An ancient festival to honor & thank nature

Pongal or Indra vizha. Another of my column which I happily wrote when Swapna  requested. Thanks again for trusting me , Swapna. This was written for  & was first published in financial express. Here goes,

Pongal – An ancient festival to honor and thank Nature

Soaking in the beautiful view of the Western Ghats during our annual family road trip to

Agumbe, this winter vacation, I stopped by a farm land to pick up a few golden-hued rice stalks for dry décor. One of the farmers who was harvesting, generously gave me a few stalks and refused to take any money in return. The small talk I had with him made me realize farming is physically and mentally demanding with minimal returns. It also depends on handling uncertainties like weather and pests. So, when their toil yields, their first harvest is to the visible god, Mother Nature in the form of the thanksgiving festival — Pongal.

Origin

Most of us who grew up in cities with no village connection have not witnessed the real “Pongal” and it's festive vibes. The celebrations are rooted and followed ritually in the rural homes. Pongal in Tamizh means ‘overflow’. This festival dates back to the Sangam age when forms of nature were revered by man. Social Historians say, Pongal was referred as “Indra Vizha” in the ancient Chola sea port of Poompuhaar which is considered the birthplace of the festival.

Bhogi -The first day of the multi day festival is Bhogi Pongal. All things old are disposed and are burnt outside the house in a bonfire suggesting the end of the old and birth of the new. Houses are cleaned, whitewashed and decorated with first cut of paddy, mango leaves and kolams. This day Lord Indra, the rain god, is honoured whose other name is 'Bhogi’ . The festive spread for the day is payasam, vada and Puran poli along with the regular menu. Spiritually, this day defines that it is not enough to clean externally alone but, one has to clean the mind by burning old bad habits or thoughts and take a firm resolve to tread the path of love and purity.

Surya Pongal -The second day, the main day is Surya Pongal, thanksgiving to the Sun god and beginning of Tamizh month, Thai. The Sun enters the sign of Capricorn (Makara), marking end of winter and the arrival of spring. On this day, Chakkara Pongal (sweet) and Ven Pongal (spiced rice) are made with freshly harvested rice in a mud pot (pongu paanai) cooked on a mud stove (aduppu) in open courtyard where the whole family gathers. The neck of the pot is tied with turmeric and ginger plants, signifying auspiciousness and spice of life respectively. On either side of the pot two fully grown sugarcane plants are kept to signify the arrival of sweetness in life. When the cooked rice broth overflows out of the pot, it is called ‘Pongal’ (Tamizh for overflowing). The overflowing represents abundance and rich harvest. In joy, the people gathered around the pot unite and shout ‘Pongal-O-Pongal’. Some also chant the‘Aditya Hrudayam’ and do Surya Namaskar to the Sun God. To  accompany the pongal, a tangy spicy dish called ‘Ezhu Thaan Kootu’ (7 vegetable stew) is made of 7 seasonal native vegetables. The landlord distributes food, clothes, and money among the labourers who work for him. By being generous, sharing and treating workers well he, in turn, earns their loyalty and love. A noble act which should be our ideal at all times not just on Pongal, one of the key take aways from the festival.

Spiritually, the Sun itself symbolises all that the Pongal festival stands for. The message of light, unity, and impartiality. Without the Sun, life would perish on earth. It is regular in its work, and never claims any recognition. If we imbibe these virtues, we shall shine with equal divine lustre! The Sun joyously turns northward (Utttarayan) and moves towards us shedding light, warmth and infuses more life and energy.

Mattu pongal -The third day, Mattu Pongal, is to pay our thanks to the cow, revered as the mother of the universe. The cow is decorated, the horns are painted in vibrant colours. Mixed rice like lemon rice, coconut rice, and curd rice are made along with aviyal (vegetable medley in coconut gravy), and vadams(fryums). These dishes are arranged into a picnic hamper and carried to feast on the beaches, river banks or any picnic spots. Outing events like this helps in forging bonds between people. In the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, a bull taming contest called ‘Jalli kattu' is organized where strong men compete in taming a violent bull. If he tames the bull, he gets the prize money tied to the horns of the bull.

The sibling festival of ‘Kanu’ is also celebrated on this day. Sisters pray for the well-being of their brothers. Sisters wake up early and place leftovers of the previous day’s food (they prepare in excess for this purpose) on turmeric leaves for the crows and birds to eat. They offer prayers that their family should be united like the flock of birds.

The festival in essence helps the whole universe find a place in one’s heart gradually during the course of the celebrations. First, by embracing family and friends with long arms, then the servants and the poor, then the cow, and then all other living creatures which live united in flocks like birds.

