Uganda, Feb. 18 -- An old tradition has now turned into a luxurious and even lucrative commerce. While many old traditions are weathering away, the Hammam traditional steam bath, is now featuring on the spa list of luxurious hotels and resorts. The price of this treatment in hotels varies from place to place, with an average of $100 per session.

In Iran of old times, many homes did not have a dedicated bathroom. There were only toilets and people used to go to a public bath once a week to bathe. I did not live in Iran, so I had this experience only once during a summer holiday visit. I found it interesting.

On the Hammam day morning, my aunt with whom we were staying, asked us to bring along a clean set of clothing we were going to wear...