Monday, March 31, 2008

Embroidered Salwar Kameez

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Embroidery has always been an inseparable part of the Punjabi salwar kameez. Most salwar kameez meant for formal and semi-formal occasions are treated with an elaborate dose of embroidery. The popularity of the embroidered works can be gauged from the simple fact that there are no less than 21 types of embroidery used on salwar kameez.

Most common among the works is the booti work salwar kameez . It consists of simple patterns representing plants, leaves and flowers. Chikankari salwar kameez too have flowery patterns, but they are typically designed with predominant white threadwork. Mirror work comprises small mirror chips that are embroidered on the suits. These mirror chips form the hub around which the embroidery pattern develops. Moti work consists of small rounded beads stitched to the fabric as part of the embroidery pattern. A number of colored beads are used to create a colorful pattern.

Other forms of embroidery used on the salwar kameez are: cufdana work, dori work, dubka work, gota patti , kasab work, katha work, kundan work, parsi work, patch work, resham embroidery, sequins work, sippy work, sitara work, stone work, thread work, zardozi work, and zari work. With such a fascinating range of embroidery to choose from one could build a substantial wardrobe of embroidered salwar kameez .

Embroidered Silk Saree

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This stunner is yet another exclusive creation from our treasure, especially created for today’s discerning woman. This is our new hand embroidery range. Every saree in this range has been specially treated with intricate handwork adding artistic value, thereby making it appealing for the women of today. Plain and Hand woven contrasting saree with rich handwork, fancy pallu and shoulder embroidery work make it an absolutely stunning creation. This saree is adorned with delicate small gold motifs or buttis all over. Blending traditional richness with contemporary chic in multi shaded colors like pink and copper, makes this saree a splendor in silk.

Kancheepuram Pure Silk Sarees.

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Beautiful Collection of Kancheepuram Silk Sarees! Ideal gift for festivals and special occasions like weddings and birthdays! After several years of serving a large client base in Southern States, we are proud to present collection of hand picked Kancheepuram Pure Silk Sarees for you to buy, online. We have been flooded by enquries from US and other countries for Kancheepuram Pure Silk Sarees and this website will let our esteemed clients to contact us with their requirements and securely pay for the Sarees by Credit Card. The website brings together a number of approved silk weaving societies who will get directly benefited by your orders.

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Please go though the collection and send your enquiries with the Item Number of selected Sarees. Or order the sarees from the Collections Page. We will then revert to you with confirmation of availability and Credit Card Payment Link.

The collection is frequently updated. You could also click the "Request Form" button and then give your specific requirements of color and finish! Send you pictures of proposed samples for you to chose from!

We now invite you to browse thro the selection of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees and Contact Us for more samples with your specific requirements.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Changing Role Of Women In Society

It is generally accepted that in today's society women have access to education and can promote themselves much more easily than in the seventies. Women's changing role is happening because women nowadays are educated. It is recognised as an essential need for achieving equality in  most walk of life. There are still problems for girl pupils or women students but no one would deny their rights to study or question it.

This is a comforting viewpoint until you begin to dig a little further in the subject of women in education. In the very informative Women Human Rights net page. The most interesting seems to be  the follow up of the Beijing conference.

The Beijing conference identified  640 million adults women who remain illiterate in the world, mostly in the developing countries. Because women often have to cope with home duties: child rearing and everyday domestic tasks, they do not follow their education and often the girl child will leave the education system without any qualification.

The conference is mainly concerned with global education for women. It is reassuring to know that there are strategies set in place for the promotion of women and girls education. My main critic of this conference is that it does not have strategies explore in any form how these stategies can be practically implemented at ground level. There was no links to more specific situations on women.

However, The Annual International Conference(IWD) focusing on the themes of current interest to women learners and those working with them, (NIACE's Annual International Women's Day Conference in Birmingham, reports on the 2000 and 2001 conference. Their understanding of women mutifacetted form of learning is encouraging. The reality is that not all women have been able for all sorts of reasons to follow their education. Some have qualifications and experience but wish to further their knowledge during a career break. Mothers may wish to have an educational focus whilst raising their young children. They are the child first educator. A role which is demanding and ongoing for many years. Others are studying to shape a career for the future. Facilities for these women ought to be part of a stategy. It also takes little account of the improvement of women education in terms of skills. In internal training in trade and industry, it is often the men who go on courses. Holding key positions, they are thought to implement a trickle down theory of their acquired knowledge to women working in their unit or department.

My working experience in education tends to mirror the conference statement on the education system. Efforts have been made to correct the stereotype role of male and female in text books but the promotion of stereotype images of women is still prevalent. The language of text books remain bias in most subjects or its approach is male orientated. One example in my view is History where men's achievements are promoted and women's achievements left in the background but for few exceptions. Curricula are also gender biased, the commission says, especially in science girls are missing out on basic mathematics, science and technological skills which would give them a kick start in life as well as access to a career valued by society. The article by Prof. Dr. Hannelore Schwedes Universität Bremen, Germany has clearly identify key factors on gender discrimination in education. His material for this research in extensive and, in my view, read can be with the English educational system in mind. However in England many young women have been successful in getting to grip with what is commonly considered male subjects. They tend to get better grade results too. The involvement of girls and women in education at all level is of prime importance for a changed, informed and participatory role of decision-making in society.

 

One of the most important factor arising from the 70's feminist movement is the recognition that women should get equal pay for equal work, to see them as contributors and valued members of society. Today, women are protected by the Sex Discrimination Act.  Yet the Equal Opportunities Commission  in  'Valuing Women'  puts next to the law on Equal Rights the reality against the application of the act. It shows that flagrant inequality still persists. The examples of unequal pay given in the site above is a point in case. It also reveals that the changing role of women in society by means of education as a way to promote themselves to the level of their expertise is not working as it should.

However, individual employment right includes Maternity rights. The Thompsons - Scotland Trade Union Briefing page give a guide on Maternity Rights.

In most fields of employment women's presence is felt and their voice is heard. Although there has been progress in understanding the value of women's contributions in many employment fields, there are still huge problems to resolve. Persistence of gender inequalities - facts and figures in   1995-2000 statistics from the 'European Women Lobby'  website show that the proportion of women in top jobs is minimal compare to the entire women's task force. The latest report by the Equal Pay Task Force to the Equal Opportunities Commision in pdf format is worth visiting as well as the  chart on statistics from the European Commission.

It is true that statistics can always be argued on their accuracy yet they can also demonstrate an overall trend. In this case, it shows that even in the best qualified jobs women suffer the discrimination of being underpaid. So, what is the problem? As imperfect as the education system may be, most women have benefited from its teaching. Nowadays many women are qualified for the career they have trained for, yet it seems that only a small minority finds its way to the top. Are we back to the old theme of women raising children? Time devoted to them and the home does not permit a total devotion to a top job. The majority of women when successful, either do not have a family or rely heavily on grandmothers or may be some hefty childminding agency for help. More often they cope the best they can, juggling between a routine job in mid-management and their domestic duties. Other women find part-time more accommodating to their need or choice of life. What about the woman at home? Roberta article: 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle should be Paid'  at the "The Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture at Duke University's Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library." translates well the need for women at home to be recognised as a valued asset by society and should be paid accordingly.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of borders"
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article19The area where the changing role of women is beginning to make an impact is in the media.


The media in its many forms offers opportunities for women to organise and propagate their concerns and demands. For instance, information technology has given women new possibilities to create a platform to diffuse their ideas. Women are now using the Internet and web sites to strengthen their voice and made them visible to the public at large. They have created a network which give them the opportunity to be better informed and thus being in a more efficient position to defend their rights. It also make it possible for them to be in contact with other women thus realising a global sisterhood support system.

The APC Women's Networking Support program agenda is to promote the advancement of women by means of ICTs. This association believes that the net will open doors to women and give them greater participation in decisions making. They want to put forward 'alternatives and priorities'. It sees the net as a tool to promote women in society. However, they are rightly concerned that ICTs should not, through lack of access, become a new form of discrimination.

It is a welcoming thought that the woman at home should have the support of these organisations. Being at home raising children does not mean being isolated as it is often the case with young mothers. Access to a computer in public places such as a library is not easy with young children. Ownership of a computer is an investment sometimes out of reach for the poorer families. These points raise issues that must be addressed in the future to come.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (summary) is concerned with the improvement of women's role. It sees progress in women's changing role in the participation and involvement in the making of the material used in the media. It declares that in what ever form, the media should 'promote the equal sharing of family responsibilities'. Regulations and codes of conduct should focus on 'a non-stereotype image' of women. This site has links worth exploring. One particular site is Women and the Media with similar directives.

An alternative to the vision of Women and the media is presented by WomenAction 2000. It denounces the 'lack of sensitivity, promotion of consumerism, and the increase in violent and pornographic images of women' in the media. The portrayal of women in 'relatively low rank position in the media' is also taken on board.

The link to the EU European Womenlobby is a good one to explore because it has a strong membership. It is 'the largest co-ordinating body of national and European Union, and has '2,700 member associations' from '15 member states'. The EWL takes action as part of its brief if and when needed. As a watchdog it  ensures equality between men and women.

The future role of women can be looked at more optimistically. Nowadays, there seems to be a recognition of the vital role women play in society and more status is given to women.  Overall, excellent progress has been made in education. This has played a powerful role for women self-esteem. It demonstrates women's intellectual abilities to gain expertise in the field of their choice. However, this progress has still to be reflected in the job market. Since a more educated society is good for industry and society as a whole, it is even more urgent for women to gain an acceptable status in their rofession. The message is that women have the ability to change their role and that they will demand to have the means to do it. It is generally accepted by the new generation of young men and women that co-operation and mutual aid are far more productive than the divider camp of men and women. Society is changing and with it the role of women and men. In many fields women have come a long way from just their role as mothers and homemakers. They are that and far more. They no longer think that children rearing and home management is their sole duty.

Women are gaining a greater influence over media choices in the programs that are being transmitted, says the article. They have also more control of what is being heard or seen at home.

From this site Press Release The Times Educational Supplement has an interesting article on how the family time is divided. Parent's and children's quality time has treble in thirty years and two thirds of parents help each other with housework, says the article. It is good to see that children nowadays are seen as important members of society: products in the market industry cater for children's need and well being and has now become a booming market. They are well represented on TV and have their own share of viewing time. Most are familiar with computers. Video and films have changed their market to suit them. The girl child today is far more confident and aware of her own place in society. There is hope for the future. It takes time to change opinions and ready made values on women build over centuries, but we are getting there

There are other interesting press releases. The one of a particular interest is 'Women in the UK - The shape of things to come'  reinforces the points made by this enquiry. In the Reports from the Future Foundation, Sue Tibballs 'The Sexual Renaissance'  has taken on an analysis of the 'gender debate today'. It might be interesting for anyone with spare cash and interested in the release. It is a pity that it is not freely available!