The rituals and traditions may have twisted with time, we still do them repeatedly adding new dimensions, but the essence is the same.

 Let this season bring change for good and bonds of sweetness and peace prevail everywhere. 

The link to the article in Financial express dated 14 Jan 2020 is here

Farmer's Dasara, anybody?

Around this season of the year, although I am present physically here, my mind is loitering around Mysore and Mylapore, two places where I have made a few pleasant memories during Navaratri. I have  subscribed to pages of these places so that I get updated with pictures and news of the buzz happening there. 

It was interesting to note in the Mysooru Dasara news feed, that this year The mysore Dasara apart from the regular features of Horticulture exhibition, kavi goshti, consumer exhibition, sports and concerts will celebrate the farmers too in a unique way. There will be a series of plays, events , music shows and films especially for Karnataka Farmers. Apart from entertaining, There will be interactions, counseling talks to stop farmers suicide and help them to overcome the problems

Pic courtesy: google images

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Infact, this year’s Dussehra launched at Chamundi hills was not by a VIP but by a progressive farmer 67 year old Puttiah. His speech at the inaugural was  inspiring and he surely is a role model for all the farmers.( and other professionals too)

His advice to farmers is that they should look at constant income, adopting inclusive farming by cultivating short term, medium term and long term crop besides venturing into diary farming for daily income. He says he has prospered through daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly ,half yearly and yearly earnings.

For his daily income, he relies on selling milk, for weekly income he sells vegetables, quarterly by harvesting coconut, half-yearly by selling pulses and after an year, he earns through harvesting sugarcane, turmeric and other yearly crops. This way, he has ensured constant flow of income to the family and also gets returns through animal farming.

It’s energizing to note that this son of a bonded labourer has sensibly prospered from a 4 acre land to a 40 acre land without taking loans.

His message to fellow farmers — “Adopt inclusive farming, don’t lose hope and be brave to face the uncertainties. Suicide is not the solution to your problems.”

 Hope this message reaches the farmers , for it is really heart wrenching to read the sad news of their suicide almost daily . I think this message could apply not just to farmers but all those people who lose hope

Coming to the Dasara festivities, apart from street plays , films, talks related to the farmers, This dussehra will also host games like Running in the Mud (Kesaru Gadde), stone lifting competition, running while carrying fertilizer bags, running with a water filled pot etc…

So unique! This Mysore dasara must be motivating and encouraging to the farmers!!

Why medicinal plants and wild herbs on Ganesh Chaturti?

I have immense faith in some of the traditional practices and rituals followed by elders. Although i don't have belief in the way they have conveyed to us like some superstitions. Whenever, i have found the reasoning convincing, i have blogged about them here.  Today, i found an interesting article on why we do pooja with some unusual wild herbs and leaves on Lord Ganesha. I remember reading a story about this long back but am not able to recall, instead i will share this writeup i found on an organic grower's site. Hence this is my first cut pasting and  i am storing this as a post on my site.

Here goes the write up from 'Aiyor Bai' meaning  'Land and well(water)" in telugu.

The month of “Ganesh Utsav ” celebrations, that is “Bhadrapad” is basically  a month for collection of various plants of medicinal use. they are  available in plenty during this period. People in our country used to collect these medicinal plants and first offer them to Lord Ganesha and then make their medicinal use throughout the year. As the Ganesh Utsav celebration begin with  collection of medicinal plants that cure various diseases, the Lord of Wisdom is also called as “Vignaharta“. Unfortunately the offerings are thrown away after the pooja. People worship Lord Ganesha for prosperity and  success without any difficulty or hurdle in any kind of health problem.

Ganesha Chaturthi-21 patra

During Ganesh Pooja, each one  procures leaves and flowers of 21 different  plants for Pooja which are called as “Ekavinshati Patra Pooja“. All these leaves prescribed for offering to the God have medicinal values. thus, knowledge of hte prophylactic and therapeutic properties of these leaves was known to the people who penned the procedure for performing the pooja. The younger generation is expected to be trained to identify the plants and the methods of collecting them. Our ancestors had an unerring knowledge of plants and their medicinal values.

The importance and significance of the leaves used in performing the pooja. 21 types of leaves are offered to Lord Ganesha during the festival, and each leaf has an Ayurvedic significance.

