Latest and trending fashion in wedding dresses

When it comes to weddings in Chennai, there are two topics that have the most buzz and discussions surrounding them. The first is the best wedding halls Chennai and the second is bridal wear. With these two elements dominating the wedding industry, I’ve observed that wedding attire for grooms is unfairly ignored. What most people don’t realise is that the field of Indian wedding dresses for grooms is as vast as brides. 

From the style of the garment to the colour, from the texture to the attire, grooms-to-be can play around with a lot of things to find their kind of wedding attire. The debonair man only has to look as far as Ranveer Singh or the Bachchan duo to see the variety of options available in the market. 

So, for all the men who are not afraid of making a statement on the D-day or try new things, here is my take on wedding attires.

1. A standout jacket for the win

As I flip through wedding photos, one aspect jumps out. Grooms are generally in a black, navy or, at the most, grey suits. The colour of the jackets is limited to these shades. Thankfully, there is a whole slew of other tones grooms can try. Pick hunter green if the wedding is in the winter to break the monotony or choose a pastel shade if the wedding is in the summer. 

Colour is not the only choice; grooms can create a standout jacket by choosing a different type of fabric. Think linen for summers, and brocade and velvet for winters.

2. A dhoti kurta will always be best

I do not doubt that a conventional dhoti kurta will remain the ever-green look for Indian grooms. Somehow the classic appeal of the attire will never go out of vogue. It is not only an effortless attire to wear, but it also instantly makes the man appear like a groom.

For the gent, who wants to bring a little twist to the traditional garment, I recommend styling the kurta differently. Instead of the usual lighter colours, go for bold. Better yet, get the groomsmen to colour coordinate with the groom’s dhoti-kurta to create the most fantastic photos!

3. An embellished dupatta can do wonders

Who says that only brides can have outfits embellished six ways to Sunday? Grooms can bring jazz to their attire by completing their sherwani with an embellished stole. I think the trick is to go for elegant motifs that are lightly scattered across the dupatta and the groom will be ready to flaunt it!

4. A royal Jodhpuri style dress for the groom

Quite similar to sherwanis, Jodhpuris have riding pants as the bottom instead of a chudidar. The regal dress for the royals of Rajasthan, Jodhpuri is apt to wear for a wedding. The thigh-length coat gives a stylish look. The pants, tight at the calves and loose above the knees are very comfortable, especially when the groom has to sit cross-legged during the pheras.

To spruce up the dress, I advise adding an amazing Safaand a brooch to the coat. If a groom selects Jodhpuri for the reception or engagement, then go for lighter fabrics with subtle shading. 

5. Ombre style is perfect for any groom attire

The trend of creating a colour gradient in the bride’s dress has become quite the norm by now. I feel it is high time grooms jump in on the style. Try a sherwani that slowly blends light shades into a darker tone for an elegant look. 

By staying away from the usual, solid coloured kurta or sherwani, the groom can have stylish attire. The ombre style need not be limited to the wedding. A groom can rock it for any of the functions, particularly a day ceremony.  

There are a number of trends grooms can utilise to bring a new flavour to their wedding attires. The ones I have listed above are just to give you a head start. The good news is that the fusion look, a combination of traditional and modern, is really popular right now. So, don’t limit the groom’s wedding dress to the basic styles, opt for something unique and outstanding.

If you like what I write, you can grab the copies of my four published books here: The Fragrance of True Love, Destiny's Favorite Child, Dare to Defy The Destiny and Empowered Women Empower Women

Women Health: 5 Early Signs of Endometriosis

A woman  undoubtedly is considered most strong mentally but when it comes to physical strength, it is not that she is any less but over the period of time it deteriorates. That’s because despite of ensuring the entire family’s good health always she has hardly paid any attention to her own well being but I am glad the times are changing today. As I sit here in a park I see a lot of women around me working on their fitness early morn and that gives me immense hope because women empowerment for me is also related to women feeling healthy and strong.

