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Make your own homemade Holi colors

The festival of Holi is perhaps the only bright spot in an otherwise mundane month of March and therefore the bright and cheerful Holi brings colors of fun with it and welcomes the wonderful spring. However, unfortunately the meaning of Holi has not remained the same in last few decades owing to the ruthless commercialization and spread of hazardous Holi products. Modern Holi therefore does not stand for everything beautiful and has in fact become yet another source of environmental degradation. Here are some tips to de-pollute the auspicious Holi as an originally known festival of clean and homemade colors..

Several environmental groups have taken up the cause to encourage people to return to a more natural way of celebrating Holi. Amongst these are Navdanya, who have published a book called Abir Gulal that has spoken of the biodiversity that was the source of natural colours. Similarly, Development Alternatives, Delhi and Kalpavriksh, Pune have developed educational tools to teach children simple ways of making their own natural Holi colors. Also, the CLEAN India campaign has been teaching children how to make beautiful natural colors. Here’re a few of those recipes:

Yellow Mix turmeric (haldi) powder with chick pea flour

(besan) or Boil Marigold or Tesu flowers in water.

Yellow liquid color Soak peels of pomegranate (Anar) overnight.

Deep Pink Slice a beetroot and soak in water.

Orange Henna leaves (mehndi) can be dried, powdered

and mixed with water.

Green Dry and finely powder the leaves of Gulmohur

(Delonix regia) tree for a green color or rush the

tender leaves of the wheat

plant to obtain a natural safe green Holi colour.

Red Red Sandal Wood Powder / Raktachandan /

Lalchandan has a beautiful red color, is extremely

beneficial for the skin and is used in face packs,

etc. This can be used instead of Red Gulal or Dry

red hibiscus flowers in shade and powder to make

a lovely red color. To increase the bulk add any

flour to it.

Blue The Jacaranda flowers can be dried in the shade

and ground to obtain a beautiful blue powder. The

flowers bloom in summers or the blue Hibiscus

which is found in Kerala can be dried and

powdered just like the red hibiscus.

Wet colors Soak a few stalks of Saffron / Kesar in 2 table

spoons of water. Leave for few hours and grind to

make a fine paste. Dilute with water for desired

color strength. Though expensive, it is excellent

for the skin. Also, boil dried fruits of Amla / Indian

Gooseberry in an iron vessel and leave overnight.

Dilute with water and use.

Weather in major airports in India on 26th of March 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Moderate to strong winds will continue over Delhi airport during the next 24 hours. The sky will be clear and mist will prevail in morning hours. Temperatures would rise a bit in Delhi. Northwesterly winds will prevail.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Sky has become clear in Amritsar airport. Day temperature would remain stable but morning temperature will rise a bit during the next 24 hours. Winds would blow from north and northwest direction.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- Lucknow airport will have mainly clear sky. Day temperature has reached 35 degrees and would maintain the same during the next 24 hours. Minimum temperature will remain stable to keep the morning cool.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- Hot afternoon is expected at Varanasi airport but the morning will be cool. Winds would blow from west-southwest. The sky will be mainly clear.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- Sky in Patna airport will be partly cloudy and there are chances of thundery development also. Warm daytime is likely. Winds would blow from west.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- Afternoon at Kolkata airport will be warm and humid. The sky will be mainly clear.
Southwesterly winds will prevail in Kolkata.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Bangalore airport will continue to have a partly cloudy sky. Winds will come from southeast direction and temperatures, both day and night, are expected to rise a bit during the next 24 hours.

 

Photograph by MitRebuad

Weather forecast for the week in India 25th-31st March

Weather in India will have rain in the Western Himalayan region as well as northeastern states and some parts of east India. Thunder-squalls are predicted at many places in the country throughout the week. Here is a region-wise weather forecast for the week in India.

North and Northwest India
Rain is expected at the start of the week over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. A Western Disturbance is present over Jammu & Kashmir and will move eastwards to shift out of the Western Himalayan region during the next two days.

