Assignment: Read the text; find the Russian matches to the names of different types of yoga

Many places in South India offer classes and courses in various types of yoga, often with a meditation component. The most common yoga forms are: hatha (following the shatkarma system of postures and meditation), ashtanga (following the ‘eight limbs’ system of postures and meditation), pranayama (controlled yogic breathing), and Iyengar (a variation of ashtanga yoga using physical aids for advanced postures).

Text 3. TRADITIONAL CLOTHING

Assignment: Read the text; explain why some of the names of the dress elements are printed in italic and some are not

Commonly worn by Indian women, the elegant sari comes in a single piece (between 5 m and 9 m long and 1 m wide) and is ingeniously tucked and pleated into place without the need for pins or buttons. Worn with the sari is the choli (tight-fitting blouse) and a drawstring petticoat. The palloo is that part of the sari draped over the shoulder. Also widely worn by South Indian women is the salwar kameez, a traditional dresslike tunic and trouser combination accompanied by it dupatta (long scarf).

Traditional attire for men in South India includes the lungi and the mundu. The lungi is roughly like a sarong, with its end usually sewn up like a tube, while the mundu is like a lungi but is always white.

There are regional and religious variations in costume - for example, you may see Muslim women wearing the all-enveloping burka.

Text 3. THE SPIDERY ART OF MEHNDI

Assignment: Read and translate the text paying special attention to the explanation of the main exotic notion described in the text.

Mehndi is the traditional art of painting a woman’s hands (and sometimes feet) with intricate henna designs for auspicious ceremonies, such as marriage. If quality henna is used, the design, which is orange-brown, can last up to one month. The henna usually fades faster the more you wash it and apply lotion.

In touristy areas, mehndi-wallahs are adept at doing henna tattoo ‘bands’ on the arms, legs and even the navel area. If you’re thinking about getting mehndi applied, allow at least a couple of hours for the design process and required drying time (during drying you can’t use henna-applied hands).

It’s always wise to request the artist to do a ‘test’ spot on your arm before proceeding, as nowadays some dyes contain chemicals that can cause allergies or even permanent scarring. If good henna is used, you should not feel any pain during or after the procedure.

Text 4. SOUTH INDIAN CUISINE

Assignment: Read and translate the text paying special attention to the peculiarities of the South Indian cuisine which requires explanation of numerous exotic spices, products, technologies. How is it done in the text?

Through its cuisine, you’ll discover that South India is a heavenly banquet expressed in a symphony of colours, aromas, flavours and textures. Traditional South Indian food is markedly different to that of the north; however, both are comprised of regionally diverse dishes, all with their own preparation techniques and ingredients.

Although South Indian meals may at times appear quite simple - mounds of rice and dishes of samdar (soupy lentils), spiced vegetables, plain curd and a splodge of pickles, all served on a banana-leaf plate, within this deceptive simplicity hides a sensual and complex array of taste sensations and time-honoured recipes. Add to this the distinct regional variations – from the colonial-influenced fare of Goa to the traditional seafood specialties of Kerala - along with a bounty of exotic fruits and vegetables - and there’s more than enough to get the taste buds tingling.

Those craving North Indian food won’t have to look far to find succulent tandoori creations, mattar paneer (peas and unfermented cheese in gravy), butter chicken and piping hot naan, as they’re available at numerous South Indian restaurants and hotels. Meanwhile, travellers pining for familiar fast food will find American-style burger and pizza joints scattered throughout the south, with the most variety found in the larger cities such as Mumbai (Bombay), Bengaluru (Bangalore) and Chennai (Madras). Tourist haunts, such as Goa, get special kudos when it comes to satiating foreign palates, with eateries offering everything from banana pancakes and honey-drizzled porridge for breakfast, to spinach ravioli and chicken stroganoff for dinner.

Rice.Without a doubt, rice is the staple grain in South India. It’s served with virtually every meal, and is used to make anything and everything from idlis (spongy rice cakes) and dosas (large savoury crepes) to exquisite mithai (Indiansweets).

After China, India is the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of rice, and the majority of it is grown in the south. Long-grain white rice is the most common and is served boiled with any ‘wet’ dish, usually a thali in the south. In can be cooked up in a pulao (or pilaf; spiced rice dish) or in a spicy biryani, or simply flavoured with a dash of turmeric or saffron.

Spices.Spices are integral to any South Indian dish and the subcontinent boasts some of the finest. Indeed Christopher Columbus was searching for the famed black pepper of Kerala’s Malabar Coast when he stumbled upon America.

Turmeric is the essence of most Indian curries, but coriander seeds are the most widely used spice, and lend flavour and body to just about every savoury dish. Most Indian ‘wet’ dishes - commonly known as curries in the West - begin with the crackle of cumin seeds in hot oil. Tamarind is sometimes known as the ‘Indian date’ and is a particularly popular souring agent in the south. The green cardamom of Kerala’s Western Ghats is regarded as the world’s best, and you’ll find it in savoury dishes, desserts and warming chai (tea). Saffron, the dried stigmas of crocus flowers grown in Kashmir, is so light it takes more than 1500 hand-plucked flowers to yield just 1g. Cinnamon, curry leaves, nutmeg and garlic are also widely used in cooking.

A masala is a blend of dry-roasted ground spices (the word loosely means ‘mixed’), the most popular being garam masala (hot mix), a combination of up to 15 spices used to season dishes.