Of course a lot more is to be achieved if we want a society free from injustice. When women will truly get equal pay a major progress in women's life will have been achieved. This enquiry has not focused on certain areas because the fields of the changing role of women is so vast it would have demanded a greater field of research. Yet this individual assessement cannot be concluded without mentioning the anger felt by many women by the continuous violence and abuse on them. Prostitution, pornography, men lack of respect for womanliness are familiar themes which are exploited for profit by the media on a more or less everyday basis. It is a dark area which need to be brightly lit and looked at uncompromisingly. It is a fact that financial gain, or more often than not, financial needs bring some women to enter into what the politically correct terminology calls the 'entertainment industry'. The freedom of the individual woman to decide for herself  what to do with her live is paramount, the exploitation of women sexuality for profit is not and will never be acceptable to the majority of women. The argument will go on. Whilst there is a market for it there always will be supply and demand. It begs the question: will women ever be free from physical and mental abuse? The twenty-first century women will have to address these issues. Who said that we get the society we deserved?

From this site Press Release The Times Educational Supplement has an interesting article on how the family time is divided. Parent's and children's quality time has treble in thirty years and two thirds of parents help each other with housework, says the article. It is good to see that children nowadays are seen as important members of society: products in the market industry cater for children's need and well being and has now become a booming market. They are well represented on TV and have their own share of viewing time. Most are familiar with computers. Video and films have changed their market to suit them. The girl child today is far more confident and aware of her own place in society. There is hope for the future. It takes time to change opinions and ready made values on women build over centuries, but we are getting there

There are other interesting press releases. The one of a particular interest is 'Women in the UK - The shape of things to come'  reinforces the points made by this enquiry. In the Reports from the Future Foundation, Sue Tibballs 'The Sexual Renaissance'  has taken on an analysis of the 'gender debate today'. It might be interesting for anyone with spare cash and interested in the release. It is a pity that it is not freely available!

Of course a lot more is to be achieved if we want a society free from injustice. When women will truly get equal pay a major progress in women's life will have been achieved. This enquiry has not focused on certain areas because the fields of the changing role of women is so vast it would have demanded a greater field of research. Yet this individual assessement cannot be concluded without mentioning the anger felt by many women by the continuous violence and abuse on them. Prostitution, pornography, men lack of respect for womanliness are familiar themes which are exploited for profit by the media on a more or less everyday basis. It is a dark area which need to be brightly lit and looked at uncompromisingly. It is a fact that financial gain, or more often than not, financial needs bring some women to enter into what the politically correct terminology calls the 'entertainment industry'. The freedom of the individual woman to decide for herself  what to do with her live is paramount, the exploitation of women sexuality for profit is not and will never be acceptable to the majority of women. The argument will go on. Whilst there is a market for it there always will be supply and demand. It begs the question: will women ever be free from physical and mental abuse? The twenty-first century women will have to address these issues. Who said that we get the society we deserved?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Women In Indian Culture

Woman is man's companion, gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in the activities of man to the very minutest detail and she has an equal right to freedom and liberty as him. She is entitled to a supreme place in her own sphere of activity as man is in his. This ought to be the natural condition of things and not just as a result of learning to read and write. By sheer force of a vicious custom, even the most ignorant and worthless men have been enjoying superiority over women which they do not deserve and ought not to have. Many of our movements stop halfway and much of our work does not yield appropriate results because of the condition of our women.

Man and woman are equal in status, but are not identical. They are a peerless pair each being complementary to the other; each helps the other, so that without the one the existence of the other can not be conceived. Therefore it follows as a necessary corollary from these facts, that anything that will impair the status of either of them will involve an equal ruin of both.

Indian tradition has generally respected womanhood. Even God (in Hinduism) is regarded as half man, half woman (ARDHANAAREESHWAR). Manu declares that where women are honored, the Gods are pleased; where they are not honored, all work becomes fruitless. Women are human beings and have as much of a right to development as men have. The fact that we are human beings is infinitely more important than the physiological peculiarities which distinguish us from one another. In all human beings, irrespective of their sex, the same drama of the flesh and the spirit, of finitude and transcendence, takes place.

Women cannot do some things that men can. Their physiology prevents this. That, however, does not prove any inferiority on their part. We must do the things for which we are made and do them well.

The relation of man and woman is the expression of an urge for duality. Each is a self which requires the other as its complement. The division of the sexes is a biological phenomenon, not a historical event. Male and female constitute ordinarily a fundamental unity.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Hair Myths

For the sake of having lustrous, beautiful hair, women search far and wide, trying out new products, following trends, doing their hair in different styles according to fashion. It is always said that a woman’s hair is her crowning glory, and many women do take it seriously. Unfortunately, sometimes we women get to listen to well-meaning advice from our girl-friends, advice which is at times completely baseless or unproven. These hair myths, so to speak, sometimes only lead to the eventual damage of the hair.

There are many hair myths floating out there, some of which are followed religiously by women totally unaware of the validity or invalidity of these myths. Sad to say, if curiosity can kill a cat, so can ignorance. Hair myths are like that; if they are followed blindly, they can lead to hair damage.

There are a number of hair myths out there and you may already know some of them. Here are some common hair myths:

Myth 1: Shampooing Daily Dries the Hair

Some women believe that shampooing every day dries the hair out. This is not true. What could dry the hair out would be the shampoo that is being used, so it is important to choose a shampoo that is suitable for the hair type – either for oily hair, dry hair or normal/combination hair. Oily hair needs to be washed everyday to get the excess oil out. However, dry hair need not be given the same treatment. Washing the hair with lukewarm water and then applying a moisturizing conditioner is enough. If daily washing of dry hair is necessary, it is important to use a mild shampoo that is made specifically for dry hair.

Straight hair Myth 2: Trimming Leads to Faster Hair Growth

The purpose of trimming is to get the dry and scraggly parts and the split ends out of the hair, therefore making it look healthier and thicker. But trimming regularly does not make the hair grow longer faster; rather it is our genes and our diet that determine the rate of the growth of our hair. Some types of hair just grow slower than others. However, to encourage faster hair growth, a diet rich in protein is recommended.

Myth 3: Hair Develops “Product Immunity” With Regular Use

Some women regularly change their hair care products and rotate brands because they believe that their hair develops product immunity or product exhaustion after prolonged use – the product stops becoming as effective as it was before. This is obviously a myth. Instead of the so-called product immunity, what is happening is that the product builds up on the hair and needs to be washed off. The solution to this, rather than rotating hair care products, is to occasionally wash the hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of the product build up.

Myth 4: Brushing Causes Hair Loss

Brushing the hair stimulates the hair follicles to produce more oil. It does cause friction against the hair and scalp so it is important to do it gently and to use a brush of good quality. Just yanking away at the hair causes hair breakage and split ends, rather than actual hair loss.

As in anything, not everything about hair care should be believed. Sometimes, what seems like good advice is only a hair care myth. Be informed and use your best judgment.

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Athletic Hairstyles

Creating the perfect pre-game hairdo can become a very enjoyable, cherished tradition. Friends and teammates can bond before each game as they help each other toss their hair back into fun, athletic hairstyles.

Bangs and long hair can be a liability if you are an athlete. Even short and medium length hair can get in the way while you play your heart out on the field or on the court. The constant tickle of your hair brushing against your face or getting in your eyes can be more than distracting; it can be downright aggravating. And quite honestly, how your hair looks is probably the last thing on your mind as you bolt toward that goal.

Not to worry, though. Several sporty hairstyles come to the rescue so you can focus on your game instead of your mane. Try micro-braids, double French braids, or pre-wrap - a stretchy, foamy material that trainers use for wrapping injuries and athletes use in their hair. You’ll get a no-fail style that keeps the hair out of your eyes and looks great!

Braids

Braids both big and small

The twisting motion involved with braiding pulls the hair out of the face and tucks it down along the scalp. For a great athletic hairstyle using double braids, create an even part from your forehead to the nape of your neck with a comb. Tie one pigtail off to the side and work with the other, braiding it as tightly as you can. Fasten the braid with an elastic band. Now repeat for the other side. You may also wish to try this style with French braids.

French braids begin by using hair in smaller sections up at the scalp. Follow these steps to French braid your hair in two pigtails:

  • Using the double braid method of parting your hair, start with the first pigtail.
  • Up at the top of your head, take three individual, equal sections of hair and cross them one at a time into the center, first from one side and then the other. Pull evenly and tightly for best results.
  • Now add a little bit of hair into the side you crossed first and pull that into the center.
  • Do the same with the other side. Continue this process, gradually adding more and more hair to each section as you braid your hair to the ends.
  • Fasten the completed braid with an elastic band.
  • Now repeat this process for the second pigtail.

Another athletic hairstyle variation is the micro-braid approach. Simply braid a few tight mini-braids in the front of your head to pull all the wispies and bangs and loose strands together and away from your eyes and face. Create a row of tight micro-braids, fastening each with a tiny hair band or miniature rubber band. Continue this process for as long as you like. If you have a friend who is willing to help you, consider donning a whole head of micro-braids for a fun and funky look.

Both of these styles look great with pre-wrap headbands. You can add a pre-wrap headband to almost any hairstyle, and the greatest thing is that it keeps the hair out of your face without slipping and sliding around like normal headbands. Pre-wrap is stretchy and composed of a soft, foamy material that doesn’t hurt hair or the scalp.

Pre-wrap for hairstyles

Pre-wrap, also known as underwrap, traditionally serves as a soft and comfortable barrier between athletic tape and the athlete’s skin when a trainer tapes up his or her injuries. It is designed to keep the tape from chafing and sticking to the athlete’s skin. For years if not decades, athletes have been swiping strips of pre-wrap and using them as headbands to keep their hair out of their eyes and off their faces while playing sports. College athletes, teenage athletes, soccer players, softball players, field hockey players, runners and just about any female athletes around enjoy the look and feel of pre-wrap in their hair before, during and after an athletic event.

Pre-wrap is colorful, easy to use, affordable, and best of all, it works. Foamy and stretchy, the pre-wrap material sticks to itself, which means it doesn’t slip like normal headbands. This makes it ideal for use as an inexpensive, versatile headband. You can purchase pre-wrap at most sporting goods stores and online. Pre-wrap is sold in rolls for about $2 or $3, where just one roll can equate to 50 or more headbands!

Most athletic leagues prohibit the use of hair accessories with the exception of elastic ponytail holders. Many leagues, however, permit the use of pre-wrap.

