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If Mother's Day gift ideas like clothes and jewellery seem passe, here are some unique gift ideas for the Indian mom, to make Mother's Day special!
If Mother’s Day gift ideas like clothes and jewellery seem passe, here are some unique gift ideas for the Indian mom, to make Mother’s Day special!
Mother’s Day is around the corner, and yet, when it comes to the woman who nursed you through infant colic and teenage heartache, does it seem like you’ve run out of gift ideas?
Here are a few Mother’s Day gift ideas that you could do for your mom to make sure she has a great day. (And don’t forget to read – Mere Paas Maa Hai, our last year’s tribute to the unforgettable filmi maa!)
1. Plan a family reunion: If it is possible and practical, try to have your siblings and/or your mom’s siblings get together in a surprise party that will have her delighted. A nice day picnic with the entire family, a brunch or an extended lunch with the family will be the perfect way to make this Mother’s Day extra special.
2. Revisit your childhood homes, if they’re in the same city. Go back to the places that meant a lot to you both during your childhood – maybe your school, the park you visited together, the movie hall she would take you too, a restaurant you went to occasionally. Gift her a nostalgia trip!
3. Just spend the day with her. Take her grocery shopping. Help her clean the house. Cook a meal for her. Do things for her that make her take a break from her routine. Sometimes these little things can mean more to a mother than all the diamonds or expensive gifts in the world.
4. Make a video of your mom and your growing up years and make the showing of it as dramatic an event as possible with all the family gathered together over brunch or dinner. We are sure she will adore the thought and the effort. Go to a digital studio in the neighbourhood to help you if you aren’t comfortable doing it yourself, or if you have a tech savvy person in the family, rope him or her in to help you compile all the home videos and photographs together into a cohesive movie with a narrative of sorts, do voice overs, get sound bytes from all the members of the family and her siblings too.
5. Sit down with your mom and make a family scrapbook with all your childhood pictures and all the grandchildren’s pictures. Scout around for photographs from family friends and relatives, have them scanned and printed, if they can’t share the photographs themselves. Document her life with you as a child, and with the grandchildren. The activity will be fun, and it will be a mother’s day gift your mother could treasure for life. Have every sibling write a note to her, and every grandchild too, and stick them through the scrapbook.
6. Spend time with the less fortunate: If your mother would like to give back to society, help her start volunteering by arranging for a day out at a charitable organization of her choice such as a children’s home or old-age center. Visit them beforehand and discuss with the staff as to how both of you could help – perhaps just spend the day with residents or give children a hand with their homework or anything else they need help with. It could be the start of a new and productive activity for her.
7. A trip to the Spa: Your mother has pampered you through your childhood but think back – she has honestly not spent enough time and effort on pampering herself. You could send her for a day at the local spa. If you want to pamper yourself too, make it a mom and daughter day out at the spa. Or – for an entire day, you could check into a five star hotel or resort – let your mother have the pleasure of simply lazing around all day – or shopping if that’s where her interests lie.
8. A water park or theme park could be a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day. Getting wet and having fun on all the rides could be a great way for your mother to de-stress and enjoy herself on her special day. And also rediscover the little girl in her.
9. Take your mom for a salon makeover: Has your mother always dressed and had her hair in the same way for years? Take her to a salon and get her a radical hair makeover, and then shopping with the help of a store professional or a personal shopper who could help suggest a new wardrobe – of course, consult your mother on how dramatic she would like her change of image to be.
10. If your mother is fond of music or theatre, find out if there is a performance or a play she would appreciate and book tickets for the both of you – even if it’s a genre that bores you to tears. Check the listings for what is on and conveniently accessible in your city or town, and make the bookings without telling her – just ask her to keep herself free.
The most precious Mother’s Day gift ideas that you can think of is your time. And your attention. And the assurance that you love her and she still means the world to you.
Kiran Manral is an Indian author, columnist and mentor. She has published books across genres in both fiction and non-fiction. She lives in Mumbai. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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