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"Oh, here she comes." I could hear my brothers moan. 

I would be standing there inside the house, bucket in hand, to "cure" the floors. Come summer, and this used to be our practice. In the evenings, I would pour buckets of water in the rooms we used and let it stand for an hour or so. After that, I would sweep away the water or simply wipe the place dry. 

This used to make summer nights pleasant. All the heat that the floors soaked up during the day would have vanished after the "curing" and it would be oh-so-cool. 

But my family would grumble as they would have to wade in the water for an hour or so. 

I have my own systems to tackle summer heat that would mostly baffle or irritate my siblings. 

Apart from "curing" the floors of the house, I would water the whole area around the building. That was when Chennai could boast of water in summer. Water from our well would be refreshingly cool in the evenings and soak up all the heat around the house. And the gentle breeze in the evening would bring great relief as it touched the wet areas around the house. 

Though I swear by water therapy (this one means drinking water first thing in the morning) right through the year, in summer I also include juices and tender coconut water. And if we are travelling by a vehicle, I would insist on having a tender coconut at least once a day to beat the heat. 

Buttermilk is another 'must' to keep body heat down. 

A summer bath is not complete without a dash of rose water in the last mug. This helps to keep fresh right through the day. A friend once said she thought "panneer" was used only for abhishekams in temples! 

Keeping the skin happy during summer is tough. So everyday of the week would merit a different treatment for the face and hands. 

Sandalwood paste as face pack is ideal in summer. This makes the skin smooth and soft and safe from prickly heat. 

I also make a face pack at home with curd, kadalai maavu, turmeric, honey and lime. Once when I went to lift my nephew with this pack on, he rushed into the arms of his grandmother and I could not even laugh. But its effect on the skin is tremendous. The ingredients have the effect of cleansing and bleaching any tan acquired in the sun. 

Fresh salads are a must and become part of the lunch menu. But I also use the cut cucumber pieces on my face and eyes. "Look at her, what others eat, she puts on her face," would be my brothers' reaction. 

But once they break into prickly heat, they would rush to me for advice. 

I don't mind giving them tips (after all, what are sisters for?) like using the paste of sandalwood or kadukkai (Indian gallnut or inknut, also called har, harda or pilehar in Hindi, kadukka in Malayalam, kadukar or karakaya in Telugu, harithaki, pathya, sudha or poothana in Sanskrit) on the prickly heat to make it vanish in no time. 

My mother prepares an oil that we use right through the year to keep the body cool. It is made by boiling coconut oil and an equal amount of a paste of hibiscus, maruthaani and curry leaves (karuveppilai) and keezhvanelli and white karisalankanni. The thick black oil takes care of the hair and cools the system, though my brother would hold his nose and say, "Nathon" (Stinking). 

As we get all these ingredients from our garden, I even make a fresh paste and apply it on my head. Depending on how your system is, in an hour or so you can feel your eyes cool down and tension leave you as the paste soaks in. This only draws a disbelieving shake of the head from my brothers. "At this rate, you will live for 200 years," they would say. 

S Chitra

published on 10th May 2002