enjoy the rains

sadhuji · Jun 30th, 2005, 12:41

Monsoons are what all of us wait for eagerly, year after year. It quenches the thirst of mother Earth and raises hopes of bountiful crops in the minds of farmers. Political bigwigs express happiness at timely arrival of the monsoons and declare with confidence that this will take care of plenty of ills. Soon thereafter, they are shown touring the countryside in helicopters viewing quite seriously the ravages of yet another session of tides. Delay in the onset of monsoons, on the other hand, wipes the smiles from the faces of the farmers, it also raises deep furrows in the foreheads of the met people who are invariably at the receiving end. No number of super computers or satellite pictures has ever been able to predict, with any degree of accuracy, as to when the clouds will actually precipitate to moisten the soil and bring relief to those whose survival depends on it.

The first showers of the year are welcome by one and all. They herald the beginning of the period called the monsoons – they are the harbingers of good news for dealers of umbrellas, rain coats, rubber shoes and a whole variety of assorted items whose lifespan is a couple of months – of course not in places like Cherrapunji. Not just dealers but the ones who repair the umbrellas also make their appearance. Miniaturization has left its mark on these products also – we have those spring-loaded, foldable umbrellas that are so convenient to carry and lose. Yes, umbrellas are tiny little things that we are accustomed to leave in the bus or train or in our office or in a friend’s house. It rarely, if ever, comes back to its rightful owner, even though it may have the owner’s name written in artistic and colorful writing in its inner flap. With the reduction of size, the area that gets covered also reduces proportionately, today it is only the head that enjoys protection, and the lower part of the body gets wet all the same!

Most of the city administration are caught unawares by the onset of monsoons – with so many super brains at work, we have not yet been able to discover remedies to prevent water logging of roads. Practically every city experiences it.

One of the most common recipes that is popular with Bengalis when the heavens are pouring their goodness all around you whether you want it or not is a dish called ‘khichudi’. It is a concoction that is extremely simple and easy to prepare and wonderful to taste. Khichudi, in common parlance, means hotch-potch. Well, this dish is just that. Throw in fistful of different types of pulses into a couple of fistfuls of raw rice, clean the ingredients thoroughly, add water, whole onions, potatoes, tomatoes, slivers of ginger, and red chilies, along with salt to taste, and haldi. A spoon of sugar is not mandatory but adds to the taste. Allow the combination to boil and, when properly cooked, serve piping hot – add a couple spoonfuls of ghee or butter as topping. Side dishes for this fantastic main dish are usually fried stuff like omelettes, brinjal, finger chips of potato, onion pakoras and other such items. These are usually parallel activities and are prepared simultaneously as the main dish continues to bubble and boil on the side.

When we were in school and incessant rain made it impossible to move out of doors, our school would declare special holidays termed as ‘rainy day holiday’. And, in the evenings, we would kick the football all around the wet, slippery, muddy ground – those who slipped and fell in the mud, enjoyed the game most. I wonder whether kids of today can boast of such unbridled enjoyment.

SHIMLA · Jun 30th, 2005, 13:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadhuji

I wonder whether kids of today can boast of such unbridled enjoyment.

I think not; with their eyes glued to the tube and ears to the cellphone !

Good post, sadhuji !

ddutta · Jun 30th, 2005, 14:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadhuji

One of the most common recipes that is popular with Bengalis when the heavens are pouring their goodness all around you whether you want it or not is a dish called ‘khichudi’. It is a concoction that is extremely simple and easy to prepare and wonderful to taste. Khichudi, in common parlance, means hotch-potch. Well, this dish is just that. Throw in fistful of different types of pulses into a couple of fistfuls of raw rice, clean the ingredients thoroughly, add water, whole onions, potatoes, tomatoes, slivers of ginger, and red chilies, along with salt to taste, and haldi. A spoon of sugar is not mandatory but adds to the taste. Allow the combination to boil and, when properly cooked, serve piping hot – add a couple spoonfuls of ghee or butter as topping. Side dishes for this fantastic main dish are usually fried stuff like omelettes, brinjal, finger chips of potato, onion pakoras and other such items. These are usually parallel activities and are prepared simultaneously as the main dish continues to bubble and boil on the side.

