Spice of Life! – Page 73 – A khatta-meetha take on life around me through my presbiopic eyes!

05/10/201221/07/2020

Air Force Day

08 October is celebrated as Air Force Day each year. Now as civilians we look upon with pride our tenure in service, never for a moment regretting our life therein or complaining about hardships we had to face (alright, we did crib occasionally) but remembering only the wonderful people who we were fortunate and privileged to have been with.

We lived without many so-called “city comforts”, learnt to innovate with what we had, found ‘new’ uses for the same old things (fashionably called ‘thinking out of the box’ but a ‘box’ a.k.a trunk, was our treasured possession vital to transport our wordly belongings in our normadic existance), adopted a “live-and-let -live policy” with flying frogs, snakes, scorpions, monkeys and so on (our homes had a common habitat with theirs) and hopefully instilled the same never-say-die spirit in our children as well.

What we did have around us were strong, eternally optimistic, fearless soldiers who put their country and mission before their lives, who saw the lighter side of life in every situation and made a sure fire impression on every person they interacted with! We met wonderful people and developed friendships that survived several postings and learnt to stoically accept when Fate took away anyone from what was our extended family.
Life must go on, Impermanence is the very essence of Life…

Here is a recap from a couple of my older posts…

…. We had lived in dilapidated ‘bashas’, read freshly delivered 2-day old newspapers, stayed connected via trunk calls then STD PCOs, accepted snakes, leeches and scorpions….

We lived in clean fresh air, our kids had plenty of space to play… The friends we made are for life. The lessons we learnt still stand by us. The skills we gained come in handy even today in the urban jungle that is now our home….

All the very best to the Indian Air Force.
Happy Landings to all the men in blue.
Archana

02/10/201221/07/2020

Eco Friendly Ganesh Idols

While there is general increase in ‘green’ activists their voices are most markedly heard prior to and during Ganesh Utsav- especially in Pune. The reason obviously is that the idols (usually made of ‘shadu‘ – river mud) and the nirmalya (flowers and other offerings made to the God) have to be immersed in water. Though Pune is proud to have not one but two rivers that flow through it, they have dams built upstream to provide water for the burgeoning city and irrigation. Hence the rivers usually are a little better than a trickle of murky stinking water or at times covered with Hyacinth. The authorities usually let off extra water into the river from the dam at the time of Ganesh Visarjan.

People are urged to avoid idols made of plaster of Paris, instead use idols made of shadu that are supposed to dissolve easily once immersed. There are workshops galore wherein people make and then worship their own shadu idol. On Visarjan day, the authorities and activists urge people to immerse idols in specially erected ponds/tanks so as to protect the river.

Yet I am not sure that only using shadu idols is sufficient to overcome the challenges. Even if the idols do dissolve as they are meant to, who manages
the piles of shadu that now collect in these ponds and how? Can our river take this additional load? The PMC is already struggling to deal with garbage generated by the city.
Is there any other
option?

This Times of India article mentions that 14516 idols were immersed in artificial ponds on the final day at 14 spots in Pune alone and the SWaCH has collected 90 tonnes of nirmalya. I am not sure if these figures include immersions made on the prior days and those actually put into the river. Yet the figure seems miniscule considering Pune’s population of several lakhs. The nirmalya can be composted but what about the idols? This is an extremely disturbing article in the Pune Mirror that describes how idols were thrown into the river from the ponds under cover of darkness.

While the scriptures mandate an idol made out of mud, the current conditions force one to think. Is there any way in which individuals can take care of their idols from home itself after the Uttar Pooja instead of depending on the local authorities?