Apart from working on our fitness every woman should also work towards not ignoring any signs of disease when her body starts giving signals and get a proper check up and diagnosis done early on to avoid any complications. In this women health series, we will share with you some common yet less known illnesses in women which if left untreated can cause her bigger some times even life threatening harm in the long run. So, today we talk of endometriosis. As many of you would know I have battled it for 10 long years and will not wish anyone else to go through the same pain. Thus, I share here what’s endometriosis and what are its five early signs which a woman should watch out for.

Why Endometriosis first? 

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) yes you heard it right and it often goes undiagnosed until it reaches a later stage, firstly, because of the complexity of diagnosing it and second because women have a habit of bearing it all and pay no attention to their health. I am a live example in front of you all, despite of being so educated and so aware I didn’t reach the root cause until I needed urgent surgical intervention...but if one gets diagnosed early it can be easily managed and that's my goal in this series. 

What is Endometriosis? 

Endometriosis is a gynaecological disease in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus, even on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the intestines.

In a more layman terms, the menstrual blood which we discharge every month during our periods gets spattered back into our system rather then flowing out and gums together our organs as it gets sticky over a period of time. Don't want to explain here how worse it can get if left untreated for years, infecting and crushing many adjacent organs.

This health condition is linked to high level of estrogen hormone in a woman's body.

Unfortunately endometriosis still remains an enigma for medical science, its cause is unknown and it is not possible to get rid of it completely until you get your uterus removed. I will share more about its management and treatment as I progress in this series of articles. But first the most significant part, its early signs....I will try to include as much information as possible here.

The 5 Early Signs of Endometriosis 

Note: Remember a woman suffering from endometriosis may or may not have any or all of the below symptoms and can be symptom free too. Remember why it is called an enigma!

1. Painful periods: If you have unbearable pelvic pain and stomach cramps including lower back much before your menstrual periods sets in which continues right through the periods too, then you must get yourself screened for endometriosis. This pain is a very staunch pain and is often colicky in nature too. In the long run popping painkillers won’t help. Sometimes you may also have irregular periods because of this condition.

2. Pain during bowel movements or urination: Since the endometrial tissue grows outside your uterus too and sticks together your organs one can experience pain during bowel movements or urination. If this is the case, request your gynaecologist to screen you for Endometriosis. 

3. Infertility: Since this is a disorder of your reproductive system, you are most likely to be screened for endometriosis if you are battling infertility. Post diagnosis these implants are cleaned surgically and one can conceive naturally. 

4. Excessive Bleeding:  If you have way too much flow suddenly or bleeding between two consecutive periods it is likely that you may have this disease. So visit a doctor as soon as possible. 

5. Pain during Intercourse:  Pain during or after intercourse in common in this medical condition and there is no need to hide it from your partner rather visit your doctor with him.

Also, if during periods you experience diarrhoea, bloating, nausea, fatigue or constipation they all indicate that you need a simple treatment required for endometriosis if detected in tests. If delayed the pain takes chronic dimensions and your threshold to bear it falls drastically which is so natural and surgery becomes the only option.

These are some symptoms that suggest we need a checkup girls. Another reason  why you must not wait until the pain gets really bad is because the degree of pain here is not directly proportional to the extent of disease. So don’t delay, health is wealth, you are precious for yourself and your family. If you friend or daughter or sister has these issues, it’s high time to get medical help.

In the coming articles I will tell you about the methods of diagnosis, treatments, medications, side effects, what to eat, what not to and holistic lifestyle changes to manage this disturbing disorder of women which often takes a toll on our mental health too. Rest assured this can be fixed. 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and am sharing with you all that I have learnt during the course of this disease.

