Wild horses wouldn't drag me there was my first response when my friend suggested we head for the Patanjali store, placed awkwardly in the midst of a particularly traffic-congested and honking-infested stretch on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road in south-west Delhi. While I had been hearing rave reviews of the products, I, like many others, found it hard to take the word of a man not exactly known for his product development skills.

As a rule, I don't trust god-men and would stay as far away as possible. So I told my friend that the man fails to inspire confidence in me and I wouldn't ...