How to use pre-wrap as a headband:

Using pre-wrap as a headband is quick and easy, and takes only seconds. Follow these steps to get your hair ready for the game:

  • Grab your favorite color of pre-wrap, or your team colors.
  • Quickly wrap the pre-wrap around your head to measure.
  • Tear off a strip at the appropriate length.
  • Grab one end of the pre-wrap in each hand.
  • Roll a bit between your fingers on each end.
  • Tie a simple knot with both ends.
  • Put your pre-wrap headband on just like a regular headband.
  • Go out there, look great and WIN!

How to use pre-wrap without a knot:

As soft as velvet, pre-wrap can stick to itself without sticking to other materials. While most leagues allow the use of pre-wrap, some may specify that the pre-wrap cannot be knotted. You can easily create a pre-wrap headband without ever tying a knot…just follow these simple directions!

  • Grab your favorite color of pre-wrap.
  • In a lunge position, wrap it around your thigh.
  • Wrap it around two or three times.
  • Tear off at the appropriate length.
  • Start rolling the pre-wrap until it forms a tighter loop.
  • Roll your new headband down and off of your leg.
  • Put it on your head just like a normal headband. No knot!

Ideas for special and creative pre-wrap hairstyles:

  • Twist or braid two or more colors together for a fun and different look. Choose your favorite colors, your team colors or colors at random for a new style you and your friends will love.
  • French braid the pre-wrap into your hair – especially if you use the double braids hairstyle above. Tear off a strip of pre-wrap and carefully twist the end around one of the three hair sections in your braid. Keep twisting and crossing the pre-wrap with that same hair section through the whole braid until you get to the end. Fasten the braid as usual. It may be easier if a friend or your mom can help you with this style.
  • Instead of twisting and rolling the pre-wrap, wear it flat and wide like a decorative headband. You’ll be amazed at how it still keeps the hair off your face and neck!
  • Make tiny bows with your favorite colors of pre-wrap or use teeny pieces to fasten the ends of your micro-braids.
  • Get creative; the possibilities are endless!

Besides the basic natural tone, pre-wrap is available in black, blue, green, red, orange, purple, hot pink, light pink, maroon, and yellow/gold. Get psyched up with your team colors, choose your favorite hue or pick a shade based on your mood. Put on your game face, prepare to take on the competition and look great for your photos during the game!

Visit www.pre-wrap.com for more information on pre-wrap or information on how you can get your own

Ponytail Styles

 

image Fun and flirty or professional and sophisticated, the ponytail is a timeless style appropriate for just about any occasion or event. Ponytails look absolutely adorable when worn by young girls and tots, but they also look chic and classy on mature women.

Beyond the basics of ponytails, dozens of variations and fashionable styles await. Wearing two ponytails aka: pigtails  is a style that dates way back to our youth. Nowadays, creative hairstylists and inventive product masterminds have developed fancy and interesting alternatives to the previously two-story style.

Here are a few styles to get you started on modernizing and accessorizing your ponytail. Just remember, you are only limited by your creativity!

Ponytail Style 1: A Simple Yet Elegant Up-do Ponytail

Meredith Boyd, founder of Mere Cosmetics (www.merecosmetics.com), proposes a modernized up-do sans curls. It is easy to create and looks great for any occasion.

To create Boyds style, follow these steps:

  • Blow dry hair straight with a paddle brush and use a quarter-sized dollop of straightening balm like �Redken Straight 05� to prevent curls and frizz while also keeping hair smooth.
  • Part: Make a deep part to one side.
  • Sweep front of hair to one side and secure with a bobby pin if needed.
  • Spray the front of your hair with hairspray to hold.
  • Gather all of your hair back into a mid to low ponytail.
  • Separate a small section of hair from the back of the ponytail and wrap it around the hair band.
  • Wrap the hair around the band a few times with one hand, and with the other hand slip your finger through one loop of the band at the bottom in the back.
  • Tuck the ends of hair through so it's secure.
  • That's it! Now spray all over for hold.

An extra tip is to always use hair bands the same hue as your hair, Boyd says. Appropriate for work or an evening out for a formal event!

Ponytail Style 2: The Perfect Ponytail

Martha Creed, stylist of Fantastic Sams, recommends a sleek ponytail accented by your favorite headband. To create her refined look, follow these steps while hair is still damp:

  • Apply a styling glaze while hair is damp.
  • Brush hair back into a ponytail with a bristle brush.
  • Twist the ponytail two to three times to give it holding power on a damp head.
  • Blow dry hair. As your hair dries, the twisting of the pony will add some volume, Creed says. Spray hairspray in hands so it doesn't get that old fashioned hair look. Mix with spray shine for a shiny hold.
  • Accessorize with a headband in any complementing color.

Ponytail Style 3: Ponytails as a Convertible Fashion

Homer Prefontaine, owner and designer of Salon Prefontaine, says, Do it Yourself Hairdos are easier than you think. One thing to keep in mind when you're doing your own hair is to not try and make every hair perfect.

Prefontaines three top styles for ponytails are appropriate for many occasions, but they range from elegant to playful in look and feel so you can match them to your own event or occasion.

Depending on the event, you can either slick it back for an elegant and chic appearance, or you can tease it a little at the top and loosely pin it back for a soft and playful style, he explains. Another option is pulling your hair back from ear to ear into a tight ponytail and leaving the rest down for a sleek, yet soft look.

The current style for ponytails is wearing them low rather than high on the head.

Ponytails are great as a last-minute fashion, as a fallback plan for a bad hair day, as a functional athletic hairstyle, or as a fun and flirty or elegant and sophisticated style. Just like blue jeans and t-shirts, ponytails are comfortable and here to stay!

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Beautiful Hair

image Women who desire to be beautiful almost always start with their hair. There is nothing like a head of soft, fluffy hair that looks thick and full of body. Hair like that always catches the eye. Thin and lanky hair that lies flat against the scalp rarely if ever looks flattering.

To achieve this full-bodied look, women resort to using various products  shampoo, conditioners and styling aids. Subjecting the hair to chemical treatments like coloring, bleaching and perming also results to this. Blow-drying the hair also fluffs it out. Unfortunately, too much of these products and processes can lead to hair damage as well.

Each strand of our hair is made up of cuticles covered with scales. These scales are responsible for protecting the hair from damage. Ideally, these scales are supposed to lie flat against the cuticle, but when the hair is premed, bleached or colored, the chemicals involved in the process open up these scales to treat the hair inside as well. The open scales cause the hair to fluff out, making the hair look thicker and fuller. This is also what happens when the hair is exposed to heat from blow-drying or using hair irons and curlers. The danger to having the scales of the hair open, though, is added vulnerability of the hair to chemical build-up, as well as to probable damage of the cuticle from ultraviolet rays, leading to dryness, frizzing and split ends.

Perming and coloring may seem like a quick fix for thicker hair, but it will prove harmful in the end. Thick and fluffed-out hair is not beautiful hair if it is not healthy.

So how does one get thick and full-bodied hair that is also glowing with health? The first step to this is using a good volumizer shampoo. Like the chemicals used in perming and coloring, volumizer shampoos also enter the scales and cause them to open up and pad the hair with substance. But unlike perming chemicals and dyes, shampoos also have ingredients that are formulated to protect the hairs cuticle.

Volumizer sprays and lotions applied to the hair while styling also do the trick. Another method involves hair gel rubbed onto the hair while being blow-dried, lifting the hair strands and creating the illusion of thickness and body.

But again, too much is bad. Shampoos and other hair styling products leave residue to the hair that will make it look limp. The product build-up must be washed out of the hair at least once a month with clarifying shampoo or castile soap. These products will rid the hair of build-up but let the hair keep its fullness.

Another thing you can try to increase the volume of your hair is tipping your head down and brushing your hair from the back. You can also do your hair up in curlers for those volume-adding curls.

Having thick hair is not just a dream, and neither is it an expensive and difficult reality. Be creative and keep your hair healthy!

Winter Hair

image Chilly weather is on its way. Along with this blast of cool invigorating air on the outside of our living and working quarters comes dry indoor heat. Both of these happen to be two of the top enemies of luscious looking hair, right after the chemical damage hair coloring and perming can reek. Don�t hide your hair under a wooly hat this winter, even if it is a designer brand with a chic price tag.

The havoc that combination can bring to your hair is avoidable with a few careful purchases and a basic daily plan. If your hair is your crowning glory, then why not give it the royal treatment? Follow these quick and easy tips to a mane of hair that will have even the king of the jungle turning his head for a second glance.

Flyaway hair can be tamed with a simple touch of leave in conditioner. No more tucking that sweater back into the closet simply because it adds a bit of electricity to your locks. Certain types of fabric create static charges when rubbed against our tresses. Leave in conditioners neutralize static charges and zaps them before they even have time to make an appearance.

Since a variety of leave in conditioners are on the market today, you have a lot of choices. Consider selecting one with a fragrance that appeals to you and have the added bonus of an aromatic pick me up. Simply spray the product on clean hair and comb through with even strokes. Remember to towel dry your hair for the best results.

Limp locks are a definite no-no. Once the dry hair has taken the moisture from your hair, it will hang like so much wet spaghetti. Use a bodybuilding styling aid with extra moisturizers to whip that mane of hair back into full flow.

Proteins are the building blocks of the human cells and this type of product is chock full of them. Along with glycerin for moisture, the protein and amino acids in this product work wonders to recreate a beautiful and full bodied head of hair.

The market is a veritable treasure chest full of styling aids. Shop around and locate the one that works the best for you. Simply spray a bit of the bodybuilding styling aid into the palm of your hand. Apply it directly to your hair near the roots for the best effect.

Taking care of your hair is just as important as putting on your face in the morning. After all, it is at eye level and one of the first things that people notice about you. If you want to feel good about yourself, then you need to feel good about the way you look. Cater to your hair and it will reward you with a noticeable bounce, a beautiful shine, and a look that even a mother would be proud to see

Catch-Up With The Past Miss Indias

image Rachita Kumar: Miss India 1981 Winning the Miss India title came as a pleasant surprise to her. By the time the fizz of the Miss India title settled, it was almost one-and-a-half years and, by then, Rachita had married and started a new life. Today, people know her by the name Nandini Thackersey.

image Pamela Singh: Miss India 1982 Her bone structure caught everyone's eye even then. Our Miss India 1982, however, went on to attract more notoriety than fame. Now, she is a serious photo-journalist.