1. Durva:Used a as blood purifier, keeps invisible microbes away, removes acidity, cures many skin disorders, Psoriasis, useful to remove  the troubles of the eyes due to continuous stress like computer waves.
2. Maka: Prevents decaying process, it is a good medicine for eye diseases, jaundice, eczema, oedema, obesity and also reduces the size of the tumor.
3. Aghada:  Best medicine for cough, asthama, helps in smooth passage of urine and relieves pain.
4. Dorli: Useful in asthama and cough
5. Tulsi: Helps avoid bacterial infection, such as cough, in fever due to cold  and cough, improves digestion, improves immunity, used in skin diseases like Psoriasis, ring worm which gives rise to itching, acts as a germicide.
6. Marva:  Cures skin diseases.
7. Jai: Cures mouth pustules, very useful in healing of wounds.
8. Malti:  is used for curing skin diseases like leprosy and leucoderma, nervous diseases and abdominal related diseases.
9. Dhotra: Cures or reduces  cough in the chest, reduces asthmatic attack, useful in rheumatic pain.
10. Vishnu Kranta: Vishnu Kranta patra is used for nervous related diseases and memory power
11. Kewda: Used to prevent  excessive bleeding during menses.
12. Kanher: Used in snake, scorpion bites and for curing of various types of fever.
13. Bor: Heat reliever, useful for relief from rheumatic diseases, soothing from burning heat due to fever and also bring down the temperature, gives relief from watering of eyes and shooting pain in eyes.
14. Dalimb:  is used for dysentery. Gives relief from bilious burning, semen enchancer, useful for dry cough, gives relief from bleeding from nose, used in conjunctivitis , a bilious reliever.
15. Shami: Prevents excessive discharge of urine, reduces body heat.
16. Bael or Bilva, which purifies water, is used for dysentery. Prevent loose motion, clearing of bowel, relieve griping pain, reduce the frequency of evacuation of feces, improves  function of the liver, a germicidal, removes bad odor from the body, increases the stamina and reduces excess heat from the body.
17. Hadga: cold medicine.
18. Arjun: Supreme Medicine of heart disease. useful  for setting of bones, useful for reducing the excess ft from the body.
19. Pipal: Improves articulation of small kids, improves heavy tongue and improves mental capabilities of slow learning children, used in many medicinal preparations.
20. Ashok: Keeps womb healthy, can remove sorrowful stat of mind in post natl condition.
21. Bramhi: It is a brain tonic, for sound sleep and relieves stress.
22. Jaswand: It gives mental peace, relief from headache due to biliousness.
    
    Source: http://www.astropeep.com/ayurveda-and-astrology/herbs-and-medicinal-plants-during-ganesh-chaturthi-bhadrapad-mahina-maas/

Today is 'the special night' - Mahashivaratri

Yesterday, evening on my way back home, I found the bilva patras(bael leaf) being sold for the Mahashivaratri festival at my regular florist. I recalled about the significance of Bilva patra to Mahashivaratri and even related this to my friend who was with me. Not just the Bilva patra, the whole write up of Mahashivaratri in the journal on culture, IKA was so convincing, that I who never believed in festivals 20 years back today realize the significance of our ancient wisdom.

                          
                                            The bilva leaf( pic courtesy: google)

According to Indian knowledge academy(IKA), the human body is susceptible to the changes in the cyclical motions of the moon and sun. Today’s scientists of organic and bio-farming have researched, observed and documented the changes of the impact of the waxing and waning of the moon on the cellular structures of plants including the germination. But our ancient mystics understood these seasonal and climatic changes and so devised methods for natural adaptations long ago. 

 Mahashivaratri is one such natural adaptation for the seasonal transition from the winter to spring. All the flora and fauna which underwent hibernation during winter, starts germinating during spring time. This transition is the most important one for all species including humans. Human body undergoes subtle cellular and molecular changes during this time giving way to lung and respiratory infections which are more dominant. To avoid them, certain rules are prescribed in the form of celebration like usage of the bilva patras and visiting the places where cosmic and geo magnetic energy are accumulated ( temples built according to agama principle). More on this in my old post "the science of Mahashivaratri".

Such write-ups make me appreciate the ancient native wisdom of our ancestors who have designed festivals based on the sciences of climate, astronomy, siddha/ayurveda and human physiology. All these festivals are then related to our wellness. Wellness has been weaved into our routine in the name of religion and festivals. Festivals like these makes me feel blessed to be in a country whose greatest contribution to the world is her spiritual and scientific wisdom apart from Astronomy, ayurveda, human physiology, history, surgery, stories/legends climatology,cuisine, tourism, textiles, jewellery, yoga and now even IT…..( add those that I have missed).