Northerly to northwesterly high-speed winds are blowing over north and northwest India but they would slow down by Wednesday. These winds are vital in keeping warmth away from the region in spite of rise in day temperatures. Warmth would make a mid-week return over the region and the plains could register temperatures in early thirties. There is also possibility of thunder-squalls in the region during the first three days of the week.

A Western Disturbance is expected to affect the north and upper parts of northwest region from 27th of March onwards. Rain could be observed over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand at the time. The exit of this weather system could again bring speedy winds to make the weather in India here pleasant by the weekend.

East and Northeast India
Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are entering the week with a possibility of rain during the first two days. A cyclonic circulation that would also bring rain in northeastern states is reason for this rain. Moist winds from the Bay of Bengal are strengthening the chances of rain in these parts. Rain would be observed when the cyclonic circulation reaches here after making an exit from the Western Himalayan region.

Central India
Central India starts with light rainfall in parts of west Madhya Pradesh, east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. A trough of low pressure area is persisting over west Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha. Another low pressure area that runs from north Bihar to Chhattisgarh will bring showers at one or two places in Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Thunder-squalls are possible at one or two places throughout the week in these parts. Temperatures would rise in areas close to northwest India and warmth would also be felt mid-week onwards.  Rain is also expected in these parts on 28th and 29th of March.

South India
Rain is not expected in south India other than at one or two places in coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and over Vidarbha and north Andhra Pradesh in Peninsular India. Southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal will blow as easterly after hitting land. The weather would remain dry with more or less stable day and night temperatures throughout the week.

Windy day in Delhi; thunder-squalls likely in many parts of the country

Delhi would continue to witness moderate to strong winds from north and northwest direction during the next 24 hours. Rain will be observed at a few places in the Western Himalayan states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh during this period. Rain would also occur in northeastern states and in east over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim in the coming 48 hours. There are possibilities of thunder-squalls at many places in the country during the next two to three days.

The high pressure area in the hills of Western Himalayan region and the low pressure zone in the northwest plains are pushing forth moderate to strong winds from north and northwest direction towards the capital New Delhi and almost entire northwest and Gangetic plains where these winds are slowing down a bit.

The apparent effect of such high-speed winds is that in spite of increase in temperatures warmth is not being felt. But as these winds would slow down in the next 24 to 48 hours, warmth would return. Till then places like Delhi would have pleasant weather that the city yearns for.

The Western Disturbance that lies over Jammu & Kashmir while moving eastward would give rain at a few places in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next 24 hours.

There will more rain in northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and in the east over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next two to three days. A cyclonic circulation is persisting over these states and rain will occur at a few locations during the period.

Increased heating has led to formation of low pressure zones in the country. One of them is persisting in east Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas of Vidarbha. There is a weather forecast for thunder-squalls during the next three days over east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa in the east and Punjab Haryana, north Rajasthan in northwest and over northeastern states.

Thunder-squalls that consist of high-speed winds with rain are essentially a movement of upward and downward wind currents in a vertical path. When there is moisture in the lower levels of the vertical path, the upward current cannot push these moist winds upwards after reaching a certain height and thus it comes down with speedy winds and rain.

 

Photograph by Vasenka

Wear leather in the summer season

It turns out spring is leather weather this year in New York. And this trend could soon be followed by many Indian designers too. Don’t be frightened: This isn’t a heavy head-to-toe rock ‘n’ roll look. This is about leather done as easy and breezy as we head into warmer, sunnier times. It could be a light jacket or a dress or just a button-down shirt.
For this, light and bright colors like white, light pink and blue in paper-thin leathers and vegan leathers will be used and laser cutting can add airiness to the garment. The result, customers immediately respond to the luxuries of it at the fashion week in New York.