 

image Rekha Hande: Miss India 1983 Miss Garden City, Spring Queen, Pond's Queen, May Queen, Aero Princess, Giants Queen and Eve's Weekly first runner-up, followed by the Miss India crown. She was truly a beauty queen with merits to prove it. She soon got married to a doctor in the US.

image Juhi Chawla: Miss India 1984 She is probably among the finest model-turned-actresses that we have today. She got married to millionnaire Jay Mehta in 1996. The enterprising lady has now started a film production company with actor Shah Rukh Khan and director Aziz Mirza, and is doing pretty well for hersel

image Sonu Walia: Miss India 1985 A psychology graduate and a student of journalism, Sonu Walia took up modelling before she entered the Miss India contest. After winning the title, she embarked on a career in film acting and won accolades for her performance in her very first film.

image Mehr Jessia: Miss India 1986 Mehr today manages a successful model management agency in partnership with Vijay Mallaya, the liquor baron. And she's happily married to another leading model, Arjun Rampal.

 

image Priyadarshini Pradhan: Miss India 1987 If she had not won the Miss India title, she would have been an architect. She won the best national costume award at the Miss Universe pageant. Later, she obtained a management degree on the insistence of her parents, but finally flew as an air hostess with Kuwait Airways.

image Dolly Minhas: Miss India 1988 Winning the contest was a matter of chance. Soon after winning the contest, she opted for a career in acting. She fell in love with the director of her first film, Anil Matoo, whom she eventually married. Today, Dolly acts in Kannada movies and television serials.

image Suzanne Sablok: Miss India 1989/90 She created ripples at the Miss Universe contest by coming second in the swimsuit round although she muffed in the final answer round. After the pageant, she was a leading model and, at the peak of her career, quit modelling to marry the man she loved, Rajesh Pillai.

7 Makeup Must-Haves

 

image When the climate changes, we naturally change our wardrobe to suit that particular climate. But is there something else we need to change? Just as we update our wardrobe for new seasons, we must also update our makeup. With the holidays just around the corner, our faces should look fab for fall. Check out these 7 Makeup Must-Haves for November that’ll tease the season.

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This mineral powder with SPF will help conceal your skin’s flaws and protect your skin from UV rays (don’t kid yourself- our skin needs protection all year round). Your face will thank you for using an all-natural powder. Plus, who can go wrong with a healthy looking glow?

 

 

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An eye shadow that talks? Say what? Stila’s hot quad of eye shadow will dramatize those eyes by literally telling you how to do it. This innovative palette includes a button you press which then plays a Stila artist’s recording to teach you step by step how to create a sexy smoky eye. Is that cool or what?

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lluminate your skin with shimmery pink to pearly highlights. It will contour your skin tone- regardless of your complexion. If you’re not keen on pink, you can also get this glitzy product in Apricot or Beige.

 

 

 

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t’s “show and tell” with Diorshow Gloss Show. With shades like Rebecca Red or Charlotte Moka, your lips will shine with intensity that’ll put the sun to shame. You can wear this lip-gloss over lipstick or you can simply show it off alone.

 

 

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Whether you’re attempting an old Hollywood glam look or just wanting to stick with your girl-next-door image, The Body Shop’s Lip Color comes in various shades to choose from. It’s long-lasting, so you won’t need to re-apply often, and helps to condition your puckers- especially during the colder months.

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Beach season has subsided, but it doesn’t mean your sun-kissed glow has to. Warm up the weather with this lightweight powder bronzer. With a “touch of sun” sans the UV rays, you’ll get people wondering if you’ve just arrived from an exotic island…well, maybe not, but you’ll still look hot with a hint of tan.

 

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Maximize your lashes with this clump-free mascara. It’s formulated to thicken your lashes up to 300% and the brush is designed especially for better precision of application. Now you can bat those lashes in style.

These 7 Makeup Must-Haves for November are sure to make you “fall” back to glamour. If you’re still in summer mode, it’s time to get out of your rut and celebrate the cooler season!

Monday, March 10, 2008

Ancient women of India

imageWomen held very important position in ancient Indian society. It was a position superior to men. There are literary evidences to suggest that woman power destroyed kingdoms and mighty rulers.

Elango Adigal's Sillapathigaram mentioned that Madurai the capital of Pandyas was burnt when Pandyan ruler Nedunchezhiyan killed a woman's husband by mistake. Veda Vyasa's Mahabharata tells the story of fall of Kauravas because they humiliated queen Draupadi.Valmiki's Ramyana is also about the wiping away of Ravana when he abducted and tried to marry Sita forcibly. The plethora of Goddesses in ancient period was created to instill respect for women. Ardhanareeshwar, where God is half-man and half-woman was highly worshipped.

Women were allowed to have multiple husbands. Widows could remarry. They could leave their husbands. In the Vedic society women participated in religious ceremonies and tribal assemblies (sabha and vidata).

There is no evidence of seclusion of women from domestic and social affairs but they were dependent on their male relations throughout their lives. The system of Sati existed among the Aryans in the earlier period .By the time they entered India it had however gone out of vogue but it might have survived in the shape of a formal custom. Though it is not referred to in the hymns of the Rig-Veda, the Artharva Veda shows that it was still customary for the widow to lay symbolically by the side of her husband's corpse on the funeral pyre. Monogamy was very common. Polygamy though common was not common.

Child marriages were unknown. Women could choose their husbands through a type of marriage called Swayamvara. In this type of marriage, potential grooms assembled at the bride's house and the bride selected her spouse. Instances of Swayamvara ceremony can be found in epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata. This continued even in the later period in high class families.

As the time passed the position of women underwent changes in all spheres of life. In the later Vedic period, women lost their political rights of attending assemblies. Child marriages also came into existence. According to the Aitareya Brahmana a daughter has been described as a source of misery. The Atharva Veda also deplores the birth of daughters. Yet certain matrilineal elements are discernible in this period also. The importance assigned to the wives of the rajan in the rajasuya has been regarded as an indication of matrilineal influence and the Vamsavalis or genealogies of teachers attached to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in which many seers bear metronymics, would also possibly indicate a similar development.

There are references to women seers like Gargi and Maitreyi .However this period clears see the growing tendency to stratify society along gender lines.The position of women gradually deteriorated as the golden Vedic ideals of unity and equality began to fade off through the passage of time. During the period of smritis women were bracketed with the sudras and were denied the right to study the Vedas to utter Vedic mantras and to perform Vedic rites. Marriage or domestic life became compulsory for women and unquestioning devotion to husband their only duty. In Mauryan period brahamanical literature was particularly severe in the treatment of women and assigned them a very low status in the society.

Buddhist texts on the other hand were much more considerate in treating them.Megasthenes testifies to the growing practice of polygamy; employment of women as palace guards, bodyguards to the kings, spies etc; permission of widow remarriage and divorce. Thus the position of women though inferior was not as bad as it came to be in the later periods such as the Gupta period. Owing to the suppressed condition of women in the society of his time it is possible that Ashoka may have felt the need to appoint a special group of mahamattas who would be concerned mainly with the welfare of women.


Since women and property are bracketed together in several references in the epics, Smritis and Puranas, women came to be regarded as a sort of property. She could be given away or loaned as any item of property. This was like the attitude of a typical patriarchal society based on private property. Because of this the Brahmanical law did not allow any proprietary rights to women; the provision for stridhana is of a very limited character and does not extend beyond the wife's rights to jewels, ornaments and presents made to her. This took strong roots in Gupta and Post Gupta periods. The practice of using veils by women particularly in high caste families was in vogue. In Kadambari Patralekha is described as wearing a veil of red cloth. This was however not the general custom. In the south Indian empires also the position of women deteriorated .

Remarriage of widows was generally not favoured.Their position was very bad as they had to cut off their hair, discard all their ornaments and eat only plain food. Some wives preferred to die with their husbands. The tonsure of widows like the tying of the tali at the marriage ceremony was obviously a pre-Aryan Tamil custom taken over and perpetuated into later times.

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Hair care tips and secrets

Here are some tips and secrets to be the perfect diva that you can try at home, without spending a fortune in the beauty parlors and wandering from beauty clinics and saloons. Remember, they are not to be passed on to your friends:

  • The hot tip to make your hair smell aromatic is to prepare your own hair perfume at home. Mix 6 tablespoons of powdered charcoal, 5 tablespoons of powdered myrrh and 1 tablespoon of powdered benzoin together and sieve it thoroughly. Add 2-3 drops of bergamot oil and 2-3 drops of sandalwood oil, 1 tablespoon of potassium nitrate and mucilage of tragacanth to the mixture until it acquires the consistency of a stiff paste. Heat the mixture over a water bath. Shape it into little cones and dry them. Whenever you wash your hair, light one of the cones while your hair is still damp and let them soak the smell of the cone.
  • A perfect way to get rid of dry, brittle, dull hair is to massage mayonnaise into your hair thoroughly, starting from the roots to the hair ends. Then pile your hair on top of your head and cover them fully with plastic food wrap. Wrap the pre-heated towel around it and keep it on for 10 minutes. This will help in deep-conditioning your hair. Now, replace the towel with another pre-heated towel and leave it on for 10 minutes too. Now remove all the wraps and shampoo your hair. This cholesterol treatment once a month for your hair is a boon that will keep it soft and shiny.
  • If you don't have time to shampoo your oily hair daily, you can try this out. Pour some cornstarch into a dish and dip a clean, large blush brush into it. Brush your scalp and hair roots thoroughly with the cornstarch and leave it on for 10 minutes to soak off the oil. Then brush away the cornstarch flakes, ridding your hair with all that unwanted greasiness.
  • Make a mixture by adding ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 gallon of distilled water and store it in the refrigerator. Once a fortnight, shampoo and rinse your hair thoroughly and then pour 2 cups of the mixture over the scalp and let it saturate the hair. Rinse your hair with cold water to get rid of all the drab of hair styling products.
  • A possible cure for your impossible dandruff is vinegar. Massage it into your scalp and leave it to dry for a few minutes. Wash the hair thoroughly and repeat the process daily. Dandruff usually disappears within a few days.
  • The ancient Mayan women used avocados to keep their skin and hair healthy. Here is their infallible hair mask that you can use too - Mix ½ ripe avocado, 1 tbsp. olive oil, ½ small banana and 1 egg yolk together and massage it into your hair. Cover it with a plastic wrap and leave it on for one hour. Rinse the mask with warm water and then shampoo your hair thoroughly.
  • Say goodbye to your dandruff by dissolving 2 aspirins in your dandruff shampoo before washing your hair with it. Moisturize your hair with a good conditioner later.
  • Powder your greasy hair by putting it a little at the root of your hair before straying. For very oily hair, powder your hair heavily and keep it on for 15 minutes. Then wash the hair completely and condition lightly before making the desired style.
  • To bleach your hair naturally or just lighten their color, rub lemon juice on them and wander out for a walk in natural sunlight.

