Page 31 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 2 | December 2023 - January 2024

INDIA

It goes unsaid that India is the hub of many Thai-Indians’ wedding
shopping. But what else do travellers bring back in their (overweight)
suitcases besides saris, lehengas, polki sets, tikas and gold bangles?

My acronym for Japan was ‘SSS’, whereas for India it is
ABCD. Ironically it doesn’t stand for the already-popular
slogan, American-Born Confused Desi, but instead it stands
for: Ayurveda products, books, casual clothing, and dawai.

Ayurveda Products

India is home to all the Ayurvedic practices that have become
increasingly popular in the Western world. If you are into restoring
balance, coming back to your natural state of being, and self-
improvement, Ayurveda is your remedy.

Masala’s Award-Winning Must-Reads List

1. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
AYURVEDA MUST-HAVE PRODUCTS CHECKLIST: 2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

1. Travellers like to purchase warming Ayurveda 3. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
spices such as freshly ground cumin, coriander, ginger, 4. Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai
mustard seed, cardamom, turmeric, and garam masala. 5. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
The list for benefits from Indian spices are endless!
Don’t forget to pick up some chai blends as well.
Casual Clothing
2. Ghee, also known as clarified butter, has a strong role in
Ayurvedic tradition for its healing properties, and excellence in Many of us visit India for
cooking (due to its high smoke point). It is considered good for our heavy, formal, and fancy
digestion, fuelling ‘digestive fire’ and balancing for all dosha types.
wedding attire; however, we often
overlook that India is also great
3. For Ayurvedic skincare, brands like Sadhev have beautiful for casual, summery clothing.
products made with high-quality ingredients such as rose I love the linen outfits and soft
water, saffron, aloe vera, triphala, and kamala extract. Check out cotton blouses and trousers.
their product list and ingredient benefits at www.sadhev.com
Visit both the indoor malls and
markets for these essentials,
Books available in so many brands
but also unbranded versions.
The cost of publishing and producing books is very inexpensive
in India. India is also the home to some of the greatest authors Dawai
of all time. Indulge in fine literature and some of that Ayurvedic
chai once you get home! For non-Hindi speakers, what
is dawai? A clue is that it is the smallest items that will be
mentioned in this article and will take the least amount of
space in your luggage. It is something I hope you do not have
to consume, but if you do, India is the place to purchase in bulk.
The answer is, medicines! Medicines produced in India have
a low cost of production, along with low costs of research and
development. Hence, medicines are more affordable in India
than anywhere else. India is the largest exporter of generic and
sought-out medicines in the world.

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