Shiny, lustrous hair is what all women strive for. Most women associate a head of glossy locks with their femininity, attractiveness and sense of style. But recent studies show that for many women, thinning hair is a very real problem. Millions of women around the world are now suffering from hair loss and one in three has thinning hair. “Hair loss is a very taboo subject that a lot of females tend to not talk about or even ignore,” says trichologist Iain Sallis. But before you dash out and buy a wig, read on to find the best solutions to regain your crowning glory…
In search of female identity
| In search of female identity | |
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In 1983 when I was in South Arcot as the District Collector, I heard of a remarkable festival.This festival was celebrated in the month of Chithrai (April), in the temple of Kutandavar, in Kuvagam village, near Ulundurpet. It is a tradition amongst eunuchs, transvestites, gays, male dancers and other categories of individuals who are in search of a female identity, to congregate in Kuvagam for about a week. Most of them come to get married to the lord of the temple ‘Kuttandavar’ and experience the bliss of marriage even though briefly and consider themselves married in a conventional sense. They also subsequently experience widowhood when the Lord is beheaded next morning, after being taken around the village in a procession in the temple car. [ad name=”HTML-1″] I could not witness the festival while I was serving in South Arcot. It always remained in the back of my mind that I had some unfinished business in Ulundurpet.. I had to try and understand this festival and its significance for the people who are part of it. The opportunity came in 1999, a good sixteen years later, and I was able to visit the tiny and out of the way village of Kuvagam. On 20th of April, accompanied by my niece Natasha and a journalist friend, I drove to Ulundurpet that is about 200 kilometers from Madras. We took the East Coast Road, which was quiet and beautiful, passing through Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry. We reached the Ulundurpet travellers bungalow in the evening and after a wash, left for Kuvagam, which is another twenty kilometers away. From Ulundurpet we took the Villipuram road and took a diversion in front of the huge roadside statue of Lord Anjaneya (the monkey god), placed about ten kilometers from Ulundurpet.
We reached Kuvagam at about 7p.m.in the evening. Thousands of devotes of Kuttandavar had arrived from neighbouring villages. In addition, at least ten thousand brides of Kuttandavar i.e. eunuchs, transvestites and other such individuals, dressed in female attire, had gathered to undergo the sacred marriage with the Lord. The marriages were taking place in the temple and the priest was tying the ‘Thali’, the sacred knot around the necks of the brides, on behalf of the Lord. There was much rejoicing and feasting after the marriage. The singing and dancing continued through the night. The very next morning, Lord Kuttandavar was taken around the village in a procession, after which he was beheaded. As soon as this was done, there was great wailing and crying and much lamentation from all the newly married brides who had now become widows with the beheading of the lord. They looked sad and gloomy and one could feel that their grief was very real, as was their joy, the previous night, [ad name=”HTML-1″] In order to understand why these people got married to Lord Kuttandavar, I spoke to the hereditary priest of the temple. His family has been the caretaker of the temple in the unbroken tradition for two hundred years. I also spoke to a number of brides who were getting married on that day. The story of the temple as narrated by the priest is connected to the great war mentioned in the epic of ‘Mahabharatha’ which is supposed to have taken place probably around the 1st or 2nd century BC. However, the temple, as far as local knowledge goes, is only two hundred years old. Hence, this festival seems to be a relatively later development.
There were only three men existing on the earth who possessed all the thirty-two qualities of perfection. One was Lord Krishna the charioteer of ‘Arjuna, the bravest of all warriors’, present in the battlefield of ‘Kurukshetra’, the second was king ‘Shalya’ an ally of the Pandavas and the third one was ‘Kuttandavar’. He was born out of the union of Arjuna and a Naga (snake) princess. Duryodhana approached Kuttandavar and asked him for help to win the war. Kuttandavar was not happy with the Pandavas since his father had not openly acknowledged him as his son. In these circumstances, he gave his word to Duryodana to help him in the war even at the expense of his own life. At that moment cunning Duryodana revealed to him that he indeed wanted to offer him as a human sacrifice. At first Kuttandavar was very angry to hear this proposal but when he cooled down he agreed to be sacrificed since he had already given his word of honour. Duryodhana asked him to reach the battlefield of Kurukshetra one-day before the new moon. [ad name=”HTML-1″] Meanwhile, Arjuna also asked Lord Krishna to predict which side would win the war. Lord Krishna offered the same solution saying that the side that would carry out the human sacrifice of a perfect male would win the war and that there were only three men possessing such perfection, namely, Lord Krishna, king Shalya and the son of Arjuna through the Naga princess, Kuttandavar. Arjuna was not willing to sacrifice any of them and went away, in a huff, leaving the battlefield. In these circumstances Lord Krishna using his manipulative skills summoned the sun and the moon to earth, thereby creating the darkness of new moon, one day in advance. He made Kuttandavar believe that he had already missed his appointment with Duryodhana, which was one day before the new moon. He also persuaded him to offer himself as a human sacrifice for the Pandavas instead, since he could not do it any more for the Kauravas. Kuttandavar agreed but on certain conditions like,
The story clarifies the rationale of why eunuchs, transvestites, gays and even plain men, get married to Kutandavar. The marriage of Krishna and Kuttandavar was like one man marrying another man. It was also a question of confused identities – like when Krishna took the female form. Was he a man or was he a woman? or was he something else? This confusion creates a great scope for interpretation about who is eligible for marriage with Kuttandavar. Getting married signifies fulfilment of certain basic human needs. In Indian culture, marriage is supposed to be a ritual compulsory to be undergone as part of the cycle of life. A spinster has to undergo a lot of stigma. Marriage for this special category of people, in a conventional sense may not be possible or feasible, yet the cultural orientation and socialization (the Samskaras), with respect to marriage are so strong that it creates a lack of fulfilment. If they express their desires and yearnings to the society, which views them suspiciously and oddly, they may only get jeered at.
