Superstitions about romance from around the world

7 superstitions about romance from around the world that could change your love life (Getty Images)

Did you know it's bad luck to buy a Russian lover an even number of roses? Oh, and if you dream of fish, your best friend is probably pregnant — she just doesn't know it yet. Love is a mind game — and if you're finding the world of dating tough, especially on Valentine's Day when all of your friends will be heading out for 'date night' — perhaps you're just not following the right rituals on your quest. A quirky gifts website has shared nine of the most bizarre superstitions from around the world, which may just help you conquer romance in 2016.

NEVER give a Russian lover two roses
Or 200 for that matter. If you're dating a Russian, make sure you only ever give flowers in odd numbers — or they may just dump you on the spot. In Russia, it's a tradition to hand out even roses at funerals — and the last thing you want to associate your lover with is death.

Better get shaving
In China, having a beard or a moustache is considered bad luck, bringing misfortune upon the family and friends of the one who sports the style.

I think we may have a mole...
If your partner has a mole or beauty mark somewhere near their mouth, Koreans might tell you to steer clear as it suggests they'll make unfaithful partners.

Dreamt of fish?
You could have a superpower There's a superstition in Africa that if you dream of fish, you or someone close to you is pregnant.

How to get pregnant... revealed
If you want to increase your chances of getting pregnant, local folklore in Gambia suggest bathing in the enticingly named 'Kachikally Crocodile Pool' filled with crocodiles and fertility inducing magic.

Ditch THAT party trick
Can your tongue reach your elbow? According to American tradition, if you're able to kiss/lick your elbow, and have tried and tested it, you've crushed any chances of ever finding the man of your dreams.

Cry your heart out
A Chinese custom says that the bride-to-be should start crying between 15-30 days before her big day. The greater the tears shed, the happier her marriage will be.

Love at first sight? You've heard of counting sheep to help you sleep? Well, in Texas, an old superstition says that if you count 50 white horses, the next man you shake hands with will be the man you marry.

Let your mood decide the perfect cuppa for you

Whether it is a dreamy escape from your routine or a strong yet bitter-sweet flavour to start your day, a cup of your favourite brew is sure to uplift your spirits and make you feel better if you make the right choice. Have you ever noticed how your mood determines the type of beverage you need at that time of the day? With a variety of teas and coffees on offer, it is time to choose the right blend apart from the standard brew. Have a cuppa, which suits your emotional and physical needs.

Tea
Masala Adrak Chai: For never-ending brainstorming sessions
A riot of flavours, the special chai masala using dry Indian spices and fresh adrak, makes this tea a must-have for bonding sessions with friends. It is also made for those long, creative meetings when you have to brainstorm.

Black Tea: For a strong flavour and to get your brain running
With its high caffeine content, black tea is stronger than any other tea, and is best when you get up with a hangover. Besides immediately reviving your senses, it will help you kickstart your day and give you a boost which will stay through the day.

Green Tea: To calm those frayed nerves
With its natural grassy flavour, green tea is the ultimate stress buster. A healthy option for those who want to build up their metabolism and cut fat, green tea is stimulating and yet helps keep your nerves in control.

White Tea: To feel healthy
Completely opposite from black tea is the white tea, which has tea leaves plucked when they are just buds and not yet fully opened. It has the least amount of caffeine and contains the highest level of antioxidants. Since it is least processed, it has a light flavour to it.

Flavoured herbal teas: When you are feeling off-colour
A variety of flavoured teas using herbs like the jasmine, lemon, chamomile, mint, etc., can have a soothing effect on your body. Using strong as well as fresh flowers, fruits, seeds or roots, each of them is good for some or the other medical condition like sore throat, insomnia, digestion, etc. A cup of herbal tea will definitely make you feel better and get you back in action faster. w Iced tea: When you are feeling thirsty

Coffee
Black Coffee: When you want to extend your day
When you're feeling exhausted, stressed and yet want to extend your day to finish off with pending work, get yourself a plain black coffee, with no sugar, milk or additional flavouring. Black coffee strictly means business.

Mocha Latte: To indulge your sweet tooth
When you want a sugary treat, just go in for a mocha latte laced with hot chocolate. A tasty drink, it will give you a caffeine boost.

Espresso: When you are dead tired
An espresso will get you moving and is for those who have to rush to work or classes early morning. The strong flavour is necessary to wake you up and started. It is not for those who aren't regular coffee drinkers. You can add milk to tone down the taste if necessary.

Chocolate Chip Frappuccino: When you are feeling relaxed and cheerful
The chocolate chip frappuccino is for those feeling carefree and at peace. Using chocolate chips and sweetened whipped cream, this mocha flavoured beverage is a delicious, coffee-flavoured drink.

Cappuccino: Your after-dinner fix
Skip the dessert and get yourself a cappuccino. With its dairy and sugar content, it is appropriate as an after-dinner digestive too.

Iced Coffee: When you need to feel refreshed
Just sit down in your favourite corner and sip on the classic iced coffee when you are feeling rushed or stressed. It will refresh you while also giving you the much needed caffeine-fix.

