Its not just Archies Greeting Cards and mobile phone companies that keep track of occasions like Mothers Day. I recently received an e-mail from a new spa suggesting I should spend the day pampering myself with massages,peels,exfoliation and the works,at half the cost of course,this being May,the month when Delhi empties out. Indians in metros now put a high priority on self indulgence,if one goes by the sheer numbers of spas in Delhi (in the last year,over 50 day spas have opened and every hotel now offers a dedicated spa service). More importantly,there are spas at every level,to suit every budget: The Aman offers a spectacular Khidmat Massage,a heady mix of sandalwood oil and pomegranate for Rs 7,000,while the Thailand chain,Harnn in Delhi and Mumbai has equally good treatments at half the cost. Asian Roots,which started off more as a beauty parlour,is hugely popular as well. Our tradition of Ayurvedic treatments may be thousands of years old,but it is only recently that Indians have wholeheartedly embraced the idea of me-time,by spending serious money on these new therapies. Real estate developers have begun to advertise spa rooms as an incentive in the condominiums they sell and a gift coupon,of a day at a super deluxe spa,is considered a fabulous and thoughtful gift. With some smart marketing,spas are perceived as beneficial to your health,and sure,a massage does work as a temporary stress buster,but its hardly going to alter anyones life span. Personally,Ive never understood how regular working people will trek through maddening traffic on their day off to spend half a day at a spa. The effort itself,I imagine,would negate the value of the massage. The reason that people do,is that a massage creates the illusion that youve done something good for yourself,like a workout. Except youre not burning any calories. Still,compare it to the alternative forms of entertainment available to us,like hanging around a mall,where you will inevitably end up eating things you shouldnt,and suddenly,the money spent at a spa doesnt seem wasted after all. For those who are too lazy to go out for a massage,try logging onto www.lsahomecare.com,a service that will provide you a world class massage in your own home. Set up by an enterprising Corsican girl,the masseurs arrive half an hour before the appointed time and transform your room into a luxurious,if makeshift spa room,complete with aroma therapy candles and soft music. There are worse ways to lose Rs 2,000. (hutkayfilms @gmail.com ) (Starting today,Leher Kala takes a quirky look at social trends and life in general in her weekly column.)