Pune, Ganapati immersion, Eco friendly Ganapati

Here are a few ideas and I have provided links to published articles where ever possible:

Immerse the shadu idol at home itself in a bucket. Once dissolved, the mud can be gradually added to plant pots at home.
Use an idol made of Alum that will purify the water as it dissolves. Mr Ramesh Kher from
Pune thought about making an idol out of alum which was sculpted by artist Vinod Kamble. What a wonderful idea!! Read
about it here – published in Jagran City Plus.
Use an idol made out of metal (silver or panch-dhatu). A symbolic immersion can be done at home and the idol reused the next year. I am not sure if this is acceptable under the religious texts but some people are known to do so.
Fashion an idol out of grains. They can possibly be later consumed as Prasad. Other food products can be used as well. Read this article in Times of India. It describes many other types of innovative Ganesh murti. One that struck me most was drawn on a wall and washed off with coconut water.

Any more ideas?
Pessimists may well ask if one family (one idol) can make any difference at all. But surely every bit counts and the success of this effort can inspire others…
Think about it..
Archana

25/09/201221/07/2020

Ganesh Utsav in Pune

Pune is widely known for its Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav and for various reasons we had preferred to watch them on TV or read about them in Sakal. This year we finally made it to the streets (albeit with tons of doubt- do we, should we go into the crowds etc etc) and here is a photostory of what we saw. It was a wonderful experience.
Before that, let me answer some FAQs, doubts that many of us may have, want to ask but dont know whom to ask. Obviously the answers are based on our experiences. Do take a decision based on whatever your particular circumstances.
So here goes:

Does the darshan involve lot of walking: YES. go prepared with sturdy shoes.
Which route do we take: Well, some homework will really help you get the most of your trip. The Sakal dated 23 September 2012 has a map depicting locations of different dekhave. Depending on your planned visit time and vehicle, you can choose to begin at Kasba Ganapati and end any where in Tilak Road. If you prefer to walk, then you may be able to cover fewer Pandals. If you are on a two-wheeler then do remember that certain roads are closed for all vehicles and you may have to park it some where and take bus number 11 (no prizes for guessing which is this one).Four wheelers are best left at home and three wheelers (ricksha’s) are difficult to find….

Pune, Ganapati, festival, ganesh utsav, pune

Map from Sakal to help you plot your route

What do we take along: Drinking water, cap/umbrella depending on the weather, cash (to buy some the irresistable toys on sale-some shown in the photos that follow), Cell phone, medicines as required (headache) etc. Keep your bag as light as possible.
What about crowds? Well, it IS a public celebration of the highest order so people (and LOTS of them) are a given. But we were not too troubled by them. Some roads are one-way walking plazas especially at peak rush hours. People are from all walks of life, young and old all out for a wonderful experience. TIP: Visit the pandals on days before the Gauri visarjan when crowds are smaller. The electric decorations are best seen at night (Eureka!) but visitng just around sunset means lesser people.
What about Cleanliness? Contrary to our expectations, the roads we visited were clean. No piles of garbage, no peculiar odours and no beggars. Ofcourse there was no rain on the day of our visit, which may have helped.
What about Safety? We saw several only women groups, ladies with children and daughters all out to enjoy themselves. Personally at no point did we (as women) encounter the so called ‘eve teasing’. There are plenty of police who are very helpful. However its a good idea to leave your jewellry, wallet etc behind and carry only bare minimum cash.Take whatever other precautions necessary when moving in a huge crowd.
Any spots to Rest: Sadly the answer is no. There is no place you can rest your tired soles but if you are lucky enough you may find a tea stall that has some chairs. Grap a cuppa to revive both the sole and soul! This year, reports say that some public temporary toilets have been installed and to be fair we did spot a couple near Mandai. However there are no reports about their state of cleanliness.
Is there anything to eat? Yes, lots of typical Puneri street food. Vada pav, Pav bhaji, Bhel stalls are aplenty. Packaged water was available as well. There was the occasional stall selling ukadiche modak. If you make a trip during the day time, some popular eateries may be open, which makes it a good opportunity to eat their delicacies.
Anything to Buy? Retail therapists may find a different range of wares to choose from. Hawkers sell a vast variety of toys, trinkets, balloons, bubble blowers that are great fun. We particularly loved the battery powered ‘horns’. Are great to spot your companions in a crowd! Lots of Lotus, Durva, coconuts etc- stuff that is typically offered to Ganapati.