The man who brews magic in studio para TNN | Feb 11, 2016, 12.30 PM IST

The man who brews magic in studio para

Name: Ratan Patra (aka Lombu Ratan) Howrah, 56 years old, Passed Class IX
Job: Tea-seller at Tollygunge studio para

This resume of a tea vendor would've never made a story, had Ratan not been the most sought-after cha-wallah in studio para. The reason -his penchant for creating amazing brews with just about anything under the sun! But Ratan's is a story with many twists. So, read on...

FAMILY BACKGROUND

I'm a very happy man, who can make `designer' cha. My wife Aparna works at Tajmahal Rambikash Kendro and looks after home. My daughter Jui is happily married, while my son, Amartya, passed matric with five letters and star marks and is currently studying in Class XI. What more could I want? I work honestly for 10-12 hours a day and don't need a pill to sleep. The studio is my second home and I love it when the first thing the artistes say is, `Kaaj surur aage Ratandar hather cha khabo'. I never make tea at home and all my flavoured tea recipes are my own. My tea's USP is the use of fresh ingredients. Now, with God's grace, I have a decent bank balance and peo ple ask me why I don't open my own tea shop. But the truth is, the studio atmosphere is my oxygen, and the way the artistes praise my tea and production managers plead with me to adjust my dates gives me an ego boost. On principle, I serve the party that books me first even if another is willingly to pay me double.

A HAPPENING PAST

I was into sports and music and used to play volleyball. I also used to work in jute mills. But after the mills closed down one after the other, I started my own cement, stone and brick shop. That too, I had to shut down, as creditors didn't pay up and I got neck deep in debt. Then, 15 years back, I came to my sister's house in Tollygunge in search of a job and met Ladenda -a tea seller in studio para. He would take me along and station me at a shooting spot so that he could go to another spot and earn double. He never paid me, but my breakfast, lunch and dinner used to come free from the production house. That meant a lot to me back then. At that time, lebu, lal and dudh cha, and black coffee and normal coffee were the only varieties available. Most of the time, people would shout at me, saying that I couldn't even make a decent cup of tea or coffee, as either the lebu cha would taste bitter or the coffee would taste more like milk. I remember once Indrani Halder asked for black coffee and I mixed coffee powder with lal cha. When I served her, she almost vomited! That day , I promised myself that a day would come when artistes would vouch by my tea.

THE FIRST BREAK

Production manager Tapas Biswas gave me the first break for Raj Mukherjee's Nagordola, which starred Roopa Ganguly and Indrani Halder. My first remuneration was `350, while today , I charge `4,000 to `6,000 per day depending on the head count and the production house. The amount is higher for a Bollywood or English film. I had started business with one stove, a kettle, a flask, a jar of tea leaves, a bit of sugar and a bowl of milk. But now, I have five assistants to help me keep track of my 19 flasks, eight stoves and eight kettles, among other things. From Earl Grey , green tea to normal tea, I serve everything. I generally buy tea priced at `300 per kg and all the fruits I use to make designer tea are fresh. I only work for films and not TV serials, as the latter doesn't ensure profits.

THE TURNING POINT

One fine morning, I thought why couldn't I make tea with raw mango pulp instead of lemon? So, I boiled raw mango, strained the pulp, added it to tea liquor and mixed sugar, chat masala, rock salt and pepper.

Then I refrigerated it and served it to the shooting unit.

Everyone was like, `What is this? We want more!' Then I started experimenting with pineapple, grapes, orange, pomegranate and all types of juicy fruits and all became instant hits. The first cup of tea I serve on the sets is made using ginger paste, rock salt, basil leaf paste, lime water and all say it's quite refreshing.

THE MOST BIZZARE TEA

Want to get rid of uneasiness? Have a cup of liquor tea made using chili sauce mixed with lemon juice, sugar, chat masala, rock salt and pepper! Down with a headache? Try Lombu Ratan's liquor tea mixed with a dollop of butter and pepper. Once I made sandesh tea and it got me a lot of applause. I was actually making the usual tea when I noticed that the milk had turned stale and sour. So, I mixed notun gurer sandesh in the tea and everyone just loved it. No one asks me to make dudh cha or lebu cha and even when I make it, there are no takers (laughs)!

A BAD EXPERIENCE

Production manager Arupda once took me to Sikkim for a documentary on the hill state's government.He still owes me `69,000 after all these years.

CELEBRITY CLIENTS

Yusuf Pathan and Gautam Gambhir came here for an ad shoot and had my aam cha. Both became addicted to it! On the first day of Barfi!'s shoot, I made lemon black coffee for Priyanka didi (Chopra) and from the next day , she used to say , `Mujhe makeup se phele Ratanda ke hath ka lemon black coffee chahiye'. She is extremely nice.Ranbir Kapoor liked my aam cha.During the Raavan shoot, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was so happy with the varieties of tea I served her that she gave me `10,000 as bakshish before leaving. But I generally don't take money from anyone; I just need their blessings and love.Nawazuddin Siddiqui gifted me a T-shirt while he was doing Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa, as he was so happy with my designer tea. Sourav Ganguly , too, is fond of my tea.

