The month of beauty and duty, that is how the month of Shravan can best be described. Nature is at its luscious best in this month. It is sheer shades of green everywhere. Coral flowers (=Parijatak), champak (of every variety) are abloom. Thus every slightly damp breath you inhale, given at least the inevitable drizzle, is fragrance itself.
The month is full of fasts of all sorts. Most of these are for the welfare of the children of the family. In other words, each such fast is both, a duty and a joy. The fast is always broken with some sweet, or the other. Yet the green peas curry, the radish-curds 'raita' are simple yet divine to taste. Like the unique 'gopal kala' of the Janmashtami.
Taste truly rules supreme in this month. Puran poli, narali bhat, the Nag Panchami special 'purnachi karanji', as an option the simply tasty 'sudharas' made of sugar syrup and lemon, the simple but sustaining 'kelya che shikran' every Shrawan Monday, why, the special milk as the 'prasad' every Friday, the month is truly satiating the palate, and especially, the sweet tooth.
One of the nicest of the Hindu festivals, Raksha Bandhan, falls in this month. It celebrates the brother-sister relationship. Sure, it is percolated to Maharashtra due to the Bollywood hype. For Maharashtrians, however, the Narali Pournima is the more traditional festival. Papa used to offer a coconut to the sea, given Raju's Merchant Navy career. I manage with the Mutha, as and when there is some water in its year long narrow nullah version!
Shravan, in brief, the month of memories, merriment, and magnanimity! The magical, magnetic Shravan! It comes every year with its magnificence and munificence! Why love Shrawan? Aplenty are the reasons. Long live Shravan!
Pratima@ I love all the typical folk stories associated with Shravan because their sugar-coated folksy advice is enriching in a very modern yet traditional, contemporary yet time-worn(e) way. Long live the ever recurring Shravana!
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