If you like what I write, you can grab the copies of my four published books here: The Fragrance of True Love, Destiny's Favorite Child, Dare to Defy The Destiny and Empowered Women Empower Women

Goal Setting for #2020 : Five Interesting Leads

The last decade passed in the blink of an eye and I am so overwhelmed to bid it goodbye with a heart full of gratitude and welcome the new year and the new decade with an open heart and soul embracing diverse dreams and far reaching goals. Well, life is a roller coaster whether or not you feel the gone by years have done justice to you, either way they motivate you to set goals for your radiant future. If happiness or success or satisfaction has evaded you so far, it is high time you chuck a fool proof plan to rise and shine and if you are already are in a wonderful space with regards to your dreams can there be a better time to soar higher and higher. 

Why is it vital for us, human beings,  to have goals? Well, our goals and ambitions are what separate us from other living beings. So whether we are the prime minister of India, a fruit seller, a stay at home mom or a entrepreneur we must always have goals, goals which are realistic, challenging yet achievable and above all tangible or measurable. Normally the start of a new year is considered a good time to set goals but the choice is absolutely yours. If you still haven’t thought about it, let’s make it simpler and interesting for you in five simple ways. Ask the following five questions to yourself...

1. What is my current identity, what do I need to add to it? 

Take a piece of paper or your phone and write on it your current identity, if you are a mom and wife and a blogger or teacher or influencer, focus your energies to visualise how would you like to enhance it whether you will like to grow it to become a solopreneur or may be an author or whatever you think you are best suited for and will make you financially and emotionally more stable and independent even by a whisker. That will thus give you your main goal for 2020 which will be called your operational goal on which you must act now. It will be fantastic if you can also envision your long term strategic goals now and jot them down for a visual reminder whenever you loose track. Trust me it works wonders.

1. What is unique to me, have I done justice to it?

Write down next what is the most unique talent you possess which is your passion and gives you crazy satisfaction like you might be a great baker or very good with homemade beauty products or a fantastic orator etc. Now,  evaluate how much justice have you done to it in everyday hustle bustle of life in recent times. There can be a great startup idea here buddy just churn your brain, dream big and align the goal you set here with a strong will to turn the tide of time in your favour. I didn’t know the day I used to put my heartfelt titbits on FB that one day I will have published 4 books. 

1. In what way can I make myself better in 2020 than what I was in 1919?

Third write in a nutshell how you felt you were in the gone year, now write how can you be better. For e.g. if 2019 was a difficult year for me recuperating from a major surgery, in 2020 I must have stringent health goals to not let my condition deteriorate again. Not only that how can I make others aware that their disease doesn’t reach the last stage like mine can be another goal of mine as a social influencer to whom community help gives a different kind of high no matter how small it is. This was just an example. You have to set your goals in such a way that you get better than your previous self in the last year. Simple, right ?

1. Do you feel it is the right time to embark on a new venture? 

Some extremely talented women embark on their most ambitious ventures at the advent of 40s as they say this is the time they get free from parental duty stuff and have ample of time for themselves. The midlife crisis often shapes up a brilliant future so if you too have a dormant dream your time is now. Set goals, give it a try, even if you fail at least you tried and I am sure eventually you will succeed too.

1. Have I missed out on something in life big time? 

Sometimes we experience a void but fail to realize what it is, it is that feeling in not accomplishing your dreams and giving it up for family’s sake. But who is stopping you now. Times are most conducive too. Muster your courage seek family or friends support or do it on your own, set goals girl. This is an era of Women Empowerment, your time is now. It’s now or never!

If you like what I write, you can grab the copies of my four published books here: The Fragrance of True Love, Destiny's Favorite Child, Dare to Defy The Destiny and Empowered Women Empower Women

FSSAI ensure safety in food eateries/outlets

PC: DepositPhotoes

KNOW HOW FSSAI’S GUIDELINES MAKE  EATERIES AND STREET FOOD SAFE FOR YOUR FAMILY

The year is 2003, a fine Saturday evening, and a dear friend was enjoying dinner with her family in a famous restaurant in town. On Sunday morning, her son’s face tells a different story as he clutches his stomach and groans in pain.  Her paediatrician shakes his head as he delivers the verdict,  “Food poisoning,” he says. “No more hotel food,” he sternly warns. A common scene then.