MY ACTING STINT

I have played a police officer innumerable times. And I love acting, as I can earn double on the same set by acting and selling tea. I was part of films like Target, Anjan Dutt's first Byomkesh Bakshi, Ballygunge Court, Madly Bangalee, Mukti and Sweetheart, among others. That apart, I was part of TV serials like Time Diary, Chorabali and many more. I miss art director Samir Chanda, the man who gave me most of the work.Uttam Kumar is my matinee idol and I have one regret that I couldn't serve him my special tea. I don't watch today's Bengali films much, as I'm an UttamSuchitra fan. I like Dev a lot for his behavior, but my fave actor is Sabyasachi Chakrabarty , as I haven't come across someone as suave as him.

Temple sarswathi a rarity across india

 Is this the lone Saraswati temple in Bengal? TNN | Feb 14, 2016, 01.12 PM IST

KOLKATA: A walk down a narrow bylane in Howrah's Panchanantala leads to a crumbling two-storey building that houses a Saraswati temple - a rarity across the country and perhaps the only one in Bengal dedicated to the goddess of learning.

A few steps away from the house was once the residence of Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay. Locals take pride in the fact that Tagore too had come there once to meet Bankimchandra. The Das household has properties spread over 20 cottah of land in the vicinity. Way back in 1923, Biresh Chandra Das, who was an engineer by profession, had gone to Jaipur on work. When he returned home, he brought along a marble idol of Saraswati. "My great grandfather - Umesh Chandra Das - had insisted that a temple be constructed at home where the idol could be worshipped," said Amalendu Sekhar Das, a descendant.

Since June 28, 1923, not a day has passed when the idol hasn't been worshipped. Marble plaques on the temple walls briefly illustrate when the temple was established. A modest room on the rear-end of the building houses a temple. A two-tier gate in front opens into the Umesh Chandra Das lane. The gates are left open for public viewing as well. In the afternoon they remain bolted. But if one is lucky enough to meet a descendant, there are chances of being allowed entry through the side gate if the regular temple gate is locked.

Yellow paint on the temple walls finds an association with the 'basanti' colour that has traditionally been linked to the goddess. A small chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Colourful paper rings in red and pink are pasted on the yellow walls. Rings of marigold garlands in bright chrome and lemon yellow form circular decorations on the gate that guards the sanctum sanctorum.

Entry into this space guarded is restricted only to the purohit who comes to offer prayers twice daily. Two ornate pillars on the sides keep vigil on the sanctum sanctorum. Some ten steps away from the gate, is the place for keeping the deity.

The idol, resplendent in gold ornaments, gets decked in a sari only on the Saraswati Puja day. This year, it is a pink sari that adorns the goddess. Come Sunday evening, the purohit will take the sari back home. For the rest of the year, this three-foot tall milk-white marble deity with a veena sits pretty on a snow-white swan.

But why have others not shown a similar interest in building Saraswati temples? Why has the enthusiasm shown in worshipping the goddess at pandals not translated into building temples as well? Incidentally, other Indian states that house Saraswati temples are Andhra Prdesh (Saraswathi temple in Basara, Maha Saraswathi temple in Kaleswaram and Vidya Saraswathi in Wargal), Karnataka (Sarada Devi in Sringeri), Kashmir (Prouda Saraswathi) and Tamil Nadu (Saraswati in Kuthanur).

Scholar Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri said that in the olden days, Pujas were usually household activities that were organised by individuals. "Unlike churches and mosques, early forms of Hinduism didn't have this trend of having sites where mass worship was encouraged," Bhaduri said.

But once the trend caught on, Saraswati temples didn't find favour in Bengal primarily because of the late impact of Aryanisation. "Aryanisation means a sort of intellectualisation. The first wave came from Afghanistan to Kashmir. Then, it came to Rajasthan and Gujarat. The third wave reached the Gangetic valley and subsequently, Bengal. Even when it reached Bengal, intellectual matters belonged to the elite class who weren't that keen on building temples," Bhaduri said.

In contemporary times, those who build temples are keener on dedicating them to Lord Rama or the various forms of Shakti.

Author Sanjib Chattopadhyay said Shastras have never given a lot of importance to Saraswati. "In the Vedas, there is almost no mention of goddesses. Ma Saraswati finds reference in the form of a river. Puranas have a lot of debates over the relationship between Brahma and Saraswati. Identity crisis regarding Saraswati ensured that her space couldn't be defined properly. So, instead of building temples in her name, we turned her into domestic deity who neither had the stature of Ma Kali nor the mass popularity of Shoni," Chattopadhyay said.

