India, Oct. 31 -- In more innocent times, the arrival of winter - signaled by that early-morning or late-night nip in the air - was something to be celebrated. In my childhood home, it meant that the razais, sweaters, coats, etc that had been packed away with mothballs would be disinterred ceremonially and laid out in the afternoon sunshine to get an 'airing'. My favourite activity as a child used to be to roll around on my mother's velvet jackets to enjoy the luxurious feel of the fabric.

These days, however, the arrival of winter (especially in Delhi where I now live) has become something to be dreaded rather than celebrated - given that it brings eye-watering (quite literally) levels of pollution with it. So, preparing for the winter ...