An evening brimming with energy, celebrations and champagne toasts, the second Pevonia asiaSpa India Awards at the Leela Kempinski Gurgaon were a toast to the brightest and best names in the spa industry. Here are some special moments from the show.

Conceptualised and hosted by asiaSpa India magazine, the awards are one of the most sought-after events in the Indian wellness calendar. Neelam Khanna of Ananda Spa was awarded asiaSpa Spa Personality; John Abraham won this year's asiaSpa Wellness Icon of the Year, while writer Shobhaa De was crowned the asiaSpa Spa Diva. An annual affair since 2007, the Pevonia asiaSpa India Awards are regarded as a benchmark of excellence for the wellness industry. The categories included Best Hotel Spa, Day Spa, Spa Treatment, Spa Personality, Spa Diva, Spa Manager and Spa Products. The award process was validated by reputed audit firm Grant Thornton.

The event was attended by a spa industry bigwigs like Dr. Issac Mathai, A K Sud and Abhit Sud of Amatrra, Ashok and Neelam Khanna of Ananda Spa, Ronnie Lobo of Radisson Hotel, Amar Agrawal head of Lladro India, Partho Dutta Gupta, head of Swatch Group, Sanjay Jain of de Grisogono, G Kannan of Timex, M H Khan of Vertu, Vinay Phadnis of Sahil Group of Industries, Arjun Sharma of Le Passage to India, Tarun Thakral of Hotel Le Meridian, Subhash Goel of Stic Travels, Vinay Luthra of the Karnataka state tourism department, Ram Kohli of Creative Travels and Dipak Haksar of ITC. A host of celebrities including Malaika Arora Khan, Aarti and Kailash Surendranath, Milind Soman, Rahul Dev, designer Ritu Beri, designer Raghvendra Rathore, designer Leena Singh, FDCI president Sunil Sethi, television personality Neeva Jain among others added a touch of glamour to the evening.

The awards, designed by Art D'Inox and asiaSpa India, were sculpted metallic stones stacked up on a wooden base, symbolizing the 'hot stones' that are popularly used in massage therapy in the spa industry. The awards presentation was punctuated with appearance by danseuse Saroja Vaidyanathan's troupe, a fashion show displaying designer duo Laconet-Hemant's organic cottons Ayurvastra garments and performances by well-known stand-up comedian Vikarm Sathaye who left everyone in splits every time he held center stage.

When it comes to skin care, don't play dumb. Smarten up. asiaSpa tells you how.

Serving up a cocktail of peace and pleasure for years, Club Med Bali is where you should head for good times.

Get up and close with Neelam Khanna who demystified spa culture in India with the first spa destination here, Ananda in the Himalayas. She is our Spa Personality.

Use the five elements of life to create a balance of holistic wellness in your home. AsiaSpa shows you some great ways to create a house charged up with positive energy.

Sip your favourite French wine on the terrace of this luxurious villa, overlooking the stunning Pampelonne Bay. Or sunbathe in its garden followed by a refreshing dip in its aquamarine swimming pool. Set on the hills of Saint-Tropez, this villa at French Riviera comes with the comforts of modern-day living. It has five bedrooms with en-suite shower or bathrooms and is equipped with centralised music system which plays your favourite music in every room and the garden area. Located close to the beach of Tahiti, it is just a short drive away from St. Tropez and is fully furnished. Laid with natural stone flooring, natural stone exterior terracing, secure property entrance gates, intercom link to the villa, the villa has two floors, ground and lower garden floor. There is a pool house comprising bar area, lounge, barbecue, shower house and a furnished pool terrace. The 14-metre pool can be heated according to guests' preferences. And your kids won't feel out-of-place, as there are AV systems, flat screen TVs and iPod dock. The property is perfect for a family holiday.

Escape the bustle of the city to enjoy some rare treats like Cashew and Moroccan Spice Body Scrub at Spa Oasis, The Grand, New Delhi.

Enjoy the hottest entrée in spa menu, hot stone therapy, at R the Spa at Radisson Hotel New Delhi.

Hills have always been a preferred destination for wellness. Discover a new you at Sansha Ayurvedic Health Spa, Jaypee Residency Manor, in the heart of picturesque Mussoorie.

Shark thrills, friendly dolphin experiences, scrumptious food, elegant abode, stylish boutiques… Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai is a fairytale in brick and mortar.

Ayurveda spas have found a new address, Goa. Let's take you to Svaastha Spa at Club Mahindra, Goa to tell you what else you can do in this beach state.

Chintz, archery and yoga, Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort in Thailand sprouts unlikely surprises for guests.

Looking for a perfect spa break? Head for Hotel Martinez on the palm-shaded beach promenade in Cannes.

Writer, columnist and media personality beyond compare, Shobhaa De embraces age with amazing grace. At peace with herself, De exercises moderation in everything. She's not into hectic gymming or personal trainers and yet it is evident that wellness is a part of her lifestyle. Her day is packed with activities that are "productive and enriching". De-stressing often with exotic rejuvenation routines like Dead Sea salt scrub, Thai reflexology treatments, Evian spa in France and caviar facials, she plans to try a Turkish hamam in Paris with her daughter Arundhati soon. She is our quintessential SPA DIVA.

