Crafts, Culture, Camels and the Charkha

Crafts, Culture, Camels and the Charkha

Surrounded by the Thar Desert is Bikaner, the desert city of Rajasthan. From here comes Ashok Bishnoi, who in 2004 founded the NGO Hastshilp. Working with folk crafts, he founded The Charkha (formerly knowns as Lokashram) representing the crafts of the region and khadi products. …

Wild yeast in the kitchen

Wild yeast in the kitchen

Wild yeast has become wildly popular during the pandemic. For years I’ve been following Anita Tikoo’s Instagram account  a_madteaparty chronicling her sourdough journey using lively wild yeast starter and local flours and other culinary experiments. A practicing landscape architect, she grows seasonal produce on her …

Lagom: A joyous, balanced life, Swedish style

Lagom: A joyous, balanced life, Swedish style

Lagom, or the Swedish lifestyle of balance and joy is all the rage. Sweden brings a slice of it to India. Earlier this year, before the Royal Swedish couple King Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus and Queen Silvia Renate Sommerlath visited the country, the Consulate General of Sweden hosted Swedish Style Mumbai, a lifestyle event throwing a spotlight on Sweden’s creative industries from fashion, design, architecture, photography, fine arts, film, technology, gastronomy and music.

Ayurganic: A meditative foray into conscious Ayurvedic fashion

Ayurganic: A meditative foray into conscious Ayurvedic fashion

Since the 80s, design duo comprising Frenchman Didier Lecoanet and Indo-German Hemant Sagar have been enthralling the world with their couture and ready-to-wear fashion. What inspired them to launch Ayurganic, a conscious line of premium leisure wear, rooted in the principles of Ayurveda? BeejLiving travels to Kerala to understand the vision and journey of Ayurganic, from pale cotton bales to breathable garments that restore balance and heal the body

Nimbuka

Nimbuka

The lime is the small desi sibling of the more robust lemon, from the Citrus Aurantifolia tree ( Nimbuka in Sanskrit) , found widely in India. The acidic fruit comes from the short, squat, shrub like tree with short stiff twigs and many small prickly thorns. These tiny thorns have a spiritual meaning, says Anthony Williams, the Medical Medium. You can’t just pluck it, it takes mindful appreciation to gather the fruit. This self-protectiveness is reflective of real-life relationships, which one should approach with mutual love and admiration for those around us.

Why I turned Vegan (And so did my family)

Why I turned Vegan (And so did my family)

“Veganism brought a far more compassionate, aware and disciplined approach to life. I started relooking at my food not just from a nutritional point of view but also at its carbon footprint. I realised the importance of seasonal, local and organic food.”