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Mother's care 'best' for children

Young children looked after by their mothers develop better than those cared for in nurseries, or by relatives or childminders, research suggests.

About 1,200 children were monitored from birth to the age of three.

The social and emotional development of babies who were cared for by someone other than the mother was "definitely less good", the report's authors said.

The study, by Oxford University and the University of London, was one of the biggest so far on UK childcare.

Mothers were seen as the best carers, followed by nannies and childminders, then grandparents, and nursery care was the worst, the study said.

Study author Penelope Leach said the results were not a call for all mothers to stay at home and give up work.

Instead, they highlighted a demand for "developmentally appropriate high-quality childcare".

The study does not mean that every child in a large nursery will become a monster

- Penelope Leach

Half of the children observed by Dr Leach and co-authors Kathy Sylva and Alan Stein were cared for full-time by their mothers, a third had mothers who returned to work after seven months and 8% had a mother who went back to work after three months.

The study began in 1998 and involved children from London and Oxford.

The babies were seen at three, 10, and 18 months, and again at three years old and just over four.

Aggression

Children not cared for mainly by their mothers also tended to show higher levels of aggression and became more withdrawn, compliant or sad, the study suggested.

"The study does not mean that every child in a large nursery will become a monster," Dr Leach said.

"Nevertheless, it shows a small but significant difference in a large group of children."

Planned childcare

She also said that a "staggering" number of mothers did not follow up the references of their child carers or organised care at the last minute.

"Mothers also often wanted their own mother as the carer because they say `she's family, she loves the baby'," she said.

"But love doesn't necessarily produce the best childcare. That takes planning and thinking about the child and his or her activities."

However, not all mothers were the best at providing care.

Those suffering depression or with priorities other than motherhood would be better leaving their child in another's care, Dr Leach said.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Care for mother and child

AYURVEDA has a well-documented description of caring for pregnant women, called Garbhini Paricharya. The regimen prescribes practices for each month and stage of pregnancy. These systems are, in fact, diligently followed as traditional practices in innumerable households even today.

Garbhini Paricharya prescribes ahara (diet), vihara (lifestyle) and vichara (thought process) to be followed during pregnancy as these have a direct effect on the mother and the child. Of these, wholesome diet is given great importance as it aids foetal growth, maternal health and lactation after childbirth. Great care is also recommended during the first three months and after the completion of the seventh month of pregnancy.

During the first three months of pregnancy, the foetus is in a formative stage. During this stage, the embryo is nourished directly by upsnehan (percolation). Therefore, more liquid diets such as fruits with juice content, coconut water, milk are recommended.

While milk and a light diet is recommended during the first month; in the second and third months, milk medicated with life-building herbs such as Vidari, Shatavari (Asparagus), Yashtimadhu (Licorice) and Brahmi are prescribed along with honey and ghee. Brahmi helps in calming the nerves and is also a good prajasthapan (sustainer of pregnancy).

Garbhini Paricharya considers milk an ideal constituent of diet for pregnant women as it is a source of calcium, lactose and butter fat. Milk also has moderate amounts of protein with anabolic properties that give strength. Ayurveda is particular that pregnant women should not get constipation. While mild laxatives and enema is recommended if there is a tendency to constipation, it is found that usually, milk alone is sufficient to cope with the constipation.

Towards the end of the third month, the foetus starts showing distinct development and sensory perceptions. Motor reactions start developing and heartbeat can also be heard.

The fourth month sees the formation of dhatus (tissues) in the foetus. In the fifth month, blood and muscles are formed. In the sixth month, fatty tissue is formed. In the seventh month, foetal growth is complete. Foetal organs are well formed and acquire strength by the sixth and seventh months. Skin, hair and nails are also noticed at this stage. Medicated ghee is recommended as a nutritional supplement to the diet.

The embryo gets its nourishment through the umbilical cord. Rice, milk, butter and ghee along with fruits and leafy vegetables are recommended. This is useful for foetal growth, for maternal health and for further lactation. As per Ayurveda, pregnancy is the time to consume nutritional food substances like urad dal and amla.

From the fourth to the seventh month, medicinal supplements such as Ashwagandha, Kraunch beej and Guduchi (Shindilkodi in Tamil, Gulancha in Bengali). Aswagandha and guduchi are given to strengthen the uterine muscles and also to nourish the embryo. These also help in the prevention of intrauterine growth retardation.

Fat, salt and water should be reduced in the diet from the seventh month onwards. Rice kanji with ghee is a recommended diet. Small amounts of basil can be taken as anti-spasmodic. Herbs such as Gokshura and Sariba, which are mild diuretics and urinary antiseptics, can also be taken.

Ayurveda advises certain concoctions (available in Ayurvedic pharmacies) during pregnancy, for the growth of the foetus and for the health of the mother.

Ghrita preparations (medicated ghee) like Phala Sarpis can be taken from the first month of pregnancy. Dadimadi Ghritham improves the growth of the foetus while Kalyanaka Ghritham improves mental growth.

These concotions can be taken from the seventh month of pregnancy. In addition, Sukhaprasava Ghritham helps in easy delivery of the baby. These Ghrita preparations can be included as an integral part of the diet, during pregnancy.

Interestingly, the suggested Ayurvedic diet correlates to modern nutrition recommended for pregnant women such as high protein, vitamins and minerals.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Home Remedies For Oily Hair

No one on earth is fully happy with his/her appearance and beauty. When it comes to hair people often complain that their hair is too wavy, too straight, too thin, too brittle, or some strange combination of those factors. Hair care and fashioning products are sold out like hot bread in shops. By using unproven chemicals on hair people sometimes worsen the crisis.


After dandruff, the main complaint of most teenagers is oily, greasy, or stringy hair. Everyone likes to have shiny, bouncy hair and this may seem a difficult task with oily hair. Stress, hormonal activities like attaining puberty or childbirth, thyroid problems and eating too much fatty food and chocolates are what usually cause oily hair. Having oily hair can seem like a curse to those who have to endure it. Scalp produces oil to keep the hair healthy and also protects it from elements. But when it is produced a bit extra your hair may look oily and lifeless. There are remedies for oily hair and here are a few tips on how to manage oily hair.

 

Oily hair needs to be washed more often but don't scrub too hard while washing. And don't pile hair on the head while shampooing. It causes tangling, leading to further breakage. You can add lemon to the final rinse for a great shine. You need to be careful about washing hair regularly, though you could condition it just twice a month. Use a cleaning shampoo to wash your hair and to scrub off the oil build up. Use a mild shampoo and scrub lightly. While applying conditioner, do not apply to the roots only apply in the middle or to the ends. Reduce the oil intake in your diet. Avoid oily food. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid drugs, alcohol and oils.


Using conditioners will help you to reduce the oil on your hair. Conditioners coat the hair with a lubricant or synthetic that replaces the stripped out sebum. Some conditioners bond to the hair, helping to smooth the cuticle and restore sheen to the hair. After washing the hair dry it gently, by blotting and squeezing, not wringing or rubbing. Never brush wet hair. Instead, use a wide-tooth comb.


Keep oily hair clean. That means shampooing every day at least once. Use a good cleansing shampoo on oily hair. A mild finishing rinse made for oily hair will help with combing. Give attention to the roots. It is your scalp that is oily, not your hair. Rinsing out the suds will be enough to clean your hair. After shampooing, apply a light conditioner from mid shaft to the ends. Oily hair is typically fine hair; therefore, avoid silicone, heavy pomades and creams as well as the masks and the serums. Use an airy, valorizing mousse, applying it at the hair roots to create volume.
Comb your hair regularly. Combing helps to spread the natural oils through hair, making it look shinier and healthier. Don't wash you hair in soaps or harsh shampoos. They are highly alkaline and will upset your hair's natural pH balance. Leave your hair untied for at least four hours a day. This eases the pressure on your scalp and gets blood circulation back.

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Natural Home Remedies For Head Lice

Head lice, the parasite we love to hate are a big nuisance with children, at pre-school. It is estimated that 6-12 million people in the USA get head lice every year. My colleague recollects how her mother would pounce on her head after school every day to check whether they invaded her head. Hair lice is not considered a serious disease, but is embarrassing to have and can cause uncomfortable itching. Here are some home remedies to get rid of them. Read also about its eggs, nits and its survival cycle.

 

Adult female lice lay eggs, called nits. These nits are usually attached to the base of the hair shaft, very closes to the scalp. Often these nits are confused for dandruff and left untreated. After a week or so, these untreated nits hatch into baby louse called ' nymph.' They look similar to the adult louse, but are smaller in size. They become an adult within 10 days, and as an adult live for about 30 days. To live, nymphs and adult lice must feed on blood.

Head lice are found on the scalp, behind the ears and the near the hairline at the neck. Recent research states that they can change their color to match the host hair.


Natural remedies

  • Apply Aloe Vera to the scalp and let it rest for an hour. Cover the hair with a shower cap. Rinse with warm water. Do not shampoo the same day.
  • Wash your hair with vinegar. It will kill all the nits within two days.
  • Apply a mixture of lemon and butter on your head, wait for 15 seconds and then rinse your head.
  • Massage your head with mayonnaise and comb it after 2 hours. This will kill all the lice and their eggs.
  • Mix ten to fifteen drops of tea tree oil with your daily shampoo and use it daily.
  • Mix 2-3 tbsp of tea tree oil with ½ cup olive oil. Rub the mixture on the scalp and leave it on for 30 minutes. Wash your hair to remove the oil. To loosen the holding properties of the eggs and nits on your hair, rinse your hair with vinegar. Rinse it with hot water after 10 minutes and repeat vinegar rinse twice. Later comb your hair using lice or flea comb to remove any remaining nits.
  • Soak your hair completely with olive oil and wrap it with towel for nearly 2 hours. Rinse and wash as usual with your regular shampoo and conditioner Later work through your hair to remove nits and lice. For better results do it at least once a week.
  • Trim your hair to shorter length.
  • For better results use flea combs instead of lice combs.
  • Avoid sharing personal items like brushes, towels, pillows, combs, hats....etc with the person who has head lice.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

The World's longest hair

The world's longest documented hair belongs to Xie Qiuping (China) at 5.627 m (18 ft 5.54 in) when measured on May 8, 2004. She has been growing her hair since 1973 from the age of 13.

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Tallest woman of Asia.

De-Fen Yao from China who stands at  7'7 85/100"  (233,3cm) confirmed!

Thirty-four-year-old Yao Defen is known as Asia's tallest woman. At 7 feet 7 inches, 396 pounds, and a shoe size (EUR) of 78, Yao attracts a lot of attention. This "woman giant" makes her living as a circus performer. Her boss forces her to perform despite her physical ailments, and he even mistreated and bullied her when she requested to go to the hospital for a physical examination.

