Parvathy impressed the jury with her looks and quick wit and was one the five finalists out of the 109 contestants at the Sandton Convention Center. However, she was finally beaten by Miss Russia.

Miss Trinidad and Tobago was named the second runner-up. The others in contention in the final five were Miss South Africa and Miss Angola.

India boasts of Miss Worlds like Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000).

Kantha

You can recognize a kantha pattern by the running stitch all through the fabric. Kantha is very often found on saris in light colours. The embroidery often takes the form of motifs, which vary from flowers to elephants and birds. A Kantha is a Bengali sari.

Patola

You can make out a Gujarati patola by its geometrical pattern and use of colour. The fabric can be reversible, as the pattern is identical on both sides.

Need splendid block-printed fabrics? Try Gujarati Ajrakh and Dhamadka. The overall pattern is often divided into geometrical shapes, the insides of which have shapes like dots, flowers and leaves. A total of painstaking 13 steps make Ajrakh come alive and stand out, unlike other surface printing methods.

Phulkari

As the name suggests, Phulkari is all about making your fabric bloom. The Phulkari like many other Indian crafts started as domestic art, and in Punjab, Phulkari is often worn at ceremonies. When a garment is heavily embroidered with Phulkari work all over, and when the cloth itself is barely visible, the fabric is called ‘Bagh’. On the other hand, Phulkari work shows the base cloth.

Madhubani

Madhubani is a work of art because it started as a painting tradition. The theme is usually mythological, and is interspersed with geometrical patterns and flowers. This rich style, born in Bihar, is now found not just on paintings but also on saris. Imagine a skirt with a Madubani painting all over it. Can you get more “designer” than that?

Kasuti

Karnataka is home to the single thread Kasuti art. Running stitch, cross stitch and back stitch are used to depict elephants, geometrical patterns, flowers, trees and temples. If you think color is life, Kasuti with its bright colors can be your style mantra.

Kashida

Kashida speaks of snow-capped mountains, gurgling rivers, chinar leaves and the beauty of Kashmir. This work, initially done only on shawls, can now be found on everything from jackets, coats to salwar-kurtas. Kashida is the name given to works like Zalakdozi (hook embroidery), vata chikan (button-hole stitch) and do-rukha (double side work). Although Kashida work is traditionally done on wool, it is now often found on cotton and synthetic fabrics too, so you don’t have the wait for the winter to wear a Kashida garment.

Diwali is a Festival celebrated universally in India, which in other wise marked with 100s of Regional festivals according to local cultures and traditions. India is a true diversified country which is having multiple languages and different cultures in different parts of India. As the Languages, the festivals also evolved from different parts of the country which makes the festivals totally different according to areas.

Even though different states celebrate Diwali in almost in the same way there is lot of local variations in the celebrations. Almost all over India the firecrackers are used to celebrate the Diwali. But in kerala uses Fire crackers mainly for vishu. In Diwali keralites main attractions are Diwali sweets and lot of extra sweet halls will be opened to sell Diwali sweets. In other parts of India celebrating Diwali with fire crackers and exchanging diwali sweets and wishes is one of the main traditions of diwali.

Regardless of caste or religion barriers, urban areas in India have people who love to have fun during these festivals. Shops and malls are decked with red and green items as Christmas draws near, even if there are relatively few Christians in the country. Winter collections and New Year sales are also a common feature of the holidays, although they are held much earlier. Fashion design is a healthy industry, with each year witnessing a new batch of brands and designers. Launching accessories and footwear is a relatively new concept, but one that the Indian people willingly embrace.

Raksha Bandhan heralds unique displays of materials and clothes available for everyone. Clothing geared to kids and the youth are interesting because of its fusion themes. This occasion is also a great time to give gifts, thus saris and dress materials are designed with blending patterns and embellishments.