According to author Shankar, perhaps the absence of other temples hasn't been felt since the needs have been fulfilled by worshipping the deity at home or at pandals. "Besides, there hasn't been any compelling need to offer prayers daily to Saraswati. So, temples weren't required," he said.

http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.in/2010/01/basar-rare-temple-of-goddess-saraswathi.html

Beginner’s Guide To Seed Saving

How to store your favourite seeds till you sow next

 As poet Alfred Austin had once put it: "Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

It is said that spring is sooner recognised by plants than by men. It is almost the end of winter, which means it's time to prepare your garden for the new season. Saving and storing seeds from your own vegetable and herb crops is one of the best possible ways to perpetuate your favourite varieties for next year. Open-pollinated varieties are best suited for seed saving. Unlike hybrids, their genetic traits are more likely to remain stable from generation to generation.Some crop species tend to pollinate themselves (selfers), while others rely on insects or wind to deliver pollen from nearby flowers (outcrossers). Peas, lettuce, and tomatoes are selfers and unlikely to cross-pollinate, even if several different varieties are growing in the same garden. For outcrossers, such as onions, genetic purity can be ensured only by growing a single variety of that crop in isolation from others or by excluding stray pollen with a green house or other enclosure. Just look for the healthiest plants for seed production.

Once you've collected the seeds, make sure to dry them thoroughly before packaging them in envelopes or jars. Label the packages carefully and correctly with dates and store them in a cool, dry place. Want to try? We tell you how...

LETTUCE
You need to allow a few lettuce plants to flower.Flowering and seed ripening within a single seed head continues for 3 or 4 weeks. The seeds can't be harvested all at once. Collect them by shaking the top of a seed head into a paper bag or over a sheet spread on the ground; repeat every few days.Or cut a seed head midway through the ripening process. Bring it indoors and let it dry for a week. Rub it between your hands to release the seeds. Separate seeds from chaff by gently blowing on them.

TOMATO
Tomato seeds must be fermented to remove their gelatinous coating, and then dried. Wash the tomatoes and then cut in half horizontally. Gently squeeze tomato seeds and juice into a container. Place the container of seeds in a warm location -a sunny windowsill or the top of the refrigerator. Take the container to the sink and carefully remove the scummy surface with a spoon. Pour the contents into a fine sieve and rinse the seeds with water several times. Place the rinsed seeds onto the wax paper or coffee filter to dry.

CILANTRO
Cilantro, more popularly known as coriander, is a cool season herb. As the weather warms up in spring, coriander gets seedy. This herb isn't really worth bothering to grow in summers. Wait till the seeds turns brown. Then, cut off the seed heads along with a few inches of stalk and hang them upside down in a brown paper bag. When the seeds are fully dry, they will fall out of the heads and into the bottom of the bag. Store the dry seed in a lidded glass jar in a cool, dry location.

PUMPKINS
For pumpkins, harvest mature fruits and store them for at least a month so the seeds can fully ripen before they are collected. Cut it open into halves and scrape out the pulp with a spoon. Separate the seeds from the pulp as much as possible and leave the seeds to dry for 2 or 3 weeks on a paper towel. Once dried, store them safely in an envelope for later use.

Larger seeds will have a better chance of germinating. One of the best places to store pumpkin seed is in your refrigerator.

ONIONS
Onions are biennials. They flower and set seed in their second growing season. Select the best bulbs and keep in storage.Replant them in spring. Let the seed heads mature and dry on the plant. When the black seeds begin to show, harvest the seed heads and allow them to continue drying indoors.Most of the seeds can be shaken loose. To release the rest, rub the dried seed heads between your hands.

BEANS
Beans self-pollinate unless growing side by side with another variety. Make sure you isolate varieties by 10 to 20 feet. Leave pods on the plants to dry completely.In wet weather, it may be necessary to harvest mature pods and dry them indoors. Once pods are dry and brittle, break them open by hand. Pea seeds can be saved using the same technique.

BASIL
Let the basil seed heads dry on the plant. Slightly crumble the seed heads to release the seeds. Blow away the chaff.


PEAS
Old traditions tell you to leave the peas on the plant until they are completely dry. Once you have the peas off the vine, simply put them in a sunny spot to dry completely. During the drying process, the seeds take nutrients out of the pod and store them.You'll know the peas are ready for the next step when they are crispy to the touch, very hard, and they rattle when shaken. They are best stored in an airtight containers.

CHILLIS
Cut open fully mature chillis and scrape the seeds onto a paper towel or coffee filter to dry. Wear gloves to work with hot peppers. The seeds should be tan, beige or yellowish in colour. If they are white, they are yet to mature. Dry the seeds for 2 or 3 weeks before packaging and storing.

LADY'S FINGERS
Often referred to as okra, a long green pod with a ribbed and fuzzy skin, it is a popular vegetable in south India. Okra cross-pollinates. So, if you are planning on saving seeds, it is best to plant just one variety, or else the seedlings will not grow true to the parent plant. Allow the pods to get as big as they can. Either pick them off the stalk so that they can be dried off indoors or allow the pods to dry off naturally on the stalk before harvesting. Twist the dried pods in your hands to break open the seeds. Dry thoroughly for several days.Store in a cool, dry place in tightly closed containers until next season. http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/beginners-guide-seed-saving

feisty girls keep chinese ritual alive

Kolkata: When Janice Chen slipped her tiny head into the big groove of a huge lion mask and swayed to drum beats on Monday morning, she knew she had smashed the glass ceiling and roared into a two-century old male domain.

