Contemporary Pakistani fashion designers combine traditional styles with global trends.

Currying Flavor

Curried lamb chops is a popular meal in South Asia. Mutton and chicken are other frequently eaten meats.

Although they are sometimes spicy enough to burn all but the toughest mouths, most curries delight the palate with a complex and interesting assortment of flavors and tastes. VINDALOO is a particularly hot curry dish.

Along with curries, South Asians enjoy preparations of lentils, split peas, and other legumes. Though not likely to be as hot as curries, these dishes nonetheless incorporate a variety of interesting spices. SAMOSAS, deep-fried pastry-pockets stuffed with vegetables and spices, also accompany many South Asian meals. Cinnamon, cumin, pepper, mustard seed, and coriander are only a few of the many spices that South Asians use, in varying proportions, in most of their dishes.

No South Asian meal is complete without bread. There are dozens of varieties of bread available. Most resemble nan, a small flat circle of delicious wheat bread. Some breads incorporate vegetables or cheese, and others may be deep fried. In South Asia, it is not uncommon for a person to enjoy a different bread with dinner every night for several weeks.

The Rice Stuff

Nan and roti are popular breads in India, often flavored with cheeses and vegetables.

Among South Asians, yogurt is a popular alternative to raw milk. A drink called LASSI — made of yogurt, water, and other flavorings, such as mangoes or strawberries — can help put out the fire of a particularly spicy vindaloo.

Many South Asian religions impose restrictions on what their practitioners may eat. For instance, many Hindus believe that cows are sacred and must not be killed or harmed. Although cow milk is popular, many South Asians refuse to eat beef. Some religions forbid potatoes, whereas others restrict the use of any spices at all, encouraging their ascetic practitioners to avoid the pursuit of physical pleasure even during mealtime.

An important and favorite fruit of South Asia, the mango is called the "King of Fruit" eaten fresh by more people around the world than any other.

Many South Asians practice vegetarianism. The religious principle of ahimsa, or nonviolence — a principle shared by Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and others — forbids the killing of any animal. People who practice ahimsa, therefore, must never eat the flesh of any animal. Vegetarianism has recently become popular in the West, but there have been vegetarians in South Asia for many centuries.

Despite the widespread popularity of vegetarianism in South Asia, Western chains such as McDonald's have started to appear in the region in recent years. Some South Asians strongly resent the intrusion of such restaurants into their culture, but the restaurants are doing well. Of course, because many South Asians refuse to eat beef, McDonald's has had to offer lamb-burgers along with their hamburgers.

South Asian Fashion: East Meets West

Fashion designer J.J. Valaya is to India what Ralph Lauren is to the United States.

Indian women traditionally wear saris — colorful garments that hang from one shoulder and wrap around the waist to form a skirt. Ornate designs and vibrant dyes make saris pleasing to the eye, and South Asian women find them both comfortable and practical.

Muslim women who observe purdah, the system of keeping men and women separate, must cover themselves completely when they go out in public. They will likely wear veils and long robes, placed so that not one inch of skin shows.

Some South Asian men still opt for DHOTIS, loincloths formed by wrapping long pieces of cotton fabric around their waists and between their legs. But, Western dress has outstripped dhotis in popularity among both the urban and even the rural populations of South Asia.

In addition to clothing, South Asian women often decorate their bodies with BINDIS, jewelry that is glued directly to the skin. One kind of bindi is the TILAK, a dot of makeup or jewelry worn on the forehead. Women wear round red dots; men wear elongated ones. Some Hindus believe that this spot is the location of a third, spiritual eye that great and accomplished yogis learn to open. Marking this spot with a bindi is a symbol of religious devotion.

Lord of the Dance

Kay Poursine

A classical style of Indian dance, Bharata natyam is derived from religious rituals.

Westerners may not realize it, but a South Asian dancer may be telling the story of the god Krishna stealing butter as a young child, or of the passionate reunion of the god Rama and his wife, Sita.

The sitar is a popular instrument in South Asian music.

Dance has religious significance in South Asia as well. The god Shiva is sometimes called NATARAJA, which means "Lord of the Dance." Some Hindus believe that when Shiva took his first dance step, the universe began. They also believe that the universe will continue only as long as Shiva continues to dance.

Of course, music always accompanies dancing. South Asian musicians use a wide variety of instruments unfamiliar to most Westerners. Flutes, drums, and stringed instruments combine to produce music that can be dramatic, soothing, mysterious, or comforting.

One popular form of South Asian music is the Hindu raga. A raga consists of a musical theme that represents a particular religious feeling. Several musicians will take up this basic theme, expressed by a system of notes, and improvise around it.

In the Hindu tradition, women gather to paint the hands and feet of the bride-to-be. Mehndi is just one of the beautiful rituals of the Hindu wedding ceremony.

Much like American jazz musicians, raga players draw upon a number of familiar progressions and an established framework. Even within that framework, though, they have a lot of freedom to make up the music as they go along.

Western popular music has influenced modern popular South Asian music, of course. Bands featuring electric guitars, drum sets, trumpets and other instruments from Western musical tradition often accompany South Indian lead singers.

It's easy enough to see the influence of Western fashions and food in the suits, the fast-food restaurants, and the pop music, but South Asian culture is having an influence on the rest of the world, too.

In the West, people have started painting themselves with mehndi designs in henna. The Beatles and other musicians have long appreciated and incorporated South Asian music into their own. And people flock to Indian restaurants for a taste of the rich, spicy cuisine — just don't forget to have the waiter bring a pitcher of water before you start eating.

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