Holi features cream and white shades. Dupatta with flowery embroidery and white odhinis are ideal for joining in with the festivities. Sankrath gives way to black or dark-hued clothes. Durga Puja and Navatri seasons are also very generous in giving way to various styles and trends. Fusion patterns can be seen in backless cholis, tank tops, and even in traditional bandhni made of cotton and silk. Men’s wear are also designed with mirror-worked jackets and topis embellished with shells. Diwali features dazzling designs because it is a very festive season. The Id festivals feature pieces made with Kashmiri silks, as well as satin suits. Artisans and fashion designers are busy designing veils, burrga, and a wide variety of handkerchiefs, socks, and cotton gloves.

Aside from pop culture, seasons can also have a very large impact on the fashion industry. Fashion statements are made with expert blending of traditional and modern, creating outfits that are festive and unique.

And let’s not forget Maruti’s first concept car. Saurabh Singh and Rajesh Gogu created waves at the recent Delhi Auto Expo. The duo designed the A-Star at Maruti Udyog’s Manesar plant. Soon, the car will be seen on European motorways. Maruti engineers have worked with Suzuki Motors to design Swift and Zen Estilo as well. “We hope to design and produce our own car model from India by 2011,” says C V Raman, chief general manager (engineering), Maruti Udyog.

From cars to tractors, refrigerators to laptops, made-and-designed-in-India is becoming a sought after label.

Saree – Always Trendy, Always Appropriate Over the years, the saree has evolved to suit the changing lifestyle and preferences of its wearer. In spite of the growing popularity of western wear, saree still holds its ground firmly. Being the only garment that conceals figure flaws and brings out the best in any woman, saree is equally admired by both wearers and designers. It is considered the most sensuous, stylish and sophisticated attire even today. From Shimmering Silks and Elegant Chiffons to Flowing Crepes and Georgettes, available in vivid colors and embellished with the most intricate embroidery work, saree comes in the most mesmerizing avatars one can imagine. Such wide-ranging variety makes it suitable for all occasions – from weddings to formal functions and official meetings to social get-togethers. Moreover, it looks gorgeous on women of all ages and builds.

Tips for Saree Wearers

* Heavier women should wear fabrics like Chiffon, Crepe, Georgette and avoid Organza, Tissue and Cotton. This rule applies vice versa for very thin women who want a fuller look.
* Large prints and sarees with broad borders make one look shorter.
* Heavier women should wear straight cut, non-flare petticoats underneath the saree.
* Cotton sarees should be starched and ironed properly before wearing.
* For office wear, one should choose cotton sarees in subtle colours and prints. These should be worn with the pallu folded in pleats and pinned on the shoulder.
* Heavy silk sarees with golden thread work should be wrapped in a saree cover before storing.
* Always wear sandals before draping the saree.

Endless Draping Possibilities

A saree can be draped in innumerable innovative styles. Few of these styles have originated as regional preferences – Bengali style, Gujarati style, Maharashtrian style, and others like the Airhostess style to suit professional requirements. Rest are purely inventive ways of wearing the same fabric differently. Most popular style of draping a saree is the Nivi drape (reverse style). Here the saree is tied around the waist, close to the navel, with 6-9 pleats tucked into the petticoat at the front and the pallu draped over the left shoulder. One can choose to either pin up the pallu loosely over the left shoulder or try a more professional look with a pleated pallu firmly put in place on the shoulder.Another popular style is the Gujarati drape. It is different from the reverse style, in the way the pallu is draped. Instead of the left shoulder, the pallu is brought to the front over the right shoulder and the left corner of the pallu is tucked near the left hip.Then there is the charming Bengali style where the sari is tucked in at the left side and then stretched back to the right hip from the left shoulder. The pallu is then encircled around the back to come out below the right arm and thrown again on the left shoulder. Interestingly a heavy key is used to keep it in place.

These are just a few of the possibilities in saree draping styles. With a little creativity, it is possible to experiment and create different styles for different occasions.

However they wear Indian wedding sari, the type of Indian wedding sari also come in styles which are quite common to the place. To introduce the Indian wedding sari, it is a cloth with a certain length which is being wrapped around the body which follows a design or a pattern which is intricate.

