Festivities

 Have a look at the photo of Aarti's Haldi ceremony that I have uploaded this afternoon. Aai was then in her late sixties. Infectious, however, is her enthusiastic participation in spite of her creaking knees and aching back. Despite the deep focus of the photo, what foregrounds her is her abundant joy in the festivities.

Aai truly loved celebrating festivals. It is Akshay Tritiya today, right? She would make me take out her Akshay Patra from the cupboard safe ( Never ever would she use it otherwise. It was meant only for this purpose), she would make a special rice pudding in it, kheer made of ground wheat would be the prasad for the special pooja and Vishnu Sahastra nam recitation. Every festival would be celebrated with the same fervour and faith. Never ever would she forget even the lesser known festivals. Papa was a step ahead of her in this field. His daily pooja itself would last an hour. On special occasions, he would be up at about four o' clock in the morning for the elaborate preparation and execution of the entire process.

We have thus grown up in the midst of fervent festivities. Padwa with its neem chatani and the special sugar mould festoons ( one each at the local Ram Mandir and at the Saras Baug Mandir as an offering was Aai-Papa's special demand), Dasara with the mandatory Saras Baug visit till 1998, Ratha Saptami to welcome the new solestice, Holi Purnima which was her date of birth tithi wise, mention a festival, it would be an occasion at our place. Aai was simply superb when it came to culinary arts. So be it Puran Poli, Gula chi Poli, Pakatale Chirote, the delicacy would just melt in the mouth. The more intricate the recipe, Aai would excel at it.

Festivities never were mere rituals either. Aai made them very artistic as well. The Diwali kandil, greeting cards and the special killa taught us many miniature and major skills lasting a lifetime. On the Bhaubeej Day, she used to decorate the entire front yard with lovely colurful rangolis. She could put up rangoli on water. She would plait simple flowers in to beautiful weaves, and, that, too, without any needle-n-thread, to offer unique floral pooja on the Nag Panchami day or for the Navaratra Hadaga. And all of this alongwith countless fesivity specific eats and sweetmeats. How much untiring energy must have gone in to the whole of it!

Real special was her Chaitra Gour decoraton. Each year, there would be a unique new theme. She would put up a triadic structure, beautifully presented with lovely decorative patterns, and  the lowest layer used to be "eats and fruits". Her "panhe" (raw mango preparation) and "kairi dal" and "usal" on this occasion tasted heavenly. Even the daily pooja by Aai, and even Papa, used to be a visual treat despite the simplicity. The fragrances associated with every festival and each pooja still waft in my memory.

Undoubtedly, each such festivity must have been a huge drain on her energy reserves, however much we all may help in our own small ways. In her opinion, however, they were necessary for the well-being of her family. Sure they subtly had a tremendous effect on each of us, making us tenacious, neat and arty in our own ways. Most importantly, however, these festivities ingrained in us the joyous feel for life itself.  This positivity, despite all the trials and tribulations, is what would help us always in our lives.

Let me sign off this celebratory feel with the joyful tidings of Diwali, so typical of our childhood. The traditional ditty celebrates a togethernes of the entire household, the domesticted livestock, included.

Dinn Dinn Diwali  (oh, hello, oh, hello, Diwali)

Gai mhashi owali   ( Honour the liestock please)

Gai Mhashi konachya? (Whose flocks are these?)

Mula balanchya!           (Of the children of the family)

Mule bale konachi?      (And whose babies are these children?)  

Aai -n- Papa chi!          (Of their parents, forever lovin')

Pratima@ festivities.