Why do we celebrate festivals like the Bhogi? Many reasons I can think of in/as explanation, especially because it is almost a pan-Indian festival, confirming in a way the 'civilisational unity' argument that could flourish full force since 2014.
True, not only in India, but across the whole world, there is rampant urbanisation, and its speed can compare comfortably with a supersonic jet. Yes, that force is taking people away from the roots so much so that hydroponics is no longer an academic jargon.
Despite such disturbing realities, at some primal subconscious level, we all love our roots in the soil, in agriculture that in a way made us human beings from nomadic beast-like presences. May be, hence we need festivities that reconnect us to our original identities.
Even today, in a way, ours is an agrarian society. Hence such harvest festivals touch our souls. Bhogi is that pure vegetarian delight, with the bhogi special veggie that is made of all the "rabbi" produce, the sesame/til chatani that adds the much needed warmth in winters, fresh ghee/home made butter, and that staple food, khichdi.
Such is the divine taste of this combo that no pizza can match it. Have you noticed that mostly for 'bhogi', it is the 'bajri bhakri', as in this second, 'rabbi' cycle of crops, with less rains, bajri can grow, unlike a water intensive crop like rice, for instance, right?
Aai was excellent at all these simple but divinely tasty items. I do continue all these traditions. In a way, they 'root' us, right? On the bhogi day, she used to make 'halwa', too. Extremely difficult, nay, tough, it is to make. She would sugar coat each sesame seed so perfectly that it would bloom in to that starry shape. Her finger tips would adroitly and adeptly sugar coat each sesame seed, without any scalding/burning. Superb art! The ochre colour used to be 'natural,' too.
She used to fill the 'halwa' in to small pouches she herself decoratively stitched, and Papa would post those envelopes to all the relatives. No emoji can match that simple genuine gesture. Even though such loving presences are already past, I shall certainly continue their lovely memory-able(d) traditions in to the future.
Pratima@ Aai used to prepare the special jaggery-sesame filling necessary to make the Sankrant special 'gul poli', yet another extremely tough to make sweet. First item to be made in the morning tomorrow, til laddu and wadi, would be half ready, too. Commitment had a unique name, my parents, who made our childhood as sweet n tasty as the sankranti goodies!
Quote of the day: "Cultures grow on the vine of tradition," says Jonah Goldberg.
Word of the day: lore Lore is a body of traditions and knowledge on a subject, held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person, generation to generation by word of mouth.
Let us learn grammar: Abstract nouns do not need articles either. 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty, and that is all ye need to know," wrote Keats, for instance. Yet , whenever there is some specific reference, the definite article 'the' would get used. The parental loving kindness makes us better human beings, for instance.
No comments:
Post a Comment