Yao Defen was born in Shucha Town of Liuan City in Shuchen County, Anhui Province in 1972. The fourth child of her family, she weighed only 6.16 pounds at birth. At age 3, her food intake was three times that of other children her age. By age 11, her height was 6 ft. 2 in., and she grew to be 6 ft. 8 in. by age 15. Finally, she became the tallest woman in Asia at 7 ft. 5 in., which is almost seven inches taller than the woman basketball star Zhen Haixia.

The story of this "woman giant" began to spread rapidly after she went to see a doctor at age 15 for an illness. After that, many companies attempted to train her to be a talented sports star. However, the plans were discarded because Yao was too weak. Because she is illiterate, since 1992 Yao Defen has been forced to earn a living by traveling with her father and performing.

Yao Defen's father and mother are both about 5 ft. 2 in. tall. Yao's giant stature was caused by a large tumor in the pituitary gland of her brain, which was releasing too much growth hormone and caused excessive growth in her bones. Six years ago, a hospital in Guangzhou Province removed the tumor and she stopped growing.

How is Yao's life now as the famous "woman gaint"? According to reports by China News Net, Yao Defen said she has gained nothing after two years of hard work. In 2003, she signed with a circus manager in Suzhou City in order to make a living and support her mother. During her national tours, she fell several times during the performances, and injured several parts of her body. Her boss, a person identified only as Mr. Qui, refused her request to be taken to a hospital and forced her to continue the performing.

According to Yao, her health worsened, which affected her performances. Her boss became dissatisfied with her performance. One day in 2004, she asked Qiu to take her to a hospital once more. Instead, Qiu took her up a mountain, where she was held for 24 hours without food or water.

In 2004, her colleagues, Wang and Ding, conspired with her boss to trick her into signing another one-year contract to perform with the traveling circus, telling her there was a new boss. When the terms of the contract expired, she asked the circus to send her home, but Qiu took her to the mountain again and threatened her. Finally, in late December, Qiu let her go home .

All the hard work and moving around from place to place causes Yao's constant pain in her lower back which keeps her from sleeping. Yao Defen's biggest wish is to be able to go to a big hospital for a health examination.

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Clara Barton - a pioneer American teacher

Clarissa Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) was a pioneer American teacher, nurse, and humanitarian.

She has been described as having a "strong and independent spirit" and is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.

 

 

Youth, education, family nursing

Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born on Christmas day, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts to Stephen and Sarah Barton. She was the youngest of five children. Barton's father and mother were abolitionists. Clara's father was a farmer and horse breeder, while her mother Sarah managed the household. The two later helped found the first Universalist Church in Oxford.

As a child, Clara was shy. She had two brothers Stephen and David and two sisters Dorothy/Dolly and Sally, who were at least ten years older than her. Young Clara was home-educated and extremely bright. It is said that her siblings were kept busy answering her many questions, and each taught her complementary skills, her older sisters being teachers. Her brothers were happy to teach her how to ride horses and do other things that, at the time, were thought appropriate only for men.

When Clara was eleven, her brother David became her first patient after he fell from a rafter in their unfinished barn. Clara stayed by his side for two years and learned to administer all his medicines, including the "great, loathsome crawling leeches."

As she continued to develop an interest in nursing, Clara may have drawn inspiration from family stories of her great-aunt, Martha Ballard, who served the town of Hallowell (later Augusta), Maine, as a midwife for over three decades. Ballard helped deliver nearly a thousand infants between 1777 and 1812, and in many cases administered medical care in much the same way as a formally trained doctor of her era.

When Clara's father was dying, he gave her advice that she would later recall:

    "As a patriot, he had me serve my country with all I had, even with my life if need be; as the daughter of an accepted Mason, he had me seek and comfort the afflicted everywhere, and as a Christian he charged me to honor God and love mankind."

American Civil War

In April 1862, after the First Battle of Bull Run, Barton established an agency to obtain and distribute supplies to wounded soldiers. She was given a pass by General William Hammond to ride in the army ambulances to provide comfort to the soldiers and nurse them back to health. She lobbied the U.S. Army bureaucracy, at first without success, to bring her own medical supplies to the battlefields. Finally, in July 1862, she obtained permission to travel behind the lines, eventually reaching some of the grimmest battlefields of the war and serving during the sieges of Petersburg, Virginia and Richmond, Virginia. In 1864 she was appointed by Union general Benjamin Butler as the "lady in charge" of the hospitals at the front of the Army of the James.

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln placed Barton in charge of the search for the missing men of the Union army. While engaged in this work she traced the fate of 30,000 men. When the war ended, she was sent to Andersonville, Georgia, to set up and mark the graves of Union soldiers buried there. This experience launched her on a nationwide campaign to identify soldiers missing during the Civil War. She published lists of names in newspapers and exchanged letters with soldiers' families.

Barton delivered lectures on her war experiences, which were well received. She met Susan B. Anthony and began a long association with the suffrage movement. She also became acquainted with Frederick Douglass and became an activist for black civil rights.

Organizing the American Red Cross

When Clara Barton returned to the United States, she inaugurated a movement to gain recognition of the International Committee of the Red Cross by the United States government. When she began this organizing work in 1873, most Americans thought the U.S. would never again face a calamity like the Civil War, but Barton finally succeeded during the administration of President James Garfield, using the argument that the new American Red Cross could respond to crises other than war. As Barton expanded the original concept of the Red Cross to include assisting in any great national disaster, this service brought the United States the "Good Samaritan of Nations" label.

Barton naturally became President of the American branch of the society, which was founded on May 21, 1881. John D. Rockefeller donated funds to create a national headquarters in Washington, DC, located one block from the White House.

Religious beliefs

Various authorities have called Barton a “Deist-Unitarian.” However, her actual beliefs varied throughout her life along a spectrum between freethought and deism. In a 1905 letter to her friend, Norman Thrasher, she called herself a “Universalist.”

Clara Barton Birthplace Museum

Clara Barton Birthplace Museum in North Oxford, Massachusetts is operated as part of the Barton Center for Diabetes Education, a humanitarian project established in her honor to educate and support children with diabetes and their families.

Clara Barton National Historic Site

n 1975, Clara Barton National Historic Site was established as a unit of the National Park Service at Barton's Glen Echo, Maryland home, where she spent the last 15 years of her life. The first National Historic Site dedicated to the accomplishments of a woman, it preserves the early history of the American Red Cross, since the home also served as an early headquarters of the organization.

The National Park Service has restored eleven rooms, including the Red Cross offices, the parlors and Barton's bedroom. Visitors to Clara Barton National Historic Site can gain a sense of how Barton lived and worked. Guides lead tourists through the three levels, emphasizing Barton's use of her unusual home. Modern visitors can come to appreciate the site in the same way visitors did in Clara Barton's lifetime.

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Hatshepsut - fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt.

Hatshepsut meaning, Foremost of Noble Ladies, was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty.

Although records of her reign are documented in diverse ancient sources, Hatshepsut once was described by early modern scholars as only having served as a co-regent from about 1479 to 1458 BC, during years seven to twenty-one of the reign previously identified as that of Thutmose III.

Now it is known widely that Hatshepsut assumed the position of pharaoh and her reign as king is usually given as twenty-two years since Manetho assigns her a reign of 21 years and 9 months. He was a historian who lived during the Ptolemaic era, during the third century B.C., and he had access to many records that have been lost. The date of her death is known to have occurred in 1458 BC, which implies that she became pharaoh circa 1479 BC.

Although it was uncommon for Egypt to be ruled by a woman, this situation was not unprecedented. Hatshepsut was the second known to have formally assumed power as "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" after Queen Sobekneferu of the Twelfth Dynasty.

As a queen regnant she is preceded by Merneith of the first dynasty; and Nimaethap of the third dynasty, who may have been the dowager of Khasekhemwy, but who certainly acted as regent for her son, Djoser, during the third dynasty, and—Nimaethap may have reigned as pharaoh in her own right. Ahhotep I, lauded as a warrior queen, may have been a regent between the reigns of two of her sons, Kamose and Ahmose I, at the end of the seventeenth dynasty and the beginning of Hatshepsut's own eighteenth dynasty. Amenhotep I, also preceding Hatshepsut in the eighteenth dynasty, probably came to power while a young child, and his mother, Ahmose-Nefertari, is thought to have been regent for him.

Other women whose possible reigns as pharaohs are under study include Nefertiti, Meritaten, Neferneferuaten, and Twosret. Another pharaoh, Smenkhkare, generally has been believed to have been male, but there is some evidence that this was a woman also.

Among the later, non-indigenous Egyptian dynasties, the most notable example of another woman who became pharaoh was Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

In comparison with other female pharaohs, her reign was long and prosperous. She was successful in warfare early in her reign, but is generally considered to be a pharaoh who inaugurated a long peaceful era.

She re-established trading relationships lost during a foreign occupation and brought great wealth to Egypt. That wealth enabled Hatshepsut to initiate building projects that raised the calibre of Ancient Egyptian architecture to a standard, comparable to classical architecture, that would not be rivaled by any other culture for a thousand years.

dentification of mummy

Hatshepsut's remains were long considered lost, but in June 2007 a mummy from Tomb KV60, was publicly identified as her remains by Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Evidence supporting this identification includes the results of a DNA comparison with the mummy of Ahmose Nefertari, Hatshepsut's great-grandmother and the matriarch of the 18th dynasty. Further conclusive evidence includes the possession of a molar with one root that fit the mummy's jaw as it had a gap that had one root as well. This molar was found inside a small wooden box inscribed with Hatshepsut's name and cartouche: Zahi Hawass's team's CAT scan revealed that this tooth exactly matches this mummy's jaw. Modern CT scans of that mummy believed to be Hatshepsut suggest she was about fifty years old when she died from a ruptured abscess after removal of a tooth. Although this was the cause, it is quite possible she would not have lived much longer; there are signs in her mummy of metastatic bone cancer, as well as possible liver cancer and diabetes. Egyptologists not involved in the project, however, have reserved acceptance of the findings until further testing is undertaken.

Family and early life


Hatshepsut was the elder daughter of Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose, the first king and queen of the Thutmoside clan of the eighteenth dynasty. Thutmose I and Ahmose are known to have had only one other child, a daughter, Akhbetneferu (Neferubity), who died as an infant. Thutmose I also married Mutnofret, possibly a daughter of Ahmose I, and produced several half-brothers to Hatshepsut: Wadjmose, Amenose, Thutmose II, and possibly Ramose, through that secondary union. Both Wadjmose and Amenose were prepared to succeed their father, but neither lived beyond adolescence.