Chinese New Year, the onset of which is believed to bring prosperity to the community, has catapulted 30-odd young Chinese girls belonging to Fa Mulan, the only girl group that performs lion dance at the new-year celebrations, to fame.

Named after Chinese legend Hua Mulan, a female warrior who had replaced her father in the army and fought for over a decade, the girls on Monday performed in front of homes, eateries, shops and other Chinese establishments in central Kolkata to ward off bad luck and bring good times.

"It is a great feeling to be the lioness," smiled Janice, 20, before her group started from the Seaip Church, nestled in the congested central Kolkata opposite Tiratti Market, where they had been practising dance moves for the past few weeks.

"We are as good as the boys. Members of the community are happy when we show up outside their homes and give us goodies. This encourages us," said Janice's friend Anette Chen in the group.

The group, dressed in pink T-shirts and blue denims, mounts a drum on a cycle van. Two girls board the van and start beating it. As if on cue, Janice and her friend Anette Chen slip into two giant lion masks and start swaying, sometimes doing martial arts moves. A crowd of more than 100 people follow them through the narrow serpentine lanes witnessing the girls take over what was always a "guy thing".

The lion dance has been a male domain since the presence of the Chinese community in the city but it is only very recently that Chinese girls have breached this territory. Members of the community attributed the trend to large-scale migration of Chinese youths from the city for jobs and education. "There are very few young Chinese men left in Kolkata. In most processions, there are people from Nepal and the Anglo-Indian community. The girls have stepped in to carry on the tradition," said a senior member of the community.

Every performance lasts 10 to 15 minutes, after which the group moves onto the next house. Chinese people hang goodies from their windows which the girls lunge with agility and catch.

"Lions are known to bless the homes at the start of the New Year. People in the community were not used to an all-girl troupe coming and blessing the home. But that is changing now," said Dominic Lee, who played a big role in forming the all-girl group. Lee is also the founder of the Indo-Chinese Association.

Members of the Chinese community in the city recall that girls started participating in lion dance almost 10 years ago but they were not organised as a group. They would be part of several other groups. Fa Mulan brought the girls together. From beating the drums to dancing the lion to fireworks, the girls are self-sufficient in every aspect of the tradition.

Hearing Problems? Don't Worry, Just Wear This Cap

CHENNAI:  Hearing-impaired people may no longer wear the conventional hearing aids that proclaims their disability. Instead, they can just wear a stylish cap, which two students from a private university in Chennai have designed.

The students have named their invention ‘AaWAAZ’ (meaning sound in Hindi) - a specially-designed cap which amplifies sound inside the skull enabling even people with permanent hearing loss right from their birth to hear sounds around them.

Speaking to Express, Aditya Sripada, a student from SRM University Chennai campus, said, “At present, people with deafness undergo an invasive surgery where an electrode is introduced through an artificial hole cut behind the ear. Despite low efficiency, the risk element associated with these bone- anchored hearing aids is high as the person might lose residual hearing ability post- surgery and the foreign body (electrode) results in persistent pain or meningitis (inflammation of brain membranes) or skin irritation.”

“But AaWaaz, working on non-invasive bone conduction principle uses an microphone-vibrator setup enabling hearing-impaired to hear sounds in their surroundings inside their skulls. This cap has a microphone which can pick up and convert sound waves into electric signals. This signal is amplified and fed into a vibrator (bone conduction motor) which conducts the sound to the inner ear through the cranial bones”, he said on the sidelines of displaying the project at the Indian Institute of Technology’s annual technical festival, Shaastra’16.

The entire set-up is placed underneath a sponge layer within the cap thereby helping the hearing-impaired conceal their disability. The microphone cable can also be connected to the headphone slot of mobiles helping the hearing-impaired make calls and listen to music just like ordinary people.

“This will also be of help to the visually- challenged. During our study, we found out that despite heaving a Google map installed in their mobiles for getting directions, many don’t prefer using it as they fear colliding against anything in their way, particularly with their headphones connected. Our project eliminates this problem by directly amplifying sound,” Abhinav Gandhi, another student of the project, said.

The cap costs between `200 and `300. It can also be attached to other wearables like sunglasses which has physical contact with the skull. “Since air as an communication medium is eliminated in this process, this can be used for underwater communication (while deep-sea swimming, scuba diving) and defence purposes,”, Abhinav added.

The project was secured the first place in the ‘Makers Summit’ conducted as a part of Shasstra’16 at IIT-Madras on Tuesday.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/Hearing-Problems-Dont-Worry-Just-Wear-This-Cap/2016/01/31/article3253368.ece

Times Auto Awards celebrate the best

The star power from the automotive industry made the Times Auto Awards 2015 in partnership with ZigWheels a great success.

With the kind of growth shown by the Indian automotive industry, the country is gradually becoming a global hub for all things automotive.

