Wishlists

Summer or winter, the casual lounger for men is the veshti, lungi or mundu. The veshti is the formal, ceremonial dress in Tamil Nadu and the mundu in Kerala. A tip for women — wear it as a sarong, wraparound skirt or simply give it to your tailor to make a dress, kurta or kurti! Let us know if it is known by any other name in your part of the country.

Legend has it that it was on Basant Panchami day that the God of Love Kama Deva approached Shiva and created an illusionary spring in Kailash to get him out of his penance. Shiva does eventually awaken but reduced Kama Deva to ashes. He then accepted Parvati as his spouse. Men, here are the yellows for you. 

Basant Panchami heralds the onset of spring and is also the birthday of the deity Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning. The day is celebrated by wearing the colour yellow because nature is in a celebratory mood after the dank winter, and also because yellow is considered auspicious and is associated with the concept of teacher or guru.