In India, getting tanned is not just a beauty hazard--it's a sin

Hai! Kitni kali ho gayi hai.

Sarwat Fatima Sarwat Fatima
जुलाई 24, 2017
Tanning is much dreaded in India. But, for reasons quite ridiculous. Photo Courtesy: YouTube/ NihalSawant

 

India is a country obsessed with fair skin. So, while women around the world are going to tanning salons to make their skin look a shade or two darker--in India, we are doing everything we can to avoid getting tanned. That includes lathering on layers of sunscreen and resembling a mummy with scarves tied around the face. However, it's imperative to note that getting tanned is this country is not just a beauty hazard. It has much graver implications to it.

For instance, it means…

Hai! Kitni Kali Ho Gayi Hai

Though, the people in India worship Goddess 'Kali', when the same word is used for average Indian women, it turns into a profanity. Yup, how many times you heard a neighbourhood aunty say, "Hai! Kitni kali ho gayi," with such distaste that you ended up feeling bad about yourself?

Yes, it's summer and tanning is inevitable. But, stop making it sound like it's a crime. So, what if your complexion looks a shade or two darker? It doesn't lessen your beauty and it should not turn you into an outcast.

Who Will Marry You?

Somehow, the complexion of a woman is directly proportional to the number of suitors she would meet. So, according to this twisted logic--fairer the girl is, more are the chances of her meeting a handsome prince. But, it you are dark-skinned--kiss your chances goodbye because that's not gonna happen! Really, what absurdity is this?

Sadly, it's not just something that you see just on screen or in advertisements. It happens around us all the time. The female clan in most families is scared to death that their daughters would turn into old hags without a man willing to marry them. And why? Just because the sun decided to kiss their skin in the month of June.

Home Remedies Are Your Saviour

So, what's your favourite trick to get rid of tanning? Is it mixing honey with besan or just rubbing lemons on your face? In summer, young girls are bombarded with tones of unsolicited advice on how to safeguard their complexion. Though, some of these home remedies are futile and don't work at all--the female bunch is pestered to try them anyway to reap benefits.

The problem here is that tanning sure is a concern in the scorching summer months and it's best to protect your skin from the harsh UV rays for its own good. But, the intention behind it should stem from the concern for your skincare and not what the neighbourhood aunties will think or in hopes for a prospective groom.

Also read: Sonam Kapoor's argument to endorsing fairness creams is just bullsh*t

Also read: My parlour aunty wanted me to look like Snow White on my wedding day. The problem was, I didn't

 

लगातार ऑडनारी खबरों की सप्लाई के लिए फेसबुक पर लाइक करे      

Copyright © 2024 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today. India Today Group