The following slide show has some captions that describe the ‘what and where’ of each image. I hope you can view those easily.

There are still a few days before Anant Chaturdashi- the day for Ganesh Visarjan. We travel outside India to enjoy festivals of different countries. We need to explore, enjoy and experience whats happening in our cities first.
Go ahead!
Archana

31/08/201221/07/2020

Bark of the matter

The Bentham and Hooker system classifies plants based on the structure of their flowers. In the field, there are several tips whereby its possible to study the flower and identify the Family that the plant belongs to. More ‘homework’ may be required to pinpoint the name.
However problems arise when faced with an unknown tree which is not in bloom as then identification becomes difficult.
Some plants have distinctive leaves and some have peculiar trunks/barks which makes them easy to identify or helps you shortlist some names even if you don’t see their flowers. e.g. Arjun, Gorakh chincha…
While this sounds easy, believe me, its not. I know of Botanists who end up confused when faced with a young specimen or need to carry twigs, leaves back from the wild to civilisation to refer to their journals, Google Baba, herbariums etc for a precise name.

This post is dedicated to amazing tree trunks that I have seen over the last year or so. These are just a few out of zillions. Its not meant to be a lesson in botany– far from it. Its just a weak attempt at capturing the wonders in Mother Nature…
Enjoy…
Archana


The matti tree- The water maker. When the top layer is cut, water surges out almost as if from a pipe. This water can be consumed.

Elephants scrape off the bark of the Matti tree to get water

Orange coloured bark of Silver Oak inside coffee estates in Coorg, India. They seem to be up to five-six storey high…

A supposedly 20 million year tree fossil in Lalbaugh, Bangalore

Ficus nervosa a.k.a Loth A person can easily stand inside the gap seen above.

The creeper Entada has a convoluted, grotesque looking trunk

Raktakanchan- red sap from its bark

Bursera – its bark has a very fragrant oily discharge

Coffee trees have crooked knobly stems and the trees can live for over 100 years

Bark of Undi- Calophyllum inophyllum

Strangler vines inside Dubare reserve forest

Rough bark of Prosopis elengi (Shami)- grows easily in Rajasthan

Salai (Boswellia serrata). Its bark peels off as papery whitish layers and a green layer can be seen underneath. Several trees on Vetal tekdi, Pune usually found growing near Moi (Lannea coromandelica)

Massive bamboos- up to six stories high- die after flowering

28/08/201221/07/2020

Floral Feast

The last few weeks have taken me away from my workdesk which explains the long interval from my last post. I came across several beautiful plants, trees and flowers during my journeys making me wonder if I should contemplate another work change!!
I am not a shutterbug but these images do capture their amazing colours and shapes.
Here are some of the beauties for you. I could identify some, some are for you to identify…
A feast for your eyes!

(Tip: you can click on any one image to watch a slide show- however the captions may not be visible there)

Hazari mogra

Glory Lilly

Rose apple blooming

Coral tree

Is this golden Jacobena

Heliconium

Test yourself: name this tree…

Purple trumpet shaped flowers on rope like peduncles, trifoliate leaves

One more test…

Commonly called Brahma kamal: Epiphylum oxypetalum

Passion Flower

16/07/201221/07/2020

Kas Pathar – A need to protect

Its that time of the year again but this time round Punekars are thirsting for rain. The weather has turned cooler, the sky is overcast and often filled with menacing black clouds. Yet there is not a drop of rain (oh well, ok… a few drops), nothing to prove its the peak monsoon month.

July end, August is also the right time to visit Kas, which is Maharashtra’s own Valley of Flowers. Located off Satara, its a lovely stretch that is few kilometers long that is bare and barren all year round. Yet come the rains, the seeds that lie hidden and dormant in the rock crevices and few strips of soil spring to life and live out their lifespan in a space of a few weeks. The plants grow, bloom and disperse their seeds all in a short time span. Hence those keen to view or study these species must visit Kas only in this period. These ephemeral species are found only here (or few grow in other similar geographies in Maharashtra as well).