Red chillies are another common ingredient. Often dried or pickled (in rural areas you may see chillies laid out to dry on the roadside), they are used as much for flavour as for heat.

Fruit, Vegetables & Pulses.A visit to any Indian market will reveal a vast and vibrant assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, overflowing from large baskets or stacked in neat pyramids. The south is especially well known for its abundance of tropical fruits such as pineapples, papaya and mangoes. Naturally in a region with so many vegetarians, sabzi (vegetables) make up a predominant part of the diet, and they’re served in a variety of inventive ways. Potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, spinach and carrots are some of the most commonly used vegies, but you’ll rarely see them simply boiled up and plopped on your plate. They can be fried, roasted, curried, baked, mashed and stuffed into dosas or wrapped in batter to make deep-fried pakoras (fritters). Something a little more unusual is the bumpy-skinned karela (bitter gourd) which, like bhindi (okra), is commonly prepared dry with spices.

Pulses - lentils, beans and peas - are another major South Indian staple as they form the basis for dhal, the lentil-based dish served with every thali meal.

Dhal.Dhal, along with rice, is a mainstay of the South Indian diet. Dhal refers to a wide range of pulse dishes, commonly made from lentils, but also from certain beans as well as chickpeas. The pulses are boiled or simmered, then mixed with spices tempered in hot oil or ghee (clarified butter) and perhaps vegetables. The most common forms of dhal in South India are sambar and tuvar (yellow lentils).

Breads.Although traditional-style breads are more commonly associated with North India, you’ll certainly encounter them at many restaurants in the south. Roti, the generic term for Indian-style bread, is a name used interchangeably with chapati to describe the most common variety: the irresistible unleavened round bread made with whole-wheat flour and cooked on a tawa (hotplate). Naan is thicker and cooked in a tandoor (clay oven), while paratha is unleavened flaky bread often found in street stalls.

Dosas & Snacks.A much-loved classic of the south, the dosa is a crepe like mixture of fermented rice flour and dhal cooked on a griddle. It’s traditionally served with a bowl of hot, orange sambar and another bowl of mild coconut chatni (chutney). The ubiquitous masala dosa is stuffed with spiced potatoes, onions and curry leaves. Don’t miss it!

Breakfast in South India often consists of idlis, vadas (deep-fried savoury doughnuts, made of lentils) or uttappams (thick savoury rice-flour pancakes with finely chopped onions, green chillies, coriander and coconut). These can also be eaten at any time of the day as tiffin, an all-purpose Raj-era term for between-meal snacks.

Meat & Fish.Although South Indian Hindus are largely vegetarian, fish is a staple food in coastal regions. South India is the undisputed ‘fish basket’ of the nation; in seaside areas of Goa and Kerala you can watch fishermen hauling in the day’s catch, which may include tuna, mackerel, kingfish, pomfret, lobster and prawns. In Goa and Kerala, significant Christian populations mean you can find pork and even beef dishes. Chicken is widely available through the region in nonvegetarian restaurants, while goat is particularly popular in Andhra Pradesh.

Dairy.Milk and milk products make a staggering contribution to Indian cuisine: dahi (curd/yoghurt) is served with most meals and is handy for countering chilli-hot food; paneer is a godsend for the vegetarian majority; the popular lassi (yoghurt-based drink) is just one in a host of nourishing sweet and savoury beverages; ghee is the traditional and pure cooking medium, and the best sweets are made with milk. About 60% of milk consumed in India is buffalo milk, a richer, high-protein version, which many prefer to cow’s milk.

Sweets.India has a colourful jumble of mithai, often sticky and squishy, most of them sinfully sweet. The main categories are barfi (a fudgelike milk-based sweet), halwa (made with vegetables, cereals, lentils, nuts or fruit), ladoos (gramflour and semolina sweetmeats, usually ball-shaped) and those made from chhana (unpressed paneer) such as rasgulla (sweet cream-cheese balls flavoured with rose-water). There are also simpler - but equally scrumptions - offerings such as jalebis (orange-coloured whorls of deep-fried batter dunked in syrup) and gulab jamuns (deep-fried balls of dough soaked in rose-flavoured syrup).

Payasam (called kheer in the north) is one of India’s favourite desserts. It’s a rice pudding with a light, delicate flavour, and might include cardamom, saffron, pistachios, flaked almonds, cashews or dried fruit. Kulfi is a firm-textured ice cream that’s especially popular in Mumbai. It’s made with reduced milk and flavoured with any number of nuts, fruits and berries. In the hill areas of Maharashtra you’ll find chikki, a rock-hard, ultrasweet concoction of peanuts and jaggery coffee.

Paan.Meals are often rounded off with paan, a fragrant mixture of betel nut (also called areca nut), lime paste, spices and condiments wrapped in an edible, silky paan leaf. Peddled by paan-wallahs, who are usually strategically positioned outside busy restaurants, paan is eaten as a digestive and mouth-freshener. The betel nut is mildly narcotic and some aficionados eat paan the same way heavy smokers consume cigarettes - over the years these people’s teeth can become rotted red and black.

There are two basic types of paan: mitha (sweet) and saadha (with tobacco). A parcel of mitha paan is a splendid way to finish a satisfying meal. Pop the whole parcel in your mouth and chew slowly, letting the juices secrete around your gob.

Text 6. CRETAN VENDETTAS