Afghan Snow.

In these horrible times through which Afghanistan is traversing, it would be a pleasant diversion to remember India's first beauty cream and its royal Afghan connection!

The other day my 70-plus year-old friend called me, "Have you heard of Afghan Snow.....while you write all about war, chaos, Taliban etc, you must write about India's first beauty cream and its Afghan connection". And the bell started ringing in my mind.

We know all about "Kabuliwala" and Afghani almonds and other nuts, this beauty cream was the essential part of most of the household of Indians - from rural to urban. I remember the cream, as white as snow, was used by my mother and grandmother's generations. Though it was branded as Afghan Snow, it was manufactured in India.

And the story goes when Afghanistan's king Zahir Shah, visited United India in 1919, a young entrepreneur Ebrahim Sultanali Patanwala presented a hamper with all of E.S.Patanwala beauty products. Inside the parcel was a jar of pearly white cream without any name. His majesty was impressed and commented that it reminded him of the snow in Afghanistan.

Patanwala then asked if the cream could be named 'Afghan Snow' - a request the king readily agreed to. From then "Afghan Snow" became the first beauty cream made in India. In fact, in its early years of production, the packaging mentioned the connection with the King of Afghanistan.

Soon Patanwala's offerings gradually drew patronage from the English gentry and the princes of India. Maharaja Gwalior and Maharaja Kota became a part of his choice patrons. According to the company's web site https://afghan-snow.com/front/about during the Swadeshi Movement when Mahatma Gandhi took a pledge to boycott foreign goods, Afghan snow was erroneously listed in the list of foreign goods but later none other than Mahatma Gandhi endorsed its Indianness.

Soon it would go on to become one of the most popular household beauty creams in United India with a tagline, "Your mirror reflects.....The True You". And it was popular in Afghanistan too. 

Patanwala used Raj Kapoor, Nargis and Kathak dancer Sitara Devi to first sponsor the Afghan Snow Navy Ball in Bombay. First Miss India concert was sponsored by Afghan Snow in 1952. Ms Indrani Rehman was the winner of the event. Most Hindi film actresses including Devika Rani, appeared in Afghan Snow advertisements. The brand held the vast market share till the early '80s.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan was in turmoil. King Zahir Shah was deposed and his cousin and the prime minister Mohammed Daoud Khan overthrew his regime and became the President of the country. Daoud was assassinated in 1978, followed by the Soviet invasion. The series of events plunged Afghanistan into the ongoing turmoil.

Afghan Snow became the "vanishing" cream in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime.

The last king of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah returned to his country after three decades, in 2002 to inspire hope among his people that their shattered homeland can be rebuilt in a new era of peace.

Afghan Snow is still there but has become obsolete. It could not keep up with the changing times of competitive markets and by the end of 1980s, it was taken over by bigger brands. But like Afghanistan, Afghan Snow is also fighting for survival.

- Adapted from the Daily Hunt 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Took off in Hameed's auto rickshaw to the Geeyem Motors to collect our Chevy. The return drive through the rain was smooth and I got the Pollution Under Control Certificate taken, short of Chovvallurpadi.

Participated in the Aazhchakkoottam : "Governments through terrorism" by TP Srinivasan, IFS, Former Indian Ambassador to the US from 1600 to 1715 hrs. It was a refreshing interaction.

A rainy day, when Thrissur was on Yellow Alert!