The year is 2019 and her almost grown-up children and she are awaiting their food at one of the trending fast-food joints. The owner smiles at them from his passport size photo affixed to the FSSAI food licence and registration  that is displayed on the  wall- A common scene now. 

Ever since FSSAI was established in 2011, things have started looking positive for worried and I’m -done -with- hospitals mothers like her.  It  has become ubiquitous in the food industry in our  country that invests crores in the food business and is insanely crazy about eating out. The FSSAI has a gargantuan role to play and has its work cut out.  Especially so in the case of local eateries and road-side outlets that have become such an essential part of our gastronomic culture. 

It is assuring to note that FSSAI food license has hard and fast rules to ensure that the Food Business Operators produce quality food that is safe for consumption. 

Safety first- Everywhere and Everytime .

Today, ordering food on the trending online apps has become a weekly norm in my house. While my child chooses the food and outlet on the basis of taste and variety of dishes, my mind centres on the safety of the food, the place of preparation and the person who prepares it . I am , after all , not witnessing anything. So my worries are justified. 

For fretting  mothers like me, its is very assuring to educate oneself of the safety norms that FSSAI has furnished. 

Let’s take a look at The 10 Golden Rules of FSSAI: 

1. Ensuring clean and pest-free premises .
2. Using fresh, potable water to wash and clean food products.
3. Ensuring all cut and prepped food is covered and stored in cold temperature.
4. Washing chopping board and knives thoroughly before and after use.
5. Keeping garbage bins covered.
6. Making sure that the workers maintain personal hygiene.
7. Washing of hands after using the restroom.
8. Avoiding handling of food if unwell.
9. Taking care to see that bruises or cuts on the body are cleaned and covered properly
10. Using clean dusters or cloth to wipe utensils.

Going clean with street food

 Street food is soul food, comfort food.  My usual apprehension takes a backbench when I bite into that crunchy vada or the soft shawarma that is available just across the street.  Even the finicky fine diners love to grab a bite from the local street food stalls.

The “Clean Street Food Hub” is FSSAI’s clever initiative to monitor this age-old tradition that’s now a source of livelihood for lakhs of people across the country. I am happily surprised  as I go through  FSSAI’s Guidelines For Declaration As A Clean Street Food Hub . It covers a whole gamut of rules and regulations, much like the ones established for the business on the other end of the food business spectrum.  This initiative was a stupendous success with  almost all the 66 vendors in Kankaria Lake area of  Ahmedabad who  are said to comply to the rules , starting with affixing a plaque having the FSSAI food license clearly on display.  

FSSAI’s Eat Right Movement

The FSSAI clearly deserve a pat on the shoulder for launching The Eat Right Movement in 2018. It is time to put our physical health in the forefront with the right choice of food habits.  FSSAI is my ally here. This campaign focuses on creating awareness in schools and offices about eating healthy food, reducing unhealthy items like sugar, salt and oil and promoting staple foods in the daily diet. 

In my honest opinion as a parent, the FSSAI is doing a great job. But it has to ensure that its initiatives reach the grassroot food vendors. My light banter with the owner of a street food cart  the other day, reveals that he is yet to procure his FSSAI licence. My look of surprise prompted him to assure me saying,”Don’t worry ,madam. You will not fall sick!” Take note, FSSAI !

5 Reasons which transform a heart full of gratitude in an asset

A gratitude post for umpteen reasons has been doing rounds to my mind frequently for the past few days and though I have not been able to write, I have been contemplating it for a while now. So today I thought is the day because counting your blessings often gives you a high in otherwise not so congenial times and I have always done that to keep my happiness and sanity alive. May be it rubs on you and spread a positive vibe, my solemn aim here😊.