Sadhuji , Ilish Mach Bhaja & Papad Bhaja bhulay gaylen ki korey?

machadinha · Jun 30th, 2005, 17:54

Another great post Sadhuji. Could be a sticky for future monsoon queries (nudges admins). Reminded me of the Caribbean coral island where I spent part of my youth -- on those seldom days when it rained (extremely local, you could see a shower pass over a section of the island from higher up, or ride in and out of one in a matter of minutes) the water had nowhere to go & us kids would rush out in our little rubber boots to play with toy boats and stuff. Afterwards everything would be fresh and green and flowery for a couple of days with rivulets flowing here and there, then go back to its normal state of blissful languid desert-likeness. If you were late for school you could always try claiming that it had rained back home & often get away with it. As in your story, during a downpoar you couldn't move between classrooms & if it persisted school was called off. Ah memories... thanx

Auntyji · Jun 30th, 2005, 20:32

This post reminds me of coming home from school in the rainy season...mom would make "bajji" with onions and bell peppers, and we would drink huge cups of tea. Then, stuffed to the gills, I would curl up in an old cane chair on the balcony, and read tons of Amar Chitra Katha comic books..oohhh, this nostalgia is unbearable!
Sadhuji, thanks for bringing it back.

sadhuji · Jun 30th, 2005, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddutta

Sadhuji , Ilish Mach Bhaja & Papad Bhaja bhulay gaylen ki korey?

thanks for the rejoinder.

docgirl2005 · Jun 30th, 2005, 22:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auntyji

This post reminds me of coming home from school in the rainy season...mom would make "bajji" with onions and bell peppers, and we would drink huge cups of tea. Then, stuffed to the gills, I would curl up in an old cane chair on the balcony, and read tons of Amar Chitra Katha comic books..oohhh, this nostalgia is unbearable!
Sadhuji, thanks for bringing it back.

Such a sweet memory Auntyji, Thanks for sharing with us..

P.S. So when are you off to India? LUCKy you..me jealous

bijapuri · Jul 1st, 2005, 00:52

Monsoons are the great hidden secret about India travel. I love visiting India in the monsoon, er . . . in the south at least, where it actually does cool off. And the Mtns are a chilly delight!

The North and Central seems to stay hothothot, alas

biswajit_27 · Jul 1st, 2005, 04:04

It was the rainy days that used to force us to play indoor games.
Can you smell the "pakodas" ???? I am from the eastern coast, and we get lots of rains (even without monsoons) and paper boats were a big part of our lives...(Kagaz ki kasti...wo barish ka pani...)