There are also many interesting legends related to Mahashivaratri One of them is the ‘Puttu’ story.( I will make that another post) Puttu is a steamed sweet dish made with riceflour and jaggery. This is offered to god as “neivedyam’.

The wise say, prayers offered during Mahashivaratri are amplified 10 milliontimes. So, if there is a time that one wants to purify their thoughts and activate the empowerment of their goals, today is the special night. Chant Hmmm Nama shivaya ( om is recited as Hmmm to send the right vibrations).

                  Gavi gangadeeshwara temple -  an ancient Shiva temple in Bangalore has                           immense Atronomical significance.( this too deserves a post)

Numaish Masnuaat-e- Mulki - An Indian af'fair'

Talk to a global Hyderabadi anywhere in the world and say “Numaish’ and immediately there is a chance of he going ‘Awww' and  start reliving his childhood memories where they brought their favorite dress, vegetable chopper, pop corn popper, ate pink cotton candy, rides on the giant wheel, merry-go-round etc.,

Most of us would have had such childhood times at an exhibition, but for an Hyderabadi it is an All India industrial exhibition called Numaish. For them, it is an institution in itself for all things hyderabadi. Every January 1, the mela opens up and throws off gear the resolve of all those hyderabadis who have made a resolution of spending money thriftily.

Numaish Masnuaat-e-Mulki , popularly called Numaish has that mesmerizing effect on any hyderabadi. The title literally means exhibition of locally made products like cottage industry which includes stalls of men and women prisoners. But,  today it is  also a window to heavy industry, trade and commerce . It has 2500 stalls catering to 25 lakh visitors. Now, its reach has increased beyond india and brings in participants from Pakistan, Iran, Turkey etc.

Originally in 1938 ,it started as a ten day fair with 100 stalls and was a platform for the traders to showcase their goods and services to the consumer . What started as a result of discussions by the Osmania Graduates association to raise funds for conducting economic survey of the then Hyderabad state has now turned into world’s longest exhibition for 46 days and completes 75 years in 2015. Even now, the proceeds go to educate the economically backward of the region.

If you are an Indian,  who is allergic to desi stuff and buy branded phoren maal at malls, this place is not for you. But, if you heart desi things, haats, mela and fairs then this place is for you.

The range of products starts from branded consumer durables like fridge washing machine , fabrics, kitchen utilities, accessories and many more to the smallest item of a safety pin . Competing with these branded FMCG  is desi or locally made ones like portable geysers, washing machines and other innovative utilities. The last time I went to this exhibition in 2010,  I found a simple desi washing machine. A portable motor fixed to the rim of a bucket full of soap soaked clothes. The motor churns and tosses the clothes in the bucket and knocks the dirt out of the clothes. So simple! Space saver too!!

Of course it may not be durable or practical for a family but definitely a boon for all those working men/women who stay in hostels or on the move and don’t want to invest more. 

One of the high points about this mela is, don’t ever take the “FIXED PRICE” boards seriously. No haggling talent required, Just ask in simple hyderabadi “ Accha bhai, aakhri daam dene ka bolo” and the stall owner would say “ woh bhi aapich bata do, madam” and without any fuss bring the rates to half drastically  or even below that and he will ask “ kaunsi color chahiye aapko”. That is the beauty of Numaish. You get them at dirt cheap rates.

As one goes shopping around in the open to sky expo, one can have a quick bite of all those desi street food like chaats, kababs, puffs, irani samosa ,jalebi, different types of hyderabadi biscuits and unwind at the various amusement rides.

One can see many childish ...no...no...child like adults enjoying the amusement rides like the giantwheel, merry go round, toy train and awe at the 'maut ki kuan'( the well of death).

Overall, a nice place to unwind with the family, where you can indulge the child in you and relive your childhood memories , not just in Numaish in any mela or local fair. 

Many think these crowded set-ups are passé and we have come a long way in terms of shopping like e-shopping. In these days of globalization and transportation, we get Kashmir products easily in kanya kumari and the products of WB easily in Gujarat. Why,  even overseas products are easily shipped home. 

But these types of mela’s and Numaish are a great place to enjoy and learn  and this is what distinguishes one city from another or else there will be no difference when we walk out of Shoppers stop at Delhi or at Hyderabad buying the mass produced branded products. 

These are a typical Indian affair in its real sense. But,  one has to think twice before buying those demo products like   vegetable slicers, chilli cutters, knife sharpeners etc.,

What are your experiences in your local mela? What have you brought and kept unused?