So, I am very grateful today because:

1. I am able to practice what I have preached: You would recall that I had been penning a mindfulness meditation series post my endometriosis surgery. This meditation has helped me immensely for years and so I had shared the same with all of you. But the recent relocation has subjected me to a lot of indiscipline and I had not meditated for over a month. Yesterday I stumbled upon these pieces while scrolling through my Instagram feed and I immediately got back to it. I began meditation and today I resumed my morning walks here in Delhi too. Felt good that my own articles inspired me to get back the rhythm of my life. Will you believe if I tell you that today morn when I meditated I saw my bestie sitting under our favourite tree with me and that’s when she pinged me to say she is sitting under that tree and missing me. That’s the kind of connect I experience with my inner self upon meditating and can I be any less grateful.

2. The sun shines the brightest after the darkest night: It seems I will be able to resume my career soon and join my husband’s entrepreneurial venture. Glad an experienced automobile engineer won’t be wasted anymore. Many years of experience can now be put to our own use if the need be. Keeping my finger crossed and giving S all the support he needs as of now satiates me and keeps me merry. I am grateful to the Almighty that he has made me the custodian of his dreams.

3. Your oldest best friends are gold: Instead of cribbing about having left most of my best friends in Pune, I have carried some of them in a carton here and spend a lot of time with them, yes they are my books. I am curating a personal library these days in my home.. a very personal corner of mine where I can read and write in my own creative space. I am a very happy and content person even if I can read one hour a day, it makes me feel light and all smiles. I often discuss the gists and lessons of my books with my family inspiring them to read as well. No wonder my sonny is a bigger bibliophile than I am. Again big reasons for feeling grateful for.

4. I am able to devote quality time to family: Shifting from Pune has reduced the number of sessions I am taking in my academy thus I am able to focus more on family and give A the right guidance and time he deserves at this tender age. This break is vital for both of us. I understand he will soon outgrow my arms and so I want to steal as many moments with him as possible. This doesn’t mean I have a lesser vision for my academy, it shall see some stringent goals soon too. The online sessions will never cease to take place at the designated time. The women empowerment related batches will continue to be free.

5. I am able to revisit a lot of memories: I have written before how I came to Delhi as a new bride and it embraced me with open arms. Coming back to the same city after eight long years and visiting so many places with which we have fond memories associated with, is beautiful. Though we are trying to be mostly indoors due to pollution level being hazardous here at the moment but whenever we cross such a place, I feel a soft tickle of happiness in my heart as if I have known these streets forever and I giggle in joy. Am so grateful for it.

Also, I am able to realign with my dreams and goals in life: There comes a point in each one’s life where he or she wishes to sit and retrospect what he or she has done right or wrong so far and from here on what are their dreams and goals. This is extremely vital and important. Need I say this is the best time I can do so, before hitting 40 in a few years, I want to make sure what else I wish to do in my life and make a foolproof sure shot plan to fulfil the wishes. Some parallel life goals like world travel which subsided for some years need to come up strongly too. I am the kind of parent who wishes to pass on to my progeny, not millions of wealth but loads of wisdom acquired through experience, one by globe trotting and other by embracing the world of books. Aligning his studies with these goals appropriately is no less a humongous task especially when I love to groom him myself. I wish to stay on the right path and need meticulous planning to the tee. Grateful that I now have some time for the same and also to plan my 5th book, if at all that has to see the light of the day.

I am glad I wrote this post today for it gives me the inspiration to set my next year's goals more explicitly and that should perhaps be the next time, I will be writing to you.

One more thing, I want you to embrace this practice or at least try it once if you feel it’s worthwhile, whenever you feel low. Take a piece of paper and pen and write down five things you are more grateful for that day and suddenly you will realise how blessed you are. All the sadness and sulking will thus diffuse away, giving way to the aroma of hope and faith. That’s what I have preached and practised for decades and is a magical talisman which has always worked for me. A heart full of gratitude undoubtedly is your biggest asset, it will show you the path of optimism always no matter how tough gets the going!

