Ward S: 23

Ward T: 48

(Source: Hydraulic Engineer’s department, the BMC)

(Picture courtesy thesquaredfactor.wordpress.com)

Categories
Wellness

Care for your skin before Holi

An expert’s tips on making your own Holi colours, and skin and haircare advice before the festivities kick off tomorrow.
by Dr Abha Kashyap

Part II of III

There are several ways to protect your skin, hair and eyes from the onslaught of Holi colours. While it may not be possible to persuade others to play with natural colours, you can do your bit for the environment and towards human safety by playing Holi with safe, natural colours made of turmeric and flowers.

What’s more, you can make these colours at home, too. Try these:

–  You can make gulaal at home by mixing red sandalwood powder with a bit of maida or plain atta.

– Also try boiling red sandalwood powder in water to make red-coloured water. This is both fragrant and medicinal.

– Mix turmeric and besan (gram flour) to get a bright yellow powder.

– Mix a paste of green leafy vegetables in water to make green-coloured water.

– Plain henna powder mixed in water will give you a vibrant orange colour.

– You can mix henna powder containing amla in water for a bright brown colour.

And before you start the revelries in earnest, bear in mind a few tips:

–  Avoid all facial treatments during this period. If you are prone to allergies and rashes, visit your dermatologist to check whether you need precautionary medication.

– Harsh chemicals in the colours can cause itching and rashes, which lead to eczema upon scratching. Contact dermatitis, abrasion, irritation, itching, dryness, pruritus and burning sensation are the other problems you might encounter. The best way to protect your skin is to apply a thick layer of oil or petroleum jelly or a face cream on the exposed parts of the body an hour before you step out.

– Apply a lot of oil on your hair to protect it from harmful colours. This will also ensure that the residue from dyes in the colour does not get stuck to your hair and scalp. Make sure your hair isn’t dry before you go out to play, because colour will penetrate faster in the hair root and stain it. Oil hair religiously and give it a good massage.

– Wear clothes with long sleeves and full-length bottoms to protect your skin from direct colouration.

– You will need to soak your body in oil. From head to toe, drench yourself in coconut oil or any other easily available oil. Alternatively, you can also use heavy creams.

– Apply a thick layer of the greasiest sunscreen you can find. The oils in it will not let the colour seep deep into your skin, and the SPF in it will prevent you from the harsh rays of the sun.

– Coat your nails in transparent nail paint, so that colour wont stain your nails. Even men will love this tip.

– A thick layer of petroleum jelly must be applied on the lips. Also, opt for long-wearing lip tints to prevent staining.

– You might balk at the idea, but your teeth need protecting, too. Warm some Vaseline against your fingers and gently rub it against your teeth to prevent staining. It will prevent the staining.

– Always cover your eyes whenever there is a chance of colour coming in contact with them. Sunglasses are useful for this.

Other ignored areas of the body are the cuticles, back of the neck and ears. We often ignore these areas and end up having the most staining there! This time, coat the area with Vaseline or some heavy oil. And be safe.

Dr Abha Kashyap is an aesthetic image consultant, MedSpa.

Tomorrow: How to get rid of Holi colour from your skin and hair. Plus, protecting your eyes as you play Holi.

(Featured image courtesy idiva.com)

Categories
Watch

Strictly a Monday evening affair

Tonight, Vikalp@Prithvi showcases two powerful documentary films about women who challenge the norm, and women trapped in a barbaric tradition.
by Medha Kulkarni

On every last Monday of the month, Vikalp@Prithvi organises free film screenings at Prithvi House. Vikalp@Prithvi is a collaboration between Prithvi theatre and Vikalp, which conceptualised and started ‘Films for Freedom’ six years ago in 2007 and has since screened several award-winning documentaries and brilliant short films.

What’s more, these films are made accessible to the general public for free.

The initiative is run by documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and Chandni Parekh, psychologist and creator of online initiatives Chandni.org and Fund-A-Cause.

An assault on freedom of expression is an assault on democracy – this idea gave birth to Vikalp. What started off as a small festival has now morphed into a full-fledged movement. Vikalp insists that it is not an institution or a copyrighted idea, but is simply an inspiration, one that strives to ensure that voices of dissent will not be quashed or silenced.

Thus, the screenings that take place in various cities across the country are not necessarily in the name of Vilkap, although they do embrace its ideology. In Mumbai, there are specifically three venues that are said to be associated with this idea, namely the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Deonar; Alliance Francaise in Marine Lines, and of course, Prithvi Theatre in Juhu.

“All our shows are packed,” says Chandni. “Right from students, NGO professionals and filmmakers to bankers…the crowd is diverse and the post-screening discussions are enriching.”

Chandni says that the most memorable moment for Vikalp@Prithvi was in 2010, when they showed Deepa Bhatia’s film on farmer suicides, Nero’s Guests. “Many audience members voluntarily contributed to the donation box that we passed around to most of them at the end of the screening. We donated the entire amount of Rs 9,500 to Deepa to support the farmers in Maharashtra, whom she and journalist P Sainath have been helping,” Chandni says.