Jun 30th, 2005, 12:41	#1
sadhuji Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: nasik, maharastra Posts: 1,261	enjoy the rains Monsoons are what all of us wait for eagerly, year after year. It quenches the thirst of mother Earth and raises hopes of bountiful crops in the minds of farmers. Political bigwigs express happiness at timely arrival of the monsoons and declare with confidence that this will take care of plenty of ills. Soon thereafter, they are shown touring the countryside in helicopters viewing quite seriously the ravages of yet another session of tides. Delay in the onset of monsoons, on the other hand, wipes the smiles from the faces of the farmers, it also raises deep furrows in the foreheads of the met people who are invariably at the receiving end. No number of super computers or satellite pictures has ever been able to predict, with any degree of accuracy, as to when the clouds will actually precipitate to moisten the soil and bring relief to those whose survival depends on it. The first showers of the year are welcome by one and all. They herald the beginning of the period called the monsoons – they are the harbingers of good news for dealers of umbrellas, rain coats, rubber shoes and a whole variety of assorted items whose lifespan is a couple of months – of course not in places like Cherrapunji. Not just dealers but the ones who repair the umbrellas also make their appearance. Miniaturization has left its mark on these products also – we have those spring-loaded, foldable umbrellas that are so convenient to carry and lose. Yes, umbrellas are tiny little things that we are accustomed to leave in the bus or train or in our office or in a friend’s house. It rarely, if ever, comes back to its rightful owner, even though it may have the owner’s name written in artistic and colorful writing in its inner flap. With the reduction of size, the area that gets covered also reduces proportionately, today it is only the head that enjoys protection, and the lower part of the body gets wet all the same! Most of the city administration are caught unawares by the onset of monsoons – with so many super brains at work, we have not yet been able to discover remedies to prevent water logging of roads. Practically every city experiences it. One of the most common recipes that is popular with Bengalis when the heavens are pouring their goodness all around you whether you want it or not is a dish called ‘khichudi’. It is a concoction that is extremely simple and easy to prepare and wonderful to taste. Khichudi, in common parlance, means hotch-potch. Well, this dish is just that. Throw in fistful of different types of pulses into a couple of fistfuls of raw rice, clean the ingredients thoroughly, add water, whole onions, potatoes, tomatoes, slivers of ginger, and red chilies, along with salt to taste, and haldi. A spoon of sugar is not mandatory but adds to the taste. Allow the combination to boil and, when properly cooked, serve piping hot – add a couple spoonfuls of ghee or butter as topping. Side dishes for this fantastic main dish are usually fried stuff like omelettes, brinjal, finger chips of potato, onion pakoras and other such items. These are usually parallel activities and are prepared simultaneously as the main dish continues to bubble and boil on the side. When we were in school and incessant rain made it impossible to move out of doors, our school would declare special holidays termed as ‘rainy day holiday’. And, in the evenings, we would kick the football all around the wet, slippery, muddy ground – those who slipped and fell in the mud, enjoyed the game most. I wonder whether kids of today can boast of such unbridled enjoyment. __________________ mooning over a moon journey

Jun 30th, 2005, 17:54	#4
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 10,147	Another great post Sadhuji. Could be a sticky for future monsoon queries (nudges admins). Reminded me of the Caribbean coral island where I spent part of my youth -- on those seldom days when it rained (extremely local, you could see a shower pass over a section of the island from higher up, or ride in and out of one in a matter of minutes) the water had nowhere to go & us kids would rush out in our little rubber boots to play with toy boats and stuff. Afterwards everything would be fresh and green and flowery for a couple of days with rivulets flowing here and there, then go back to its normal state of blissful languid desert-likeness. If you were late for school you could always try claiming that it had rained back home & often get away with it. As in your story, during a downpoar you couldn't move between classrooms & if it persisted school was called off. Ah memories... thanx __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

Jul 1st, 2005, 00:52	#8
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,601	Monsoons are the great hidden secret about India travel. I love visiting India in the monsoon, er . . . in the south at least, where it actually does cool off. And the Mtns are a chilly delight! The North and Central seems to stay hothothot, alas __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Rains: 54 killed in Mah, Mumbai life paralysed	crvlvr	India Travel News and Commentary	20	Aug 28th, 2005 00:26
Monsoon rains affecting trains Delhi-->Mumbai?	slartibartfast	Indian Railways	1	Jul 31st, 2005 14:08
Save way to enjoy Kashmir	Dennis-M	Jammu & Kashmir	1	Jun 10th, 2005 17:38

Jun 30th, 2005, 20:32	#5
Auntyji One tight slap! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New York Posts: 323	This post reminds me of coming home from school in the rainy season...mom would make "bajji" with onions and bell peppers, and we would drink huge cups of tea. Then, stuffed to the gills, I would curl up in an old cane chair on the balcony, and read tons of Amar Chitra Katha comic books..oohhh, this nostalgia is unbearable! Sadhuji, thanks for bringing it back.

Jul 1st, 2005, 04:04	#9
biswajit_27 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 60	It was the rainy days that used to force us to play indoor games. Can you smell the "pakodas" ???? I am from the eastern coast, and we get lots of rains (even without monsoons) and paper boats were a big part of our lives...(Kagaz ki kasti...wo barish ka pani...)

User Name		Remember Me?
Password