MALAYALAM
Traditional cosmetics
K. K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
SOUNDHARYATHINTE NATTARIVUKAL: C.R. Rajagopalan — General Editor; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 60.
FOLK TRADITIONS and beliefs speak between the lines about another element of human lifestyle too: the significance of sustaining a healthy life aesthetically at all levels. Though the modern era has dynamically redefined the whole concept of human beauty and the nature of cosmetics, of late people have started looking back to materials referred in our folklore and traditionally used by ancestors. This is a collection of 12 informative articles on them.
The chapters, most of them well written, deal with a variety of interesting topics, like ancient views on physical beauty, way of dressing, traditional materials used as cosmetics, significance of flowers in decorating, human physique in sculpture and paintings, conventional treatments using the Kalari methodology, and shampoos from natural sources like leaves. The concluding chapter is on the chemistry of body language from the folk and artistic perspectives.
What makes this anthology more relevant is the fact that the information passed on orally have been gathered from elders in rural and tribal hamlets. This treasure of knowledge serves as an interesting documentation of a fast dying traditional way of life.
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