Now that the Western Ghats are on the coveted list of ‘World Heritage Sites” its vital that we do all we can and more to protect this invaluable natural treasure.
Those considering visiting Kas, please please do not damage the
surroundings, throw garbage, trample on the blooms or even bring them
back home (they will not survive). I am not sure of the status of flowering this year (2012) considering that the rains are playing truant. Here are some images captured in 2011 of the beauty in store.
Cheers!
Archana

26/06/201221/07/2020

Red rules at Sinhagad

Is this Peepal?

Heart shaped leaves

Asana shoots

Awwww Not agaaaaain…
Is that what I hear on seeing the post title?

But I am sure you will enjoy this post. The majestic Sinhagad offers something new each time one treks up (note: trek up, not drive up)- maybe a self revelation, some new aspect of its geography, changed landscape or as in my case, simply being able to recognise trees.

We climb up the Kondana Fort (aka Sinhagad) almost at any time of the year. The difficulty level soars in the monsoon due to rivulets of water, moss on the rocks, slush etc but some find this enjoyable. The other difference is in the trees growing on its slopes. They are totally bare (most are the deciduous kind) in summer which makes the climb all that more difficult as the rocks become terribly hot. Come monsoon, they burst into full green glory and flower as per their own individual seasons. Thus one gets a different visual treat each time, the backwaters of the Khadakvasla dam forming a steady constant in each.

The Kanda bhaji, Bhakri pithle, Dahi, Taak, Bhajalele Kanees (Bhutta/Corn on the cob) Nimboo pani, fresh fruits like Jambhul, Karvanda, just ripe-local mangoes are heavenly.

Like the last time, I found the fort to be quite clean, free of garbage (in areas that I walked) and people were generally disciplined. The stone track made walking easier and the road going up is under construction presently. The latter part towards Sinhagad is complete but the earlier part of the climb is still full of potholes with rocks and mudslides on the periphery. I did notice some cutely decorated Jeeps (Similar to those seen in some Rajasthan forts) ready to ferry people down.

My single complaint against lack of a proper toilet for ladies.

Last week, it was Red that ruled the climb. Several trees had lovely red shoots all bursting forth anticipating the rain gods to bestow their offering. I have compiled some photographs for you to enjoy and maybe tempt you to climb up as well… Besides red, green and brown were the predominant colours.

Karvanda

Asana

Ficus

Pithocelobium dulcae

Cheers!
Archana

19/06/201221/07/2020

Shrikhand or Mishti Doi: Who wins?

Dahi is an integral part of our Marathi diet. We eat it just by itself or with sugar added (dahi sakhar) or churned up into ‘taak‘ (buttermilk). To add value, it is drained of excess water and sweetened to make Shrikhand! The one and only supreme dish that is traditionally served as part of the meal but also lends itself to be served as a post-meal ‘desert’!

Shrikhand and dahi have a permanent irreplaceable place in the hearts of Maharashtrians.

There can be no better combination… which is what I thought till I ate Mishti Doi.

I first ate Mishti Doi on a train to Calcutta (as it was then called). The taste buds despite being trained to eating dahi sakhar, immediately recognised this as being something unique, something exquisite and worth investigating. We relished the real stuff when in East and the taste still lingers… Mishti Doi is made from thickened sweetened milk that is set with a starter culture.The treacly sweet and caramel coloured final product easily dissolves in the mouth to transport you to foodie heaven…

Try as I did, I was unable to buy it in Pune and could not make it at home either. I am told that its rarely made at home in its home states (West Bengal and Orissa) as well. The authentic Mishti Doi needs to be set in mud tumblers. Stalls at the local Durga Pooja celebrations drew a blank in my search for this ‘cool’ dish. The umpteen tiny stalls offering ‘Bengali food’ offered that did not impress me at all.

