Special

Bindi- An Unbeatable Fashion Accessory

Derived from the Sanskrit word 'bindu', bindi means a drop. It signifies a mystic third eye. Although once associated with Hindu marriage tradition, today the bindi is a fashion accessory for girls and women of all age, religion and background.

A nicely draped sari is complemented with a stylish bindi worn between eyebrows. Today bindis are worn with salwar kameez and even jeans and fotua. These fashion accessories are widely available at the stores of Dhaka.

Gausia is indeed a heaven for bindi lovers. Bindis of all colours, patterns and sizes grace the shelves of the shops of this busy market. Bindis are also available at Eastern Plaza, New Market, Rifles Square, Metro Shopping Mall, Karnaphuli Garden City and most other malls of the capital. The outlet of Priyo located at Fatema Arcade, Dhanmondi also has a wide collection of bindis. The bindis available at Dhaka come from India, and most of these are genuinely trendy.

There was a time when bindi meant placing a dot on the forehead with sandalwood powder or kohl. And then there were the years of wearing simple rotund bindis of multiple shades. However, bindis have changed their outlook over decades. Bindis available at Dhaka now uphold intricate work of stones, metal springs, beads and even pearls.

A set of plain round bindis might cost you as low as Tk. 5. However, prices will rise as stones and beads are added to the bindis. A set of bindis with neat stone and beadwork will cost you between tk.50 and tk.200.

Long bindis are in vogue now. Each piece of these long bindis will cost you around tk.60. These hold up elegant work of multicoloured stones, white pearls and golden beads. Then again, this kind of bindis is more appropriate for formal occasion like wedding.

Then there are bridal bindis of diverse colours, forms and sizes, each will cost you at least tk.60.

Solitaire bindis are sold in small plastic box too. Each box will cost you between tk.40 and tk.100. Gracing the forehead with simple white stones have been in fashion for quite sometime. Each leaf of such simple white-stone bindis will cost you tk.20 on the minimum.

Today bindis in patterns of tikli are also available at stores; each of these special, eye-grabbing bindis will cost you tk.100. Bindis are also available in elegant wooden boxes these days. You can check out the branches of Priyo and Almas for these lovely bindis marked with heavy yet delicate composition of colourful stones and beads; each wood box will cost you between tk.350 and tk.450.

Arm tattoos now take forms of bindis too. Gorgeous arm bindis are sold at around tk.80. If worn with dazzling saris, each of these arm bindis will bestow a stunning look on you. There was a time when young women painted their forehead with kumkum. Kumkum is still available today, a set of kumkum will cost you about tk.50 only.

There was a time when bindis were solely used to beautify the space between eyebrows; however, this notion has largely changed over time. Today bindis are worn even in place like the corner of one's eyes. The white-stone bindis are widely used by young women to adorn their eyes. In India, bindis are used by young girls to decorate nails, nose and even belly button!

Attending a formal occasion without a bindi embellishing the forehead seems impossible for a lot of women. A Hindu proverb says that 'A woman's beauty is multiplied 1,000 times when she wears a bindi.' So you too give it a go!

By Wara Karim

Shop talk

Sherwani
There's a famous saying that for men, women are like a "Delhi ka ladoo." In other words, unmarried men always think that it would be great to have a woman by their side, while married men wish that they hadn't got involved with a woman! Even after knowing about the latter, the vast majority of men choose to get married. With the arrival of winter, the wedding season will be starting off soon. This means that many men will be tying the knot and thus get the full "Delhi ka ladoo" experience! One piece of clothing that they will need on the wedding day is a sherwani. Where can sherwanis be bought? Well, at Aarong, some splendid sherwanis are being sold, and they're priced between Tk 1,900 to Tk 6,000.

