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The environment is what surrounds us. Women, with their deeper aesthetic sense, often perceive and value its beauty in ways that shape culture and tradition. Aesthetics, the philosophy of beauty and the arts of life, is closely tied to how we view and experience the environment. Environmental aesthetics, then, refers to the study of the beauty of the natural world. From ancient times, humanity has been a lover of beauty, and the secret of beauty lies in nature—the storehouse of eternal charm.

Women are the true custodians of cultural, artistic, and archaeological heritage. They play an important role in protecting the environment, serving as a constant source of strength, energy, and inspiration. In Nepal, a land blessed with mighty mountains and milky rivers—including Sagarmatha, the world’s highest peak—the natural environment has always been central to life and culture. As Kalidasa wrote in his monumental work Raghuvamsha, rivers are like mothers and mountains like fathers. Civilizations have long flourished on riverbanks, and the confluence of rivers—sangam—is considered deeply sacred. In India, Prayagraj holds this status, while in Nepal, Devghat is revered. The Bagmati is not merely a river, but a cradle of civilization, just as the Ganges embodies centuries of cultural heritage.

Water means life, symbolizing not only physical sustenance but also spiritual cleansing. Riverbanks have always been sacred spaces for men and women alike. In Nepal, married women observe the annual Swasthani ritual by fasting for twenty-four hours without a drop of water, praying for their husbands’ long lives. This ritual, performed on the banks of the Salinī River near Kathmandu, is deeply spiritual—but the river itself is polluted, posing serious health risks. Women with weakened immunity during fasting often suffer from waterborne diseases, a reminder that the environment must remain clean and pure.

Similarly, Maithil women celebrate the great folk festival Chhath by fasting for over thirty-six hours. Water is essential to this festival, yet most rivers, rivulets, and ponds used for the rituals are highly polluted. The health risks are immense. Still, Maithil women demonstrate remarkable environmental consciousness: they sanctify and purify the riverbanks, create beautiful aripan folk art, and burn sandalwood and incense to purify the surroundings. Religious devotion and environmental care are deeply intertwined in their practices. This cultural heritage reflects a duty to hand over a clean, healthy environment to future generations.

Tree worship, too, is integral to Nepali culture. Women venerate banyan trees on Batsavitri, and mango and mahua trees during marriage ceremonies—a tradition of tree cults that has endured for centuries. The message is clear: protecting green trees is essential for a pollution-free environment. Yet today, deforestation threatens Nepal’s once-famous forests. The old slogan, “Green forests are Nepal’s wealth,” feels like a memory, as brutal tree-cutting continues. One poet pleaded:

“O woodcutter,

Do not cut me.

I will give you shade,

I will give you shadow.”

This intertwining of nature and spirituality can be seen in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, once a lush grove described as an earthly paradise. Yet archaeologists—both Nepali and foreign—have focused only on material remains, ignoring the study of ancient landscapes. The same neglect applies to sacred gardens in Janakpur, such as Manimandap and Tirhutiya Gachhi, and in Siraha, where the historic Salhes garden (Raja Phoolbari) flourishes with medicinal plants and trees. Local myths speak of miraculous flowers and divine apparitions, yet these sites remain unexplored, under threat from encroachment, and absent from tourism initiatives. Remarkably, in Salhes garden, a single woman priest continues to safeguard the ecological environment—an extraordinary tradition linking women directly to nature.

UNESCO’s role in environmental protection has also been noteworthy. Its work in Chitwan and Sagarmatha National Parks has set important examples, combining heritage conservation with biodiversity protection. By involving indigenous communities, UNESCO has fostered connections between heritage tourism, sustainability, and conservation. It also supports government policy-making and encourages dialogue on future challenges such as climate change, sustainable tourism, and digital transformation.

Who doesn’t love a good dessert after a meal? There’s something so immensely satisfying about tucking into a gooey cake or soft ice cream after a hearty lunch or dinner. We really believe it helps your tummy settle and uplifts your mood. Here are three places we think you shouldn’t miss out on if you are looking for something sweet to make you or your friends happy.

Lakuri Cafe

They make the most delicious cakes and scones. Take our word for it, you won’t be disappointed. Located in Baluwatar, Lakuri Cafe baked treats are perfect for any occasion. We recommend their soft breads and carrot cake. Their cupcakes too are a delight. The good thing about the items here is that they aren’t too sweet but hit just the right notes.