 2015 was a classic example, with cars like Mercedes-AMG GT S, BMW i8 being brought to the Indian shores, and more importantly, products like the Renault Kwid being developed in India. The story is pretty similar when it comes to two-wheelers as well. Bike makers like Triumph, Benelli and Ducati coming to India is testimony of the country's potential.

As the industry steps forward, some top-end cars and motorcycles have made their Indian debuts.

In the eighth year since its inception, the Times Auto Awards 2015 in partnership with ZigWheels celebrates that excellence. In the course of these years, the awards have become one of the most coveted recognitions in the Indian automotive sector. To maintain high standards and transparency, a panel of eminent jury members put each of the nominated cars and bikes through an exhaustive testing process to choose the best. The Jury Round was held at the Madras Motor Race Track in Sriperumbudur, Chennai.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Greater Noida played host to the who's who of the Indian automotive world on February 4 for the Times Auto Awards 2015 in partnership with ZigWheels.08-02-2015

10 tips to look good in a selfie

It has become so important to look good in that selfie you take with friends. But how does one get the perfect selfie? We share a few tips to get the selfie right.

- Cut the background while taking a selfie. Crop the frame tight so your nose looks longer and the focus is on your eyes.

- The two-handed selfie is a hit these days. Use both your hands and focus on your body with a broad smile and that picture will go viral.

- Always try to experiment with different angles.

- Stand in the light— either near the window or outside. One hour after sunrise and one hour after sunset is the perfect time to take those selfies.

- Besides facial expressions, try a new activity while taking a selfie.

- Wear something new—sunglasses, wig, jewellery or hat.

- Selfies with puppies and kittens are always a hit.

- Take a selfie of the selfie which is bound to be cute.

- A selfie taken in front of the mirror is a good idea. Just angle your body accordingly.

- Try avoiding a full body selfie. Let the focus be your face.

சிறுநீரக செயல்பாட்டைத் திரும்பப் பெற பாரம்பரிய முறை இஞ்சி ஒத்தடம்

 உணவே மருந்து

40 வயதுக்கு மேற்பட்டோருக்கு சிறுநீரக செயலிழப்பு (Kidney failure) அதிகம் நடைபெறுகிறது. 

இரண்டே மாதத்தில் சிறுநீரக செயல்பாடு

இஞ்சி ஒத்தடம்:
=============

இஞ்சி ஒத்தட முறையை கீழே விரிவாக கூறியுள்ளேன். எனது ஆசிரியருக்கு சில மாதங்கள் நானே, இந்த ஒத்தடம் கொடுத்து உள்ளேன் என்பதை பெருமையுடன் கூறிக் கொள்கிறேன்.

1. ஒரு பானையில் மூன்று லிட்டர் நீரை கொதிக்க வைக்கவும்.

2. 125கி இஞ்சியை துண்டு துண்டாக நறுக்கி, மிக்சி அல்லது அம்மியில் அரைத்து கொள்ளவும்.

3. அரைத்த இஞ்சியை ஒரு துணியில் சிறு மூட்டை போல் கட்டவும்.

4. இப்போழுது கொதிக்கும் நீரில் இஞ்சிச் சாரை நன்கு பிழிந்துவிட்டு,
துணி முடிச்சையும் போட்டு ஒரு தட்டை கொண்டு மூடவும்.

5. அடுப்பை குறைந்த எரி நிலையில் (சிம்) 20 – 25 நிமிடங்கள் வைக்கவும்.

6. பிறகு அடுப்பை அணைத்துவிட்டு மூடிய நிலையிலே 5 நிமிடங்கள் விடவும்.

7. சிகிச்சைக்கான நபரை சட்டையை கழற்றிவிட்டு தலைக்குப்புற படுக்க சொல்லவும்.

8. பிறகு ஒரு சிறு துணியை, கொதிக்கும் இஞ்சி நீரில் நனைத்து புழிந்து, வேறு ஒரு கிண்ணத்தில் புழியவும். அந்த துண்டை சிறுநீரகம் அமைந்துள்ள முதுகின் அடிபகுதியில் விரித்து போடவும்.

9. சூடு தணிந்தவுடன் துணியை மீண்டும் நனைத்து, விரித்து தொடரவும். இவ்வாறாக நீர் ஆ றும் வரை தொடர்ந்து அரை மணி நேரம் செய்யவும்.

பாதத்தின் நான்காம் விரல்:

நம் முன்னோர்கள் அறிவாளிகள். நமது சடங்குகள் அனைத்திற்கும் ஒர் அறிவியல் காரணமுண்டு. உதாரணமாக, பெண்ணின் கால் இரண்டாம் விரலில் அவளின் கர்பப்பையின் நரம்பு முடிவுகள் உள்ளன. அதன் செயல்பாட்டை ஊக்குவிக்கவே திருமணத்தின் அன்று பெண்ணின் இரண்டாம் விரலில் மெட்டி அணிவிக்கப்படுகிறது. அதை போலவே பாதத்தின் நான்காவது விரலில் சிறுநீரக நரம்புத் தொடர்கள் முடிவடைகின்றன. ஆகவே, அமைதியான இடத்தில் அமர்ந்து முழுமனதுடன் நான்காம் விரலை தினமும் சிறிது நேரம் சுற்றி சுற்றி அமுக்கிவிடுவார் (மசாஞ்). இச்செய்கை சிறுநீரகத்தை புத்துணர்வு அடைய செய்யும்.