Among those who come, some can be described as females trapped inside a male body. They need to give expression to their femininity in an atmosphere that considers their femininity real and not feigned. There are many among them who wear ordinary male clothes when they are in their own routine surroundings but when they come to the temple of Kutandavar, they are dressed in fashionable female costumes and deck themselves with fine jewelry. The festival provides them ample opportunity to behave as they yearn to do. Even they hold ‘fashion shows’, in Villupuram, one day before the marriage day, to display their latest female outfits. You also find many couples – one dressed as a female and another dressed as a male, walking hand in hand in the festival bazaar buying bangles and trinkets. This kind of behavior will not be accepted in a conventional Indian market place but for people of Kuvagam it is normal and human. I think people of Kuvagam are more liberated, more broadminded and more hospitable than many of us, the city bred urban puritans, and why not? After all their ancestors created the festival. |
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Female and losing your hair?
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Female and losing your hair?
Female and losing your hair?
It’s not just men who suffer from thinning hair and baldness, it’s a problem that’s on the rise for women too. Here’s the lowdown…
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Hair loss explained Overexposure to harsh chemicals and heated styling tools, as well as hair extensions and weaves that have been put in too tightly, can all cause your hair to break and fall out. “Heat weakens hair proteins, no matter how many protective products you use. Constant heating and drying, as well as colouring with harsh chemicals, can lead to brittleness and fragility that causes hair loss that would not have occurred otherwise,” says organic hairdresser Tabitha James Kraan. Other factors can make the hair’s growth cycle slow down or even stop. “Medication, underlying medical problems such as diabetes or a thyroid problem, micro-nutrient deficiencies, poor diet and even genetics can all cause the hair to thin,” adds Iain Sallis.
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Here’s what you should do…
See an expert before you do anything about your hair loss “Get a proper diagnosis from your GP, dermatologist or qualified trichologist,” advises Sallis. “This way, you will be less inclined to spend money on products that may only affect a certain aspect of hair loss, which you may or may not have.” You could be prescribed a lotion or a course of tablets, which help with growth.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet “The hair follicle is one of the last tissues in your body to receive nutritional substances, so specific deficiencies can affect the hair,” says nutritionist Angela Dowden. “Healthy hair comes from a balanced diet that is nutrient-dense. Because hair is mostly protein, this is an important area of your diet to look at, and essential fatty acids, iron, silica, biotin and zinc are also important for growth and preventing brittle, unhealthy looking hair.” Worried your diet isn’t up to scratch? Then ask your tricologist to prescribe vitamin supplements. Proven to reduce hair loss, each supplement combines all the nutrients vital for a healthy head of hair.
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Boost iron levels The most common trigger of female hair loss can be iron deficiency, as iron in the body binds ferritin — a protein involved in the production of hair cells, which guard against shedding. Low iron stores are known to reduce the growing phase of hair, so load up on plenty of dark leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale and broccoli, which can be good sources of iron. In addition, vitamin C-rich foods, like citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries and peppers, can help increase the absorption of iron into the body. Iron-rich supplements boost iron reserves and improves hair thickness.
Invest in the right haircare Thicken up thinning strands with a redensifying shampoo and conditioner. Massage your scalp to help stimulate hair growth. This will help improve blood flow, nourish hair shafts and strengthen hair roots.
Try hair restoration Designed for women with moderate to severe hair loss, a hair replacement prosthesis is a breathable mesh that’s placed between your existing hair and scalp, which contains human hair to totally disguise your hair loss. While not a cure for baldness, it allows you to do sports, swim and to wash, brush and style your hair as you would normally.
Categories: Hairstyles Tags: female, hair, losing, your
King cobras fall into pit, female swallows mate
Residents of the suburb of Guduvanchery recently witnessed the unusual sight of a female king cobra devouring a male inside a pit.
CHENNAI: Was it a common case of cannibalism in the animal kingdom or a sacrifice to preserve its kind? Residents of the suburb of Guduvanchery recently witnessed the unusual sight of a female king cobra devouring a male inside a pit.
City-based reptile conservationist R Nishanth says the two cobras, a male and a female, had fallen into the pit near a field close to a village.
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“Last Monday, we were informed that two cobras had fallen into a pit near Guduvanchery. Cobras are rarely found in this area, but they were indeed two of the venomous snakes there. In 30 minutes, one of them ate the other,” said Nishanth. The female then laid 28 eggs.
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Blue Cross’ Dawn Williams said cannibalism does occur in snakes, but usually “a violent fight” precedes one snake swallowing the other. Some kill and eat their own species to protect territory, others for food. In this case, there was no sign of a conflict. There are often instances of a male cobra eating the female, especially in the breeding season.
“In this case, the male snake allowed itself to be eaten by the starving female,” said Williams, who was part of the team that visited the spot, 12km from Tambaram.
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People in villages near Guduvanchery have worshipped snakes for centuries, said Anurima Sitara Ghosh, a volunteer with Blue Cross. “Residents of villages revere snakes and continue to worship them,” she says. But why did the volunteers not try and save the snake before it was eaten up? Blue Cross’ Williams said, “In incidents like cannibalism or fights among animals, humans should never intervene.” As it was getting dark, the team left and returned the next day.
The cobra was coiled around the recently laid eggs. “People told us that the snakes had fallen into the pit more than a month ago. Some people had tried to feed them milk (snakes don’t consume milk),” Williams said.
The female snake was later rescued along with the unhatched eggs and given to the authorities at Vandalur zoo.