Sourcing Mishti Doi in Pune had become an unfulfilled wish, till recently. I was pleasantly stunned to find Mishti Doi by Mother Dairy at Reliance Retail outlet in Shahakar Nagar. This may not taste exactly like the original stuff from Kolkata but for starved souls like us its a good replacement! Further, it was being sold at a promotional price that was half the printed MRP.

At 179 kcal per 100 gms (nutritional info from the ready to eat Mishti Doi with Calcium and Protein thrown in) this would not send me to Diabetic Hell either.

Naturally we bought all packs available there. I then began an unsuccessful search in other such ‘super markets’ only to be stumped.

Dahi – yes, Flavoured Yoghurt- Yes, Frozen Yoghurt- Yes, Various brands of Shrikhand- Yes but NO Mishti Doi.

Had I dreamt of my purchases? When pinching myself did not work, I revisited the above mentioned outlet and lo and behold. Standing on the fridge shelf were few bright red packs of Mother Dairy’s Mishti Doi both large and small sizes but alas no more promotional prices… Inquiries with the staff revealed that they received fresh supplies in the mornings and people usually waited for the fresh stock..

Does this mean Punekars have given up on Shrikhand?
Will Mishti Doi win hearts of the Marathi manooos?

Cheers!
Archana
PS: Update in August 2012: Also discovered Mother Dairy Mishti Doi at Dorabjees…

31/05/201221/07/2020

What is it about Pune…

Pune. A city where the old and new, high and low tech coexist peacefully…
“Pune tithe kay une”
Roughly translated it means: Pune does not lack anything….
Be it culture, science, nature, music, sports and so on…

The city has some unique features that set it apart from any other city in the world.
Note: in the world!
Yes, Pune has that special something that stealthily sinks its claws into unsuspecting individuals so that somehow they are irrevocably attached to it. Ask any head hunter and they will attest to this fact— getting a candidate from Pune to relocate to a better job in another town is next to impossible. Look around and you will find several non-Maharashtrians have made Pune their home.

So what is it that so attractive about Pune?

Weather? Maybe… A few decades ago homes did not have fans, old timers claim. Difficult to believe now as every house boasts of atleast one AC or other cooling devices.
Water? Yes that may be a reason as i am told that may cities depend solely on borewells. We have the luxury of sweet treated water supply but that too is fast becoming a rarity with vast mini city developments around Pune.
Electricity? Yet another potential reason that may attract people from rural parts as I am told they face extensive power cuts particularly in summer.
Roads? While the city is small enough to technically allow travelling from one end to the other in half an hour, practically this is not the case. small roads, congested lanes, erratic public transport are a huge deterrant. The roads prove that Pune can be a strong competitor for the title of the city with maximum two wheelers!

Some Pune peculiarities:

Old-time shops shut every afternoon for a siesta
Industrial and Electricity holiday on Thursdays
A row of rickshas at a ricksha stand but none ready to ferry you to your destination
Rude-sounding sign posts (for miscellaneous instructions) that have become legendary. Check out this site: http://www.busybeescorp.com/puneripatya/thumbnails.asp
A surfeit of ‘exotic’ trees
Extravagant Ganesh visarjan processions that continue long after the official religious ‘immersion’ time has ended
The one and only Tulshibag, where enthusiastic shoppers from near and far stand cheek by jowl to buy stuff that is apparently available only there… No signs of a recession in these parts or in the adjacent Laxmi Road as well.
Bohri Alee, the one stop source for hardware purchases at rock bottom prices.

The list can be endless. Do you have any suggestions? Do write in or comment…

Till then,
Take care.
Archana

29/05/201221/07/2020

Tiffin Tales

It has always been a mystery to me if a
school Tiffin box and its contents really inspired excitement in its target
consumer. From the hosts and expert cooks on TV cookery shows this certainly
seemed the case. This sent me back to my daily morning tussle to innovate and
put in something interesting (child’s requirement) and nutritious (my
requirement) in the box.