உணவு முறை
============

சிறுநீரக செயல்பாட்டை சீர் செய்வதற்க்கு, உணவுக் கட்டுபாடு மிகவும் அவசியமானதாகும்.
சோடியம்: உப்பை தவிர்ப்பதன் மூலம் சோடியம் அளவை குறைக்கலாம். எனவே உணவில் அரை உப்பு சேர்த்து கொள்ளவும். உப்புக்கு பதில் எலுமிச்சை சாறு, மிளகு அல்லது குறைந்த அளவு சோடியமுள்ள ஏதெனும் தாவர இலைகளை சேர்த்து கொள்ளவும். நீ ங்கள் பெரிடோனில் டயாலிசிஸ் செய்தால் உப்பை குறைக்க வேண்டாம், ஏனெனில் டயாலிசிஸினால் அதிக அளவில் சோடியம் வெளியெற்றப்படுகிறது.

பொட்டாசியம், பாஸ்பரஸ்:
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உணவில் பொட்டாசியம், பாஸ்பரஸ் அளவையும் குறைத்துக் கொள்ளவும். பயிர் வகைகளை தவிர்க்கவும். காய்கறிகளிலுள்ள பொட்டாசியம் அளவை சமைப்பதன் மூலம் குறைக்களாம். மேலும், காய்களை துண்டுதுண்டாக நறுக்கி ஒர் பானை நீரில் 4 மணி நேரத்திற்கு ஊறவைத்து உண்பதன் மூலமும் பொட்டாசியம் அளவை குறைக்களாம். பாஸ்பரஸ் நிறைந்த பா ல் மற்றும் பால் பொருட்கள் தவிர்க்கவும்.

மூலிகைப் பொடிகளும், அதன் பயன்களும்...

*அருகம்புல் பவுடர் :-  அதிக உடல் எடை, கொழுப்பை குறைக்கும், சிறந்த ரத்தசுத்தி

*நெல்லிக்காய் பவுடர் :- பற்கள் எலும்புகள் பலப்படும். வைட்டமின் “சி” உள்ளது

*கடுக்காய் பவுடர் :- குடல் புண் ஆற்றும், சிறந்த மலமிளக்கியாகும்.

*வில்வம் பவுடர் :- அதிகமான கொழுப்பை குறைக்கும். இரத்த கொதிப்பிற்கு சிறந்தது

*அமுக்கலா பவுடர் :- தாது புஷ்டி, ஆண்மை குறைபாடுக்கு சிறந்தது.

*சிறுகுறிஞான் பவுடர் :- சர்க்கரை நோய்க்கு மிகச் சிறந்த மூலிகையாகும்.

*நவால் பவுடர் :- சர்க்கரை நோய், தலைசுற்றுக்கு சிறந்தது.

*வல்லாரை பவுடர் :- நினைவாற்றலுக்கும், நரம்பு தளர்ச்சிக்கும் சிறந்தது.

*தூதுவளை பவுடர் :- நாட்பட்ட சளி, ஆஸ்துமா, வரட்டு இருமலுக்கு சிறந்தது.

*துளசி பவுடர் :- மூக்கடைப்பு, சுவாச கோளாருக்கு சிறந்தது.

*ஆவரம்பூ பவுடர் :- இதயம் பலப்படும், உடல் பொன்னிறமாகும்.

*கண்டங்கத்திரி பவுடர் :- மார்பு சளி, இரைப்பு நோய்க்கு சிறந்தது.

*ரோஜாபூ பவுடர் :- இரத்த கொதிப்புக்கு சிறந்தது, உடல் குளிர்ச்சியாகும்.

*ஓரிதழ் தாமரை பவுடர் :- ஆண்மை குறைபாடு, மலட்டுத்தன்மை நீங்கும்.வெள்ளைபடுதல் நீங்கும், இது மூலிகை வயாகரா

*ஜாதிக்காய் பவுடர் :- நரம்பு தளர்ச்சி நீங்கும், ஆண்மை சக்தி பெருகும்.

*திப்பிலி பவுடர் :- உடல் வலி, அலுப்பு, சளி, இருமலுக்கு சிறந்தது.

*வெந்தய பவுடர் :- வாய் புண், வயிற்றுபுண் ஆறும். சர்க்கரை நோய்க்கு சிறந்தது.

*நிலவாகை பவுடர் :- மிகச் சிறந்த மலமிளக்கி, குடல்புண் நீக்கும்.

*நாயுருவி பவுடர் :- உள், வெளி, நவமூலத்திற்க்கும் சிறந்தது.

*கறிவேப்பிலை பவுடர் :- கூந்தல் கருமையாகும். கண்பார்வைக்கும் சிறந்தது.