Jamdani Sari
Do you think that for women to look fashionable they need to invariably wear Indian saris? Well, we at Lifestyle certainly don't think so. While Indian saris are indeed excellent, our very own jamdani saris are no less excellent. By wearing a jamdani sari, a woman will be able to give strong fashion statements. So, the judicious thing for a woman to do would be to keep a few jamdani saris in her collection. At Aarong, jamdani saris can be bought between Tk 5,000 to Tk 10,000. In case you are on a tight budget, you can check out the sari shops at New Market or Chadni Chawk.

Insect Spray
If you've been following the news lately, you'll be aware that dengue fever is back. No matter how much we request the City Corporation to do something about this menace, they end up doing very little. Under these circumstances is there anything that you can do? Well, yes there is. You can spray insect spray in your house, and by doing so you'll be able to gain respite from mosquitoes and therefore dengue fever. Inspect spray is available at nearly all supermarkets in Dhaka, and it costs about Tk 200.

Sitar
If you're not the type who's interested in playing the keyboard or the drum, you can try your hand at playing the sitar. It might be a bit of an odd-looking musical instrument, but the music that it provides is quite melodious. There are many people who have become famous by playing the setar, and who knows, if you practice sincerely you'll be able to become as famous as them too. Sitars can be purchased from Surniketan (28/B Dhanmandi, Road # 1) in the range of Tk 7,000 to Tk 9,000.

Dumbbell
Does the prospect of having a body like Hrithik Roshan or Salman Khan sound appealing to you? If you're interested in dating women then it should, as women generally prefer muscular men. And how do you become a muscular man? Well, in one word: EXERCISE. There are various forms of exercise that you can carry out to become muscular, but by using a dumb-bell you'll get some very satisfying results. Dumb-bells are widely available at most sports shops. At Shaheen Sports (Hockey Stadium) a 10 kg dumb-bell is sold for Tk 1,200.

Dartboard
One way that you can kill time when you've got nothing better to do at home is by playing darts. If you're good at the game, you'll have the satisfaction of hitting bulls-eye. On the other hand, if you're not good at the game you'll at least have the opportunity to have some fun. Dartboards are sold at most quality sports shops. At Shaheen Sports (Hockey Stadium) a dartboard can be purchased for about Tk 250.

By Sayeed Mahmud Nizam

 

Essentials

 

Temper, temper!
You're getting late for an appointment, and the car is stuck in a jam that looks like it's in no hurry. You're trying to concentrate on an important news broadcast, and your three-year-old kid is throwing a tantrum because she's missing her favourite cartoon show. You just walked into your teenage son's room and found a packet of cigarettes.
Any of those above-mentioned scenarios could easily result in you blowing a fuse. Life today has become very stressful and complicated, and it's hard to keep one's cool in the face of endless glitches and obstacles. All the more reason why you should be careful not to lose it.

Anger is just one letter short of danger
Excessive anger can cause headaches and body aches. It has also been linked to high blood pressure, strokes, and people with heart problems are seriously advised to cool it, as this highly explosive emotion has led to many a heart attack. Suppressed anger also comes with side effects like abdominal pain, digestion problems, insomnia, eczema, and loss of hair. There is also an impact on mental well-being, as studies show that anger is linked to anxiety disorder, depression, and low self esteem.

Anger management
When you find yourself starting to get ticked off, take a deep breath and count to ten. Then speak slowly, precisely, and focus on keeping your voice normal. This will take your mind off your anger, and in case you're directing that anger at someone, chances are, your composure will scare off the other party. If you're alone, try listening to soothing music. Tell yourself that everything is going to be alright, that things aren't as bad as they seem. If possible, take some time out, walk away from the situation, and then return to it when you're in a calmer state of mind.

Don't…
Drive. Chances are, you might not only lose focus and get hurt, but also take some other people down with you. Refrain from violence. What was it that Yoda said in "Star Wars?" "Anger leads to violence…
violence leads to suffering". Resist the temptation to smoke, drink, or tinker with drugs. Instead of helping you, these will only add to your troubles.

In the end, while in moderation, anger can motivate you to get things done or change things, too much of it can case more harm than good. So if you feel that rage bubbling up, it's time to exercise caution.

By Sabrina F Ahmad