                                The branded consumer industry at display. This year's speciality is the display of Hyderabad Metro( photocourtesy- google) 

.                                       wood crafts from UP

terracotta from kolkata

jute stall from kolkata

Most artisans pitch tents and cook in the ground, the stalls are active only after 4'o clock

hand bags from kolkata

                                   Khurja pottery from UP

the lucknowi  stall selling chikankari work

The trinkets and chunk jewels at display

                      Stall of an ex-service man selling kashmir nut and  spices

The well of death( google image)

                                                India's answer to London eye, the giant wheel ( google image)

  

P. S; the rest of the photos are mine clicked during my visit in  2010. Actually, even i have been here only 3 times in my 12 years of stay. Parking is a pain here. Tomorrow I  complete 12 years of my stay in Hyderabad.

Jallikattu - an ancient bull wrestling festival

 Come mid January and the  whole of India basks in the colorful aura of festivity surrounding the harvest and Indian version of thanksgiving festival.  The sun’s transit from Tropic of cancer to tropic of Capricorn is celebrated under different names  with differing customs and traditions across different communities of India, predominantly the farming community.

There is one region which along with celebrating the harvest festival braces itself to receive cultural tourists for an unique pongal related sport called Jallikattu. Jallikattu, a 2000 year old bull wrestling festival held in the southern region of Tamilnadu around Madurai districts attracts tourists from India and abroad.  

  

                               Image courtesy: Google

Open grounds in this region  are barricaded with bamboo  logs  and  transformed into gladiator arenas. A ferocious bull of the kangeyam breed is decorated with colorful ballons,flowers, ribbons  and kunkum.This bull bursts from its pen into the arena with its colorful razor shop horns. Bundles of money are tied to its horns, which can be taken by anyone who dares to do so. Some men scramble away while others launch themselves on the bull’s back. One by one, the bull flings them off and thunders through the ground. The winner is the person who tames the bull  and reaches the winning post. He gets hold ofthe prize money tied to the horns and all the goodies through the year like cash, watches, garments etc.,. Sometimes, more than one bull is released into the arena.

  A sea of people bubble up to watch the electrifying event. There are commentators who give commentary punctuating  the already charged atmosphere with tension and goad the men to run for the money.  

 Although similar to the bull fights of Spain , this is older and there is one big difference. Unlike the Spanish fights, the bull is not killed here. Thus making it one of a kind in the world.

Only daring men take part in this game. The villagers see it as a sport to display their macho power, there is a huge drawback though. This is believed to be a dangerous sport in that there are many casualties sometimes the men are fatally gored, and the raging bull runs amok killing spectators. The supreme court had banned jallikattu a few years back but revoked the ban  owing to its popularity but subject to some rules and regulations. The bulls are subject to a round of screening.  Police and medical help with ambulances are all around. 

For those of them, who fancy to make their travel experience a little out of ordinary, this spectacle can provoke various feelings ranging from excitement, thrill, shock and anger.  But the show goes on every year.

 Here's wishing you all a happy Lohri, Pongal, Sankranti, Uttarayan, bihu or whatever be the name:)  

Navaratri, Durgapuja, Dussehra.....Call it by any name......

....the essence is the same, the celebration of 'good over evil.'

Of all the countries in the world, I believe no other country celebrates life like we do. Be it food, nature, seasons, gods, saints, lights we just celebrate everything and this season it is  the celebration of Good over evil.  A pan Indian festival which has different names in different regions. 

In Southern india, the display of dolls called 'Golu' is a practice followed in most homes.

This is the golu at home this year.

The thanjavur painting, the dancing shiva, the ganeshji, the marapacchi toys, the chennapatna toys, the rajasthani couple, thanjavur  bommai, the brass kitchen toy set

                                            Each doll has a little story to tell....

                               /ganeshji writing Mahabharat in Sage Vyasa's hermitage, a kondapalli creation(Andhra Pradesh) beside is the bobbing thanjavur Raja Raja chola doll in blue.

The marapacchi toys(redsanders) and the tiny brass kitchen set from the 1940's

                             even the yarn lights that you see here has a story to tell. This was made by my daughter. She dyed the jute threads and wound them over a balloon smeared with fevicol. Once dried the balloon is bursted while the yarn takes the shape of the balloon.

This is one of the oldest golu bommai, which was passed on to my Mil from her grand mom. more than 100 year old heirloom, made in Mannargudi.   It is a decor piece at home, for which i am not able to find an antique polish.

                              The aerial view of this park/village created by my son has industries,wells, pucca houses, buildings, roads( all from old 'the game of life' board game)  cars and bullock carts:)I loved his explanation for each. 