*வேப்பிலை பவுடர் :- குடல்வால் புழு, அரிப்பு, சர்க்கரை நோய்க்கு சிறந்தது.

*திரிபலா பவுடர் :- வயிற்று புண் ஆற்றும், அல்சரை கட்டுப்படுத்தும்.

*அதிமதுரம் பவுடர் :- தொண்டை கமறல், வரட்டு இருமல் நீங்கும், குரல் இனிமையாகும்.

*துத்தி இலை பவுடர் :- உடல் உஷ்ணம், உள், வெளி மூல நோய்க்கு சிறந்த்து.

*செம்பருத்திபூ பவுடர் :- அனைத்து இருதய நோய்க்கும் சிறந்தது.

*கரிசலாங்கண்ணி பவுடர் :- காமாலை, ஈரல் நோய், கூந்தல் வளர்ச்சிக்கு சிறந்தது.

*சிறியாநங்கை பவுடர் :- அனைத்து விஷக்கடிக்கும், சர்க்கரை நோய்க்கும் சிறந்தது.

*கீழாநெல்லி பவுடர் :- மஞ்சள் காமாலை, சோகை நோய்க்கு சிறந்தது.

*முடக்கத்தான் பவுடர் :- மூட்டு வலி, முழங்கால்வலி, வாததுக்கு நல்லது.

*கோரைகிழங்கு பவுடர் :- தாதுபுஷ்டி, உடல் பொலிவு, சரும பாதுகாப்பிற்கு சிறந்தது.

*குப்பைமேனி பவுடர் :- சொறிசிரங்கு, தோல் வியாதிக்கு சிறந்தது.

*பொன்னாங்கண்ணி பவுடர் :- உடல் சூடு, கண்நோய்க்கும் சிறந்தது.

*முருஙகைவிதை பவுடர் :- ஆண்மை சக்தி கூடும்.

*லவங்கபட்டை பவுடர் :- கொழுப்புசத்தை குறைக்கும். மூட்டுவலிக்கு சிறந்தது.

*வாதநாராயணன் பவுடர் :- பக்கவாதம், கை, கால் மூட்டு வலி நீங்கும்.

*பாகற்காய் பவுட்ர் :- குடல்வால் புழுக்கள் அழிக்கும். சர்க்கரை நோய் கட்டுக்குள் இருக்கும்.

*வாழைத்தண்டு பவுடர் :- சிறுநீரக கோளாறு, கல் அடைப்புக்கு மிகச் சிறந்தது.

*மணத்தக்காளி பவுடர் :- குடல் புண், வாய்புண், தொண்டைபுண் நீங்கும்.

*சித்தரத்தை பவுடர் :- சளி, இருமல், வாயு கோளாறுகளுக்கு நல்லது.

*பொடுதலை பவுடர் :- பேன் உதிரும், முடி உதிரிவதை தடுக்கும்.

*சுக்கு பவுடர் :- ஜீரண கோளாறுகளுக்கு சிறந்தது.

*ஆடாதொடை பவுடர் :- சுவாச கோளாறு, ஆஸ்துமாவிற்கு சிறந்தது.

*கருஞ்சீரகப்பவுடர் :- சக்கரை, குடல் புண் நீங்கும், நஞ்சு வெளிப்படும்.

*வெட்டி வேர் பவுடர் :- நீரில் கலந்து குடித்துவர சூடு குறையும், முகம் பொலிவு பெறும்.

*வெள்ளருக்கு பவுடர் :- இரத்த சுத்தி, வெள்ளைப்படுதல், அடிவயிறு வலி நீங்கும்.

*நன்னாரி பவுடர் :- உடல் குளிர்ச்சி தரும், சிறுநீர் பெறுக்கி, நா வறட்சிக்கு சிறந்தது.

*நெருஞ்சில் பவுடர் :- சிறுநீரக கோளாறு, காந்தல் ஆகியவற்றை நீக்கும்.

*பிரசவ சாமான் பவுடர் :- பிரசவத்தினால் ஏற்படும் அதிகப்படியான இழப்பை சரி செய்யும், உடல் வலிமை பெறும். தாய்பாலுக்கு சிறந்தது.

*கஸ்தூரி மஞ்சள் பவுடர் :- தினசரி பூசி வர முகம் பொலிவு பெறும்.

*பூலாங்கிழங்கு பவுடர் :- குளித்து வர நாள் முழுவதும் நறுமணம் கமழும்.

*வசம்பு பவுடர் :- பால் வாடை நீங்கும், வாந்தி, குமட்டல் நீங்கும்.

*சோற்று கற்றாலை பவுடர் :- உடல் குளிர்ச்சி, முகப்பொலிவிற்கு பயன்படும்.

*மருதாணி பவுடர் :- கை , கால்களில் பூசி வர பித்தம், கபம் குணமாகும்.

*கருவேலம்பட்டை பவுடர் :- பல்கறை, பல்சொத்தை, பூச்சிபல், பல்வலி குணமாகும்.