Almond Eyes, Lotus Feet: Indian Traditions in Beauty and Health

215 Pages·2007·5.71 MB·English

by  Sharada Dwivedi

Almond Eyes, Lotus Feet
Indian Traditions in Beauty and Health
Sharada Dwivedi • Shalini Devi Holkar
With a Foreword by
Princess Esra Jah
For our daughters, Sabrina Holkar and Radhika Dwivedi with much love.
Contents
Moments of Grace: Foreword by Princess Esra Jah of Hyderabad
Garlands
Loving Human Hands
1. Marriage Mantra
2. Eve of Motherhood
3. Maternal Joys
4. Raising a Family
5. Crowning Glory
6. Bathing Beauty
7. Indulging the Body
8. Radiant Complexion
9. Myriad Fragrances
10. Bejeweled and Bedecked
11. Precious Memories
12. Recipes
Glossary
About the Authors
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher

Princess Esra Jah of Hyderabad
PRINCESS ESRA JAH OF HYDERABAD
Moments of Grace
Whenever I read an article written by people settled in other countries using
flowery language I am a little suspicious of its sincerity. However, at risk of
making the same mistake myself, I must say that I find most Indian women not
only extremely beautiful but also appearing to possess great inner strength and
wisdom.
For me, outside beauty must reflect what is inside and I have seen these
qualities over and over again in many women during my time in India. They
have taught me their patience and how to treat difficult moments in one’s life as
tests to be overcome. After twenty-five years away from India coming back was
like returning home, my friendships as strong, warm, and supportive as if I had
never left.
I find Indian women have great physical advantage. They are usually born
with lovely eyes and teeth, beautiful hair and skin. I remember spending hours
with my hair in coconut oil and my body in pastes made from special
ingredients, trying to achieve the luxurious hair and smooth skin of those
surrounding me.
In those days, it was fashionable in Europe to sunbathe for hours to get a tan,
yet Indian women were trying to whiten their skin. Now, years later, they have
come to realize how intrinsically beautiful they are, enabling them to win beauty
competitions all over the world!
The graceful movements are seemingly inbred in all Indian women. To walk
down a village road and see them carrying their wood piles or pots on their head
is to realize the inborn grace they possess. They are courageous enough to wear
the most brilliant colors, and on them it appears luxurious: all the colors
provided by nature are displayed in their garments. Even the simplest sari looks
elegant.
I have always loved the sari. When I was a young girl an Indian friend of my
mother’s was visiting us in Istanbul and I asked permission to see her saris.
mother’s was visiting us in Istanbul and I asked permission to see her saris.
When she saw me looking at them with such joy she said, “Well you must marry
an Indian so that you can wear them.” Little did she know that this would
become true. When I married into the Hyderabad family my chance came to
wear the sari and I loved it. In the beginning I wore them with difficulty but with
the help of my friends I finally learned the art.
When Nizam VII died and my husband succeeded, one of my first visits was
to the storerooms where the old materials and saris were kept. I felt as if I were
in Aladdin’s cave: there were rolls of textiles, old costumes, and cupboards full
of saris. But as I touched them, I found to my sorrow that most of them crumbled
in my fingers due to years of not being aired. Luckily we managed to salvage at
least some of them.
The more I look into the adornment of women the more I see the importance
of taste in the use of jewelry. From ordinary silver anklets to the most lush
jewelry in India there seems to be sophisticated taste, however humble or grand
the wearer may be. The uncut form of stone used in Indian jewelry has a
magnificence that cut stones do not possess. Indians seem to have an ability to
mix colors, both in jewelry and in textiles, in ways that are exquisitely
harmonized.
How strange it is to reflect that the young generation in India is now trying
to copy Western dress, whereas Western fashion is looking toward ancient
Indian inspiration for glamor.

PRINCESS ESRA JAH
LONDON, 2005