If you like what I write, you can grab the copies of my four published books here: The Fragrance of True Love, Destiny's Favorite Child, Dare to Defy The Destiny and Empowered Women Empower Women

5 Reasons why books are the best companions one can look for?

Have you ever felt lonely coming back to one of your own cities? A city where who have worked and lived for years...A city to which you can never be a stranger yet you feel strange coming back here after eight long years. It is difficult to sum up the emotions but one month gone I still am not back to my usual self. Don’t know why am not able to embrace Delhi easily this time. I feel unsafe when S travels, hiring a new house help gives me goosebumps and have not devoured my vicinities at all so far quite unlike the usual me. The reason may be the onslaught on health due to shifting, then travelling to hometown for Diwali and now the SMOG warning but yes I admit I am yet to get in my groove. But this post is not about this rant but about my best companions yet again amidst all the turmoil that have kept me beautifully charged and smiling throughout, no points for guessing they are my books. I love rather live to read and while I have left all my stuff behind at my Pune Home , I have carried with me all my books. So the old treasure has been dug and with immense pleasure I am soaking in these gorgeously smelling priceless possessions of mine, coming out of the cartons gradually into their new home and can I be thankful enough to them for being my perennial companions through thick or thin for decades now. Some of them are as old as when I was in class three-four and were gifted to me by my teacher, can there be anything more precious than them?

Only yesterday I have been telling my child that we are not rich when we have abundance of monetary wealth but we are rich when we have abundance of wealth of wisdom which can be acquired in only two ways, in my opinion, one when we travel across the world and gain it by our own experience which is not possible for all and the second is when we read good books which each and everyone can afford.

Thus today I thought of quickly enumerating to you five vital reasons why books can be the best companions one can look for?

1. A Reader can never be lonely: A worthy book transports you to your protagonist’s world and you live it delving in multiple seas of emotion or reason or fantasy depending on the genre you love. You befriend some characters, despise others, anticipate what may happen and thus rejoice in the author’s weave. In my home, books are our best friends. This was taught to me by my parents and I have passed on the same legacy to my kid. Dad’s frequent transfers made me befriend these and now they are my magic wand to ward off my loneliness in a new land. Also when I travelled to different countries for work, they never left me for a moment. Reading and writing are the two gifts I am extremely grateful for. It is equally beautiful being able to weave your emotions in words. The more you read the better gets your writing too and these two are my biggest passions.

2. Oceans of knowledge: When we read a book we read about a setting which is set in a country mostly for away from us and as we suck in the delightful tale we also absorb the culture, the language, the behaviour and several other things about it. Isn’t that so wonderful to experience it all just amidst a few pages. Indeed books are treasure.

3. Enrich your personality: When you become a voracious reader you get the realisation how minuscule we are in the whole universe. We embrace humility and crave to enrich ourselves with wise man habits and the desired skill set. The more you read the more you understand the complexities of human existence thus you become more and more capable of expressing yourself on a random topic in front of a strange crowd.

4. Help you evolve:  Books help you evolve in a well read human being. They can also be the starting point of several lifetime relationships as in my case. I say read all genres. It helps you frame your choice and eventually pick the one you love the most. I even switch genres sometimes to let my brain move out of it’s comfort zone. Also I am old school when books are concerned. I would recommend children read hard copies of books with no pressure on their eyes with screen time. I still buy hard copies and that’s my favourite task at airports or malls.

5. Bring in judgement of right or wrong: Another hidden advantage of reading is when you read how a good character behaves and how a bad one acts and on the end good wins over evil, we form our judgement and the good habits seep in silently yet strongly in our character.

Aren’t these enough reasons to make these little precious wonders a family member forever. Trust me when I say that there can’t be a better companion than our books and I really mean it. So when are you picking your next?

If you like what I write, you can grab the copies of my four published books here: The Fragrance of True Love, Destiny's Favorite Child, Dare to Defy The Destiny and Empowered Women Empower Women