“The customer is slowly shifting toward seasonless clothing. They want clothing they can wear at least eight or nine months a year, and leather is now one of those things, women can wear most of the year.  The customer also likes that leather takes pigment so well, and just as the season flips into spring, people are eager to wear cheerful, optimistic colors, even if the real-feel temperature don’t match the mood.”, says designer, Marti Horwitz.

So if you are looking for an instantly glamorous look, a leather jacket or vest is the perfect layering piece for the days the weather can throw anything at you. An important piece of advice to the shoppers is to keep in mind as they set out on a spring shopping spree, that lambskin or goatskin is naturally thinner than cow hide and would therefore fit well for the summer months.

A leather floral print dress on the other hand can be a showstopper, though it’s not for everyone!  “I can envision it more in LA or New York than in India. It’s for a person who religiously follows the trend, no matter how out of the box or unheard and wacky they are”, says a fashion student Leena Dang at NIFT, Delhi.

For the leather novice, it’s easier to start with the daytime outfits, and go with a navy or a chocolate brown, which could work well with the existing items in the closet. Marti Horwitz suggests a bolder color or feminine blush tone in a classic blazer. And if that still takes the customer out of their comfort zone, just a leather trim on the cuffs of a shirt, leather elbow patches or collars can be tried. All these innovative trends are already selling very well in the markets abroad.

The beat part, price shouldn’t and wouldn’t be a stumbling block when it comes to wearing these leather designs. Faux leather at affordable rates in the contemporary market is looking better than ever at just $100. Therefore easily affordable for many fashionistas in Indian moolah too.

Leather also isn’t a look necessarily limited by age, body shape or style. Unlike some trends that feed into a single look – like a maxi dress might work for the bohemian, or shoulder pads for the minimalist – leather crosses into the lifestyles of all buyers. And therefore it certainly won’t just dominate ramps but will soon have legs for quite a few more seasons.

Care for your roses in summers

When summer season is at its full swing, it becomes even more difficult to take care of summer flowers, particularly roses, as there are some additional tasks that need to be performed in the heat. Roses have an undeserved reputation for being fussy, hard-to-care-for plants. But after all, they're just shrubs. Some roses do require more maintenance than others. Remember that roses mostly grow well in warm weather but they still need your help to sustain their survival.

Summer season will soon be at its peak, we therefore thought about gathering some tips for rose care in summer. Here is a collection of tips on taking care of roses in summers:

1) Prune roses in early spring once the rose starts to show signs of new growth, usually in the form of tiny red buds swelling. These buds will become new branches.

2) Roses will need to be watered during hot and dry weather but remember that amount of water will always depend on soil conditions and weather. It is mostly recommended to soak the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches every two weeks. Also water them diligently. Water should be applied directly to soil because over-head watering makes the foliage wet and leads to diseases in your plants. If you cannot avoid over-head watering, then the best time to water roses is morning so that foliage may get time to dry.

3) Deadhead. This simply means trimming spent roses off the shrub to encourage it to produce more. Roses stems should be cut back to ¼ inch above a leaf with five leaflets.

4) Another thing that you can do to conserve soil moisture is to add mulch around rose plant. Mulching also helps controlling weeds. So spread a fresh 3-inch layer of mulch on soil 6 inches away from rose’s main cane. Best mulches include shredded bark, cocoa bean hulls, wood chips and pine needles.

5) Vigorous growth and abundance of blooms depend on proper fertilizing. Roses need to be fertilized three times a year. For the first time, fertilizer should be applied in early spring after pruning. Fertilizer should be then applied during first blooming period and for the third time in year, roses should be fertilized in mid or late July.. Another important thing is to add is that roses should not be fertilized on days when temperature exceeds over 29⁰C. Don’t forget to water roses before and after applying fertilizers.

6) Roses should also be checked for summer diseases and pests like thrips, Japanese beetles and spider mites. Beetles and spider mites can be controlled with insecticides. You must plan a spray program through the summer months to control diseases and pests. It is suggested to use a combination of insecticides and fungicide, easily available at nurseries.

