19 March,2011 06:33 AM IST | | Aditi Sharma and Dhvani Solani
Blame it on Holi and the heat. What better time than now to get drenched in water and caked in a myriad of colours. Aditi Sharma and Dhvani Solani scour the city and beyond for five must-dos this Holi weekend
Take the escape route
If being a target for water balloons and corrosive oil paint that refuses to wash off is not your type of holiday, we suggest you bid goodbye to the city for the weekend, and head off into the great outdoors where even phone signals might find it difficult to reach you. Our pick? The Sprouts and Hide-Out Holi Camp in Thane district. 49 year-old organic entrepreneur Hemant Chhabra's farm site is located here, about 100 kms north of Mumbai. This eco resort will organise for you to set out on nature trails, try your hand at Warli painting, practise yoga, star gaze, make and read maps and handmade paper, watch a potter or a blacksmith at work and the Holi specialu00a0-- make organic colours. And if camping in the countryside, sleeping after a night of barbecued fare and merrymaking around a bonfire sounds more exciting, head to Big Red Tent at Khopoli.
At: Hide-Out, Thappar Pada Road, Jhadpoli village, Vikramgarh Taluka, Thane district; Big Red Tent, Pali Phata, Khopoli.
Call: 9820149022 (Hide-Out); 9930582878 (Big Red Tent)
Sip onu00a0a Chill pill
The colours and the water balloons are all good but if you haven't downed that quintessential glass of thandai, you haven't quite lived up your Holi. We suggest you get into the Holi spirit by preparing thandai at home. And if you are too lazy to stir up the instant energising milk drink with lots of dry fruits and flavoured spices, check out Nestle's Milk Maid-flavoured Thandai or the Thandai crush made by Mapro.
At: HyperCity stores at Thane, Malad and Vashi.
Call: 25987777 / 40078418 / 40501300
Colours for a cause
Of course you haven't played Holi in the right spirit unless you look like the closer cousin of a macaque (the pink-faced monkey). Yet, we sincerely believe you'll be more popular among friends if you leave the silver greasepaint aside and opt for eco-friendly colours instead. Pune-based Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group's Rang Dulaar Natural Holi colours are made from turmeric and have been lab tested for zero heavy metal content.
You can pick up a pack of mixed dry colours - red, yellow, blue, green and orange - or single packs. They also have wet colours in shades of pink and red. There is a good cause attached to this too. With this purchase you will be supporting women farmers and helping women prisoners.
At: The Bombay Store, Fort; InOrbit Mall, Vashi, Phoenix Mills; Dhoop Crafts, Khar;
Suriti: The Culture Shop, Powai; Radhika Arora, Juhu (Call: 9820676765); EcoCorner, Atria Mall, Phoenix Mills; Hina Chokshi, Kandivali (W) (Call: 9833664750); Bela Bhinde, Wadala (Call: 24036944); Bombay Natural History Society, Fort; Maati Crafts, Powai; White Flowers, Dadar (W); Mona Doctor, Lower Parel (Call: 9820427318); All Reliance Fresh outlets.
Listen to Horisu00a0-- songs of Holi
Hori Ke Saptrang will see Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar, a disciple of Pandit Pimpalkhare and Pandit Jasraj, perform rich compositions from the Mewati Gharaana.
The Mewati Gharana gayaki includes spiritual elements, where religious verses from Hinduism and Islam are incorporated in the music. Before you get busy experimenting with colours tomorrow morning, spend some time introspecting the spiritual aspect of the festival in the company of these connoisseurs.
On: Today, 7 pm onwards at Nehru Centre, Annie Besant Road, Worli. Collect complimentary passes from YB Chavan Pratishthan Hall (Call: 22028598), Somani Academy of Art, Music & Culture, Fort (Call: 66346546); Sangit Kala Kendra, Churchgate (Call: 22854654); Maharashtra Watch & Gramaphone Co., Dadar (Call: 66625661)
Skin and hair matters
This year, we don't want your friends chasing you to turn your face into a perfect piece of modern art.
Instead, we want you to surrender and the best way to do this is after you've prepped yourself, adequately.
Skincare brands like Rebirth and Nature's Co are offering special discounts on skin and hair care products that protect you from harmful colours. If your skin is extra-sensitive try the pre and post-Holi skincare packages by Birla Kerala Vaidyashala, which include Ayurvedic oil massages. All the Holi hoopla might leave you exhausted and you might not want to step out of home for a massage.
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In this scenario, Dr Sunita Dube from Aryan Medispa recommends a hair pack for dull, dry hairu00a0-- mix half a cup of olive oil, an egg white and four teaspoonfuls of honey, coat your hair with this mixture for half an hour and then wash off. For your skin, she suggests you create a soothing face pack with a mixture of pureed banana, two teaspoonfuls of honey and two teaspoonfuls of milk cream. This hydrates, softens and soothes the skin.
At: Rebirth stores are located at Walkeshwar, High Street Phoenix at Lower Parel, Atria Mall at Worli, Bandra and Powai; The Nature's Co, second floor, Palladium, Phoenix Mills compound, Lower Parel; Birla Kerala Vaidyashalas at Prabhadevi, Juhu and Powai.