In her childhood, Hatshepsut is believed to have been favored by the Temple of Karnak over her two half-brothers by her father. Hatshepsut apparently had a close relationship with both of her parents. Among the official records of her reign are assertions that her father, Thutmose I, named her as his direct heir and later, official depictions of Hatshepsut show her dressed in the full regalia of a pharaoh, including the traditional false beard of pharaohs to indicate that she ruled Egypt in her own right.

Upon the death of her father in 1493 BC, Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thutmose II, and assumed the title of Great Royal Wife. Thutmose II ruled Egypt for either three or thirteen years, during which time it has traditionally been believed that Queen Hatshepsut exerted a strong influence over her husband.

Royal lineage was traced through the women in ancient Egypt. Marriage to a queen of the royal lineage was necessary for a male king, even if he came from outside of the lineage as happened occasionally. Secondary unions to other women in the royal family assured that there would be heirs from the lineage and women who could become the royal wives.[11] This is the reason for all of the intermarriages. The royal women also played a pivotal role in the religion of ancient Egypt. The queen officiated at the rites in the temples, as priestess, in a culture where religion was inexorably interwoven with the roles of the rulers. In Hatshepsut's time the royal daughter acted as an official adviser to the pharaoh as the high priestess.

Hatshepsut had one daughter with Thutmose II: Neferure. Some scholars hold that Hatshepsut and Thutmose II groomed Neferure as the heir apparent, commissioning official portraits of their daughter wearing the false beard of royalty and the sidelock of youth. Others speculate that she was being prepared to assume her mother's own roles as queen, but to have Neferure prepared to be a pharaoh, if necessary.

When Thutmose II died, he left behind only one son, a young Thutmose III to succeed him. The latter was born as the son of a lesser wife of Thutmose II rather than of the Great Royal Wife, Hatshepsut, as Neferure was. Due to the relative youth of Thutmose III, he was not eligible to assume the expected tasks of a pharaoh. Instead, Hatshepsut became the regent of Egypt at this time, assumed the responsibilities of state, and was recognized by the leadership in the temple. At this time, her daughter, Neferure, took over the roles Hatshepsut had played as queen in official and religious ceremonies. This political arrangement is detailed in the tomb autobiography of Ineni, a high official at court:
“ He (Thutmose II) went forth to heaven in triumph, having mingled with the gods; His son stood in his place as king of the Two Lands, having become ruler upon the throne of the one who begat him. His (Thutmose II's) sister the Divine Consort, Hatshepsut settled the affairs of the Two Lands by reason of her plans. Egypt was made to labour with bowed head for her, the excellent seed of the god (Thutmose I), which came forth from him.”

Thus, while Thutmose III was designated as a co-regent of Egypt, the royal court recognised Hatshepsut as the pharaoh on the throne until she died. It is believed that Neferure became the royal wife of Thutmose III and the mother of his eldest son, Amenemhat, who did not outlive his father.

Thutmose III ruled as pharaoh for more than thirty years after the death of Hatshepsut. This relationship between Neferure and Amenemhat is debated among authors, but since Neferure is depicted in her mother's funeral temple, there are some who believe that Neferure was still alive in the first few years of the rule by Thutmose III as pharaoh, that his eldest son, Amenemhat, was her child, and that he thereby was the heir to the throne of Thutmose III until he died.

Rule

Dates and length of reign

Hatshepsut was given reign about twenty-two years by ancient authors. Josephus writes that she reigned for twenty-one years and nine months while Africanus states her reign lasted twenty-two years, both of whom were quoting Manetho. At this point in the histories, records of the reign of Hatshepsut end, since the first major foreign campaign of Thutmose III was dated to his twenty-second year, which also would have been Hatshepsut's twenty-second year as pharaoh. Dating the beginning of her reign is more difficult, however. Her father's reign began in either 1506 or 1526 BC according to the low and high chronologies, respectively. However, the length of the reigns of Thutmose I and Thutmose II cannot be determined with absolute certainty. With short reigns, Hatshepsut would have ascended the throne fourteen years after the coronation of Thutmose I. Longer reigns would put her ascension twenty-five years after Thutmose I's coronation. Thus, Hatshepsut could have assumed power as early as 1512 BC or as late as 1479.

Modern chronologists, however, tend to agree that Hatshepsut reigned as pharaoh from 1479 to 1458 BC, but there is no definitive proof of the beginning date. These dates are derived from the closeness of length of her reign, related in the ancient records of Manetho, Africanus, and Josephus and counting backward from the date of her death, which is quite certain.

Major accomplishments

As Hatshepsut reestablished the trade networks that had been disrupted during the Hyksos occupation of Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, thereby building a wealth of the eighteenth dynasty that has become so famous since the discovery of the burial of one of her descendants, Tutankhamun, began to be analyzed.

She oversaw the preparations and funding for a mission to the Land of Punt. The expedition set out in her name with five ships, each measuring 70 feet (21 m) long bearing several sails and accommodating 210 men that included sailors and 30 rowers. Many trade goods were bought in Punt, notably myrrh, which is said to have been Hatshepsut's favorite fragrance.

Most notably, however, the Egyptians returned from the voyage bearing 31 live frankincense trees, the roots of which were carefully kept in baskets for the duration of the voyage. This was the first recorded attempt to transplant foreign trees. It is reported that Hatshepsut had these trees planted in the courts of her Deir el Bahari mortuary temple complex. Egyptians also returned with living Puntites (people of Punt). This trading expedition to Punt was roughly during Hatshepsut's nineteenth year of reign.

She had the expedition commemorated in relief at Deir el-Bahri, which also is famous for its realistic depiction of the Queen of the Land of Punt ,Queen Iti, who appears to have had a genetic trait called steatopygia.

Hatshepsut also sent rading expeditions to Byblos and Sinai shortly after the Punt expedition. Very little is known about these expeditions.

Although many Egyptologists have claimed that her foreign policy was mainly peaceful, there is evidence that Hatshepsut led successful military campaigns in Nubia, the Levant, and Syria early in her career.

Building projects

Hatshepsut was one of the most prolific builders in ancient Egypt, commissioning hundreds of construction projects throughout both Upper and Lower Egypt, that were grander and more numerous than those of any of her Middle Kingdom predecessors.

She employed two great architects: Ineni, who also had worked for her husband and father and for the royal steward Senemut. During her reign, so much statuary was produced that almost every major museum in the world has Hatshepsut statuary among their collections; for instance, the Hatshepsut Room in New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art is dedicated solely to these pieces.

Following the tradition of most pharaohs, Hatshepsut had monuments constructed at the Temple of Karnak. She also restored the original Precinct of Mut, the ancient great goddess of Egypt, at Karnak that had been ravaged by the foreign rulers during the Hyksos occupation. She had twin obelisks, at the time the tallest in the world, erected at the entrance to the temple. One still stands, as the tallest surviving ancient obelisk on Earth; the other has since broken in two and toppled. Another project, Karnak's Red Chapel, or Chapelle Rouge, was intended as a barque shrine and may have stood between her two obelisks originally. She later ordered the construction of two more obelisks to celebrate her sixteenth year as pharaoh; one of the obelisks broke during construction, and thus a third was constructed to replace it. The broken obelisk was left at its quarrying site in Aswan, where it still remains, known as The Unfinished Obelisk, serving as a demonstration of just how obelisks were quarried.

The Temple of Pakhet was built by Hatshepsut at Beni Hasan in the Minya Governorate south of Al Minya. Pakhet was a synthesis that occurred combining Bast and Sekhmet, who were similar lioness war goddesses, in an area that bordered the north and south division of their cults. The cavernous underground temple, cut into the rock cliffs on the eastern side of the Nile, was admired and called the Speos Artemidos by the Greeks during their occupation of Egypt, known as the Ptolemaic Dynasty. They saw the goddess as a parallel to their hunter goddess Artemis. The temple is thought to have been built alongside much more ancient ones that have not survived. This temple has an architrave bearing a long dedicatory text bearing Hatshepsut's famous denunciation of the Hyksos that has been translated by James P. Allen. They had occupied Egypt and cast it into a cultural decline that persisted until a revival brought about by her policies and innovations. This temple was altered later and some of its inside decorations were usurped by Seti I, in the nineteenth dynasty, attempting to have his name replace that of Hatshepsut.

The masterpiece of Hatshepsut's building projects was her mortuary temple complex at Deir el-Bahri. It was designed and implemented by Senemut at a site on the West Bank of the Nile River near the entrance to what is now called the Valley of the Kings because of all the pharaohs who later chose to associate their complexes with the grandeur of hers. Her buildings were the first grand ones planned for that location. The focal point was the Djeser-Djeseru or "the Sublime of Sublimes", a colonnaded structure of perfect harmony nearly one thousand years before the Parthenon was built. Djeser-Djeseru sits atop a series of terraces that once were graced with lush gardens. Djeser-Djeseru is built into a cliff face that rises sharply above it. Djeser-Djeseru and the other buildings of Hatshepsut's Deir el-Bahri complex are considered to be among the great buildings of the ancient world. Also another one of her great accomplishments is the Hatshepsut needle (also known as the granite obelisks).

Official lauding vs. propaganda

While all ancient leaders used propaganda to laud their achievements, Hatshepsut has been called the most accomplished pharaoh at promoting her accomplishments. This may have resulted from the extensive building executed during her time as pharaoh in comparison to many others because it afforded her with opportunities to laud herself, but it also reflects the wealth that her policies and administration brought to Egypt, enabling her to finance such projects. Aggrandizement of their achievements was traditional when pharaohs built temples and their tombs. Hyperbole is common, virtually, to all royal inscriptions of Egyptian history. The term propaganda is rarely applied to similar activities by male pharaohs, and raises the question of why it is used here. Much of her decorative reliefs had religious overtones and was supported fully by the officials at the Temple of Karnak. Since the passage of leadership was determined in advance by these same religious leaders, and enacted at the moment of the death of a pharaoh, the transition to the next occurred without question and immediately. Hence, there was no need to influence "public opinion" or for the subtle manipulation associated with the concept of "propaganda" that is implied in some scholarship about Hatshepsut. Selected by the religious leaders and assisted by an accomplished administration, she ruled over a kingdom that, markedly, prospered under her rule

Women had a high status in ancient Egypt and enjoyed the legal right to own, inherit, or will property. As noted previously, lineage was traced through maternal relationships. A woman becoming pharaoh was rare, however, only Khentkaues, Sobeknefru, and possibly Nitocris preceded her in known records as ruling solely in their own name. The latter's existence is disputed and is likely a mis-translation of a male king. Twosret, a female king and the last pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty, may have been the only woman to succeed her among the indigenous rulers, although research continues about others. At that point in Egyptian history, there was no word for a queen regnant, pharaoh had become the name for the ruler. Hatshepsut is not unique, however, in taking the title of king. Sobekneferu, ruling six dynasties prior to Hatshepsut, also did so when she ruled Egypt. Hatshepsut had been well trained in her duties as the daughter of the pharaoh. During her father's reign she held the powerful office of God's Wife of Amun as well as the Divine Adoratrice of Amun. She had taken a strong role as queen to her husband and was well experienced in the administration of her kingdom by the time she became pharaoh. There is no indication of challenges to her leadership and, until her death, her co-regent remained in a secondary role, quite amicably heading her powerful army—which would have given him the power necessary to overthrow a usurper of his rightful place, if that had been the case.