7) Regular cultivation promotes healthy roses. Loosen soil frequently to aerate, keep down weeds and provide better utilization of the ground moisture.

While roses require more care and maintenance than many annuals and perennials, the results can be strikingly beautiful. We hope you enjoy a rosy summer ahead!

Weather in major airports in India on 23rd of March 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi

No Delays- Delhi airport will have a partly cloudy sky from today evening onwards and there could be thundery development. Temperatures would remain more or less stable. Mist will prevail in morning hours.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar

No Delays- Partly cloudy sky will become generally cloudy by the evening today and there are chances of thunderstorm with rain in Amritsar during the next 24 hours.Amritsaris one of the places to have the coolest temperatures in the plains but night temperature would rise a bit tomorrow.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow

No Delays- Lucknow airport will have a mainly clear sky. Day temperature has reached 35 degrees and would maintain the same during the next 24 hours. Morning will be cool in Lucknow. Winds are northwesterly.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi

No Delays- Warm afternoons will continue in Varanasi but the morning will be cool. Winds would blow from northwest direction.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna

No Delays- Patna airport will continue to have a clear sky. Day temperature will rise in Patna while the morning temperature would drop a bit. Winds would blow from northeast.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata

No delays- Warm and humid conditions would continue in Kolkata airport. The sky will be partly cloudy and there could be rain as well in Kolkata. Winds would blow from southwest.

Bangalore Airport

No delays – Partly cloudy sky persists in Bangalore. Rain is not expected but the sky will be partly cloudy. Winds would blow from southeast direction.

 

Photograph by obelix4

Chances of rain in Delhi and adjoining regions from tomorrow onwards; J&K to receive snow

There are chances of rain in northwestern plains including Delhi from tomorrow onwards. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand could have snowfall in the hills that will increase from tomorrow onwards. Rain would also occur in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim while Madhya Pradesh and Telangana in central and Peninsular India could have rain within the next 24 hours.

Western Disturbance-related rain that looked past the national capital this March till now is again expected from tomorrow onwards. The Western Disturbance lies over north Pakistan and is likely to arrive over Jammu & Kashmir. This weather system is likely to affect north and northwest India for next three days starting from tomorrow.

Hills of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will have snowfall at many places during this period and one or two places could even receive heavy snowfall as well. The plains in these states and that of Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan could receive rain at one or two places during the period.

Weather for tomorrow in Delhi will have partly cloudy sky and day temperature would rise marginally. Night temperature in Delhi could also rise a bit from tomorrow onwards due to cut off of northerly winds. Easterly to southeasterly winds will be observed in Delhi that will increase the humidity level as they are blowing in from the Bay of Bengal.

Rain would continue over northeast states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and over east in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim at few places and at one or two places over Nagaland Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during the next 24 hours. The north-south trough of low pressure area (a region of intense moist winds) now runs from Gangetic West Bengal toSikkim. Thunder-squalls could also occur at one or two places in these regions during the next two to three days

Central and Peninsular India had received showers during the last few days due to a trough of low pressure area that now extends from west Madhya Pradesh to Telangana. Rain would occur at one or two places in these regions during the next 24 hours.

 

Photograph by Eloquence

Summer Pillows

Pillows are an effortless way to extend the elegance of your interiors to your outdoor living space. An easy way to freshen up a room for the summer season is by changing out the pillows. Whether custom or ready-made, pillows can perk up the decor or tone it down. With options available at various price points, it is something anyone can do. During the summer season, people bring out pillows that are fresh and lightweight, bright or in neutral fabrics, I can accessories with equally cool pillows in most patterns to invite the summer season in the house.  But what if you can have a pillow which is actually cool, temperature wise! Ever thought of cool gel mats and pillows to keep you cool in the heat of summer season and spotty powercuts?

Unless you live in Antarctica or just lack proper blood flow to the head, you've probably spent a few sweaty, sleepless nights flipping a pillow over and over, seeking the refreshing refuge of its cooler side. With cool gel pillows, it’s not an issue.