So, that's golu at home for the next 9 days, one of my favorite festival.

Meanwhile, From my home to yours....

Shubh Navaratri.....enjoy the festive season:)

If in Bangalore, Add Bimba to your life this Navaratri

 This would be a unique experience if you are in Bangalore and love  art, culture, Mythology and theatre. 

I have already written about Rasalok and Bimba the art hut (click on the links). 

This is their new invite for this year(2013) 

Rasalok -Still Theatre of Miniature Art 


All are cordially welcome to this universal experience of a dramatic moment in time in miniature - a holistic solo classic theatre tradition

Shankaracharya -a sacred throw of dice (artist Uma Nagraj)
Garudaagamana- a trumpeting surrender (artist Deepika Dorai)

All days Oct 5- Oct 14, shows 75min start 1130am/4pm/645pm
in English/Kannada in Aangana at Bimba The Art Ashram
Call Deepak 08026622639/08041489354

Rasalok is now recognised as a distinct solo still theatre tradition from Karnataka by ICCR a culture wing of GOI 


Pic courtesy: Deepika's FB page.

3 fests in 3 cities

Come December, the three cities I have been associated with hosts 3 annual fests. One for handmade arts, crafts, the second for music and the third for sugar cakes.

The first in the list is the festival of Arts, crafts, handlooms. I like handicrafts and handlooms. And so when there is a mela  organized for that,you can bet I am there. Especially the December All india arts and crafts mela which happens at the city where I live, Hyderabad. The venue is the crafts village, Shilparamam. Anything I write about this will be a repeat of this. This year on Sunday,  I quickly picked up arts and crafts from Gujarat, Kashmir, West Bengal and that elusive reclining Ganesha which I mentioned in one of my older posts.

The second fest happens in Chennai,my birth place. This city experiences concert tourism  this month and draws music lovers from all over the world;  predominantly in the genre of carnatic music.  This fest begins on the tamil month Margazhi and  so is known as Margazhi Isai vizha( margazhi is the tamil month, isai is music and vizha is fest) or december kacheri(concert). An year or so back, i wrote an article on this for 'I love madras. Anything i write about this will be a repeat of this article "Margazhi, music and my memories". 

And last but not the least, the third fest in my list captures the yuletide mood of the city I was raised in  and lived, Bangalore. 

Every festival is connected to some tradition or the other. But so often, we don't know why we do the things we do. Fact is that the smallest custom goes back a long way.

 Another festival which is an amalgamation of different legends, myths and faiths from across the world is Xmas. Everybody has their own special memories and my Xmas memories revolve around Bangalore’s famous high street,  Brigade road. The whole road would be festooned with christmas lights and the road  is closed to vehicular traffic till the newyear. You can amble, stroll  on this street with huge Santas for company  without the fear of being run down by a vehicle. 

                         Brigade road dressed with christmas and new year lights, The traders association of this road do a similar dressing during diwali and offer lot of gifts through raffles

The twinkling festooned serial lights, stars  and the huge Santas distributing sweets to little kids will scream that New year carnivals don’t happen only in Goa, but also in places like Bangalore’s high fashion street, Brigade road.  And one of the corner building on the road ,Nilgiris nest( a boarding hotel), are the ones who organize and hosts this special fest, called the annual Nilgiri's Sugar cake exhibition.  The ground floor of the building is the supermarket called Nilgiris, the first supermarket which started in 1905 and stocks the best diary products and baked goodies. Their signature rich  bake called  Nilgiris Plum cakes  has that bitter sweet taste, which  for me has no parallels . I am yet to taste a plum cake which can beat this taste. 

                                          The nilgiris product range

Apart from the rich plum cakes, they have chocolate Xmas tree, kalkals, Marzipan, Yule logs and other Christmas goodies. But the highlight of their creations  are displayed  at The St. Josephs school grounds, Vittal Mallya road. They  host an unique exhibition called the sugar cake exhibition during Xmas time. This exhibition which is around 40 years old  has earlier had giant sugar cake replicas of Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore Palace, seven wonders of the world like Macchu Picchu, Taj MAhal and then the Buckhingham palace, Eiffel tower etc. Each cake is made with powdered sugar, gelatin, colored and flavoring agents and lot of man hours. The Master piece cakes are usually as big  as15 feet in height and can be anywhere between 30-50 feet wide.  The rest of the models are smaller in size. There are atleast 15 exhibits of which 10 are won by the viewing public through raffle tickets. The exhibiton has an entry ticket and the amount raised from this goes to the charity. The cakes are also not sold and are given to children in orphanages.