If you’re planning to catch a film today, you could consider these two powerful films at Vikalp@Prithvi:

Izzatnagari Ki Asabhya Betiyaan (The Immoral Daughters in the Land of Honour):

A documentary film about women who take on the powerful (and deeply misogunistic) khap panchayat is a powerful film that addresses the issues of ‘honour’ crimes, injustice and social boycotts. Directed by Nakul Singh Sawhney, the 93-minute long film chronicles the lives and stories of five young Jat women who rallied against the Khap Panchayts in their quest for freedom, justice and equality. The stories of these women are juxtaposed  with those of the Khaps. This poignant film exposes the double standards and violence that are conveniently kept out of sight and yet happen even today in a so-called modern India. The trailer of the film is here:

 

A Pinch of Skin:

This film talks about the hushed-up but rampant evil about the practice of female genital mutilation. The award-winning film exposes the brutal betrayal of innocent young girls, perprutated by a society that appears modern and yet retains the mindset of a cruel medieval one. In the guise of keeping a check on female sexuality, young pre-adolescent girls who have no control over what is being to them are the victims who have live with the burden of this life-long trauma. The narrative explores the voice of dissent (which sees this as politics of a sexual kind) intercut with those that insist that this heinous practice should be kept alive invoking the name of tradition. It is directed by film maker Priya Goswami who will be present for a Q & A session after the screening.

Screening Details: Head to Prithvi House, opposite Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, at 7 pm today, March 25. Entry is free, on a first-come-first-seated basis.

(Picture courtesy Chandni Parekh. Image is a file pic showing a post-screening discussion.)

Categories
Trends

Rugby gets massy

Nasser Hussain, captain of the Indian Rugby team, tells us that rugby is slowly gaining acceptance among the city’s schools.
by Vrushali Lad | vrushali@themetrognome.in

For most of us, rugby is a game that seems violent, a sport that is played essentially by beefy men. For everyone else, rugby is a game that they’ve only heard of and don’t know much about.

Fortunately for the sport, this state of affairs is slowly changing. Rugby is being played regularly at the school level in Mumbai, and interest is particularly high among the city’s civic-run schools. Of course, like most other sports in the country, it suffers from a lack of awareness and accessibility, apart from a pronounced lack of structure at all levels of the game.

“The sports management for any non-cricket sport in the country today is not structured, except maybe for the IPL (Indian Premier League),” says Nasser Hussain (33, in pic on left) , current captain of the Indian Rugby team. We’re sitting at his office at Marine Lines, where he officiates as General Manager (Rugby India), the Indian Rugby Football Union. He says, “The country is very cricket-driven; there is a lot of focus on the sport, though so much has been done for it already. Everyone’s struggling in other sports. There are many obstacles and challenges, and not enough support and assistance.”

There is not enough sponsorship support for the sport as well, he laments. “We get a sponsor maybe for a year or so, which isn’t beneficial at all. There has to be a long-term partnership. Unfortunately, even the big companies are not willing to back rugby, they’re so focussed on cricket. It’s like they would rather be one in a million (sponsors) in cricket, than be the only one in another sport.”

Star of the sport

Nasser should know what he’s talking about. He started playing rugby at the age of 15, and was the youngest member on the squad that played internationally in 1998. “Hardly anybody played rugby in those days,” he remembers. “The club structure did exist for the sport, but there was absolutely no mass appeal. A little later, I got the opportunity to play for Tynedale RFC and Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.”

In the years 2007 to 2009, Nasser worked in sports management for other sports, and a bit later, got the chance to come back to rugby. “I decided to try and manage the sport professionally, create more awareness of the sport, get more school children involved,” he says. “Of course, we’ve had to overcome several hurdles, but it’s been a good journey overall.”

Schools show interest and participation

Today, the Union runs several Under-12, Under-14 and Under-17 programmes in Mumbai’s schools, and is seeing increased participation every year. “The training is imparted at no charge; all the child has to do is show up for practice and matches,” Nasser explains. “Initially, a lot of parents were hesitant about sending their children to play rugby, because they feared how violent the game was. But we introduced non-contact rugby for both boys and girls, and everyone’s happy,” he grins.

Nasser goes on to explain that the right time to take up the sport is at the Under-10 level. “In fact, that’s the right age for any sport. It is easy at that age to pick up basic functional training and movement skills. The sport also develops a child’s fitness and leadership abilities.” The Union introduced the rugby programme in Mumbai’s schools six years ago. “We started with about eight schools. Now there are 50 schools in Mumbai regularly playing rugby,” he says, adding that these schools range from international schools to the BMC ones.

Interestingly, he finds that girls are more receptive to the game than boys. “We started with the boys’ programme first, then introduced the girls’ programme. But girls are more involved in the sport. See, there are not too many team sports that cater to girls. Even the Indian National Women’s team is doing very well,” Nasser explains.

Hearteningly for the sport – though it is still in the nascent stages, with India being ranked 83rd of 95 rugby-playing countries in the world – the sport was recognised in July 2012 by the Schools Games Federation of India. A student carrying certificates for rugby can now get enrollments in college or the police cadre through the sports quota. “There will be increased participation, but we also need more sponsors and funding, because the Union does not charge coaching fees. Though the sport used to be restricted to elite circles in the country, we’ve seen a lot of new players coming from Jharkhand, Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir. Rugby’s gone quite mass in the last few years,” Nasser says.

If you wish to be a sponsor for rugby tournaments and training, contact Nasser Hussain at nasser.hussain@rugbyindia.in or 022-2205 3897.

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