Cool Gel Mat/Pillow, easily available in stores and online shopping websites, help cool your body and bring comfortable sleep in those very hot summer months. Cooling gel mat absorbs heat from the body contact area and releases heat from body non-contact area, thus to cool the human body by 5⁰C to 7⁰C. It has a surface of polyester cloth with polymer gels inside. It’s suitable for all people including elders and babies.  Masterpiece Technology (International) Co., Ltd supplies gel mats and pillows in India whereas, Silentnight Cooler Summer Pillows is a famous and a preferred brand in the U.K to stay cool and comfy in the sweaty months.

Cool gel pillows are ones filled with 200 ounces or 6 litres of liquid cooling gel—no feathers, no foam—just a gigantic, comfortable version of a freezer's icy pack. It doesn't take time in the freezer to do its thing! A cool pillow veers from a typical pillow design by being a bit smaller, less fluffy and a lot heavier from a pillow should ideally be.. but it still isn’t a lot of compromise to stay cool! The endothermic gel draws heat from your head and helps you get soundless sleep after a tired day of work. The cooling effect of the gel pillow lasts for 2 hours, which is plenty of time to get to sleep.

If you are going to ask, who these pillows are for.. the answer is.. It’s for people who sweat immensely at night or extremely hotheaded people or anyone whose recently lost their sleep over love!

So get a cool gel pillow for those irritable summer nights of no AC in your room and just apply a pillowcase to it. Place it onto your bed, change into your pajamas, brush your teeth, and lie down and enjoy the coolness.. Don't bother fluffing it up!

How to buy sunscreen lotions in summer season

Choosing sunscreen lotions isn't child's play. After rummaging through shelves of creams at shopping malls one often thinks if sunscreen lotions are actually effective, and then which one is most suitable and for how long. Sun is necessary for life, however, too much sun exposure may lead to adverse health effects. UV strength is greatest from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm during sunny summer days. UV exposure is greater at lower altitudes (close to the equator) and at higher altitudes. Up to eighty per cent of UV rays pass through clouds, meaning that sunburn is possible on cloudy days as well. Did you know over exposure to the summer sun can not just cause severe tanning, wrinkles and age spots but could also lead to a risk of skin cancer?

Qualities

A good sunscreen should therefore have these qualities in it:

-          SPF ( Sun Protection Factor)

-          Broad spectrum, which means, it effectively shields UV Rays

-          It should be easy to apply.

-          It should not be greasy.

-          It should not leave a white shining film on the skin.

-          It should be hypo allergenic. (below normal allergen)

-          It should be non comedogenic. (Tending to cause blackheads by blocking the pores of the skin)

-          It should have some amount of water/sweat resistance.

However, the SPF number on a sunscreen bottle rarely corresponds to real-world effectiveness, since people with different complexions burn at different rates. Besides, if you are unsure about which sunscreen to buy, do a patch test on your wrist. Also remember, a sunscreen of SPF 15 protects the skin from 93 per cent of UV-B radiation, while SPF 30 sunscreen provides 97 per cent protection. In case of oily skin buy a sunscreen that is water based.

Application

Apply twenty to thirty minutes before going out in sun, to give it time to absorb into the skin. Apply every 2 hours. Apply more often if swimming or perspiring as heavy perspiration, water, and towel drying removes the protective layer of the sunscreen. Apply it generously and regularly to maximize protection. It is essential to follow sun protective regimen on cloudy days as well.

Childhood is typically the time of life when maximal sun exposure occurs. It is important to engrain sun safety practices at an early age. Paediatricians recommend using sunscreen on infants for small areas such as face and back of hand where protection from clothes is inadequate. The sensitive skin of babies and children is easily irritated by chemicals in adult sunscreens, so avoid sunscreens with para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and benzephenones like dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, or sulisobenzone.

“Summertime is always the best of what might be.” ― Charles Bowden







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