The only thing that holds the Indian wedding sari are pins. It keeps the Indian wedding sari tucked in the body especially in the waistband. When it is wrapped around, there is a remaining part which is draped over the shoulder of the bride.

The “pallu” is known as the remaining length of the cloth when the sari has been wrapped around the body. This is known as the Indian wedding style of the dresses. The Indian wedding sari may come in a variety of colors depending on the theme of the wedding.

There are some Indian wedding saris that are cheap because the cloth that is used has a simple fabric while some of the Indian wedding saris are too expensive because of the property of cloth that is being used. Sometimes, some of the Indian wedding sari is being passed on as tradition goes.

When a woman is going to get married, some of the elders will pass on the Indian wedding sari that they have used during their wedding. This is the reason why Indian wedding sari is kept after the wedding ceremony. This makes it more memorable and for them, it brings some luck that can be passed on to the newly wed.

If you are not Indian but want to wear have an Indian wedding sari, you can have it if you want. However, it is quite hard to look for the sari fabric because you need to go to India in order to buy it. Some are sold in other boutiques especially from Indian boutiques. Most Indian wedding sari is colored red because it is the traditional color of a wedding sari.

The red color also represents happiness and good luck to the couple who are getting married. White Indian wedding sari will represent mourning for the Indians that is why they don’t go for it. No matter how you want to wear a white Indian wedding sari, you cannot wear it in India because for them, it represents sadness.

If you have been used to white wedding gowns, you will be surprised to see Indians wearing Red Indian wedding sari but its how they look at it. Indian wedding sari has been worn for a long time ago but nowadays, a lot of people are wearing saris and you can even see them everywhere.

Now that you know how a red Indian wedding sari is important to the Indian people, you can try looking for it if you want to have a wedding the Indian way. After all, wedding gowns have been common so why don’t you try to give it another taste. Wear Indian wedding sari on your wedding and wear it red.

India is a country with diversified customs and cultures. People following various traditions live here, their way of dressing also differ from each other. The traces of Indians being fashionable can be found out from the ancient remains of Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilizations. After the independence, globalization is being witnessed in the Indian fashion industry, due to which changes have occurred in the style of Indian dressing.

Styles of wearing saris and salwar-kameez have changed. The look is more cosmopolitan than region-specific. Different styles of blouses like katori style, halter-neck, back button blouses, high neck blouses, puffed sleeve blouses, etc. have become the hot favorite among women. The average lengths of the blouses have decreased. Saris are draped mostly in traditional back pallo style or gujarati style. Indian fashion scene is greatly influenced by its films. For example Mumtaz style sari draping inspired by yester-year heroine Mumtaz. Here sari is tightly draped around the body.

As far as salwar-kameez is concerned numerous styles and patterns can be given to this garment. For instance the kameez can be long, short, A-line, skin tight, etc. Such variations can be done to salwar as well as dupattas. Modern version of kameez is known as kurti, it could be coupled with jeans, pants or churidar. It has taken the form of Indo-western outfit. People in western countries too have started wearing kurtis.

Emergence of mall culture

Mall culture is slowly and steadily growing in India. Many brands and private labels are launched in the Indian market. The first such retail outlet was Shopper’s Stop which launched India’s first multi-brand store in the year 1993. The specialty of such malls is that they offer a wide range of varied branded stuff, all under single roof. Some of the famous malls of India are Pantaloons, Westside, Lifestyle, Globus, etc. These retail outlets have also launched clothing line under private labels, manufactured and sold by them. For example- Pantaloons has many private labels under its brand like All, Fashion station and Mela. Some of the major private labels even operate as exclusive stores. The buyer gets an international shopping experience in such retail outlets. There are no nagging sales persons pressurizing the customers to buy.

Family stores are becoming hot favorite shopping hub for the middle-class and upper middle class shoppers. These stores sell garments of nearly all age groups and sexes. Apparels of various brands can be found in family stores. They are being considered as one-stop shopping destination. Roopam, Big Bazaar, Fashion station, V-mart, Maxx, etc are examples of some family stores.

