"Jyoth se Jyoth Jagaa. Pyaar se pyaar badaa"

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Loose translation of the words, Jyoth and Pyaar which represents any of the following and more:
Light up the Love
Light up with Knowledge and
Use Love to grow Love
Use Love to grow peace

Wishing my fellow desis a prosperous and fruitful Makara Sankranti. Sankranti is a festival celebrating the upcoming harvest year. People in India during the olden days would mark this day with a prayer for healthy and abundant harvest. Today it is considered an auspicious day to start over with a new life style and give thanks to all that the earth has provided us. Different states in India have various names for this festival but it is observed for the same reason.
One of my fondest memories of growing up in India is the way we celebrated each festival in a distinct way. During Makara Sankranti, schools and offices would be closed and most streets would be hustling and bustling with people visiting each other with goodies. My mom would wake up very early in the morning and wash her hair. You would think that because it was a holiday Mzswats and I would sleep in….but most festivals meant that we would actually be up and out running errands with mom. Sankranti was one of those holidays that I wouldn’t mind getting up for…because this was the day that I had a lot of fun things to do. My mom swats and I would circle the Tulsi plant asking for the long life of our family, good health, knowledge and peace. Following this my mom, swats and our maid would start on the rangoli in front of our house. I of course wasn’t really artistic and did my best to stay out of the way and be a good spectator.

Picture from google images
Then my mom would scamper around the kitchen preparing yummy traditional festive Konkani food: Mantapa saaru, Channa gashi, bibba upkari, Daalitoy, Alsanda upkari, Batata Vaagu, Pulihaar, Paayasu, etc. As long as the dish did not contain meat, onions and garlic…it was servable on this day.

Picture from: http://www.sailusfood.com/2007/04/09/pesara-pappu-payasam-moong-dal-payasam/
My bapama would decorate our Gods room and the idols with new jewelry etc...preparing for an evening puja. Mid afternoon my mom would make til god or tila laddu (sesame seeds laddu) and sakre bombe (sugar dolls or sugared sweets). Swats and I would dress up in our new Indian outfits and then visit out neighbors and friends with a box or plate full of these sweets. We would exchange them and get more sweets and then get back home in time for the puja. Following the puja we would have more yummy Konkani food and eat til gol and chant: Til god ghyaa ani god god bhola <- Eat sweet and speak sweet :o)
So please eat something sweet, say something sweet, think of this day as a day where you strive to be a better person and thank this earth for all that it has provided so far.
Happy Sankranti to all!