Cinnabon 

Cinnabon is a renowned bakery brand that has outlets in over 50 countries. Now, you can try their delicious cakes and drinks at Sanepa in Lalitpur. Mostly known for their rich cinnamon rolls, Cinnabon’s drinks are to die for as well. The buns are slightly on the sweeter side so you might want to share the treat with a friend or your partner.

Donut Drool

Donuts make for a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. They are the quintessential sweet treat that no one can turn away from. Though there are many places that make good donuts (Like Herman Helmers on Saturday and The Workshop Eatery), we recommend Donut Drool for the variety and affordable prices. 

I don’t like to spend a lot of time taking care of my hair and skin which is why I’m always interested in beauty hacks. But they can be tricky as not everything that you find on Instagram or Pinterest actually works. However, there are some tried and tested tips and tricks that have come to my rescue and I’m sharing them with you.

Onion for the scalp

Onion is a great remedy for hair growth and scalp health as it has sulphur and antioxidants. My mother rubs a raw onion on her scalp. It takes care of dryness, flakes, and makes your hair strong and silky in the long run. Earlier, she used to boil chopped onions with oil and use that on her hair. But she found out that rubbing a raw onion works equally well. There are various products in the market that claim to make your hair stronger and smoother, and they all have onion in their list of ingredients. But you don’t have to buy these expensive products when a kitchen remedy is just as effective. One thing I do recommend however is an onion hair mask. Use it once a week or on a biweekly basis for thick, lustrous hair. Simply extract some onion juice and mix it with coconut or rosemary oil and massage your scalp with it an hour before washing your hair. You can also use a warm damp towel to wrap your hair after putting the oil to lock in the moisture. Another great option is to boil onion peels in water for 10 to 15 minutes and strain the mixture. Use this to rinse your hair after washing it. It will make your hair shiny.

Rice water for glowing skin

One of my friends got rid of dry patches and inflamed facial skin with an easy remedy that her grandmother taught her. Now, she readily shares the secret with anyone who asks. Her grandmother told her to freeze rice water (the water from the first rinse) in ice trays and rub a cube on her face twice a day. Just this one simple thing and her skin, she says, has never seen better days. I tried it and it works. Your skin feels refreshed and supple too. I use an ice roller for that as it just feels easier and more accessible than wrapping an ice cube in muslin and using that. You can get really cheap ice rollers in the market or even order one online. If you want an extra dose of freshness, add a few crushed rose petals to the rice water before freezing it. This simple hack is good for both dry and oily skin. It is also believed to be anti-aging as rice water tightens your skin and helps close open pores. If you don’t like rubbing ice on your face what you can do is make a rice water toner and dab it on your face with cotton balls after cleansing it with a mild face wash.

Vaseline to the rescue

This is one product that is so multifunctional that you must keep a tub at home at all times. It can be used by both men and women for a variety of purposes. A friend uses it to style and shape his beard and keep it looking nice. The trick, he says, is to use just a smidgen otherwise it can look greasy. It is also an excellent replacement for hair gels that can be a bit harsh. It gives your hair a wet, slick look. Use it to lock in moisture in dry areas like elbows, knees, and heels, and to tame flyaways and eyebrows. The most common use of Vaseline is as a lip balm but it can also be used as a great cuticle oil or moisturizer. If you dye your hair at home, rub a generous amount of Vaseline on your hairline to keep the dye from getting on your skin. Another friend I know has stopped buying makeup removers. She says Vaseline does the job effectively at less than half the price. The one trick I found most fascinating was dabbing a bit of Vaseline on your pulse points before spraying perfume. It makes your fragrances last longer. I also recently found out that you can use Vaseline to buff leather shoes, and make them shine. You can also put them on squeaky hinges and rub them over stuck zippers to fix them. 

When I was a child, I remember sitting on the sofa with my mother to watch Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s ‘Khana Khazana’. Mamu used to be armed with a pad and a pen (which had a bright blue cap that I found fascinating for some reason) and she would diligently write down the recipes as Kapoor guided her (among thousands of other viewers) through them.

This ritual wasn’t just limited to my house. Many of my friends too were going through the same routine at home, with their mothers. Sanjeev Kapoor was a household name and the delicious dishes our mothers whipped up at parties and get-togethers were often attributed to him. Mamu had a famous stuffed veggies recipe that our relatives had come to anticipate whenever we had them over for dinner (which was quite frequently back then as my dad loved hosting). She got the recipe from Kapoor’s famous show but it had taken her a while to master it (with some tweaks) so she didn’t hesitate to claim it as her own. 