When my daughter was still in preschool,
it was pretty smooth sailing. A sandwich/ fruits/ laddus or any other
savoury stuff made (home or ready-made) sufficed. Once into full time school I
had to give something more substantial especially for the lunch break.
Obviously this meant some variety of roti (Indian flat bread) and subjee
(vegetables) either separately or in a roll (to be called ‘frankie’ in a bid to
glamorise the preparation) or all mixed and rolled together as a stuffed
paratha (a form of Indian bread). The end product required the food to be
kept dry or risk feeding books in the bag. Obviously it would be testing any
child’s patience to expect him/her to eat dry roti/subjee six days of the week
for years together so little ‘extras’ were always demanded. On days when the
unfortunate bhindi (ladies finger) or karela (bitter gourd) found
their way into the plastic box they had to be countered with ‘extras’ that were
rated at the other end (high) of the scale like chips/ French fries/
chocolates/ cola in the water bottle etc. This of course had the rider that the
vegetable could not be repeated for a couple of months AND needed a peace
offering of a pizza for dinner.

Tiffin content planning demanded
creativity and variety. At one point I had chalked out a weekly tiffin plan
with due inputs from my child of course. This was negotiation skills at its
best for both of us – usually she won for the extra category and me in main
foods category. You win some you lose some, that’s life. This continued all
through the school years. In a candid moment I was privy to confessions of the
fate of some tiffins at school. When truly hungry or when contents were
agreeable, there was only option namely – eat the stuff. Sharing was something
that took on different hues as when one had to get rid of something one did not
like or could not risk taking empty Tiffin home. Hell hath no fury like that of
a Mom confronted with an uneaten school Tiffin. I learnt that some kids quite
easily emptied the disliked/ uneaten foods into the dust bin else out of the
school bus window on their way back home, Mom would never know. Did somebody
say thinking out of the box?

All this was obviously for foods coming
in at a low rank on the popularity scale. Topping the charts at the other end
of the scale, the ‘extras’ made the tiffin bearable and school worth going to
in some phases. However like all popular stars these too faced threats and from
the most unexpected sources…

One has heard of petty thefts at school-
a new pencil, eraser, handkerchief etc etc. But this incident took the cake,
almost literally…

A strange phenomenon occurred while my
child was in class four. As the school was some distance away I used to include
an additional small snack to cater to any food pangs during the return journey.
All was well for a few days but soon this food went ‘missing’ from the tiffin.
For the first couple of times I was excused as probably having forgotten but
when the tiffin lacked this vital ingredient day after day, things got serious.
Soon more kids were affected and action was called for. After verifying from
authorities (Moms) that food was indeed put into the tiffin, the kids concluded
that there existed a food thief among them. To add insult to injury, this
person ate up only the goodies in the tiffin leaving subjees for the
real recipients. No one would have complained if subjees had gone
missing…

Teachers were informed, the principal
brought into the loop but kids decided to take some action. The laddus were
doctored at home to have a core of chilli powder. Chocolates were removed from
wrappers and replaced with stones, papers or other similar stuff. They took
turns in ‘guarding’ the classrooms when kids went out for other activities. It
was not really clear what finally succeeded but one fine day all kids got their
full tiffins and the pain was over. Some said it was one of the kids, others
spoke of a monster and with kids’ overactive imagination there were new
culprits and causes daily. The academic session ended very soon and the entire
batch dispersed to new places and the matter ended there.

Tiffins continued into college days as
well but now I had added help in the form of aluminium foils/ cling
films/absorbent tissues and zip lock bags, containers all in fancy ‘food grade
materials’. There were times when I had to make do with canna or banana leaves
to wrap food- they make an excellent wrap by the way. Even now the tussle of
what to put into it went on as before. The security of having Tiffin full of
tasty food is the most comforting thing for a child away at school/college and
worth Mom’s every effort. Every full Tiffin reflects maternal love and each
tiffin returning home has a tale of its own to tell.

Cheers!

Archana