Some of their sugar crafts at the annual exhibits 

                                      A sugar cake model of The taj hotel mumbai, the replica was made the year blasts occured at leopald.

                            The Buckingham palace and the big ben, the men working on the model look half the size of the model

                                                           A model of Bangalore palace.

                             Wonders of the world -  Taj mahal and christ the redeemer, rio

                                                      a smaller model cake of a bride

                                                                the shoe house

                    This years flavor symbolizing communal harmony- a  pentagon symbolising the five faiths, temple, church, masjid, pagoda( buddhism), gurudwara 22feet wide and 16 feet in height

This art was mastered by one of the 3^rd generation  owner of this enterprise. His desire for sugar modelling took him to Europe,where he visited Swiss, holland, Germany. He was inspired by the cake models  that he saw in Belgium and learnt this art there. My sister a nutritionist and dietician who worked here as food technologist in the late 90's and early 2K was the originator of their ready mixes and the source of this info. 

image courtesy: Google

Divine cuisine - Neivedyam and prasadam

Whenever I visit the Skandagiri  temple  and walk out with the prasadam, I end up thinking what is it with the prasadam that has this fulfilling taste and will give you satiation when you have even just a little from that small shallow leaf cup.  It is less than a ladle but you feel your dinner is complete  and the taste , oh so…. Heavenly!

Is it the ritualistic cooking  that goes into the making of the Neivedyam( offering to god)?

I have visited many temples where the visit is completed with the prasadam and everywhere I have experienced  such divine taste.  Most big  temples that I have visited have huge halls where meals are served and  the food offered here is  sattvic meal. 

One of them  that I have often visited  is the ISKCON temple near my parents home, here  though commercially it is called ‘Annakuta’ . 

 According to higher taste of ISKCON( Higher taste is their publication), the wholesome meal is cooked according to vedic scriptures  without the use of onions, garlic, eggs, caffeine and is never over- spiced and the food thus prepared is offered to god as ‘Neivedyam’. This food when partaken after offering to god with vedic vibrations sanctifies the food and renders the food tasty and is  called ‘Prasadam'.

                                ( Jagannath temple prasadam counter photo taken from my mobile)

 The food is cooked  according to the satvic principles of Vedas.  The food is  thus  created with positive vibrations & thoughts  and cleanses  both body and mind. It also keeps us healthier.  I have read that the important factor that goes into ritualistic cooking is that it is made with good thoughts.  While cooking the thoughts play a major role in the outcome.  The thoughts of the cook flow into the food that we cook and have their impact on it and so one should not cook food when one is angry and stressed .And, also the cleanliness/hygiene of the cooks and the vibrations of the various mantras they chant while cooking must be rendering the divine taste to the food. 

 At home too, it is a practice among my family elders in our native place   to treat cooking like a ritual. They cook food only after having their bath. They cook on slow fire  in special vessels which endow the taste and aroma , they  chant mantras while cooking. The food is first offered to God  along with ghee, then to  crows and then served to people at home. Perhaps the reason why it tastes divine and satiating. Food had with such positive vibrations peacefully are supposed to be healthy. 

There are many such places of worship which are famous for prasadam, some of which I have had the pleasure of  experiencing were -

1. The foremost is ofcourse  at Tirupati  – the GIS marked Laddu, dadhiyodanam(curd rice) and puliogre( tamarind rice).
2. At Udipi (Karnataka)which  is called Anna brahma kshetra( where food is treated as god) there is a huge hall catering to the devotees and serves food to all the devotees.
3. At Sri kshetra Dharmasthala again in Karnataka.
4. The sattvic meal at Ramanasramam( Sri Ramana maharishi's ashram). Here you will find many foreigners squatting on the floor and eating with their fingers from plaintain leaf as if they were born with the practice.
5.  The puliogre of most Vishnu temples especially the one at Devagiri( Bangalore). My in-laws would wait till 1.p.m( closing time) at the temple on Saturdays because my then 5 year old daughter loved this and would wait to grab it.
6. The thambittu( made with jaggery, ghee & riceflour on festive days) at most kannadiga homes.
7. The ksheera ( sugar, rava &ghee) during satyanarayana vrat
8. The kadubu( fried modaks) during sankatahara chaturthi
9. The aravana payasam of sabarimala, Kerala( rice kheer made with  jaggery)
10. The paal payasam @ guruvayoor( made with milk and rice)
11. The pazhani panchamirtham (tamilnadu) ( medley of fruits, honey and palmsugar)
12. The pongal at ISKCON, Bangalore  and the various Krishna Prasad like pizza, burger, vegan biscuits, cakes. Yes, every vegan product here is sold in the name of Krishna Prasad and it tastes divine.
13. The sundals( usal) at various homes during navratri visits.
14. The snake pit mud at kukke subramanya( remember this temple site got more hits when Sachin tendulkar visited)
15. The tilgul of shirdi( made with sugar and til)
16. The  sugar balls of varanasi and most temples up in the north.
17. The haldi at Saraswati temple, and the brahma temple @ Trichy

                 ..... and  many more I am leaving this list incomplete..........