Many of the dishes my mother made came from a thick black leather bound notebook, the pages of which were filled with recipes from ‘Khana Khazana’. I sometimes wish we had had the foresight to save that diary but it got lost as we moved homes. Back then, once my mother had memorized the recipes I guess we didn’t consider it as invaluable as I have come to think of it now.

Spoilt for choice

The good thing now is that everything that was once on that food journal of sorts can be found online. Though Sanjeev Kapoor will always be mamu’s favorite chef, there are many great chefs who share their wonderful creations freely with others on social media. Chefs like Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar, and Kunal Kapoor among others share many recipes that appeal to our Nepali palate. 

Food content creators on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook also provide simple recipes for daily, wholesome meals. You no longer need to sit in front of the television, at a scheduled hour, to learn how to cook. Mamu thinks it’s a miracle and often wonders why people my age and younger don’t take advantage of this and still prefer to eat out. However, things have changed after Covid-19. Though there are many restaurants opening up, people also love to cook and host at home. And the wealth of information we have available online has made great dinner parties possible. 

Over the past few years, I have been diligently collecting recipes from YouTube channels of Indian Chefs as well as saving reels of simple recipes on Instagram. My best friend shared a really long google docs full of recipes from all over the world and I was inspired to do the same. However, while food content creator’s recipes are fun and easy to replicate, the charm of learning from the top chefs is entirely different.

Learning from the pros

My first stint with online cooking lessons began with Ranveer Brar’s YouTube channel. His engaging banter makes learning to cook fun and less like a chore. I started watching them during the pandemic lockdowns and I became quite a pro in the kitchen, if I might say so myself. The thing with learning from the top chefs is that they inevitably teach you to be a good cook by arming you with skills that quick recipes never provide. For example, Brar taught me that cooking with coriander stems brings out its flavor while the leaves are used for garnishing purposes. 

He said if you put coriander leaves in curry while it's cooking, the flavor gets lost in it. Whereas if you add the stem part, it cooks with the curry and gives a nice taste and aroma. I didn’t know that and all these years, I had been recklessly adding whole coriander to curries. 

Chefs like Brar might seem intimidating at first. After all, they do everything so effortlessly. But overtime, you will come to emulate their techniques and understand your spices and other ingredients. I like how Brar keeps things simple. He never tells you that you need a specific ingredient to make something. He gives you alternatives. I mean, you can’t do without ‘imli’ to make ‘sambar’ but besides the absolute essentials, everything can be substituted with something else or simply not used. Great cooks give you that flexibility.

Making learning fun

I must confess that I never thought cooking could be fun. I thought of it as a mindless chore. My favorite line while growing up used to be, “Why cook for two hours for a meal you will finish in 20 minutes?” Mamu always said she enjoyed cooking because it calmed her. It was meditative. I never understood that until a few years ago. I remember Sanjeev Kapoor made cooking feel like a fun activity on his show. He enjoyed it and he wanted others to enjoy it too. It’s the same with Brar. He cooks at such a leisurely pace and his body language is so relaxed and comfortable that it makes you want to do the same when you are in the kitchen. Over time, watching him take his time in the kitchen, I too have started taking things slow. Now I don’t rush through the washing and chopping, choosing instead to savor the process and feel the different textures. The beauty of turning to the pros and not looking for shortcuts is that they really teach you that cooking can be a mindful act—something that you can enjoy and use as a relaxation technique.

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Top favorite chefs

I have mentioned Ranveer Brar repeatedly so I’m going to skip him here. But these are my other three favorite chefs who I think can  teach even the most uninitiated some really cool cooking basics and tricks.

Kunal Kapoor

If you want to learn how to make amazing kebabs and curries, look no further. His is the only YouTube channel you will need. Apart from that, he also teaches you to whip up some unique chutneys and drinks.

Shirpa Khanna

Best known for winning the MasterChef India title when she was just 29, Shripa Khanna’s YouTube channel is an eclectic mix of mouthwatering recipes. If you want to learn to cook different kinds of Indian dishes, this can help.

Harpal Singh

He is an Indian chef and restaurateur. His YouTube channel is a fun one with recipes you are not likely to hear of elsewhere. One of my favorites is the ‘Spinach Corn Potato Boats’ that is easy to make, filling, and nutritious.