Well-versed with tips that can cool a hot summer day, many in the city have an answer to the soaring temperature
Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar
FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE Children beat summer heat by splashing in river Krishna
Oblivious to the soaring mercury and the scorching sun, Kavya and Harshita are having fun, giggling away in glory and drenching one another with the garden hose. The bindas cousins in their teens do not believe in cribbing and whining about the searing heat. Sizzling summer being part of the city lifestyle, people have finally realised the need to take things in their stride and find the best ways available to beat the summer blues.
While children from affluent families have the option of avoiding the season by planning a tour to a hill station, the not-so-lucky ones on the streets have discovered unique ways to ward off heat wave conditions. A dip in the cool waters of Krishna is all it takes to experience exhilaration.
Frequent showers become the order of the day to keep at bay sweat and body odour. Amrutha has a strange reason to welcome summer. “Vacation is the time when I get a chance to step into the bath tub for a leisure wash.
I switch on the music system, fill the tub with my choicest fragrance and pamper myself by soaking in the water for a couple of hours.” Rohan likes to kick-start the day by swimming in the neighbourhood pool, as it keeps him fresh and tingling for the rest of the day.
Drinking plenty of water is essential. “I keep a jug of lemonade ready in the refrigerator and gulp a glass whenever I feel thirsty,” says Priyanka, a young housewife. There are other options like the ubiquitous tender coconut, cool drinks, buttermilk or fresh fruit juice. Sirisha, a nutritionist, recommends less spices and more fresh salads and fruits to tackle the heat.
Complete makeover
Summer warrants a complete revamp of the wardrobe, as crisp cottons become the order of the day. White colour rules the roost and accessories are confined to the bare minimum. Most people chuck out shoes and step into open footwear like flip-flops to let their feet breathe. Girls switch over to vibrant summer dresses with spaghetti straps, while women choose starched cotton saris.
Caps, scarves or parasols become common choice to avoid the harsh and harmful ultra-violet rays of the sun. Victims of sunburn resort to the traditional grandma’s remedies like applying sour curds, sandalwood paste or multani mitti. “Many of my friends go to watch a noon show in an air-conditioned cinema theatre to escape the heat,” says Nikhil. Jam-packed ice cream parlours like Baskin Robbins or Temptations rake in the moolah while small-time vendors selling Kwality or a Dairy Treat also make a decent income for the day. Summer fruits like munjulu (palm fruit) and watermelons command high demand. “It’s all in the mind. Fretting about the heat will not in any way mitigate the summer impact. So why creating a hullabalooabout it,” says Gitanjali.
HARJEET KAUR ALLAGH
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