Would you care to add yours in the comments section?

The red sanders dolls unique to navaratri

Like a stuck record, I can keep writing about certain things that are dear to me. One such thing dear to me is the navaratri festival.  I have fond memories of this festival in my childhood, perhaps the reason why I keep chanting about it :)

Since I have already written much about the  festival before,  I am not delving into many details about the significance of golu. Golu  is the display of dolls down south during navaratri.  Today since we are scattered around the world, we make do with whatever dolls we get locally. But in days of yore when the concept was started by Krishnadeva raya(?) or Raja Raja chola(?) the main doll which adorned the golu was the marapacchi toys along with clay dolls. The “marapacchi” toys are wooden dolls made from the Red sanders wood.

The dolls are given to the girl during her wedding which she displays it during the golu in her marital home . From then on she keeps buying new dolls (not necessarily wooden) every year during golu time. The collection grows  until the dolls are collected enough to be arranged in odd number of  steps. Some dolls are a part of heirloom. Today “marapacchi” shares its space along with Lladro, Mattel, lego, Swarovski and other such international brands.

It is passed from one generation to another. Some elders also say that these were like barbie dolls of yore. Since child marriage was prevalent in olden days, the girls were  given these as play toys  when they were married. Dolls for a kid , we know are like silent companions with whom we share our secrets and they absorb our emotions. We tuck them under the  pillow and talk  to them and dress them up and hence they were given during child marriages.

 Coming  to marapacchi toys, these toys are made from a medicinal wood called Red sanders.  These dolls come in pairs like that of "Shiva- parvati" or "Lakshmi- Vishnu". The dolls are dressed in cloth and jewellery  before they adorn the golu.Today the tree from which the dolls are made is protected, the toys are made of neem wood or alternative wood. 

Whatever be the reason,  this wood is one of the most sought after wood and fetches a huge value in the international market today.  The red sanders tree is unique to the seshachalam hills of tirupathi or nearby dry tracts of chittoor and is grown nowhere else in the world that the state has applied for a geographical indicator.  It is one of the most smuggled good and is in the news often. During the recent international biodivesity meet @ Hyd it was concluded that some foreign countries make a drug to control BP which are patented by them.

This tree has medicinal properties.  Revati Shankar a multifaceted media personality ( who acted in Robot as Rajnikanth’s mother) is an authority on the information of native wisdom. She mentioned once on tv that this was used to treat hypertension and most homes in olden days had 2 sets of marapacchi bommai( dolls). One set was used for the display. While the smaller ones were used for extracting the paste by rubbing against a rough surface. This paste when applied externally on heat boils would heal the boil. An infusion of this wood is used in the control of diabetes and the fruit of this tree is used to treat chronic dysentery. It is also used in various skin diseases and to treat headcahe, scorpion sting etc., This doll also served as a medicine and hence found its presence as first aid in most homes of yore. The little dolls with medicinal value served as a teether for teething children.

As if authenticating this  info, I recently found them in my husband’s grandparents home at Lalgudi. The huge house was sold last May, since it had no caretaker. Many of the antique toys stocked in the attic were given away. I picked up the marapacchi toys and a few brass toys. I also brought some during my trip to Tirupati. These toys are unique to Tirupati and are today sold in most outlets like the government run handicrafts emporia like  Cauvery, Lepakshi, Poompuhar and pudumai of Pondicherry. When decorated in the golu the  reddish brown  dolls lend an ethnic touch.

The craftsmen around Tirupati who carve these dolls are now using them on the panels of doors and furniture. Demand for these have now risen and since the wood is now protected, the crafts men have started carving using neem wood , mango wood etc.

                        The decorated dolls displayed in a cousin's wedding held in 2011 which will be displayed in her first golu.

This pic was clicked by me at Tirupati from where i picked two dolls.

this intricately carved door was for sale at shilparamam a crafts village @ Hyderabad

Info source: I have compiled the info about dolls in weddings based on hear say from elders. The news about the protection and GI was taken from 'The hindu'.