Dear Readers,
Marking the beginning of the new Hindu Lunar calendar, Ugadi is the southern Indian New Year involving religious observances and customs, being considered most auspicious. While the festivities begin with a special oil bath for women, they culminate with the women preparing the signature dish – Ugadi Pachadi. So this Ugadi, while preparing some traditional recipes and digging into savouries, you can take a cue from the talented women in Feature Story, who shared some of their authentic Ugadi delicacies. Happy Ugadi to you all!
On the cover this week, we have Vasavi Reddy, Pallavi Bhoopal Coondoo, and actress Nitya Naresh. Vasavi is a commercial pilot who ran her own flight school in the United States and is currently the chief directress of the Sri Aurobindo Montessori House of Children. Hailing from a family that’s been into block printed textiles for over 40 years, Pallavi Bhoopal Coondoo is a furnishing consultant and the owner of a furnishing establishment, Benten Vesta, whose remarkable work has been highly appreciated by eminent personalities from various fields. Actress Nitya Naresh charms our People in Focus pages this week - tall and exceptionally charming, she is the latest sensation in southern cinema. Extremely conscientious, she does voluntary work in her free time, when she’s not acting, singing, dancing or doing crafts!
We’ve all tried home remedies at some point: nutmeg for a better night’s sleep; herbal teas for a cold; Epsom salts for dry, cracked skin; and essential oils to dull a headache. But what about our homes? If you, like us, strive to live an all-natural life and make an effort to use non-toxic cleaning products, then move to Mind & Body for some useful tips.
In Grand Getaways, Megha Kantheti gives us a peek into her recent trip to mesmerising Finland with her husband Karthik Kantheti.
And tell us what you think. If you have any suggestions, comments or queries, please e-mail me at publisher@you-and-i.com.