Bentley was known as a trailblazer who used her clothing to express her personality and power. A museum is made in America to tell countries history through art, history, and science of textiles. This gave a chance to people to peek a glimpse into both history and fashion. Amazingly the museum staff learned that in upper-class circles in the late 19th century, it was inappropriate to wear sparkling jewels before noon. We all dress-up everyday and everyone knows how they want to project themselves on a particular occasion or in a specific dress, accessories are a foremost way to do that. Not a single outfit is complete without accessories. A touch of earrings, a necklace, few bracelets, a great purse or a colorful scarf, can execute fashionable wonders for an ensemble.

Accessories also vary from season to season; like on a cold evening for most evening dresses, shawls are a must wear accessory then you can think of the options of ornate leather belts, silk scarves and cashmere pashmina shawls and flashy jewelry (http://www.bargainvaluedeals.com/jewelry-and-watches.php ). But casual outfits can be jazzed up with chunky neck, wrist, and ear jewelry. There are few among us who have an eye for accessorizing. It’s just like tasting cake batter and knowing that some vital ingredient is missing and then knowing the perfect “spice” to create the oomph-factor. Sometimes even a right hat or the right purse can make all the difference. You can play with innumerable combinations that suit you, but always keep a balance in the usage of fashion accessories. Most important fashion tip is not to accessorize more than one area of an outfit. Too many beaded necklaces can crowd an evening dress making it fussy instead of classy. And a jeweled neckline needs no further embellishment. When dressing, find your central focus. It can be your hair, or waist - accessorize that area.

Lots of layers and chunky jewelry are the headlines for 2006 along with big bold strands of beads. Moreover wearing silver, gold or beaded necklaces they should also be layered. Those days are long gone when you wore one chain, now its three at a time but definitely they should not be of the same length. And in dresses you can safely stock your wardrobe this year with bursting confident colors, fabulous floral prints, eccentric beads and lace galore. Allow your outfits to stand out boldly. You can make the choice of accessories easy by determining a wide array of affordable items that can complete any fashion statement. You can find discount designer handbags and purses in leather, suede and nylon - and convenient canvas totes at a fraction of their original price on big sales.

A bright collection of discount designer sunglasses will keep out those harmful UV rays to protect your beautiful eyes as well as give you a more stylish look. Furthermore women designer wallets offer stylish, durable support for your belongings. Scarves, headbands, anklets, even a single vulnerable flower add flamboyance to any look; diverse styles guarantee the perfect intonation. Small final accessory essentials will spin you accessorize the whole year round. Cosmetic bags, leather gloves, wool caps, suede ponchos and comfy slippers should also be considered for your collection. Then popular collection of brand name fragrances are available in abundance to add a sophisticated air to your fashion statement, it also gives an irresistibly romantic aura to your personality. People will scent your presence long before you arrive. You can enjoy wearing a hat to cover your lovely curly tendrils while breezing down the streets.

There are few hints you can use to get the best accessories for you to bring out the best in you. Accessories if chosen correctly can change an outfit from dreary to fabulous in minutes. On the other hand inaccurate accessories can ruin your look. Try to go for accessories matching your outfit, not an outfit to match your accessories. Accessories should always be in harmony with the weight of your dress. For instance, if you are wearing a skirt or suit in a heavy fabric don’t put on sandals. Rings are always in, don’t wear too many at one time it will look gaudy. For office, wear only one ring on each hand. Choose the earrings that compliment the shape or bone structure of your face. While wearing glasses or sunglasses always limit the accessories around your face to two. Jewelry should match the style of clothes for instance if you are wearing pearl earrings, they are best worn with a dressy outfit and flashy, ornate earrings are best kept for festive, party events.

