Minakshi Mishra
One of my favorite things to do during my school days, was to entertain my school and neighborhood friends and that remains my #l current favorite hobby!
Every festival brought with it new ways to get-together with my friends to play, eat and chit-chat. Therefore, this week's "Raja" festival, re-kindled fond memories of my childhood Raja-fun, spanning over 3 days during summer break; and what was the best opportunity to invite my friends Biswajita, Sipra, Rajesh S, Rajesh C, Sucha, Kuni and others to stop by for a taste of my ma's delicious poda pitha, fresh off the hearth; and a turn, on the huge swing set up from the strong 15 ft tall mango tree at our "Quarters". That swing was the pride of our small community at Master Canteen and I still wonder, " How skillfully it was installed by my uncles from our tiny village of Gambharia, that it did not creak a wee-bit, in spite of the daily assault from a bunch of eager teenagers swinging on it in ones, twos, standing, twisting ropes and trying acrobatically to go sky-high! "
Come to think of it, every Raja celebration must have been a huge drain on the family's financial situation, because, for the 3 days, the daughter(s) (- not to forget, Nini, my ma's cousin from my village who lived with us) of the family needed to be adorned with pretty dresses and silver paunji/ or something similar. So, while those days I used to crib about not getting a new dress for Kumar Purnima (in deference for a deceased relative of my grand-ma) or not performing Khudru-Kuni because we were "Brahmins", I feel now, that, that must have been some sort of a relief to my hard-working parents who had to deftly manage our meager household budget without hurting the sentiments of their daughter.
One of my favorite things to do during my school days, was to entertain my school and neighborhood friends and that remains my #l current favorite hobby!
Every festival brought with it new ways to get-together with my friends to play, eat and chit-chat. Therefore, this week's "Raja" festival, re-kindled fond memories of my childhood Raja-fun, spanning over 3 days during summer break; and what was the best opportunity to invite my friends Biswajita, Sipra, Rajesh S, Rajesh C, Sucha, Kuni and others to stop by for a taste of my ma's delicious poda pitha, fresh off the hearth; and a turn, on the huge swing set up from the strong 15 ft tall mango tree at our "Quarters". That swing was the pride of our small community at Master Canteen and I still wonder, " How skillfully it was installed by my uncles from our tiny village of Gambharia, that it did not creak a wee-bit, in spite of the daily assault from a bunch of eager teenagers swinging on it in ones, twos, standing, twisting ropes and trying acrobatically to go sky-high! "
Come to think of it, every Raja celebration must have been a huge drain on the family's financial situation, because, for the 3 days, the daughter(s) (- not to forget, Nini, my ma's cousin from my village who lived with us) of the family needed to be adorned with pretty dresses and silver paunji/ or something similar. So, while those days I used to crib about not getting a new dress for Kumar Purnima (in deference for a deceased relative of my grand-ma) or not performing Khudru-Kuni because we were "Brahmins", I feel now, that, that must have been some sort of a relief to my hard-working parents who had to deftly manage our meager household budget without hurting the sentiments of their daughter.
Wanted to be the first to appreciate this.
ReplyDeleteWhat did we do them? Boys, I mean. Actual, apart from the plethora of food, we enjoyed being largely ignored for the time being, so that we could get on with our monkey business.
Minakshi.... I still remember your Master Canteen home so vividly - your Mom (so beautiful like a 1950s moviestar, her soft cotton sarees, her gentle smile, her soft voice), your Dad (his incredible smile and his gentle gait), your cows and your incredible love for them (and me wondering how someone could love cows more than dogs), the long driveway from your gate to the front door lined with hedges of multi-petaled mali flowers, the lush green fruit trees (jackfruit and mango, perhaps.. but maybe I am off), Nini and Madhu, Sucha (my first 'encounter' with a hardcore, die-hard Amitabh fan), the wall cupboard in your Mom's room stacked with your brother's Alistair Macleans and other literary goodies... your trip down memory lane opened up the door to my memories of your home. Keep writing my friend... we look forward to more memories filling these digital pages.
ReplyDeleteNice write up Minakshi...as I said elsewhere: natural and refreshing. Sipra u always wow with your vivid memory
ReplyDelete