Former editor of three cult celebrity magazines, De is a household name in India and has penned 15 best sellers, the latest being Superstar India-From Incredible to Unstoppable. She now writes a juicy blog at Blogspot.

Surrounded by lush mountains and blessed with cool climate, RarinJinda Wellness Spa Resort at Chiang Mai provides a brilliant escape this summer.

Tucked away in Bangalore, Angsana Day Spa is all about luxurious treatments, magnificent ambience and pure beauty and peace.

After winning accolades from spa lovers from all over the world, HARNN, the natural home spa products brand is here in India. Go indulge yourself.

Native to Bolivia, chillies come in a variety of species, ranging from the mild bell pepper, to the medium jalapeño to the rough-skinned naga jolokia or bhoot jholokia which are rated as the hottest in the world. Though considered vegetable, chillies are generally used as a spice in culinary delights. They have an interesting history too. Apparently, chillies owe it popularity to Christopher Columbus who in 1492 came across a plant cultivated by the Arawak Indians in Hispaniola. He was convinced that he had landed in India and referred to them as "pepper," an unrelated spice native to the subcontinent. He later wrote, "They deem it very wholesome and eat nothing without it." Columbus took chillies back to Spain. Within 50 years of Columbus' voyages, chillies became strongly associated with culinary pleasure of India, Japan and China owing to its spicy flavour. In India it is also used to ward off an evil eye.

The medicinal properties of chillies can be traced back to ancient Mayans civilization where chilies were incorporated into medicinal preparation to cure wound infection, gastrointestinal problems and ear aches. The fiery intensity of this fruit is due to chemicals cumulatively called capsinoid. This unlikely fruit is either eaten raw or cooked for its fiery hot flavour. In India, the dried chilies are used mostly as spice. It is also consumed as sauces, pickles and with snacks like bhaji where chillies are dipped in batter and fried. These are also eaten dried, roasted and salted. Besides its fiery taste, chillies are also loaded with nutrients. The fruit contains 40kcal energy, 8.8g carbohydrates, 5.3g sugar, 1.5g dietary fiber, 0.4g fat, 1.9g protein and 88g water. Moreover, they are also an excellent source of vitamin A, B6, C, iron, magnesium and potassium. While red chillies contain high amounts of vitamin C and carotene (vitamin A); the yellow and especially green chillies (which are essentially unripe fruit) contain a significantly lower amount of both vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin B6 and E present in chillies boost immunity and act as anti-oxidant.

Its tangy taste will make you passionate about anything sour! The juicy lemon will always leave you asking for more. The Citrus limon or lemon belongs to the family rutaceae. The origin of this sour fruit can be traced back to 10th century's Arabic treatise on farming in literature where it was cultivated as an ornamental plant in Islamic gardens. It slowly spread to the rest of the world through Arabs.

Used for both culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, the fruit is used mainly for its juice. The pulp and rind are also used, primarily in cooking and baking. Its sour flavour is so persuasive that it is also used in many lemon-flavoured drinks and candies. Lemon is used to make marmalade, lemonade, and as a garnish for drinks. The taste of mixed drinks, soft drinks, iced tea, and water are perked up by mixing lemon juice. The yellow wonder has also been used in traditional medicine owing to its amazing healing properties. In ancient time, the Romans used it as a remedy for all types of poison. It has excellent amounts of copper, magnesium, manganese, iron, phosphorous, potassium and calcium and traces of zinc and sodium. It also contains good level of vitamin C, thiamin, vitamin B6, riboflavin and pantothenic acid and hint of vitamin B2. It has been estimated that one fruit of lemon which is approximately 100g contains 22 calories of energy.

Thought acidic in nature, it is very effective in curing many digestion problems when mixed with hot water, including biliousness, nausea, heartburn, disorders of the lower intestines like constipation and worm infestations. It is also known to relieve hiccups. Lemon juice, when taken regularly in the morning, stimulates the liver to produce bile, making it ready to digest the day's food. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones. Because of its high vitamin C content, it boosts immunity and treats many infections, hasten wound healing and temper down high fever. Lemon juice also relieves symptoms of asthma, tonsillitis and sore throat. Being diuretic, it is good for people with urinary tract infections and high uric acid problems, such as those with arthritis or rheumatism. It helps flush out all the toxins and bad bacteria. The rich source of vitamin C the fruit helps in preventing gums bleeding and is excellent for skin. It helps to generate collagen and is antioxidant. Lemon juice with glycerin is effective when used on the lips to treat its chapping. It also helps prevent sunburn and freckles. Applying lemon juice lightens the skin also.

Lemons are also used as balms in highly concentrated forms to treat cough, colds and even hay fever. Balms are also used in the treatment digestive ailments, menstrual cramps, dizziness, headaches and high blood pressure. It also acts as mood enhancer and is known to calm anxieties.