Hatshepsut assumed all of the regalia and symbols of the pharaonic office in official representations: the Khat head cloth, topped with the uraeus, the traditional false beard, and shendyt kilt. Many existing statues alternatively show her in typically feminine attire as well as those that depict her in the royal ceremonial attire. Statues portraying Sobekneferu also combine elements of traditional male and female iconography and, by tradition, may have served as inspiration for these works commissioned by Hatshepsut. After this period of transition ended, however, all formal depictions of Hatshepsut as pharaoh showed her in the royal attire, with all of the pharaonic regalia, and with her breasts obscured behind her crossed arms holding the regal staffs of the two kingdoms she ruled, as the symbols of the pharaoh were much more important to be displayed traditionally.

The reasons for her breasts not being emphasized in the most formal statues were debated among early Egyptologists who never drew a parallel to the fact that many women and goddesses portrayed in ancient Egyptian art lack delineation of breasts and that the gender of pharaohs was never stressed in ancient Egyptian Art. Interpretations by these early scholars were that her motivation for wearing men's clothing was a personal choice.

Modern scholars, however, have opted for an alternative theory: that by assuming the typical symbols of pharaonic power, Hatshepsut was asserting her claim to be the sovereign and not a "King's Great Wife" or Queen consort. The gender of pharaohs was never stressed in official depictions, even the men were depicted with the highly stylized false beard associated with their position in the society. Moreover, the Osirian statues of Hatshepsut—as with other pharaohs—depict the dead pharaoh as Osiris, with the body and regalia of that deity. All of the statues of Hatshepsut at her tomb follow that tradition. The promise of resurrection after death was a tenet of the cult of Osiris. Since there are so many of these, statues of Hatshepsut depicted in this fashion have been widely published and put on display in museums and, viewers without an understanding of the religious significance have been misled.

Most of the official statues commissioned of Hatshepsut show her less symbolically and more naturally, as a woman in typical dresses of the nobility of her day. Notably, even after assuming the formal regalia, Hatshepsut still described herself as a beautiful woman, often as the most beautiful of women, and although she assumed almost all of her father's titles, she declined to take the title "The Strong Bull" (the full title being, The Strong Bull of his Mother), which tied the pharaoh to the goddesses Isis, the throne, and Hathor, (the cow who gave birth to and protected the pharaohs), by being her son sitting on her throne -- an unnecessary title for her, since Hatshepsut became allied with the goddesses, herself, which no male pharaoh could. Rather than the strong bull, Hatshepsut associated herself with the image of Sekhmet, the major war deity in the Egyptian pantheon, having served as a very successful warrior during the early portion of her reign as pharaoh.

Religious concepts were tied into all of these symbols and titles. By the time of Hatshepsut's reign, the merger of some aspects of these two goddesses provided that they would both have given birth to, and were the protectors of, the pharaohs. They became interchangeable at times. Hatshepsut also traced her lineage to Mut, a primal mother goddess of the Egyptian pantheon, which gave her another ancestor who was a deity as well as her father, who would have become deified upon death.

While Hatshepsut was depicted in official art wearing regalia of a pharaoh, such as the false beard that male pharaohs also wore, it is most unlikely that she ever wore such ceremonial decorations, just as it is unlikely that the male pharaohs did. Statues such as those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicting her seated wearing a tight-fitting dress and the nemes crown, are thought to be a more accurate representation of how she would have presented herself at court.

As a notable exception, only one male pharaoh abandoned the rigid symbolic depiction that had become the style of the most official artwork representing the ruler, Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (later Akhenaten) of the same eighteenth dynasty, whose wife, Nefertiti, also may have ruled in her own right following the death of her husband. Nefertiti is thought to have been a woman from the same lineage as Hatshepsut.

One of the most famous examples of the legends about Hatshepsut is a myth about her birth. In this myth, Amun goes to Ahmose in the form of Thutmose I and awakens her with pleasant odors. At this point Amun places the ankh, a symbol of life, to Ahmose's nose, and Hatshepsut is conceived by Ahmose. Khnum, the god who forms the bodies of human children, is then instructed to create a body and ka, or corporal presence/life force, for Hatshepsut. Heket, the goddess of life and fertility, and Khnum then lead Ahmose along to a lioness bed where she gives birth to Hatshepsut.

The Oracle of Amun proclaimed that it was the will of Amun that Hatshepsut be pharaoh, further strengthening her position. She reiterated Amun's support by having these proclamations by the god Amun carved on her monuments:
“ Welcome my sweet daughter, my favorite, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut. Thou art the Pharaoh, taking possession of the Two Lands. ”

Hatshepsut claimed that she was her father's intended heir and that he made her the heir apparent of Egypt. Almost all scholars today view this as historical revisionism on Hatshepsut's part since it was Thutmose II--a son of Thutmose I by Mutnofret--who was her father's heir. Moreover, Thutmose I could not have foreseen that his daughter Hatshepsut would outlive his son within his own lifetime. Thutmose II soon married Hatshepsut and the latter became both his senior royal wife and the most powerful woman at court. Evelyn Wells, however, accepts Hatshepsut's claim that she was her father's intended successor. Once she became pharaoh herself, Hatshepsut supported her assertion that she was her father's designated successor with inscriptions on the walls of her mortuary temple:
“ Then his majesty said to them: "This daughter of mine, Khnumetamun Hatshepsut—may she live!—I have appointed as my successor upon my throne... she shall direct the people in every sphere of the palace; it is she indeed who shall lead you. Obey her words, unite yourselves at her command." The royal nobles, the dignitaries, and the leaders of the people heard this proclamation of the promotion of his daughter, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare—may she live eternally. ”

American humorist Will Cuppy wrote an essay on Hatshepsut which was published after his death in the book The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody. Regarding one of her wall inscriptions, he wrote,
“For a general notion of Hatshepsut's appearance at a certain stage of her career, we are indebted to one of those wall inscriptions. It states that "to look upon her was more beautiful than anything; her splendor and her form were divine." Some have thought it odd that the female Pharaoh should have been so bold, fiftyish as she was. Not at all. She was merely saying how things were about thirty-five years back, before she had married Thutmose II and slugged it out with Thutmose III. "She was a maiden, beautiful and blooming", the hieroglyphics run, and we have no reason to doubt it. Surely there is no harm in telling the world how one looked in 1514 B.C.

Death

Hatshepsut died as she was approaching, what we would consider middle age given typical contemporary lifespans, in her twenty-second regnal year. The precise date of Hatshepsut's death--and the time when Thutmose III became pharaoh of Egypt--is considered to be Year 22, II Peret day 10 of their joint rule as recorded on a single stela erected at Armant or January 16, 1458 BC. This information validates the basic reliability of Manetho's kinglist records since Thutmose III and Hatshepsut's known accession date was I Shemu day 4. (ie: Hatshepsut died 9 months into her 22nd year as Manetho writes in his Epitome for a reign of 21 years and 9 months) No mention of the cause of her death has survived. If the recent identification of her mummy in KV60 is correct,however, CT scans would indicate that she died of blood infection while she was in her 50s. it also would suggest that she had arthritis, bad teeth, and probably had diabetes.

For a long time, her mummy was believed to be missing from the Deir el-Bahri Cache. An unidentified female mummy—found with Hatshepsut's wet nurse, Sitire-Re, one of whose arms was posed in the traditional burial style of pharaohs—has led to the theory that the unidentified mummy in KV60 might be Hatshepsut. Don Ryan working with Pacific Lutheran University and the Evergreen State College reopened KV60 in 1989, which had been resealed after it was discovered at the turn of the century. The tomb had been damaged, but the mummies remained in site.

In March 2006, Zahi Hawass claimed to have located the mummy of Hatshepsut, which was mislaid on the third floor of the Cairo Museum. In June 2007, it was announced that Egyptologists believed they had identified Hatshepsut's mummy in the Valley of the Kings; this discovery is considered to be the "most important find in the Valley of the Kings since the discovery of King Tutankhamun". Decisive evidence was a molar found in a wooden box that was inscribed with Hatshepsut's name, found in 1881 among a cache of royal mummies hidden away for safekeeping in a near-by temple. The tooth has been conclusively proven to have been removed from the mummy's mouth, fitting exactly an empty socket in the mummy's jawbone.

Burial complex

Hatshepsut had begun construction of a tomb when she was the Great Royal Wife of Thutmose II, but the scale of this was not suitable when she became pharaoh, so a second tomb was built. This was KV20, which possibly was the first tomb to be constructed in the Valley of the Kings. The original intention seems to have been to hew a long tunnel that would lead underneath her mortuary temple, but the quality of the limestone bedrock was poor and her architect must have realized that this goal would not be possible. As a result, a large burial chamber was created instead. At some point, it was decided to dis-inter her father, Thutmose I, from his original tomb in KV38 and place his mummy in a new chamber below hers. Her original red-quartzite sarcophagus was altered to accommodate her father instead, and a new one was made for her. It is likely that when she died (no later than the twenty-second year of her reign), she was interred in this tomb along with her father.

The tomb was opened in antiquity, the first time during the end of the reign of Hatshepsut's successor, Thutmose III, who re-interred his grandfather, Thutmose I, in his original tomb, and may have moved Hatshepsut's mummy into the tomb of her wet nurse, Sitre-Re, in KV60. It is possible that Amenhotep II, successor to Thutmose III was the one motivating these actions in an attempt to assure his own succession. Although her tomb largely had been cleared (save for both sarcophagi still present when the tomb was fully cleared by Howard Carter in 1903) some grave furnishings have been identified as belonging to Hatshepsut, including a "throne" (bedstead is a better description), a senet game board with carved lioness-headed, red-jasper game pieces bearing her pharaonic title, a signet ring, and a partial ushabti figurine bearing her name. In the Royal Mummy Cache at DB320 an ivory canopic coffer was found that was inscribed with the name of Hatshepsut and contained a mummified liver. However, there was a royal lady of the Twenty-first dynasty of the same name, and this could belong to her instead.

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