Shoes and anklets are great accessory; one line is enough to explain shoes, that not a dress is complete without an appropriate matched shoe. Now for anklets every girl doesn’t wear it. But it adds a very trendy and individualistic look to you. It pampers and adorns your feet. Feet are among the most beautiful parts of a woman’s body, maybe now in modern age we don’t see much emphasize on feet a lot but in old ages it was a craze to try to maintain your feel as beautiful and moon-shaped as possible. Women with small feet were considered noble and aristocratic in ancient China. Anklets are lightweight and fancy decorations for the feet. There are so many with tiny charms that usually include symbols, like cats, hearts, star, and bells — the variety is everlasting. Multicolored anklets woven from fibers or threads can give a great look with casual sandals or flip-flops. Whereas ankle bracelets made of fine-spun gold and silver make a beautiful tandem with fashion shoes, and look grand for formal events.

Headbands should give your face an instant lift. All kinds of bands are available thick, thin, with patterns, crystals, and come in every imaginable color. Try to place the band according to the shape of your face so that it can tribute your face in the most effective way. If you find it difficult to place headband on your head then get a band with teeth inside or an elastic one. Flower in hair is a stroke of fashion not done by everyone but I am pretty sure everyone yearns to do that at least once in her lifetime. Besides this the most popular trend is barrettes, clips, and hairpins.

Ponytails are always in; go for a hair band that is in contrast to your hair color that will stand out more. Today’s latest craze is of cell phones, yes of course everyone has one, and that’s why each one of us wants to possess a different kind of it. This high-fashion statement of cell phones will go a long way. But you can still manage to have your individuality in cells too by adding flashy dangling accessories or by having your own customized ring tones to your cell phone. After that you can also ask the company to decorate your set with crystals, there are companies who make changes on costumers inquiry and by the way there is actually a cell sold by a company which is all platinum and diamonds, But exactly I would say that’ll be too expensive. And I am sure you can innovate your mobile in your own way much inexpensively.

All these little things portray whole sketch of your personality to the person you are meeting for the first time. And in the same way you can also get to know a lot of things about a person without uttering a single word by glancing at the choice of his accessories.

Not only women, but Hindu men also wear a dot on the forehead, indicating their third eye. The pottu is a very auspicious symbol, reminding those who ear it of their spiritual heritage and ideals, wherever they may be. It also serves to identify a Hindu among the members of all other religions. Muslim girls often cover their face with a veil. Christian girls wear a cross. Jewish boys wear small leather cases holding scriptural passages. Men and women of a particular faith often wish to identify themselves to each other, and they do so by wearing religious symbols which generally are blessed in their temples, churches and synagogues. In many cases a dot on the Hindu woman’s forehead is similar to a beauty mark, just as European women used to wear a black dot on their cheek as a beauty mark. An unmarried girl wears a black dot, and a married girl a red one. Nowadays the dot’s color complements the color of a lady’s sari. “Wearing a dot on the forehead is largely a cultural symbol or a beauty symbol.” This may be a good answer to this question if the person who asked the question is a little shallow and possibly antagonistic.

Answer #1: The dot in the middle of the forehead of the Hindu woman is a beauty mark not unlike the beauty marks European and early American women used to wear on the cheek. Let me put one on you right now and then you can look in the mirror and see how it enhances your natural beauty.

Answer #2: In the old days, Hindu men and women wore these marks, and they both also wore earrings. The dot has a mystical meaning, for it represents the Third Eye or spiritual sight which Hindus seek to awaken through yoga. Today, only the most traditional men observe this, but women continue to follow these traditions.

Answer #3: There are many marks other than the dot that we Hindus use. Each mark represents a different sect or denomination of our vast religion. We have four major sects, Saivism, Vaishnavism, Saktism and Smartaism. By these marks we know what a person believes, and therefore know how to begin conversations.

Summary

Do not be ashamed to wear the pottu on your forehead in the United States. It will distinguish you from all other people as very special person, a Hindu, a knower of eternal Truths. You will never be mistaken as belonging to another nationality or religion. For both boys and girls, men and women, the dot should be small or large depending on the circumstance, but should always be there under appropriate circumstances. Naturally, we don’t want to flaunt our religion in the face of others. We observe that Christian boys and girls take off or conceal their crosses in the corporate business world.